TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z

Dr. Z
  • 5.0 (5)
  • Alternative Health
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z—where we are redefining health and empowering change. Hosted by Dr. Z, creator of the T.R.U.E. Wellness Framework, this podcast is your gateway to unlocking true health and vitality. Each episode explores the foundational components of TRUE Wellness, including personalized health protocols, connecting with your body, balancing hormones, managing stress, and cultivating emotional well-being and self-growth. Through thought-provoking interviews with leading experts, inspiring healing stories, and actionable insights, TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z uncovers new ideas and practical strategies to empower your journey toward a healthier, more vibrant life. Whether diving deep into the root causes of dis-ease or discovering groundbreaking approaches to holistic living, this podcast invites you to rethink wellness and embrace lasting transformation.Dr. Z, PhD, is a passionate advocate for holistic health and natural solutions. With expertise in functional medicine, nutrition, bioenergetics, and mindset transformation she holds a PhD in Natural Medicine, a MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, an MBA, and a BA in Psychology and Education. Dr. Z is the owner of South Bay Wellness (www.SouthBayWellness.com) and has been in practice for nearly two decades. She has helped countless individuals reclaim their health and embrace balanced, vibrant living. Her mission is to empower you to unlock your true potential and thrive. If you’re ready to explore new perspectives, uncover hidden opportunities for growth, and thrive in every aspect of your life, tune in and join the conversation today.Visit www.DrZTRUEWellness.com to learn more.

  1. 3d ago

    Stop Performing 'Fine': Breaking Automatic Habits and Leading an Authentic Life | Will Steel & Dr. Z

    Dr. Z sits down with leadership coach and former RAF pilot Will Steel to unpack a claim that stops most people in their tracks: that we're not authentic at all — we're pretending, and pretending that we're not pretending, without ever realizing it. The conversation moves from the "I'm fine" performance so many high-achieving women live inside, to why willpower is the wrong tool for lasting change, to the real fix — building external structures (calendars, accountability, promises to yourself) strong enough that you can't talk yourself out of who you say you are.   Will and Dr. Z dig into habit stacking, the self-sabotage that shows up right before a breakthrough, and the childhood decisions that quietly write the rules we live by as adults (including stories from both of their own lives). Will closes with the concept of Fitra — the pure, unforced essence of who you already are — and a single question worth sitting with: what do you really want?    Will Steel is a former Royal Air Force pilot and recipient of the Leadership Trophy at the Royal Air Force College Cranwell. He went on to spend more than two decades as a senior leader inside a premier global personal-development organization, delivering transformational programs to tens of thousands of people — over 90,000, per his website — across 26 countries in 18 languages.   Today Will is the CEO of Free to Lead and the author of the #1 international bestseller Free to Lead: Unleash Your Hidden Leadership Genius, which uses an ontological coaching approach to help clients uncover the hidden beliefs and automatic patterns that quietly run their lives. His coaching clients range from first-time managers to CEOs and global entrepreneurs, many of them across the Middle East.   Will lives by the coast, where he surfs, walks his dog Bubbles on the beach, and keeps to a strength routine he's followed almost without fail for over two decades — proof, he says, of what's possible once you build the right structures around yourself.   Will Steel Links Website: https://willsteel.com/ Free To Lead Book: https://willsteel.com/freetolead.php LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/will-steel-business-coach-high-performance-transformation Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/willsteelcoaching/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/willsteelcoaching/ YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@willsteel Schedule a 15min Call (to see if and how I can help you): https://api.leadconnectorhq.com/widget/booking/LOmkl6JnKkjSJJAt9Csm FREE GIFT: The 21-Day Nervous System Calibration is designed to help you begin shifting out of survival mode and back into a state of regulation.  👉 go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem Schedule a FREE discovery call with Dr. Z and our team: https://go.southbaywellness.com/schedule-call Thanks for listening to T.R.U.E. Wellness with Dr .Z, follow us on social media for more wellness inspiration. Watch the full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsDrZ Instagram: ThisIsDrZ Facebook: ThisIsDrZ YouTube: @ThisIsDrZ LinkedIn: ThisIsDrZ TikTok: @ThisIsDrZ Website: www.SouthBayWellness.com The information in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Z and her guests share perspectives and suggestions, not diagnoses or treatment. Always consult your own qualified provider.

  2. Sep 3

    The Breathwork Study That Beat Medication for Anxiety | Andrew Keaveney & Dr. Z

    Ever been told to "just breathe and relax" when you're running on empty and it didn't work? In this episode of TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z, Dr. Danielle Zanzarov sits down with breathwork and meditation teacher Andrew Keaveney (Art of Living Foundation) to unpack why meditation feels so hard at first, how breathwork physically shifts your nervous system out of "go mode," and why rest not more hustle is the missing piece for burned-out, high-achieving women. Andrew spent 4 years living in an ashram in India and has spent the last 17 years teaching breathwork and meditation even though he couldn't meditate himself while chairing the Buddhist club at Stanford. He's helped launch a retreat center in North Carolina and made a documentary following people using breathwork in addiction recovery. In this conversation, he leads a live guided breathing exercise and walks through the research on how breathwork affects gene expression, cortisol, anxiety recovery, and impulse control. In this episode: 1. Why meditation feels like opening Pandora's box before it feels peaceful 2. How to stop "compartmentalizing your happiness" for later 3. A live guided breathwork practice you can follow along with 4. What the research says about breathwork, stress hormones, and the nervous system 5. How breathwork gave people struggling with addiction back their sense of choice 6. 3 practical steps to start a daily practice, even with 10 minutes Follow Andrew Keaveney: Instagram @andrew.keaveney and Substack | Art of Living USA: Instagram @artoflivingusa or artofliving.org FREE GIFT: The 21-Day Nervous System Calibration is designed to help you begin shifting out of survival mode and back into a state of regulation.  👉 go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem Schedule a FREE discovery call with Dr. Z and our team: https://go.southbaywellness.com/schedule-call Thanks for listening to T.R.U.E. Wellness with Dr .Z, follow us on social media for more wellness inspiration. Watch the full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsDrZ Instagram: ThisIsDrZ Facebook: ThisIsDrZ YouTube: @ThisIsDrZ LinkedIn: ThisIsDrZ TikTok: @ThisIsDrZ Website: www.SouthBayWellness.com The information in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Z and her guests share perspectives and suggestions, not diagnoses or treatment. Always consult your own qualified provider.

  3. Aug 27

    Hormones or Airway? The Sleep Mistake Women Miss

    Stress. Hormones. Perimenopause. Anxiety. Thyroid. For a lot of women, those five labels are really one missed diagnosis — sleep apnea — screened by a test built around how it shows up in men. In this episode, Dr. Z sits down with dental sleep medicine expert Dr. Layne Martin to talk about the eight hours nobody's been looking at: the airway you breathe through while you sleep, and what it's quietly doing to your energy, hormones, brain, and long-term health. If you're doing all the "right" things — clean eating, workouts, cold plunges, meditation — but still wake up exhausted, this is the foundational piece most people skip. What you'll learn in this episode: 1. Why women's sleep apnea hides behind labels like perimenopause, anxiety, and thyroid — and why a standard sleep test can miss it entirely. 2. What your teeth reveal about your nervous system: why nighttime clenching and grinding is often a fight-or-flight (sympathetic overdrive) signal of an airway problem, not just a "get a night guard" issue. 3. The sleep–brain connection: how breathing at night drives the brain's overnight "cleaning" (the glymphatic system), and how poor airway shows up as brain fog in adults and developmental issues in kids. 4. Why how you sleep matters as much as how long: how back-sleeping collapses the airway, and how positional therapy became the Open Air Pillow. 5. Nose vs. mouth breathing: the role of nitric oxide, why mouth taping can backfire, and where a simple oral appliance fits alongside — not instead of — CPAP. About Dr. Layne Martin Dr. Layne Martin is a Diplomate of the American Board of Dental Sleep Medicine and a specialist in orthodontics and craniofacial orthopedics, focused on airway health, snoring, and sleep-related breathing disorders in both children and adults. A former restorative dentist on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue, he sold his practice at 42 to retrain around the root cause he'd been missing for years: the airway. Today he treats sleep-disordered breathing, teaches other dentists to screen for it, and helped develop an FDA-cleared oral appliance for mild to moderate sleep apnea. His research into why oral appliances and CPAP so often fall short pointed to one overlooked factor — sleep position — which became the Open Air Pillow, designed to support healthier sleep posture and make existing treatments work better. As co-founder of two sleep-health companies, his mission isn't just adding years to life — it's helping people live healthier, sharper, and more fully. References mentioned: • Open Air Pillow — positional therapy pillow: https://www.openairpillow.com/ • FDA-cleared oral appliance (Airvata) — www.airVata.com and patients can find a provider there too! You can contact their support at Support@airvata.com. • Contact Dr. Martin: LMARTIN@airvata.com • Sonu Sense / Sonu headband (nasal patency, third-party tool referenced in-episode) FREE GIFT: The 21-Day Nervous System Calibration is designed to help you begin shifting out of survival mode and back into a state of regulation.  👉 go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem Schedule a FREE discovery call with Dr. Z and our team: https://go.southbaywellness.com/schedule-call Thanks for listening to T.R.U.E. Wellness with Dr .Z, follow us on social media for more wellness inspiration. Watch the full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsDrZ Instagram: ThisIsDrZ Facebook: ThisIsDrZ YouTube: @ThisIsDrZ LinkedIn: ThisIsDrZ TikTok: @ThisIsDrZ Website: www.SouthBayWellness.com The information in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Z and her guests share perspectives and suggestions, not diagnoses or treatment. Always consult your own qualified provider.

  4. Aug 13

    "It Sounds Like Anxiety" — 5 Labels in 6 Years

    She went in because her heart was racing at 3am and she was too exhausted to get out of the car after work. Fourteen minutes later she left with a prescription and a word. The word was anxiety. She believed it for six years. In this episode I walk through five labels women get handed — anxiety, depression, insomnia, health anxiety, and the last one that isn't a diagnosis at all: "this is just where you are right now." For each one: what believing it cost her, and the question nobody in that appointment asked. Because there's something all five have in common, and it took six years to see it. This is a follow-up to "I've Tried Everything" — that episode was about being told nothing is wrong. This one is about being told the wrong thing, which in some ways is worse. Being told nothing's wrong leaves the question open. A name closes it. Who this is for: women whose lab results keep coming back normal, who've been told it's stress, hormones, anxiety, perimenopause or "just your age," and who know something is still not right. An important note. Nothing in this episode says mental health diagnoses aren't real, and nothing here is medical advice. Anxiety and depression are real, treatment helps enormously for many people, and nobody should change or stop a medication because of a podcast. The argument is narrower than that: a label can be accurate and still not be the whole answer. You're allowed to accept treatment and keep the question open. If this is the kind of thing you want more of, subscribe. New episode every week. FREE GIFT: The 21-Day Nervous System Calibration is designed to help you begin shifting out of survival mode and back into a state of regulation.  👉 go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem Schedule a FREE discovery call with Dr. Z and our team: https://go.southbaywellness.com/schedule-call Thanks for listening to T.R.U.E. Wellness with Dr .Z, follow us on social media for more wellness inspiration. Watch the full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsDrZ Instagram: ThisIsDrZ Facebook: ThisIsDrZ YouTube: @ThisIsDrZ LinkedIn: ThisIsDrZ TikTok: @ThisIsDrZ Website: www.SouthBayWellness.com The information in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Z and her guests share perspectives and suggestions, not diagnoses or treatment. Always consult your own qualified provider.

  5. Aug 13

    I've Tried Everything — Why Nothing Has Worked Yet

    She said it flat, like a weather report: "I did every diet you could possibly think of. And it would all come back." Twelve diets. A hundred miles a week on a bike. Six years of specialists and a folder of results that all came back the same way: everything's fine. This episode walks through the five things she tried, in order — diets, exercise, medical testing, supplements, and finally sitting up at 11pm doing her own research because nobody else would. And with each one, the thing nobody ever told her: what that attempt actually proved. Because five failed attempts aren't five failures. They're five results. Nobody had ever read them back to her. If you've got your own version of that folder, this one's for you. A note on what this episode is not: there's no protocol here and nothing to buy. It's also not medical advice, and it's not a reason to stop working with your doctor. It's one conversation about why the things you've already tried didn't work. Tell me your line. Not the whole ten years — one sentence. The thing you said to a provider that got waved off. The number that was inside the range while you were sitting there barely functioning. Leave it in the comments. You don't have to use your name. I read them, and the ones I hear most often become the next episode. FREE GIFT: The 21-Day Nervous System Calibration is designed to help you begin shifting out of survival mode and back into a state of regulation.  👉 go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem Schedule a FREE discovery call with Dr. Z and our team: https://go.southbaywellness.com/schedule-call Thanks for listening to T.R.U.E. Wellness with Dr .Z, follow us on social media for more wellness inspiration. Watch the full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsDrZ Instagram: ThisIsDrZ Facebook: ThisIsDrZ YouTube: @ThisIsDrZ LinkedIn: ThisIsDrZ TikTok: @ThisIsDrZ Website: www.SouthBayWellness.com The information in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Z and her guests share perspectives and suggestions, not diagnoses or treatment. Always consult your own qualified provider.

  6. Jul 27

    Why Probiotics Fail: The Gut-Brain Truth About Anxiety, Bloating & Burnout

    Your gut isn't just influencing your mood, your stress, and your sleep. According to today's guest, it's running the show. On this episode of TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z, Dr. Z sits down with nutritional scientist Dr. Oscar Coetzee, who holds master's degrees in both psychology and nutrition plus a PhD and a doctorate in clinical nutrition, for a clear, genuinely eye-opening conversation about the gut-brain connection. If you've eaten clean, taken the probiotic everyone swears by, and still felt bloated, wired, and exhausted, this episode explains why. Dr. Oscar walks through why most standard gut advice quietly fails, why not all probiotics are created equal, what "leaky gut" actually means, and why the microbiome may be the missing foundation underneath anxiety, low mood, and chronic disease. What you'll learn: 1. Why your mood problem might actually be a nutrient problem. 2. The difference between transient and engrafting probiotics, and why it changes everything. 3. What "leaky gut" really means, in plain language. 4. The three types of stress, and why eustress burns you out just like distress. 5. Why fiber, color, and real food do what no single pill can. Strains discussed in this episode (for education, not as a protocol): Akkermansia muciniphila, Faecalibacterium prausnitzii, Roseburia intestinalis, Bifidobacterium adolescentis, and Bifidobacterium longum. Start here with your gut health journey: https://www.designsforhealth.com/u/daniellezanzarov/checkout  FREE RESOURCE FREE GIFT: The 21-Day Nervous System Calibration is designed to help you begin shifting out of survival mode and back into a state of regulation.  👉 go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem Schedule a FREE discovery call with Dr. Z and our team: https://go.southbaywellness.com/schedule-call Thanks for listening to T.R.U.E. Wellness with Dr .Z, follow us on social media for more wellness inspiration. Watch the full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsDrZ Instagram: ThisIsDrZ Facebook: ThisIsDrZ YouTube: @ThisIsDrZ LinkedIn: ThisIsDrZ TikTok: @ThisIsDrZ Website: www.SouthBayWellness.com The information in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Z and her guests share perspectives and suggestions, not diagnoses or treatment. Always consult your own qualified provider.

  7. Jul 23

    How to Love Someone Who Is Gone | The Heart of Grief with Thomas Attig

    Everyone knows the five stages of grief. The man who has spent fifty years studying grief says they were never about grieving at all. Dr. Z sits down with Thomas Attig, PhD — applied philosopher, co-founder of the world’s first PhD program in applied philosophy, and one of the most decorated voices in grief studies. His new Oxford University Press collection, Seeking Wisdom in Death’s Shadows, distills a lifetime of listening to mourners, caregivers, and counselors. Together they trace what loss actually does to a life — and why grieving is something we actively do, not something that simply happens to us. In this conversation: 1. Where the “five stages” really came from — and why thousands of student essays about real loss never mentioned a single one. 2. The difference between grief reactions and grief responses, and why that distinction changes how you heal. 3. A simple thought experiment that proves you already know how to love someone in their absence. 4. Why healing means reweaving the web of your life rather than returning to who you were. 5. Sorrow-friendly practices — conversation, journaling, ritual, time in nature — for anyone who feels stuck. Resources • Seeking Wisdom in Death’s Shadows by Thomas Attig (Oxford University Press) — 30% off with promo code AUFLY30: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/seeking-wisdom-in-deaths-shadows-9780197776094?promocode=aufly30 • Tom’s website: griefsheart.com •  Free 21-Day Nervous System Calibration with Dr. Z: https://go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem FREE GIFT: The 21-Day Nervous System Calibration is designed to help you begin shifting out of survival mode and back into a state of regulation.  👉 go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem Schedule a FREE discovery call with Dr. Z and our team: https://go.southbaywellness.com/schedule-call Thanks for listening to T.R.U.E. Wellness with Dr .Z, follow us on social media for more wellness inspiration. Watch the full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsDrZ Instagram: ThisIsDrZ Facebook: ThisIsDrZ YouTube: @ThisIsDrZ LinkedIn: ThisIsDrZ TikTok: @ThisIsDrZ Website: www.SouthBayWellness.com The information in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Z and her guests share perspectives and suggestions, not diagnoses or treatment. Always consult your own qualified provider.

  8. Jul 16

    Why You Eat When You're Not Hungry: Ending Emotional Eating with Tricia Nelson

    You can know exactly what to eat and still find yourself standing at the pantry at 9 PM. That is not a willpower problem, and treating it like one is why the cycle keeps repeating. Emotional eating, food noise, and the diet-binge cycle are the focus of this conversation between Dr. Z and Tricia Nelson, an emotional eating expert who lost 50 pounds by identifying and healing the root causes of her own eating patterns.  Tricia has spent 30 years researching the hidden drivers of the addictive personality, is the author of the bestselling Heal Your Hunger, and hosts the podcast Confessions of a Binge Eater. Together they trace the line between an eating problem and a living problem, and what changes when you get curious about why you eat instead of obsessing over what you eat. What you will take from this conversation: 1. How to tell physical hunger from emotional hunger, and why that distinction is the first step out of the cycle. 2. What “food noise” actually signals, and why quieting it starts with your emotional state rather than your plate. 3. The PEP Test: the three roles food plays when a feeling needs somewhere to go — painkiller, escape, and punishment. 4. Why diets reliably fail emotional eaters, and what a long-term approach looks like instead. 5. Where support, community, and spirituality fit when willpower has already been tried. Disclaimer: Tricia’s framework reflects her personal recovery and three decades of client work; it is shared here as education, not medical or mental health treatment. Dr. Z holds a PhD in natural medicine. Resources • Take Tricia’s free quiz — Are you an emotional eater, a food addict, or somewhere in between? https://www.healyourhunger.com/are-you-an-emotional-eater-or-food-addict/ • Tricia’s book: Heal Your Hunger: 7 Simple Steps to End Emotional Eating Now • Tricia’s podcast: Confessions of a Binge Eater — https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/confessions-of-a-binge-eater/id1858632856 • Connect with Tricia:  Website: https://healyourhunger.com  Instagram @tricianelson_ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tricia.g.nelson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/triciagreaves/ FREE GIFT: The 21-Day Nervous System Calibration is designed to help you begin shifting out of survival mode and back into a state of regulation.  👉 go.thisisdrz.com/nervoussystem Schedule a FREE discovery call with Dr. Z and our team: https://go.southbaywellness.com/schedule-call Thanks for listening to T.R.U.E. Wellness with Dr .Z, follow us on social media for more wellness inspiration. Watch the full episodes here: https://www.youtube.com/@ThisIsDrZ Instagram: ThisIsDrZ Facebook: ThisIsDrZ YouTube: @ThisIsDrZ LinkedIn: ThisIsDrZ TikTok: @ThisIsDrZ Website: www.SouthBayWellness.com The information in this episode is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Dr. Z and her guests share perspectives and suggestions, not diagnoses or treatment. Always consult your own qualified provider.

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About

Welcome to TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z—where we are redefining health and empowering change. Hosted by Dr. Z, creator of the T.R.U.E. Wellness Framework, this podcast is your gateway to unlocking true health and vitality. Each episode explores the foundational components of TRUE Wellness, including personalized health protocols, connecting with your body, balancing hormones, managing stress, and cultivating emotional well-being and self-growth. Through thought-provoking interviews with leading experts, inspiring healing stories, and actionable insights, TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z uncovers new ideas and practical strategies to empower your journey toward a healthier, more vibrant life. Whether diving deep into the root causes of dis-ease or discovering groundbreaking approaches to holistic living, this podcast invites you to rethink wellness and embrace lasting transformation.Dr. Z, PhD, is a passionate advocate for holistic health and natural solutions. With expertise in functional medicine, nutrition, bioenergetics, and mindset transformation she holds a PhD in Natural Medicine, a MS in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine, an MBA, and a BA in Psychology and Education. Dr. Z is the owner of South Bay Wellness (www.SouthBayWellness.com) and has been in practice for nearly two decades. She has helped countless individuals reclaim their health and embrace balanced, vibrant living. Her mission is to empower you to unlock your true potential and thrive. If you’re ready to explore new perspectives, uncover hidden opportunities for growth, and thrive in every aspect of your life, tune in and join the conversation today.Visit www.DrZTRUEWellness.com to learn more.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Z
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    92
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 TRUE Wellness Podcast with Dr. Z
  • Show Website
    TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z