In this thought-provoking episode of the Nutritional Therapy and Wellness Podcast, host Jamie

Belz, sits down with fellow FNTP, Patti McCoy, Assistant Instructor at the Nutritional Therapy

Association and long-time adult educator, to unpack one of the most paradigm-shifting books on

mental health today: Lost Connections by Johann Hari.

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What if depression and anxiety are not primarily caused by a “chemical imbalance in the brain”—but

by a series of broken connections in our lives?

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Together, Patti and Jamie explore how this book, combined with their work in functional nutrition

and the Foundations of Health, can completely reframe the way we look at mental health, burnout,

and the endless “hustle and numb” culture so many of us are stuck in.

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Some Topic Touched on:

● Disconnection from meaningful work, other people, meaningful values, childhood trauma,

status and respect, the natural world, etc., and how all of this shows up as very real

symptoms in the body: depression, anxiety, chronic stress, poor sleep, blood sugar swings,

and “feeling like a shell” of yourself.

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● How so many people are told, “Your brain is broken, here’s a pill,” instead of being asked,

“What happened to you—and when did this start?”

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● How childhood trauma and ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) can shape the HPA

axis, stress response, food relationships, and long-term health.

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● The impact of intergenerational trauma, and how science now shows that stress imprints

can be passed down biologically through both mother and father.

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● The “dash lights” on your body’s dashboard and why symptoms (including nausea, anxiety,

insomnia, low mood) are messages, not design flaws to be suppressed.

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● How screens, constant notifications, and the pressure to respond to everyone all the time

are quietly eroding our capacity for deep connection, quiet, and repair.

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● Coping mechanism: alcohol, sugar, shopping, scrolling, gaming, porn, or Netflix - and how

these become nurseries for more trauma and disconnection.

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● How the Foundations of Health: digestion, blood sugar regulation, a nutrient-dense diet,

sleep, stress management, hydration, and movement - create the biological stability we

need to even begin healing emotionally and spiritually.

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● Marriage and relationships in the age of screens – the difference between being in the same

room and actually being together.

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● The loneliness of remote work and why some of us didn’t realize how much we needed daily

in-person interaction until it was gone.

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● The loss of third spaces and micro-communities after COVID

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● Why “busy” has become a bizarre badge of honor, and how Distraction Detox and intentional
boundaries around technology can restore sanity and presence.

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Resources Mentioned:

● Book – “Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the

Unexpected Solutions” by Johann Hari

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● Book – Molecules of Emotion: The Science Behind Mind–Body Medicine” - by Candace B.

Pert, PhD

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● Book – Childhood Under Siege

by Joel Bakan

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● Nutritional Therapy Association (NTA)

○ Nutritional Therapy Practitioner (NTP) program

○ PHWC program (Professional health/wellness certification track referenced in the

episode)

● JOIN A WEBINAR to Learn More!

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● NTA – Foundations of Healing Course

A course for anyone who wants to understand and apply the Foundations of Health:

nutrient-dense diet, digestion, blood sugar, stress, and sleep

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● NTA Health

The clinical arm of the Nutritional Therapy Association, offering care rooted in foundational,

root-cause principles

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● Episode 4: Bio-Individuality

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● Episode 21: STRESS!!! How It Impacts Your Brain and Body

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● Distraction Detox Series:

○ Ep 51: Death By Distraction - Rewire Your Rhythms, Resore Your Health

○ Ep 52: The Hidden Health Cost of Distraction

○ Ep 55: Distraction Detox - Dizzy Busy and Dying Inside

○ Ep 56: Distraction Detox - Cluttered Spaces, Cluttered Brains

○ Ep 57: Distraction Detox - THE MONSTER (Jamie’s Favorite)

○ Ep 58: Distraction Detox - Live Immediately

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