The Lushness Podcast

Lushness
  • 5.0 (2)
  • Medicine

The Lushness Podcast delivers protocol-driven longevity science through the lens of Black women's lived experience. Hosted by Lushness founder Laura Rutledge, each episode features credentialed medical experts and integrative practitioners covering sleep, hormones, gut health, movement, and more. This is where cutting-edge science meets whole woman wellness. This is your blueprint.

Episodes

  1. 2d ago

    Blood Pressure Numbers You're Getting Wrong

    Heart disease is the number one killer of Black women in America, responsible for one in every four deaths.  In this episode, Dr. Mary Branch, board-certified cardiologist, breaks down exactly what's happening in the body when blood pressure rises, why Black women are consistently under-diagnosed and under-treated, and the specific numbers everyone should know to protect their heart. We cover what blood pressure actually is and why 130/80 is the number to watch, how stress, salt, and genetics silently drive numbers up, how to accurately monitor blood pressure at home (and which cuff to buy), what GLP-1 medications are revealing about heart disease risk, the heart-healthy foods that actually make a difference, and the exact questions to ask your cardiologist at your next visit. This is the conversation every Black woman needs to have with her heart before it's forced to have it with her. In This Episode: Why heart disease numbers are getting worse, not better, for Black womenThe blood pressure numbers you need to know (and the one your doctor may not fully explain)What raises blood pressure without you realizing itHow to monitor blood pressure accurately at homeThe connection between GLP-1s and heart disease riskHeart-healthy foods and small daily habits that compound over timeQuestions to ask your cardiologist to become an active participant in your careStart Here: Get a home blood pressure cuff (Dr. Branch recommends Omron), check it once a day for a week, and bring the numbers to your next doctor's visit. About The Lushness Podcast: Every conversation Black women need to have. The Lushness Podcast sits down with health experts to break down the topics that matter most for Black women's longevity, whole body health, and living well at every stage. #HeartHealth #BloodPressure #BlackWomensHealth #Cardiologist #HeartDiseaseAwareness #BlackWellness #LushnessPodcast #BlackDoctors #HealthEquity #Longevity #HeartDiseasePrevention

    39 min

  2. Jul 1

    How to Thrive Through Perimenopause and Menopause: What Every Black Woman Needs to Know

    Your hormones are talking. Do you know how to listen? Black women enter perimenopause earlier, experience more severe symptoms for longer, and are the least likely of any group to receive hormone therapy. In this episode Dr. Nicole Peoples breaks down what is actually happening in your body and what you can do about it. In this episode we cover:  Why Black women's perimenopause symptoms are more severe and what epigenetics has to do with it What progesterone and testosterone are actually doing in your body that nobody told you about The truth about hormone replacement therapy and the 2002 study that changed everything How to find the right specialist when your doctor doesn't have answers What thriving post menopause actually looks like and how to build toward it nowDr. Nicole Peoples is a board certified internal medicine physician with advanced training in integrative and functional medicine and a specialist in hormone health for women based in Atlanta, Georgia. Follow Dr. Peoples: @drnicolepeoples Free Resources: https://go.drnicolepeoples.com/freehormoneminicoursesignup Follow Lushness: @lushness on Instagram Website: lushness.com

    36 min

  3. Jun 23

    Oral Health Is Whole Body Health: The Inflammation Signs Black Women Are Missing.

    Nobody taught us to connect our bleeding gums to chronic disease. Your mouth has been sending signals about what's happening inside your entire body and no one told you how to read them. Dr. Brigette White changes that today. In this episode we cover: Why chronic inflammation in your mouth is a red flag for diabetes, heart disease, and Alzheimer'sHow stress, cortisol, and hormonal shifts show up in your gums and teeth firstWhat a healthy mouth actually looks like and what to ask at your next dental visitWhy oral health care was designed around the male body and what that costs Black womenHow your oral microbiome connects directly to your gut, immune system, and longevityWhy Black women avoid the dentist and how to find affirming care that actually sees youDr. Brigette White is a Princeton and Penn-trained cosmetic and restorative dentist, author, and founder of Bright Whites Oral Care.

    40 min

  4. Jun 9 ·  Bonus

    Everything Your Doctor Should Have Told You | Season 1 Recap

    Six episodes. Six experts. One season dedicated to Black women's longevity and whole body health. Before Season 2 kicks off we are bringing you the most powerful moments from Season 1 of The Lushness Podcast. From sleep deprivation to chronic stress, gut health, lab work, movement, and community, every conversation was designed to give Black women the health information they deserve but rarely receive. This bonus episode is your Season 1 recap and your reminder that your body has been talking. It is time to listen. Season 2 premieres June 23. Subscribe and follow so you never miss an episode.

    10 min

  5. May 26

    Community Is a Longevity Protocol. Here Is Why Black Women Need It.

    Social isolation carries the same risk to your body as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. For Black women who have been conditioned to carry everything alone, that statistic is not just alarming. It is personal. Trauma therapist Tacha Fletcher, LCSW, reveals why Black women were not designed to carry life alone, how social isolation is silently destroying our health, and the practical steps to build a community that actually pours back into you. You will learn how loneliness triggers cortisol and inflammation, why hyper-independence is a trauma response not a personality trait, how to audit your relationships, and how liberation from over-giving is the key to your longevity. Community is not just an emotional need. It is a biological one. And healing happens in community. Learn more at Lushness.com Follow us on Youtube @Lushness Media Instagram: @Lushness

    35 min

  6. May 19

    Back Pain, Neck Pain and Stress. What Black Women Need to Know | Dr. Amber Jackson

    Your back pain, your stiff neck, your tight shoulders are not signs that your body is breaking down. They are signs that your body is talking to you. And if you are a Black woman living under chronic stress, it has been trying to get your attention for a long time. In this episode of the Lushness Podcast, host Laura sits down with Dr. Amber Jackson, Doctor of Chiropractic, clinical researcher at Life University, and adjunct professor in the chiropractic sciences, to unpack the direct connection between chronic stress and chronic pain, why Black women carry it differently, and what you can do today to start reversing it. Dr. Jackson breaks down why movement is medicine and not just a weight loss tool, how elevated cortisol keeps your body in a constant state of fight or flight amplifying pain, what spinal hygiene is and why your spine deserves the same attention as your teeth, and how small daily movements create real lasting change in the body. You do not have to live in pain. Your body will heal when you give it what it needs. It is time to listen. Subscribe and follow The Lushness Podcast so you never miss an episode.

    37 min

  7. May 12

    The Lab Tests Your Doctor Isn't Ordering and Why You Need to Ask for Them

    Your labs say normal. But your body is telling you something different. Clinical pharmacist Dr. Ashley Griffith breaks down why the reference ranges used to determine what is normal were not built with Black women in mind, what biomarkers you should actually be tracking for longevity, and how to walk into your doctor's office and get the labs you need without being dismissed. Black women are dying from conditions that should have shown up in their blood work years before they became a crisis. This episode gives you the knowledge to change that. Subscribe and follow The Lushness Podcast so you never miss an episode.

    41 min

  8. May 5

    What Your Gut Is Trying to Tell You and How to Finally Fix It.

    Naturopathic Doctor and gut health expert Dr. Firlande Volcy reveals why your digestive health is the foundation of everything: your mood, your energy, your hormones, and your immune system, and why so many Black women are suffering without real answers. In this episode we cover:Why Black women are disproportionately misdiagnosed when it comes to gut healthThe gut-brain connection and why your mental health starts in your gutHow chronic inflammation shows up in your body and what's driving itThe foods and habits quietly destroying your microbiomeHow to begin healing your gut naturally with science-backed tools Dr. Firlande Volcy is a licensed Naturopathic Doctor and leading gut health expert specializing in helping women heal from the inside out.

    31 min

  9. Apr 28

    Chronic Stress Is Aging Black Women Faster. Here's How to Slow it Down.

    Your stress is not just exhausting you. It is aging you at the cellular level. In this episode, licensed counseling psychologist Dr. Natasha Manning-Gibbs breaks down the science of weathering, what it is, why Black women carry a disproportionate biological burden, and what you can actually do to slow it down. This is not a burnout conversation. This is the science of what chronic stress from racism, workplace pressure, and daily microaggressions does inside your body, and the specific tools to regulate your nervous system starting this week. In this episode: What weathering is and why every Black woman needs to understand itThe science of allostatic load and how it accelerates biological agingHow chronic stress shows up physically in the bodyWhy traditional self-care falls short when weathering is the root causePractical nervous system regulation tools you can implement this week

    40 min

  10. Apr 21

    Your Sleep Is Costing You Years. Here's How to Fix It.

    Your sleep is costing you years. And if you're a Black woman in America, the odds are already stacked against you. Board-certified physician and sleep specialist Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell breaks down what's really happening to your body when you don't sleep, why Black women are the most affected, and the tools you can start using tonight to sleep better and live longer. If you are experiencing chronic insomnia, Dr. Holliday-Bell recommends consulting your primary care doctor for a referral to a sleep medicine specialist. The number one recommended treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I). Featured book: Sleeping on the Job by Dr. Angela Holliday-Bell Subscribe and follow The Lushness Podcast so you never miss an episode.

    30 min
  • 10 Episodes

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

The Lushness Podcast delivers protocol-driven longevity science through the lens of Black women's lived experience. Hosted by Lushness founder Laura Rutledge, each episode features credentialed medical experts and integrative practitioners covering sleep, hormones, gut health, movement, and more. This is where cutting-edge science meets whole woman wellness. This is your blueprint.

Information

  • Creator
    Lushness
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    10
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 | Lushness Corp. | All Rights Reserved
  • Show Website
    The Lushness Podcast