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Heal Squad x Maria Menounos

1267. 5 Ways to Lower Your Risk of Parkinson’s + How Freeway Pollution & Farming May Play a Role

Heal Squad x Maria Menounos

Maria Menounos, Heal Squad

Health & Fitness, Mental Health, Education, Self-improvement

4.72K Ratings

🗓️ 28 April 2026

⏱️ 49 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Hey Heal Squad! This is one of those episodes you might think isn’t for you… but it absolutely is. Maria sits down with Dr. Ray Dorsey and Dr. Michael Okun, co-authors of The Parkinson’s Plan, along with Lisa Volenec, founder of This Is Parkinson’s, for a powerful, eye-opening conversation on what we need to know about Parkinson’s right now. They break down why this disease is rising so quickly and its surprising connection to things in our everyday environment, like what’s in our air, water, and food. We’re also talking about what you can actually do about it… from filtering your water, to being mindful of environmental exposure, and simple shifts that can support your brain health (they’ve got 25 of them!). Plus, there’s good news: there are more treatment options than ever, including things like focused ultrasound (something our friend Rebecca Crews recently underwent), and real lifestyle tools that can make a difference (turns out coffee can prevent the disease!). You’ll also learn the early signs most people miss, like loss of smell, sleep issues, and subtle body changes, and you’ll hear Lisa’s powerful story of being diagnosed young, hiding it for years, and ultimately finding strength in sharing her truth and building community. And as we close out Parkinson’s Awareness Month, this conversation feels more important than ever. It’s not about fear, it’s about awareness, action, and hope. Because when we understand more, we can do more! HEALERS & HEAL LINERS Start Protecting Your Brain Now (Not Later): Most Parkinson’s cases aren’t genetic, so what you’re exposed to over time matters. Start with what’s in your control: filter your water, wash produce thoroughly to reduce pesticide exposure, add an air purifier at home,be mindful of high-exposure environments (near freeways, heavy agriculture, industrial areas). Don’t Ignore “Subtle” Symptoms: Parkinson’s often starts years before diagnosis, and not in the way people think. Watch for loss of smell (outside of illness), chronic constipation, subtle stiffness or slower movement just to name a few. Don’t Do It Alone: Up to half of people hide their diagnosis, and that isolation can make everything harder. So find community because talking about it removes shame and builds strength. Join Us at Heal Squad’s Day of Reset: https://www.healsquad.com/reset HEAL SQUAD SOCIALS IG: https://www.instagram.com/healsquad/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@healsquadxmaria HEAL SQUAD RESOURCES: Heal Squad Website:https://www.healsquad.com/ Heal Squad x Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/HealSquad/membership Maria Menounos Website: https://www.mariamenounos.com My Curated Macy’s Page: https://stylecrew.macys.com/@mariamenounos EMR-Tek Red Light: https://emr-tek.com/discount/Maria30 for 30% off Airbnb: https://www.airbnb.com/host AG1: drinkag1.com/healsquad  GUEST RESOURCES: Follow Dr. Michael S Okun on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/michaelokun/ Follow Dr. Ray Dorsey  on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/raydorseymd/ Follow This Is Parkinson's on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisisparkinsonsofficial/ This is Parkinson’s: https://thisisparkinsons.org/ The Parkinson's Plan Book ://pdplan.org/ Water Tests:  https://gosimplelab.com/shop?test-type=drinking-water Dr Dorsey’s Recommendation for assessing water in rural areas:  https://gosimplelab.com/shop/products/pesticides-water-test ABOUT MARIA MENOUNOS: Emmy Award-winning journalist, TV personality, actress, 2x NYT best-selling author, former pro-wrestler and brain tumor survivor, Maria Menounos’ passion is to see others heal and to get better in all areas of life. ABOUT HEAL SQUAD x MARIA MENOUNOS: A daily digital talk-show that brings you the world's leading healers, experts, and celebrities to share groundbreaking secrets and tips to getting better in all areas of life. DISCLAIMER: This Podcast and all related content (published or distributed by or on behalf of Maria Menounos or http://Mariamenounos.com and http://healsquad.com) is for informational purposes only and may include information that is general in nature and that is not specific to you. Any information or opinions provided by guest experts or hosts featured within website or on Company’s Podcast are their own; not those of Maria Menounos or the Company. Accordingly, Maria Menounos and the Company cannot be responsible for any results or consequences or actions you may take based on such information or opinions. This podcast is presented for exploratory purposes only. Published content is not intended to be used for preventing, diagnosing, or treating a specific illness. If you have, or suspect you may have, a health-care emergency, please contact a qualified health care professional for treatment.

Transcript

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0:00.0

Spring is such a special time for me because I love flowers.

0:04.2

I love seeing them everywhere.

0:05.6

They remind me of my mom.

0:07.0

She loved Bougainvilleas.

0:08.9

And I love keeping her spirit close to me by wearing floral prints at this time,

0:13.2

which is why I love that Macy's has so many options with floral prints.

0:18.4

So if you happen to be in New York, by the way, you can check out their 51st annual flower show. They're going to have beautiful immersive displays full of flowers.

0:25.3

Great way to get inspired. Also, I've added some of my finds to my wish list in the show notes

0:29.2

below. So don't forget to shop at Macy's for your perfect spring look.

0:35.3

I'm on a journey to heal and get better in all areas of life, and I want to do it with you.

0:40.3

Welcome to Heal Squad by Maria Menunoz, where we improve and heal all parts of our lives, most importantly, our health.

0:47.8

Heal Squad by Maria Menuno's, your life improvement series starts now.

0:52.8

Coming up on this episode of Heal Squad, how common is it for people

0:57.2

to have symptoms for years? Parkinson's disease does not begin in the brain. Simply living or

1:03.0

working near where paraquot is sprayed is associated with a doubling of the risk of Parkinson's

1:08.1

disease. You're breathing in all of these particles. What they carry do matter in terms of exposure and in terms of setting off diseases.

1:15.6

What are a few things they need to be considering?

1:17.6

Early loss of smell, sleep disturbances, early constipation.

1:21.6

What about treatments?

1:23.6

We have a Parkinson 25, 25 things that you can do.

1:26.6

Whether you have Parkinson or you don't.

1:28.8

Is coffee good or bad? Caffeine might be good for people with Parkinson's. It might protect your

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