What a fantastic season! It's not over, we're just taking a summer break. We want to thank you the listeners for tuning in every single Wednesday and thank you to the amazing guests that have been on the show! Thank you for believing in the importance of health and wellness and for embarking on this journey to help improve our personal overall health and well-being. Stay tuned for next season.

In this week’s episode, my special guest is Jenna Hua, RD, MPH, Ph.D. registered dietitian, environmental health scientist, CEO and founder of Million Marker.

Jenna's past research has focused on how our surrounding environment impacts our behaviors and health. An ardent believer in disease prevention, she wants to provide personalized preventive strategies to everyone to lead a healthier life.

Jenna’s extensive experience as an academic and health advocate led to her founding Million Marker in 2019, shortly after completing a Postdoctoral Fellowship with Stanford University’s School of Medicine. Throughout her career in academia, Jenna has researched and published numerous studies that largely focused on citizen’s science, general health, and the impact of food consumption on a person’s well-being. 

In one of her most recent publications, Jenna used machine learning to identify people based on food consumed in order to offer healthier food options. She also published another report that studied the arsenic exposure and risks of eating rice among adolescents in Kunming, China. Jenna has been a Project Manager for UNC’s Carolina Population Center, a Graduate Instructor and Research Assistant at UC Berkeley, and a Project Manager at UCLA’s Center for Population Research. She was also a US Fulbright Fellow at the Institute of International Education in Kunming, China. Jenna holds a BS in Nutrition and an MPH and Ph.D. in Environmental Health Sciences from UC Berkeley.

During our conversation with Jenna:

• Her journey into health and well-being

• Why Million Marker? What was her inspiration and passion behind the product/brand?

• What does wellness mean to you?

• An individual with health challenges wants to make changes in their life and wants to begin by detoxifying, where should they begin? 

• What does it mean to live a healthy lifestyle and how can someone begin their journey to a better tomorrow?

• What are endocrine-disrupting chemicals (or EDCs), how is it affecting us and what can we do to eliminate them in our lives and home? 

  
  

  Show notes: lpdstudio.ca/million-marker

  
  

  
  

In this week’s episode, my special guest is Laura Di Lorenzo, founder of Sunshine Mattress Co.

Sunshine Mattress Co. is an online organic mattress experience that focuses on solving individual needs, concerns, and preferences when it comes to sleep. The collection of products is handcrafted locally in Ontario at a family-run facility that specializes in manufacturing organic mattresses and other textiles. The simplified collection of products is always made using the highest quality, certified organic raw materials that provide a wealth of benefits, longer-lasting comfort, and an enhanced sleep experience. 

Laura opened her first showroom in Toronto in 2020 and has since relocated to Collingwood in April of this year. Her mission is to educate on the importance of high-quality and clean products, that you can feel good about getting into every night. After all - we sleep one-third of our lives!

Laura had the pleasure of serving customers all across Canada, grown partnerships with practitioners and influential people in the space of wellness. Sunshine Mattresses are in an AirB&B in Bancroft, and have received various media recognition through wellness podcasts and blogs

During our conversation with Laura:

• We learned about her mission, what sparked her passion for sleep quality?

• The journey of opening a sustainable business from the beginning to now. 

• What does wellness mean to her?

• How can a conventional mattress affect your sleep?

• What are the symptoms of sleeping on a bad mattress? 

• How do you know that you need to change mattresses?

• Is it better to sleep on a hard or soft mattress?

• How often should a mattress be replaced?

• Why invest in a healthy mattress, why does it matter and what are the benefits? 

Reference Links:

Sunshine Mattress -

Enter code “DESIGNINGWELLNESS” at checkout for a discount on bedding accessories

Sunshine Mattress Instagram Page

Show Notes: lpdstudio.ca/sunshine-mattress

Air purifiers can be effective in reducing levels of certain pollutants in the air, such as dust, pollen, pet dander, and tobacco smoke. However, the effectiveness of an air purifier depends on several factors, including the type of pollutant or particulate you are trying to remove.

If you’re looking for a recommended air purifier, search for HEPA filters. They are highly effective at removing small particles from the air, while others, such as ozone generators, can actually be harmful to human health. It is also important to note that air purifiers are not able to remove all pollutants and may not be able to eliminate odors or chemical fumes. Therefore consider an air purifier with a HEPA filter.

In this epidose, we dived in:

• Is it worth wild investing in an air purifier?
• What are the benefits of a HEPA filter?
• Can my houseplants become the air purifier?

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Show Notes: https://lpdstudio.ca/journal/do-air-purifiers-actually-work

Reference:

Episode 8 - What's Non-Toxic Living and Why is it Important? Insights from a Wellness Architect

Episode 14 - How does a healthy home positively impact our overall health and well-being?

Episode 16 - How to reduce hormone disruptors in your home

In this week’s episode, my special guest is Ahiney Laryea, Associate Therapist with LifeCycle Counselling and Clinical Learning Facilitator at LifeWorks.

She is a registered social worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) and a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW). She holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Carleton University and a Master’s in Social Work from the University of Windsor. Ahiney has a passion and heart for serving others and demonstrates it by mentoring other women in her community. She also loves long walks, gastronomic experiences during her travels, and journaling memorable moments.

During our conversation with Ahiney:

• We talked about her mission and how she became a social worker

• The different facets of wellness and the components that impact our mental health.

• As a social worker, which room of the home would you begin with? Why? And what are three major elements you would change or implement in the space?

  
  

Reference Links:

Ahiney’s Linkedin

Lifeworks

Show Notes: lpdstudio.ca/Ahiney

In this week’s episode, my special guest is Seungyeon Hong, Civil Engineering and Modelling and Data Specialist at s2e Technologies Inc:

He is an expert in the field of sustainability and net-zero energy. He holds a bachelor's and master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Carleton University, is a LEED Green Associate and was the Graduate Research And Teaching Assistant on the Northern Nomad Net-Zero Tiny House Project in Ottawa.

During our conversation with Seungyeon:

We dived into his passion for net-zero homes, his involvement with the Eve Park Project and his role as a research and design associate for London's West5 net-zero energy community. We also looked at what it means to live in a sustainable community and how that impacts our well-being.

Show Notes: lpdstudio.ca/netzero

In this week’s episode, my special guest is Tracy Daoud, Montreal-based Interior Designer and owner of Interior Designs by Tracy.

With over 10+ years in the field of interior design and running her own business, Tracy also recently launched an extension of her brand which is a curated collection of home goods - Tryda Collection. She has a diploma in interior design from Lasalle College and a bachelor's degree in business management from John Molson School of Business in Montreal. She is a wife, a mom to young boys, and a passionate luxury residential interior designer who build her business from word of mouth.

During our conversation with Tracy:

• We talked about her mission.

• What inspired her to become an Interior Designer?

• What does it mean to design a space that reflects and tells a story?

• Talk to us about bathroom design

  • Why should someone invest in bathroom design?

  • How to create a serene/spa-like bathroom?

  • How did you tell the client’s story through that project?

  
  

Reference Links:

Interior Designs by Tracy

Tryda Collection

Show Notes: lpdstudio.ca/tracy

In this week’s episode, my special guest is Karyn Hughes, RMT and Owner of Kneaded Touch.

Karyn is a proud mother of 3 wonderful kids, has been a Massage Therapist for 22 years, a doula, an IBCLC, and a professor of Massage Therapy at Algonquin College. She opened her first clinic in 2007 and now has 3 in the Ottawa area named after her love of baking - Kneaded Touch.  In her free time, she volunteers with the Girl Guides, supports new RMTs, and loves to dote on her pets. She has found her passion in supporting and empowering women and children through their wellness journeys. 

During our conversation with Karyn:

• We talked about her mission.

• What inspired her to become a Registered Massage Therapist (RMT), specialize in pre/postnatal, and open her own practice?

• She specializes in (ie. Prenatal massage, prenatal, infant and child massage, Swedish massage, CranioSacral therapy, and Myofascial Release) - what is her process through each therapy?

• Walk us through how a pregnant woman can benefit from massage therapy throughout her pregnancy and post-partum. Let's say she decides to book multiple sessions with you within the 9 months, tell us your process. Which months would you recommend which therapy and why? 

  
  

Reference Links:

Kneaded Touch