Pearlette Ramos of the film Three Extraordinary Women Artwork

Your Outside Mindset

Join retired nursing professor Verla Fortier as she shows you that going outside is not just a fun thing to do -- it can save your life. Verla shines the light on aging adults who may have chronic disease as she talks to green space scientists, forest bathing leaders, natural navigators, and all things in-between to get practical tips on how you can get the most out of your time spent close to trees, grass, and shrubs. If you want to live longer, prevent dementia, and control your chronic illness - you will love being a part of this conversation.

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Your Outside Mindset

Pearlette Ramos of the film Three Extraordinary Women

June 09, 2025 • Verla Fortier

This is Verla Fortier of your Outside Mindset show. This podcast is about taking back your outside mindset by exploring and practicing new ways of noticing when you are outside close to nature whether you live in the city or country. For peer reviewed research on how your time spent in green space can change your mindset, prevent disease, balance your nervous system and your heart rate please go to my Substack website https://verlafortier.substack.com. Find my best selling books on Amazon Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Stress Less, and Control Your Chronic Illness and Optimize Your Heart Rate: Balance Your Mind and Body With Green Space. Thank you for providing a review of my books.

Today it is my pleasure to speak with Pearlette Ramos. Let me read you her bio and then we will chat. To learn more please visit https://threeextraordinarywomen.com

Pearlette Ramos was born in poverty and raised in the projects, Pearlette's home environment was riddled with alcoholism, mental illness and domestic violence. Due to the trauma, Pearlette fled her parents’ home when she was 15 years old and moved in with an older brother. Within twelve months she was pregnant, married and a high school dropout. Tragically, after living four short months Pearlette’s baby girl, ChaviElle, died of acute bronchial pneumonia. Devastated by her daughter’s death, she channeled her heartbreak into studying. First obtaining her GED, she applied and was accepted into college, then law school – becoming the first in her family to graduate from both.

After practicing law for 11 years, Pearlette went back to school and obtained a doctorate degree in psychology. She has raised two daughters, ages 27 and 36, while globetrotting around the world—having visited the seven continents and more than 80 countries.

4:02 Film is called Three Extraordinary Women who experienced extreme trauma in their childhood and how they went on to make meaning of that experience in their lives and each one became a social justice and human rights advocate in the world.
4:43 They tell their story as they climb Mount Kilimanjaro with the idea that we each have a personal Kilimanjaro. And they each have a collective Kilimanjaro - giving voice to children and women globally.

5:23 My personal story and connection with nature. I grew up in poverty and had a TV. I was about 10 years old I saw the legendary film maker Jacques Cousteau.

Full transcript of this episode is at https://verlafortier.substack.com

For peer reviewed research on how your time spent in green space can change your mindset, balance your nervous system and your heart rate please go to verlafortier.substack.com and check out my books Take Back Your Outside Mindset: Live Longer, Stress Less, and Control Your Chronic Illness and Optimize Your Heart Rate: Balance Your Mind and Body With Green Space