Healthy Options 2/2/22: Rhonda Feiman speaks with Florence Williams, author of the new book, “Heartbreak- A Personal and Scientific Journey”

Host/Producer: Rhonda Feiman
Co-Producer: Petra Hall
Technical assistance: Joel Mann & Amy Browne

Rhonda Feiman speaks with Florence Williams, author of the new book, “Heartbreak- A Personal and Scientific Journey,” about the physiological and emotional effects of heartbreak and grief- and effective pathways for healing.

Key Discussion Points:

1. What are the physiological changes that can occur with shock, grief and heartbreak? How do you define heartbreak?
2. How is the immune system affected by strong emotions associated with loss, grief and heartbreak?
3. How does the heart get affected? What is Takotsubo syndrome?
4. Does being in nature help bring our nervous system back into balance?
5. What is “awe” and why is that useful as a treatment or antidote to strong physiological changes that can occur with heartbreak?
6. What other methods are helpful in treating the shock, grief and heartbreak?
7. How might psychotropic medicines help?

Guest:

Florence Williams, author of The Nature Fix- Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative
She is also author of the book, BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History, and producer of the series, BREASTS UNBOUND, An Audible Original.

Previous Healthy Options interviews with Florence Williams:

Healing ourselves through nature– The Nature Fix- Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier, and More Creative

Interview with Florence Williams, author of the book, BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History

About the host:
Rhonda Feiman is a nationally-certified, licensed acupuncturist practicing in Belfast, Maine since 1993. She primarily practices Toyohari Japanese acupuncture, using gentle and powerful non-insertion needle techniques, and also utilizes Chinese acupuncture and herbology. In addition, Rhonda is a practitioner of Qi Gong and an instructor of Tai Chi Chuan in the Yang Family tradition.

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Technoptimist Radio 2/2/22: Brain Implant Translates Thought to Text

Join Teresa Carey as she breaks down the latest news on the technology that is solving the world’s biggest problems. In today’s show, Teresa covers how your brain decodes language and uses brain-computer interfaces.

To learn more about the topics in this episode:

Brain implant translates thought to text
Here is how your brain understands one voice in a crowd

About the host:
Teresa Carey is a senior staff writer at Freethink.com, where she covers genetics and the environment. She is also a US Coast Guard licensed captain and a NatGeo Explorer. In addition to Freethink her work can be found in BuzzFeed, Scientific American, PBS NewsHour, NPR Weekend Edition, Smithsonian and more. Find her on twitter @teresa_carey

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Maine: The Way Life Could Be — DEBUT! 2/1/22

Producers/Hosts: Jim Campbell and Amy Browne
With assistance from: Ann Luther, Matt Murphy, Scott Byrd and Pepin Mittelhauser

This new series is made possible in part by a grant from the Maine Arts Commission:

Travelers entering Maine on the Maine Turnpike from the south are greeted by a sign that says Maine: The Way Life Should Be. Assuming for a moment that is true today, we wondered what would make it true in the future.

There are a lot of challenges – and perhaps opportunities – that will affect what life is like in Maine in the not too distant future, the future that people listening right now will probably see in their lifetimes. We decided to take a look at some of those challenges and opportunities, and get some ideas about what Life Could Be in Maine in the future – hence the name of the program series.

Of course, that bought up the question of just what are the most important challenges facing Maine now that will extend into the future. We had some ideas but we needed to find out what ideas others had about that question to enable us to identify topics for the programs in the series. So we asked.

Regular WERU listeners may recall recently hearing an invitation on the WERU airwaves to attend a video conference call, and to share their ideas about important challenges facing our state that will affect our common future – and that will help us to know what topics future programs in the series should include.

More than 25 people joined that videoconference, and many offered their ideas and concerns about important issues we will need to address if we want Maine to remain a place where we want to live in the future. We’ll hear from some of those who shared their ideas during that video conference first. Later in the program, we’ll hear from three people in our listening area working in local government– whose job it is to not only take care of today’s local needs, but also to plan to deal with the needs of tomorrow. We’ll get some of their ideas about what issues we will have to address going forward.

#ClimateChange
#UniversalHealthcare
#AffordableHousing
#TribalSovereignty
#Environment
#Racism
#Broadband
#Demographics
#Jobs

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Outside the Box 2/1/22: “Vaccine Equity”

Producer/Host: Larry Dansinger

About the host:
Larry Dansinger (no pronouns) of Bangor came to Maine in 1974 and has been here ever since. Some of Larry’s activities since then: Done community organizing on numerous issues through INVERT and then Resources for Organizing and Social Change (ROSC), committed civil disobedience several times, grown a garden yearly since 1977, joined various food cooperatives and two men’s groups, refused to pay federal income taxes for war, lived on a community land trust for 23 years, and met a wonderful partner whom Larry has loved for over 40 years. Larry has produced Outside the Box features on WERU since 2007 and continues to look for unique ways of seeing almost any problem or situation.

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Pet Sounds 1/30/22: USDA Detector Dogs

Producer/Host: Dr. John Hunt

About the host:

My Sunday morning short has been running for about 11 years. I’ve cover a wide range of animal related topics from COVID to porcupines.

After graduating from Michigan State University Veterinary School in 1982 I practiced at three different veterinary hospitals in the Hartford, Conn area for 5 years. Then I bought a small part time clinic in Bucksport and turned it into a full time small animal surgery and medicine hospital. From 1987 to 2014 I enjoyed serving the Bucksport-Orland area pet owners. My kids grew up in Bucksport. I was a Boy Scoutmaster for a few years, and coached cross country and track in the Bucksport school system for 20 years. I’ve written three books working on a fourth.

I sold my practice and retired from practicing medicine in 2014. Since “retiring” I’ve continued Pet Sounds and my monthly Lets Talk Animals show on WERU. I’ve been teaching at local community colleges, officiating at high school track meets, writing and started a blog on line.

I enjoy hiking, reading, writing and anticipate spending more time with my first grandchild.

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The Nature of Phenology 1/29/22: Cryogenic Disturbance

Producers: Hazel Stark & Joe Horn
Host: Hazel Stark

Here in Maine where we are just out of reach of most hurricanes and tornadoes, generally too wet for frequent natural forest fires, and often times not wet enough for massive flooding events, we instead look to the winter to breathe life into forest communities in the form of cryogenic disturbance, or freezing.

Photos, a full transcript, references, contact information, and more available at thenatureofphenology.wordpress.com

About the host/writers:

Joe Horn lives in Gouldsboro, is Co-Founder of Maine Outdoor School, L3C, and is a Registered Maine Guide and Carpenter. He is passionate about fishing, cooking, and making things with his hands. He has both an MBA in Sustainability and an MS focused in Environmental Education. Joe can be reached by emailing [email protected]

Hazel Stark lives in Gouldsboro, is Co-Founder and Naturalist Educator at Maine Outdoor School, L3C, and is a Registered Maine Guide. She loves taking a closer look at nature through the lens of her camera, napping in beds of moss, and taking hikes to high points to see what being tall is all about. She has an MS in Resource Management and Conservation and is a lifelong Maine outdoorswoman. Hazel can be reached by emailing [email protected]

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