Mayim Bialik explores shamans and healers in quest for long, healthy life
At 48 years old, Mayim Bialik's priorities have shifted. From fully embracing a major life change within her family dynamic to experimenting with fresh approaches for her overall well-being, the actress is thrilled to be welcoming new waves of life.
In an exclusive interview with Fox News Digital, "The Big Bang Theory" alum opened up about how she's handling a son going to college and explained why she's chosen to explore ancient traditions in her quest to live a healthy and long life.
Bialik serves as an executive producer on the upcoming documentary "Mom & Dad's Nipple Factory" while still hosting her podcast, "Mayim Bialik's Breakdown."
When launching her podcast in 2020, Bialik said she and co-creator Jonathan Cohen wanted to discuss different health care treatments and approaches from a "scientific perspective," an idea that eventually led to the actress's eagerness to embrace change.
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"We did something just that I sort of had interest in and Jonathan also had an interest in. So, honestly, that is part of what we tackle. We talk to people about shamans, about healers, about energy work and kind of trying to understand the science behind it," Bialik said.
"But also sort of, again, understanding how our general system can be supported by a lot of things that were previously dismissed as hooey, which in many cases for thousands of years have been part of Eastern traditions.
"And even the notion of food as medicine, which we call, like, naturopathy or functional nutritional naturopathy," she added. "Ayurvedic medicine has been using food as medicine for thousands of years. It's just taken the West a little bit to catch up, and part of that is political. It has to do with subsidizing all those things. And, so, I'm glad to be learning about it for my own health and for my kids' health, but also as a way to share with other people just so that people can get more information."
Bialik, who revealed last month she had begun receiving hyperbaric treatments for her autoimmune-related health issues, said a lot of these discussions offer a safe space for those going through similar situations or looking for alternative options.
"A lot of women are diagnosed with autoimmune conditions, and a lot of women in the perimenopause, postmenopause stages of life, we're speaking up a lot more about things that we previously were told, either we're in our head or that it’s nothing or that's just how things have to be," said Bialik. "There's a lot of really interesting kind of immunological conversations about why immune systems for women are behaving this way.
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"A lot of what we talk about on the podcast is, you know, we can no longer pretend the food that we eat doesn't matter, the way that we think, the way that we work, the way that we relax doesn't matter," she continued. "All of these things contribute to the body's ability to protect itself.
"I'm very curious if [hyperbaric treatments] can be supportive with my health," she added. "I do enjoy it. I enjoy going in there. Sometimes I feel more energized when I come out. But it's kind of one of those things. It's not like taking ibuprofen. You don't necessarily feel the effects right away. … Not everything is fixed with a pill. Sometimes we need to kind of support the system, and there's many things that do that. And I hope that this is one of them."
As she prepares to turn 49 later this year, Bialik said she's entering this new era with ease and is grateful she can look to her podcast as a safe space to have these discussions.
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"One of the best parts of getting older is caring less about what other people think of you," she said. "A lot of our teens and 20s and even my 30s was about what other people wanted from me or how I was supposed to look or what I was supposed to do. There comes a point where you just really stop placing that much emphasis on other people's plans for you or thoughts or perceptions about you.
"We talk to a lot of health experts who talk about not just living long, but living healthy, being able to lift up your grandkids physically and still exercise and still be able to move your body and not have your joints hurt and things like that," she added. "So, I've already seen a lot of differences just from shifting my diet in terms of how my body feels, and so I guess I'll keep on that track."
As she continues to navigate all things health and wellness, Bialik said she's bracing for another major transition. Her son Miles is going to college.
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"It's a lot more emotional, honestly, than I had anticipated, and I’m really leaning heavily on friends of mine who have already sent their kids to college," said Bialik, who shares Miles, 18, and son Frederick, 16, with ex-husband Michael Stone.
"I honestly am really happy for my children to be independent, make their own choices, all those things, and also there's a real tug. My kids were homeschooled their whole lives. My older one didn't go to high school until he was in 11th grade. So, I'm also used to having my kids around a lot. Having homeschooled kids, they're kind of around a lot, so it’s definitely an adjustment.
"But, ultimately, I'm really happy for him to discover what he loves, what he wants to study, and I still have one in high school, so it's not a totally empty nest. But there's also a shift in the family dynamic too. It's an exciting time. A lot of transitions. I'm really glad that I have a mental health podcast, to be honest with you, because a lot of the tools and the things needed for these transitions, we have many guests on to talk about [these things] all the time. So, I'm grateful for that."
Now, the former "Jeopardy" host, who earned a Ph.D. in neuroscience in 2007 and is also a certified lactation consultant, is gearing up for the release of her upcoming documentary, which she worked on with filmmaker Justin Johnson.
"Honestly, the title really startled me," Bialik said of the film, "Mom & Dad's Nipple Factory." It details Johnson's family business creating custom prosthetic nipples for breast cancer survivors.
"You really have to kind of see it to understand. The way this story is being told, it walks you through not just the journey of what happens when someone gets breast cancer, but sort of the entire journey of someone's story about their life, and everyone has a story that ultimately impacts their self-image when they get breast cancer.
"I'm also a lactation educator counselor, so they [wanted to] bring someone on who can speak to this," she continued. "Johnson's parents are very, very sweet, very quiet, and they knew I was a scientist and a person of faith. Those things were important to his family as they thought about ways to get it more noticed. So, I was really grateful to be added to this project so that we can honestly just educate more people about it.
"It's such a fascinating story," she added. "It's a rom-com. It's a strange little rom-com that involves a nipple factory in this guy's sister's bedroom. But it's a really, really sweet story and, in particular, it's a love story about what the husband of this family devises."
"Mom & Dad's Nipple Factory" is out in limited theatrical release starting Sept. 6 and VOD starting Sept. 10.
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