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. 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.southbaywellness.com/calibration 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. 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.southbaywellness.com/calibration 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. 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.southbaywellness.com/calibration 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. Jul 9

    She Died, Met God & Came Back to Change How You Heal | Rev. HoniB Borden

    What if the endless healing journey — the next protocol, the next program, the next thing to fix — was never the point? In 2012, Rev. HoniB Borden's heart stopped. She says she crossed fully into the afterlife, met the presence of God and Yeshua, and was sent back three days later with one message: stop healing, and start remembering who you already are. It's one of the most extraordinary conversations we've ever had on TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z — and whether or not you share her faith, what she reveals about your body, your nervous system, and the difference between your feelings and your truth will stay with you long after you hit pause. Rev. HoniB is a Johns Hopkins–trained clinician, a 20-year meditation teacher, and the founder of Washington D.C.'s first holistic wellness medi spa — who walked away from all of it to answer a calling she never asked for. In this episode, she and Dr. Z reconnect two decades after first meeting, and go somewhere most wellness conversations never dare to. In this episode: What she experienced when her heart stopped — and the message she was sent back withWhy "stop healing, start remembering" might be the shift you've been missingHow to treat your body as a temple instead of a problem to solveWhy your feelings are not the same as your truth (and how women get this backwards)The role of the nervous system, coherence, and why biohacking alone won't sustain youThe Four Living Declarations — her free gift for grounding yourself in seconds of stress CONNECT WITH REV. HONIB BORDEN Website: https://www.AscensionAlchemists.com   Free gift — The Four Living Declarations™ (sign up for the newsletter on the homepage)  Podcast: Ascension Alchemists™ — on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music & more Book: The Day I Became A Superhero: A Story About the True Power Within  Instagram: @revhoniborden | @ascensionalchemists  Facebook: @revhoniborden | @ascensionalchemists  YouTube: @revhoniborden | @ascensionalchemists  Booking: Info@AscensionAlchemists.com 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.southbaywellness.com/calibration 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. Jul 2

    Why Your Unresolved Arguments Are Keeping Your Nervous System Stuck — With Conflict Resolution Coach Rod Jeter & Dr. Z

    The fight that won't close isn't behind you — it's inside you. Every unresolved argument stays in the body as a low-grade stressor. It shows up as 3 AM wake-ups, tight chest, and exhaustion with no clear source. In this conversation, Dr. Danielle Zanzarov, PhD, sits with conflict resolution coach Rod Jeter — creator of YBAngry — to talk about what unfinished conflict actually costs the nervous system, and how his structured game helps couples resolve decades of disagreements in under an hour. What this episode covers: 1.    Why every unfinished argument registers as a stressor your nervous system is still running. 2.    How the YBAngry game removes emotional charge from the most loaded conversations. 3.    The specific steps that finally make people feel heard — sometimes after 30 or 40 years. 4.    Why most people are worse communicators than they think, and what the game does differently. 5.    Rod's three free tips to stop arguing, available now at ybangry.com. About | Roderick "Rod" Jeter — Conflict Resolution Coach & Creator of YBAngry After traditional counseling failed, Rod created YBAngry (pronounced "Why Be Angry") — the relationship game where all you have to do to win is play. He designed YBAngry to help couples stay together, one issue at a time. Rod's game approach helps couples overcome seemingly insurmountable disagreements that have lasted decades, in just minutes. No fuss. No drama. Resources mentioned: Order the YBAngry Game: https://ybangry.com/?ref=DANIELLE-753B YBAngry Website: https://ybangry.com/ 3 Free Tips to Stop Arguing: Visit ybangry.com and scroll to the '3 free tips' link — enter your first name and email to receive a short video. Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrrodjeter/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrrodjeter Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mrrodjeter 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.southbaywellness.com/calibration 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. Jun 25

    The Real Reason You Wake Up at 3 AM (It's Not Insomnia)

    Why do you wake up at 3 AM every night and struggle to fall back asleep?  It's not insomnia the way you've been told — and it's not a character flaw. Your body is doing something specific in the early morning hours, on a clock. If you fall asleep fine but snap awake at 3 or 4 AM with a racing mind — the to-do list, the worry, the thing you said years ago — this episode is for you. Dr. Z walks through what's actually happening: the early-morning cortisol rise, the overnight blood sugar dip, and a nervous system stuck in "survival mode" that reads all of it as a threat and pulls you wide awake at the lightest stage of sleep. You'll learn why melatonin, blackout curtains, and "just relax" haven't worked, what your 3 AM wake-up is really signaling, and the daytime and evening shifts that actually lower the alarm — so your body stops treating a normal night like an emergency. This isn't about forcing sleep. It's about helping a dysregulated nervous system feel safe enough to keep it. 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.southbaywellness.com/calibration 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. Jun 18

    Why 80% of Menopausal Women Get Dismissed (And It's Not Their Fault)

    More than 80% of women in perimenopause and menopause never get adequate care — and the most common explanation for that number is almost entirely wrong. The story we tell is that these women didn't advocate for themselves. That they stayed quiet, put everyone else first, didn't make the appointment. Dr. Z has sat across from thousands of these women over nearly 20 years in practice. Most of them did go. They made the appointment. They sat in the chair and said the hard thing out loud. They just got sent home with nothing. In this episode, Dr. Z, PhD — functional medicine and nervous system regulation practitioner at South Bay Wellness — walks through what's actually behind the data, why the conventional system is structurally unable to see what perimenopause looks like on labs, and what it costs a woman psychologically when she's told everything is normal when her body is clearly saying otherwise.   In this episode: 1.    Where the 80% figure actually comes from — including findings from a 2025 Mayo Clinic study on midlife women and menopause symptom treatment gaps, and what the lead researcher said about the current state of care. 2.    Why women who did seek help still appear in the data as women who never sought care — and what that gap reveals about how the system counts what it misses. 3.    What conventional labs are built to detect and why perimenopause falls structurally outside the range of what standard diagnostic panels can see. 4.    The psychological cost of medical dismissal — why being told 'everything looks normal' doesn't just leave women without answers; it trains them to disbelieve their own internal signals. 5.    What body-led care actually looks like: treating symptoms as signals worth reading, not malfunctions to silence or performance metrics to optimize. 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.southbaywellness.com/calibration 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. Jun 11

    Why You Keep Quitting Your Health Goals (It's Not What You Think) | Dr. Z

    Most people have tried to change something about their health and watched it quietly fall apart by day nine — or day two. Not from a dramatic failure. Just a slow fade. The common conclusion? You don't have enough discipline. You're not motivated enough. Something's wrong with you. Dr. Z is here to correct the record. In this episode, Dr. Z breaks down the actual mechanism behind follow-through — and it has nothing to do with willpower. Using the most boring example possible (brushing your teeth), she unpacks why the habits that stick are the ones you've stopped deciding about, and exactly how to apply that same logic to the health goals that keep falling apart.  What You Will Learn From This Episode: 1. Why willpower is a terrible foundation for any health plan — and what the research actually says about self-control fatigue 2. The daily decision trap: how turning your commitment into a recurring vote is a guaranteed path to quitting 3. Why "I'll do it when I feel motivated" is functionally a plan to fail 4. The five practical steps to make a new health habit automatic — starting embarrassingly small 5. The single most important rule when you miss a day (and you will miss a day) If you've ever started a wellness program with real momentum and watched it dissolve into nothing — this episode is about what actually happened, and what to do instead. 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.southbaywellness.com/calibration 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
    87
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 TRUE Wellness Podcast with Dr. Z
  • Show Website
    TRUE Wellness with Dr. Z