244 Panic, Anxiety and the Aging Brain: A Trauma-Informed Approach with Dr. Nicole Cain
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Release Date: 01/12/2026
252 98% Diabetes Reversal? Can Behavioral Science Change the Way We Age? with John Oberg
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What if the most powerful breakthroughs in reversing chronic disease had less to do with new drugs—and everything to do with understanding human behavior? Type 2 diabetes is widely treated as a lifelong, progressive condition. But what if that assumption is wrong? In today’s episode, we explore how reclaiming personal agency, supported by behavioral science and AI-driven personalization, can fundamentally reshape how you age—because age is just a number, but how you age is a choice. Type 2 diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases associated with aging, yet conventional...
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251 Microplastics and Biological Aging: Separating Evidence from Fear-based, Stress Inducing Headlines that Accelerate Aging: with Chris DeArmitt Ph.D.
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
In recent years, headlines warning about microplastics in fish, water, and even the human body have triggered widespread anxiety. While fear-based narratives grab attention, they also keep the nervous system in a chronic stress state—driving inflammation, impaired decision-making, and accelerated biological aging. The question is no longer just environmental, but deeply personal: what happens when alarming headlines age us faster than reality? For those committed to healthy longevity, constant environmental alarmism can quietly undermine well-being. Chronic stress is a known driver of...
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250 Rewrite Your Aging Story: Conscious Aging, Identity and Healthspan Extension with Wayne R. Lehrer
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Many people enter retirement feeling uncertain, disconnected, or afraid of becoming irrelevant. In this episode, author and conscious aging advocate Wayne Lehrer reframes later life as a powerful third act—one that can be consciously designed for purpose, vitality, and authentic happiness. You’ll learn how mindset, meaning, and daily practices shape not just how long you live, but how well you age. Wayne Lehrer is an author, sculptor, meditation teacher, and conscious aging advocate. A former World’s Fair and theme-park designer and IMAX filmmaker, he now leads international...
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249 Rewriting Fitness After 40. Hormones, Strength Training and Heathspan with Alicia Jones
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Women entering perimenopause and menopause are often told to “do more cardio,” “eat less,” and “push harder” to stay fit. Yet for many, these strategies lead to exhaustion, stalled progress, injuries, and declining confidence rather than improved health. As estrogen declines, muscle loss accelerates, recovery slows, and stress hormones become more influential on weight, sleep, and inflammation. Following outdated fitness rules during this phase can quietly accelerate biological aging and undermine long-term healthspan. Today's guest, Alicia Jones, combines kinesiology,...
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248 Dying on the Waitlist: Healthcare Delays, Epigenetic Wellness, and How Canadians Can Protect Their Healthspan with Ingrid Gahsner
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Canada’s healthcare system is under unprecedented strain, with thousands of people experiencing serious harm—or death—while waiting for diagnostic procedures, specialist care, or life-saving treatments. Despite public trust in the system, delays have become a hidden personal risk that most Canadians fail to plan for. As we age, delays in diagnosis and treatment don’t just affect outcomes—they accelerate physical decline, cognitive stress, emotional exhaustion, and financial vulnerability. Loss of access means loss of control, which directly undermines resilience, independence,...
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247 Carnivore vs Whole Foods: An N-of-1 Experiment on Epigenetics, Nutrition and Healthspan with Dr. Andres Ayesta
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Extreme diets dominate social media, but what actually happens inside your body when you follow them? In this episode, registered dietitian Andres Ayesta shares the results of a 60-day self-experiment comparing a carnivore diet with a whole-foods, minimally processed approach. Using lab testing, DEXA scans, and behavioral science, he reveals what truly changes—and what doesn’t—when it comes to weight, body composition, energy, and long-term health as we age. Andres Ayesta is a registered dietitian, sports nutritionist, and founder of Planos Nutrition. With...
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246 Stress, Burnout and Biological Aging. Simple Habits to Reclaim Energy and Longevity with Erica Jones
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Chronic stress and burnout are often worn as a badge of honor, yet they can be powerful accelerators of biological aging. In this conversation, wellness entrepreneur and educator Erica Jones explains how persistent stress can disrupt sleep, increase inflammation, and influence mitochondrial function, hormones, and even gene expression through epigenetic pathways. Together, with the host, Dr. Gillian Lockitch, we focus on sustainable strategies that busy, high-capacity people can actually maintain - starting with the “unsexy basics” of hydration and sleep, plus boundaries that protect your...
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245 How Adverse Childhood Experiences Shape Aging and Affect Health with Wendy B. Correa
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Early life trauma can leave lasting imprints on the brain, body, and emotional health well into later life, but healing is possible at any age. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with memoirist and wellness practitioner, Wendy Correa about adverse childhood experiences, intergenerational trauma, and the profound healing power of self-awareness and creative expression. Wendy shares how writing her memoir, My Pretty Baby, became both a personal reckoning and a path to liberation. This conversation explores how movement, mindfulness,...
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244 Panic, Anxiety and the Aging Brain: A Trauma-Informed Approach with Dr. Nicole Cain
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Chronic stress and anxiety are not just emotional experiences; they can quietly accelerate biological aging and undermine brain health. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with integrative mental health expert Dr. Nicole Cain about how anxiety, panic, trauma, and unresolved stress shape the nervous system across the lifespan. Dr. Cain explains the critical differences between fear, anxiety, and panic, and how symptoms often serve as meaningful signals rather than disorders to suppress. This rich conversation offers science-backed, compassionate...
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243 Movement as Longevity Medicine; How Fascia and the Brain Shape Aging with Dr. Edythe Heus
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What if the way you move could directly influence how well you age? In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch is joined by movement specialist and chiropractor Dr. Edythe Heus to explore how intentional, brain-engaged movement can become one of the most powerful tools for longevity. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Dr. Heus explains how subtle changes in movement reorganize fascia, enhance balance, sharpen cognition, and reduce fall risk. This conversation reframes exercise not as punishment, but as a playful, intelligent practice that supports...
info_outlineChronic stress and anxiety are not just emotional experiences; they can quietly accelerate biological aging and undermine brain health. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with integrative mental health expert Dr. Nicole Cain about how anxiety, panic, trauma, and unresolved stress shape the nervous system across the lifespan. Dr. Cain explains the critical differences between fear, anxiety, and panic, and how symptoms often serve as meaningful signals rather than disorders to suppress. This rich conversation offers science-backed, compassionate strategies to restore calm, improve resilience, and support healthy aging from the inside out.
Dr. Nicole Cain is a licensed naturopathic physician based in Arizona with a master’s degree in clinical psychology. She is a pioneer in trauma-informed, integrative mental health care, blending medical science, psychotherapy, EMDR, nutrition, and nervous system regulation to address anxiety and mood disorders at their roots. Dr. Cain is the author of Panic Proof: How to Rewire Your Brain for Calm in a Chaotic World and host of the Holistic Inner Balance podcast.
Episode Timeline
00:00 – Welcome and episode framing -Dr. Gillian Lockitch introduces the theme of retraining the brain for calm, focus, and joy as we age.
03:33 – Dr. Cain’s personal journey into anxiety healing -A childhood shaped by hyper-attunement, family stress, and early medicalization of anxiety.
05:14 – Medication, burnout, and the limits of symptom suppression =How conventional approaches failed to resolve root causes and led to a pivotal turning point.
07:29 – Seasonal illness, stress, and nervous system patterns -Exploring how environment, family dynamics, and stress imprint the immune system.
08:27 – Anxiety versus panic - Clarifying distinctions between fear, anxiety, and panic through lived experience and physiology.
11:19 – Fear of change and uncertainty - How major life transitions can activate panic responses even in resilient individuals.
16:39 – Agency as the antidote to anxiety - Why reclaiming personal authority calms the nervous system more than explanations alone.
19:57 – Stress, inflammation, and accelerated aging - How chronic cortisol exposure affects the gut, brain, and immune system over time.
20:27 – The gut-brain axis and anxiety - A clinical example showing how gut inflammation drives cognitive and emotional decline.
24:53 – Trauma-informed care and adaptive events - Reframing trauma as adaptation and understanding when survival strategies become maladaptive.
28:52 – Personalized nutrition and body awareness - Why no single diet fits everyone and how curiosity leads to sustainable healing.
33:36 – Interoception and mindful self-observation - Learning to listen to the body without panic, avoidance, or over-fixing.
37:09 – Mindset, neuroplasticity, and imagination - How intention and mental rehearsal reshape brain wiring and biological outcomes.
40:43 – A simple breath practice for immediate calm - Using breath and vagal tone to restore balance and resilience.
Resources & Links Mentioned
Dr. Nicole Cain
Panic Proof: How to Rewire Your Brain for Calm in a Chaotic World by Dr. Nicole Cain
The Holistic Inner Balance Podcast
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Explore your personal roadmap to longer healthspan and emotional resilience by connecting with Dr. Gillian Lockitch at askdrgill@gmail.com