Ep. 56: Bioidentical Hormones, Peptides, Menopause & Human Optimization with Dr. Connealy

What if the way you breathe, swallow and hold your tongue is affecting more than just your oral health? In this episode of Grounded Wellness, we’re joined by Jenae Ciuffreda, Bethany’s personal Orofacial Myofunctional Therapist, to explore the surprising connections between tongue posture, mouth breathing, jaw tension, facial development and overall well-being. Jenae explains how everyday habits we rarely think about may influence the way our faces develop, how we breathe and sleep, and even how we experience tension as we age. From the rise of mouth taping and mewing to jaw Botox, tongue ties and crowded teeth, she challenges conventional approaches that focus on treating symptoms without asking what’s causing them. They also explore why early oral development matters so much for children, how modern diets and feeding habits may play a role in jaw development, and what our faces can reveal about underlying patterns of dysfunction. Plus, Jenae walks Bethany through simple tongue posture and facial tension-release exercises you can try at home. In this episode, you'll learn: Why tongue posture matters for breathing, swallowing and jaw function

What if the most useful health practices aren’t new at all… but remedies we’ve forgotten?In this episode of Grounded Wellness, Bethany sits down with natural health educator Barbara O’Neill to explore the philosophy that has shaped her work for decades: the body has the ability to heal itself. Together, they unpack why Barbara questions many conventional approaches to health, the everyday practices she prioritizes and the natural remedies she believes are worth knowing about.Barbara also dives into women’s health and aging, including hormone balance, thyroid health, wild yam cream, fertility, postpartum and menopause, as well as her perspectives on Botox, breast implants, GLP-1s and cold exposure.Barbara encourages us to pay closer attention to our bodies, question what we’ve come to accept as normal and reconsider some of the simple health practices that may have been lost along the way.This conversation is an invitation to reconnect with your intuition and return to the kind of natural wisdom our great-grandmothers lived by.Let’s dig in.Resources:- Follow Barbara O’Neill: https://www.instagram.com/realbarbaraoneill/?hl=en- Learn more: https://www.barbaraoneill.com/- Sustain Me by Barbara O’Neill: https://www.barbaraoneill.com/collections/books/products/sustain-me- Wild Yam Cream: https://www.barbaraoneill.com/collections/herbal-remedies/products/wild-yam-cream-tre-lune?variant=56334477033853Explore More from Primally Pure:- Follow Bethany: https://www.instagram.com/bethanyjmcdaniel/- Shop Primally Pure: https://bit.ly/4e1HzVv- Blog: https://bit.ly/4gAeIsY- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/primallypure- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@primallypure

What if the reason you’re not feeling better isn’t that you need to detox harder—but that you’re detoxing in the wrong order?

In this episode of Grounded Wellness, Bethany sits down with Dr. Caroline Leaf—a clinical and research neuroscientist, communication pathologist and bestselling author who has spent over 40 years researching the mind-brain connection, neuroplasticity and the science of thought. Together, they explore how our thoughts can shape the brain and body, what it actually means to “rewire your brain,” and why learning to manage the mind may be a missing piece in our approach to mental and physical health.

In this back-to-school episode of Grounded Wellness, Bethany sits down with Hilary Boynton— chef, author, GAPS Certified Coach, mom of five and the founder of School of Lunch — to unpack what's really being served to kids at school and how parents can build a stronger foundation for their children's health through real, nutrient-dense food. Hilary shares how her own family's health challenges led her to rethink everything she knew about nutrition and eventually transform a school lunch program from the ground up. Together, Bethany and Hilary explore the impact ultra-processed foods and blood sugar spikes can have on kids, why traditional and ancestral foods are disappearing from our diets, and what can happen when we return to simpler ways of nourishing our families. They also get practical on what to feed kids for more stable, sustained energy, Hilary's favorite foods for supporting kids during back-to-school season, what to do with picky eaters, and why family dinner doesn't need to be complicated to be nourishing. This conversation is a reminder that raising healthy kids doesn't require perfect meals or complicated recipes. It starts with rebuilding our connection to real food, teaching kids where their food comes from, and giving them a foundation they can return to for the rest of their lives. If you loved this episode, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another parent heading into the back-to-school season. Resources: Follow Chef Hilary Boynton on Instagram: @chefhilaryboynton