Before I introduce my guest today I want to explain why a discussion of women suffragists is important to holistic health. I have always envisioned holistic health as encompassing physical, mental and spiritual health, the environment, relationships and political action because all influence health.  The work of women suffragists and activists are a part of political action that focus on change to benefit the health and activities of all people in an democratic society.

April Young Bennett began studying the lives of suffragists to inform her own activism. As Communications Director for Voices for Utah Children (utahchildren.org), she worked within nationwide networks of advocates for changes to state and federal policies affecting children and parents such as pay equity, healthcare, education and juvenile justice. She was a founding organizer and spokesperson for the activist group Ordain Women (ordainwomen.org), which has been featured in respected news outlets such as the New York Times and the Washington Post. Ordain Women collaborates with the Women’s Ordination Conference (Catholic), Ordain Women Now (Lutheran), Women of the Wall (Jewish), the Parliament of World Religions Women’s Task Force and other networks of religious feminists.

April produces and hosts the Religious Feminism Podcast https://www.the-exponent.com/category/podcast/), which provides a forum for feminists across a variety of faith communities and secular feminist organizations to learn about each other and work together toward common goals. She blogs about Mormon feminism at the-exponent.com, which averages 40,000 unique visitors per month.

As April has advocated for gender equity, she has noticed parallels between her modern challenges and those experienced by our first wave feminist forebears. When she marched with hundreds of women to a male-only religious meeting, the women were barred from entrance but allowed to listen over the internet, much in the same way Lucretia Mott and Elizabeth Cady Stanton were barred from the World Anti-Slavery Convention in 1840 but allowed to listen from the balcony, behind a bar and a curtain. On another occasion, she was among many women of her faith who demonstrated their desire for gender equity by wearing pants to church instead of traditional dresses. At least one male church member was so peeved that he threatened to shoot any woman who showed up at church in pants. April was reminded of our suffragist foremothers, who received a similarly visceral reaction when they wore bloomers in the 1850s. She witnessed male religious leaders denouncing outspoken women using many of the same tactics employed against women such as Angelina and Sarah Grimké, Lucy Stone and Sojourner Truth.

April began to wonder if her activist community wasn’t recreating the wheel with their frantic brainstorming—the world had not changed as much as they had thought, and certainly some of the feminists who came before them had already addressed some of the problems they were facing. What could she learn from our foremothers? April wanted to read something about this era—one book, preferably, because she was busy—but broad enough to impart the wisdom of activists from a variety of racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. She didn’t want it to be limited to the most famous people because in her experience, movements are built by communities of rank-and-file workers, not solitary heroes. And while history can be fascinating, April was in a hurry—she had urgent causes to support—so she wanted something that focused on what was most pertinent to her modern concerns, like collaborative relationships, strategies and activism, but that would be lighter on dates, meeting minutes and genealogy charts.

April didn’t find that book. So she read everything: memoirs, biographies, history books, archived letters and diaries, even those boring meeting minutes. She asked suffragists her questions and they answered her, but they didn’t all agree with each other; they were a diverse, opinionated bunch. In their lives, April saw much to emulate and some pitfalls to avoid. The people who came before us were as deeply flawed as they were passionate and inspiring. Now, she’s written the book that she wanted to read back when she started this journey: Ask a Suffragist: Stories and Wisdom from America’s First Feminists.

Learn more about April Young Bennett at https://aprilyoungb.com

Marlisa Brown, MS RD CDE CDN

Registered Dietitian, Certified Diabetes Educator, Chef-Author, Professional Speaker and Author of 4 Gluten-Free Books including her most recent release “The Gluten-Free Training Guide for Restaurants and Chefs” currently the only gluten-free training book for restaurants and chefs available, with a special section on food allergies.

Her other publicaions are  “The Gluten-Free, Hassle-Free Cookbook”, “Gluten-Free, Hassle-Free” & “Easy, Gluten-Free”

President of Total Wellness, Inc, Past President of The New York State Dietetic Association, NSA Professional member. Coming this May 2016 “I Woke Up Fat”

Marlisa works as a Consultant, International Speaker, Culinary Expert and Writer. In addition, she has successfully treated over 15000 patients the past 20 years. Marlisa specializes in diabetes, heart disease, weight loss and gastrointestinal disorders.

Marlisa has written and contributed to many books and programs, has been featured on a cooking show series and has done hundreds of presentations, including a brand new program on diabetes cooking just being introduced. Some of her clients include; Richard Simmons, Jorge Cruise, Goldman Sachs, Brookhaven National Labs, The Kennedy Space Center, Prudential Securities and the New York Jets.

Rich Wessenberg – Certified Healthcare Consultant, Preventive Care Advocate, and Licensed Health Insurance Professional with over 20 years of experience. Rich Wessenberg is the National Sales Manager for Wyoming Health Fairs in Wyoming, a nonprofit organization that provides low cost wellness screenings to businesses, government, communities, and partners with nonprofits to fund raise, throughout the United States. Rich was also a State Manager in Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHB), the largest employer group plan in the world that has over 5 Million members.”



Do you know what you are ingesting into your body? Medication side effects fall under the category of “things most people don’t think about until they have to.” But make no mistake; all drugs have side effects, even if they are so mild that you don’t notice them.



A growing number of states, alarmed by the rising death toll from prescription painkillers and frustrated by a lack of federal action, are moving to limit how these drugs are prescribed.



Over the course of life, it is inevitable that we will feel intense and unpleasant emotions from time to time. Our loved ones will pass away, our friends and families will disappoint us, and the challenges of life will make us angry and frustrated.



When those painful emotions arise, it’s important that we know how to deal with them and understand the background of the meds that may be prescribed.



Certified Healthcare Consultant Rich Wessenberg uses his background to discuss the side effects of prescription medication and why it is important to know what you are putting into your body!

Rich Wessenberg can explain further…….

* Do most people understand the side effects of medication?

* What types of side effects exist?

* How can you manage these side effects?

Renaé works with people on their issues by clearing the blocks she sees in your body’s energy and how it is affecting your physical body. She does an energy clearing to remove the energetic blocks and obstacles that no longer serves you.  Call in if you’d like to know how to clear an issue in your life, and/or assistance in getting to a place in your life that you’d like to be.

Renaé is an internationally known and respected energy therapist and author who has not only healed her own life, but over the past 20 years has helped thousands heal and free themselves from limitations, unworthiness, fears, and in some cases, illness. Renaé’s personal experiences on this road (that so many struggle to walk) serve as her driving force in helping others to regain their voice, self-worth, and life of empowerment.

Renaé’s journey of life began with a childhood of physical, emotional and sexual abuse that ended when she was reunited with her birth mother at age 12. Her emotional traumas resurfaced after leaving her high-level corporate job to become a full-time mom.  Renaé’s struggle to accept this new identity and feeling lost within her own body led her to a life-changing path of worthiness and empowerment. She became a Certified Reiki Master Teacher and a facilitator in over 7 different profound healing modalities, all of which helped to awaken the true gifts within herself.

Renae’ uses her abilities of being able to see energy, and being able to channel energy beings of love and light – together with the connection between spiritual and physical, to assist people in releasing their limitations and blocks - unleashing the limitless power within. Renae’s imprint on life is a simple thought to embrace --- all that you need is within you.​

Renae’s core values drive everything she does.

          - Support

          - Honesty

          - Enthusiasm and Positivity

          - Creativity

          - Appreciation

          - Respect

          - Empowerment through Learning and Growth

          - Simplicity

Renae' has a deep commitment to transformation of not only the individual and his/her life, but the world as well.