Community Healer, CEO Mom- Dr. Shahana Alibhai

Show Notes:

Connect with Dr. Shahana Alibhai online in the following places:

www.drshahana.com

Hosted: Andrew Bracewell @everydayamazingpodcast

Produced/Edited: Justin Hawkes @Hawkes21

Full Transcription of this Interview:

Andrew Bracewell: This is the podcast that finds the most elusive people the everyday amazing kind that you know nothing about. I’m hunting these people down and exposing their beauty to the world. I’m Andrew Bracewell, and this is every day. Amazing. 

 

Dr. Shahana Alibhai: It’s okay to feel anxious. It’s okay to feel sad. It’s okay to feel scared. All of this stuff is OK.

 

Andrew Bracewell: Way. Welcome to the everyday amazing podcast. Today I am in way over my head. Joining me is Dr. Shahana Alibhai. I recently met Dr. Alibhai through a Ted X event where she spoke about emotional literacy and reimagining how we treat youth who suffer with their mental health. As I listen to Dr. Alibhai, I was struck by her sincerity and how non clinical she was as she peeled back the layers of a very complex issue. I knew immediately that I wanted to spend more time with Dr. Alibhai and convinced her to come on the show. I’m ecstatic that she agreed. Dr.. Alibhai. Welcome.

 

Dr. Shahana Alibhai: Thank you so much for having me.

 

Andrew Bracewell: Have you ever done this before?

 

Dr. Shahana Alibhai: First time. Doing a podcast.

 

Andrew Bracewell: First time. Excited, nervous,

 

Dr. Shahana Alibhai: actually. Really excited. I don’t need to memorize anything. So It’s a good thing

 

Andrew Bracewell: that’s true. I get to play doctor today and you get to play patient.

 

Dr. Shahana Alibhai: I know this’ll be interesting.

 

Andrew Bracewell: I’m excited. Before we begin, I thought it would be. It would make most sense for me to read your bile from your website in your words, so that everyone could hear your perspective on what it is you’re doing. Does that make sense?

 

Dr. Shahana Alibhai: Sounds great.

 

Andrew Bracewell: Here we go. In Dr. Alibhais words, I know the pressures many women face trying to be there for our kids trying to push forward in our careers and at the same time doing it all with a smile. Like many of you, I also have a story. I thought I knew the importance of eating well and moving more. But after completing my residency and family medicine, the stressors of life caught up to me. After the birth of my first son, I found myself deep into what I would later find out was postpartum anxiety, the lesser known counterpart to postpartum depression. Postpartum anxiety can present with panic attacks O. C. D type symptoms and feelings of being constantly keyed up and on edge. With over 10 years of studying nutrition, exercise and medicine. I thought I knew what it took to keep me well, but I fell short. The missing link for me was healthy, thinking I was used to sprinting through life at this pace. Eventually you hit the wall. I’ve come up with the pyramid of optimal health because it’s something I’ve used personally with my patients. By focusing first on our thought patterns are internal dialogue and our state. We can then set ourselves up to make better decisions when it comes to things like eating and exercise. How long ago did you write that?

 

Dr. Shahana Alibhai: You know, listening to that again I have for gotten. I wrote that. So it’s probably being about two or three years si