The Unchosen Fork

The Unchosen Fork

It’s not the path they choose, but it’s the one they are on. Being diagnosed with a chronic, severe, or terminal illness can be heartbreaking, confusing, and lonely. And that’s just day one. The Unchosen Fork is a podcast all about life, health and keeping sane while dealing with an illness. We - two women dealing with chronic diagnoses - discuss what we know now, what we wish we had known, what we want to discover about the realities and science about illness.Some paths choose you. Join us on the Unchosen Fork.

Episodes

September 1, 2023 53 mins

Sleep is critical to a healthy life and recovery; why is it so dismissed? Why do we value or encourage shortening our sleep opportunities?

Our Friend, Dr. Virginia Crabtree, joins us again to discuss why we need sleep, who needs the most, and how to get the best sleep ever.

Kelly dives into her questions, and Sarah is all about her naps.

Join Us on the Unchosen Fork.

Guest Speaker Bio:
Dr. Va...

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If one more person asks Sarah if she is grateful for the lessons she learned due to her illness, she may lose her mind.  Thankfully, she talked to Stacey Coach about how to foster gratitude and find a connection with a higher power.

Join Kelly and Sarah as they discuss with Stacey why finding your community is so essential, how shame will prevent you from moving forward, and finding a way gratitude is possible, even when a...

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Supplements are all around. The general idea is that supplements are "good for us" or at least neutral.  Dr. Alison Mondul walks us through why that isn't necessarily the case and how come it's so hard to get good research on them. 

Dr. Mondul also discusses #MiCares , a new research project that will help us understand the world around us.

https://micares.health/

Join Us on #theunchosenfork

Apple: https://apple.co/...

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Meat. It's bad for you, bad for the environment, right? Right? It's time for a rethink.

Join, Sarah and Kelly explore how meat done right can be healthy, sustainable, and ethical with Jill O'Brien from Wild Idea Buffalo Co.

Join Us on #theunchosenfork

Shop https://wildideabuffalo.com/
and use “Fork20” for 20% your order.



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It's been the preferred drink of monks, aristocracy, and healthy yogis for centuries. But the world's most popular drink has a dark past.

Kelly and Sarah talk about tea's grim history and the science behind why it's so good for you.

Join Us on #theunchosenfork

Resources


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Disclaimer: The contents of this podcast, includi...

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 Whether it's them or a family member, talking to children about illness and devastating diagnosis is one of the toughest things a parent or guardian has to do. Yet, no one, like the rest of raising a child, has a manual for the best way to do that.

So, of course, Sarah and Kelly tackle it head-on with Dr. Virginia Crabtree of St. Jude. They dive into what to say and when to say it, and comments to avoid for both pare...

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Weird diets. Peer pressure. Thinspo. UGH.  Kids these days have more challenges than ever when it comes to body image. Add a chronic or critical illness & it's all more difficult to navigate. So what to do?

Join Sarah & Kelly in their discussion with Dr. Ginger Quick about how illness & body image intersects & steps you can take to help the youth in your life.

Guest Host Bio

Virginia ...

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The best unchosen fork is the fork that doesn't happen.  Sarah and Kelly are joined by two rockstars of the Cardiovascular world, Dr. Jennifer Mieres and Dr. Stacey Rosen on how to prevent the #1 killer of women: Heart Disease.

Learn all about risks factors and prevention tips and why the Heart Is A Lady Part. So grab your best scarlet, ruby, or wine-colored outfit as the Unchosen Fork  GOES RED FOR WOMEN.

Join us on T...

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We hit our second season with a doozy.

When people are hit with a devastating diagnosis or chronic illness, caregivers rise up to take care of everything. But who is taking care of the caregivers?

Sarah and Kelly are joined by author, Kate Washington,  to discuss her book, "Already Toast" about her experience with caregiving and recovering from burnout. We get into the current state of caregivers, the si...

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We have lots of opinions including on things that we love to use!  Join us as we give you our top 10 Favorite things for those that are dealing with illness or just want to live a little healthier this season.

Sarah and Kelly have some great gift idea that will surely please as well a why you should never ever buy a pineapple corer.

Join us on the Unchosen Fork!

Resources

  • https://www.mentalfl...
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November 4, 2022 45 mins

SEX! Sarah and Kelly really do cover everything, including the sex challenges that can arise (or not) from chronic Illness.

Dr. Daniela Wittmann joins the Fork to discuss how sex therapy can help those suffering from sexual dysfunction, how medical practices can make it easier for their patients to address what they make be ashamed to admit, and what questions patients and their partners should ask.

And Sarah add ...

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October 7, 2022 43 mins

Can we live in the moment, every moment? What about when you live with pain? What if my mind is like a squirrel?

Kelly and Sarah are joined by mindfulness expert and therapist, Elizabeth Wilder Young to discuss what mindfulness actually is, how to incorporate it into your every day, and how it can help address pain.

Oh, and Sarah overshares. Again.

Guest Host Bio

Elizabeth is a licensed clinical social worker provid...

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Some are great in a risotto, some can make you see God, and some can kill you.

Kelly delivers an in-depth look at edible mushrooms and all the scientifically supported ways they are good for you.  Sarah delivers bad jokes.

Join us on The Unchosen Fork.

Resources:

  • Servan-Schreiber D. Anti Cancer a New Way of Life. Penguin Books, 2009

    Blaylock RL. Natural Strategies for Cancer Patients. Citadel ...
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Exercise. We know it’s good for us. We know it can help us feel better. Why is so hard to start?  Sarah and Kelly welcome personal trainer and RA survivor Ali DiGiacomo as she provides step-by-step tips to getting started, staying started, and making workouts work for you. 

Hear her inspirational story about going from using a cane to now inspiring thousands every day to move their body - where ever they are.  Warning: strong opinio...

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July 1, 2022 46 mins

How does grief work? Kelly and Sarah tackle the big topic with a big guest.  Dr. Mary Frances O'Connor joins them for a conversation about grief and her new book, The Grieving Brain: The Surprising Science of How We Learn from Love and Loss.

Dr. O'Connor shares her thoughtful insights and research on how grief is not a single circular series of phases, preparing for inevitable hard moments in one's life, an...

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Sarah and Kelly welcome guest host, Rosalind Joffe, to discuss all the challenges and benefits of working while chronically ill.

After being diagnosed, one of the next largest concerns is working. Can you still do your job with your condition? How much do you disclose at work?  What else should I be considering?
Sarah and Kelly cover all this with Rosalind, who has coached others on these questions for over 20 years.  ...

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May 6, 2022 37 mins

Kelly and Sarah welcome a very special guest to break down all the secrets of the MRI.

Hear from DJ Quam, an industry expert, as he breaks down  all the things that you always wanted to know. This episode has it all.

Academic Drama? Check.
Informative Science? Check.
Real world recommendation to make MRs better? Check.
Sarah oversharing yet again? Check- Check.

Join us on the Unchosen Fork.

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April 8, 2022 34 mins

TRICKS TO GET HEALTHY FOOD IN YOUR DAILY LIFE

Kelly and Sarah spill their "secrets" about incorporating good, real food into their daily lives. They cover the challenges and the benefits of keeping to the basics, saving time in meal prep, and how sneaking in nutrition is easier than you think.

References:

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March 25, 2022 34 mins
Sarah finally discusses The Terrible Diet tm.  Otherwise known as the Autoimmune Protocol or AIP, Sarah covers how this radical approach to food has changed the course of her health, disease, and life. 

Learn how the AIP process works, what a food coach is, and why vegan is not the answer for everyone.  Stay for why Sarah had to take a "sabbatical" to save her friendships.

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We start to tackle Kelly's favorite topic: Nutrition! Join us as we discuss her main nutrition principles, including the "dirty dozen", grass-fed beef, plant-based diets, and more.

References:

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