Shows / The Habit Healers
The Habit Healers
Welcome to The Habit Healers Podcast—where transformation starts with a single habit. Hosted by Dr. Laurie Marbas, this podcast is for anyone ready to break free from chronic health struggles, rewire their habits, and create lasting healing. Through powerful stories, science-backed strategies, and real-world tools, we dive deep into the micro shifts that lead to massive health transformations. You’ll learn how to heal beyond prescriptions—how to nourish your body, reprogram your mind, and build…
Episodes
The Habit HealersIs a Weighted Vest the Cure for the Modern Body?
Can a weighted vest help prevent osteoporosis and improve insulin resistance? The research says a small amount of added weight, worn while you walk or do…
The Habit HealersHow to Enjoy Your Own Imagination Instead of Reaching for Your Phone
Why is it so hard to be alone with your thoughts, and why does your hand reach for your phone the second you’re bored? In one famous study, people chose to…
The Habit HealersCan you use hibiscus tea to pickle onions and then use the juice to make a raspberry tahini dressing? Yes, you can.
Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to The Habit Healers at…
The Habit HealersHow to Tell If a Food Is Ultra-Processed in One Look Without Reading the Nutrition Facts
Can two meals with identical nutrition labels affect your insulin, blood sugar, and metabolism differently? A new study on ultra-processed foods says yes, and…
The Habit HealersHow to Take Care of Yourself Through the Holidays Without Missing the Parts You Love
Healthy holiday eating gets so much easier when you decide what you’ll do before you’re hungry, tired, and sitting at someone else’s table. In this episode of…
The Habit HealersCan Years of Back Pain Be Unlearned in Four Weeks?
Chronic back pain that has lasted for years, plus an MRI that says disc degeneration or a disc bulge, can make it feel like your spine is simply wearing out…
The Habit HealersAre the Lectins in Beans Dangerous? One of Them Is.
Are lectins in beans dangerous? Can you cook dried kidney beans in a slow cooker? Here’s the truth: your beans were never the problem. The problem is a pot…
The Habit HealersShould We All Be Taking a GLP-1?
Should you take a GLP-1 like semaglutide (Wegovy)? Before you ask whether these weight loss drugs work, I want you to ask a better question: how much risk did…
The Habit HealersDid someone say healthy chocolate cookie? Yes, they did!
Thank you Sloane, Catherine Wyatt-Morley, Heather in 🇬🇷, MB Parker, David Hawkins, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chef Martin Oswald! Join…
The Habit HealersMenopause Brain and the 8 Steps That Could Improve It
Menopause brain fog can feel like early dementia, but the research tells a much more hopeful story. I’m Dr. Laurie Marbas, and in this episode of The Habit…
The Habit HealersGet Stronger in About an Hour a Week With Six Lifts Without Complicated Routines
Strength training for beginners doesn’t have to mean rows of machines and hours at the gym. In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I walk you through a…
The Habit HealersDoes Your Social Life Accidentally Increase Your Risks of Catching a Cold?
Why do some people catch every cold that goes around while others never seem to get sick? On this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I’m sharing research…
The Habit HealersBatch Cooking Without Three Days of the Same Meal
At one point, I asked Chef Martin Oswald whether restaurant kitchens had robots doing all the prep. Not yet, he told me. A little later, as tray after tray of…
The Habit HealersDoes Fasting Work Because You Ate in Fewer Hours, or Because You Ate Less?
Does intermittent fasting actually work, or does 16:8 fasting just help you eat less? On this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I’m walking you through…
The Habit HealersCan a Bright Lamp in the Morning Lift Winter Depression?
Does a light box for seasonal affective disorder really work, or did yours just never get a fair trial? In this episode, I walk through the research on light…
The Habit HealersDo Women Need Testosterone After Menopause?
Is testosterone for women after menopause worth trying? If an online clinic has promised you that a testosterone cream will fix your low libido, energy, and…
The Habit HealersWhy Can a 150-Pound Man Get Diabetes When a 300-Pound Man Does Not?
Can you reverse type 2 diabetes? And why do some thin people develop insulin resistance and high blood sugar while others at a much higher weight have perfect…
The Habit HealersWhy You Should Never Trust a Percentage in a Headline
Relative risk vs absolute risk: it’s the one distinction that changes how you read every health headline. In this episode, I’m walking you through how to read…
The Habit HealersHow do you get stronger when your old workout routine no longer fits?
Menopause joint pain can change how exercise feels almost overnight. In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I sit down with sports scientist and…
The Habit HealersHow do you get stronger when your old workout routine no longer fits?
I ran a personal best at the Boston Half Marathon with my daughter. Shortly afterward, around the time of my last period, I developed horrible joint pain…
The Habit HealersOne Plum, Three Very Different Dishes
Chef Martin Oswald placed each halved plum skin-side down across a crumbly walnut crust. That one small move kept the juice inside the fruit as it baked, but…
The Habit HealersWhy the Two-Pound Phone Was Better for Your Brain
Smartphone addiction isn’t a willpower problem. In this episode, I explain why you can’t stop checking your phone, what all that screen time is doing to your…
The Habit HealersDid Your Brain Accidentally Decide You're Out of Willpower?
Is willpower really a limited resource that runs out by the end of the day? If you’ve ever said “I’ve got nothing left” right before giving in at night, this…
The Habit HealersHer DEXA Scan Said Bone Loss. She Used My Osteoporosis Protocol. The Next One Said Bone Gain.
Osteopenia, a DEXA scan showing bone loss, and a prescription for Fosamax: that’s where Peggy was at 69. Two and a half years later, her bone density scan…
The Habit HealersGetting Older Barely Lowers Testosterone. So What Does? (Audio)
Low testosterone isn’t just about age. If your lab results came back low, you’ve probably been told it’s simply part of getting older. In this episode, I break…
The Habit HealersDid Your Sugar Ban Accidentally Start the Binge?
Is sugar addictive, or is something else driving your sugar cravings and binge eating? In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I look at the famous rat…
The Habit HealersWhat Keeps a Butternut Squash Muffin Moist the Next Day?
Thank you DrLinJo SHE HEALS, Olamide Amosu, Michal Tal, Anna Kilmurray, MB Parker, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chef Martin Oswald! Join…
The Habit HealersCan Sitting by a Window Steady Your Blood Sugar?
What if the health benefits of spending time outside reach all the way to your blood sugar? In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I count down five…
The Habit HealersThe 30 Day Bowl Challenge. Here Is How to Lose Fat Without Counting Calories (Audio)
Want to lose weight without counting calories or feeling hungry all the time? On this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I’m Dr. Laurie Marbas, and I’m…
The Habit HealersThe Guide to Spotting Junk Science
Why do health studies contradict each other so often, and how do you know which headlines to trust? In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I’m teaching…
The Habit HealersDo you really need heavy weights to build muscle, or can light weights and bodyweight work?
Can lifting light weights build muscle? If you’ve been doing three sets of ten with the same small dumbbells for years and seeing no change, this episode is…
The Habit HealersYour Muscles Are Not Sore From Lactic Acid. So What Is Making Them Hurt?
Sore muscles two days after a workout? That delayed ache, known as DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness, isn’t caused by lactic acid, and it isn’t proof your…
The Habit HealersIf Your Family Won’t Get On Board With Eating Better, Stop Asking Them To
Trying to eat healthy when your family doesn’t want to change? If you’re cooking two dinners every night or giving up on your own goals to keep the peace, this…
The Habit HealersHow Do You Turn a Basic Lentil Soup Into Something You’ll Want to Make Again?
Chef Martin Oswald put onions and carrots into a dry pan, let them begin to brown, then added just enough water to lift the browned bits from the bottom. He…
The Habit HealersWhy Is Your Cholesterol Still High When You Are Eating Right? (Audio)
Why is my cholesterol still high after changing my diet? If you’ve cut saturated fat, eaten more plants, and your LDL cholesterol barely moved, this episode of…
The Habit HealersWhat Should You Change First to Protect Your Memory? A Clue From 102 Nuns’ Brains
High blood pressure may be the most overlooked risk factor for dementia, and it’s the one you can actually check at home. In this episode of The Habit Healers…
The Habit HealersIf Heart Disease Runs in Your Family, Do Your Habits Matter?
If heart disease runs in your family, does changing what you eat even matter? In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I share my own family history of…
The Habit HealersDoes Your Blood Sugar Really Need to Stay Below 140 All Day?
Is a blood sugar spike above 140 after eating actually a problem if you don’t have diabetes? If you wear a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) and feel a little…
The Habit HealersWhy Do Healthy Food Swaps Sometimes Leave You Unsatisfied?
Thank you Luanne Novak, David Hawkins, Catherine G, Karen Frye, K Nauman, and many others for tuning into my live video with Chef Martin Oswald! Join me for my…
The Habit Healers10 Ways to Protect Your Independence, Built Into Your Everyday Routine
Functional fitness for older adults is really about one question: what do you want to keep doing on your own? In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I…
The Habit HealersYour Smoothie Was Breakfast. Why Are You Hungry an Hour Later?
Why am I hungry after a smoothie? If your healthy breakfast smoothie leaves you standing in front of the pantry an hour later, this episode of The Habit…
The Habit HealersHow to Know If a Treatment Is Actually Worth the Side Effects
How to Read a Medical Study and Actually Decide: Number Needed to Treat, the 10-Minute Triage, and Your Values Your doctor says a new treatment looks…
The Habit HealersShe Reversed Prediabetes With 6 Habits That Don't Require a Gym, a Diet, or a Doctor's Visit
Can you reverse prediabetes naturally and lower your fasting blood sugar without medication? One of my Substack readers went from a fasting glucose of 116 to…
The Habit HealersWhy Do the Earliest Signs of Parkinson’s Show Up Outside the Brain?
What if the earliest signs of Parkinson’s disease show up in your gut, years before the first tremor? In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I walk…
The Habit HealersAlcohol Raises Cancer Risk. If You’ve Been Drinking for Years, What Does Cutting Back Now Change?
Does alcohol cause cancer, and does quitting actually lower your risk? Most women have never been given a straight answer about alcohol and breast cancer risk…
The Habit HealersThe Real Reason Your Exercise Habit Never Lasts and What to Do Instead
Why can’t you stick to an exercise routine? It may have nothing to do with discipline. In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I explain the research…
The Habit HealersFive Health Experiments You Can Run on Yourself Starting Monday
Your fitness tracker, your continuous glucose monitor, and your home blood pressure cuff are all giving you real numbers. The problem is that most of those…
The Habit HealersYou Don’t Need to Exercise Every Day. Here’s How to Make Two Days Count.
Is exercising only on the weekend enough? If you sit at a desk all week and cram your workouts into Saturday and Sunday, the research on weekend warrior…
The Habit HealersThe Cure for Sitting Disease Isn't Standing. It's This.
Is sitting too much really the problem, or is it the chair? In this episode I explore the surprising science of floor sitting, sitting disease, and why your…
The Habit HealersWhen Does Stress Actually Raise Your Blood Sugar?
Why is your blood sugar high when you didn’t eat anything extra? If stress and cortisol are spiking your glucose, the answer may come down to one thing nobody…
The Habit HealersAre you tired, losing hair, or unable to keep your legs still at night? One blood test could explain the cause.
Tired all the time but your bloodwork keeps coming back normal? In this episode, I explain iron deficiency without anemia, the hidden gap between a normal…
The Habit HealersBefore You “Just Do Kegels," Listen To This
Bladder leaks are one of the most common problems women quietly live with, and one of the least talked about. If you leak urine when you laugh, cough, sneeze…
The Habit HealersFive Evidence-Based Habits, Stacked Together, Slow Your Aging.
Can you actually slow biological aging with small daily habits? New research on epigenetic clocks says yes, and the effect sizes might surprise you, because…
The Habit HealersWhat If Meal Prep Didn’t Mean Eating the Same Thing All Week?
The moment that got me was when Chef Martin Oswald took a plain batch of hummus and turned it into a curry sauce. He loosened it with a little liquid, added…
The Habit HealersThe Sleep Paradox: Why Everything You're Doing to Fix Your Insomnia Is Making It Worse
If you struggle with chronic insomnia, wake up at 3 AM with your mind racing, or feel tired but wired no matter how perfect your sleep hygiene is, this episode…
The Habit HealersAre You Part of the Largest Uncontrolled Health Experiment on the Planet?
Daylight saving time is not just an annoying clock change. The spring forward transition disrupts your circadian rhythm in ways that measurably increase heart…
The Habit HealersWhat Are Your Nighttime Bathroom Trips Actually Telling You?
If you keep waking up at night to pee, you’ve probably blamed the water you drank before bed, your age, or your bladder. In this episode, I explain why…
The Habit HealersHow to Get What You Need From a 15-Minute Doctor Visit
What if the most important moment of your doctor’s appointment is the first sentence you say? Research shows physicians redirect patients after an average of…
The Habit HealersThe One Number That Matters More Than Your Protein Intake
How much protein do you really need after 50? And do protein shakes actually build muscle, or is something else doing the heavy lifting? In this episode of The…
The Habit HealersOne in Three Adults Has Fatty Liver. These Four Steps Reverse It.
One in three adults is walking around with fatty liver disease, and most have no idea. In this episode of The Habit Healers Podcast, I break down how liver fat…