Rebellious Wellness Lifestyle

Gregory Anne Cox
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Health & Fitness
  • Updated Weekly

Rebellious Wellness Lifestyle is for women over 50 who won't settle for the status quo on aging which includes multiple meds and fewer adventures. Each week Greg brings you expert interviews, rants, and recommendations to help you live fully so you can age better. Fake news about aging? Not here. Doom and gloom about what happens at your age? Girlfriend, please! How about proven health information that lives outside the mainstream media and always science based? Why tune it? Because you know all about getting your steps and eating kale. It's time to talk about genetics, wearables, hacks, and hormones to name a few. And my podcast wouldn’t be complete without including what’s possible beyond the 5 senses. Greg believes it's an act of rebellion to stand up for your right to choose conventional or alternative medicine, age appropriate clothes or your own combination of creativity and what feels good, and finally, to live without regrets.

  1. Jun 4

    Can Healing Trauma Help Your Body Fight Cancer?

    If you've wondered whether your mental and emotional state affects your body's ability to heal cancer, the answer — backed by 50+ years of science — is yes. Avinoam Lerner is a holistic therapist, clinical hypnotherapist, and cancer recovery coach with 25 years of experience working at the intersection of trauma and cancer recovery. In this episode, we cover: • Why unresolved trauma creates chronic immune suppression — and how that connects to cancer • The science of psychoneuroimmunology (PNI): what it is, why your oncologist doesn't mention it, and why that's not the whole story • The difference between conscious and subconscious mind — and why treating only the physical body leaves half the healing equation unaddressed • How clinical hypnotherapy bypasses the conscious mind to update the patterns driving stress and immune dysfunction • Why self-blame is both scientifically inaccurate and actively harmful to recovery • When to start this work — and why stage doesn't matter as much as you think • Avinoam's new book, Mindful Remission, and how to access his programs Mindful Remission: The Mental Science of Healing CancerAvinoam’s new book https://www.avinoamlerner.com/shop/p/the-new-cancer-paradigm-3lte7 Mindful Remission Program: Support for people navigating cancer diagnosis, treatment, and recovery. TEDx Talk: “The New Cancer Paradigm” https://www.avinoamlerner.com/videos Connect with Avinoam Lerner https://www.avinoamlerner.com/

    37 min

  2. May 21

    The Meraki Project: A New Framework for Women Navigating Life's Biggest Shifts

    When a health event, financial shift, or relationship change hits, most support systems treat each issue in isolation. The Meraki Project, founded by Stephanie Geprges, was built on research with 1,000 women to do the opposite — centering dignity, connection, and agency at life's hardest inflection points. In this episode: • Why midlife transitions never stay in their lane — and why that matters for how we get help • What dignity actually means, and why it's more useful than empowerment as an organizing principle • The $38 trillion wealth transfer to women — and why so much wellness noise is pointed directly at midlife women • How the Meraki Project platform works, including Sophie the AI navigator • The Dignity Report: how aggregate data becomes a tool for systemic change • Clarity → Confidence → Agency: the framework at the heart of the platform The beta is open now at merakidignity.com — no cost, no coaching, no advice. Just your experience contributing to something that's trying to get this right.

    32 min

  3. May 14

    Can Breathwork Really Clear Trauma? Jon Paul Crimi on Circular Connected Breathing

    If breathwork sounds like a lot of work to you, we’re in the same boat. I have tried it a couple of times, once in a room filled with others seeking transformation of some kind, once in a small room with five “regulars” at this particular studio. Neither time did I feel I was going it “right.” Is there a right way? I asked JP if my resistance was just a matter of “this isn’t for everyone.” His answer surprised me. According to JP, you've been breathing your whole life, you're probably doing it wrong — and it's costing you more than you think. Breathwork pioneer Jon Paul Crimi joins the show to explain why shallow breathing is emotional avoidance, how 30 minutes of circular connected breathing can clear what years of therapy haven't, and why the results are immediate and undeniable. What You'll Hear Why most of us breathe shallow — and the emotional reason behind itThe science of how breathwork processes stuck emotion and generational traumaWhat actually happens in one of JP's sessionsWhy self-love is the work, not the rewardPurpose vs. happiness — and why the distinction matters Connect with Jon Paul Crimi breathewithjp.com | Sunday live classes — first session $19

    32 min

  4. May 7

    Medicare Without the Mystery: What to Know Before and After 65

    Medicare is one of the most consequential — and confusing — decisions you'll face as you approach 65. In this episode, Greg sits down with Danielle Roberts, co-founder of Boomer Benefits and author of 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make, for a clear-eyed breakdown of how Medicare actually works. From the structural difference between Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage, to the one-time Medigap enrollment window most people miss, to the income-based premium surcharges that can blindside high earners — this conversation gives you the roadmap to make smarter decisions, earlier. About Danielle Roberts Danielle Roberts is the co-founder of Boomer Benefits, an independent insurance agency helping people in 49 states navigate Medicare. Over two decades and more than 100,000 policyholders, Danielle and her team have built their practice around making a complex federal program simple and accessible. She is the author of the bestselling book 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make and hosts free public webinars walking people through enrollment step by step. Key Takeaways Original Medicare and Medicare Advantage are fundamentally different products. Original Medicare (Parts A and B) provides nationwide access to any Medicare provider. Medicare Advantage works like group health insurance — network-based, usually lower premiums, less flexibility. Today the two options split the market roughly 50/50, with Advantage plans slightly edging ahead.Your initial enrollment window is seven months, and the clock is running. It opens three months before your 65th birthday and closes three months after. Missing it triggers permanent late penalties on Parts B and D.The Medigap underwriting window is a one-time, six-month opportunity. Starting from your Part B effective date, you have six months to enroll in any Medigap plan with no medical underwriting. After that window closes, insurers can decline you based on health history.Plan G is currently the most comprehensive Medigap option. It covers everything except the Part B deductible ($283 in 2026). Once that's paid for the year, your out-of-pocket costs for covered services are effectively zero — regardless of what medical events occur.Skipping Part D drug coverage carries a permanent penalty. Every month without qualifying coverage adds 1% to your Part D premium for life. Even if you take few medications, maintaining a low-cost plan protects you from both penalties and unexpected drug costs.The donut hole is gone — but Part D is still worth understanding. Under the Inflation Reduction Act, out-of-pocket drug costs are now capped at $2,100 annually (2026). All plans must cover six mandatory medication classes, including cancer, anti-depressants, and antiretrovirals.High earners pay more for Medicare — and can plan around it. IRMAA (Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount) can push Part B premiums to over $600/month per person based on income from two years prior. Financial decisions at 63–64 — IRA distributions, capital gains, severance — can significantly affect what you pay.Start your Medicare research at 64½. Give yourself six months to learn before you need to decide. Arriving at enrollment with knowledge under your belt changes the entire conversation with a broker. Resources & Links Boomer Benefits: boomerbenefits.comBook: 10 Costly Medicare Mistakes You Can't Afford to Make — available on AmazonMedicare's official website: medicare.govYour state's Department of Insurance website — search your state name + "Department of Insurance"

    34 min

  5. Apr 30

    Slam Into the Wall: What Real Longevity Looks Like with “Dr. G”

    What does aging well actually look like—and who gets to define it? In this episode, Greg is joined by Dr. Golnosh Sharafsaleh, a triple board-certified physician in geriatric medicine, family medicine, and lifestyle medicine, whose approach to aging turns the conventional medical model on its head. From reframing the very language we use around getting older, to a frank conversation about end-of-life planning and quality of life over quantity, Dr. G brings clarity, science, and personal depth to one of the most important conversations we can have. Her message: aging is not a disease, decline is not inevitable, and your elderhood deserves a plan. About Dr. GDr. G practiced for years within traditional academic medicine before developing her own patient-centered health framework, built around what actually matters to each person. She practices in Asheville, North Carolina, and founded Geri Academy to expand access to her approach to healthy aging. At 46, she has navigated her own health journey—including bilateral hip replacement due to congenital hip dysplasia—and brings both clinical expertise and lived experience to her work. Key TakeawaysAging is not a disease. The World Health Organization classifies aging as a disease process—Dr. G disagrees. Cellular change and transformation across the life spectrum are natural. Disease and aging are distinct, even when they intersect.Elderhood is the right word. Geriatrician Louise Aronson’s framework—childhood, adulthood, elderhood—gives language that honors the final third of life rather than diminishing it. Each stage carries equal weight and deserves intentional planning.The longevity trap is real. The goal isn’t the longest possible lifespan—it’s the most functional, independent one. Dr. G’s mantra: “I don’t want to ease into death. I want to slam into the wall and die.” Supplements and biohacks aren’t the answer; the foundational pillars of lifestyle medicine are.What matters to you comes first. Before any medical recommendation, Dr. G asks patients what matters to them. That answer shapes everything else. It’s not traditional medicine—and that’s the point.Gait speed is the sixth vital sign. Research supports slower walking speed as a meaningful predictor of morbidity and mortality. Functional strength—getting up off the floor, carrying groceries, maintaining balance—matters more than gym performance metrics.Functional strength is use-it-or-lose-it, but recoverable. Both Greg and Dr. G share personal experiences of noticing strength loss and regaining it quickly with intentional movement. The message: it’s never too late, but it’s always better not to stop. What You’ll HearDr. G’s origin story: a childhood spent with elders, a best friend at age 80, and why geriatrics was always the destinationThe shift from conventional academic medicine to patient-centered, integrative geriatric careWhy the language we use around aging matters—and the case for “elderhood”Aging as transformation, not disease—and what that shift requires of medicine and cultureDr. G’s HEALTH framework: How you age, Energy, Activity, Longevity, Transformation, HabitsGait speed as a vital sign, functional strength as a daily practice, and why Dr. G refuses to let her patients use handicap placards they don’t needThe real cost of cancer treatment that prioritizes length over quality—and when enough is enoughA deeply personal story about making end-of-life decisions for a child, and what another mother’s grief taught Dr. G about medicine’s limitsAdvance directives, family conversations, and why planning before crisis is an act of love Resources & LinksDr. G’s website: GeriAcademy.com Book mentioned: Elderhood by Louise Aronson Author mentioned: Eckhart Tolle

    35 min

  6. Apr 16

    Choosing to Die: One Daughter's Story of Her Mother's Assisted Death

    Medical assistance in dying is one of the most consequential — and least discussed — health decisions a family can face. Theresa Evans, critical care nurse and author of Choosing to Die, sat with Greg to talk about the three and a half months she spent by her mother's side in Canada as her mother chose MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying). The conversation covers the legal landscape, the family dynamics, the anticipatory grief of knowing the exact date, and — most importantly — why having these conversations now, before you need to, changes everything. About Theresa EvansTheresa Evans is a critical care nurse, international educator, and the author of Choosing to Die: A Daughter's Story of Supporting Her Mother's End of Life Through Assisted Death. Having spent decades at the bedside witnessing both good and difficult deaths, Theresa brings a rare combination of clinical fluency and personal candor to one of medicine's most sensitive topics. She lives in the United States and divides her time between nursing education and advocacy for informed end-of-life choice. Key TakeawaysKnowing your options reduces fear. Once Theresa's mother understood that MAID was available to her, she stopped fixating on future suffering and refocused on the time she had left. The option itself became a source of peace.MAID in Canada vs. the US looks very different. Canada permits intravenous administration by a physician; the 13 US states (plus Washington DC) where it is legal require patients to self-administer orally — a critical distinction, especially for those with progressive conditions like ALS.Two independent physicians must approve. In Canada, the patient must be evaluated and deemed appropriate by two separate physicians before MAID can proceed. The process is deliberate, not automatic.Anticipatory grief is its own experience. Knowing the date — November 15th, her mother's 80th birthday — meant living three months of grief before the death itself. Theresa writes honestly about how disorienting and unexpectedly clarifying that was.Advanced directives are a gift to the people you love. Theresa, at 66 with her 75-year-old husband, has already completed her own DPOA for healthcare and finances. She makes the case that waiting until a crisis is too late — and that even grown children may resist these conversations.You can do hard things. Theresa's takeaway isn't about MAID specifically — it's about showing up without an agenda. Her experience taught her that she could hold enormous difficulty with love and without pushing her own outcomes onto someone else. What we talked aboutHow Theresa raised the option of MAID with her mother — and what her mother did with itThe difference between MAID as practiced in Canada and in the US states where it is legalWhy her devoutly Catholic mother called a nun before making her decision — and what happenedHow the family navigated disclosure: who knew, who didn't, and whyThe role Theresa's nursing background played in being the family's "death sister"How a complicated mother-daughter relationship healed over four decades — and at the endWhat Greg's own experience with a dying stepfather revealed about forgiveness and apologyVSED (voluntary stopping of eating and drinking) as an alternative available to anyoneWhy the garden became a metaphor for everything the family was living throughHow to start having end-of-life conversations with people you love — now, not laterResources & LinksTheresa's book: Choosing to Die: A Daughter's Story of Supporting Her Mother's End of Life Through Assisted DeathFollow her in IGWebsite: choosingtodie.comMAID legal status in the US: Currently legal in 13 states and Washington DC, with approximately 12 additional states with legislation in progressVSED: Voluntary stopping of eating and drinking — a legal option available to any patient in any state, typically in the context of hospice or palliative care Connect with the Rebellious Wellness Lifestyle PodcastSubscribe wherever you listen to podcastsShare this episode with someone navigating end-of-life decisions in their familyLeave a review — it helps more people find the show. Need help? Here are step by step directions

    25 min

  7. Apr 7

    Breaking In: Energy, Healing & the Life You're Meant to Lead with Dr. Sue Morter

    What if the hardest things in your life aren't happening to you — they're happening for you? In this conversation, Greg sits down with Dr. Sue Morter, bioenergetics expert, healer, and founder of the Morter Institute, to explore the energetic roots of physical and emotional health. Dr. Sue unpacks why your body responds to imagined threats as readily as real ones, how chronic stress creates the chemistry for cellular breakdown, and what it actually means to live from the inside out. This is a conversation about agency, energy, and what becomes possible when you stop reacting to life and start creating it. Key Takeaways"Breaking in" vs. breaking down: What most people call a breakdown is really a breaking in — a moment of falling into your own wisdom, power, and heart space. The crisis is the doorway.The "it never should have happened" trap: Framing difficult experiences as wrong or unjust — consciously or not — keeps you from receiving the growth inside them. Resistance isolates. Openness integrates.Your body doesn't know the difference: The subconscious responds identically to a real threat and an imagined one. Every stress story you tell yourself triggers fight-or-flight chemistry — the same chemistry that drives cellular breakdown, hormone dysregulation, and immune suppression.Adrenals, thyroid, and the domino effect: Chronic stress exhausts the adrenals. The thyroid steps in as backup — a job it wasn't designed to do long-term. The result: energy crashes, mood swings, hormonal imbalance, and the 3 p.m. wall.Bears vs. beaches: At any moment, you can choose the lens you interpret your circumstances through. That choice directly changes your body chemistry. Three possible positive reasons a difficult situation is happening — write them down. Your cells are listening.Joy isn't something you find — it's something you uncover: You are made of creative energy, and that energy is inherently celebratory. Joy isn't earned or sought; it rises naturally when you release what's compressing it.Drop it into your body: Positive thinking alone has a ceiling. The real shift happens when you bring that possibility into the body — breathe it into your heart center, your solar plexus, your wisdom center below the navel. This is where chemistry changes, where trust lives, where healing begins.Vibrational matching: Your subconscious protects you by keeping out what it doesn't recognize. If you're operating at a "3," an "8" feels foreign and unsafe. The work is incremental — raise your baseline, and what you want becomes something you can actually hold.Responsible stewardship: You can't pour from empty. Serving from a place of self-sacrifice doesn't just harm you — it destabilizes the field around you. Your first job is your own alignment. Everything else flows from there. From the Conversation"I broke in. I broke into myself. I broke into my core, I fell into my heart space — my own wisdom center, my own personal power." "If you're vibrating at a three, your subconscious thinks that an eight is way too different from you. So it's never gonna let you have the eight." "You really can't do it wrong. You can just do it long." About Dr. Sue MorterDr. Sue Morter is an international speaker, master of bioenergetic medicine, and founder of the Morter Institute for Body, Mind & Spirit. Drawing on quantum science, energy medicine, and decades of clinical experience, she helps people bridge their spiritual awareness with practical daily life. Dr. Sue travels the world leading BodyAwake® Yoga experiences, Energy Codes® workshops, and immersive retreats that guide participants from surviving to thriving — at the cellular level. Resources & LinksDr. Sue's website: suemorter.comThe Energy Codes® workshops — introductory single-day and full multi-day immersive formats availableCDs, DVDs, and home-study materials available at suemorter.com Connect with GregWebsite & email list: RebelliousWellnessLifestyle.comPodcast: Rebellious Wellness Lifestyle Podcast on Apple Podcasts and YouTubeSocial: Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn

    58 min

  8. Mar 26

    The Dementia Journey No One Prepared You For with Amy Shaw

    "The task for caregivers of a loved one with dementia is strikingly similar to what we do to support children when they're growing up. But the task and the journey is in reverse — because we are losing cognitive sophistication on the dementia journey. That is very unsettling for caregivers at home when they don't understand what, when, and why it is happening."If someone you love has been diagnosed with dementia, you were handed a life-changing role with almost no training. The medical system is built around patients who can remember, report, and advocate for themselves — which means dementia, by definition, often slips right through the cracks. And caregivers are left trying to make sense of confusing behavior on their own. In this episode, Greg talks with Amy Shaw, palliative medicine practitioner and dementia care educator, about what the medical system routinely misses — and what caregivers actually need to know. Amy breaks down why dementia is predictable, not random, and how understanding the brain's breakdown pattern can replace confusion and resentment with clarity and compassion. Amy's website is betterdementia.com — her course, private family support, and newsletter are all available there. About Amy ShawAmy Shaw is a palliative medicine practitioner, dementia care educator, and founder of Better Dementia. Her background spans primate cognition, wedding photography, urgent care, and cardiology — a path that gave her a uniquely human lens on one of medicine's most misunderstood journeys. She works privately with families, trains professional caregiving organizations, and has built an online course designed specifically for the busy, overwhelmed caregiver. Her book is forthcoming in 2027. What You'll Hear in This EpisodeWhy the medical system is structurally designed to miss dementia — and why patients often appear fine in a clinical settingThe "caregiver backpack" — the invisible emotional weight that builds when behavior goes unexplainedWhy dementia follows a predictable pattern, and how Amy's four-stage framework helps caregivers locate where their loved one actually isThe "cognitive detective" approach — working backward from behavior to brain to understand what's really happeningDementia as an umbrella term — and why understanding Alzheimer's disease (60–80% of cases) gives you the framework for understanding dementia overallPsychiatric symptoms, medication options, and how to have productive conversations with your medical teamNavigating care decisions — home care, memory care facilities, hospice — and how to make them before a crisis forces your handWhy 1 in 5 working adults is also caring for someone with dementia — and what that means for organizationsWhat self-care actually looks like on the caregiving journey — and why there's no single right way to do this Key TakeawaysDementia is not random. It follows a pattern. When caregivers understand the stages and what's breaking in the brain, confusion gives way to clarity.Your loved one is not lying. Behaviors that look like manipulation or deception are a reflection of brain failure — not character.Dementia may rob skills and abilities, but it will never take away humanity. Caregivers who understand the biology can show up with compassion instead of judgment.There is no right way — only the way that's right for you. What another caregiver chooses is not the standard. Your needs matter too.You're doing a good job. Amy's message to every caregiver who has never heard those words. Resources MentionedAmy Shaw's website and course: betterdementia.comAmy's newsletter — available at betterdementia.comAmy's forthcoming book — expected 2027 Connect with Amy ShawCourse: betterdementia.comWork with Amy 1 on 1Newsletter signup: betterdementia.com

    37 min
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About

Rebellious Wellness Lifestyle is for women over 50 who won't settle for the status quo on aging which includes multiple meds and fewer adventures. Each week Greg brings you expert interviews, rants, and recommendations to help you live fully so you can age better. Fake news about aging? Not here. Doom and gloom about what happens at your age? Girlfriend, please! How about proven health information that lives outside the mainstream media and always science based? Why tune it? Because you know all about getting your steps and eating kale. It's time to talk about genetics, wearables, hacks, and hormones to name a few. And my podcast wouldn’t be complete without including what’s possible beyond the 5 senses. Greg believes it's an act of rebellion to stand up for your right to choose conventional or alternative medicine, age appropriate clothes or your own combination of creativity and what feels good, and finally, to live without regrets.

Information

  • Creator
    Gregory Anne Cox
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    170
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Gregory Anne Cox
  • Show Website
    Rebellious Wellness Lifestyle