What if your backyard could feed your family? And not just with a couple of tomato plants, but with a thriving, abundant ecosystem designed to grow nutrient-dense food year after year, no chemicals, no constant upkeep, and no trips to the grocery store required.

In this episode, Susan sits down with Travis Holzelm, a Desert Storm Marine veteran turned Food Forest Designer, to talk about how transforming unused land into vibrant, sustainable food forests is not just possible, it’s essential for our health and the planet.

From battling chronic disease through better nutrition to lowering grocery bills and reconnecting with nature, Travis shares how you can turn your lawn, patio, or even a small plot of land into a living, breathing food system that supports your body and soul.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or someone who swears they have a black thumb, this conversation will leave you inspired to rethink what’s growing, or not growing, right outside your door.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

• What a food forest actually is, and why it’s a game changer for health and sustainability
• How to design your own low-maintenance edible landscape using permaculture principles
• Why nutrient-dense food grown in your backyard beats anything you’ll find at the grocery store
• How growing your own food is like printing your own money (and how it helps combat food insecurity)
• How food forests help families reconnect with nature and teach kids life-changing skills
• Why those perfectly manicured green lawns might be doing more harm than good

It’s time to stop waiting for someone else to fix the food system, let’s take our health and our future into our own hands, starting right at home.

Learn More about Travis Holzem

Travis Holzem, a Desert Storm Marine veteran and single father of three, brings a unique blend of discipline, creativity, and passion to his work as the owner of Food Forest Design Minnesota. After a successful 25-year career in web design, SEO, and online marketing, Travis traded the digital world for the natural one, dedicating himself to revolutionizing local food production. He now empowers individuals, families, and communities to transform ordinary lawns and underutilized land into thriving, regenerative food forests. These low-maintenance ecosystems, built on permaculture principles, provide abundant, chemical-free yields year after year, enhancing biodiversity and soil health. Travis is making sustainable home food production a reality for anyone. He's not just designing landscapes; he's cultivating healthier lifestyles and building a more sustainable and equitable future, one food forest at a time.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Travis Holzem: Check out all of his links available on the website

https://foodforestdesignmn.com

Affiliate Signup

https://foodforestabundancemn.com/affiliate-signup/

foodforestdesignminnesota@gmail.com

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

SHOW NOTES:

Connect with Susan:

Contact me for your DNA testing or epigenetic coaching!

To schedule a FREE consultation, send an email to susan@healthyawakening.co

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanrobbinshealthyawakening

Instagram: @susanrobbins_epigeneticcoach

P.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast

When you think of hypnosis, cancer treatment probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind, but after this episode, it just might be.

This week on Everyday Epigenetics, Susan sits down with clinical hypnotherapist Garry Coles, who’s spent over 20 years working in the fascinating field of hypno-oncology, helping cancer patients improve outcomes, reduce side effects, and rewire their mindset for healing through the power of the subconscious.

What started as skepticism turned into groundbreaking research, hospital partnerships, and over 2,500 patient journeys supported by Garry’s work. Whether you’re a science nerd or a total newbie to hypnotherapy, this conversation will open your mind to what’s possible when we treat the mind and body as part of the same healing system.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• How one hypnotherapy session cured Garry’s lifelong nightmares (and sparked his new career)
• What hypno-oncology really is, and how it helps before, during, and after cancer treatment
  The surprising impact of pre-surgery hypnosis on pain perception, recovery speed, and medication use
• What psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) means, and how emotions literally affect your immune system
• Why “self-fulfilling prophecies” can make or break your healing
• Real stories of patients who went from devastation to empowerment (and even triathlons!)
  
  
  

Learn More about Garry Coles

With over 20 years’ experience as a full-time hypnotherapist, Garry holds an MSc in Clinical Hypnotherapy, for which he carried out research into the effects of presurgical hypnosis on the recovery quality in breast cancer operations. Garry was contracted, for over 19 years, to a major UK NHS hospital for oncology-based hypnotherapeutic work, in addition to practicing from within a local GP surgery. Garry is a regular presenter, worldwide, at conferences as well as presenting his own popular masterclasses and monthly mentoring services.

RESOURCES:

Connect with Garry Coles:

Website: https://hypno-oncology.com/

Website: https://releasehypnotherapy.com/

Email:  Garrycoles@hotmail.com

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

SHOW NOTES: https://healthyawakening.co/2025/05/09/episode56/

Connect with Susan:

Contact me for your DNA testing or epigenetic coaching!

To schedule a FREE consultation, send an email to susan@healthyawakening.co

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/susanrobbinshealthyawakening

Instagram: @susanrobbins_epigeneticcoach

P.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast

What if the secret to living past 100 isn’t hidden in your DNA, but in how you think, feel, and connect with others? In this must-listen episode of Everyday Epigenetics: Raw. Real. Relatable., host Susan Robbins and soon-to-be co-host Kate King welcome the groundbreaking Dr. Mario Martinez, a clinical neuropsychologist who’s devoted decades to unlocking the mysteries behind healthy centenarians across the globe. Get ready to rethink aging, longevity, and what it truly means to thrive.

Prepare to have your assumptions turned upside down as Dr. Martinez shares the surprising truth: genetics play only a small role in reaching a vibrant, long life. Most of what matters, he reveals, comes from our beliefs, emotional habits, rituals, and cultural conditioning. From the eight core factors for healthy aging to the mind-body effects of gratitude and self-worth, Dr. Martinez unpacks practical wisdom anyone can apply, at any age.

In this episode:

• The real reason some people live well over 100, and why genes don’t tell the whole story
• How emotions and perceptions shape stress, inflammation, and healthspan
• The difference between routines and rituals (and why meaning matters)
• Myths about aging and anti-aging that might be shortening your life without you knowing it
• Why culture, self-valuation, and curiosity radically impact your biology
• Practical steps to embody longevity and create your own centenarian mindset (it’s never too late!)

Listen in for a fascinating fusion of science, psychology, and real-life tools to help you write your own healthiest story, one inspired habit at a time.

Learn More about Dr. Martinez

Dr. Martinez is a clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in how cultural beliefs affect health and longevity. He proposes, based on multidisciplinary research evidence, that longevity is learned, and the causes of health are inherited. For the past 25 years, he has studied healthy centenarians (100 years or older) worldwide and found that only 20 to 25% can be attributed to genetics - the rest is related to how they live and the cultural beliefs they share. He is the author of the bestselling book The MindBody Code that teaches his theory and practice of biocognitive science for the general public as well as professionals in the life sciences. In addition to longevity, he also lectures on why our immune system is not just a protector. Instead, it responds to the cultural premises we learn to perceive and emote the world: How Meaning-Making Affects Biology.

RESOURCES:

Sign up for Dr. Martinez May 10 webinar! https://www.biocognitiveculture.com/event-details/solitude-loneliness-longevity

Connect with Dr. Martinez

Check out all of Dr. Martinez’s links and articles over on the show notes!

Visit the website: healthyawakening.co/podcast

Find listening links here: https://healthyawakening.co/links

SHOW NOTES: https://healthyawakening.co/2025/05/02/episode55/

Connect with Susan:

Contact me for your DNA testing or epigenetic coaching!

To schedule a FREE consultation, send an email to susan@healthyawakening.co

Faceboook: https://www.facebook.com/susanrobbinshealthyawakening

Instagram: @susanrobbins_epigeneticcoach

P.S. Want reminders about episodes? Sign up for our newsletter, you can find the link on our podcast page! https://healthyawakening.co/podcast