Know Your Physio

Send us a text“Mindfulness” has become a buzzword over the last few years, and one of the many aspects of it is breathing. While there is a multitude of techniques to choose from, not many of them are backed by science. Tackling this issue is world-renowned breathing coach and best-selling author, Patrick McKeown. We start by discussing how Patrick fell into the world of breathing, from his challenges as a teenager, to how the idea of the Oxygen Advantage was birthed. Join us today to find out what the science says about breathing and the areas that we need more data. Discover the link between mouth breathing and sleep, and how this affects your mental wellness and physical performance. Learn about the underlying physiology of nasal breathing compared to mouth breathing, and how the BOLT score works. Andrés describes the breathing techniques he uses to help improve his free-diving and cycling, while Patrick breaks down the physiology behind breath holds. We touch on what VO2 Max means, and how it is linked to your breathing and EPO. Find out why Patrick trusts those with grey hairs (experience), the lessons he’s had to learn along the way, and how his perspective has changed over time. For all this and more, tune in today!Key Points From This Episode:An introduction to today’s guest: Patrick McKeown, world-renowned author and breathing expert. How Patrick fell into teaching breathing. The birth of The Oxygen Advantage: targeting athletes’ breathing. How sleep quality is impacted by breathing, and how to identify if you’re not breathing properly. The impact of dysfunctional breathing patterns on mental health, and physical performance. How nasal breathing can improve athletic performance. Andrés's experience of how nasal breathing impacts his training. The physiology behind nasal breathing: activating the upper chest, increasing carbon dioxide tolerance, and optimizing alveolar ventilation. How exercise-induced bronchoconstriction can be caused by mouth breathing. Unpacking what the BOLT score is. The impact of mouth breathing in the formative years on facial structure and school performance. The different types of breathing exercises available, and why breathing science needs to be better disseminated. How breath holds, hematocrit, and VO2 max impact EPO: the underlying physiology and the techniques you should use. Why Andrés's breath holds when diving, how it affects his overall wellness, and why he advises against Wim Hof breathing. The impact of undiagnosed sleep apnea on cardiac recovery.Bringing the science underlying heart rate variability and Vagus nerve stimulation into the limelight. What VO2 Max means, what it is, and how it paints a picture of your overall wellbeing. Why the link between VO2 Max and breathing needs more research and a summary of the research to date. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Patrick McKeownThe Oxygen Advantage The Breathing CureDr. George Dallam on LinkedInInvincible Athletics program: aerobic exercise and performance without strainBreathing Re-Education and Phenotypes of Sleep Apnea: A ReviewAndrés PreschelSupport the show

Send us a textThere are countless quotes from inspirational people demonstrating that becoming an overnight success seldom happens overnight. This was no different for today's guest, high-performance coach, and biohacking expert, Augusto (Tuto) Marolla. Tuto embarked on a radical lifestyle change that to the outside eye, took just three months to implement. However, this shift was eight years in the making as he consistently experienced an engagement crisis over his 16-year corporate career. Join us today to find out about the catalyst for this life-changing shift, and the coaches he used to reach his potential. We dive into Tuto’s corporate experience and how he identified the misalignment between his values and what he was being asked to do in his professional life. We discuss how you can adjust your thinking around goals and success to benefit from the hedonic adaptation, and how you can escape the conditioning we are all subject to in today’s society. We hear personal anecdotes from Andrés about his latest dream and what he learned from it, and how both Andrés and Tuto worked in the dark to achieve success in the light. From Pavlov’s dog, to what Quantum entanglement is and how it affects your view of the outside world, you don’t want to miss this enlightening episode!Key Points From This Episode:Welcome to Tuto Marolla, high-performance coach and biohacking expert, and what he’s been doing for the last 10 years.Making a radical lifestyle shift: spending your time doing something you love, or with the ones you love. The three coaches Tuto used to work on himself to reach his potential: a spiritual-mindset coach, an executive coach, and a health coach. Why you need to work with someone to learn to become an entrepreneur: making the change due to excitement and not fear. The frustration of misalignment: being limited by your context and your colleagues. Andrés’ dream about looking where no one else is looking; within.Why "and", not "but" is important to our fulfillment, and how to adjust your goals to benefit from the hedonic adaptation. Where you get your energy from in a corporate job versus where you get it from when doing something you love. Three elements that impact flow state: focus, autonomy, and mastery (and how they are limited in a corporate environment).How sharing your passion is inevitable, and why you need to be selective of who you share it with. Why we have to be more grounded in our expectations and realize that the path to success is not linear. The skills and values that Tuto brought from his previous career into his current work environment: multicultural interpersonal skills and knowing his deepest values.Two examples of when Tuto’s corporate experiences challenged his values: his integrity in firing an employee and limiting his risk-taking to accommodate his boss. The importance of positive reframing in personal growth. Why it’s difficult to learn to reflect and connect to your inner or higher self. How we are conditioned to simply accept, rather than to internalize and question. Final thoughts from Tuto: trusting yourself and the universe when in a space of high uncertainty. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Augusto (Tuto) Marolla on LinkedInAugusto (Tuto) Marolla on InstagramAndrés PreschelKnow Your Physio PodcastSupport the show

Send us a textDozens of studies have shown that people who have satisfying relationships with family, friends, and their community are happier, have fewer health problems, and live longer. Sounds simple, right? It can be! Today, we hear from Anthony Benedettini, Partnerships Recruiter and Sales Consultant at BiOptimizers and the former Inside Advisor at Tesla, about why he believes relationships are one of the key building blocks for optimum health! With a background in applied physiology and kinesiology, Anthony is also a certified coach in Precision Nutrition, the former Director of Strategic Partnerships at Perfect Keto, and former Head of Customer Experience at Dry Farm Wines. In this episode, he shares the three main sources of energy in his life; money, vitality, and relationships, and we hear his theory on a simpler approach to longevity that doesn’t depend on expensive supplements and in-home devices. We also discuss what we can learn from those living in Blue Zones like Sardinia, and the importance of maintaining congruency. Find out why Anthony describes himself as a ‘qualitarian’ and doesn’t subscribe to any diet in particular, and his perspective on the environments that he chooses to live in. Tune in today to learn about all this and so much more!Key Points From This Episode:How Anthony came to realize the importance of building relationships through sales.Anthony on the three main sources of energy in his life: money, vitality, and relationships.Hear his theory on a simpler approach to longevity that doesn’t rely on supplements.What we can learn about a healthy lifestyle from the Blue Zones like Sardinia.The importance of self-work, taking regular breaks and doing what you love.The modern cycle of constant reward and distraction that goes against our physiology.Why Anthony calls himself a ‘qualitarian’; it’s not about your diet, it’s about quality foods!Andrés shares a story about Sardinia and its hyperlocal approach to produce.Anthony on his Instagram handle, ‘iwillliveto100’, and his goal to live more than a century.Why exchange should be one of the core building blocks in a relationship that adds value.How Anthony quantifies the benefits he receives from community activities like the sauna.Andrés reflects on what Kelly McGonigal has written about the benefits of group movement.Mediterranean diet versus Mediterranean lifestyle; why it’s not just about olives and wine.Find out how Anthony approaches travel and the environments he chooses to live in.Congruency as a major lifestyle aspect that Anthony takes pride in maintaining.Making small investments that bring you into alignment rather than trying to be perfect.Why optimal health isn’t a competition; it’s a willingness to learn as you grow and develop.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Anthony Benedettini on LinkedInAnthony Benedettini on InstagramBiOptimizersRangeThe Ocean LabKelly McGonigal: How to make stress your friend (TED Talk)The Joy of MovementAndrés PreschelSupport the show

Send us a textToday, we hear from Dasha Maximov, the Founder and CEO of WhealthCo, a Member of the Board of Advisors at Sana Health, Former COO at The Health Optimisation Summit, and a former masters student at UCL, the number one program for Masters in Neuroscience in the world. After shifting away from management consulting and into academia in 2017 with an ultimate goal to #sharethewhealth, Dasha experienced a traumatic brain injury that left her with chronic headaches for more than 14 months. When specialists couldn’t find a solution, Dasha took matters into her own hands and began to biohack her mind and body. From yoga teacher training to 10-day Vipassana silent retreats, nootropics, and more, Dasha witnessed firsthand the beauty of every modality and discovered how each can become a tool in the toolbox of our health. In this episode, we discuss how women have historically been underrepresented in scientific data and why Dasha believes it’s important that women leverage the powerful data they have at their fingertips every month: their menstrual cycle. Learn how to track your cycle with precision, adapt your habits and behaviors to your benefit, and find the strength in softness along your personal health evolution journey, plus so much more! Dasha has personally experienced the power of becoming informed about your health and leaning on your community to help elevate and give clues as to what to try next, so make sure not to miss this enlightening inquiry into her journey! Join us today.Key Points From This Episode:Dasha shares the story of why she decided to take her health into her own hands.Why she encourages her clients to start with their pain points; don’t follow the influencers!Blending a qualitative approach with quantitative data.How women are historically underrepresented in scientific data; Dasha’s ‘aha’ moment.The importance of tracking your cycle as a woman and using that data to your benefit.Learning how to track your cycle with precision and the value of DUTCH (Dried Urine Test for Comprehensive Hormone) testing.Dasha’s approach to educating on the unique biorhythms that women have.The four phases of the menstrual cycle: menstruation, follicular, ovulation, and luteal.Some of the benefits of tracking your basal body temperature throughout your cycle.The surprising reason women crave chocolate at certain times in their cycle; magnesium.Dasha on what her research has shown about the value of continuous glucose monitoring.Find out why Dasha says that we are just complicated plants that move; the impact of travel.How women can help their male counterparts better understand and address their needs.Discover why safety is of the utmost importance for women for a healthy hormonal cycle.How being a woman in a man’s world impacts our mindset about hormones, birth control, pregnancy, and menstruation.Adopting a both-and mindset and understanding the crucial importance of timing.Learn about Dasha’s upcoming women’s biohacking retreats in the Dominican Republic.What she means when she says: test, assess, address, don’t guess.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Dasha Maximov on LinkedInDasha Maximov on InstagramDasha MaximovWhealthCoDUTCH TestClue Period TrackerSupport the show

Send us a textLight is fundamental to our existence as human beings; it has been a part of our development from the beginning of our time on earth and it continues to impact almost every part of our lives in ways that we are not even aware of. At least according to Sarah Turner, an expert in photobiomodulation and the co-founder and Head of Science at CeraThrive, the red light therapy system targets the gut-brain axis. Sarah is a scientist through and through, but her interest has oscillated from the mechanical end of the spectrum (through her work in the pharmaceutical industry) to the holistic and alternative end (through the studying she did when she became disillusioned with the pharmaceutical industry). She is now in the process of finding her optimal positioning somewhere between the two, and in today's episode, Sarah shares a wealth of mind-boggling information about consciousness, circadian biology, and photobiomodulation that will cause you to rethink everything you thought you knew, and realize how much more there is still to be discovered! Key Points From This Episode:A rundown of Sarah’s educational and professional background.An explanation of what the field of photobiomodulation encompasses.The series of experiments that led to Sarah's awakening about environmental effects.What grounding is and how it impacts our physiology. Areas that are optimal for grounding, and those that are not.Radical changes that Sarah’s belief system has undergone.Two degrees that Sarah completed when she became disillusioned with the pharmaceutical industry. How light influences our biology.The gulf that exists between the fields of biophysics and biology.  Examples of how to structure your life so that you are in alignment with natural light cycles.Sarah explains how red and infrared light therapies work.Red and infrared devices that Sarah uses in her daily life. The role of the vagus nerve. How light affects bacteria, particularly those in our gut. Quantum biology; what it is and why it matters. Sarah shares her thoughts on consciousness. What the biohacking movement should be focused on. Andrés’ experiences with psilocybin.  The Sarah System: Sarah’s new project. Sarah’s experience of making a movie, and where you can access it. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Andrés PreschelKnow Your Physio PodcastSarah Turner on LinkedInCeraThriveLight Tree VenturesSuperchargedLumiceuticalsBrainTapFantastic Fungi The Fourth Phase of WaterLife on the EdgeFASEB Journal Article: ‘Blood Contains Circulating Cell-Free Respiratory Competent Mitochondria.’ Support the show

Send us a textIf you have been impacted by a traumatic event in your life, you are not alone. In a recent study that surveyed residents from more than a dozen countries, 70% of people reported having experienced some form of trauma. And when you consider how often we suppress traumatic experiences, often without being aware of it, the number is undoubtedly even higher than that. Here to help us unearth this topic is Nadeya Hassa, Founder and CEO of Zaya, a mindfulness platform that employs a science-backed therapeutic model to support the emotional and physical well-being of individuals with trauma and trauma-related symptoms. Their approach teaches the importance of the mind-body connection and uses mindfulness to activate personal transformation and healing. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the mind-body connection and unpack the complex and far-reaching impact that our thoughts have on our physiology. In our conversation, Nadeya shares how her father’s cancer diagnosis prompted a deeply introspective journey that led her all the way to a Costa Rican jungle, then to Nepal, and ultimately back home. We discuss the many ways that trauma is misunderstood in our society and how, given adequate support, trauma offers us the opportunity to deepen our compassion and create resilience. Nadeya shares how meditation and yoga have been integral to her mindfulness journey and why dissolution of ego is essential to letting go of fear and experiencing a feeling of oneness with the universe. Our conversation with Nadeya takes us on an incredible journey to a deeper understanding of the power of our thoughts, so make sure you tune into this expansive and impactful exploration of the mind-body connection!Key Points From This Episode:Meet today’s guest, Nadeya Hassan, Founder and CEO of Zaya.The mind-body connection and how nurturing it promotes mindfulness.How Zaya uses an understanding of the mind-body connection to address trauma-related symptoms.The story of how Nadeya founded Zaya in the wake of her father’s cancer diagnosis.The roles that Buddhism, meditation, and yoga have played in Nadeya’s mindfulness journey.Western medicine and how it was informed by Renee Descartes’ assertion that the mind and body are separate.Trauma’s ability to deepen one’s compassion and create resilience.Insights into how trauma can be buried within our subconscious.How our bodies can hold traumatic memories that we may have cognitively suppressed.The importance of mind-body practices for accessing repressed trauma.Ecstatic dance, how it helps you enter a transcendental state, and how it supported Nadeya in her healing process.How Nadeya defines your ego and the practices that can facilitate the dissolution of the ego.How dissolution of ego can result in a feeling of oneness that dissolves self-limiting beliefs.The ‘What If’ exercise and how you can use it to gain awareness of what’s happening in the body.The power of the placebo effect and what it teaches us about the mind-body connection.Toxic ‘grind’ culture, how it feeds into egoism, and the consequences for our health.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Andrés PreschelKnow Your Physio PodcastNadeya Hassan on LinkedInZayaBody Encyclopedia: A Guide to the PsycholSupport the show

Send us a textToday’s guest on the Know Your Physio podcast, is Boomer Anderson: a man whose passion sits at the intersection of business and health optimization. He is a health optimization practitioner, the deputy chief and executive officer at Smarter Not Harder, Inc. (parent company of Troscriptions), founder and podcast host of Decoding Superhuman, and strategic advisor for Welldium. In today’s episode, Boomer guides us through the world of nootropics and health optimization, redefining nootropics and sharing thorough breakdowns of specific products offered by Troscriptions. We discuss the free fundamentals to look at before even considering supplementation, the importance of sleep and circadian economics, as well as the benefits of self-quantification. Tune in to learn more about work-life integration, and how to sustainably optimize your health and productivity!Key Points From This Episode:Troscriptions products: certification, manufacturing process, purpose and how to take them.  Just Blue troche: The history of methylene blue as a compound, how its nootropic effect of was discovered, how it works in the body, its healing abilities and usages.The importance of ensuring pharmaceutical grade, purity tested ingredients in nootropics. Blue Cannatine: How and why it was developed, and how long its effect lasts.Use of nicotine in Blue Cannatine: its structure, reason for inclusion, and effect.Caffeine as a nootropic and the effect of CBD on nicotine.Who should consider nootropic supplementation, and what hinders cell performance.Metabolomics and the importance of knowing your physiology.Free fundamentals: the role that lifestyle plays in proper cell biology, and the steps to take before taking a nootropic, to ensure it works at its optimum capacity. How Boomer got involved in the space of nootropics and health optimization.Advice for young people: finding balance between high performance and recovery. Circadian economics and the importance of sleep.Andrés dissects his own background with smart drugs.Taking your health into your own hands: encouragement, advice and the benefits of self-quantification.Getting to grips with mental health and psychedelics. Trocalm: use and ingredient breakdown.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Andrés PreschelKnow Your Physio PodcastSmarter Not Harder, Inc.TroscriptionsDecoding Superhuman PodcastBoomer Anderson on InstagramBoomer Anderson on LinkedInWelldiumNicotine with Dr. Neil GrunbergDr. Ted Achacoso on LinkedInJust Blue TrocheBlue CannatineSupport the show

Send us a textToday’s guest on the Know Your Physio Podcast is Dr. Azza Halim, a board-certified anesthesiologist with a broad background in the anti-aging field who has an extremely unique perspective that blends eastern and western medicine. We had the opportunity to take a deep dive on several topics in today’s episode, including the preventive nature of functional medicine, the relationship between animal fats and skin health, and the dangers of intermittent fasting, as well as getting enough sunlight and vitamin D3 without increasing your risk of skin cancer. During the course of our conversation, Dr. Halim shares her aim to create and implement an overall plan that will enable her patients to achieve complete mass rejuvenation by focusing on their internal health to complement external beauty. Tuning in, you’ll find out more about Dr. Halim’s total wellness approach, which includes beauty and skincare, and why she believes that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to healthcare, plus so much more! We hope you will join us for this fascinating and in-depth discussion about integrative medicine.Key Points From This Episode:An introduction to Dr. Azza Halim, what she does, and how her career has evolved.How functional medicine, which Dr. Halim describes as an ‘east meets west lifestyle’, is more preventative than conventional medicine.The personal circumstances that motivated her to pursue such extensive experience.Find out why she makes use of sub-speciality testing for her patients.Where Dr. Halim believes her interest in integrative medicine began.How is able to offer patients an entire wellness picture that includes beauty and skincare.Learn more about the relationship between internal health and external beauty.Dr. Halim reflects on the role that cholesterol and animal fats play in the health of your skin.Why proper supplementation is important when we can’t eat a whole food, non-GMO diet.Healthy saturated fats and skin health, particularly when it comes to elasticity and hydration.Hear Dr. Halim’s opinion on intermittent fasting and why she believes moderation is best.How to get enough sunlight and vitamin D3 without increasing your risk of skin cancer.Learn why you should be wearing sunblock both outdoors and indoors.Dr. Halim on melanin, circadian rhythms, and adequate protection from skin cancer.Melatonin, magnesium, and supplementation; why Dr. Halim recommends specific products.Omega 3, 6, and 9 and polyunsaturated fatty acids for skin health and cardiac health.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Dr. Azza HalimDr. Azza Halim on InstagramBiosenseMagteinEpisode 19 with Dr. Jay KhorsandiAndrés PreschelKnow Your Physio PodcastSupport the show

Send us a textDuring today’s conversation, we interview vocal and performance coach, Per Bristow and hear his philosophy on life and performance. Tune in to hear why the pressure is greater, the more talented you are, why understanding your psychology is pertinent to beating stage fright, and how the most dangerous thing about stress is our negative perception of it. Per doesn’t advocate avoiding fear, but rather urges listeners to embrace it, in order to empower themselves to do something about it. He believes that the principles he teaches in voice training should be applied to all areas of life, and encourages listeners to embrace spontaneity and aliveness over having a plan and being so attached to an outcome. His advice to people heading to the stage is to embrace and expect nervousness and allow it to show us that we are taking part in a special moment. Next, we get into the technicalities of voice training and Per shares the story of how he learned that anyone can improve their vocal abilities dramatically, the same way that you can build muscle. You’ll hear all about Per’s philosophy on developing the voice, embracing your accent, and why folks who stutter do so far less when they sing. We touch on sleep, hydration, caffeine, and more. We hope you join us for a jam-packed episode with today’s inspiring guest!Key Points From This Episode:How Andrés was introduced to Per Bristow through a video of him dancing.Why the pressure is greater, the more talented you are. Per’s message for people with stage fright: understand your psychology.How the most dangerous thing about stress is our negative perception of it.Why you have to experience and embrace fear to do something about it.What it means to train yourself in order to get into the present moment.The power of embracing fear to become alert, focused, and in the moment.Per’s philosophy in voice training, that you should be able to implement what you learn for performance in all other areas of life. Why a plan is wonderful, but spontaneity and aliveness is where life really is.How most people want a specific outcome, but the process is the most important thing.The power of embracing and expecting nervousness to show us that it is a special moment.Why you should give yourself permission in order to be free.How to evaluate what an embarrassment is and embrace spontaneity.Making yourself vulnerable and foolish as a tool to make other people comfortable.Per’s relationship with introversion and how this has nothing to do with performing.The story of how Per learned that you can improve your vocal abilities dramatically.Why Per prefers the term ‘influence’ to ‘control’ when it comes to developing the voice.How singing is one of the most fearful activities, but one of the most powerful activities.His belief that singing is about the energy that you release when you make sounds.Why trying to hide your accent only makes it more significant. Advice for people who don’t want to speak because they have a stutter: do Per’s training.Why Per has decided not to drink coffee: in rebellion to the norm, as a health freak. The reason Per is an effective coach: he is good at learning and can help others to learn. Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:Per BristowPer Bristow on InstagramPer Bristow on TwitterMaking Stress YSupport the show

Send us a textMost of us have probably heard the phrase ‘change is an inside job’, but how many of us actually do it? Today’s guest believes that we overcomplicate the process of positive change. You already know what steps you need to take. It’s just a matter of removing the obstacles that are preventing you from getting there. James Quandahl is an author, speaker, and performance coach who is all about complete life balance; how to make sure that all of your buckets, the foundational pillars of true, lasting health, are filled up in harmony. In this episode, we take you through some positive reframing exercises that will help you pick through your previous life history so you can determine the skills and values that you can then apply to a new path, a new career, a new hobby, interest, or pastime, and excel at it with a newly evolved sense of self-awareness. We also speak candidly about our own personal stories and journeys, given the dramatic career shifts that both Andrés and James have made, and how positive reframing has made all the difference. Tune in today to learn more as James Quandahl explores self-fulfillment and creating complete life balance with a positive outlook!Key Points From This Episode:We start the episode talking about our preferred dark chocolate brands.Why James doesn’t recommend the ‘healthy substitution game’; just eat the pizza!Hear his favorite saying when it comes to healthy food: you are what the food you eat eats.The power of the Cordyceps mushroom and increasing interest in wild mushroom foraging.Why it’s important to consider the carbon footprint of the food you eat, hunt, or forage.What James calls the foundational health pillars of a well rounded life, including nutrition, sleep, and physical exercise.The seven buckets on Zig Ziglar’s Wheel of Life (spiritual, intellectual, physical, family, social, financial, and career) and how to balance them.James emphasizes the roles that the journey and goal-setting play in complete life balance.The benefits of creating space to truly disconnect, get bored, and dream about the future.Hear about James’ morning routine and how he prevents his devices from ruling his day.How to foster a creative mindset rather than a reactive one by scheduling your distractions.Advice for building self-discipline; replace rather than remove the things you enjoy.How James cultivated self-awareness and navigated a difficult career transition.James highlights the effort required to find your purpose; you have to put in the work!Some of the ways to relax in an active capacity rather than a passive capacity.The value of choosing to do what you want to do every day and owning your choices.James challenges listeners to imagine their dream life and write it down.How to create a discipline of visualizing and manifesting the things you want.Links Mentioned in Today’s Episode:James QuandahlThe James Quandahl ShowJames Quandahl on LinkedInJames Quandahl on TwitterJames Quandahl on InstagramZig ZiglarThere’s No Plan B for your A-GameSo Good They Can’t Ignore YouSupport the show