You want to live life to the fullest and don’t want your body or mind holding you back. The True Life podcast exists to bolster and elevate your well being so you can effectively and efficiently pursue what you want in work and life. Join host Kevin Miller and Randy James, MD and Functional Medicine expert to irreverently address what ails our culture and give you the tools and understanding to rise above it. | 52 million downloads along with Kevin Miller's “What Drives You” and "The Ziglar Show" podcasts. KevinMiller.co
You can now find the True Life podcast content, happening on the Self-Help(ful) podcast where Kevin Miller and Dr Randy James bring you their "Functional Friday" episodes and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Where should fruit factor into your diet? At all? A little? A lot? And then, if any fruits, which are the most beneficial to your wellness? It seems so basic, but these types of questions on food categories and value of different varieties are stumbling blocks in our decisions on diet, and fruitions of health. Yes. Pun intended. In this episode Dr James and I talk through whether we are generally best to eat fruit or not, and if so, which ones and how much. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The culture talks about “life span”, which is how long we live from the day we are born until the day our heart stops beating. Health span however, is how long you are well and able. Do you care more about living to be 100, in a nursing home, in a wheelchair, hooked up to oxygen, wearing diapers, and completely devoid of any conscious thought, or being active and able in body, mind, and spirit, well into your sixties, seventies, or eighties? Dr Randy James and I recorded this segment following our weekly, Friday guys gathering where we share our lives together. One of the guys had just spent time with his family and witnessing his elderly mother who could not get around much and was not able to join the family in much of any activity other than eating. While we want to be sensitive, he was just aware she has peers who are fully capable in body and mind and he’s aware of her lifestyle choices that have not helped the disability she finds herself in. Randy and I have a candid and I hope compassionate discussion on this and it brings to light what our goals are, and how our daily actions are supporting these goals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Health comes from our controlled actions, right? Hopefully from good nutrition, exercise, and sleep. If it’s acute, maybe a medicine or surgery or treatment. “Thinking yourself healthy” is woo woo psycho babble and hardly tangible science. Or is it? Dr James and I have been studying the topic and thinking through it in our own lives. A book we are reading cites a study where people worked out their biceps, with dumbbells, just as we expect in order to grow a bigger bicep. But half of the test subjects were tasked with just thinking about growing their bicep. The first group using dumbbells, grew their biceps. They measured bigger. The second group who just thought about it, also, got bigger biceps. Not as much, but take the measuring tape, and sure enough...bigger. Yeah. So take that to your health. As you’ll hear in this show, I talk about an injury I have. The only mental input I give it is...negative. According to this study I could be helping heal it with my thoughts, but currently I’m making it worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your thyroid regulates much of your body and we as a culture are having more and more dysregulation. In this episode we dig into what problems thyroid dysregulation causes within us so you can hopefully ascertain if you are being negatively affected. We cover how traditional medicine treats it, and then of course how Dr James would treat it from a Functional Medicine perspective, even down to nutritional supplements and recommended dosages. Here in America many people suffer from hypo and hyper - thyroidism, though hypo is most common and the result is feeling the brakes are on in your physical health. You are pushing forward and feeling like you’re in quicksand. Tune in for help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Everything in our lives is speeding up. Technology and artificial intelligence and deliveries and...boom. We can fill every second with something new and interesting and the marketplace is focused on delivering us instantaneous gratification in any way possible. Compared to our grandparents and especially great grandparents, the speed and convenience of life and survival is supersonic. We can do in one hour, maybe even 20 minutes, what it took them all day to achieve. So how is it working for us? Are we awash in free time and leisure? Are we happier and healthier and more at peace than ever? Exuding so much joy as a result of all the privilege we have? You know the answer. We as a culture are sicker, sadder, and more anxious than ever. But the speed and convenience is not bad, only our management of it. I can have a burger for a dollar in a minute at a drive through, or have one that costs $10 and an hour over my grill. Which will serve me better? Dr James and I talk through this issue, not with certainty, but with grappling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We continue talking through stories of people who made big health changes, and why. In this episode we cover breast implant illness, having the consummate dad bod, weight loss after a child called her fat, aching knees and hips from weight, quitting tobacco, afib, and type 2 diabetes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I wanted to hear from people who have made significant health improvements and what their catalyst was. I asked listeners to share their health accomplishments. I asked to hear from people who were out of shape and possibly ill...and got fit and healthy, and what was the catalyst for them. What triggered them to finally make change and commit to it? Dr James and I talked through comments that included, chronic back pain and back injury, weight gain due to health problems and medication, committing to health due to responsibility to family, and not wanting to be a future burden to family, spinal surgery recovery, and family history of heart attacks. The discussion was rich on what caused these folks to take big action on their health and we didn’t get to half the responses and will continue in the next episode. This should give many of some significant inspiration and equipping, to make any big changes you may be looking for in your health and wellness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There is a culprit draining your energy. Anxiety. And here’s the deal, you do have anxiety. You are on the spectrum. Our effort is to help you understand this so you can work to mitigate it. In our culture today we know pesticides have gotten into all our foods. We can’t escape it, it permeates our entire country at this point. Same with anxiety. We live amongst it and can’t avoid it, even if we don’t feel we worry about much. We’re finding people are so often feeling drained by day’s end and they aren’t aware of the role the anxiety of our culture plays in our lives. In this episode we get it on the table and discuss mitigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We talk candidly about me just going through coronavirus, I think for the second time though I did not get tested the first time. The realities of dealing with it and admitted humbling it has had on me. Then we also discuss the vaccine. I ran a survey asking who was and was not getting it and with 140 responses it was almost right down the middle. Dr James and I do not tell you our opinion but ultimately come to feeling the topic is very similar to the tenets of functional medicine, in that if you ask what is the best diet or exercise or health regime, the answer is, “It depends.” On the vaccine what is most interesting is the cultures need to polarize and be so definite, even when some of the top notch health experts, doctors and scientists that Randy looks to are split on the issue themselves. The anxiety and division the topic is causing may very well be far more detrimental to the culture and your own health than the issue in and of itself. But we really strive to do justice to this issue of the vaccine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Let’s talk about snacking at night. Specifically with ice cream. I have on the show, Sean Folkson, the founder of Nightfood, a better, healthier, and more sleep friendly ice cream. I’m not advocating eating ice cream late at night, but as you’ll hear in the show, the concept is, if you’re going to anyway, at least make it a better option. Randy and I often talk about us all being creatures of our appetites, and we won’t squelch that. Trying to leads to failure. But let’s upgrade them. That’s why I have Sean on the show and he simply felt like if he was going to indulge anyway, could he make it less harmful? More than ice cream we simply discuss the realities of our own humanity and our efforts to make better decisions, even if it’s a less offensive ice cream than Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen Daz. I generally try not to eat after dinner, but if I do, I strive for the healthiest thing I can to appease my appetite. I think you’ll find some comfort in this show...about comfort food. We’re seeking health, we’re not seeking to deprive ourselves of every pleasure! Find Sean and his tasty treats at nightfood.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to run. Specifically, how to run without injury and keep running into old age. We’re advocating running simply because it’s one of the easiest exercises that can be done nearly anywhere and anytime with little to no equipment required. So many people who would run however, do not. Even those who used to at an elite level. The reason? Aches and pains. We’ve gotten to where it’s the norm to stop running earlier in life and try to find an exercise with less impact. I had that as my own story. I did a 2 hour run on Father’s Day about five years ago. It was glorious. Except for the pain in my hip and back. Then Randy and I got a hold of some new information. Today we both run pain free. It’s not a promise for you, but it sure is a great hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
When your phone or computer is always on, always running multiple programs, it gets bogged down. We often power it down and reboot. As humans we get this. We seek relief and rest. But now think about upgrading the operating system on your phone. You shut down every program, power the phone down, then allow the operating system to be updated and upgraded. This often takes a while longer. When we keep running the same programs of our life without ever taking a break and further to allow new information to come in and take root, we miss the possibility of a real upgrade. In this episode Dr Randy James and I talk about the primary roles in our lives and the concept of backing off from them for a time. A day. A week. Taking in new information and taking time to consider our desires. Then coming back with an upgrade. Think about this in terms of your job. The work you do. Being a spouse. A parent. Being a homeowner who is continually keeping up with everything. I recently took an extended break from almost all of it, but we cover ideas to experience this benefit regardless of your situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Something we all have to a degree is trauma. Which is simply a distressing or disturbing experience. The reality is our past traumas, especially in our early upbringing, latch on and often negatively affect our health. Tana Amen is a New York Times bestselling author, a neurosurgical ICU trauma nurse, a world-renowned health and fitness expert, and she and her husband Daniel Amen run the revolutionary Amen Clinics. We brought Tana on because she had significant trauma from birth into young adulthood. Significant trauma. We talk about her personal experience in mitigating the negative effects to her health, combined with her’s and Daniel’s studies, research, and testing on the brain’s ability to change and grow. Trauma is a primary culprit in our fight for wellness that generally goes untended to. We’re going to tend to it, here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
How to breathe. Isn’t that odd. I, like you, figured I knew how. For 50 years I’ve been breathing air in and continuing to live. I was a pro cyclist and seemed to breathe pretty proficiently. What more do I need to know? Turns out there is a lot to know if we want to be fully functioning. In this show Dr James and I discuss the message of the book, Breath, by James Nestor. Here is a big hook of the message that may intrigue you as it did me, our nose is not simply for smelling. It is for breathing through. Our mouth is for food. When we use our mouth for breathing instead of our nose, especially at night, there are negative consequences. You’ll learn much in this show and even the simple awareness of correct breathing will benefit you tremendously. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Food is like money. We can’t do without it. Food is not good or bad. So we either have a good and healthy relationship with it and invest wisely, or we have a poor relationship with it and it’s a thorn in our side. We are losing the war with food in America and in this show we highlight a reality of our true and real addiction with food. All of us are on the spectrum. We can’t stop eating, so what do we do? First we get aware of our individual issues then work to manage them. This is not a call to abstain from food or from food you like. It’s not a quest to take away your joy and pleasure from food. Food truly is life. The issue is whether we are in control of it or it is in control of us. The difference is everything and this episode is meant to empower you to be in control, even as you not only get great joy from your food but even more. What we are realizing is to have the health, wellness, and physical and mental capacity we desire we must start by establishing a healthy relationship with our food. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Here is what we truly believe is the number one tactic you can use for your physical healing. If you have a chronic illness or disease, I’m bringing you the best medicine possible. And I’ll preface it by saying...I don’t like it either. I’ve broken bones, and I don’t like wearing a cast to heal. But I do. I’ve dealt with psychological things and seen therapists. Not a great joy. But I want the help. The topic today is...not eating food. For a prolonged period. In order to enable the body to heal. Eating throughout the day, from morning till night, is something humans have done only for a very short amount of time. A time where we’ve seen a massive rise in chronic illness and disease. Our bodies were created for an intended to get a break from food. In this episode we discuss just this, prolonged fasting. And you’ll hear me address that I do not, at all, like to not eat. I love to eat. But I also love to feel great. To perform at a top notch level. I don’t want aches and pains, now at 50 or in the future at 90. I want to think clearly and creatively. I want to be fully mobile and spry. I have no reason to give these up. And taking times to not eat and let my body heal is paramount for all this. You don’t have to abstain from food for 30 days. But mere intermittent fasting is not enough. So...here you go. The episode your taste buds and belly don’t want to hear, but the rest of your body is starving for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The fight against cancer began around 1970, the year I was born. Culturally we’ve treated cancer like an insidious evil that is hunting us as a predator and we are its prey. It gets you or it doesn’t, you catch it or you don’t. Yet the science does not back this up. Do genetics contribute? 5-10% possibly. The main issue is what we are doing to our cells that is much the causation and the continued growth. Now I realize that even the hint at us having any responsibility regarding cancer is a highly volatile premise. I’ve had family members with cancer. Who died from cancer. And I can’t guarantee I won’t get cancer. Regardless, this is not our opinion. Our very own National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) as a division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published "Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes” and cites the highest percentage of causation is diet and specifically, inflammation. We have more and more doctors and experts coming forth with this message. It's not popular to the masses, but for those of us who want and accept control over our health, this...is glorious news. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Parkinson’s Disease. Like every illness, disease, and malady it is on a drastic rise in America. And it’s no longer the old man’s issue, but is being rapidly experienced in the 30-50 year old range of men and women. As we discuss in all our discussion of illness and disease, there are lifestyle issues at work. But different than most other issues we cover, Dr James reveals that with Parkinsons there are some significant environmental toxin issues that come into play, which makes it relevant for everyone to be aware of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Everyone has heard of “the placebo effect” and it’s usually treated with disdain. We don’t want mind games to fix us, we want a literal ingredient or treatment. But here is the deal, your mind games, your expectations, can cause a placebo to heal you or cause a literally beneficial treatment to fail you. What you expect has a dramatic effect on your reality. Do you expect your exercise to enhance your health? Do you expect your nutritional supplements to enhance your health? Do you expect your efforts to eat healthy to enhance your health? The bigger issue is your awareness of how you feel and what you expect from all your efforts. If you have doubt or bitterness in regards to any of your efforts you are likely sabotaging them. But you’ll be incredibly well served to increase your positive expectations of improvement. As you will hear in this show, Dr. James and I have great faith that our expectations are incredibly powerful placebos in our overall levels of health and wellness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our focus is genetics. How much of an impact do they have on your health? We’ve come to a place in time where the culture places more blame on genetics than ever. We are not here to discount the role of genetics, let me put that out there. But we are here to give you hope that you are not a victim to your genetics. How much of a role do they play and what can you do to compensate for and negate them? Stay tuned... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our focus is dementia. An issue that used to be a rarity has now become one of the greatest fears of everyone over 50. It’s getting to the point now of expecting that mental impairment is a given for aging. It is not. Does genetics play a part? Yes, but it should be negligible. Does lifestyle play a part? Yes. The biggest. If hearing you have massive, the most, power to control whether you get dementia or any cognitive decline, you will want to hear the great news in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of the True Life Podcast we tackle adrenal fatigue. The Mayo Clinic defines it as, “a lay term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems” and goes on to say, “Your adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones that are essential to life. The medical term "adrenal insufficiency" refers to inadequate production of one or more of these hormones as a result of an underlying disease or surgery.” Dr James and I unpack the issues so you can discern if some of your issues extend beyond a mere lack of energy and into a true adrenal problem. And then of course, what to do about it. The key is...recovery. But sleep alone is not enough! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr Daniel O’Neill, orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine doctor, and sports psychologist. Dr O’Neill is leading the charge to help our kids. Our kids who are becoming more and more sedentary. They are getting fatter and out of shape and sicker and the consequences are dire. Their brains function out of the health of their bodies and yet schools are doing away with physical education and activity and us parents aren’t fostering play and activity and are letting the kids sit still on screens all day. So to put it bluntly our kids are getting fatter, sicker, dumber, and are having less resilience and capacity. They are getting depressed. What do we do? That’s what this show is about. Find Dr O’Neill at survivalofthefit.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I continue with the question from episode 59 about what health issue you’d most like a magic pill for, and a lot of people said food issues. They’d want help enjoying healthier food. Help not wanting to eat so much. Help losing weight. What we kick off the show with is the stark reality that food is our number one drug. And we can’t quit it. It is so much more powerful and problematic than we understand. Truthfully this episode is possibly top of the list of importance regarding our quests for better health and wellness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guess what we’re talking about. Yes, diabetes. Or “diabeetus” as Wilford Brimley so famously said in the Liberty Mutual ads, and I sourced the audio from Youtuber odiosderp https://youtu.be/1eApR0PFP50 for my show intro. I have relatives with type 1 diabetes and an adopted child with prediabetes, so I’m not poking fun, but anything can deserve a little levity. Dr James and I hit this issue now affecting over half of America, starting with type one and the most prevalent, type two and pre diabetes. Around minute 13 we get into the relevance of a ketogenic diet, and around minute 30 we discuss how the average family pursuing health is still missing it and at risk. This is info that as an individual, and as a parent, I wish I’d known long ago, but am so grateful I do now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of the True Life Podcast we continue our series from the episode 59 question, “If you could have a magic pill to fix one health issue for yourself, what would it be?" Kent, Kristy, and Susie cited knee issues, while Tanya and Sheamus cited back issues. As with all maladies, musculoskeletal problems are on the rise. Anyone past the age of 30 is now prone to accept the norm of bodily aches and pains when they move. Younger and younger people have left physical activities they used to enjoy due to physical limitations and inability. Should this be normal? What is causing our cultural aches and pains? And what can help alleviate them? We give most of the show to causation and around minute 40 get into treatments! Surprisingly, your best prescription may be in regards to what you are eating! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I threw the topic of autoimmune issues at Randy because we had multiple people cite it as the primary issue they deal with. While not the leading cause of death which I keep a pulse on, Randy shares it is the most costly of all maladies in America and is growing at an alarming rate. He shares what it is and how to go about dealing with it. For many of you this may be revealing that some of your issues may be attributed to autoimmune, and if you know you have it, you’ll find wise counsel here. At the end of the show Randy shares about his youngest son who has a significant autoimmune issue they have yet to resolve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I asked our audience, “If you could have a magic pill to fix one health issue for yourself, what would it be?” I wanted to get a pulse on the primary ailments that even our relatively healthy audience is dealing with right now. It’s true that in some aspects of our life, we would all like a magic pill to alleviate a problem or give us the desire we want, as you’ll hear at the top of the show as I pose the question to Randy. I belies an area where we may feel out of control or fairly frustrated. We received so many responses. We grouped some together, but they were all so relevant we are going to go ahead and run a series to address all the issues we think affect so many of us. In this episode we address chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and allergies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or actually obese. Angelo Poli has coached and trained over 20,000 people and cites that around 75% of those people just need to get on a healthy eating and exercise routine and stick to it. But for the rest, they have a metabolic issue and unless corrected, the weight will not come off and stay off. Angelo founded Metpro where he and his team specialize in this area by utilizing an algorithm based transformation engine. Angelo and Metpro work with regular folks like us, but he’s well know for working with high-profile clientele that range from Olympic Athletes, NFL MVPs, physique models, and business leaders. I’ve worked with Angelo and his team for a long time so this was me introducing him and his research to Randy and as you’ll hear they get into the nuances of why we are having metabolic problems, how to figure out who does, and what to do about it. You’ll hear my story in this episode as well, as I’m one who had really slowed my metabolism down. For some of you who have trouble losing weight this could be revolutionary, as it was for me, and you may want to check Metpro out. If you visit metpro.co/ziglar you can take their assessment and speak with a coach on their team for no cost or commitment, which I highly recommend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Adi was 23 years old and as you’ll hear, bloated, constipated, and only going to the bathroom once per week. This is critical digestive illness. She started researching the colon and herbs and from it found healing agents in tea, from which she started a business, Teami Blends which is sold online and also across the country in stores like Target. But of course it’s not a stand alone magic bullet. She made other significant lifestyle changes and today seeks to help customers create a program that provides them optimal health. Randy and I asked about her personal health journey, the benefits of tea, and more. In the latter part of the conversation I asked her and she provided, her top three list of what causes and helps alleviate digestive problems which may be the greatest benefit you get from this episode. Adi is offering us 20% off all her products at teamiblends.com when you use code TRUELIFE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
My premise for this show was looking at the coming New Year and giving some guidance as to what you can do to improve, bolster, and support your health. Randy and I talked through some of the comments then keyed in on primary initiatives you can engage with for food, exercise, mental wellness, and recovery. We give primary focus to how you can make your plans sustainable, and undergirding them with your motive. Your reason why you want to do anything to help your health and wellness. Before you attempt any change I encourage you to give this episode a listen, as I believe it will greatly increase your chances for success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are always exposed to negativity in our lives, it’s impossible to avoid. As of this recording at the end of 2020 I’m going to claim we are at an all time high. The covid pandemic, racial tensions, and presidential campaign offered volatile topics, and just about everyone in the country, if not the planet, is citing more anxiety, uncertainty, confusion and fear. Everyday we have more people spending more time on screens that pump out media more than ever, and as media is paid to get our attention, they know what gets it most is...negativity. Randy and I talked over what he is seeing with patients and how very real this issue is, and how we can minimize it...but in truth the bigger issue is combating it. Interestingly what we landed on was seeking ways to lift ourselves emotionally. I think you’ll find some tangible actions you can take from this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Is there a widening gap in our culture between those who adopt a healthy or unhealthy overall lifestyle? I asked my podcast audience, “During COVID have you gotten more or less healthy? Second question, do you feel those in your sphere (family, coworkers) have gotten more or less healthy?” We cover a good number of responses and find that of course our listeners are a healthier bunch in general and most cite they have gotten even healthier. But most also admit those around them have not. You’ll hear Dr Randy James affirming the reality of whatever tendency we’ve had, during the pandemic, it has increased. What does this mean for you? Depending on your social environment, it may be a slight pressure, or a lot, but it’s a reality we will all do well to be aware of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do you think of yourself as athletic? Or do you just exercise? In this show we discuss the label of being athletic as if you were writing a personal’s ad. Dr James and I discuss what does being athletic imply, and most importantly, why would you not want this label? Much of the point was elevating the label beyond just exercising, as I don’t know many people who enjoy exercise, but they really enjoy being athletic. My intent is to get you thinking about how you embrace your physical vitality, and how you can position this aspect of wellness in your life, your family’s life, and with others. Randy and I talk about our kids and how we are raising them as athletic, regardless of whether they compete in sports or not. We also reference some replies from me posting the question, “Do you think of yourself as athletic?” Over 80 comments that brought up some interesting issues. I truly hope it inspires you to further embrace your athletic self. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Masks and social distancing are now rules and requirements, but we are not discussing them today. We are instead talking about two issues. One, what can you do to best strengthen your immunity from contracting Covid-19 if you are exposed? Two, what can you do to best strengthen yourself if you do contract Covid-19 so you will readily recover? We talk about the top tier things to do, and to not do, which is just as important. I got Dr James to literally list out some specifics, down to vitamins and dosages. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Over time life evolves and what was not normal, now is. When you were a kid you probably seldom thought about your body and any aches or pains. How about today? Chances are, as you are listening to this show, you have some issues that are normal that you wish were not! In this episode Dr James and I highlight some norms in our culture that really, truly, should not be. So as is often the case, this is an episode to help you be aware of some of the things we culturally accept that are harming us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The main issue with holiday health is guilt. Nobody talks about it, but more important than whether we gain or lose or maintain our weight is how we deal with it amongst more social pressure than ever. The goal of this show is to help you simply be at peace, whether your goal is to abstain or imbibe. I asked our True Life audience how they maintain their health and wellness during the holidays and the answer came in three categories. Some make some simple and prudent adjustments. Some attack the issue with gusto, actually upping their fitness and diet regimens. Some simply strive to maintain their normal routines. But proxy of how I posed the question, nobody responded saying they plan to fully imbibe and enjoy and maybe gain a pound or ten, though this is surely an option as well. Again, the point is to realize the social pressure and the high propensity of guilt, and find peace with your decision! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I simply asked our True Life audience, “What area of your health do you feel good about, what area do you not?” What followed were many personal testimonies of strengths and weaknesses in everyone’s personal wellness pursuit. Some of the deficits and struggles cited and discussed were hydration, weight, exercise, alcohol, and more, and we also delved into more complex issues of cholesterol, biotoxin illness, chronic fatigue, mental health and the all encompassing issue of the distinct individualization of our individual journeys. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Vacation! This may seem an odd topic, but it’s a major part of our lives and aimed at our health and wellness. Vacation has been part of life for a long time to give us a rest from the toil of everyday life. Even if you love your work it is beneficial to get away to rest and recreate. But a listener wrote in recently asking for ideas, as he recently got back from vacation and felt he wasted it. Many of us struggle with needing a vacation from our vacations because they were exciting, but exhausting. Randy and I ultimately zeroed in on three different types of vacation that all have benefits, the value is in understanding what you are getting into and what you can do to prepare and get the most out of your vacations. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We want our sleep to be like plugging our phone in overnight. You plug it in when the battery is low and wake to find it fully charged. Don’t you want to be the same? Go to bed and wake up fully charged. But is that happening for you? Do you ever sleep through the night only to wake unrested and not...fully charged? Do you have trouble falling asleep? Do you have trouble staying asleep? These issues don’t result in merely feeling tired for a day and medicating with an espresso, long term these can utterly destroy your life and that is no exaggeration. Dealing with anxiety? Depression? Hopelessness? The question is...how is your sleep? And how do you even know for sure? We’ll offer some resources as well. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
If you consistently struggle with low energy this is an incredibly important show. There is no one way to increase consistent energy, let’s lead with this. But there is much you can do to help yourself. Right now we are in another pandemic and it’s one of low energy. Most of us can readily remember a time when energy drinks aside from coffee did not exist. We now have a voracious appetite for any resource claiming to give us more energy but it’s generally like tying helium balloons to a sinking ship. The problem is the sinking ship. How can we get it riding high on the water on its own? In this episode Dr James and I discuss some of the key issues that zap our energy and the primary initiatives you can take to give you more energy. Not in the moment, but long term, every day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Here is an area of health I have not succeeded well in. I like to exercise and workout and tear my muscles down, every day, I don’t enjoy or give enough focus to resting and recovering my muscles so they can build back stronger. Likewise, I like to train and stress and grow my mind, my brain. I do not, however, give much focus to letting it rest and recover. Our topic today is meditation and it’s a strong argument that it is the key method for rest and recovery. But as you’ll hear today, they are also finding it is key in actually reprogramming our minds. How would you like to reprogram and recover from past trials and tragedies and traumas that have negatively affected you? Our guest is Ariel Garten. Ariel is a neuroscientist, innovator, and entrepreneur on a mission to help people understand how the mind works and empower them to live their best lives through meditation. She is the co- founder and visionary of a highly successful tech start-up called Muse, which tracks your brain during meditation to give you real-time feedback, guiding you into true rest and letting you know when you are actively allowing your mind to recover. Randy and I have been using Muse leading up to this. Muse is a multi-sensor meditation device, a headband, that syncs with an app on your phone and provides real-time feedback on your brain activity, heart rate, breathing, and body movements to help you build a consistent meditation practice. I use the “desert” mode and as I try to rest, it tells me how I’m doing by the level of the wind. As I slow down and settle my mind I hear the tell tale birds chirping. The app monitors my progress day to day so I can see my accumulative results and progress. It’s really ingenious and takes the guesswork out of wondering if you really have your mind at rest. This episode is about the benefits of resting your mind and being present, not the Muse app and technology. That said, you’ll likely be interested in getting one yourself. If you visit choosemuse.com/welcome, you can get 10% off by using the code, choosemuse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I surprised Randy with this question and expected some lively discourse. Instead, we actually came into an answer. At face value it’s an unfair question, which is why I wanted to spar with Randy on it. The entire point of Functional Medicine and our show is how individualized and unique our personal health is and there is no one size fits all solution. So to ask what aspect of health is number one is not a fair question. But as we talked about the concept of, “If you can only pick one area of health, which is most important?” we found ourselves coming to an actual agreement and bit of a revelation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Think of “accountability” as support and encouragement. Weight Watchers was founded in 1963 and to date is one of the most successful weight loss organizations of all time. Similarly Alcoholics Anonymous may be the most successful life change organization ever. Why? Social accountability. The support and encouragement from others. In recent times Peloton is a shining example of harnessing social accountability and support to the tune of an $8 billion dollar valuation and possibly claiming the top slot of top “unicorn investments” of all time. Social accountability is powerful because it works. Though there is an even stronger form of accountability, though it is much harder to create. Personal accountability. The definition of accountability is, the fact or condition of being accountable; responsibility. Where social accountability helps by being responsible to others, personal accountability is far stronger and enduring, when you are responsible to yourself. In this episode we cover some key aspects to harnessing and developing both social and personal accountability in order to achieve the health and wellness you desire. Ultimately the point of this show however, is to go find this valuable asset for your personal desires and progress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Do you believe it? That Alzheimer’s can be stopped? It’s true. Does that mean it will be eradicated from our culture? We know how to stop obesity in an individual too, but it’s not happening here in America. This show is about you however, you and those close to you. Can you do something about preventing, stopping, and reversing Alzheimer’s? Absolutely. There are never any guarantees when it comes to one’s health, but there are probabilities you can count on. In this show we bring you quite possibly the world’s leading authority, not simply on Alzheimer’s, but again, the prevention, stopping, and reversing Alzheimer’s. Dr Dale Bredesen, author of, The End of Alzheimers and now The End of Alzheimer’s program. You need to realize most of the traditional leaders in the arena of Alzheimer’s aren’t of the belief you can do anything but manage Alzheimer’s and it’s inevitable decline. Alzheimer’s disease has become the third leading cause of death in the United States, after cardiovascular disease and cancer, destined to rob 45 million of the Americans currently living of their most fundamental reasoning capabilities if we do not do something to prevent and reverse the process. Dr Bredesen profoundly cites, “You know cancer survivors. Hardly anyone knows an Alzheimer’s survivor.” But he knows many. Dr Bredesen’s credentials and bio is long enough for a show in and of itself. If you are concerned about Alzheimer’s, and everyone should be, type on B R E D E S E N and Alzheimer’s in your search engine and you’ll find all you want. Better yet, go to wherever you buy books and get his brand new book, End of Alzheimer's Program. And visit drbredesen.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We finish our Q&A series for the time being. In this episode we spend the first 25 minutes on Joe’s questions about food allergies and sensitivities with a bit of focus on children. Then Timothy asks how to address a short temper and I think you'll have your mind greatly opened to new possibilities in addressing behavioral issues overall. Last Jennifer asked about epigenetics and how to rewrite her diabetes and metabolism. She said, "I'm several years older than my family members were when they had their first heart attacks, strokes, and cancer surgeries and I'd like to add more years to that." Powerful topics you’ll gain much from. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We continue on with our Q&A series and here is the list of what we covered, Ted asks how to maintain muscle tone after 65. Beth feels most successful people have coaches and asks how to find them? Wayne wants to know about testing options like food allergies. Mark shares about finding a functional medicine provider in his area. Don asks how to kick chronic ear infections. Again, there should be a topic or three that is highly relevant to you or someone you love. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We continue on with listener Q&A because there is no better information we can offer than exactly what you ask for. We cover a question on exercise balance and whether we should always go all out and suffer like David Goggins! Then what about losing momentum in your progress, as we all do. Similarly a question on really having faith in achieving what you set out to do. Very specific questions were then asked regarding how to stop nervous eating and we end with how to kick the sugar habit! All great issues and we cover valuable ground. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Audit answers Dr James would give patients on issues such as hormones, nutrition, and screen time. I posted this question to True Life listeners, “If you could get insight and help into an area of your personal health and wellness, where would it be? What would you ask?” We got incredible responses that sparked such valuable discussions between Randy and I. So good we just decided to go deep with our responses and continue addressing more questions in our next episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We tend to think of our brain as a static tool we use for our life, not as a muscle we can grow and increase the capacity and ability of. This is the focus of our episode. We talk about increasing the power of our brains, something we can all do. But we also address behavioral problems like ADHD, cognitive decline like dementia and alzheimers, and even traumatic brain injury. The first part of the show is relevant for us all, then we get into those pathologies. Pathologies that are primarily treated symptomatically with the perception that wherever the brain is, is where it will remain and the best we can do is use pharmaceuticals to manage the issues. We have far better news and testimonial to the true possibilities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Food. Dieting. Exercise. When you read or hear those words, what feelings arise? Excitement or dread? Pride or shame? Guilt? We find so many people desiring to improve their health, get fit, and lose weight, but there are often negative feelings that sabotage their efforts. This show is about being aware and getting them on the table, so to speak. Not to eradicate them however. As you’ll hear in the show, often these feelings have roots back in childhood and they run deep. Maybe you can truly overcome and erase them. But we believe more immediate overcoming can be had by figuring out how to manage the negative feelings and move beyond them even as they still exist. Thus awareness and management is our primary objective. As Functional Medicine is a root issue methodology, this topic is foundational to your journey to...wellerness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is more than a mere show on stress, it’s the encapsulation of an entire book Randy and I intend to write together. Stress is not bad, as you may have heard us mention before, it’s our negative response to stress which is the main issue, and as you’ll hear in this show, our tendency to just live continuously in bad stress. An equal truth is we are all in great need of more stress, though admittedly, the healthy kind. This topic focus is never more needed than in today’s increasingly stressed out and anxious world and I believe you’ll find some clarity and revelation on how to view and deal with your own good and bad stress. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Important: If pregnancy is not a current area of interest for you, please consider passing this onto anyone you know who is trying to get or stay pregnant! We began on the show talking about infertility but getting pregnant is step one, then just as important of course is staying pregnant and avoiding miscarriage and premature birth. Nearly 20% of couples are not able to conceive and another 10-20% miscarry. Then about 10% have premature births. Folks, that’s nearly 50% of all couples who will experience significant difficulty ending up with a full term, healthy baby. This show is paramount regarding pregnancy. As you’ll hear we stumble into an issue that astounds Kevin, regarding what causes our bodies to say “No!” to getting and staying pregnant. This is news you won’t hear regarding the subject. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Hormone issues affect more and more people everyday. Could your hormones be off and causing you problems like fatigue, mood swings, menstrual suffering, infertility, energy, muscle mass, weight gain and low libid? In this show we cover the primary symptoms of hormone dysregulation in women, men, and children.
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More than one out of three American’s have diabetes or prediabetes. If the causes and symptoms are not on your radar, they should be, for you, your kids, and your loved ones. Who is more at risk and why? This is a show you may want to forward to others who may be unaware. We talk about the causes and solutions from a functional medicine methodology. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Happiness” is a dramatically popular topic today, we must assume because people by far and large are NOT happy and want to be. A very real issue however is whether you have the mental and physical ability to even engage with happiness, and further, joy and hope. Meaning, imagine I had a pitcher of your favorite beverage, maybe wine, coffee, or tea. You hold your mug or glass out and I pour in the glorious elixir. But alas, before your container reaches your lips, the liquid drains out through multiple cracks. You get nothing. Are your circumstances so dire there is nothing to be happy, joyful, and hopeful about? Or do those things reach you yet fall through the cracks of your compromised body and mind which don’t have the capacity to contain them? This is a very real and present issue, a growing issue, in our culture today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Our bodies are like a wood burning stove. To a degree you can throw anything in them and they’ll burn it for energy to keep your heart beating. So putting in 10 twinkies or a salad, what’s the difference? Most of our culture’s focus just goes to weight gain or loss, so the idea is the salad has less calories and the twinkies will make you fat. But let’s put weight on the backburner and just focus on overall wellness and ability. Think about it, if calories alone are the focus, then a top Olympic or pro athlete would simply go for the most calories to burn. They may as well only eat pizza, fast food burgers, and pints of Ben & Jerry’s, as they are burning enough not to worry about weight gain. Why would the marathon runner or NFL running back ever mess with salad and whole, healthy foods? Let’s make brain function and energy the muse. Let’s make our physical and mental function the muse. Our overall capability and longevity. How do we eat for those goals? How do you eat so you feel more energetic? More hopeful and joyful? How does food factor into mental health? Depression? Food is far more than just fuel. It is our most powerful medicine. Or...poison. We spend the bulk of this episode discussing the psychology and concept of what and how we eat, then around the 60 minute mark talk about the literal foods we eat and advocate. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What exercise is really enough? Few of us live lives that require much of any physical effort. Yet our wellness depends on it. So...what must we do? We’re going to let you, the audience, instigate the discussion. I asked this question on Facebook, “How often do you exercise, for how long, what exercises do you do, and why? You are going to hear a lot of ideas and perspectives that Dr James and I will talk and counsel you through. This is a great show to share with those who struggle with exercise, as we hit on some of the goofiness of it, though of course uphold the necessity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Prescription drugs and surgeries are prescribed at a rapid rate in the American “healthcare” system. So when do we need them? Do we ever need them? Coming from our health and wellness perspective you could easily get the idea we are against ever taking pharmaceuticals or having a surgery. In a perfect world with perfect health, we’d generally agree. But it’s not a perfect world and none of us can be in perfect health. And in our adventurous lives, sometimes true accidents happen and then we are mighty grateful for some help. In this episode we’ll cover some concepts behind drugs and surgeries and their relevance. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
It’s hard enough to motivate and instigate our own good health, much less our kids. Toilet training, room cleaning, doing homework, and more are pain enough. Getting kids to eat and live healthy is another level of effort. But then, what is our goal? What do we want for our kids? What responsibility do we take for their well being? Are you hoping your kid will someday move out, get a great education, land a job or start a business, make money and raise a family? Then how do we equip them for that? What about right now as well though? I want to enjoy my kids and have them be well now. How? There are no easy answers and in this show Dr James and I discuss the challenges and consequences of fostering wellness in our kids. For context, Dr James has three kids in his home between 14 and 10, I have five at home between 15 and 8. And please let me tell you it is always a struggle, so rest assured you won’t hear us brag about our kids happily eating raw carrots and hummus for every meal. But friends I’ve seen the battles with kids and spouses completely sabotage someone's efforts at wellness. This is a big show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are human beings and as such we are slaves to our appetites. We are and we will continue to be. You don’t have great self-discipline and will power and a higher calling and leave your appetites behind. You just upgrade them. The best benefit you will receive from this show is realizing you can embrace your appetites! Dr. James and I will talk about some of the main, natural appetites that bring us down, and some ideas and tactics on upgrading them to lift us up! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What we know is subservient to why we do it. The knowledge of what creates health is worthless if we don’t take the necessary, daily actions on that knowledge. So I wanted to hear from the True Life audience. I asked them this question, “For all my health, wellness, and fitness minded friends, what is the primary motive (reason) that drives you to stick with your healthy lifestyle plan?” We received a wealth of responses and Dr. James and I spent a good while talking through many of them. There were definite threads and recurring themes of motive and I believe you'll find yourself inspired and equipped to further commit to your pursuit of being as well as possible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What is the biggest obstacle to achieving the level of health, wellness, and fitness you desire and achieving the energy and vitality to fulfill all your pursuits? What if it’s a culprit you aren’t even aware of? What if it’s not your willpower and knowledge and time? Friends, a very real and present danger and hindrance is bigger than you. It is the culture we live in. The behavioral psychology of being a human drives us to want to belong and to trust society. But to live a health oriented lifestyle requires you to jump out of the norm, and this is a much bigger obstacle than you realize. In this show we strive to get the cards on the table regarding a heavy resistance to your progress you may not be well aware of. We also address the reality that in America we spend $3.7 trillion on “health care” and arguably 80% or more is preventable. We have more and better knowledge on health than ever, and the greatest ability to share the information. With that in mind, why is chronic illness and disease not just rising, but spiraling out of control? Again, this is important to understand because the “resistance” as we’ll call it, is a very real and present issue for all of us. To withstand it we need to know the score. No, this is not a conspiracy theory, it’s merely humanity and our very nature. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To know what is really going on under the hood of our physical health we can utilize cutting edge labs and tools. However, just like with supplements, you can get overwhelmed under a sea of tests and costs. So what labs and tests are worthwhile? As with all things Functional Medicine, it’s very personalized, but we strive to do the topic justice and give you some understanding of what to look for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today’s global headlines are awash with fears of the “coronavirus”. We’re going to take the opportunity to address your priority defense, not just for this current health scare, but all sicknesses and illnesses. We’re not minimizing any specific illness, if anything we are elevating them. Just as in traditional medicine, what gets all the attention are symptomatic treatments. Washing your hands and wearing a mask is good. But the status of defense inside your body is the main barrier. Let me state that again, the status of defense inside your body, is the main barrier. Imagine a stone fortress of old which surrounds a city and all the inhabitants inside. An angry mob is moving toward the one opening in the front. And that opening has...a giant surgical mask over it. Yeah. Wouldn’t you rather have a five foot thick wall of steel as the gate? It is not a guarantee of safety, but the odds are dramatically higher. So what makes up your steel wall, or thin veil of a surgical mask? That is what this show is about. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a literal question Dr. James poses to his new patients, simply asking them, “So next year is your goal to be in the Olympics or a nursing home?” While the question sounds facetious it brings up the most important ingredient for our health; our end goal. What DO you want? Most people respond with wanting to get rid of an ache or pain, losing weight, increasing energy, or alleviating an acute chronic illness or disease. Understandable, but behind that desire is another question with a root answer - Why? Therein lies the bigger motivator. You want to get rid of the aches in my knees so you can hike again and enjoy the outdoors you love and be with family and friends. You want more energy because you can’t fully be there for your family. You need to alleviate brain fog because it’s threatening your work and income. Most everyone has an ultimate goal that goes beyond the ailment itself. In this episode we’ll discuss some of the root desires and why they are so important to clarify if they are to ever be achieved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You have heard about certain colors or designs of clothes cause you to lose and immediate 10 lbs, right? At least by perspective. Well, we don’t believe in “hacks”, but this is as close to a health hack as anything we would ever claim. The simple act of tracking certain aspects of your daily life will literally result in bettering your health and wellness. It’s simple psychology. If you write down or take a picture of everything you eat every day, for a week, you will almost inadvertently make better food choices. If you track your physical activity every day for a week, you will end the week having done more physical activity. Awareness changes our behavior and action. Here in our high mountain town of Colorado the weather can change quickly and harshly. A simple word of “icy roads out there” and boom, everyone slows down. In this episode Dr James and I discuss how the simple act of tracking key areas of our lives like Sleep, Heart Rate, Food, Activity and a few others will by proxy elevate your health and wellness. Of course you can go further than the mere awareness and take solid action to utilize the data you receive and improve it. Tracking is an incredibly powerful tool and as you will hear in this episode, makes it possible to ascertain and improve areas of our lives we would otherwise be ignorant and impotent to address. I can say it is also an absolute propensity of our world’s most successful, influential, and healthy people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
“Extreme living.” This is what people who live with different health habits than the norm often get labeled. If you don’t partake of the office pizza or the church donuts or the family potlock and you go for a run during your lunch break or play tennis on your date instead of seeing a movie, you’re a “health nut.” Like you’ve joined a new religion. In truth, this reality and social pressure is enough to deter many people from practicing the healthier habits they would otherwise adopt. A core longing of humanity is to belong and conforming to our surroundings is a natural desire and reaction. When you join a gang, the entire point is to conform to its ways. We all belong to numerous gangs and their subsequent social pressures. Most people have three primary gangs; their immediate family, their workplace, and friends and extended family. Bucking the norms is difficult. But for you to adopt a healthy lifestyle that does not include the norms of our very recent times, requires seemingly “extreme” choices. We live in a time when characteristics such as kindness, compassion, ethics, and justice seem extreme as well. It may simply come down to the courage to do what is right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nutritional supplements. Do we really need them? Have you taken some for months, spent a lot of money and never felt a difference? Us too. Traditional medicine doesn’t believe in them for the most part, and alternative practitioners routinely, way overdo them. Look, they are called supplements because they are intended to be just that...supplemental. If you had a perfect diet and perfect health, nobody would need them. It’s like exercise, if our days always included lots of movement and effort we’d never need to exercise. However most of us have work that only requires a butt to sit on. Supplements can be incredibly helpful to deal with deficits in our systems. Maybe we only need them temporarily, some we may need long term. But not all supplements are made the same, and nobody can utilize 50 pills a day. And of course, not everybody needs the same ones! Just because a magnesium supplement or B12 changed your buddy’s life, doesn’t mean you have the same need or deficit! It’s individual. In this episode I believe you’ll hear information that will take some of the doubt, frustration, and confusion away. For most of you, it should help save you money, hassle, and increase the efficacy of any supplements you choose to partake of. I will say, my co host Dr James is a believer in supplements, but quite a minimalist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Cost is one of the primary deterrents for healthy living and non-traditional medical care. Buying whole foods, nutritional supplements, exercising, and seeking alternative health care simply costs more money and can often lead us to minimizing or abandoning the effort altogether. Then there is time expense of working out every day and grocery shopping for fresh food and cooking and cleaning. It is not convenient and time is...money. It can all be overwhelming and demoralizing. So what do you do? In this episode we talk with empathy, but also with some helpful perspective and solutions to help you on your journey and desire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Not all of it, but here is the deal, you will actually want to say “Yes!” after hearing this show. Please hear, this is not a blame session, it’s about hope. In a recent discussion with a renowned neurosurgeon he cited better patient outcomes when there is causality, or blame, to point to, as opposed to random factors outside of our control. In Dr. James medical practice he has experienced the same thing, the patients who take little to no responsibility for their ailments have the hardest time improving when compared with others who have the same issues but believe they can affect positive change. Often the “blame” is just our ignorance, what we don’t know. Which again, is so hopeful! We can gain new knowledge and get better! In our culture that is more and more averse to accepting any culpability, blame, or responsibility for our circumstances in life, we are increasing in sickness, depression and financial debt. Might there be a correlation? Or is there just a grand conspiracy of decline being enforced on us and we are all just victims? Where is the hope in that belief. I know this is a volatile issue, but if you’ll hear us out, I think you’ll find yourself more eager to accept some causality, than not to. And possibly any lack of acceptance is a primary reason you are not at the level of health, wellness, energy and vitality you really desire. I encourage you to brave up and listen to this episode and you may very well find a new level of hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
With context you’ll realize “Feast on fasting” is not a nonsensical title. As I write this description I recently fasted from being a father and husband and went on a solo, four day getaway.I took the time to do some deep, creative work and the break from some of my daily roles brought me back as a better father and husband, and my family knows it. Not long before this I took a week long fast from my work, and spent it on the beach with my wife. Now aren’t those fasts to feast on?! My friend Shaunti Feldhahn calls us to a 30 Day Kindness Challenge to fast on criticism of a specific person in our lives. But what she teaches us is how life giving the fast is for US! We are the major benefactor. Fasting is not merely abstaining from the things we like. Though, there is merit for that. Let’s take food. Missing a meal, let alone not eating for day is near fightin’ words in the good ole US of A where eating is our primary hobby, if not life vocation. Yet for the greatest span of time, we feasted and fasted. We had a good crop or had a great hunt, and we feasted! Then there were days of travel or harsh weather or scarce food, and we missed a meal, or went a day or even days without eating. Regularly. And you know what, our body is made for that. Much of our dietary problems stem from constantly causing our body stress to be digesting food all the time! Even throughout the night! Almost everybody who merely skips a couple meals in a day, even more so an entire day, attests to...while their taste buds revolted, their body and mind felt much better. But I encourage you to listen to this show. You’ll find a different paradigm on fasting. I for one, do not enjoy abstaining from my various appetites. So you won’t be hearing any pithy excitement from me at abstaining from my main drugs of food, drink, sex and more. But I like the results. I much more enjoy talking about fasting from some of the tasks and roles of life to feast on fulfilling endeavors. You might even come away excited and eager about...fasting. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is a case study - Dan Miller is the bestselling author of “48 Days To The Work You Love” and a prolific writer, speaker and coach. However at the end of 2018 at age 71 he found himself barely able to work. He shares the incredible amount of resources he sought for help, including his Primary Care Physician simply stating, “Hey, you’re getting old, make peace with it.” Today he is back to more energy, vitality and overall wellness than he’s experienced in many years. He said, “I didn’t simply get back to where I was before my decline, I’ve far surpassed it.” As you’ll hear in the show, he’s now excitedly finalizing two new books for his publisher and planning out the next 20 years of his productive life. It’s no miracle. It’s just the basics. It’s the things you can do too. Now at age 72, I’d pit his cognitive abilities and much of his physical abilities as well, against the average 50 year old. I believe you’ll relate to much of what you’ll hear in this candid conversation between Dan, Dr Randy James, and myself. Of interest for you to know, Dan is my Dad! Many of you will know him from his top ranked “48 Days” podcast. You can find him at 48days.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode we finish out the four foundational pillars of Functional Medicine with the third episode on Relationships. In episode 11 we talked about the vital relationship between your body and mind. In episode 12, the relationship you have with yourself and the world through hope and purpose, faith in essence. Here then we land on your relationship with - other people. I think we all realize to a degree the positive and negative affect relational health or lack there of has in our lives. But from a medical standpoint and literal pathologies of body and mind, nothing could be less mainstream. If a stressful marriage and your anxiety, anger, or despair is eating away at you and causing you physical and mental abilities, chances are 99.9% that any traditional medical doctor will never ask, address or uncover the root issue but will treat the symptom with a pharmaceutical. And that is exactly what medical school trains them to do. It’s what they trained my co-host Dr. James to do. So you’re left taking a drug to mask and manage a symptom that you have no idea is being caused by relational strife. We have dramatically impacting relationships in our family, friends, co-workers, employees, business partners and more. Great exercise and good nutrition and solid sleep will help you withstand challenging relationships, but ultimately negative relationships will take down even the mightiest of men. And women. So how does it really affect you and what can you do about it? This is our show, right here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
This is the next important aspect in the fourth pillar of Functional Medicine - Relationships. This has to do with our relationship with our life in this world. We could easily label it “Faith”, as purpose and hope are the basis of faith. But let’s get to brass tacks; you could theoretically have a healthy body and healthy mind but languish if you have no specific hope and purpose in your life. In reality however,, with no hope and purpose there is little to no chance you will do what is necessary to have much of any health. Which gives us pause to say this focus right here may be the most important part of our four pillars, or at least sequentially first. Studies have shown the happiest people are those who are actively working towards something, and feeling progress and achievement. They have drive and aspiration. Regarding purpose, it is by far and large realized by being of value to other people. Being needed and desired...and generally in the form of serving others. This is how we find our place in the world and make sense of it. When we talk of hope, we mean the hope in relation to true belief and expectation, not the flitting hope to win the lottery or find a fairy godmother. And when we speak of purpose, it is a core meaning for getting up in the day. It doesn’t even have to be a grandiose, super altruistic purpose. Again, it’s tempting to give this topic the label of faith, but like hope, there are many with a mere fantastical faith that doesn’t result in any forward progress and tangibility to life. Dr Randy James and I candidly cover his experiences around this subject with patients, and the dire need for it in our culture that seems to be losing touch with hope and purpose, and how you can clarify and leverage it in your life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The fourth pillar of getting you well is dealing with Relationships, and your foundational relationship is between your body and your mind. We hear plenty about “body and mind” connection but very little that we actually understand how to apply to our everyday lives. We continue to see people pursuing health in their bodies but being derailed by issues of the mind. There is a very real truth to the “physical manifestation of emotional pain”. This is a bad response to...stress. Relationships, trauma, financial issues, and even exciting events can build up to ongoing anxiety that will manifest poorly if not managed well. On the other side we have depression and hopelessness which is almost always treated with a mind focus, while we often find the body in disarray can a primary culprit. Ultimately if our mind is in bad straits it will often play itself out in physical ailments and we can say the same in reverse. When we are properly tending to your mind but your body is in disarray, your mind is compromised. You may have seen much on the gut/brain connection, or come across Dr Bessel Van Der Kolk’s book, The Body Keeps The Score. In this show we aim to simplify the concepts and give you a viable understanding of the “chicken and egg” of mind and body connection. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
We are only as strong as our level of recovery. Daily there are things we do, with sleep being paramount. A form of meditation is another. But here is a key point, there are many things we do and pursue for relief. Kicking the shoes off at the end of the day. Watching a game or binge watching a show. Reading a novel. Eating out. But do we ever finish these things and feel renewed and refreshed? Do we stand up, stretch our our arms and say, “Man, do I feel great now!” Not usually. How about vacation? Do you generally feel refreshed when you return, especially those of us with kids? Or do you feel inspired by some good experiences, but fairly exhausted, needing a vacation from your vacation? So when do we find actual renewal that truly strengthens us for the long haul? Or as you’ll hear Dr Randy James talk about, how do you go about The HARD work of true relaxation? This is a significant part of the self-care you need understanding of and permission for if you are going to get closer to functioning at your full capacity! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
You are listening to this show because you want to improve yourself. You want to grow and improve and progress and achieve more. And you want to know...how. You are a doer, or an aspiring doer. As such, the topic of “sleep” is not thrilling. Or maybe it’s just me...when I’m sleeping, I don’t feel I’m getting anything accomplished. It feels like wasted time. Regardless, it is absolutely the primary way we recharge. As you’ll hear in this show, my cohost Dr Randy James changes our paradigm by stating that our evening and our sleep is actually how we are starting our next day. How we prepare for sleep, how long and how well are bottom line what are fueling our performance for the next day. All our output, the topic of episode 8, is subject to our rest and recovery. Many of us are not recovering and every day is a dip lower in our ability...or we’ve stagnated at a mediocre performance level, but if we are taking out more than we are depositing, ultimately we’ll end up bankrupt and that’s when we are forced to rest via sickness, disease and disability. I believe you’ll find different information and perspectives on sleep than you ever have and get clarity on what you can do to best support all the “doing” you desire in your life! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Your daily output is in essence, your work. All of it. The daily tasks and duties in which you exert yourself to fulfill. Personal maintenance, parenting, your job or schooling, relationships, home and life maintenance...everything. Your capacity for daily output is finite, even though we like to think of ourselves as needing to be limitless. How often do you feel spent and you’re only halfway through the day? Or maybe you make it strong through the day but by evening you have nothing left for your family and relationships or a new venture you desire to put effort into? What daily activities, exertions, environments, and mental activities will more quickly deplete, OR… help to better sustain and further your daily output and capacity? This is what we address in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
For our body and mind to be as well as possible, it’s imperative we daily move and stress our lungs and muscles. We must realize it is our culture today that requires us to “exercise”, as this concept was unnecessary for the majority of all time in humanity. Daily living used to require us engage in healthful movement. We fetched water from a stream or well and touted heavy buckets around. We walked or rode horses for long distances. We hunted animals and harvested food, then labored to cook meals from raw ingredients. And on and on. Only in recent times can we exist and survive for days on end without ever raising our heart rate or using our muscles for much more than lifting a fork to our mouths. Without proper good stress to our physical bodies, we atrophy. The great myth for those who are not necessarily concerned about physical strength, ability and well being is that our minds can fully function anyway. This is like expecting a beautiful flower to exist when the roots, body and leaves are neglected and malnourished. If your body is compromised, so is your brain and mind. Then the question is, what exercise is best for you. The answer...at least the framework of the answer, you’ll find in this episode of the True Life Show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What are you coming into contact with on a daily basis? Randy James, MD and I are going to open your understanding to what you need to know. To take an extreme, what if you let a daily dose of radiation wash over you every day. Just a mere second, not too much. But every day, over time, what would happen? Enough would be catastrophic. As our world is increasingly filled with pollution and toxins, the very air is truly suspect. What is touching our skin, what are we smelling in through our nose, irritating our eyes? Allergies, mold, toxins and chemicals. Should we all walk through life wearing surgical masks and radiation suits? Environmentally it wouldn’t hurt, but it might cramp your social life. What DO we need to be on the lookout for? What is most threatening to us? How much of our physiological and psychological maladies are related to what we come into contact with via our skin and the very air we breath? Let’s find out. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
From the moment you wake in the morning you are choosing how you will wire your brain for success, by choosing what you will listen to. Join me, Kevin Miller and Randy James, MD, as we dig into the massive power of our daily and continual external and internal messages. Your very thoughts are literally a voice and do the most benefit and damage. Then the external audio input throughout your day is dramatic as well, and can do much to enhance the good and bad of the internal dialogue. When are you not actively having a thought or bringing in audio sensory input? Never. The real question however is, how much of it are you controlling and being deliberate about? Have you ever seen a food bank, where people donate any sort of food? Would you choose to eat whatever was dropped off? From year old raman to pickled pigs feet to mac and cheese to spam? Probably not. But are you allowing your audio input to be a veritable listening bank? Overhearing news of doom and bloom, office gossip, criticism from a family member and more. And again, even more importantly, what is your internal audio? The voices in your head? Decade old messages from parents and authority figures, siblings and friends, coaches and teachers, that have all had massive influence over what is often now, simply YOUR voice. Is your voice speaking encouragement to you? Saying, “Hey, it’s ok! You can do it! You are worthy and able. You’re a good person.” Or is it berating you? Cursing you out for mistakes and irritations and frustrations? This is big medicine folks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What you look at is where you go. As we continue with the first pillar of overall physiological and psychological health and wellness, following the structure of Functional Medicine with Kevin Miller and Randy James, MD, we are talking about INPUT. The good and bad we do and do not put into our bodies. In episode three we covered the huge aspect of what we do and don’t put into our mouths. In this show we address visual input. This is not an area we give much thought or weight to. In all truth, I expected it to be a 20-30 minute discussion, but as you will hear, some of our points really expanded. Just like the food we eat, everyday we choose or allow a steady and full diet of visionary input into our minds. We discuss the effect screens have on us, not just what we watch but the very real issue of blue screens themselves. Ultimately, what cumulative visual input is harming us and taking away life, and what is helping us and giving us life? We have control over the majority of this, if we’ll take it. Videos, news, pornography, social media, ads and consumerism…there is a virtual, visual onslaught and reality in our home and work environment. I think you’ll find your eyes opened, pun intended, and your mind convicted. You can take easy and significant action right away. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
To be fully well, or as well as one can possibly be, takes four key pillars. The first is the input into your body, which comes through your senses. In this show we focus on oral. Your mouth. As you’ll hear the good doctor say, so much of our lack of wellness can be tracked to, “What are we putting in our body that it doesn’t want, and what are we not putting in our body that it needs?” As you will hear in this show, there is no one-size-fits-all answer, of course. But we can give you a framework and a structure that makes sense, and from it, you can start developing a healthy diet of what does and doesn’t go in your mouth. You will hear us address most of the main dietary trends right now and discuss the relevance of them. You will also hear much...compassion. Food is our primary drug and we can’t abstain from it, not for long. Our culture is built around food and two primary aspects, taste and convenience. But the truth is, food is medicine. We are either eating to our life or eating to our death. So listen in for some truly beneficial guidance and some counsel you can take with you and take action on and quit some of the frustration and get results. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What is a best plan for your life? There is one, but it is personal and it must be comprehensive. Nobody can tell you the exacts and specifics, but we can absolutely help you with the framework. If you were building a car, you can be provided with the necessary ingredients you will need, like a frame, suspension, body, engine, wheels and tires, interior, etc… If you know that, you can choose the specifics that line up with the kind of car you want. For your life success, there is a framework of ingredients you will need. There is no magic bullet and one-size-fits-all solution. In this show we do not provide the framework, that will take more than one show. This is the concept for this show overall! But here I talk with my co-host, Randy James, Medical Doctor and Functional Medicine expert about topics such as the best career to pursue, the best way to manage your time, the best diet, exercise and sleep plan, the best business model and more. What are the best ways in all these areas? In this show we will tell you...what the framework is and isn’t. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
There is a growing threat to all our efforts to progress in our lives. As we strive for success in our business, career, finances, relationships, and overall impact in the world, something is sabotaging our efforts. All we strive to do, all our goals and accomplishments and achievements comes from our physical and mental self. There is a grand and growing myth that you can get brilliance out of your mind and brain even if your body is Jabba the Hut. It’s a myth. And show me someone who is unwell and still producing great works and I’ll show you someone who could be producing even greater works. If you are walking slower up the stairs, your brain is functioning slower as well. But what does all this mean? What should you be doing? If you’re not out to be an athlete, lose weight, gain muscle or try out for a modeling gig, then what do you need to do for your physical and mental well being in order to be getting all you need from yourself? Join personal development researcher Kevin Miller, well-known host of the top ranked podcast, The Ziglar Show, and co-host, Randy James, Medical doctor and functional medicine specialist. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices