Serenity and Fire with Krista

Krista Guagenti
  • 4.7 (3)
  • Health & Fitness

Welcome to Serenity and Fire. The podcast where wellness meets grit. I'm your host, Krista Guagenti, founder of Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique. Join me as we dive into the intriguing world of bio-hacking, clean living, cutting-edge spa treatments and the hustle, grind and grit of entrepreneurship. From my personal battles with weight-loss and infertility, to a 30-year struggle to create and launch my dream business, to building a sanctuary for those touched by cancer — I'm here to share real talk, inspire big dreams and spark a passion for holistic living inside each and every one of you.

  1. 1d ago

    Am I Biohacking Too Much? When Wellness Becomes a Stressor

    Cold plunges. Fasting. Trackers. Supplements. I love it all... but what if some of the things I'm doing to be healthier  are keeping my body stressed? In this episode of Serenity & Fire, I'm asking myself a hard question: am I biohacking too much? And how do you know if you are,  too? In this episode: • The 2026 backlash against over-optimization and "self-surveillance" • Hormesis: why many biohacks work because they're stressors • The stress bucket, allostatic load, and how good stress stacks into too much • Orthosomnia: when your sleep tracker makes your sleep worse • The S&F Over-Optimization Check: 7 signs you're overdoing it • Promise vs. Proof: why the "boring basics" have the strongest evidence • What I'm keeping, letting go of, and adding to my own routine • 5 principles for biohacking with Serenity • The keep-or-release audit you can do this week

  2. Oct 27

    Is Your Body Stuck in Survival Mode? Nervous System Regulation & Neurowellness

    Krista opens with her own lab results: a body that is improving, yet still showing signs of distress. That story frames neurowellness, the GWS trend of 2026. The episode covers how to recognize a dysregulated nervous system, body and mind tools to regulate it (including affirmations and the Soundtracks work with the Panacea team), and closes with a 60-second practice. My labs were better... but my blood sugar, insulin resistance, and inflammation were creeping up. My doctor's take? My body is stuck in survival mode. In this episode of Serenity & Fire, I'm getting personal about what chronic stress does inside the body, and how to calm a nervous system that's been running on Fire for too long.   In this episode: • Why neurowellness is one of the Global Wellness Summit's biggest trends of 2026 • How chronic stress shows up in your body and even your bloodwork • Signs you're stuck in fight-or-flight, and the "window of tolerance" • High-tech neurotech gadgets vs. low-tech tools: Promise vs. Proof • Six body-based signals of safety: touch, temperature, sound & silence, light, connection, and rhythm • The science of affirmations, and why some can backfire • How my Panacea team used Jon Acuff's Soundtracks to rewrite negative thought loops • A 60-second orienting practice to calm your nervous system anywhere   Missed my breathing episode? Listen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPehJTut9iM   Follow along on Instagram: @serenityandfire Learn more about Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique: https://panacealuxuryspa.com   Disclaimer: This episode is for general education and inspiration only and is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your individual health concerns, lab results, medications, and treatment decisions.

  3. Oct 20

    Leading with Serenity and Fire: Great Leaders Refuse To Choose Between Kind And Clear

    If you’ve ever worried that being empathetic makes you a pushover, or that being disciplined makes you cold, you’re living inside one of leadership’s most expensive myths. I’m Krista Guagenti, and I’m digging into the tension I see in every team: do you lead with heart or do you hold the line? We zoom out first, because the culture is shifting. Some leaders are getting blunter, and many employees say “accountability” feels like punishment. That’s where the real problem starts: we treat empathy and discipline like a seesaw. I share a better model from executive coach Ed Batista, using two separate dials, one for empathy and one for accountability. When both are low, you get survival mode. When accountability is high and empathy is low, you get boot camp. When empathy is high and accountability is low, you get the comfort zone. The rare goal is paradise: high care plus high standards, where people feel backed and expected to bring their best. Then we get practical with Crucial Conversations, especially the “fool’s choice” that says you can be honest or respectful but not both. I walk through how to create safety using mutual purpose and mutual respect, and I share a real-world style scenario for addressing slipping performance without humiliating someone. You’ll also get five habits I’m building into our Panacea leadership charter, including setting standards early, getting curious before getting firm, and letting empathy change the support without lowering the bar. If this helps you lead with serenity and fire, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a leader who needs the “and.”

  4. Oct 13

    100 Miles of Hope: Breast Cancer Awareness and CancerFree KIDS

    One in eight women in the U.S. will be diagnosed with breast cancer in her lifetime. This Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Krista Guagenti, founder of Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique, Ohio’s first oncology-focused spa, shares what the 2026 breast cancer numbers really say, including why early detection matters so much and who is still being left behind. Krista explains what “oncology-trained” spa care actually means: how therapists adjust massage and spa services around ports, lymph node removal, radiation, neuropathy and low blood counts, and what the research says about massage during breast cancer treatment. Then she widens the lens to childhood cancer. As an Advisory Board member for CancerFree KIDS, which funds pediatric cancer research at Nationwide Children’s and Cincinnati Children’s, Krista shares why supporting kids with cancer was part of her original dream for Panacea, and how Team Panacea’s first-ever company fundraiser raised $4,536 in the 100 Mile Challenge, part of the $1.2 million CancerFree KIDS raised, beating its goal by 20%. In this episode: 2026 breast cancer statistics, and the encouraging survival trendsWhy mammograms matter (and why men need to know their normal too)The massage-and-cancer myth, and what oncology-trained care looks like in the treatment roomPromise vs. Proof: what the research says about massage for people with breast cancerCancerFree KIDS, pediatric cancer research funding, and the 100 Mile ChallengeFour things you can do this OctoberLearn more about CancerFree KIDS: https://cancerfreekids.org, https://cfk.donordrive.com Click here to donate and join the Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique 100-mile challenge team:  Panacea 100MC Team Registration Related episodes: Can Massage Really Make Cancer Worse? Krista Debunks the MythHormone Therapy & Cancer Risk: The WHI, Breast Cancer, Testosterone & What We Have LearnedFollow along on Instagram: @serenityandfire Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique: panacealuxuryspa.com This episode is for educational purposes and is not medical advice. Always talk with your oncology care team before starting any new therapy during cancer treatment. Tags/keywords: breast cancer awareness month, breast cancer awareness 2026, oncology massage, massage during cancer treatment, oncology spa, cancer and massage myth, mammogram, male breast cancer, childhood cancer research, CancerFree KIDS, 100 Mile Challenge, pediatric cancer, Columbus Ohio spa, Panacea Luxury Spa, Serenity and Fire podcast, women’s health podcast Hashtags: #BreastCancerAwarenessMonth #CancerFreeKIDS #100MileChallenge #OncologyMassage #ChildhoodCancerResearch #SerenityAndFire Sources ACS, Key Statistics for Breast Cancer: 2026 estimates, death rate disparitiesACS, Key Statistics for Breast Cancer in Men: 2,670 cases, 1 in 755 lifetime riskMerck Manual, Breast Cancer: ~321,910 new invasive cases in women (ACS estimate)National Breast Cancer Foundation, 2026 Statistics One-Pager: 1 in 8, >99% localized survival, 66% localized, 26% mammogram benefit (CDC), 4M+ survivorsKomen 2026 Progress Outlook (PharmExec): 44% mortality decline since 1989, ~546,000 deaths averted, rising incidence under 50SIO guideline endorsed by ASCO (Physician's Weekly): massage recommended for depression/moodSIO guidelines (ASCO Post): massage can be considered for short-term anxietyONS on the 2023 SIO-ASCO guideline: massage evidence too limited for a firm recommendationCancerFree KIDS, About the 100 Mile Challenge: challenge format and missionCancerFree KIDS team page: 8% NCI figure, Graham's storyImage-Based Screening for Men at High Risk (PMC): no screening recommendation for average-risk men; NCCN self-exam training + annual clinical exam from 35Managed Healthcare Executive, Screening Men for the Breast Cancer Gene: NCCN yearly mammogram consideration for BRCA carriers from 50UCLA Health, Male Breast Cancer: who should be screened, strong family history definitionCMAJ, Breast Cancer in Men: later-stage diagnosis (38% vs 29% nodal), workup of breast masses in men•            CancerFree KIDS, About the 100 Mile Challenge: challenge format and mission •            CancerFree KIDS team page: 8% NCI figure, Graham's story •            HealthDay: Hyperbaric Oxygen Chambers Aren’t Cure-Alls, FDA Warns •            MassDevice: FDA warns of oxygen chamber scams To Health & Happiness!

  5. Oct 6

    Peptides Unpacked Ep 11: Where I Stand on Peptides Now

    When this series started in June, BPC-157, TB-500, KPV and Semax had no lawful compounding pathway in the United States. In July, an FDA advisory committee voted to recommend all four, plus two more, over the objections of the FDA's own scientists. So did the science change, or just the rules? In the finale of Peptides Unpacked, Krista goes back through all ten episodes and updates every one: what the July FDA committee vote does and doesn't mean, new Phase 3 retatrutide data, where the growth hormone peptides stand, a correction on Selank, what's ahead for Dihexa and injectable GHK-Cu, and the FDA's latest warning letters to "research use only" sellers. Then she lines up every peptide from the series on one Promise vs. Proof ladder and answers the question listeners keep sending in: after all this research, where does she stand?  In this episode: ·      The July FDA advisory committee vote: six peptides recommended, one rejected, and why nothing is legal to compound yet ·      Legal access vs. pharmaceutical quality vs. scientific proof ·      Why none of the evidence scores from this series moved ·      GLP-1 update: retatrutide Phase 3 results and the new oral option ·      Growth hormone peptides: the ones the committee already voted down ·      Brain peptides: Semax advances, a Selank correction, and Dihexa's February review ·      Skincare: the topical vs. injectable GHK-Cu line is now the FDA's line too ·      Every peptide from the series on one ladder ·      A ninth question for the Serenity & Fire Peptide Checklist ·      Where Krista stands, category by category  Disclaimer: This episode is for general education and inspiration purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace personalized care. Always consult your healthcare provider before trying anything discussed on this show. If this series changed the way you read a peptide headline, the best way to support the show is to follow, leave a review, and share this episode. [Links / socials / website] [Contact or business inquiries] #Peptides #PeptidesUnpacked #BPC157 #TB500 #Semax #Dihexa #GLP1 #Retatrutide #GHKCu #FDA #CompoundingPharmacy #PromiseVsProof #SerenityAndFire To Health & Happiness!

  6. Sep 29

    Peptides Unpacked Ep 10: Do Skincare Peptides Actually Work?

    Are the peptides in your skincare serum actually doing anything — or are you paying for marketing? In this episode, we break down what skincare peptides really are, which ones have real evidence behind them, and how to tell the difference just by reading your own ingredient labels. We cover the four types of skincare peptides (signal, carrier, neurotransmitter-inhibiting, and enzyme-inhibitor peptides), the real science behind Matrixyl, Argireline, GHK-Cu (copper peptide), and SNAP-8, and why the same peptide can look completely different depending on whether a brand uses its trade name or its INCI (International Nomenclature of Cosmetic Ingredients) name. We also do a real-time shelf check — decoding what's actually in the Eminence, Arcona, and LightStim products carried at Panacea — walk through exactly how to read a skincare label to spot a "real" peptide from a marketing one, and explain why the moment a peptide goes from a topical serum into an IV bag, you're in a completely different regulatory and safety category. Plus: the truth behind the trending NAD+ "glow" IV packages showing up at medspas everywhere. If you've been following our brain-healing peptide episodes, this one's a shift — out of the injectable, prescription world, and into something you've probably already put on your face today. 🎙 In this episode: — The four types of skincare peptides, explained simply — Matrixyl, Argireline, GHK-Cu, and SNAP-8: what the actual research shows — How to read an INCI ingredient label like a pro — Botanical peptides vs. lab-designed peptides — what's the real difference — A real shelf check: what's actually in Eminence, Arcona, and LightStim products — Topical vs. injectable peptides: same molecule, very different risk — The truth about NAD+ "glow" IV packages — Running skincare peptides through the Serenity & Fire Checklist ⚠️ Disclaimer: This episode is for general education and inspiration purposes only. It is not medical advice and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or replace personalized care. Always consult your healthcare provider before trying anything discussed on this show. 💚 If this episode helped you read your own skincare labels a little differently, the best way to support the show is to follow, leave a review, and share this episode.

  7. Sep 22

    Peptides Unpacked Ep 09: The Dihexa and Semax Conversation

    “Brain healing” is one of those phrases that can make smart people stop asking questions. We don’t. Today we put two compounds under a bright light and let the evidence, the mechanisms, and the missing pieces speak for themselves: Dihexa and Cerebrolysin. Both get framed online as tools for cognition, recovery, and neuroprotection, but they live in very different worlds when you look at data quality and real-world oversight.  We start with Dihexa, the synthetic compound often called a “synapse builder.” We walk through synaptogenesis, dendritic spines, and why Alzheimer’s researchers care so much about connectivity loss. Then we slow down and do the part most posts skip: what animal studies can show, what they can’t, and why “more connections” is not automatically a healthier brain. We also face the uncomfortable realities head-on: no completed controlled human clinical trials, uncertain sourcing in the research-chemical marketplace, and a mechanism tied to HGF c-Met signaling, a pathway deeply studied in cancer biology. We even cover a key 2025 retraction and what that does to the tidy mechanism story.  Then we pivot to Cerebrolysin, a porcine brain peptide mixture that has been used internationally for decades and studied in dozens of randomized controlled trials across traumatic brain injury, stroke recovery, and dementia. The results are substantial but mixed, including a Cochrane review that raises real doubts in stroke outcomes, plus trial-quality and funding concerns that belong in any honest review. We also highlight the most concrete safety note clinicians watch for: lowered seizure threshold in people prone to seizures.  If you want a smarter way to think about peptides, biohacking, and brain health, come listen, share it with a friend, and subscribe. If the show helps you, leave a review so more people learn to question the headline and go looking for the mechanism underneath it.

  8. Sep 15

    The Things Women Whisper: The Conversations We're Not Having Out Loud

    What happens when six women sit around a table—with no script, no rehearsed answers, and permission to talk about the things women are really thinking? In this special roundtable episode of Serenity & Fire, we pulled up six chairs inside Panacea and let the conversation go wherever it needed to go. We talk about the things women whisper to themselves…and to each other. The things we question. The things we struggle with. The things we’re sometimes afraid to admit. The expectations placed on us, the expectations we place on ourselves, and the parts of being a woman that somehow still don’t get talked about enough. There are different perspectives. Personal stories. Vulnerable moments. Plenty of laughter. And probably a few things that will make you think, “Oh my God—I thought I was the only one who thought that.” This isn't an interview. It isn't a panel of perfectly packaged answers. And it definitely isn't scripted. It's six women sitting around a table having the kind of deep, intimate, honest conversation we wanted more women to be having. So pull up a chair. Because if you've ever wondered whether other women are thinking some of the same things you are…there's a seat at this table for you.

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About

Welcome to Serenity and Fire. The podcast where wellness meets grit. I'm your host, Krista Guagenti, founder of Panacea Luxury Spa Boutique. Join me as we dive into the intriguing world of bio-hacking, clean living, cutting-edge spa treatments and the hustle, grind and grit of entrepreneurship. From my personal battles with weight-loss and infertility, to a 30-year struggle to create and launch my dream business, to building a sanctuary for those touched by cancer — I'm here to share real talk, inspire big dreams and spark a passion for holistic living inside each and every one of you.

Information

  • Creator
    Krista Guagenti
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    75
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Serenity and Fire with Krista
  • Show Website
    Serenity and Fire with Krista