Marla Miller Podcasts

When Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene proposed the United States would benefit from a “national divorce,” many scoffed and labeled her statements as incendiary pot-stirring. Journalist Jeff Sharlet was not one of them. After traveling the country for more than a dozen years, reporting on the intersection between religion and far-right politics, he belie…

*How childhood trauma negatively impacted Joshua's life, and ultimately led him to dismissing his own intuitive self *The most traumatic experience of his time in the Military (not what you would think) *If we hold onto negative emotions, we block the flow of energy and our minds and bodies start breaking down *The wakeup calls that made Joshua fac…

Cats … in space? It’s not a crazy notion for fans of Drew Brockington’s “CatStronauts,” who’ve devoured his graphic novels the way pilot Waffles eats a tuna fish sandwich. After six books detailing the adventures of Waffles, Blanket, Pom-Pom and Major Meowser, Brockington recently launched a prequel series detailing the kittenhood adventures of sib…

Cats are known to like their space. But outer space? That we didn’t learn until Minneapolis author and illustrator Drew Brockington’s put a crew of feline scientists on a rocket in his 2017 book, “CatStronauts: Mission Moon.” Turns out, Waffles, Blanket, Pom-Pom and Major Meowser are capable and witty astronauts, adapt at both saving the universe a…

*How Ed was diagnosed at age 13yrs. old with Crohn's Disease, and how it impacted his teen years. *The side effects of Prednisone that Ed experienced first hand *The healing that took place on Ed's body in the hospital that shocked the doctor *Opening up to working with a variety of teachers, such as Rachael Remen, that had a great impact on Ed's h…

In his new novel, “Symphony of Secrets,” Brendan Slocumb once again tucks a mystery inside a musical thriller. But underscoring the plot are some big questions about our culture. Whose music gets heard and honored? Who gets to claim the ownership and rewards of a song? And who gets to tell the story of how that music came to be? Slocumb’s protagoni…

*The specific event that made Katrina Foe aware of the powerful effect food can have on our bodies *The different tests that allowed Katrina to see what was at the root of her cancer diagnosis *The protocol Katrina used to heal herself naturally (without chemo, radiation and surgery) *There are 10 specific areas of “terrain” that can be used as mar…

If you want to know canine psychologist Alexandra Horowitz’ best advice for training a puppy, it can be summed up in one sentence: “Expect that your puppy will not be who you think, nor act as you hope.” That truth — which can both delight and confound new puppy caretakers — is at the center of her 2021 book, “The Year of the Puppy.” A longtime res…

*What Gluten actually is, and the misunderstandings around this topic *The limited view of the FDA when it comes to labeling gluten *What is Refractory disease? *Gluten Sensitivity and Silent Celiacs Disease *Genetic Testing for Gluten Sensitivity * The number one cause of Autoimmune Disease *Deal with the triggers and the disease goes away *A youn…

April is Animal Month on Big Books and Bold Ideas. But this time, we’re not talking about dogs, monkeys or bats — but bees, beetles and butterflies. It might not seem like it on a summer night in Minnesota — when mosquitos are swarming your campfire — but Earth’s kingdom of insects is diminishing so rapidly, scientists have declared it a crisis. In…

*The day Justin realized that EMF technology was adversely affecting the high performing athletes he was coaching * How we can tap into the resonance of the earth to counteract the detrimental impacts of man-made EMF’s *Our Universe is made of Scalar waves that are distributed equally in every direction, but electricity is a one directional wavefor…

Insects — or the lack thereof — are the focus of this week’s Big Books and Bold Ideas. On Friday, host Kerri Miller will talk with environmental journalist Oliver Milman about how the silent collapse in global insect populations is disrupting many of our most important ecosystems. Here in Minnesota, bees are the insects whose absence is most keenly…

All animals use their senses to perceive the world, humans included. But not every animal senses the same thing. In Pulitzer prize-winning science journalist Ed Yong’s 2022 book, “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us,” he explores the way each species sees the world through its own sensory lens and explains why tho…

*How indigestion affects many aspects of our body including immune cells, our thinking, organ health and blood flow *The health food industry asks Natasha to set the first standard for any dietary supplement, and it is read into Congressional record - why was it ultimately ignored? *The many obstacles beneficial bacteria face before reaching your i…

It helps for a veterinarian to be an animal lover. It doesn’t help for her to be allergic to cats. But Karen Fine didn’t let that stop her. Nor was she cowered by the fact that, in the 1980s, when she went to vet school, almost all the students were male. She followed in her physician grandfather’s path and became a veterinarian who made house call…

Renown underwater photographer David Doubilet has been donning a mask and flippers and descending into what he calls “the secret garden of the sea” since he was 12. What he saw there captivated him and eventually fueled his career. He’s photographed powerful sharks, brightly colored fish, the splendor of the coral reefs and the destruction caused b…

*How Karen found the power of Fascial Counterstrain, and changed her career as a result *The way that the "brain scan" directs you specifically to the part of the body that needs work *What makes Fascial Counterstrain so powerful *How to release the inflammation in the fascia that is preventing you from healing *A variety of health issues that can …

Once you start looking, wolves are everywhere. A wolf plays the the villain in “Little Red Riding Hood” and “The Three Little Pigs.” The boy who cried wolf is ultimately destroyed by his lie. A person who isolates from society is called a “lone wolf.” A dangerous mob is named a “wolfpack.” And of course, the animals themselves are both feared and a…

*Ian discusses the three life threatening illnesses (tumor, heart disease and a damaged liver) that would have taken his life if he had not addressed them from a holistic standpoint. *The three "keys" (physical protocols) necessary for ultimate health and longevity *The five-minute treatment you have never heard of, that can turn your body into a s…

Diana Abu-Jaber’s family has deep roots in Jordan. Her father came to America after a failed marriage proposal — an act of “revenge immigration,” she laughs. And while he lived in the U.S., married here and raised a family here, his never truly left his homeland behind. Growing up in a thoroughly Jordanian household within an American context shape…

Author Diana Abu-Jaber returns to MPR News this week. Friday’s Big Books and Bold Ideas will feature a conversation between host Kerri Miller and Abu-Jaber about her latest novel, “Fencing with the King,” a book set in Jordan that explores family dynamics and inheritance. It’s not the first time Abu-Jaber and Miller have talked. For this week’s bla…

*We discuss how Dawn became bedridden for 30 days just a week into her marriage, and the specific protocol she used to reset her body and recover her health from a variety of conditions *The synchronistic meeting that led Dawn and her husband to the purposeful path of becoming caretakers, and the steps they took took help a woman with ALS *How the …

Paul Harding says it’s no accident that the residents of the small interracial community he imagined for his new book are uprooted from their island home at the same time as the first International Eugenics Congress was being held in London. In fact, learning about the conference inspired him to write his book. The seeds of “This Other Eden” are pl…

*The profound Near Death Experience that brought Kelly so much bliss, insight and answers to all the big questions in life. *The process and decision to come back into her physical body, and the main lesson she wanted to remember and share *How she now views the idea of Heaven and Hell *What causes suffering, and do we have control over how much we…

When was the last time you felt awe? For many of us, awe is the result of an experience in nature. Or maybe it’s due to a sudden chill up the spine as you listen to music or read a poem. It might be what happens when you witness selflessness or uncommon kindness in another human being, or something as simple as listening to a child laugh as they lo…

Poet Ross Gay believes in joy. But he pays careful attention to how one defines that word. It is not simply happiness or delight, he says in his new book “Inciting Joy.” Rather, it is what grows from the fertile soil of breaking and belonging. It is the light that emanates from us when we help each other carry our sorrows. Gay was in St. Paul in No…

Many Americans are unaware that all-Black enclaves popped up and even flourished during the early 20th century. They did so by following the conviction that “separate but equal” was the only way for Black Americans to stay safe and thrive. But as Jamila Minnicks points out in her gorgeous debut novel, “Moonrise Over New Jessup,” that belief was cha…

* The Epic Sound Wave Technology that brought Dr. Pecoraro out of retirement when his daughter became bedridden with severe back pain *Amazing results for people with back and neck issues, as well as those that have already had back surgery *When the Atlas (the first bone in the neck) is out of place it can cause lack of blood flow to the brain, ca…

Historian Natalia Mehlman Petrzela was a self-proclaimed bookish kid growing up in the 1990s. She didn’t exercise, she didn’t play sports and she loathed physical education at school. But that changed when she first stepped into a group exercise class. “When I walked in there, I discovered there was something called fitness,” she tells host Kerri M…

*Many patients have long standing complaints of fatigue, brain fog, and neurological symptoms that turn out to be Lyme and Mold related *The issues with some common mold tests, and why a urine test might be necessary *Four categories to look at when it comes to treating Lyme disease and Mold illness *How infections affect the Hypothalamus (the part…

It’s being compared to “The Godfather” and “Gatsby” — high praise for a young writer. But MPR News host Kerri Miller says Deepti Kapoor’s new novel is worth the accolades. “Age of Vice” is set in modern day India, a country changing so quickly, few can stay balanced. It follows a young man who grew up destitute, sold into a life of servitude to pay…

Each year, there are a few new books that reduce readers to a frenzy before the words even arrive at the printing press. Such is the case for the “Age of Vice” by author Deepti Kapoor, one of the most anticipated books of 2023. This Friday, on Big Books and Bold Ideas, MPR News host Kerri Miller will talk with Kapoor about her crime novel that has …

*Ranaud's symptoms, and a story of hope for those struggling with this disease *Steps Kathy took to find the triggers behind her flareups *Specific supplements that have had a major impact on Kathy's improved health *A severe allergic reaction to a vaccine ultimately leads Kathy to the discovery of a unique group of supplements that improved her Ra…

Minneapolis author Shannon Gibney made waves in 2015 when she published her novel, “See No Color.” The experiences of main character Alex Kirtridge — a Black girl adopted by a white family — were partially informed by Gibney’s own life as a transracial adoptee. From the archives: Shannon Gibney on 'Dream Country' Gibney returns to her own story wit…

Minneapolis author Shannon Gibney made a splash with her first novel, "See No Color," drawn from her life as a transracial adoptee. It won the 2016 Minnesota Book Award for Young People's Literature. She returns to writing about her own life in her just released memoir, “The Girl I Am, Was and Never Will Be.” But this a memoir unlike most. Gibney c…

*Some of the benefits sound healing has on our health according to research * How our cells are activated and recharged by sound * A variety of issues that can be helped with individualized sound healing sessions *How tuning forks helped Kathy alleviate back pain *Three specific elements that make music healing. *It only takes four minutes for your…

*The beginning of the never-ending Vertigo, and subsequent hospital stays * Being stuck with her own traumatized brain and thoughts, without the relief of everyday distractions. *A determination to find solutions for rewiring her mind and body, leads to a proper diagnosis of P.P.P.D.(Persistent, Posterial, Perceptual Dizziness) and Vestibular Migra…

Modern English loves an idiom. We use them all the time. “Take the cake.” “Eat crow.” “Deader than a doornail.” “By hook or by crook.” “Cut the mustard.” “Left in the lurch.” But do we really know what they mean? That was University of Minnesota linguistics professor Anatoly Liberman’s question when he set out to write a dictionary of common Englis…

Is there a word or phrase that you grew up with, something you felt was unique to your family? Maybe it was an expression your parents or grandparents used to show affection or describe frustration, only to eventually discover it had foreign origins? Or perhaps you still wonder where it came from? Borrowed words have flooded most languages, includi…

*Dr. Minkoff explains why Lyme goes undetected or misdiagnosed in many cases. *The pitfalls of antibiotic treatments * Some of the most accurate forms of Lyme testing, and why Lyme Disease is known as the great masquerader *A number of known causative agents that need to be addressed in order to heal your body from Lyme *A variety of unique healing…

What does it mean to stand on the soil where enslaved people lived, worked and died — and to see, surrounding it, monuments to the people who did the enslaving? That’s the question at the heart of Clint Smith’s book, “How the Word Is Passed.” After a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee came down in his hometown of New Orleans, Smith began a…

When a racially segregated community is suddenly forced to integrate high schools, it inextricably intertwines families on opposite sides of the divide. How two of those families navigate the chaos — and its ripple effects for years to come — is at the heart of Naima Coster's novel, “What's Mine and Yours.” Coster joined MPR News host Kerri Miller …

*The two different sides to Bipolar 1 Disorder *Toxic environments that compounded Paris's symptoms *The event that led to court ordered treatment at a psychiatric hospital * The turning point in her journey back to health *Specific ways that Paris changed her environment, mindset, relationships and point of attraction *Discovering that vulnerabili…

The American West wouldn’t have been settled without the women who braved the frontier. Katie Hickman’s new history, “Brave Hearted: The Women of the American West” uncovers their stories. But she doesn’t stop at the white women settlers who traveled by wagon or on foot. Drawing on diaries, letters and memoirs, she also brings to life Black enslave…

Everyone's heard the story of the shootout at the O.K. Corral. It's been immortalized in over 40 feature films and written about in 1,000 books. But Mary Doria Russell refused to accept the story as we know it. Her 2015 novel novel digs for truth in the conflict that made Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday household names. While researching “Epitaph,” Rus…

*The impact of Daniel's work environment on his health *Reasons to avoid pharmaceuticals to improve your sleep *The biological affects of light on the body, good and bad *Why daytime and nighttime lighting affects us differently, and how blue light can affect our circadian rhythms. *The affect of sunglasses on our mood *Important details to look fo…

When we first meet Cristabel, the heroine of Joanna Quinn’s debut novel, “The Whalebone Theatre,” she is only three. But she is already sure of herself, in the pure and defiant way that young children often are. She knows she was born to be a leader. But how does she get there? That’s the story at the heart of Quinn’s delightful book, which follows…

*What your tongue and your voice can tell Adrienne about your health *How Acutonics can help navigate stressful experiences in life, and offer benefits similar to Acupuncture, with the use of sound rather than needles *How a wide variety of gynecological issues (infertility, postpartum symptoms, etc) can be addressed by using Pelvic Steaming *The i…

Do you recognize a meme when you see one? Online disinformation expert Joan Donovan defines memes as pithy words or images — like “Black Lives Matter” or “Build That Wall” — that contain a coded meaning. They often work as badges of identity, and they can be powerful shortcuts to provoking an emotional response in the viewer. And thanks to the inte…

*Our body is always speaking to us through our symptoms *The cut on Dana's hand that led to an emergency room visit, and an even greater immediate health scare *Using "Heart Math" to moderate heart rate variability *Dana finally finds a doctor that takes a full health history and pinpoints her health issues and offers two different paths for healin…