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
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...
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242 Welcome 2026. Healthspan Extension Starts Here: Your Epigenetic Path to Aging Well with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Many people believe that memory loss, physical decline, and loss of independence are inevitable parts of aging. But what if that belief is wrong? In this first Growing Older Living Younger episode of 2026, Dr. Gillian Lockitch challenges the outdated narrative that aging automatically means decline. Drawing on decades of medical expertise, cutting-edge epigenetic science, and her own lived experience, Dr. Lockitch explains why growing older is inevitable—but aging poorly is not. This episode introduces the concept of healthspan—the years of life lived with clarity, mobility, independence,...
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241 Resilience: Transforming Obstacles into Opportunities with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch shares a powerful story of resilience—one that unfolds unexpectedly as she prepares to celebrate turning 80 through dance, vitality, and joy. What began as a year of celebration was abruptly reshaped by a diagnosis of persistent atrial fibrillation, forcing Dr. Lockitch to confront physical limitations, uncertainty, and the temporary loss of a defining passion. Rather than framing this episode as a story of illness, she reframes it as a story of adaptation, courage, and transformation—and what it truly means to grow older...
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240 From Hot Flashes to Harmony: Reclaim Vitality through Nutrition and Lifestyle Changes with Alison Bladh
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Gillian Lockitch talks with Alison Bladh about navigating menopause and midlife with confidence, vitality, and grace. Alison shares over 35 years of experience helping women transform their health, beauty, and mindset through evidence-based nutrition, lifestyle, and self-care. Learn how small, realistic changes can rebalance hormones, improve sleep, manage weight, and restore radiant skin and energy—so you can age youthfully and thrive through every life stage. Alison Bladh is an award-winning nutritional therapist and aesthetician...
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239 Midlife Transformation: Ironman Playbook for Endurance, Longevity and Healthy Aging with Jeffrey Weiss
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Can you build healthspan in your 50s, 60s and beyond? In our episode 239 conversation, Jeff Weiss says yes—and he’s got the miles to prove it. After his first 10K at 48, Jeff progressed to marathons, ultramarathons, and Ironman triathlons, discovering how structured training within smart guardrails, and the right mindset can unlock cardiovascular fitness, strength, confidence, and cognitive resilience in midlife. We explore practical ways to get started (and keep going), how to balance discomfort vs. danger, and why setting “big, hairy, audacious goals” fuels transformation far beyond...
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238 Perimenopause to Second Spring: Hormones, Hugs and Healthspan with Carla Wainwright
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Coach and educator Carla Wainwright joins Dr. Gillian in episode 238 to reframe midlife (about 40–65) as a gateway rather than a decline. Drawing on science and somatic wisdom, Carla explains how shifting sex hormones affect metabolism, sleep, stress tolerance, and body composition—and why nervous‑system regulation, metabolic basics, and pleasure practices are foundational for healthspan. You’ll learn simple micro‑resets (breath, grounding, nature time), how to stack small rituals, and why cultivating daily moments of joy/connection boosts oxytocin and nitric oxide—two...
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237 Healthy Aging Made Practical: Mind, Environment, Diet, Activity, Community with Scott Fulton
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
In Episode 237, in conversation with Dr. Gillian Lockitch, Scott Fulton reframes “successful aging” as more years, more moments, more money. He unpacks his MEDAC model—Mind, Environment, Diet, Activity, Community—and shows how small, practical tweaks compound: design homes for longevity, manage toxin exposure sensibly, eat for quality/variety/fiber, move all day (not just “exercise”), train balance, and build supportive community. They also explore simple ways to measure what matters and why stepping outside your comfort zone is a powerful aging tool. Scott Fulton is...
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