News and Happenings

What if we could significantly improve our physical health through our mind? Social psychologist Dr. Ellen Langer has seen it happen first hand in countless studies at Harvard University and beyond. Dr. Langer, known as the ‘mother of mindfulness,’ joins Ricki to discuss how reshaping our perspective day to day can help us get in better shape, strengthen our decision making, and even improve chronic health conditions.

This election week, Ricki decides to destress by taking a weed gummy and talking about gardening alongside two pros – TikTok gardener Brian Brigantti and landscaper John Bonny. They chat about what’s growing in their gardens, how to create a sanctuary in your backyard, and what taking care of plants can teach you about taking care of yourself. This episode is the perfect antidote to election coverage!

Women are asking for divorce way more than men. Why is that, and shouldn’t that choice be met with celebration rather than pity? Ricki talks about her own divorces with Lyz Lenz, author of the recent memoir, “This American Ex-Wife: How I Ended my Marriage and Started my Life.” They get into finances (who keeps the house?), the perks of becoming single again (wine and murder podcasts!), and how to know if/when you’re ready to remarry.

For the first time ever, Ricki tells her hair loss story in detail alongside her friend and mentor Y, the founder of The Women’s Hair Loss Project. After Ricki began losing her hair in 1995, Y helped her explore treatment options, shop for wigs, and deal with the emotional turmoil. Y and Ricki swap stories of what it felt like to shave their heads, discuss drugs they took that didn’t work, and talk about how they finally came to a place of acceptance.

You may notice that your body thrives off some types of foods but feels awful after eating others. Why not experiment to figure out what’s working in your favor and what’s not? Ricki chats with Melissa Urban, the co-founder and CEO of The Whole30 Program, about how to optimize your meal choices and some of her favorite recipes in The New Whole30 book.

‘90210’ star Jennie Garth rose to fame seemingly overnight in the 1990s, just like Ricki. After successful careers, kids at young ages, and multiple marriages, Ricki and Jennie chat about their latest era of choosing themselves. Jennie also shares stories from her ‘90210’ days, including hiding her pregnancy and nearly getting fired. Plus, why she loves cemeteries.

You may know Michael Theo as the breakout star of the reality show ‘Love on the Spectrum Australia,’ where he and other young people with autism navigated the dating scene. He didn’t come away with a girlfriend, but he captured the hearts of countless people, including Ricki herself. Michael and Ricki chat about dating advice, how Michael continues to advocate for the neurodivergent community worldwide, and his new buzzy comedy series, ‘Austin.’

Chances are, you know someone with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 1 in 40 people will develop OCD at some point in their life. But what is it, and why does it show up so differently in each person? Ricki speaks with Dr. Patrick McGrath from NOCD, the world’s leading provider of OCD treatment, about ways to support people with OCD, how mindfulness can help with treatment, and why we should stop using the term flippantly. This episode was sponsored by NOCD. You can learn about them at treatmyocd.com.

Little Karamo grew up watching Ricki Lake and dreaming of one day being on TV. Decades later, he gives Ricki her flowers for inspiring so many career decisions he’s made, like starting his own talk show, ‘Karamo,’ and competing in ‘Dancing With the Stars.’ He tells Ricki how much her show meant to him as a queer, Black boy in a poor Texas neighborhood and spills the tea on his own daddy drama, ‘The Real World’ woes, and how his new show updates the way conflict plays out on live TV.

As the Paralympics come to a close, Ricki speaks with snowboarder and Paralympian Amy Purdy, who at age 19 was placed on life support and underwent a double amputation after getting diagnosed with meningococcal meningitis. Amy tells her story and explains to Ricki how she was able to remain positive and grateful through terrible prognoses, new prosthetics, and competition at the highest level. They also bond over their shared experience performing with Derek Hough on Dancing with the Stars!