Diagnosed with Parkinson's or Alzheimer's and told there's nothing left to try? Mark Burnett heard the same words — advanced, incurable, manage it and move on. This episode is for anyone facing a neurological diagnosis, their own or a loved one's, who won't take "there's no cure" as the final answer. His father served in the USMC. Born on the contaminated-water base at Camp Lejeune, Mark watched his body slide toward stage-four Parkinson's while the Alzheimer's gene quietly rewrote his memory until the day he forgot how to drive home on a road he'd known for 20 years.

A database developer with a warrior mindset, he refused to curl up and hand his life to the medical system. He went hunting for a mechanism the pharmaceutical companies couldn't patent, one tied to how the brain physically clears what gets "stuck" inside it. A year later, what his neurologist measured in his blood left even the doctor saying, "I've never seen anybody do this."

We're not spoiling the numbers here, but they're specific, they're documented in repeat testing which Mark publishes on his website, and they're the reason this conversation matters for anyone touched by Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, brain injury, or dementia.

Your host, Antoinette Berrafato, is the New Normal Big Life podcast host who used nature therapy — archery and kayaking — to recover from physical limitations after a traumatic brain injury, finding passion, purpose, and people as a recipe for mental health.

Chapters

• 0:00 Falls, Concussions, And Lost Balance
• 1:06 A Shock Parkinson's Diagnosis During COVID
• 5:05 Turning A “Blank Screen” Into Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and brain injury Research
• 9:44 The Ziziphus Seed And Why Source Matters
• 20:13 Clinical Parkinson’s Changes Without A Blood Test
• 25:32 Hope, Prevention, And The Glymphatic System
• 31:56 Free Book, Progress Tracking journal, And Final Thoughts

🔗 Guest & Resources
Mark Burnett, President, APDI: https://mybrainrestore.com/my-journey/

This episode shares one person's personal health experience and is for informational purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not a claim to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider before changing your treatment.

We want to solve your biggest health challenge. Send us a text

Support the show

New here? Start with our 8‑episode playlist: https://nnbl.blog/podcast/start-here/
Free listener ebooks & guides (newsletter subscribers only): https://nnbl.blog/new-normal-big-life-ebooks-and-guides/
Rebuilding Resilient Lives Uncensored Community: https://rebuilding-resilient-lives.mn.co/share/kNbNMRnkLlpKWjar?utm_source=manual
New Normal Big Life streams free in audio and video on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

DISCLAIMER: For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult your own healthcare professional.

Your nervous system reset may have been hiding inside your home the entire time. If you've tried therapy, supplements, and better sleep but still feel chronically stressed, the missing piece might not be a habit it could be your living space. This episode is for anyone ready to stop managing symptoms and start designing a home that heals.

Licensed Professional Counselor and Marriage and Family Therapist Healey Ikerd shares research-backed findings on what natural light, indoor plants, and even a simple view of nature actually does to your cortisol levels and what happens to your healing when those things are missing.

New Normal Big Life host Antoinette Berrafato used nature therapy — archery and kayaking to recover from physical limitations, finding passion, purpose, and people as her recipe for mental health. In this episode, she and her husband put biophilic design to the test inside their own Northwoods cabin. Not with a renovation budget, but with intention.

The research is clear. The question is whether your home is working for you or against you.

Chapters

• 0:00 When Your Home Adds To Your Stress
• 1:26 Chronic Illness Inside Your Home
• 5:53 Searching For A Healing Place
• 8:35 Sick Home Syndrome And Toxins
• 12:23 Three Biophilic Design Principles Light Order Life
• 16:31 Biophotomodulation or Light Therapy And Natural Sunlight
• 18:27 Declutter Your Home For Peace And Focus
• 22:48 Bring Nature Indoors On Purpose
• 25:15 Get Family Buy In Early

We want to solve your biggest health challenge. Send us a text

Support the show

New here? Start with our 8‑episode playlist: https://nnbl.blog/podcast/start-here/
Free listener ebooks & guides (newsletter subscribers only): https://nnbl.blog/new-normal-big-life-ebooks-and-guides/
Rebuilding Resilient Lives Uncensored Community: https://rebuilding-resilient-lives.mn.co/share/kNbNMRnkLlpKWjar?utm_source=manual
New Normal Big Life streams free in audio and video on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

DISCLAIMER: For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult your own healthcare professional.

Are you tired of feeling overwhelmed by non-toxic living and confused by the "natural" claims on your product labels? Today, we are breaking down the truth about greenwashing and giving you the exact non-toxic swaps you need to start cleaning up your home, pantry, and cosmetics immediately.

Our guest for this episode is Amy Hartshorn. She is a nontoxic living educator, certified organic farmer, podcast host, and retreat leader based in Waitsfield, Vermont. She was the founding Executive Director of the Household Toxins Institute, created with the founder of Seventh Generation, and served as technical editor of Green Living for Dummies. If you are a conscious consumer ready to protect your family's health, this episode is essential listening.

You can read how to spot 12 toxic ingredients on food labels in this NNBL.Blog article.

New Normal Big Life streams free in audio and video on Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Follow the show so the next episode finds you automatically.

Chapters

• 0:00 Labels Greenwashing And Spotting Fake Claims
• 3:30 Amy’s Non-Toxic Origin Story
• 6:24 Fragrance Antibacterials And Daily Exposures
• 9:40 Start With Priorities Not Perfection
• 14:24 Organic Shopping That Fits Real Life
• 17:18 Helping Kids Avoid Hidden Toxins
• 23:27 Glyphosate, gluten-sensitivity, Celiac disease, Wheat And Healing Paths

Got a health challenge you can’t crack? Send us a text and we’ll find an expert to get you answers and give you a shoutout on the show.

We want to solve your biggest health challenge. Send us a text

Support the show

New here? Start with our 8‑episode playlist: https://nnbl.blog/podcast/start-here/
Free listener ebooks & guides (newsletter subscribers only): https://nnbl.blog/new-normal-big-life-ebooks-and-guides/
Rebuilding Resilient Lives Uncensored Community: https://rebuilding-resilient-lives.mn.co/share/kNbNMRnkLlpKWjar?utm_source=manual
New Normal Big Life streams free in audio and video on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

DISCLAIMER: For informational purposes only, not medical advice. Always consult your own healthcare professional.