This episode marks the 200th episode of The Wellness Mama Podcast! Over the last few years, I’ve had the honor of speaking to almost 200 experts and spending 200+ hours of time with you! In this 200th episode, Heather and I recap a few listener favorite episodes and share our biggest takeaways.
We also talk in-depth about a recurring theme throughout the past episodes that reveals the most important factor for health…. and it probably isn’t what you’d think.
Here’s a few hints:
It has nothing to do with food. Or exercise. Or even avoiding harmful chemicals in the environment.
Those are all important, of course, but there’s something more and many of us miss it in modern life. It is present in all Blue Zones and in the individual lives of centenarians. Some statistics show that it is more important than quitting smoking and twice as important as regular exercise. In fact, lack of this is correlated with a much higher chance of dying and with depression.
If you’ve guessed that I’m talking about community and relationships… you’re exactly right!
Why Relationships Matter So Much
In the modern world, we have no lack of digital connection, but this sometimes comes at the detriment of real human connection. When we delve into the stats, it turns out that having a solid and regular connection with real people is perhaps the most important thing we can do for our health. Not having these strong relationships/connections is linked to early death, higher risk of heart attack, and much more.
And we can be at risk even if we don’t feel lonely. We may feel connected with constant access to social media, but it isn’t the same… not even close.
In this episode, Heather and I talk about the recent events that made us realize the power of community in a whole new way, and what it’s got us thinking about.
200th Episode Highlights

our hurricane evacuation story… and the surprising things we learned
the post-hurricane recovery and what’s happening on the ground
the biggest factor that can impact health (more than smoking or not exercising)
practical ways to foster these relationships in an increasingly digital world
which factors need to be present to get the benefits of community
how we can encourage our children to have healthy relationships from an early age
and more!

Resources We Mention

Dare to Lead by Brené Brown (2018)
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead by Brené Brown
JustThrive Probiotics

More of Our Favorites

90: A Mind Of Your Own: Tackling Mental Illness and Fixing Hormones with Dr. Kelly Brogan
161: Helping Stop Sex Trafficking & Keeping Kids Safe With Operation Underground Railroad
163: Fascina