The Lushness Podcast

Your labs say normal. But your body is telling you something different.Clinical pharmacist Dr. Ashley Griffith breaks down why the reference ranges used to determine what is normal were not built with Black women in mind, what biomarkers you should actually be tracking for longevity, and how to walk into your doctor's office and get the labs you need without being dismissed.Black women are dying from conditions that should have shown up in their blood work years before they became a crisis. This episode gives you the knowledge to change that.Subscribe and follow The Lushness Podcast so you never miss an episode.

Naturopathic Doctor and gut health expert Dr. Firlande Volcy reveals why your digestive health is the foundation of everything: your mood, your energy, your hormones, and your immune system, and why so many Black women are suffering without real answers.In this episode we cover:Why Black women are disproportionately misdiagnosed when it comes to gut healthThe gut-brain connection and why your mental health starts in your gutHow chronic inflammation shows up in your body and what's driving itThe foods and habits quietly destroying your microbiomeHow to begin healing your gut naturally with science-backed toolsDr. Firlande Volcy is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and leading gut health expert specializing in helping women heal from the inside out.

Your stress is not just exhausting you. It is aging you at the cellular level.In this episode, licensed counseling psychologist Dr. Natasha Manning-Gibbs breaks down the science of weathering, what it is, why Black women carry a disproportionate biological burden, and what you can actually do to slow it down.This is not a burnout conversation. This is the science of what chronic stress from racism, workplace pressure, and daily microaggressions does inside your body, and the specific tools to regulate your nervous system starting this week.In this episode:What weathering is and why every Black woman needs to understand itThe science of allostatic load and how it accelerates biological agingHow chronic stress shows up physically in the bodyWhy traditional self-care falls short when weathering is the root causePractical nervous system regulation tools you can implement this week

Your sleep is costing you years. And if you're a Black woman in America, the odds are already stacked against you.Board-certified physician and sleep specialist Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell breaks down what's really happening to your body when you don't sleep, why Black women are the most affected, and the tools you can start using tonight to sleep better and live longer.If you are experiencing chronic insomnia, Dr. Holliday-Bell recommends consulting your primary care doctor for a referral to a sleep medicine specialist. The number one recommended treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I).Featured book: Sleeping on the Job by Dr. Angela Holliday-BellSubscribe and follow The Lushness Podcast so you never miss an episode.