The B.rad Podcast

Enjoy my summary of Dr. Robert Lustig's excellent book, The Hacking Of The American Mind. Sir Roger Bannister said, “Struggle gives meaning and richness to life.” But what happens without struggle? In our world, our minds are constantly being hijacked by profit-seeking, corporate entities delivering instant pleasure at the expense of long-term happiness and contentment.  Humans are hard-wired to respond to novel stimulation, and our modern, high-tech existence has left us addicted to instant gratification pleasures, at the expense of enjoying our lives. Companies know this well, so they prey on our need for instant gratification by satisfying that need, through the products they’re trying to sell. What you have to watch out for is overdoing things in pursuit of the next dopamine rush...because that is when it becomes actually destructive, and it diminishes our ability to feel happy and content with our lives. So, what exactly is capable of hacking our minds? Sugar, digital technology, caffeine, drugs (from street drugs to weed) as well as prescription drugs, like antidepressants and pain pills. When you indulge in any of these, you hack your dopamine pathway, which is really like cheating your way to feeling better. Obviously, while this may make you feel better in the moment, this only hurts you in the long run, because you’re putting a Band-Aid over a bullet hole. It’s like the acne drug, Accutane. Sure, you can take it, but it’s never going to address the root of the cause, which could be a leaky gut, hormone imbalance, eating the wrong foods and/or using the wrong products. Still, thousands and thousands of people sign their life away in order to be able to get this drug. It takes an intense toll on your body, and then your skin clears up for a little...but then, a year or two later,  it starts to break out again….and then, like many Accutane users report, they’ve got to go back on the medication. It’s the same concept - you can’t just try a short-term solution - you have to deal with the problem, not the symptoms that arise out of the said problem. Another hugely popular stimulant, especially among young men, are video games and pornography. And it’s no wonder, considering they both offer a massive dopamine payoff that seems to be almost perfectly tailored to the male biological drive to “master one’s environment.” Research does suggest that playing video games can offer some positive benefits in terms of brain function because it prompts the user to build certain skills and make decisions quickly. But, ultimately, too much screen time, as well as reacting to, and engaging with an artificial environment, is never going to anyone any favors. Rather, you get a numbed mind, and a (temporary) soother for whatever it is you’re trying to ignore. Chronic exercise is probably one thing you didn’t expect to see on this list, but it is a serious issue many people deal with. Unfortunately, people can become addicted to the high they get from working out. This is a lesson I’ve had to learn: how to appropriately balance stress and rest. Of course exercise is healthy, but be careful of crossing that line: when you start to make unhealthy decisions and push your body too far in pursuit of that next dopamine hit, that is when you know you’ve run into trouble: when you’ll do anything to get that high, no matter the consequences. Obviously, we can’t talk about this issue without mentioning social media, one of the biggest culprits here. The problem with social media is that you can’t pick and choose what comes into your orbit - you go on Facebook or Instagram with the intention of reaching out to one specific person, but then you’re bombarded by all this reactive stimulus. This problem has become even worse considering how prevalent ads are on social media apps these days.  Are you familiar with the term neuro-marketing? Basically, corporate America has essentially imprisoned us in a loop of endless desire and suffering, with no obvious escape out of this destructive cycle. And why would they want us to escape? That would mean they can’t continue making more money - which is why these corporations exist in the first place. I won’t be calling out any specific brands, but think about all the packaged foods you see every day in grocery stores, the pre-prepared food that you know is filled with bad oils and tons of sugar. It’s not like companies think their product is healthy - quite the opposite, in fact. They just don’t care. There’s a reason why Americans are so plagued by cognitive diseases. Did you know that all cognitive diseases are marked by dysfunctional glucose metabolism? That’s why Alzheimer’s and dementia are also considered to be “Type III diabetes.”  When anyone experiences cognitive decline, it’s a huge load placed on the person suffering from the diseases as well as their family members. You would think that these companies, knowing what their “food” does to human health, would be ashamed and embarrassed to produce such a product. But not in America, where profit is the #1 driving force behind everything! And hey, making (and keeping) people sick means that pharmaceutical companies can extract even more money out of sick people! On the bright side, smoking rates have decreased as wellness and healthy eating have gained more and more popularity in the states. But the bad side is, in turn, tobacco and soda and soft drink companies have switched their focus to pushing their capitalist agenda on smaller, less developed countries. Real nice! Once you become aware of the ways that corporate America tries to insidiously hack both your mind and your bank account, you can take some of your power back. Knowledge is power, and this show will open your eyes and your mind to the bigger picture, and empower you to take a personal stand against all the American companies that are trying to give you your next dopamine rush, all so you’ll buy into what they’re selling. Remember the power you hold as the consumer (or as one who doesn’t consume!). And it’s not just consuming anything tangible or physical - it’s also about being hyper-vigilant about what comes into your space and into your mind, especially since what affects the mind manifests in the body as well. Once you know how certain stimuli affect your body, you can decide what you’re going to do about it, instead of just passively reacting to it.  TIMESTAMPS: American corporations are trying to hijack our dopamine pathways to make profit [6:50]. Hacking your dopamine pathway can affect long-term healing[12:00]. Shopping is just an innocuous activity, but part of the capitalist cycle [16:38]. How corporations use neuro-marketing against you [21:27]. The difference between pleasure and happiness [25:55]. According to Dr. Sinha, FOMO actually has metabolic consequences on your health [30:24]. Marketing hype will make you purchase things you don’t even need [36:00]. “If you want to cure depression, try something you suck at and try to get better [41:00]. Nothing makes you feel better than contributing and volunteering [43:20]. Why talking while driving is more dangerous than listening to music while driving [46:50]. How to get yourself out of the domaine-trigger trap [50:20].Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Where Are You Setting?,” Anat asks of you right now. Yes, it’s a big question and one of the most important ones you will ever ask yourself in your life. “Where Are You Setting?,” Anat asks of you right now. Yes, it’s a big question and one of the most important ones you will ever ask yourself in your life. Anat offers intensive personal transformation retreats called TrainingCampForTheSoul.com and in this episode, we find out what her approach is all about. Oh, are you a little resistant to spending 5.5 incredibly intense days, with significant investment, to do some deep work and healing? That’s okay because this episode will give you a great overview of how we stay blocked and resistant and suffering in daily life. As you may have enjoyed on my Breather show highlighting the work of Dr. Bruce Lipton, author of Biology of Belief, there is significant scientific support for the idea that we spend most of our lives operating from flawed subconscious programming that happened in childhood from ages 0-7. Anat helps people unwind this flawed programming and become more mindful, more relaxed, and happier in life, job and relationships. In this show, Anat describes the five stages of the training that she offers as “spiritual surgery,” consisting of the following: 1. Awareness: Often you will uncover more than you thought upon reflection. 2. Acceptance and Commitment: This is where you identify your flawed behavior and lifestyle patterns, like how you might continue to attract a certain typecast of insensitive, narcissistic boyfriends. This pattern could be rooted in your daddy relationship, ouch. 3. Cause and Effect: Here, you get to the root of the problem at the cellular level. Anat says you don’t even need to have a clear memory of your childhood, but that your cells remember so it’s time to stop thinking and feel more. No need for stories, just open communication and corresponding open breathing and body position. 4. Release and Replace: This can include a physical release, such as anger or crying. Then it’s time to edit the script of your life and create some new story possibilities and alternate endings! 5. Education and Integration: This can take up to 18 months, starting with conscious competence (like when you are first driving a car and have to think everything through; or like reminding yourself to become mindful and not react during a contentious conversation). Then you transform into unconscious competence, largely because you have gone to the root of the problem rather than just “pulling weeds” in your garden. Yes, pulling weeds is how Anat describes much of our education and exposure to personal growth and healing, and puts in a good recommendation for going as deep as possible into your flawed childhood programming to enable true healing at the cause. TIMESTAMPS: Approach working on your mental health as you do your physical health: you just have to consistently show up [7:20]. Why you have to commit to recovery, every single day [10:00]. How do you know when you’re ready to do the work? [15:05]. Don’t waste time “trimming weeds” [17:20]. Anat takes us through the 5 stages of healing [19:20]. “Allow the body to do what it needs to do to heal….it just knows.” [21:18]. How to create safety through your body language [25:45]. Why the first two days of the retreat are focused on moving through what has been learned through Mom & Dad [30:30]. What does it look like to be truly vulnerable? [37:15]. Dr. Lipton’s 4 ways to reprogram the subconscious mind [42:45]. “When the student is ready, the teacher appears.” [54:40].Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Breather) Why not end 2019 with a bang and two-part wrap up show with some observations about what has worked for me in recent times and hopefully some tips and inspiration for you in a variety of areas. This show was inspired by numerous email exchanges with my childhood friend and devoted podcast listener Eddie Blau. Eddie is a busy business all-star and family man in Southern California trying his best to stay healthy and fit and delay age-related decline. We like to discuss the various topics and hot trends of the day, and try to sort through what’s hype and what’s sensible. Hence, I coughed up a disparate list of stuff that seems to be working for me to the extent that I feel noticeably more healthy and energetic in 2019 than I have in recent years. The main reason to claim success in 2019 is a leveling out crash and burn patterns that have plagued me forever. What happens is I feel great, have good daily energy and productivity, perform magnificent athletic feats and recover quickly, and generally hum along on all cylinders. Then, out of nowhere I have down periods featuring nagging muscle soreness, poor energy and motivation for workouts, and desperation afternoon naps where I feel like crap and have to leave the office to crash out for 20-40 minutes. Whatever lulls I have felt recently have righted more quickly, likely thanks to the aggregate of the 10 reasons I’m going to discuss. I cover a ton of ground with this list, so I had to break the presentation into two shows. Here are the first 5 on the list, and I’ll cover items 6-10 on the ensuing show. I’ll also cover three “needs to improve” areas so I’m not all about peaches and bubble gum. Everything is a work in progress trying to Get Over Myself and get over the figurative high jump bar with peak performance goals in all areas of life. 1. Family & relationship health: Many experts content this is your single most important criteria for a healthy, happy life. 2. Finances and mindset: Be grateful for what you have instead of FOMO, and also embrace the abundance mentality. 3. Sprinting: Modifying my sprint workouts to Dr. Craig Marker’s HIRT strategy (listen to my show on the topic.) 4. Micro-workouts: Adding in brief bursts of explosive effort throughout the day (listen to my show on this topic too!) 5. Doing my morning flexibility/mobility routine every single day: Helps me wake up and also launch all other workouts from a higher fitness/injury prevention platform.   TIMESTAMPS: How Brad kicked his consistent afternoon nap habit [9:10]. Try taking the Braverman test to identify your neurotransmitter profile and track your patterns [12:10]. Science shows that family and relationship health is the #1 predictor of your state of health and happiness [17:45]. Why Dr. Sinha says FOMO is actually a disease that has metabolic consequences [20:15]. John Gray’s perspective on relationship dynamics that changed Brad’s life [25:11]. “You only need one homerun to wipe out a lot of false starts and strikeouts” - Mark Sisson  [30:33]. Why HIRT is superior in terms of efficiency and recovery compared to HIIT [36:05]. Ammonia toxicity is a byproduct of overly stressful workouts [40:15]. The average person is inactive 21 out of 24 hours a day [44:22].Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s easy to talk about the benefits of a good morning routine, but actually sticking to it is another story. However, I firmly believe that anyone is capable of repeatedly following a regimented morning routine, and it really doesn’t even matter if you’re the type of person who enjoys routine or not because once you start to see results and get into the groove of things, you won’t want to start your day any other way. I happen to be the kind of person who doesn’t necessarily love routine...at all. But, I’ve worked on perfecting the structure and tasks that make up my morning for a while now, and I couldn’t be more pleased with the results. Every single morning, without fail, I do my stretching exercises and then spend some time in my chest freezer. Yes, these activities have numerous health benefits, but they go beyond the physical because it requires commitment and focus to perform a daily task before that task simply becomes a habit. Having a commitment to carrying out a set of specific tasks every morning strengthens your mind and your cognitive ability because you’ve already started your day off on the right foot. This makes it way easier to be productive and accomplish things throughout your day, and harder for you to get distracted.  The absolute worst thing you can do to start your day is looking at your phone and scrolling through your messages and social media apps. Don’t do it - ever! As we’ve talked about on the show before, doing this puts you in a reactive mindset that is hard to get out of, because you’re stuck in this place of reacting to things around you, probably getting distracted, instead of being in the ideal mental state, which is one where you’re being proactive and disciplined. For anyone who finds the aspect of sticking to a morning routine daunting, just remember that there are basically no rules. All you have to do is find tasks that you can do that put you in a proactive, efficient mode, instead of a reactive, distracted one. As I discussed in the previous episode, many great thinkers and leaders start their day by journaling and making gratitude lists, or by going for a brisk walk. Jotting your thoughts down in a notebook or going for a walk are low-stress activities that actually alleviate anxiety and make you feel better, both physically and mentally. It’s so easy to incorporate things like stretching, walking, journaling, or reading a chapter in a book that you don’t really have an excuse to slack on this one - just stick with it until it becomes a habit. And how do you do that? Through repetition and endurance. Try different things until you find what really works for you, and let me know if you too get hooked on a daily unfrozen caveman runner drill! TIMESTAMPS: Brad does these two things every single morning without fail [4:40]. How to put your mind in a proactive, not reactive state [11:50]. “My mind is telling my body what to do” - Tony Robbins [16:20]. Looking at your phone first thing in the morning interferes with your ability to prioritize tasks [18:55]. App developers design their products in order to get you addicted to them [21:20]. Listen to Seth Godin’s advice when it comes to your devices [37:30].Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, I share key points from a brilliant article by Michael Simmons about compound time. He implores you to think outside the box and look at somewhat contradictory things that super successful people like Oprah and Warren Buffett do that seem counterintuitive to success. Simmons proposes that this “counterintuitive” behavior, like slowing down, working less, taking some chill time, working on prioritizing and to-do lists, is actually extremely beneficial and maybe even the key to their success. Let’s break it down into 6 key tips: Tip #1: Start keeping a journal today. It will change your life. Many studies have shown the many benefits that come with keeping a journal each day, but why not try for a more active form of journaling, by using prompts, instead of just freewriting? Simmons cites Benjamin Franklin who asked himself, “What good shall I do this day?” every morning and ended his evenings by asking himself, “What good have I done today?” as well as Arianna Huffington and Oprah Winfrey, who both start their days by counting their blessings and writing lists in their journals of what they are grateful for. And remember, journaling really isn’t just for gratitude lists - it’s just as good for you when you’re taking notes, writing down observations, sketching - literally whatever it is that helps you make sense of life. Leonardo DaVinci filled tens of thousands of pages with sketches of art, observations and notes, ideas. Albert Einstein filled 80,000 pages, and President John Adams had kept 51 journals by the end of his life. And have you ever noticed that after writing down your thoughts and experiences, you actually feel clearer and more focused? Well, researchers call this “writing to learn” - a process that helps bring order and meaning to our experiences. It’s a great tool for knowledge and discovery because our brain can only really manage three separate complexities at any given moment, so writing things in a journal really helps you see things in your life clearly. I’ve actually kept a workout log since I was a teenager since high school, but it doesn’t really matter which areas of your life you start keeping track of, just that you know that writing them down is an essential tool for noticing patterns and getting more focused in your daily life. Tip #2: Nap’s are where it’s at! They dramatically increase learning, memory, awareness, creativity, and productivity. According to nap researcher Sara Mednick, author of “Take A Nap! Change Your Life,” “With naps of an hour to an hour and a half… you get close to the same benefits in learning consolidation that you would from a full eight hour night’s sleep.” People who study in the morning do 30% better on an evening test (if they have taken an hour-long nap). In fact, taking afternoon naps might optimize evening sleep for those suffering from insomnia! Unconvinced? Well, Albert Einstein, Thomas Edison, Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, Leonardo Da Vinci, Margaret Thatcher, and Bill Clinton are all famous nappers. Additionally, studies show that napping doesn’t just boost your productivity, but your creativity as well. After all, Salvador Dali, chess grandmaster Josh Waitzkin, and Edgar Allen Poe were all fond of using naps to induce hypnagogia, a state of awareness existing between sleep and wakefulness that could take them to greater heights in their creativity. Tip #3: Walk every day, even if it’s just for 15 minutes. Most people forget how powerful the simple act of walking is, but trust me, you do not want to let yourself slide with this one! Just 15 minutes of walking does wonders for you, enhancing your brain function, immune function, and fat metabolism. Charles Darwin, Beethoven, Charles Dickens, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, Gandhi, Steve Jobs, Aristotle, and Winston Churchill were all were notable walkers. Also, we now have scientific data that proves that taking a walk literally does refresh your mind and body, as well as boost your creativity. Plus, it can even extend your lifespan! Check out this one 12-year study focusing adults over the age of 65, who walked for 15 minutes everyday, which reduced their mortality by 22%. Tip #4: Reading is one of the most beneficial activities we can invest in. Winston Churchill is one of many, many notable people who love to read. He spent several hours a day reading about history, philosophy, biographies, and economics. Unsurprisingly, the list of US presidents who were also bookworms is looong: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln, JFK, and Theodore Roosevelt of course, who would read one book in a day on a busy day, and two to three when he had enough time during a free evening. Other notable readers? Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban (3+ hours a day), billionaire entrepreneur Arthur Blank (2+ hours a day), billionaire investor David Rubenstein (6 books a week), Disney CEO Bob Iger, who gets up every morning at 4:30 to read, and Oprah Winfrey, who credits reading for much of her success (and was so advanced as a young child because of her literacy level that she skipped two grades in school!). Reading books isn’t just a pleasurable and educational activity, they improve your memory, increase your empathy, and de-stress you too. Bottom line: yes, reading books takes time, but it’s 100% time well spent. Tip #5: Conversation partners lead to surprising breakthroughs. Joshua Shenk makes a strong argument in his book Powers Of Two: Finding the Essence of Innovation in Creative Pairs that the foundation of creativity is social, not individual. Citing academic research on innovation, Shenk focuses on famous creative partners like John Lennon and Paul McCartney, Marie and Pierre Curie, and Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak. Psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky actually began working on their then-new theory of behavioral economics (that won Kahneman the Nobel Prize) during long daily walks they used to take (which surely sparked their creativity and cognitive function), and J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis used to meet at a pub on Monday’s share their work and discuss writing with one another. Check out the book, and think about the people in your life who spark your creativity and really stimulate your mind... Tip #6: Success is a direct result of the number of experiments you perform. Mistakes feel, naturally, super discouraging. No one ever feels good after messing something up. But being discouraged never helps you. Failing is ok. Learn to love failure! Look at Thomas Edison: it took him 50,000 botched experiments until he had success with a model of the alkaline storage cell battery, and then 9,000 tries until he perfected the light bulb. When he died, he had almost 1,100 U.S. patents!  All you need to do is experiment. And then experiment some more. Try. Try again. And again. Einstein utilized thought experiments (for example, he would imagine himself chasing a light beam through space) as a method to help his imagination as he worked on creating scientific theories. And Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “All life is an experiment. The more experiments you make, the better.” We live in a frantic world where most people are hyper-focused on work, work, work. But these “top performers” that Simmons refers to are deliberate in how they spend their time and where they put their focus. A lot of that focus is on compound time: the things that create the most long-term value. Follow their example and invest just one hour out of your day on compound time: read a book, take a walk, sink down into a nap, call a friend and have a fun and interesting conversation...just do something. And don’t even dare to think you’re wasting your time, because that couldn’t be further from the truth! Stepping away from the things that stress you out is a great way you can invest in your future, and it also happens to be how some of the world’s greatest thinkers and leaders spend their time, so try it out - there’s clearly something to it. TIMESTAMPS: Brad talks about the best use of your time in order to enhance productivity. [03:35] Keep a journal. [05:57]  Overtraining can cause digestive system problems. [09:01] Taking a nap will not compromise your evening sleep patterns. [11:46] The big high energy workouts might not be as beneficial as taking a 15-minute walk. [17:01] Reading is one of the most beneficial activities we can invest in [21:02] Put down your phone and try face-to-face conversations with other people to make a solid social connection. [25:41] Keep experimenting. Don’t be afraid of failing. [27:50]Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I travel to the beautiful University of Washington campus to speak with recently anointed Professor Tommy Wood. This interview was an urgent priority because Tommy is one of the most sensible and reasonable health experts, and things have been getting confusing recently on many diet and health optimization topics.   For example, Tommy recently appeared in debate format on the Minimalist Podcast with carnivore advocate Dr. Paul Saladino and plant-based advocate Rich Roll. If you are wondering how to make sense of the latest health trends, who’s right and who’s wrong, sit back and listen to Tommy explain things in a reasonable manner, while using in-depth scientific reference to support his perspective.   We cover some big-picture topics including how to reconcile the wonderful benefits of fasting and caloric efficiency versus the benefits of good nutrition and adequate fuel for peak performance and recovery. I reference my great success with Dr. Tommy’s 2017 suggestion to eat more total calories, but then extending my free pass all the way to fatty popcorn boy territory. Tommy presents is number-one bestseller book idea to eat things that “Look Like Food.” We hear about his horrifying ordeal with a snake bite in the Costa Rican jungle and recovery from a massive infection. We’ll talk a bit of testosterone, where mean realize that getting serum T above 500 is great goal, that more is not better, and how you might get confused by high readings for sex hormone-binding globulin if you are low carb and insulin sensitive.   We hit the hot topic of the carnivore diet, examining why people are reporting phenomenal results and learning the major insight that “high antioxidant” superstar plant foods like kale and broccoli actually have prooxidant properties that trigger an antioxidant response in the body. Do we need to eat them? Are they potentially bad for us? Tommy leverages his extensive medical training and scientific expertise to answer, “I don’t know.” What’s more important is that we maintain an open mind and not get dissuaded by the flawed logic that is tossed around so frequently in the health space. Few people are able to meld truth and humor (along with a very strong BS meter!) with scientific evidence and research the way Tommy can, so enjoy listening to this extremely informative and fun episode with a true leader in the Ancestral Health movement - you will not forget any of the truth bombs Tommy drops anytime soon!   TIMESTAMPS: Choosing the right workout environment to help you thrive [6:33]. Brad talks about how he gained weight and how he successfully got the extra pounds off [14:40]. Tommy explains why muscle mass is so important for longevity [21:50]. Why you have to get metabolically healthy before you do anything else [25:20]. Tommy tells the story of his recovery after getting bitten by a snake in Costa Rica [34:20]. “Change the things that you know you need to change” [44:10]. How much testosterone do you need at your age? What kind of behavior results from high testosterone levels? [49:00]. Tommy shares his thoughts on the carnivore diet [55:40]. Why people experience short-term success on the vegan diet [1:02:25]. Tommy explains how prooxidants in plant food affect the body [1:11:11]. Tommy describes who should, and who should not, incorporate plant food into their diet, and why [1:17:30].  Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The best thing about having a guest like Dr. Cate on the show is that she is not afraid to speak her mind - our conversations are a zero BS zone, where truth is the only priority. In today’s short but sweet blip show, I reflect on the best pieces of advice I’ve gotten through my conversations with this “contrarian by necessity”: the four pillars of health aka the four categories of food you need to include in your diet, how Dr. Cate helped me not only clean up my diet, but optimize it, and the hidden dangers of eating out at restaurants (hint - ask if you can get your food cooked in butter - you won’t regret it!) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Breather) I don’t know about you but I can’t make it through the cold winter days without access to either a sauna or a hot tub. Once I get a little chill (usually from doing a workout and then not showering right away), I feel it the entire day. Facing a Lake Tahoe-style winter for the first time, my Almost Heaven Sauna is going to be a lifesaver, social centerpiece, and amazing tool for cardiovascular fitness and health, and disease protection. In this show, I walk you through the many scientifically validated benefits of sauna use, as well as the big picture benefits of achieving warmth any time you want, and experiencing an incredible general relaxation effect and social bonding experience. I describe my personal regimen where I want to get the most bang for my buck as fast as possible. So I crank up the heat on my Almost Heaven Harvia unit through a double cycle and get it up to 210F! By comparison, most health clubs and spas have saunas running at 175F, not wishing to over-stress a random user. As soon as I enter that crazy hot barrell, I immediately commence 40 pushups followed by 40 deep squats. This will prompt profuse sweating only a few minutes after I enter, and then I relax on the bench and enter an incredibly relaxed, trance-like state. I’ll get out after I’ve been sweating profusely for a good 10-15 minutes. This is a sign that the esteemed Heat Shock Proteins have been released to work their magic on my brain, cardiovascular system, and muscular system. The sauna is also your friend when it comes to the risk of cognitive decline and muscle atrophy that comes with aging, because of its detoxification, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging benefits. They can improve liver function, especially if your liver has been damaged or stressed, and help you sweat out nasty, bio-accumulated toxins, like BPA. BPA is a chemical you can find anywhere, and unfortunately, one that a lot of people don’t even know is in their system. After I did my Nourish Balance Thrive testing, I discovered I had toxic petroleum products, as well as plastic contaminants, in my system. My first move was to sweat it out until I was profusely sweating and then scrub my skin in the shower with a good soap, like Dr. Bronner’s. Moral of the story: be careful about those water bottles you leave in your car! And if you do forget to take some out of your car, use the leftover water to water some plants - but don’t ever drink it! A consistent sauna regimen of 2-3 times a week will lower your heart attack risk by 20%, while going 4 -7 times a week will result in a 48% reduction! Combine that with regular exercise, and your heart disease risk will lower even further, and improve your vascular function. Just as impressively, studies have shown sauna use can greatly improve depression and anxiety levels. Finally, I suggest you try going into the sauna after working out, as it greatly improves your conditioning response. Research, as well as personal experience,  has shown me that post-workout sauna sessions can significantly alleviate the muscle soreness one usually experiences the following day. I’m also a fan of taking a warm/regular temperature shower after my sauna session, as this allows your body to naturally cool down afterward. Check out Almost Heaven, or start small, trying the sauna out at your local health club, and let me know how your experience goes with this therapeutic practice! TIMESTAMPS: Regular sauna therapy has many benefits, especially keeping your body warm. [03:48] What are some of the other health and disease protection benefits of sauna? [07:47] Sweat contains nasty toxins that should be sweated out! [11:16] Heated plastic, like water bottles in the car, can be harmful. [13:32] Regular use reduces overall oxidative stress and inflammation. [16:43] It also has some good effects on depression, anxiety, and other mental conditions. [19:45] If you are tight and inflamed from a workout, the sauna increases the blood flow. [22:55] Before you do sauna regularly, be sure to have medical clearance. [23:26] Contrast Therapy is switching back and forth between hot and cold therapies. [25:16]Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Dr. Cate Shanahan, author of Deep Nutrition and Food Rules, pulls no punches when discussing how our conventional view of screening and treating cancer could be ill-advised. Unsurprisingly, the “conventional” ways of viewing many things in our world do not hold up anymore - and this, of course, includes the food system, the hospital system, and most importantly, how we perceive health-care and the concept of sickness in this country. Could it be that we have actually gotten some crucial things wrong when it comes to how we view the screening and treatment process for cancer? If anyone would know, it’s Dr. Cate, as she has always been ahead of the game. Early on in her career, she had an epiphany that would change the course of her life: “My goal of making people healthy was not in alignment with the hospital’s goal, which was taking money out of sick people.” We once lived in a world where patients spent 90% of their doctor’s appointment simply talking to their doctor, but now, 90% of your appointment time is spent doing expensive tests! Still, Dr. Cate admits that when she first began her journey as a doctor, she naively believed that there had to be one hospital out there with a different way of doing things. Unfortunately, as we all know now, that’s just not the case. Thankfully, we have radical thinkers and pioneers in the medical field like Dr. Cate, who dedicate their lives to truly helping people heal. Referencing the work of Dr. Thomas Seyfried, Dr. Cate explains that cancer is actually a metabolic disease, rather than a genetic disease. This implies that instead of aggressive chemo and radiation treatment to attack cancer at the genetic level, dietary modification could be the most effective strategy. This aligns with the Warburg Effect principle, which suggests cancer cells feed preferentially on glucose, at a rate greater than regular cells. The idea is that starving cancer cells of glucose with fasting and ketogenic eating patterns makes it possible to shrink tumors and heal. To put it simply, metabolic diseases are most effectively treated through metabolic treatments. While it might be unsettling to rethink the template strategy of cancer fighting, Dr. Cate's commentary can help you reflect further about how your thoughts, beliefs, and food choices affect your overall health. Unfortunately, there are so many things that most people do in daily life, from certain lifestyle habits to not being aware that their salad dressing contains vegetable oil, that actually promotes cancer. There are so many hidden dangers lurking in this world, but luckily, Dr. Cate knows exactly what you need to do to protect yourself from them, so enjoy this discussion with one of the great leaders of the ancestral health movement, and be sure to read Deep Nutrition to learn the hows and whys about choosing the most nutritious foods that your genes expect for optimum health. TIMESTAMPS: How hospitals extract money from people [5:30]. It used to be that 90% of your appointment time was spent talking to your doctor, nowadays, 90% of your time is spent getting tests done [11:10]. The myth that catching cancer early on is better is not always true [16:45]. Metabolic problems need to be solved by metabolic treatments [21:40]. Why Dr. Cate feels like she is “cancer-proof” [28:30]. Familial and genetic diseases have a degree of penetrance, which is your chance of developing the disease [34:00]. The four foods that will give you everything you need [43:00]. 30-40% of the average person’s daily calories come from “non-food” sources, like vegetable oils, which actively promote cancer [47:25].Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did you know we humans have an upper limit on the amount of energy we can burn each day? Not only that, but we will engage in assorted mechanisms to stay under this limit when we try to bust out more calorie burning with ambitious workouts (in pursuit of fat reduction, for example). An amazing recent study of the primitive living Hadza in Tanzania has cast more light on this subject. Our primitive counterparts who walk many miles and engage in many hours of physical labor each day burn around the same amount of calories (by sex and bodyweight) as a typical lazy modern human!  These insights have tremendous application to how you balance assorted forms of stress in your life. If you are trying to drop excess body fat, you best turn your attention to hormone optimization by lowering insulin production in your diet and kick starting the burning of stored body fat. The truth is, before you even think about how you’re going to go about losing weight, you’ve got to change your diet first. Then you can focus on calorie burning patterns, and start to simply MOVE. The more you move in everyday life, the better your body is at burning fat.  Not only that, but cognitive function improves when you move, so giving yourself regular breaks from work to just get up, take a walk outside, do some calisthenics, whatever it is that breaks up periods of stillness, is essential and incredibly helpful for refreshing your mind. We all know what it’s like when you’re in the zone, and you can’t stop working on whatever it is that you’re doing, and before you know it, it’s been over an hour, and you’ve barely moved! There’s nothing wrong with going with the flow when you get a good idea, but also remember this scary statistic: Just twenty minutes of sitting is known to increase insulin resistance and glucose sensitivity. Yes, sitting for long periods of time literally makes your body crave carbs and stop burning fat! So, try to find a good balance between accomplishing your tasks and avoiding prolonged periods of stillness. Just move when you can, wherever you can! To summarize:    1) Cut nasty processed carbs out of your diet    2) Move more throughout everyday life   3) Incorporate fitness into your life: comfortably paced cardio exercises and briefly paced, explosive workout efforts are best, but the most important thing is just to MOVE. Always remember to be mindful of overdoing it. Focus on a strategic blend of comfortably paced cardio, brief, explosive strength training sessions, and occasional all-out sprints, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at how quickly the fat starts to melt off!  TIMESTAMPS: What happens when we go out there and expend a lot of physical energy is our body finds ways to compensate when we're at rest. [04:00] When we burn a bunch of calories at strenuous exercise, is that the best way to reduce excess fat? [06:04] The true path to fat reduction is through hormone optimization, primarily lowering insulin production. [09:56] Move more every day. [12:00] As you plunge into chronic patterns, when you overdo it, over exercise, your body finds assorted ways to slow down, eat more food, burn fewer calories. [14:13]Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.