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What if strengthening your relationship could improve your sleep, lower stress, and support your overall health?

In this episode of Thursday Tea with Sami: Your Sip of Wellness and Mental Health, Dr. Samia Estrada sits down with Michelle Garraway, Registered Social Worker and founder of The Relationship Agency (Ajax & Oshawa, Ontario), to explore why human connection is one of the most powerful—and often overlooked—pillars of wellness.

Michelle shares practical, research-informed insights from the Psychobiological Approach to Couple Therapy (PACT), including how attachment, neuroscience, and arousal regulation shape the way we fight, repair, and reconnect. You’ll learn what secure functioning really looks like, why agreements can be more effective than “boundaries,” how co-regulation supports nervous system health, and simple daily practices that help couples (and families!) feel more connected.

If you’ve been having the same fight on repeat, feeling distant, or simply want a stronger, more resilient relationship, this conversation offers real tools you can start using today.

Connect with Michelle:
Website: therelationshipagency.com (blogs + free resources)
Instagram: @relationships.are.everything
Learn more about PACT: PACT Institute + Stan Tatkin’s Wired for Love online program

Support the show

Find Samia Estrada of Dignus Wellness on social media @DignusWellness

Enjoying the show? Your support means the world to me. ☕ buymeacoffee.com/thursdayteawithsami

🎶Special thanks to Nothing Short of Tragic for creating the amazing music you hear in our intro and outro—bringing the perfect vibe to each episode!

Curious about more? Check out everything I’m working on at Dignus Wellness. https://DignusWellness.com

Sign up for my newsletter at https://subscribe.dignuswellness.com/

Email me at: SamiaEstrada@DignusWellness.com

Disclaimer:
This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, psychological, or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapeutic or clinician–patient relationship.

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Dr. Samia Estrada, Psy.D., DipABLM, or Dignus Wellness. Content discussed on this podcast reflects general wellness, lifestyle medicine, and mental health education and may not be appropriate for everyone.

Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized advice or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or are in crisis, please seek immediate support from local emergency services or a trusted crisis resource.

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In this episode of Thursday Tea with Sami: Your Sip of Wellness and Mental Health, Dr. Samia Estrada sits down with Nita Talwar, founder of Uppy!, to talk about one of the most overlooked foundations of wellness: hydration.

Nita shares why many people are mildly dehydrated without realizing it, the early signs of dehydration (like headaches, low energy, poor focus, sleep issues, and muscle cramps), and why waiting until you feel thirsty may already be too late. We also explore how hydration supports the core pillars of lifestyle medicine — including energy, cognitive function, mood, stress, recovery, and sleep — and what to do when plain water isn’t enough.

You’ll also hear practical, realistic tips for daily life: how to build a morning water habit before coffee, how to stay hydrated while traveling or flying, what to do if you forget to drink water, and common hydration myths (including the truth about electrolytes and why a small amount of glucose/sugar can matter for absorption).

Whether you’re feeling tired, foggy, irritable, or just want a simple wellness reset, this conversation will help you start with one doable step.

Connect with Nita / Uppy!:
Website: www.Uppylife.com
Instagram: @UppyLife
Email: hello@UppyLife.com

If you enjoyed this episode: please follow, rate, and share Thursday Tea with Sami — it helps more people find the show.

Until next time, stay well and keep being your best.

Support the show

Find Samia Estrada of Dignus Wellness on social media @DignusWellness

Enjoying the show? Your support means the world to me. ☕ buymeacoffee.com/thursdayteawithsami

🎶Special thanks to Nothing Short of Tragic for creating the amazing music you hear in our intro and outro—bringing the perfect vibe to each episode!

Curious about more? Check out everything I’m working on at Dignus Wellness. https://DignusWellness.com

Sign up for my newsletter at https://subscribe.dignuswellness.com/

Email me at: SamiaEstrada@DignusWellness.com

Disclaimer:
This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, psychological, or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapeutic or clinician–patient relationship.

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Dr. Samia Estrada, Psy.D., DipABLM, or Dignus Wellness. Content discussed on this podcast reflects general wellness, lifestyle medicine, and mental health education and may not be appropriate for everyone.

Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized advice or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or are in crisis, please seek immediate support from local emergency services or a trusted crisis resource.

Send us a text

What if stress isn’t only something you “manage” with willpower—but something your body can learn to regulate more effectively?

In today’s episode, Dr. Sami Estrada sits down with Kristin Derus Dore, a biofeedback practitioner whose work focuses on FDA-approved biofeedback for stress reduction and pain management. Kristin breaks down what biofeedback is (in normal-people language), what happens in the body during fight-or-flight, and why learning to return to rest-and-digest can impact everything from mood and irritability to headaches, sleep, and chronic pain.

Kristin also shares practical tools you can try right away—including a subtle vagus nerve reset technique (yes, you can do it in public without anyone noticing), simple ways to interrupt stress spirals, and why sleep is often the most underrated (and powerful) stress intervention. You’ll also hear real stories of unexpected shifts—like improved social connection, reduced pain, and stress resilience that carries into everyday life.

In this episode, we talk about:

• What biofeedback is and how it works
• Stress as a full-body experience (not just a mindset)
• Fight-or-flight vs. rest-and-digest—and why it matters
• A discreet vagus nerve calming technique you can use anywhere
• The sleep–stress connection (and why you’re your biggest asset)
• How stress can influence pain, headaches, and inflammation
• How support systems can reduce stress (and how to offer help well)

Connect with Kristin:
Website: EdenBioFeedback.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-derus-dore/

Support the show

Find Samia Estrada of Dignus Wellness on social media @DignusWellness

Enjoying the show? Your support means the world to me. ☕ buymeacoffee.com/thursdayteawithsami

🎶Special thanks to Nothing Short of Tragic for creating the amazing music you hear in our intro and outro—bringing the perfect vibe to each episode!

Curious about more? Check out everything I’m working on at Dignus Wellness. https://DignusWellness.com

Sign up for my newsletter at https://subscribe.dignuswellness.com/

Email me at: SamiaEstrada@DignusWellness.com

Disclaimer:
This podcast is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is not a substitute for medical, psychological, or mental health care. Listening to this podcast does not create a therapeutic or clinician–patient relationship.

The views and opinions expressed by guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the host, Dr. Samia Estrada, Psy.D., DipABLM, or Dignus Wellness. Content discussed on this podcast reflects general wellness, lifestyle medicine, and mental health education and may not be appropriate for everyone.

Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for personalized advice or treatment. If you are experiencing a mental health emergency or are in crisis, please seek immediate support from local emergency services or a trusted crisis resource.