Bountifull Podcast

We talk a lot about women’s cycles — hormonal, emotional, seasonal — but rarely about men’s. In this episode, Jed Diamond helps bring men into the conversation.
With over 50 years of experience working with men and families, Jed explains how men move through powerful biological and emotional rhythms across their lives. From daily and seasonal hormonal shifts to the deeper transition of male menopause, these cycles influence mood, energy, libido, relationships, and identity — often without men or their partners realising what’s happening.
Rather than framing midlife as a crisis, Jed offers a different lens: a threshold. A moment where the first half of life gives way to a second mountain — one shaped less by proving and producing, and more by purpose, connection, and contribution.
We also explore Irritable Male Syndrome, unpacking why irritability, anger, withdrawal, and low mood can emerge at any age, and how stress, diet, isolation, and unresolved trauma interact with male biology. Throughout the conversation, the emphasis is practical and compassionate, grounded in real-life patterns rather than blame or stigma.
This episode is an invitation to build literacy around men’s inner lives — for men themselves, and for anyone who lives, works, or loves alongside them.

In This Episode, We Explore
How men’s hormones fluctuate and influence mood, energy, and behaviour

What male menopause is — and why it’s often misunderstood

The relationship between testosterone, irritability, depression, and withdrawal

Irritable Male Syndrome and its biological, psychological, and cultural roots

How stress, diet, sleep, and connection affect men’s emotional wellbeing

Why midlife can be a transition rather than a crisis

The role of friendship, vulnerability, and emotional awareness in men’s health

Chapters:
00:00 – Midlife, hormones, and men’s health
02:25 – Jed Diamond’s story and why this work matters
09:30 – Do men have cycles?
18:40 – Male menopause and midlife change
29:20 – Irritable Male Syndrome
39:15 – Relationships and emotional wellbeing
50:20 – Purpose, ageing, and the second half of life

Guest Bio: Jed Diamond
Jed Diamond, PhD, is a leading voice in men’s health, hormones, and emotional wellbeing. He is the founder of MenAlive and the author of 17 books, including Surviving Male Menopause and The Irritable Male Syndrome. For more than five decades, his work has focused on helping men understand life transitions, emotional health, and relationships.
https://menalive.com/

About the Bountifull Podcast
The Bountifull Podcast is where we explore what it means to live a bountiful life. Through thoughtful, honest conversations with interesting people from diverse backgrounds, the podcast explores joy, resilience, health, purpose, and the small choices that shape how we live every day — especially in a world that often rewards more, faster, and louder.

Over on email every week we share a question for reflection and conversation — you’re welcome to join if that feels useful, sign up here.

In this episode of the Bountifull Podcast, we explore the often-hidden role of shame and stigma in shaping how we live, relate, and see ourselves — and why understanding them is essential to living a truly bountiful life. Through a thoughtful, grounded conversation with clinical psychologist Magenta Silberman, we unpack how shame differs from guilt, how it quietly embeds itself into identity and self-worth, and how it can limit joy, connection, and meaning when left unexamined.
Shame is an internal and deeply personal experience — less about what we’ve done and more about who we believe we are. Unlike guilt, which can motivate repair and help us grow, shame tends to drive silence, withdrawal, and disconnection. We explore how shame can be adaptive in small doses, helping guide behaviour and social belonging, but becomes harmful when internalised or amplified by stigma, cultural expectations, or environments that clash with our values.
The conversation looks closely at where shame shows up: in relationships, work, achievement, identity, parenting, mental health, and especially during the vulnerable transition into adulthood. We also examine how stigma — around mental illness, therapy, trauma, substance use, or identity — compounds shame and prevents people from seeking support, particularly in rural or conservative communities.
Importantly, the discussion moves beyond theory into lived experience, including the gap between performance and self-worth, the pressure of “shoulds,” and the quiet shame of feeling unfulfilled even when life looks successful on paper. We explore the body–mind connection through the lens of trauma and the nervous system, highlighting how shame can be felt viscerally and why avoidance so often becomes a coping strategy.
Ultimately, this episode offers a compassionate reframe: naming shame is the first step to loosening its grip. By bringing shame into awareness — rather than silence — we create space for connection, self-trust, and a more expansive, bountiful way of living.

Episode Highlights:
The difference between shame and guilt — and why it matters

How shame shows up in work, relationships, identity, and achievement

Why shame thrives in silence and isolation

The role of stigma in mental health and help-seeking

How shame lives in the body and nervous system

The pressure of “shoulds” and performance-based self-worth

Why naming shame is a powerful step toward freedom and connection

Timestamps:
00:00 – Why we avoid naming shame
05:00 – Identity, achievement, and living a bountiful life
11:30 – Shame vs guilt and why the difference matters
17:40 – When shame helps us — and when it harms us
25:45 – Performance, “shoulds,” and self-worth
30:40 – Stigma, silence, and asking for help
34:10 – Shame in the body and nervous system
45:30 – Naming shame and choosing connection

Guest Bio:
Magenta Silberman is a clinical psychologist based in Utah who works across assessment and therapy, supporting people through a wide range of mental health experiences. Her work is grounded in a trauma-informed approach, with a particular interest in identity, self-worth, and how shame and stigma shape our lives.

About the Bountifull Podcast:
The Bountifull Podcast explores what it means to live a bountiful life through thoughtful conversations focused on personal growth, mental health, and everyday self-improvement. Each episode offers practical insights and reflective “how-to” ideas to help listeners build more joyful, resilient, and meaningful lives.
https://bountifullworld.com/

In this episode, Michael Breus, widely known as The Sleep Doctor, explores why sleep is not just a health habit, but the foundation of how we feel, think, and experience life.
Michael explains that sleep underpins our ability to experience joy, regulate emotions, focus, and build resilience. When we’re sleep deprived, positive emotions are dampened, negative thinking intensifies, and even small challenges can feel overwhelming. In his clinical work, he’s seen how improving sleep can create rapid, life-changing shifts—often faster than almost any other intervention.
The conversation moves beyond basic sleep hygiene to address the psychology of sleep, particularly anxiety and fear. Michael shares that many sleep issues are driven not by biology alone, but by emotional and nervous-system safety. When fear—financial, relational, or psychological—is present, heart rate stays elevated, making true rest impossible. Addressing the root cause, rather than simply medicating symptoms, is often where real healing begins.
Michael outlines five small, evidence-based changes that can dramatically improve sleep: waking at the same time every day, hydrating before caffeine, stopping caffeine by early afternoon, limiting alcohol in the evening, exercising daily (but not too late), and getting morning sunlight. He also emphasises the often-overlooked role of environment—especially pillows, air quality, and allergens—in sleep quality.
A key highlight is Michael’s chronotype framework—Lions, Bears, Wolves, and Dolphins—which helps people understand their natural sleep rhythms. Rather than forcing a one-size-fits-all schedule, he encourages aligning sleep, work, and relationships with individual biology.
Ultimately, this episode reframes sleep not as a problem to fix, but as a relationship to tend. When sleep improves, life doesn’t just feel easier—it becomes more spacious, joyful, and bountiful.

Episode Highlights
How sleep supports emotional balance, focus, and everyday joy
Why working with your natural sleep rhythm matters more than optimisation
The connection between sleep, calmness, and nervous system regulation
Simple, realistic habits that support better sleep over time
Why rest helps us show up more fully in our lives and relationships

Timestamps:
00:00 – Why Sleep Shapes How We Feel, Think, and Experience Life. Sleep as the foundation for mood, focus, energy, and joy.
07:45 – Why Sleep Advice Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All. Chronotypes, circadian rhythms, and working with your biology.
15:20 – How Sleep Affects Mood, Emotions, and Joy. Why sleep deprivation amplifies negativity and dulls positive emotion.
24:10 – Sleep, Anxiety, and Nervous System Safety.
How fear, stress, and emotional load keep the body from resting.
36:30 – Simple Ways to Improve Sleep Without Perfection. Small, realistic changes that make a meaningful difference.
47:50 – Sleep, Relationships, and Shared Rhythms. Navigating different sleep patterns with partners and families.
55:30 – How Better Sleep Changes Resilience and Everyday Life. What becomes possible when we’re truly well rested.

Guest Bio
Michael Breus, PhD, is a clinical psychologist, board-certified sleep specialist, and best-selling author, widely known as The Sleep Doctor. With over 25 years of experience in sleep research and clinical practice, he is one of the few psychologists to pass the American Board of Sleep Medicine exam. Michael is the author of The Power of When and Good Night, and regularly appears in global media including The Today Show, Oprah, and CNN, sharing accessible, science-based insights on sleep and wellbeing.
https://sleepdoctor.com/

About Bountifull Podcast
The Bountifull Podcast explores what it means to live a bountiful life through honest, thoughtful conversations with interesting people from diverse backgrounds, sharing real stories, lessons, and reflections on work, life, and meaning.
https://bountifullworld.com/

In this episode, Cheryl Sew Hoy explains how gut health affects immunity, mental health, hormones, and resilience, drawing on both microbiome science and her own experience building Tiny Health. She shares how a deeply personal journey into motherhood led her to rethink gut health as a foundation for lifelong wellbeing, and why the microbiome - particularly in the first 1,000 days of a babies life - plays a critical role in immune health, resilience, and mental health.The conversation moves through what the gut actually does, why balance and diversity matter more than eliminating bacteria, and how the gut–brain connection works, including the surprising number of key hormones produced in the gut. Cheryl also explains why testing and education offer clearer direction than supplements or guesswork, and how factors like birth interventions, antibiotics, diet, sleep, and stress shape gut health over time.
Alongside this, she reflects on entrepreneurship, parenting, and sleep, and what it means to live a bountiful life that feels full, without taking life too seriously.

Episode Highlights
How gut health influences immunity, mental health, energy, and resilience

The gut–brain connection and the surprising number of hormones produced in the gut

Why the first 1,000 days of a babies life matters for expecting parents, mothers and fathers.

Testing versus guessing in a crowded wellness landscape

What entrepreneurship teaches us about patience, perspective, and long-term thinking

Living a bountiful life as something full, complex, and ongoing

Timestamps
00:00 — Why gut health matters and what sparked Tiny Health

09:00 — What living a bountiful life means to Cheryl

12:30 — Gut health basics and why balance matters more than trends

18:00 — The gut–brain connection and hormones made in the gut

26:00 — Diet, fibre, fermented foods, and supporting gut health

33:00 — The first 1,000 days and why gut health matters for parents

55:00 — Entrepreneurship, long-term thinking, and perspective

01:02:00 — Sleep, resilience, and not taking life too seriously

Guest Bio: Cheryl Sew Hoy is an entrepreneur, speaker, angel investor, and founder & CEO of Tiny Health, a health-tech company focused on evidence-based gut microbiome testing for families. She launched Tiny Health in 2020 after her first child faced eczema, sleep challenges, and food sensitivities, which led her deep into microbiome science and the importance of the first 1,000 days of life. Cheryl holds a bachelor’s degree in Operations Research and Industrial Engineering and a master’s in Engineering Management and Data Mining from Cornell University. Before Tiny Health, she co-founded the software startup Reclip.It, which was acquired by Walmart Labs, and served as the founding CEO of the Malaysian Global Innovation and Creativity Centre (MaGIC), building the region’s startup ecosystem. She’s known for blending technical expertise with a systems perspective on health, startups, and resilient living.

About the Bountifull Podcast
The Bountifull Podcast explores what it means to live a bountiful life through honest, thoughtful conversations with interesting people from diverse backgrounds, sharing real stories, lessons, and reflections on work, life, and meaning.

https://www.bountifullworld.com/

In this episode of the Bountifull Podcast, we sit down with Tasman Denize, the creator behind NZ Wild Adventures, to talk about life lived close to the land - hunting, fishing, boating, camping, and many very remote solo adventures. Raised in the remote Marlborough Sounds, Tasman grew up with solitude, self-reliance, and a deep connection to nature as everyday realities.
Our conversation explores what the wild teaches you about patience, risk, and responsibility, and why simplicity matters. Tasman shares how time alone helps him feel clearer and more grounded, why he works as little as possible to support the life he wants, and how adventure doesn’t require expensive gear—just preparation, awareness, and respect for your limits.
This episode is a quiet reflection on freedom, self-trust, and the kind of peace that comes from slowing down and paying attention — and as Tasman says, the word that describes his life? Free. How absolutely inspiring is that.

What talk about:
Growing up remote in the Marlborough Sounds and learning self-reliance early

Life shaped by solitude, correspondence schooling, and time outdoors

Why Tasman chooses simplicity over excess — in gear, work, and lifestyle

Long solo trips, including extended time in Fiordland

Risk, safety, and knowing where the line is between bravery and recklessness

Hunting and gathering for food, and Tasman’s philosophy around eating what you catch

Working as little as possible to spend more time in nature

Why expensive gear isn’t necessary — preparation and awareness matter more

How time alone helps Tasman feel clearer, calmer, and more grounded

Freedom, family, and spending time where it really matters

Key Themes
Simplicity

Self-trust

Solitude

Freedom

Nature as a grounding force

One Line That Stays With Us
When asked what word best describes his life, Tasman’s answer is simple: Free.

About the Bountifull Podcast
The Bountifull Podcast explores what it means to live a bountiful life through honest, thoughtful conversations with interesting people from diverse backgrounds, sharing real stories, lessons, and reflections on work, life, and meaning.
⁠https://www.bountifullworld.com/