Heal Squad x Maria Menounos

Hey Heal Squad! Our friend, psychotherapist and trauma expert, Tammy Valicenti, is back! And with our next Heal Squad Retreat at Canyon Ranch coming up this October (where Tammy will be joining us!), the timing couldn’t be more perfect! Today, Maria and Tammy get into something we can ALL relate to: What if some of the things you think are just your personality are actually ways you learned to protect yourself? Maybe you're always the strong one. Maybe you're a people-pleaser, a control freak, hyper-independent, or someone who simply cannot relax without feeling guilty. Tammy explains how our fa...

Hey, Heal Squad! One of our favorites is back…The Beauty Shaman Shelly Marshall! And trust me you’ll want to send this episode to every friend who feels like they've tried everything for their skin and nothing's really working! Today we get into why your wrinkles might have way less to do with collagen than you think, why one muscle in your neck could be the real reason behind your jowls, your forehead lines, and even the puffiness under your eyes, and why the lymphatic drainage technique you've probably seen online might actually be pushing everything in the wron...

Hey Heal Squad! Today Maria is back with another What Worked This Week, and just like last week we are paying attention, but this time paying attention to the little things that can simplify our lives before they completely overhaul! You’ll basically walk away thinking WHY have I not been doing this forever?! First up: the garage. After coming home to what she lovingly calls a “hoarder’s paradise,” Maria finally tackled the clutter and created a system where everything has a home from Amazon returns to Athena’s toys…but we also  we get into why clearing out the physi...

Happy Sunday! Welcome to Heal Squad's The Sunday Set Up. Life lessons to help you start the week. This week, we talk about whether healing always requires going back into every dark corner of our past. We talk about the difference between learning from our pain and living in it, and whether constantly revisiting old wounds can sometimes keep us there instead of helping us move forward. We talk about staying present, choosing gratitude, and recognizing that everyone may need a different path to healing. Sometimes looking back brings discovery and perspective. Other times, maybe the healthier choice is...

Happy Pot Luck Saturday! Chipped beef on toast, scalloped potatoes with the cornflake crunch, Pong, and the Trash-80. We’re firing up the home computer and video game boom of the ’70s and ’80s. We talk Atari, Intellivision, Commodore 64, Apple II, Nintendo, Pac-Man, Pitfall, stacks of quarters at the arcade, and the infamous E.T. game. Plus, why the watered-down games at home made the arcade that much more exciting. We talk about word processors, electric typewriters, scientific calculators, handheld football games, old-school cash registers, and the simple joy of pushing a button and hearing that click. Then it’s broken...

Hey Heal Squad! It’s Friday, we fooled them again, and somehow made it through another week. It’s another RGF Heal Squad Weekend Edition, coming to you from across the pond, where Kev is living the Lonely Guy life in London. We talk about punk rock hair, haunted hotels, soccer with billionaires, flat Diet Coke and stale pretzels, and why sometimes feeling better isn’t another life hack….it’s getting outside, finding some sunlight, and maybe letting the ocean knock you on your ass once in a while.We talk radio disappearing, doom scrolling versus actually learning something...

Hey Heal Squad! After Jennie Garth opened up to us about having hip replacements, we knew we had to bring back this conversation with orthopedic surgeon Dr. Jason Snibbe, especially after seeing what happened with surfing legend Kelly Slater! Let’s just say he was back in the water, surfing those waves, just nine months after undergoing a robotic-assisted hip replacement performed by Dr. Snibbe. So what does that tell us about how far joint replacement has actually come? Listen and learn what Dr. Snibbe has to say in this throwback episode! Dr. Snibbe breaks down how robots are ch...

Hey, Heal Squad! We are back with Jennie Garth, and we’re picking up right where we left off…with the health secret she kept for years: her hip replacements. Jennie gets real about why she was embarrassed to tell anyone, what finally made her stop hiding, and we also get into the deeper work behind her memoir, I Choose Me, including why Jennie spent so much of her life dimming her own light to make other people feel bigger. She shares the simple words from a therapist that completely shifted the way she saw herself, why learning to actu...

Hey Heal Squad! What better way to celebrate the back-to-school season than with one of TV’s most iconic high schoolers: the one and only Jennie Garth, aka Kelly Taylor from Beverly Hills, 90210. Since leaving West Beverly, Jennie has built an incredible life and career…. starring in What I Like About You, competing on Dancing with the Stars, raising three daughters, writing her memoir I Choose Me, and creating a whole new chapter around what it really means to choose yourself. Today, Jennie opens up to Maria about the rock-bottom period after her divorce and the biggest mistake she says...

Hey Heal Squad! Maria is back with another What Worked This Week, and she is JAZZED for this one! She’s sharing 5 things that worked for her this week and the surprising thread connecting all of them: PAYING ATTENTION! First, Maria reveals the ridiculously simple bedroom change that made a HUGE difference with her hot flashes (seriously, wait until you hear this one!). She also shares the Dermalogica  LumiFusion facial she swears by for glowing skin and the two things she thinks may be behind her suddenly clearer pores. Hint, hint...one is something she removed from her diet and...

Happy Sunday! Welcome to Heal Squad's The Sunday Set Up. Life lessons to help you start the week. This week, we talk forgiveness, second chances, and what it means to choose compassion when you have every reason not to. We talk about being wronged by someone, the instinct to shut the door, and how sometimes remembering our own mistakes can help us see the person behind theirs. We talk about addiction, desperation, and giving someone another chance without ignoring what happened. How forgiveness doesn’t mean having no boundaries …sometimes it means putting the right protections in place while stil...

Happy Pot Luck Saturday! Slacks versus trousers, Dawn dish detergent, oil stains, and a trip through the fast-food restaurants of yesteryear. We talk about the power of Dawn on an oil stain, the Dawn and baking soda upgrade, and why you never put it in the dryer until you know that stain is gone. We talk about Burger Chef Fun Meal, Red Barn, Chicken George, Howard Johnson's 28 flavors, and the chains that were once everywhere until they weren't. We discover Burger Queen (which clearly needs to come back as Burger Kween!) debate New England subs, Pub Subs, beer-steamed hot...

Happy Regular Guy Friday! We fooled them again and somehow made it through another week, and another RGF Weekend Edition! This week, a peaceful day in the ocean turns into a shark feeding frenzy and a reminder that some people are everyone’s friend, but somehow nobody’s friend. We talk about chronic complainers, Victim Con, Eeyores, Facebook warriors, and what happens when complaining stops being something you do and starts becoming who you are. Why negativity can reward us with attention and a sense of importance—and why arguing with someone determined to be miserable may be about as pro...

Hey Heal Squad! Today for our throwback episode..we’re throwing it to our chat with Blogilates founder and fitness entrepreneur Cassey Ho for a reminder that the best workout isn’t necessarily the hardest one, it’s the one you can actually stick with. Cassey breaks down why finding joy in movement may be the secret to finally staying consistent with exercise, and how to build a fitness routine that doesn’t feel like punishment. She also opens up about her own struggles with body image, online hate, and body-shaming and what helped her rebuild her confidence when the crit...

Hey, Heal Squad! We're back with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, and if you're a woman over 35, this might be one of the most important conversations you'll hear all year. For years, we've been told to eat less, do more cardio, and accept that weight gain, brain fog, low energy, and losing muscle are just part of hormones and getting older. But what if they don't have to be? In Part 2, Dr. Lyon shares what she calls the real playbook for women who want to stay strong, healthy, and independent for decades to come. She explains what actually happens to our...

Hey, Heal Squad! If you've been hearing everyone talk about building muscle but never really understood why it's so important, this is the episode you've been waiting for. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a board-certified physician, longevity expert, and New York Times bestselling author of Forever Strong, and she completely flips the script on what muscle actually does for our bodies. It turns out muscle isn't just about looking toned or getting stronger ...it's one of the most powerful organs for protecting your brain, supporting your metabolism, regulating blood sugar, and helping you stay healthy as you age. Dr. Lyon...

Hey Heal Squad! Maria is back with six things that made her week so much better….and this week, there’s a theme: stop waiting for what you need and start creating more of it. Whether that is tackling a backyard project or the latest recipe form instagram, we hope this episode inspires you to create something you want more of. So first up, Maria shares why some unexpected alone time helped her recharge, get creative, and realize that needing space doesn’t mean loving your people any less. Then, we get into what she’s calling her “fun crisis”and...

Happy Sunday, Heal Squad! Welcome to The Sunday Set Up, part of our new Heal Squad Weekend. Life lessons to help you start the week. This week, we explore why so much of life comes back to letting go… of outcomes, expectations, and the belief that happiness is waiting somewhere on the other side of the next accomplishment.

We talk about the advice “not postpone your happiness,” and how easy it is to convince ourselves we’ll be happy WHEN: we get the promotion, the money, the relationship, the house, or finally accomplish the thing we’ve been chasi...

Happy PotLuck Saturday! This week, we are joined by Heather Bifulco of Tidy Style. We talk about how organizing creates peace, if not happiness. How forcing yourself to organize can force you to assess the various pain points in your life that you are unaware of. We talk about how we underestimate the damage pain points do to our lives when they are added up. How organization begins with categorization and should always begin in the kitchen. And how visibility is accessibility—and the cure for all of our mismatched Tupperware.

Happy PotLuck Saturday! We’ll Talk Shaw...

Happy Regular Guy Friday! We fooled them again and somehow made it through another week, and welcome to the inaugural Heal Squad Weekend Edition! This week, it’s  Kev on the Scene Classic with Eric Estrada disco dancing, a 30-year-old Hollywood story involving CHiPs, Larry Wilcox, an angry cockatoo, a trampoline pool cover, and some firsthand perspective on a feud that may not be quite as simple as history remembers it.

We talk why being number two isn’t always such a bad gig, how ego and jealousy can keep us from recognizing when somebody else’s success...

Hey, Heal Squad! After hearing Jennifer Esposito's powerful celiac journey, we wanted to leave those who have gone gluten-free with a hopeful take on rethinking your relationship with carbs. That's why we're throwing it back to our conversation with bestselling author and gluten-free chef Phoebe Lapine. After being diagnosed with Hashimoto's and struggling with SIBO, Phoebe thought eliminating carbs altogether was the healthiest path forward. But through years of trial, error, and healing, she discovered something surprising: if you don't have celiac disease or a medical need to avoid gluten completely, healthy carbohydrates can absolutely have a place on...

Hey, Heal Squad! We’re back with Jennifer Esposito, actress, director, New York Times bestselling author of Jennifer's Way, and the writer-director-star of the award-winning film Fresh Kills. Today Jennifer is getting into the full story behind Fresh Kills… where the idea came from, what it cost her to make it, and why the industry did everything it could to make sure you never heard of it. From growing up in Staten Island surrounded by the mafia and the young women trapped inside that world, to betting her house(literally!)  on a film she believed in with everything she had...

Hey Heal Squad! Today is one of those conversations that will stay with you long after it's over. Actress, director, New York Times bestselling author of Jennifer's Way, writer-director-star of the award-winning film Fresh Kills, and the true CEO of her own health, Jennifer Esposito joins Maria to share how she took control of her well-being after decades of debilitating symptoms, panic attacks, and medical gaslighting…which all resulted into one of the most severe cases of celiac disease any doctor has ever seen!  Jennifer also gets into the brutal post-diagnosis detox nobody warned her about, how IV vitamin the...

Hey, Heal Squad! Maria is back with another What Worked This Week and it is filled with such simple swaps that will give you back the energy you needed and the breakthroughs you've been looking for!  Maria finally spills the beauty secret she's been unintentionally gatekeeping: the foolproof three-step lip combo she swears by, plus the clean foundation that officially replaced her longtime favorite. Then she shares the surprisingly simple bedtime ritual that gave her the best sleep she's had in months (yes... it involves castor oil!) and the fascinating science behind why it just might work.Next, Maria r...

Happy Sunday! Welcome to Heal Squad's The Sunday Set Up. Life lessons to help you start the week. This week, we explore what really matters. We talk about why some people embrace solutions while others resist them, and why bringing positivity into the room isn't always met with the enthusiasm we expect. We talk about grief, how differently we all process loss, and why the greatest act of kindness is often the simplest like showing up, lending a hand, or quietly taking something off someone's plate. We talk about "inflatable boyfriends," cold cut platters as the ultimate sympathy gift...

Happy Pot Luck Saturday! Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabrics, homemade Batman costumes, and somehow... balloons and refreshments all make the conversation. We talk about the battle for the last remaining hobby stores, the disappearance of Jo-Ann Fabrics, model trains, slot cars, Shrinky Dinks, Play-Doh, paint-by-numbers never being completed, and the hobbies that kept us busy long before screens took over. We talk about Silver Spoons, Mr. Rogers, department stores we miss, toys we couldn't wait to get, and why introducing kids to the classics might be the best way to make sure they don't disappear. It's a Pot Luck...

Happy Regular Guy Friday! We fooled them again and somehow made it through another week. This week we talk about the back-to-school season, why childhood excitement doesn't seem to come as easily anymore, and whether having everything all the time has quietly stolen some of the joy of looking forward to something. We talk about why anticipation may be one of life's greatest gifts—and why sometimes the best memories weren't about what we got, but what we couldn't wait for. We also talk about Child World, KB Toys, Christmas traditions, RGF Observations from Pompeii, why archaeologists intentionally leave di...

Hey, Heal Squad! Today we're throwing it back to a very special chapter in Maria’s journey: Athena’s first month! We know she just turned 3, but thought it’d be fun to visit Maria and Keven shared the joys, surprises, and lessons of new parenthood. They share Athena’s incredible birth story (she is totally destined for something big!) and the meaning behind her name, to building a support system, documenting those precious early moments, and even wondering whether a sibling could be in her future. It’s a sweet reminder to embrace the imperfect moments, lean on your commu...

Hey, Heal Squad! Whitney Cummings is back for Part 2  and somehow the conversation gets even better. It honestly feels like you're sitting in on two friends swapping life hacks, laughing until they cry, and accidentally dropping some of the best advice you've heard in a while. Whitney shares the surprisingly simple mindset that's helped her stop feeling so overwhelmed (wait until you hear her "energy dollars" analogy...it's genius!) Then a story you haven’t heard…Whitney admits she used to do clinical drug trials for as a broke comedian in LA, which then led to getting her thoughts on th...

Hey, Heal Squad! We have one of the funniest women in comedy in the studio today….Whitney Cummings! You know her as the creator and star of Whitney, 2 Broke Girls, and the host of the hit podcast Good For You. But today, you're getting a side of Whitney you don't see very often. She kicks things off by sharing the incredibly sweet reason she's admired Maria for years (seriously...it had us all emotional on Maria's birthday!), and from there, the conversation goes everywhere…but in the best way possible.We dive into motherhood after 40, postpartum depression, ADHD, anxiety, Holl...

Hey Heal Squad! Maria is back with another What Worked This Week! And before we get to the heart of this episode (hint, hint: the post-vacation “re-entry blues”), she’s sharing five things that genuinely made a difference for her this week, literally from head to toe. First up: a bee sting that accidentally turned into a barefoot strength-training breakthrough, a $4 at-home congestion hack that helped knock out a stubborn head cold, the Notes app system she wishes she had created years ago, plus a label-maker hack currently saving her cords around the house and the clean-up tool on the Ip...

Happy Sunday! Welcome to Heal Squad's The Sunday Set Up. Life lessons to help you start the week. This week, we explore what it means to prepare for a world that's changing faster than ever. We talk back-to-school traditions, how technology has transformed the way we learn, and why AI may force us to rethink what education should really be teaching. We talk integrity, the surprising lesson that successful criminals work alone, and why the better path is building with people instead of taking advantage of them. We explore the idea behind "Poor Dad, Rich Dad," and why helping...

Happy Pot Luck Saturday! We talk Trapper Keepers, metal lunchboxes, Halloween Season, and Mrs. B. It’s back-to-school shopping- a deep dive! We talk about character lunchboxes, thermoses, erasable pens, composition books, electric pencil sharpeners, school uniforms, layaway, the rich kids with Trapper Keepers, the first-day “premiere” outfit, and school shopping through the years. We talk about Sears, Bradley's, Caldor, Woolworth, Marshall's, lunchbox collectors, forgotten TV icons, why Halloween deserves its own season, and whether the 1970s and '80s really were the golden age of back-to-school shopping. It's a Pot Luck Saturday with school shopping, forgotten stores, lunchboxes, Hallow...

Hey Heal Squad! It’s Friday and somehow, once again, we fooled them and made it through another week. This week, a little 1926 jazz turns into a conversation about why the world doesn't seem to change the way it used to, the art of thinking ahead, and whether we've forgotten how to make small talk interesting. We introduce a few new RGF Observations and discover that "air pudding" might be the perfect description for conversations that leave you completely drained. We talk about building for the future, condo life versus country life, energy vampires, the newly invented civilian alarm, li...

Hey, Heal Squad! Today we're throwing it back to one of our most eye-opening conversations with Dr. Christopher Motley, a leading expert in functional kinesiology and Chinese medicine. If you've been following our recent episodes on mold toxicity, this is the perfect next listen because mold and Lyme disease often go hand in hand, sharing many of the same frustrating symptoms. Dr. Motley explains the surprising ways Lyme can enter the body, why so many people never fully recover, and the hidden role blocked drainage pathways play in keeping you sick. From EMFs, heavy metals, and mold toxicity to...

Hey, Heal Squad! We're back with Part 2 of our must-listen conversation with Dr. Amy Myers…and this one is where we get into everything you actually DO about mold toxicity Dr. Amy walks Maria through the tests you actually need for mold toxicity, the detox protocol she uses in her own life to pull mycotoxins out of the body, and exactly how to clean up your environment (think dehumidifiers to HEPA filters to the food swaps that matter) …without having to build a mold-resistant house from scratch like she did. We also talk about simple things like how sweating dail...

Hey, Heal Squad! It feels like mold is everywhere these days...but how much of what we're hearing is actually true? That's exactly why we were so excited to welcome our friend of the pod, Dr. Amy Myers, back to Heal Squad. Dr. Amy is an internationally acclaimed functional medicine physician, 2x New York Times bestselling author (The Autoimmune Solution and The Thyroid Connection), founder of Austin UltraHealth, and host of the Take Back Your Health podcast. But here's what makes this conversation hit differently...mold toxicity is deeply personal for Dr. Amy. She's lost everything to mold three-and-a-half...

Hey, Heal Squad! It's another edition of What Worked This Week, and this one might be Maria's favorite yet. Fresh off her trip to Greece, she's sharing the biggest lesson she didn't expect to learn: sometimes the best things happen when you stop planning every minute and leave room for life to surprise you. From a spontaneous visit to the healing island of Tinos to setting healthier boundaries with herself, Maria explains why protecting your peace might be the key to finding yourself again. She also shares her favorite Greece travel recommendations (including the breathtaking Odera Hotel and why...

Happy Sunday!! Welcome to Heal Squad's The Sunday Set Up. Life lessons to help you start the week. This week, we talk about summer travel, weather delays, and a trip to the legendary Tanglewood. We talk about Arthur Fiedler, Tanglewoods,Great Woods, and reminisce about some of New England's most iconic musical traditions. We talk about the timeless motto of Highlights magazine: "Fun with a Purpose." We discuss creating a nostalgic magazine network to coincide with the novelty ice cream network and revisit Flat Stanley, the early DARK days of cable television, and growing up before every form of...

Happy Pot Luck Saturday! This week we're taking a nostalgic trip back to a childhood that looked very different from today. Before Google, smartphones, YouTube, and social media, so much of what shaped us came from the simple things: magazines in the waiting room, books from the library, classroom reading cards, puzzles at the kitchen table, and the freedom to be bored enough to let our imaginations take over. We're unpacking the forgotten ecosystem that quietly raised an entire generation and asking what we've gained, what we've lost, and what might be making a comeback. From the child psychologists...