Episode 230: Healing Trauma & Living Well Against All Odds w/ Dr. Edith Eger & Jordan Eger
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Release Date: 02/04/2025
Episode 255: The First Week of Recovery
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description Before surgery, one of the questions I kept coming back to was pretty simple: What is that first week actually going to feel like? In this episode of Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording, Iâm sharing what my first week looked like after my preventive double mastectomy with reconstruction, including some of the things that surprised me, challenged me, and helped recovery start to feel more manageable. What stood out most was how quickly the unfamiliar started becoming a little less intimidating. Recovery came with discomfort, limitations, and plenty of adjustments,...
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EPISODE 254: What I Did Before Surgery to Make Recovery Easier
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description Preparing for surgery can bring a lot of questions about what youâll need and how much you can realistically plan for. I found myself thinking through just about every detail. In this episode of Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording, Iâm sharing some of the things I did before my preventive mastectomy that helped make recovery feel more manageable, along with a few things I realized I probably didnât need to worry about quite so much. A big part of preparing was thinking about how everyday life would work while I recovered, what I could take off my plate ahead of...
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EPISODE 253: What to Do If Youâre at High Risk for Breast Cancer
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description Hearing that youâre at high risk for breast cancer can be scary. But knowing youâre high risk doesnât automatically tell you what to do next. In this episode of Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording, Iâm talking about where to start, based on both my years working in breast oncology and my own experience with high-risk screening. Weâll talk about understanding your individual risk, what to ask your healthcare team, whether your screening plan may need to change, and where lifestyle fits into the picture without making yourself crazy trying to do...
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EPISODE 252: Choosing Surgery When Youâre Not Sick
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description: Choosing major surgery when youâre not technically sick comes with a strange mix of emotions. In this episode of Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording, Iâm talking about what that experience was like for meâthe fear, gratitude, guilt, and the pressure I sometimes felt to explain or justify a decision that was deeply personal. I also get into something Iâve wrestled with for years: the idea that if we just eat the right things, manage our stress, think positively, and do wellness âcorrectly,â maybe we can somehow control what happens to our bodies. Spoiler:...
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Episode 250: Introducing Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording | Womenâs Health & Wellness Podcast
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description: Welcome to Episode 250âand a new chapter of the podcast. Drama-Free Healthy Living is now Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording. In this episode, Iâm sharing what inspired the evolution of the show and why this new name feels like the right fit for where I am now. As a registered dietitian, health coach, author, and speaker, Iâve spent years talking about nutrition, fitness, sleep, stress management, and healthy habits. But over time, Iâve come to see health in a much broader wayâone that also includes the experiences, challenges, and changes that shape how...
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Episode 251: Why I Chose a Preventive Mastectomy | Breast Cancer Risk, Breast Health & My Personal Decision
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description: Choosing to have a preventive mastectomy was never something I imagined I would do. And it definitely wasnât a decision I made overnight. In this episode of Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording, Iâm sharing the personal story behind that decisionâwhat led me there, what years of breast screening and uncertainty were really like, and why something that once felt incredibly drastic eventually started to feel very different. I also talk about something I think gets missed in a lot of wellness conversations: you can take great care of yourself and still face health...
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Episode 249: Hitting Pause
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description: If youâve been feeling a little⌠maxed out latelyâand you can tell youâre still doing things out of momentum, not meaningâthis episode is for you. In this solo episode, Iâm sharing why Iâm hitting pause on the podcast for now. Not because I donât love it, and not because it didnât matter. But because my life has changed so much since I started this show in 2019, and Iâm realizing I need space. The kind of space where you can actually hear yourself againâwithout forcing the next step just to keep things moving. I talk about the fear of being seen as a...
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Episode 248: What to Let Go of in 2026
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
Episode Description: If youâre heading into 2026 feeling a little stretched thinâlike youâre carrying too much, trying too hard, or overthinking every next stepâthis episode is for you. Todayâs conversation is all about release, not in a dramatic ânew year, new youâ way, but in a practical, gentle, real-life way. Because sometimes the most supportive thing you can do for your health, your energy, and your goals⌠is let go of the habits, beliefs, and pressures that quietly drain you. Weâre talking about perfectionism, comparison, guilt around rest, the all-or-nothing mindset,...
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Episode 247: Harnessing the Power of the Unfocused Mind w/ Dr. Srini Pillay
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
đTry the ReuLay app for mindset shifts (); email for a free 3-month subscription đIn this episode of the Drama Free Healthy Living Podcast, host Jess Cording interviews Dr. Srini Pillay, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, neuroscientist, and executive coach, about harnessing brain science for better focus, overcoming fear, managing stress, and integrating creativity into daily life. They explore strategies like strategic unfocus (napping, doodling, daydreaming) to boost productivity, the CIRCA method (Chunking, Ignore mental chatter, Reality check, Control check, Attention shift) for...
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Episode 246: Empowering Womenâs Sleep w/ Jackie Hutson from Piper & Mint PJS
Healthier & Happier with Jess Cording
đMake sure to check out Piper & Mint PJs on đ Jackie Hutson is a wife, mom to two energetic, sports-loving boys, and a founder who seems to live life in motionâin all the best ways. She plays in a competitive tennis league, loves diving into business and entrepreneurship, and brings an easy, grounded optimism into everything she does. Her entrepreneurial spark lit up early: at age 11, she made $5,000 selling Beanie Babies. Since then, sheâs launched several product-based businesses, including an accessory line created while studying abroad in Italy. After college, Jackie built...
info_outlineđMake sure to check out the book âThe Ballerina of Auschwitzâ
In this special episode of the Drama-Free Healthy Living podcast, host Jess Cording talks with Dr. Edith Eger, a renowned psychologist, Holocaust survivor, and author of bestselling books 'The Choice' and 'The Gift', as well as 'The Ballerina of Auschwitz'.
Joined by her grandson, Jordan Eager, Dr. Eger delves into her experiences, discussing how understanding and overcoming trauma can lead to inner strength and a positive mindset.
They touch on the importance of resilience, self-love, and the role young people play as future ambassadors for peace. The episode also emphasizes the significance of compassion, forgiveness, and the power of dreams even in the direst of circumstances.
đ Dr. Edith Eger BIO
Dr. Edith Eger is an eminent psychologist and one of the few remaining Holocaust survivors old enough to remember life in the camps. A colleague of Viktor Frankl, Dr. Edith Eger has worked with veterans, military personnel, and victims of physical and mental trauma. She lives in La Jolla, California, and is the author of the bestselling and award-winning books The Choice and The Gift.
đJordan Eger
Jordan Eger is her grandson and collaborator and co-founder of Soul Search, which is the home of Dr. Egerâs online courses. He was the editor of the book.
đď¸ Some key points
(00:00) Introduction and Special Guest Announcement
(02:19) Meet Dr. Edith Eger and Her Grandson Jordan
(02:37) The Journey of Writing 'The Choice' and 'The Ballerina of Auschwitz'
(04:51) Lessons for Young Adults and Future Ambassadors of Peace
(08:19) Understanding and Overcoming Trauma
(10:26) Maintaining a Positive Mindset Post-Trauma
(17:28) Reflections on Compassion and Forgiveness
(20:12) Final Thoughts and Living Well
(22:33) Closing Remarks and Podcast Disclaimer
đ Connect with Dr. Edith Eger
Website https://dreditheger.com/
IG https://www.instagram.com/dr.editheger/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/dreditheger/
đ¤ Podcast post-production by Seamless Multimedia
YouTube Link: https://youtu.be/oVfiJMw1RLo
If you like what you hear, leave a 5-star review on apple podcasts HERE.
Connect with me on IG @jesscording