UCLA LiveWell
Dr. Wendy Slusser of UCLA's Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center interviews leading experts about new perspectives on health and wellbeing. LiveWell champions an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to health equity-- from food and climate, to social justice and emotional wellbeing.
With guests like Evan Kleiman, Peter Sellars, and Bob Thurman, we've set out to explore the many facets of what it means to live well.
Stop by our website to offer feedback or guest ideas, plus more to explore: https://www.healthy.ucla.edu/media/livewellpodcast/
UCLA LiveWell
85: Growing, Healing and Connecting through Gardening
What if healing didn’t start in a clinic—but in the soil?
On the newest episode of LiveWell, we explore how nature, community, and purpose are transforming Veteran care with Dr. Kaitlyn Fruin, UCLA preventive medicine fellow, and Air Force Veteran Cyntrea Cotton, founder of the Veterans Garden Initiative.
This inspiring episode reveals:
• How therapeutic gardening is easing PTSD, anxiety, and depression for veterans.
• Why growing organic food can support whole-person healing—from the inside out.
• The challenges and triumphs of reviving a 15-acre clinical garden on VA grounds.
Cyntrea shares her personal journey of struggling with panic attacks, isolation, and chronic stress—and how reconnecting with the earth sparked her recovery and purpose. Katie walks us through the science and systems behind food as medicine, highlighting how gardens can be powerful entry points for mental and physical health.
If you’ve ever wondered how nature can heal trauma, build community, and restore well-being, this episode will plant a seed.
Visit our website to explore other episodes, suggest guests, offer feedback, or invite Wendy to be a guest on your podcast!
Episode Resources + Mentions:
- Transcript
- GrowGood
- Restoring The Veterans Garden
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We also have links in the show notes on our website at healthy.ucla.edu/livewellpodcast. If you have any questions or want to suggest a guest to be interviewed, please reach out at: livewell@ucla.edu.
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