The Healthspan Collective

Second Trimester Truths: Cravings, Body Image, and Personality Shifts

Follow us on Instagram! @healthspancollective In this episode of The Healthspan Collective, host Nicole Doran sits down to share a real and honest second trimester pregnancy update at eighteen weeks with her sister and podcast producer, Mackenzie. Now visibly showing and feeling worlds better than she did during her first trimester, Nicole opens up about the mental and emotional shifts that come with this stage, including body image, weight gain outside of the belly, and learning to hold gratitude and discomfort at the same time. From cravings and brain fog to her current supplement stack and early thoughts on her birth plan, Nicole walks through everything that has surprised her so far, including symptoms no one warned her about and the unexpected kindness of strangers once you are visibly pregnant. She also gets into how pregnancy is reshaping her boundaries, her work delegation, her relationship, and the overwhelming world of strollers and nursery prep. What We Cover: 🤰 An honest look at body image, weight gain, and why two things can be true at once 💊 Her current supplement stack and what she added, removed, and kept through the second trimester 🩺 Early birth plan thoughts, midwife versus doula, and her stance on induction and epidurals 😴 Brain fog, energy shifts, and the symptoms that caught her completely off guard 🍞 Why she is temporarily reintroducing gluten and her current cravings and favorite foods 🛍️ Navigating strollers, nursery prep, and the overwhelm of baby gear shopping Chapters: 00:00 Second Trimester Check In at 18 Weeks 05:05 Feeling Like Herself Again 09:23 Brain Fog, Nesting, and Baby Development 13:26 Body Image and the Reality of Weight Gain 19:24 Symptoms No One Warned Her About 23:16 Supplements, PMOS, and What Changed 27:15 Early Birth Plan Thoughts and Options 33:09 Energy, Sleep, and New Boundaries 36:19 Stroller Shopping and Nursery Overwhelm 54:25 Rapid Fire: Cravings, Purchases, and Advice Follow Nicole! @nicolejdoran Follow Mackenzie! @mackenziepetersonn

What a Plastic Surgeon with a Two Year Waitlist Wants You to Know with Dr. Miguel Mascaro

Follow us on Instagram! @healthspancollective In this episode of The Healthspan Collective, host Nicole Doran sits down with Dr. Miguel Mascaro, board-certified plastic surgeon and one of the most sought-after facial rejuvenation specialists in the country, to pull back the curtain on what actually happens before, during, and after cosmetic procedures. With a two-year waitlist and a reputation for turning patients away when the timing or mindset isn't right, Dr. Mascaró brings a level of honesty to this conversation that is rare in the world of aesthetic medicine. From the real story behind "Ozempic face" to the nuances of deep plane facelifts, under-eye filler risks, and why social media has quietly reshaped what patients are asking for, Dr. Mascaró covers it all with clinical precision and refreshing candor. Whether you are curious about non-surgical tightening, considering a procedure, or simply want to understand your face better, this episode gives you the kind of education most consultations skip. What We Cover 🔪 What "Ozempic face" actually is and how GLP-1 weight loss affects facial volume and surgical outcomes  💉 The truth about under-eye filler, waterlogging, migration, and when to stop  ✨ CO2 laser resurfacing, downtime, pigmentation risks, and how to recover smarter  🤍 How to know if you are actually ready for a facelift and what separates a good candidate from a bad one  🧠 SMAS vs deep plane facelifts, neck anatomy, and why chin position changes everything  📱 How filters, celebrities, and social media have shifted beauty trends and what that means for your consultation Chapters:  00:00 What Is Ozempic Face and Why It Matters  04:11 Red Flags Dr. Mascaro Watches for in Consultations  09:13 CO2 Lasers, Downtime, and Pigmentation Risks  16:45 Recovery Tools, Nutrition, and Fat Grafting with GLP-1s  24:40 Facelifts, Pain, Activity, and the Pregnancy Question  30:55 The Best Non-Surgical Tightening Options Compared  40:07 Young Facelift Culture and When It Actually Makes Sense  43:05 Neck Anatomy, Chin Position, and Submandibular Glands  50:31 How Social Media and Filters Are Changing Patient Requests  01:03:38 Under-Eye Filler, Deep Plane Explained, and Recovery Timelines #TheHealthspanCollective #Podcast

A Pharmacist's Holistic Guide to Hormones, Supplements, and Healing with Ariana Medizade

Follow us on Instagram! @healthspancollective In this episode of The Healthspan Collective, host Nicole Doran sits down with Ariana Medizade, a licensed pharmacist turned functional wellness educator, to explore what happens when conventional medicine leaves you with more questions than answers. Ariana shares how her own struggles with anxiety, hormonal imbalance, and post-birth control syndrome led her out of the traditional pharmacy world and into a space where medications and holistic remedies are no longer at odds. Ariana brings a rare perspective to the wellness conversation, one rooted in clinical training but driven by lived experience. She breaks down everything from histamine intolerance and chronic inflammation to GLP-1 activation, hair loss solutions, and the supplement industry's most overhyped products, all with the kind of nuance that only comes from someone who has stood on both sides of the prescription counter. What We Cover: 🧪 What post-birth control syndrome actually does to your hormones, cycle, and mental health 🌿 The five foundational supplements for chronic inflammation and how to know if yours are actually absorbing  🫧 Hidden signs of histamine intolerance that most people are mistaking for anxiety, bloating, or poor sleep  💊 How to think about medications and holistic remedies as tools that work together, not against each other  💇 The hair loss duo Ariana swears by and what minoxidil actually does to your follicles 🥒 Natural ways to activate GLP-1 and stabilize blood sugar without a prescription Chapters: 00:00 How One Pharmacist Stopped Trusting Only Prescriptions  08:46 What Birth Control Really Did to Her Hormones  11:17 The Stress-Prolactin Connection Nobody Talks About  17:06 Histamine Intolerance, COVID, and Chronic Inflammation  20:38 How to Know If Histamine Is Behind Your Symptoms  25:22 The Most Overhyped Supplements and What to Look For Instead  28:10 The Five Supplements She Recommends for Inflammation  32:03 Beauty, Lymphatics, and Natural Ways to Reduce Puffiness  41:15 Peptides, Minoxidil, and the Hair Growth Duo Worth Knowing  45:44 GLP-1s, PCOS, Berberine, and the Wellness Industry's Blind Spots #TheHealthspanCollective #Podcast

The Preservative-Free Skincare Revolution with Dr. Rod Garcia, Medical Director of Skin at Peace

Follow us on instagram! @healthspancollective  In this episode of The Healthspan Collective, host Nicole Doran sits down with Dr. Rod Garcia, co-founder, formulator, and medical director of Skin at Peace, to challenge everything you think you know about clean skincare. Rod shares the origin story behind one of the most unconventional skincare brands on the market, a preservative-free, fresh-made subscription line that actually expires, built after watching his esthetician wife's skin react to products that were supposed to be good for her. Dr. Garcia brings a formulator's precision and a clinician's perspective to a conversation that cuts through the noise of the clean beauty world. He breaks down how preservatives disrupt the skin microbiome, why fragrance is one of the biggest red flags hiding in plain sight, and how chronic low-grade inflammation from everyday skincare could be the reason your skin never fully settles. From oil cleansing to vitamin C to barrier repair, this episode reframes what a truly supportive skincare routine actually looks like. What We Cover: 🧴 Why preservative-free skincare and what it means for your skin microbiome  🌿 The four-product routine designed to calm, protect, and repair the barrier  🔍 How to spot greenwashing and read an ingredient label with confidence  🚫 The most common skincare habits silently causing chronic inflammation  🤰 Pregnancy-safe formulations and what makes a product truly non-irritating  ☀️ The truth about mineral SPF and how to layer it into a simplified routine Chapters:  00:00 Why Dr. Rod Garcia Made Skincare That Expires  02:01 The Rosacea Origin Story  07:05 How Chronic Inflammation Starts With Your Products  11:35 The Oil Cleanser and Toner Explained  16:42 Vitamin C, Hyaluronic Acid and the Day Formula  18:41 Retinol Alternatives and the Night Cream  20:16 Preservatives, Microbiome and Clean Beauty Myths  29:46 The Gut, Skin and Inflammation Connection  37:36 How to Transition to an Oil Cleanser  40:16 SPF, Routine Tips and Where to Find Skin at Peace #TheHealthspanCollective #Podcast

How to Heal Acne and Eczema From the Inside Out with Katie Mckersie

Follow us on Instagram! @healthspancollective In this episode of The Healthspan Collective, host Nicole Doran sits down with Katie McKersie, holistic nutritionist and skin health specialist, to explore what is really driving acne and eczema and why the answer almost always starts in the gut. Katie brings a deeply personal perspective to this conversation, having navigated severe acne, hair loss, hormonal disruption, and a lost period after coming off the birth control pill herself, and has since built her practice around helping others find the root cause rather than the quick fix. Katie breaks down the overlooked reality of post-birth control syndrome, explaining how the pill can quietly deplete key nutrients, disrupt gut bacteria, and throw hormones and thyroid function off balance long after discontinuation. She walks through the functional testing she uses with clients, the skincare reset that changed everything, and why healing the skin means healing the whole system first. 🌿 What post-birth control syndrome actually is and how to recognize it 🧪 The functional tests worth doing before any protocol or supplement  🦠 How gut dysbiosis and leaky gut show up on your skin  ⚖️ Why restrictive diets and blind supplementation often make things worse  🧴 The caveman skincare method and how to reset your skin barrier  🩸 How stress, blood sugar, and seed oils are silently driving hormonal acne Chapters:  00:00 What Birth Control Could Be Doing to Your Body  02:13 Katie's Post-Pill Journey  05:04 How the Gut Microbiome Crashes  10:30 Understanding Post-Birth Control Syndrome  16:21 Why Testing Beats Guesswork  29:40 Minerals, PCOS, and Hormonal Acne  37:21 Food, Dairy, Gluten and What Actually Matters  46:35 Seed Oils, Supplements and Skin  52:50 Why Healing Takes Time  55:12 Caveman Skincare and Sun Exposure Connect with Katie McKersie! 🌐 www.holistico.ca [http://www.holistico.ca/] 🛍️ shopholistico.com [http://shopholistico.com/] 📱 @katiemckersie  📱 @shopholistico #TheHealthspanCollective #Podcast