Rooted in Wellness with Mona Sharma

Before anything shows up on a lab report, the body often signals imbalance through lived symptoms. Sleep becomes less restorative, emotional regulation takes more effort, focus shifts, and the nervous system feels less steady, even while test results still appear normal. We dive deeper into this in the Rooted in Wellness with Dr. Chris Renna, DO. Together, we explore why a grounded sense of self is one of the most overlooked indicators of health, how lived experience can be more revealing than lab data, and what truly shifts hormonally between ages 45 and 55. Dr. Chris Renna, DO, is the founder of LifeSpan Medicine and an early pioneer in longevity-focused care. He has over four decades of clinical experience across precision diagnostics, integrative medicine, neuroscience, and hormone health. His work focuses on personalized approaches to aging and long-term health optimization. What’s Discussed: (02:55) Why modern medicine manages disease rather than creates health (07:28) Sense of self and restorative sleep as health markers (11:42) Why “how you feel” can reveal more than lab results (16:58) Early symptoms that appear long before diagnosis (24:36) Diet, movement, sleep, and perspective as longevity foundations (33:12) Fear-based wellness and its role in inflammation (47:58) Hormonal shifts between ages 45–55 and biological management (53:44) Gut health, inflammation, and functional signals  Thank You to Our Sponsors: IM8: Try IM8 for 30 days as part of your holistic wellness practice. Your body deserves this level of comprehensive support. Visit https://im8health.com/ Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma. Learn more about Dr. Chris Renna, DO: Website: www.lifespanmedicine.com

You can eat well, journal daily, go to therapy, and still feel stuck in a body that won’t settle. When healing stays cognitive and skips the nervous system, regulation never fully happens and symptoms keep looping. We dive deeper into this in the latest Rooted in Wellness episode with Britt Piper. We also chat about somatic healing, nervous system regulation, generational trauma, and why slowing down can feel more threatening than staying busy. Britt Piper is a somatic practitioner, educator, and author whose work blends nervous system science with emotional and ancestral healing. Her background includes trauma studies, women’s wellness, and somatic experiencing. She specializes in translating complex neuroscience into grounded, body-based practices. What’s Discussed: (00:02) Why healing can stall when regulation stays cognitive instead of nervous system based (05:10) How trauma lives in the body and shows up as anxiety, fatigue, pain, and burnout (12:45) The difference between what happened to you and what your body didn’t receive (18:30) Why slowing down can feel unsafe to a dysregulated nervous system (26:10) Chronic stress, suppressed emotions, and long-term nervous system dysregulation (33:40) How unprocessed trauma reshapes immune, hormonal, and digestive function (41:20) Somatic healing versus talk therapy and why the body must be involved (52:00) Presence, body awareness, and rebuilding safety from the inside out Thank You to Our Sponsors: Sunlighten: Experience the healing power of light for yourself. Visit get.sunlighten.com/monasharma and use code MONA to save up to $1,400 on your own Sunlighten sauna; a space to recharge, restore, and reconnect with your body’s natural rhythm. Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma. Learn more about Britt Piper: Instagram: @healwithbritt Tiktok: @healwithbritt Youtube: @HealwithBritt

If you have been dealing with brain fog, anxiety, chronic fatigue, mood changes, or symptoms that feel real but keep coming back with “normal” labs, this episode will help you understand what your brain and body are signaling beneath the surface. In today’s episode, I sat down with Dr. Eboni Cornish to explore the biological roots of mental and emotional health through the lens of neuroinflammation. We discuss how chronic stress, hidden infections, toxins, and gut imbalances can disrupt brain function, hormones, and mood, often long before conventional testing catches it. We also talk about why conditions like Lyme disease and autoimmune patterns are frequently missed, how the gut-brain connection shapes mental health, and why cleansing without restoration can keep people stuck. Dr. Eboni Cornish is a physician specializing in brain health and neuroinflammation, with a focus on integrating neuroscience, functional medicine, and compassionate, whole-person care. What's Discussed: (00:02) Why brain fog, anxiety, and fatigue can exist even when labs look normal (06:00) How chronic stress becomes biological and impacts brain function (11:00) Why cleansing without restoration can keep healing stuck (15:55) What it means to view mental health as measurable brain biology (21:30) Neuroinflammation, anxiety, and the gut–brain connection (30:40) Hidden toxins and infections driving chronic symptoms in women (35:50) Why Lyme and chronic infections are often misdiagnosed (53:20) Hormones, perimenopause, and protecting long-term brain health Thank You to Our Sponsors: Sunlighten: Experience the healing power of light for yourself. Visitget.sunlighten.com/monasharma and use code MONA to save up to $1,400 on your own Sunlighten sauna; a space to recharge, restore, and reconnect with your body’s natural rhythm. Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma. Learn more about Dr. Eboni Cornish: Instagram: @dr.ebonicornish

What if the holidays become a space where you stay connected to yourself instead of feeling depleted by January? In Part 3 of the holiday solos, I bring together everything we have been exploring so you can support your body with clarity and steadiness.  I share how alcohol affects digestion, sleep, inflammation, and energy, and what the liver truly needs this time of year. You will hear the simple practices I use to minimize bloating, calm the nervous system, and keep my rhythm steady without perfectionism or restriction. We explore mindful drinking, gut friendly food choices, hydration rituals, and the supportive herbs and supplements that help your system recover with ease. I also talk about boundaries, emotional triggers, and how to stay grounded when gatherings feel overwhelming or routines fall apart. This final part is an invitation to choose nourishment, intention, and self trust so you can move through the season feeling centered, supported, and well. What's Discussed: (00:06) The Holiday Season and Why Our Rhythm Shifts (00:23) Today’s Focus: Supporting Your Body Through the Holidays (00:30) Your Grounding Guide for the Season Ahead (00:40) Alcohol, Digestion, Sleep, Boundaries, and Real Holiday Support (01:12) Question Seven: Mindful Drinking and What the Liver Needs (10:35) Tools for Bloating, Inflammation, and Gut Friendly Choices (23:57) Closing Reflections and Holiday Nourishment Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma.

If you have been feeling inflamed, fatigued, overly stressed, or unsure why your body is not responding the way it used to, this episode will help you understand what your physiology is trying to communicate.  In today’s episode, I sat down with Dr. Ara Suppiah, a functional sports medicine physician who makes complex biomarker data feel simple, practical, and grounded. We explore why health is shaped by patterns and trends rather than isolated numbers and how markers like the Omega-3 index, hs-CRP, cortisol, and the neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio reveal what is happening beneath the surface.  We also discuss oral health as an early inflammation signal, the connection between movement and longevity, and the small daily habits that strengthen resilience. Dr. Ara Suppiah is a functional sports medicine physician known for translating complex physiology into guidance people can apply right away. What's Discussed: (00:00) Why your labs look “normal” even when your body doesn’t (04:18) The biomarkers that quietly predict resilience or burnout (09:52) What Omega-3, hs-CRP, and NLR reveal about hidden stress (15:10) How your gums expose inflammation before symptoms begin (21:44) The link between movement, recovery, and long-term vitality (28:30) What natural movement teaches us about microbiome health (36:12) How overtraining disrupts hormones and drains energy (42:58) When tools and medications support longevity goals (51:05) How to build a physiology that ages slowly and feels grounded Thank You to Our Sponsors: IM8: I’m always searching for wellness that’s simple, effective, and rooted in science. That’s why I love IM8, a daily drink with 92 nutrients designed to support energy, gut health, and longevity.Use code MONASHARMA10 for 10% off at im8health.com. Learn more about Mona Sharma: Download Your FREE Guide - 12 Wellness Tips to Unlock Your Best Health Now: Ready to reclaim your vitality? Download Mona’s 12 Wellness Tips and take actionable steps to transform your health, energy, and mindset. Get started now at https://monasharma.com/12tips.  Visit Mona's website: https://monasharma.com – Unlock powerful tools and wisdom rooted in wellness to elevate your health, energy, and clarity. Mona blends ancient healing practices with modern science to help you achieve lasting transformation. Follow Mona on Instagram: Stay connected with Mona for daily inspiration, holistic health tips, and personal growth. Join the conversation on Instagram at https://instagram.com/monasharma. Learn more about Dr. Ara Suppiah : Website: http://www.draraoncall.com  Instagram: @draraoncall