Wellness + Wisdom Podcast

Have you ever found yourself taking inspired action towards a new workout program or training regimen, only to wind up succumbing to an injury that keeps you from progressing? Have you ever been curious as to why some people get injured far more than others? Exercise scientists and anatomists have been writing for centuries about the power of exercise as medicine, not only for cardiovascular heath, optimal strength, and blood circulation, but essentially for a better quality of life, supported through a body that can withstand the demands of our modern, sedentary, and even sometimes even over-trained population. JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST In the USA, where desk posture and upper cross syndrome are affecting millions of men and women every year, what are the fundamentals we can all do at any age or athletic ability to progress our training, flexibility, and fortify our muscles to prevent injury? Injury Prevention Through DCT   Today on the podcast, we're learning about a training technique called DCT or Dynamic Contraction Technique, that addresses these questions and much more from our friend, Licensed Physical Therapist and Founder of The National Resistance Stretching Association, Nic Bartolotta. We're delving into new topics like flexibility vs. flex-ability, how to properly train our muscles using eccentric loading, and why Nic believes from working with thousands of clients and some of the top stars in the NBA that we all have what he calls a "second heart" in our lower extremities, and what stretching this second heart can do for our overall movement quality and wellness. If you've ever had an injury or circulation issue that sidelined you on your wellness journey, or if you've been looking for a way to build up the proper range of motion without compensating your joints, this is going to be an insightful and thought provoking episode. Be sure to listen until the end of the show where Nic discusses how to train flexibility using the ProFlex and RolFlex, and listen as he uncovers the most common mistakes that people make when training flexibility in new exercise programs. He'll also finally answer the question that so many fitness pros have debated for years: When exactly is the best time to stretch? And his answers may surprise you. Stretching Your Second Heart Can stretching mean more to our health than just something we do to warm up, cool down, or relax the body? When was the last time you took time out of your day to focus on your body and stretch? Whether you constantly work out, have an active job, or work all day at a desk, stretching has this incredible power to heal our bodies. At the age of 19, Nic Bartolotta was simply told by doctors that after years of gymnastics and diving, there was no more cartilage in his left knee and therefore no solution to his injury. However, Nic didn't believe that was possible and turned to both alternative medicine and resistance training to help him fix his knee. With passion and continuous persistence, Nic is changing the way we see stretching and physical therapy. On today's episode of Wellness Force Radio,  Nic will share with us how proper stretching, leg movements, and exercise can help power the "second heart" in our calf muscles aka the soleus muscle. Get ready to heal, relax, and strengthen your body through restrictive stretching.  Listen to Episode 113 as Nic Uncovers: How his personal background became a huge part of developing his professional career in alternative medicine and resistance training. The challenge to find the right answers in order to fix Nic's knee. Common misconceptions about what stretching actually is and how to properly do it. What is DCT and what are the benefits? What is myofascia and how can a massage heal other parts of the body because it connects every tissue of the body. Which stretches can affect the myofascia or general muscles? The difference between the fascial tension and muscle tension. Why the calf and the lower leg is considered "the second heart" of the body. How to reach out to a professional to help you with restrictive stretching and DCT. What you can do on your own to improve your restrictive stretching and DCT ability. The wide use of DCT tools like the ProFlex even among professional basketball players. Flexibility vs Flex-Ability: what's the difference and how does Flex-Ability apply to everyone? What creates knots and muscle tension in our bodies? Common mistakes people make when beginning a new exercise. When is the best time to stretch? 3 Takeaways From The Show Physical movement throughout the day is important to ensure that we're pumping blood from our calves (the soleus muscle) back to our heart. Every time you run, jog, or just walk, you're working your second heart. If we can learn how to treat our injuries on our own with different tools on a daily basis, this can be more efficient than going to see a physical therapist several times a week. Not that we don't need to see a specialist if we do have an injury, but it's so beneficial to our overall health when we have the ability to know what our bodies want and need. Passive stretching is not as beneficial for our bodies as we might have once believed. What's better for our bodies is active stretching and always feeling at least a bit of tension in our muscles when we stretch. Power Quotes From Nic Bartolotta [tweetthis]"The ability to be able to flex a muscle is actually far more important than the ability to lengthen a muscle." - Nic Bartolotta [/tweetthis] "When I initially started to work with clients, they would come in with all of these beliefs about muscle tension and stretching. Through this dialogue process, I would show and prove to them what stretching is supposed to feel like and what's possible in the body. After explaining all of that to them, they could never go back again to their original thoughts about stretching." - Nic Bartolotta on helping his clients to better understand the process of stretching through DCT.  "Most people believe that stretching is supposed to be painful and that the sharp pain you feel when you relax into a stretch is what you're supposed to accomplish. However, when you resist with a muscle during the stretch and you don't relax, the muscle actually protects you from that pain. That pain is your guideline for how far you should go during the stretch." - Nic Bartolotta on common misconceptions about stretching.  "With this understanding of how tension can affect blood circulation, you can turn your attention towards what it takes to mitigate problems and injuries." - Nic Bartolotta from his article,  Stretching Your Second Heart "The calf or the lower leg is full of capillary beds and vascular veins so when you walk, jog, or run, the soleus muscle in your calf is pumping blood out of your legs and into your heart." - Nic Bartolotta on why the calf muscle, the soleus, is like our second heart.  "If a person has edema, all they have to do is pump their ankles a bit to get the blood in the soleus muscle circulating again. However, if the soleus is so restricted with fascial or muscle tension, it won't be able to pump blood to the heart and that's when we want to use restrictive stretching and exercise." - Nic Bartolotta on what can happen if the soleus muscle is restricted and how restrictive stretching and exercise can help.  "With the word, "flexibility," people think of someone who can lengthen their muscles or be able to do the splits. However, if we break up the word and change it into "flex-ability," flex means to flex or to shorten a muscle. The ability to be able to flex a muscle is actually far more important than the ability to lengthen a muscle." - Nic Bartolotta on the difference between Flexibility and Flex-Ability.  "We can avoid traumatic injuries by looking at which joints need to flex and shorten versus which muscles need to lengthen and we get far more results when we do that." - Nic Bartolotta on the importance of joint flexing vs. muscle lengthening.  "Going to physical therapy two or three times a week is good, but to learn how to do certain things on your own and to be able to do them a couple of times a day, is how you're really going to change your body." - Nic Bartolotta on the power of taking change into your own hands to heal your body. "Passive stretching is absolutely something that should never be down before or after stretching. You should never completely relax a muscle into a stretch. You should always hold at least a little bit of tension in the muscle because that's going to tell you whether or not you're beyond your range of motion. If you can't contract a muscle, you shouldn't be in that position in the first place. " - Nic Bartolotta on how we should be stretching and how to do know if we're doing it right.  "If I can go out there and change one person's perspective on health, than I can affirm with myself that I'm doing the right thing." - Nic Bartolotta's personal mantra.  About Nic Bartolotta Nic Bartolotta is the founder of the national resistance stretching association, and is a licensed physical therapist and holistic health practitioner specially trained as a flexibility and myofascial release expert. He is the co-founder of Range of Motion Products, maker of the Rolflex, and the creator of Dynamic Contraction Technique (DCT). Nic got his start in alternative health as an injured athlete when he was 19, and fell in love with the profession and successfully resolved his own knee injury in 2001. So for the past 17 years plus, Nic has dedicated his life to learning about the body and pushing the limits of human performance by applying the principals of DCT to his own training and that of his clients and patients, including NBA favorites from the LA Lakers, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks, and others Resources Mentioned by Nic & Josh Find out more about Nic Bartolotta and his work Connect with Nic and DCT ProFlex via: Facebook YouTube Instagram Learn more about the Dynamic Contraction Technique (DCT) Buy your own DCT products Purchase the DCT ProFlex Check out the RolFlex  Join the National Resistance Stretching Association Listen to Nic's Keynote Speech on Optimizing Flex-Ability Find out more about the Meridian Flexibility System Read The Genius of Flexibility by Bob Cooley Read Nic's articles:  Are You Stretching All Wrong? Stretching Your Second Heart Check out Nic's interview in the blog post Resistance Stretching: The PT That Fixed My Screwed Up Neck Read Nic's article on Breaking Muscle: Prevention and Treatment of IT Band Syndrome Watch What the Bleep do We Know? Learn more about Buckminster Fuller Find out more about NBA Trainer Gary Vitti Check out Johnny Blackburn Learn more about Dr. Stephen M Levin and Biotensegrity Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the WFR Community on facebook Send Josh Trent a personal message Tweet me on Twitter: Send us a fun tweet (or a what's up) Comment on the Facebook page Sign up to get an email alert whenever we release a new episode Support This Podcast Leave a 5 star review on iTunes Share this episode with someone you care about Contact Wellness Force Radio for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities Rate & Review Wellness Force Aloha! Josh here. Listen, I deeply value your thoughts, now let your voice be heard. I live to serve the Wellness Force even better based on your words, feedback, and requests. (including how these episodes can allow you to break bad habits) Thanks To Our Amazing Sponsor Want to avoid more trips to the store and save hundreds of dollars a year on superfood supplements? Check out Perfect Supplements.com Go to perfectsupplements.com/wellnessforce to get your grass-fed collagen from today's show and sign up for a free membership, plus get 10% off your entire order - just enter promo code "wellnessforce" at checkout. Ask A Live Question For The Next Episode Click here to leave a voicemail directly to Josh Trent to be read live on the air.  You May Also Like These Episodes Food Freedom Forever With Melissa Hartwig Nir Eyal:Breaking Bad Habits, Technology Addiction, & Emotional Triggers Healthy, Happy & Harder To Kill w/ Steph Gaudreau of Stupid Easy Paleo Beyond Meditation: How To Get A Better Brain With Ariel Garten Living A Healthy Lifestyle In A Modern World With Dan Pardi Creating A Life Worth Living With Michael Strasner Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the Wellness Force Newsletter: www.wellnessforce.com/news Don't miss next week's show: Subscribe and stay updated Did you like this show? Rate and review Wellness Force on iTunes You read all the way to the bottom? That's what I call love! Write to me and let me know what you'd like to have to get more wellness in your life.

Do you often feel like you just "can't turn your brain off," or like when you lay down to sleep there's an annoying radio voice playing worrisome and overwhelming thoughts in your head? For episode 002 of Wellness Force Friday, we're talking with Syanna Wand, a certified nutritional therapy practitioner who coaches women through the process of letting go of anxiety and stress.  This interview was inspired by Syanna's powerfully vulnerable and authentic post from March 3/20/17 here on Instagram. Wellness Force Friday is a special edition, bite-size podcast that fuels the start of your weekend with actionable steps for your wellness journey through an inspiring message or story from a trusted influencer who’s a positive force for the physical and emotional wellness of our global collective.    JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST   If it's your first time listening to the show, be sure to hit subscribe for access our more in depth and full-length featured episodes with over 100 expert guests where you’ll learn the best tools and ways of being to understand those connections between our emotions and healthy habits, to live life well and enjoy the process.    Thank you for listening to the show! If you’re ready to take inspired action from this week’s Wellness Force Friday podcast, let me hear your voice! Click here and write down your thoughts, about this episode and what you’re committed to creating this weekend and into the next.   Don’t let the conversation stop here, Join The Facebook Group for added accountability and connection to support the physical and emotional wellness for the collective and ourselves. About Syanna Wand From www.syannawand.com "I'm Syanna, a Women's Stress and Anxiety Coach, and I'm thrilled to meet you!  If you've ended up on my page, chances are you're searching for some answers and relief, and I'm here to tell you that you're in just the right place.  Several years ago, I went through some incredibly painful and intense health issues which, as it turned out, stemmed from the stress and anxiety that plagued my mind and body on daily basis. In other words, my stress was killing me, and that's not a dramatization!  Thankfully, I've always been pretty stubborn and determined, so I set out on a journey that would not only end up curing my life-long struggle with fear, worry and sickness, but also landed me right, square-middle in the life of my dreams, helping and guiding other women on the same path to total health and wellness.  I believe in using a gentle combination of nutrition, exercise, mindset work and spiritual practices to bring your body and mind back into alignment and bring out the beautiful, stress-free woman inside of you who's just waiting to be set free!  Even if you're thinking that you could NEVER imagine a life without overwhelm and angst, I assure you it's possible. I went from barely being able to get out of bed, obsessively worrying about my health, ruining all my closest relationships and having 7-8 anxiety attacks a day to absolutely thriving in and loving my life. If I can do it, so can you." Connect With Syanna Wand Syanna Wand Website Syanna Wand Instagram Syanna Wand Facebook

Rediscover Your Intuition Through Primal Living:  Is our modern environment taking a too large of a toll on our physical, emotional, and mental health? Has the digital age led us to lose our primal intuition? JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST Are we relying on technology too much to the point that we need data to tell us whether or not we've slept well, exercised enough, or become relaxed? From a young age, health and fitness expert, author, and founder of  both Primal Blueprint and Primal Kitchen, Mark Sisson of Mark's Daily Apple, has spent his life actively seeking information to help people live a long, healthy life. Today on Wellness Force Radio, he's sharing what it means to follow a primal life, an insight look into his upcoming book, Go Keto, and how to follow the Ten Guidelines of the Primal Blueprint Ethos. Just because there's an app for anything and everything, it doesn't mean that we have to solely rely on technology to help us improve our mind, body, and emotional wellness. After all, our primal ancestors never had to rely on an app to help them survive so why should we? As humans, it's in our nature to know, intuitively, exactly what we need. Whether it be nutrition, fitness, or sleep, our intuition knows what's best for us. Paleo f(x) In our modern and tech-focused society, this episode could not come at a better time. If you're like me, you've been using technology more and more every day for your wellness, health and fitness, and also online through social media to connect with people. But in this world of online likes, shares, and facebook friends as well as conscious health tracking through wearables, a bigger question arises: have we lost touch with our most primal selves, the part of us that intuitively knows exactly how to form real, face to face personal connections, and in our ways of eating, moving, and sleeping for a life of wellness? Today on the podcast, we're answering these questions and learning about how to create and sustain a primal lifestyle in this modern world from health and fitness expert, Mark Sisson. Get ready for an in-depth and thought-provoking conversation with one of the most popular and profound influencers in our wellness world where we dive into topics like carbohydrate intake, fat adaptation, gene signaling and epigenetics, as well as Mark's personal ethos and story about how he overcame his own health issues to found Mark's Daily Apple, Primal Blueprint, and Primal Kitchen. If you'll be at Paleo f(x) this week, let me know, I'd love to meet you in person this weekend in Austin! If you can't make it to the conference, no worries! Our friends at Paleo f(x)™ are offering a free Livestream where you can learn from world-class speakers like Mark Sisson, Robb Wolf, Dave Asprey and many more to empower yourself to be vibrantly healthy. Just tap your show artwork and sign up for the free Livestream now. Primal Kitchen $200 Giveaway! Enter to win a $200 Giveaway from Primal Kitchen by following both @wellnessforce and @primalkitchenfoods on Instagram and comment or tag a friend. Winners will be chosen at random and tagged on Instagram on June 30th!   Get 10% Off on Your Next Primal Kitchen Order Get 10% off on any Primal Kitchen products by using the code WELLNESSFORCE on your next order. Listen to Episode 112 as Mark Uncovers: Mark's journey and mission to live a healthy life from an early age. Why Mark began to eat a high-complex carbohydrate diet based on the books he was reading around the late 1960s, early 1970s and how that negatively affected his body. How our own, personal intuition can help us create a sense of where our health needs to be at. What skills we can use to help us curb our triggers to not over-eat when there is an abundance of food, but we're not even that hungry. How we know whether or not we're following the primal living path. The benefit of primal living and listening to our intuition compared to the guilt we can feel from app data results. Mark's Ten Guidelines of the Primal Blueprint Ethos: Eat lots of animals, insects and plants Move around a lot at a slow pace Lift heavy objects Sprint once in a while Get plenty of sleep Play often Get plenty of sunlight Avoid trauma and silly mistakes Avoid poisonous things like added sugar Use your brain How scientists are using research about our ancestral genes to look at how different genes are affected by variables. Why our modern environment is taking a toll on our bodies without us even realizing it. What are epigentic studies and which variables can turn on the bad genetics in our bodies? Why 'good' and 'bad' genes are a myth. How inflammation can actually be a good thing for our bodies sometimes. Great workouts to do on the go when you have long working hours or are traveling. What Mark does to help him sleep better when he travels to different time zones. How Mark uses intermittent fasting to his advantage when traveling. What it's like to start following the Primal Blueprint and begin burning fat rather than sugar. Why it only takes 21 days to create a change in how you eat and burn food. What's the typical carbohydrate intake for the Ketogenic diet, weight loss, or effortless weight maintenance? How to prepare your body to follow the Ketogenic Diet and why Mark uses any resource from Dominic D'Agostino as a reference. For a beginner, how often should they be fasting per month? How Mark's upcoming book, Go Keto, will teach us how to becoming intuitive with ourselves and prepare for the Ketogenic Diet. The main differences between the Paleo and Primal ways of eating and living. What Mark has learned from his wife, Carrie, about emotional intelligence and wellness. How Primal Kitchen got its start as a new business for Mark. What's included in the famous Primal Kitchen Mayo recipe. Why coconut butter is a great go-to snack when you're feeling stressed. What Mark plans to talk about at the upcoming 2017 Paleo f(x) event. Top 3 Takeaways From The Show Wellness is not necessarily all about physical health. As Mark explains, wellness is about having a positive mindset and living in the moment. When we stop focusing on the past, we can fully feel contentment and joy. The benefits and facts around Primal, Paleo, Keto, and intermittent fasting. There is no such thing as 'bad' or 'good' genetics. Our genetics are turned on or off by different variables in order to help our bodies survive. Power Quotes From Mark Sisson [tweetthis] "Primal living allows you to develop the skills you need to get in touch with your body and  emotions." - @Mark_Sisson [/tweetthis] "I may have looked fit on the outside, but I was falling apart in the inside. There was this inflammation that was gathering and building inside my body. I had osteoarthritis in my feet, tendinitis in my hips, and even irritable bowl syndrome (IBS) which pretty much dictated my life. I began this diet to be healthy, but all of a sudden, I was at the unhealthiest point of my life. I had no idea about what was going with my body." - Mark Sisson on his personal experience with the negative impact of following high complex carbohydrate diet.  "It fascinates me that there are now 35 different wearable devices that tell you how poorly you slept last night, but there's nothing out there to really address the problem. I try to create an intuitive sense about my body's needs and I try to coach people to do the same." - Mark Sisson on the power of intuitive sense to help us understand our minds and bodies to make beneficial changes for our health.  "Primal living means that you've dialed into several different aspects of your life so that you don't have to stop and ask a device, "What do I do now?" You get to the point when you know what to do and what choices to make. Your intuitive decision making process is going to serve you in that moment and in the best way possible." - Mark Sisson on what primal living means and how our intuitive sense can help us make the best decisions about our health.  "Primal living allows you to develop the skills you need to be in touch with your body, emotions, and everything that draws us in to enjoy life." - Mark Sisson on the benefits of primal living. "I don't want to ascribe genes as being 'good' or 'bad.' Genes are just doing what they're told to do. When you develop Type 2 Diabetes, that's not because of 'bad genetics. That happens because your human genes are addressing a problem that you've created with your eating and moving habits. Your body is just trying to prevent you from dying too soon from too much sugar." - Mark Sisson on why we shouldn't categorize genes as being 'good' or 'bad.' "The Paleo and Primal diets are converging. Initially, the Paleo Diet was only a diet that looked at no dairy, alcohol, very low unsaturated fats, and was fairly restrictive. When I came up with the Primal Blueprint, I wanted to create a place where people could go and not feel excluded, but invited. So we included as many foods that made sense so we don't exclude dairy like cream, butter, artisanal cheese, and even whole milk for some people. Paleo has always been about the diet, but Primal includes the entire lifestyle." - Mark Sisson on the difference between the Primal Blueprint and Paleo Diets and lifestyles.  "Thoughts are just thoughts and they're not reality. What we worry or agonize about only exists in our minds as imagination. My wife, Carrie, keeps reminding me that when I let those thoughts dictate how I feel in the present moment, they actually take me out of the present moment." - Mark Sisson on what he's learned from his wife, Carrie, about emotional wellness and intelligence.  "Wellness is more of a state of mind than a physical presence. Wellness is this feeling of serenity and peace, but also the ability to not be caught up in feelings of worry, anger, or angst. Wellness is not about re-thinking about previous decisions or past mistakes. It's about being in the present moment and therefore being able to extract the greatest amount of contentment, joy, and fulfillment from now." - Mark Sisson on what wellness means to him.  About Mark Sisson Health and fitness expert Mark Sisson is the bestselling author of The Primal Blueprint and several other Primal Blueprint-branded books, and one of the leading voices of the burgeoning Evolutionary Health Movement. His blog, MarksDailyApple.com, has paved the way for Primal enthusiasts to challenge conventional wisdom's diet and exercise principles and take personal responsibility for their health and well-being. From its humble - and controversial - beginnings in 2006, Mark's Daily Apple has grown into one of the highest-ranked health information resources on the Internet, with some 3 million unique visitors each month. Mark, 62, has a BA in biology from Williams College and is a former world-class endurance athlete, with a 2:18 marathon and a fourth-place finish in the Hawaii Ironman World Triathlon Championships to his credit. Today, Mark directs his competitive energies into high-stakes Ultimate Frisbee tournaments against competitors decades younger. Besides blogging daily, Mark conducts seminars on the Primal Blueprint way of life and hosted 9 multi-day total immersion retreats called PrimalCon at locations across America and in Mexico from 2010-2014. He operates Primal Blueprint Publishing in Malibu, CA, publishing his own titles as well as work from other authors promoting ancestral health principles. Mark is married to Carrie and they have two children. Resources Mentioned by Mark & Josh Connect with Mark Sisson via: Twitter Facebook Instagram Visit the official blog for Mark's Daily Apple Read Mark's Daily Apple Blog Check out the Primal Blueprint official website Listen to the Primal Blueprint Podcast Connect with Primal Blueprint via: Facebook Pinterest YouTube Instagram Visit the official Primal Kitchen website Buy your own Primal Kitchen Mayo Connect with Primal Kitchen via: Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube Check out the following Primal Blueprint books including: The New Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson The Primal Blueprint 21-Day Total Body Transformation by Mark Sisson The Primal Blueprint Cookbook by Jennifer Meier and Mark Sisson Primal Blueprint Quick and Easy Meals by Jennifer Meier and Mark Sisson The Primal Kitchen Cookbook by Mark Sisson The Primal Connection by Mark Sisson Discover what's in Mark's Daily Diet Find a Primal Health Coach near you! Attend Paleo f(x) 2017 Learn more about the Ketogenic Diet from Dominic D'Agostino of KetoNutrition Try Re-Timer to help reset your circadian rhythm Discover Adelle Davis and her books on nutrition Read Aerobics by Kenneth H. Cooper Listen to both WFR episodes 012 and 088 wtih Dan Pardi: Living a Healthy Lifestyle in a Modern World How to Find the Health You're Looking For [spacer height="20px" id="2"] [tweetthis]"Thoughts are just thoughts. What we worry or agonize about only exists in our minds as imagination." - @Mark_Sisson[/tweetthis] [spacer height="20px" id="2"] Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the WFR Community on facebook Send Josh Trent a personal message Tweet me on Twitter: Send us a fun tweet (or a what's up) Comment on the Facebook page Sign up to get an email alert whenever we release a new episode Support This Podcast Leave a 5 star review on iTunes Share this episode with someone you care about Contact Wellness Force Radio for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities Rate & Review Wellness Force Aloha! Josh here. Listen, I deeply value your thoughts, now let your voice be heard. I live to serve the Wellness Force even better based on your words, feedback, and requests. (including how these episodes can allow you to break bad habits) Thanks To Our Amazing Sponsor Want to avoid more trips to the store and save hundreds of dollars a year on superfood supplements? Check out Perfect Supplements.com Go to perfectsupplements.com/wellnessforce to get your grass-fed collagen from today's show and sign up for a free membership, plus get 10% off your entire order - just enter promo code "wellnessforce" at checkout. Ask A Live Question For The Next Episode Click here to leave a voicemail directly to Josh Trent to be read live on the air.  You May Also Like These Episodes Food Freedom Forever With Melissa Hartwig Nir Eyal:Breaking Bad Habits, Technology Addiction, & Emotional Triggers Healthy, Happy & Harder To Kill w/ Steph Gaudreau of Stupid Easy Paleo Beyond Meditation: How To Get A Better Brain With Ariel Garten Living A Healthy Lifestyle In A Modern World With Dan Pardi Creating A Life Worth Living With Michael Strasner Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the Wellness Force Newsletter: www.wellnessforce.com/news Don't miss next week's show: Subscribe and stay updated Did you like this show? Rate and review Wellness Force on iTunes You read all the way to the bottom? That's what I call love! Write to me and let me know what you'd like to have to get more wellness in your life.

For the inaugural episode of Wellness Force Friday, we're tapping into the inspiration from Jon Morrow via www.unstoppable.me with a spoken word piece that will fill your soul for the weekend. "How To Accomplish Big Things, Even When You Feel Small" JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST Welcome to Wellness Force Friday!    A special edition, bite-size podcast that fuels the start of your weekend with actionable steps for your wellness journey through an inspiring message or story from a trusted influencer who’s a positive force for the physical and emotional wellness of our global collective.    If it's your first time listening to the show, be sure to hit subscribe for access our more in depth and full-length featured episodes with over 100 expert guests where you’ll learn the best tools and ways of being to understand those connections between our emotions and healthy habits, to live life well and enjoy the process.    Thank you for listening to the show! If you’re ready to take inspired action from this week’s Wellness Force Friday podcast, let me hear your voice! Click here and write down your thoughts, about this episode and what you’re committed to creating this weekend and into the next.   Don’t let the conversation stop here, Join The Facebook Group for added accountability and connection to support the physical and emotional wellness for the collective and ourselves.

With the vast ocean of an industry that exceeds 122 billion dollars of supplements, pills, powders and elixirs in our wellness world, just exactly how do we decipher which things will actually work for the path we are walking in our personal wellness journey? An even better question is how do we know which supplements to trust and what natural plant-based adaptogens will give us more sustained energy throughout the day? JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST It should not come as a shock to anyone that the weight of our current responsibilities in this modern world are growing more every day. Combine this fact with all the social media, electronic, and technology distractions that pull us away from living a life of optimal wellness, and then how can we hit the reset button without wearing a bathrobe in the mountains for 5 days? (JK) :) To help transcend overwhelm and excess stress, today on the podcast we're talking about the natural ways we can modulate stress and help to normalize our bodies by finding more balance. We're talking with my good friend, Nutritional Therapist, and Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, Evan Brand, about using adaptogens; natural and phyto-therapeutic uses of plants to help us heal and give us more energy. Functional Medicine Through An Ancestral Lens If you been listening to the podcast for a while, you know that I've been a huge fan of Rhodiola Rosea as well as Maca for energy, so today on the podcast, if you've been curious about using adaptogens for wellness and energy this is going to be an awesome show for you. I know you're going to love (just as much as I did) Evan's down-home, grounded and authentic personality where we dive into topics like functional medicine through an ancestral lens, how to get back in touch with your inner dialogue, letting go of "paralysis by analysis," what adaptogens and supplements are best to take with you while traveling, and one of my most favorite seven for seven rounds we've had yet on the show. Be sure to stick around to hear Evan's take on the emotional quotient in letting go of old weight and how to use plants to give the type of healing that could never be produced in a lab. What Are Adaptogens? Adaptogens: Modulate stress responses and can help normalize body imbalances. By supporting adrenal function, they counteract the adverse effects of stress. They enable the body's cells to access more energy; help cells eliminate toxic byproducts of the metabolic process and help the body to utilize oxygen more efficiently. Phytotherapy refers to the use of plants for their healing abilities. Adaptogens are a unique class of healing plants: They help balance, restore and protect the body. As naturopath Edward Wallace explains, "An adaptogen doesn’t have a specific action: It helps you respond to any influence or stressor, normalizing your physiological functions." Top 9 Adaptogens Rhodioloa Rosea: boosts endurance and fights depression (golden root) Ashwaghanda: helps to promote healthy levels of energy and sleep Schisandra berry: lowers inflammation, supports adrenal health, improves liver and digestion Maca: helps with reducing fatigue, enhancing energy and endurance Cordyceps: considered the “ginseng of mushrooms” and are known to have a truly awesome effect on endurance and stamina Holy Basil: has been found in many studies to be equivalent to many modern painkillers Ginseng: panax ginseng roots are proven anti-inflammatory, can regulate blood sugar and can even inhibit some characteristics associated with cancer. Reishi Mushroom: traditional Chinese medicine uses reishi to "calm the spirit." Reishi, (literally "supernatural" mushrooms) have been used for more than 2,000 years, making them perhaps the oldest mushroom to be used medicinally. They can be helpful to reduce anxiety, alleviate insomnia, combat fatigue, and lower blood pressure. Shawn Stevenson calls this "the mushroom of immortality” Licorice Root: increases energy, increase immune function Listen to Episode 111 As Evan Uncovers: What it means to look at functional medicine through an ancestral lens. How Evan helps his clients through functional medicine and different tests. What we can do to get back in touch with our human nature by getting rid of WiFi, blue light, and spending time with nature. Evan's experience working for 21st Century Parks and how he fell in love with nature and forest bathing. How to ingest adaptogens for optimal benefits to combat stress, fatigue, and enhance performance What are the best adaptogens to help manage anxiety? How to use natural ways of living and being to support homeostasis in the body. Why more problems come from over researching and "information overload" which creates analysis paralysis that make people avoid doing anything. What are the top three Adaptogens for balancing the body and nervous system: Perfect Acai Revive: Rhodiola Rosea, Cordyceps, Grape Seed Extract The best foods and supplements to take on the road when traveling How CBD oil and other healing modalities can support the well-being of those suffering from cancer and various health disorders The right types of mindset and emotional intelligence that makes a difference when overcoming a chronic disease Power Quotes From Evan Brand [tweetthis] "What we've forgotten is how powerful nature can be to heal us." - @mrevanbrand [/tweetthis] [tweetthis] "It's not what happens to you in life but how you respond to it." - @mrevanbrand [/tweetthis] About Evan Brand Evan Brand is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist, Certified Functional Medicine Practitioner, and Nutritional Therapist who is a globally recognized leader in the fields of ancestral health, Paleo nutrition, and functional medicine. He is the creator of NotJustPaleo.com, one of the top 25 natural health podcasts on iTunes, and the author of three books including REM Rehab, Stress Solutions, and The Everything Guide to Nootropics. Evan has been studying, practicing and teaching a natural health lifestyle for more than 9 years, and works with clients from a functional medicine perspective.   His work is deeply rooted in his own lifelong struggle with depression, IBS, and skin issues – which he later recovered from through his own research and experimentation.   Evan uses lab testing and a thorough intake process to discover the underlying causes of health symptoms, and a customized combination of nutrition, supplements, botanicals, herbs and lifestyle changes to address them. He lives in Louisville, KY with his wife and daughter. Resources Mentioned by Evan & Josh Not Just Paleo website Not Just Paleo facebook Evan Brand Website The Everything Guide To Nootropics Stress solutions: hack your stress, calm your system and take charge of your life Earthing Mat Aviva Romm: herbalist, midwife, doctor Mind Body Green: 3 Powerful Herbs For Energy CBD Oils HPA Axis Homeopathic Remedies Dr. Mercola Interview Heart Math Institute Forest Bathing: Shinrin Yoku Iris software - blocks blue light light spectrum light Epigenetics Antenna Search: See how many antenna are around your house Dr. Jonathan Wright: Why Stomach Acid Is Good For You Dr. Mercola on Cacao William Randolph Hearst - Paper-mill Hemp Controversy Emotional Healing Through Ayahuasca  [tweetthis] "Be the type of person that wants to soak up every day." - @mrevanbrand [/tweetthis] Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the WFR Community on facebook Send Josh Trent a personal message Tweet me on Twitter: Send us a fun tweet (or a what's up) Comment on the Facebook page Sign up to get an email alert whenever we release a new episode Support This Podcast Leave a 5 star review on iTunes Share this episode with someone you care about Contact Wellness Force Radio for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities Rate & Review Wellness Force Aloha! Josh here. Listen, I deeply value your thoughts, now let your voice be heard. I live to serve the Wellness Force even better based on your words, feedback, and requests. (including how these episodes can allow you to break bad habits) Thanks To Our Amazing Sponsor Want to avoid more trips to the store and save hundreds of dollars a year on superfood supplements? Check out Perfect Supplements.com Go to perfectsupplements.com/wellnessforce to get your grass-fed collagen from today's show and sign up for a free membership, plus get 10% off your entire order - just enter promo code "wellnessforce" at checkout. Ask A Live Question For The Next Episode Click here to leave a voicemail directly to Josh Trent to be read live on the air.  You May Also Like These Episodes Food Freedom Forever With Melissa Hartwig Nir Eyal:Breaking Bad Habits, Technology Addiction, & Emotional Triggers Healthy, Happy & Harder To Kill w/ Steph Gaudreau of Stupid Easy Paleo Beyond Meditation: How To Get A Better Brain With Ariel Garten Living A Healthy Lifestyle In A Modern World With Dan Pardi Creating A Life Worth Living With Michael Strasner Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the Wellness Force Newsletter: www.wellnessforce.com/news Don't miss next week's show: Subscribe and stay updated Did you like this show? Rate and review Wellness Force on iTunes You read all the way to the bottom? That's what I call love! Write to me and let me know what you'd like to have to get more wellness in your life.   111 Evan Brand: Adaptogens For Wellness & Energy

Creating happiness in our lives, especially in this fast-paced modern industrialized world, can be a challenge. Today on the podcast we're both honored and excited to share with you one of the most inspirational men in the health and fitness world, Bedros Keuilian, to share with us his incredible story and leadership insight garnered from over two decades where he cerated what he calls "The Immigrant Edge & The American Dream," built on the four pillars of happiness that Bedros has learned apply to all of us: Money, meaning, health, and relationships, and the balance of all four is what truly creates a life of abundance and wellness that we all deserve, but getting there and working to maintain, is not a linear process for us, and definitely was not for Bedros. JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST As you'll discover in this powerful conversation, where Bedros not only shares with us vulnerably, authentically, and powerfully about what he's overcome in life to create a global fitness empire, but how we can connect the dots and shine light on the contrast in our universal human journey. (that we all walk on this wellness path) That is, how to overcome obstacles, and the mindset and ways of being we all can apply no matter what our past, because the story ahead of us is the one we write with the pen in our hand in this moment, right here, right now. If you're open to inspiration, this episode is going to deliver on how we can become more emotionally resilient and apply these four fundamental pillars of happiness in our lives, no matter what the current reality. Happiness, The Immigrant Edge, and the American Dream Anger, guilt, confusion, and shame. These were all emotions that Bedros Keuilian felt as he worked with his therapist to reconnect with the little boy he once was in Armenia during the Soviet Union era. When Bedros was able to check in with himself and his subconscious thoughts, he discovered that his Immigrant Edge, American Dream, and self-belief are his tools to use for success, confidence, and happiness. How can we let go of the past in order to regain happiness, inner strength, and self-fulfillment? When we don't push forward in our lives, we may be pulled back into feeling negative emotions such as frustration, depression, and anxiety. On today's episode of Wellness Force Radio, one of the fitness industry's most trusted consultant as well as both the Founder and CEO of Fit Body Boot Camp and creator of the Fitness Business Summit, Bedros Keuilian, shares with us how we become emotionally resilient, discover adversity, and live the life that we want through The 4 Pillars of Happiness and HALT: The 4 Pillars of Happiness: Money Meaning Health Relationships Beat anxiety with HALT: Hungry Angry Lonely Tired When you stop feelings of hunger, anger, loneliness, and being tired, you can also beat anxiety in its tracks. This episode is a wonderful reminder that without the knowledge of self, we can't have money, meaning, health, or relationships. Listen to Episode 110 as Bedros Uncovers: Why Bedros identifies with the title as someone who "has the Immigrant Edge and the American Dream." What is the "Immigration Edge" and why is it so important? How Bedros teaches his clients about emotional resilience. What Bedros did to change the money story that he previously knew of as a child. Why Bedros now sees money as a point system that helps him elevate the kind of impacting he's making with his career. How Bedros went from being $127,000 in debt to becoming debt-free and serving so many people through his business. The business and life lessons that Bedros learned from his father by spending time in his tailor shop and seeing how he treated customers. Bedros' 4 Pillars of Happiness Why enough is never enough: you can always work harder to accomplish greater goals. Why Bedros chose to work in the fitness industry to help gyms and entrepreneurs give their clients a better service. How we can let go of anger and resentment to live a happier and successful life. How Bedros' therapist was able to help him beat his anxiety with HALT. The importance of dominating your life path and future by having closure with your past. Why pushing forward and being productive helps us to be happy. Why you "can't cut your family, but you can edit your relationship with them" and what it looks like. Berdos' advice on why you don't have to talk about your next career, project, or goal with your family when you visit with them. How we can let go from people who trigger our negative emotions? How can we keep calm and move forward with what we want to do with our lives? Top 3 Takeaways From The Show When you want to start a new project, a career, or make a major life change, there will be people out there you will tell you that you can't do it or it's not a good idea. A lot of times, those people are our families and they will go against our dreams because they don't want us to fail. However, if you have a goal that you want to accomplish, you're more likely to do it when you don't tell your family about it. Don't tell you family about your business because they will probably only have negative thoughts about it. Instead, talk to people who are going to get excited with you and are there to encourage your dream. When we are emotionally resilient and have experienced adversity, it is easier for us to let go from people and situations that trigger our negative emotions.  Experiencing a difficult moment can help us keep calm and move forward with our lives. If you're feeling overwhelmed and stressed, it's okay to hit the pause button. Go ahead to cancel and schedule that meeting or task. If you want to succeed, put your self first and take care of yourself both emotionally and physically. Power Quotes From Bedros Keuilian [tweetthis] "If you grow your emotional and adversity quotient, you will be a well-rounded human that can deal with anything." - @BedrosKeuilian [/tweetthis] "The immigrant edge mentality is about getting resourceful when you don't have any resources. You realize that no matter how bad things get in the USA, they're still better than in any other place in the world." - Bedros Keuilian on how he gained the Immigrant Edge during his transition from Armenia to the USA. "Even if you have a job, go start a side project, be part of a charity, or do something like build a house in a third-world country with Habitat for Humanity. These experiences will give you the environmental exposure that allows you to build your emotional resiliency and adversity. If you can grow your emotional and adversity quotient, you will be a well-rounded human that can deal with any adversity or difficult factor when it comes. Not if it comes, but when it comes because stressful events are sure to come in anyone's life." - Bedros Keuilian on how to build emotional resiliency and adversity. "Adversity is an advantage and I started to re-frame my thinking about negative factors. Anything bad that happens is actually a learning lesson towards something better." - Bedros Keuilian on the power of adversity. "Enough is never enough. I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing forever because I know that if I don't focus on dominating my path and my purpose, I will go deep into my darkness and the monster will come out. I will begin to think about what happened to me as a kid in Armenia." - Bedros Keuilian on the importance of doing what you love to do and how it helps to keep you moving forward.  "When you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, it's so easy for your body to manifest anxiety and that's what happened to me. If I can stop myself from feeling those emotions, I can stop my anxiety in its tracks." - Bedros Keuilian on his therapist teaching him about HALT and how it helped him with his anxiety and negative emotions. "It's highly important to process the negativity in your life. Negativity thoughts are like a computer virus. They may go into isolation, but you can never completely kill a computer virus and there's new software to cover it up. The moment you stop updating your software, that virus might just come back out again. Stay on your path of domination and do good because the moment you don't, you can go inward into the darkness and try to find problems that we need to  be"fixed" when in reality you're just delving into depression." -Bedros Keuilian on fighting negative thoughts and staying strong. About Bedros Keuilian Bedros Keuilian has spent the last 20 years as the genius behind some of the biggest names in the health and fitness industry. At the age of 6 in 1980, Bedros and his family immigrated to the USA from communist Russia in Armenia on a search of a brighter future and opportunity. It was in those next two decades, where he faced incredible adversity and taught himself how to choose to forge a mindset of steel, and grow a heart of service to others, to become known as the one of the greatest mentors and successful business figures in the health and wellness world. As the CEO and founder of Fit Body, recently listed as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing businesses of 2016, Bedros truly practices what he preaches, implementing the same formula for success in his life as a dedicated father, husband, and a pillar for his community that he brings to his fitness clients worldwide. Bedros Keuilian is the fitness industry’s most trusted consultant. His various fitness businesses are designed to enable trainers to maximize their earning potential with revolutionary industry techniques. Before constructing his fitness empire, Bedros owned five fitness gyms at once. After revamping his business model with direct response marketing and sales techniques, he began earning profit margins totaling hundreds of thousands of dollars from these locations alone. He would then go on to found Fit Body Boot Camp. As the CEO and founder of Fit Body, currently the world’s fastest growing fitness chain, Bedros practices what he preaches, implementing the same formula for success that he brings to his fitness clients worldwide. Fit Body was recently listed as one of Inc. 5000’s fastest growing businesses of 2016. Among Bedros’ innovations for the fitness industry are FitPro Newsletter and FitPro Magazine. These software systems help trainers capitalize on leads and increase profits. Bedros also co-manages a publishing company that prints top-notch fat-loss programs from trainers across the globe. Trainers have sold thousands of book copies thanks to Bedros’ push in publishing. Resources Mentioned by Bedros & Josh Visit Bedros Keuilian's official website Discover how to improve your professional fitness career with Bedros Learn more about Fit Body Boot Camp Attend the Fitness Business Summit with Bedros Keuilian Connect with Bedros Keuilian via: Facebook - Bedros Keuilian Facebook - Bedros Keuilian - Fitness Business Twitter - Bedros Keuilian Twitter - Fit Body Boot Camp Instagram YouTube LinkedIn Donate to Shriners Hospitals for Children Sponsor a child with Compassion International Listen to Bedros Keuilian: How to Reframe and Get the Outcome You Want on The Peak Mindset Show Check out The Power of Masterminds and High End Coaching with Bedros Keuilian on the School of Greatness Podcast with Lewis Howes Read The School of Greatness by Lewis Howes Listen to How to Tap Into Your Immigrant Edge with Bedros Keuilian on the Igor Kheifets Podcast Learn more about Craig Ballantyne on WFR 064 Beating Anxiety to Create Your Perfect Day Read about The 40/70 Rule and How it Applies to You Check out Ego Is the Enemy by Ryan Holiday Buy The Go-Giver by Bob Burg and John David Mann Get your own copy of The Body Keeps the Score by Dr. Bessel van der Kolk Read more about Dr. Bruce Lipton and the Power of Subconscious Mind Learn more about Gary Vaynerchuk [tweetthis]"When you are hungry, angry, lonely, or tired, it's so easy for your body to manifest anxiety." @BedrosKeuilian[/tweetthis] Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the WFR Community on facebook Send Josh Trent a personal message Tweet me on Twitter: Send us a fun tweet (or a what's up) Comment on the Facebook page Sign up to get an email alert whenever we release a new episode Support This Podcast Leave a 5 star review on iTunes Share this episode with someone you care about Contact Wellness Force Radio for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities Rate & Review Wellness Force Aloha! Josh here. Listen, I deeply value your thoughts, now let your voice be heard. I live to serve the Wellness Force even better based on your words, feedback, and requests. (including how these episodes can allow you to break bad habits) Thanks To Our Amazing Sponsor Want to avoid more trips to the store and save hundreds of dollars a year on superfood supplements? Check out Perfect Supplements.com Go to perfectsupplements.com/wellnessforce to get your grass-fed collagen from today's show and sign up for a free membership, plus get 10% off your entire order - just enter promo code "wellnessforce" at checkout. Ask A Live Question For The Next Episode Click here to leave a voicemail directly to Josh Trent to be read live on the air.  You May Also Like These Episodes Food Freedom Forever With Melissa Hartwig Nir Eyal:Breaking Bad Habits, Technology Addiction, & Emotional Triggers Healthy, Happy & Harder To Kill w/ Steph Gaudreau of Stupid Easy Paleo Beyond Meditation: How To Get A Better Brain With Ariel Garten Living A Healthy Lifestyle In A Modern World With Dan Pardi Creating A Life Worth Living With Michael Strasner Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the Wellness Force Newsletter: www.wellnessforce.com/news Don't miss next week's show: Subscribe and stay updated Did you like this show? Rate and review Wellness Force on iTunes You read all the way to the bottom? That's what I call love! Write to me and let me know what you'd like to have to get more wellness in your life.

Heal Your Immune System In Four Steps  Antibiotics are supposed to help our immune system recover from viruses, diseases, and other illnesses, but what if they leave us feeling fatigued, unwell, or even worse over time? With long-term use, can antibiotics actually hinder, not heal our immune systems? JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST Besides antibiotics, pesticides and processed food ingredients are also all too common in our modern society. Unfortunately, these three can be the culprits behind health, mind, and autoimmune disease. If we've developed an autoimmune disease over time, how can we fight back to regain our vibrant health, clarity, and strength? On this episode of Wellness Force Radio, Preventive Medicine and Chronic Disease Specialist, Founder and Director of The Blum Center for Health, and author of both The Immune System Recovery Plan and the upcoming book, Healing Arthritis, Dr. Susan Blum helps us discover how we can get to the the root of our autoimmune disease and recover our immune system in four steps: Using Food As Medicine Understanding Our Stress Connection Improving Our Gut health  Supporting and Detoxifying the Liver  Listen to Episode 109 as Dr. Susan Blum Uncovers How we can live a healthier life with the Four Fundamental Steps in her Immune System Recovery Plan. The importance of discovering the root causes of modern autoimmune disease. What is a healthy immune system? How does the gut, stress, food, toxins, and other factors come into play? The power of functional medicine to heal the mind and body. How is it possible that the number of people with an autoimmune disease has grown from 9 million to 24 million people since 1997? The constant amount of stress that we are facing as a society and how it's affecting our bodies and minds. Dr. Blum's experience with hypothyroidism and Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis and what she's doing to help other people discover and treat their autoimmune disease. The danger of eating fish from the sea especially after Fukushima. How to know if your thyroid and overall health is actually helping your mind and body.. How can long usage of medications or antibiotics affect the body? What can food do to improve our health after taking antibiotics for so many years? Why are plant-based diets and cultured foods so great to help gut health? How can dairy affect our bodies? What can we eat if we're unable to digest dairy products? How probiotics can help the inflammation throughout your entire body. The connection between having both an autoimmune disease and a leaky gut. What is dysbiosis and how does it affect the stomach? What is glyphosate in products such as Roundup pesticide and how does it affect our gut's health? Wheat Sensitivity vs Gluten Sensitivity How an Antinuclear Antibodies (ANA) test can help you discover if you have a general systematic autoimmune disease. How stress can really take a toll on our bodies and how it can lead to autoimmune diseases. The two stress systems: Hormonal stress and Acute stress How we can we detox our liver to live a healthier life. Top 3 Takeaways From The Show We've all had moments when we say "I'm too stressed" or "I'm so busy with everything." Fortunately, we have the power to recognize that stress and turn our feelings around. We don't have to allow stress to take control of our lives. Instead, we can find productive ways to use it and handle it. Regularly check in with your mind and body to see how you're doing. Taking a couple of moments each do to be mindful can help you recognize what your emotions or literal gut feelings are telling you. Meditate, walk, or journaling can help you get in touch with yourself and discover what you need. Following the Four Fundamental Steps in the Immune System Recovery Plan, be conscious about what you eat and drink as well as your stress levels. Treating our bodies naturally is possible without taking so many antibiotics for long periods of time. Power Quotes From Dr. Blum [tweetthis] "Functional medicine can heal the gut, detoxify the body, and help manage and measure stress levels." [/tweetthis] "Autoimmune disease is a malfunction in our immune system and there have been studies done to prove that certain factors disrupt our gut, stress and overall health. Functional medicine is an approach to treating and repairing the body. With functional medicine, we can heal the gut, get the toxins out of the body, and manage and measure stress levels." - Dr. Susan Blum on the power of Functional Medicine to heal our bodies.  "Today, babies aren't developing the healthy microbiome that they need to support their bodies. According to the Hygiene Hypothesis, babies don't need to be so clean because it tones their immune system. They should get an exposure to dirt to help their microbiome be strong. Kids should be playing outside. It's okay for them to eat dirt and parents don't have to make everything so clean." - Dr. Susan Blum on how a healthy microbiome and gut system can develop when we're young.   "You're eating what the animal ate." - Michael Pollan on how what animals we consume, such as fish our poultry, can affect us because of the mercury in the ocean or pesticides in the animal feed. "We don't have medicine for viruses, except for herpes. How can we recover from a virus? Our immune system naturally puts the virus into remission and that virus continues to live hidden inside our bodies. However, sometimes those viruses don't stay quiet and they can come back. That's when we have a problem with the immune system, but these four steps can treat that. By treating the immune system, you can also treat the virus." - Dr. Susan Blum on how viruses can be treated the same way we'd treat an autoimmune disease.  "The number one most important influence on your gut microbiome is food. Vegetables and foods with fiber and vital nutrients feed the good bacteria and help it flourish. Think of your gut like a garden and what you feed it will determine what will grow in it. So you can either grow flowers with good food or weeds with bad food." - Dr. Susan Blum on how food influences our gut microbiome.  "A plant-based diet and cultured foods are still king for encouraging the growth of good bacteria. If you eat cultured foods or take probiotics, you have a better chance at recovering the gut." - Dr. Susan Blum on how a plant-based diet and cultured foods or probiotics can really help our gut thrive.  "We all know that stress has this great control over us, but the fact is that we really have to take it to heart. We really have to believe that it's having an affect on us so that we can take steps to change what's happening. Try to think of it as if we have these 'stress auras' around us, but stress is actually the way our bodies are responding to them and we do have control over that." - Dr Susan Blum on the importance of recognizing how stress is affecting us and that we have the ability to take control.  "Keep practicing your self-care and keep it a priority. Check in with yourself to make sure that you're being true to who you are. We all have a North Star that's within ourselves that's there to guide us and that's also our intuition."  - Dr. Susan Blum on the best piece of advice she received to keep her health strong while working hard at her career. "Wellness is really about balancing our mind, body, and spirit. It's learning about who you are and finding happiness. Wellness is charting a path towards health with a positive outlook. It's about living your life to the fullest." - Dr. Susan Blum on what wellness means to her. About Dr. Susan Blum A true pioneer in Functional Medicine, Dr. Susan Blum has been treating, healing and preventing chronic diseases for nearly two decades. She has a voluntary faculty appointment as an Assistant Clinical Professor in the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her passion and dedication for identifying and addressing the root causes of chronic illness through the groundbreaking whole body approach known as Functional Medicine, is helping to transform our healthcare system. As the Founder and Director of Blum Center for Health in Rye Brook, New York, Dr. Blum’s crusade for personalized medicine is paramount for treatment and prevention. A Preventive Medicine and Chronic Disease Specialist, Dr. Blum is a member of the Medical Advisory Board for The Dr. Oz Show. She has appeared on Fox 5 News, ABC Eyewitness News, and is regularly quoted in Real Simple, Harper’s Bazaar, Redbook. Dr. Blum’s mission for Blum Center for Health is to facilitate a personalized healing experience by creating a partnership with her patients while providing cutting-edge Functional Medicine and teaching self-care skills for changing health habits. Through Dr. Blum’s medical practice, education efforts, writing, research, and advocacy, she empowers her patients to stop covering up symptoms in order to actually treat the underlying causes of illness, thereby combating—and most often curing—the chronic-disease epidemic. Resources Mentioned By Dr. Blum & Josh Visit the official Blum Center for Health website Learn more about Dr. Susan Blum and all of her work in Functional Medicine Read The Immune System Recovery Plan  by Dr. Susan Blum Pre-order Dr. Susan Blum's upcoming book, Healing Arthritis Take the Medical Symptom Questionnaire from the Blum Center for Health Connect with Dr. Blum and The Blum Center for Health via: Facebook - The Blum Center for Health Facebook- Dr. Susan Blum YouTube Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Heal Your Gut with The Blum Center for Health Discover the connection between Mercury and Your Health Learn how you can cure your Hashimoto's Thyroiditis (HT) with Dr. Susan Blum Watch Dr. Blum explain The Importance of Detox with Facebook Live Dr. Susan Blum on The Dr. Oz Show Visit the Department of Preventive Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai Check out the Organic Pharmer website Learn more about The Center for Mind-Body Medicine The Autoimmune Registry on Autoimmune Statistics Take your own 23andMe Genetic Test Check out Designs for Health Learn more about CASI Talks Find out more about Dr. Stephanie Seneff Learn more about Michael Pollan and his Netflix series, Cooked Listen to WFR 084 The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan with Dr. David Perlmutter Check out WFR 025 With Reed Davis and The Hidden Causes of Weight Gain   [tweetthis] "Treat self-care as a priority. Check in with yourself to make sure that you're being true to who you are." [/tweetthis]   Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the WFR Community on facebook Send Josh Trent a personal message Tweet me on Twitter: Send us a fun tweet (or a what's up) Comment on the Facebook page Sign up to get an email alert whenever we release a new episode Support This Podcast Leave a 5 star review on iTunes Share this episode with someone you care about Contact Wellness Force Radio for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities Rate & Review Wellness Force Aloha! Josh here. Listen, I deeply value your thoughts, now let your voice be heard. I live to serve the Wellness Force even better based on your words, feedback, and requests. (including how these episodes can allow you to break bad habits) Thanks To Our Amazing Sponsor Want to avoid more trips to the store and save hundreds of dollars a year on superfood supplements? Check out Perfect Supplements.com Go to perfectsupplements.com/wellnessforce to get your grass-fed collagen from today's show and sign up for a free membership, plus get 10% off your entire order - just enter promo code "wellnessforce" at checkout. Ask A Live Question For The Next Episode Click here to leave a voicemail directly to Josh Trent to be read live on the air.  You May Also Like These Episodes Food Freedom Forever With Melissa Hartwig Nir Eyal:Breaking Bad Habits, Technology Addiction, & Emotional Triggers Healthy, Happy & Harder To Kill w/ Steph Gaudreau of Stupid Easy Paleo Beyond Meditation: How To Get A Better Brain With Ariel Garten Living A Healthy Lifestyle In A Modern World With Dan Pardi Creating A Life Worth Living With Michael Strasner Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the Wellness Force Newsletter: www.wellnessforce.com/news Don't miss next week's show: Subscribe and stay updated Did you like this show? Rate and review Wellness Force on iTunes You read all the way to the bottom? That's what I call love! Write to me and let me know what you'd like to have to get more wellness in your life.

Have you ever shame spiraled after a "cheat day" or eating a piece of food that's not on an approved list? Shouldn't creating healthy eating patterns really be all about self-care and self-love? JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST How can we take all of the obstacles we face each day and really use them to help us make empowered decisions for ourselves? On this episode of Wellness Force Radio, lifestyle coach, sports nutritionist, founder of Sexyfit, and author of The Sexyfit Method, Zlata Sushchik, teaches us how we can deeply connect with our bodies, create a fresh start with our health, and gain our own confidence and powerful mindset. In this interview, Zlata uncovers how we can avoid being a "diet robot" that's compelled to always keep up with the rules, regulations, and latest "trends" around food and fitness. As you'll learn, no single diet or exercise plan made for every person, because we get to discover what makes us feel good about ourselves by trusting and honoring the process. Listen to Episode 108 as Zlata Sushchik Uncovers How Zlata's mother and her Russian roots in Moscow have influenced her career in the health and wellness industry. Zlata's story from moving from Russia to the USA (Alaska), getting her start in the fitness industry with bodybuilding, and her relationship with food. Why Zlata created Sexyfit to help her and other women create a healthy relationship with food and love themselves. How our health problems can actually be a blessing that leads us to live healthier lives. Zlata's experience starting out as a wellness coach and helping coach her best friend shed 70 pounds. What it means to be Sexyfit. Zlata's 5 Key Steps in the Sexyfit Method: Train Your Mind Food Freedom Simple Fitness Accountability Power of Community How trend hopping around diets eventually leads us to stop doing them and discover food freedom. How the Sexyfit Method differs from the Whole 30 and other nutrition methods. What was Zlata's Mirror Work moment and how it helped her analyze her relationship with food. What are the emotional triggers that attract us to food? How you can create a new dialogue with your body and stop self-sabotaging it. What both Zlata and Josh have done to help them change their state of mind about their bodies. Zlata's view point on weight lifting vs. simple exercise. Why exercising should be about honoring your body. How we're responsible for our own happiness and self-love. What can sabotage a busy mom's own health and wellness plan. Why selfishness is not a bad thing: We have to take care of ourselves before we can take care of other people. What's eating most people today and what affects us on a day to day basis. Why it's so important, but scary for people to take a closer look at their emotional inventory and come to terms with it. Top 3 Takeaways From The Show You don't have to be a "diet robot" that follows all of these different fitness and nutrition rules and regulations. Healthy is something you create for yourself. Discover and enjoy whatever keeps you motivated to stay on track with your wellness. Don't see your poor health as something to be ashamed of. Instead, see it as a blessing that you're recognizing that you want to take control of your health and wellness. We all have to start somewhere. Each day, you have the opportunity to wake up and honor your body. Do the exercises that you want to do whether it's cardio, HIIT, or LISS. Sometimes, some workouts like CrossFit won't bring us the same joy that other ones can provide for us. Just because your favorite workout isn't hardcore like CrossFit, it doesn't make it any less beneficial for your mind or body. Power Quotes From Zlata Sushchik [tweetthis] "Words shape our present and future. We don't need more restrictions. If there is anything that we do need, it's freedom." [/tweetthis] "We must understand that all of the different parts of the body are connected. If you're constantly fatigued, your body is giving you a sign that you need to pay attention to it. All your body really wants is just attention." - Zlata Sushchik on the power of listening to our bodies.  "It is possible to live in peace. It is possible and available at any time. To achieve it, we need to pay attention to how external chaos influences us internally and how we pick up on energies and mirror those reflections." - Zlata Sushchik on paying attention to ourselves.   "There's no one definition of 'sexy' just like there's no one definition of 'success' because that's something that we truly cultivate for ourselves as women and that's truly where we shine in being different in our own way. Our bodies are different, our lifestyles are different, and we must honor that in order to feel at home in our body and with who we are rather they buy into the ideas of what we're supposed to look like." - Zlata Sushchik on what 'sexy' means. "Sexyfit is about understanding who you are, how you feel, and doing things your own way." -Zlata Sushchik on what Sexyfit is all about.  "Words shape our present moment and shape our future. We don't need more restrictions in our diet. If there is anything that we do need, it's freedom. Freedom doesn't come from restriction. Freedom comes from empowerment and making choices based on what's true for us." - Zlata Sushchik on how we should be empowered to make the choices we want to make about food and not restrict ourselves.  "There's this idea that every workout has to be intense and insane, but half of my workouts are a mix between walking and meditation. I believe that simple fitness is really the best way to connect with our bodies and to connect with our movement. Fitness is not therapy. Use fitness as a way to honor your body and movement. Don't torture yourself with crazy workouts that don't feel good to you." - Zlata Sushchik on why we don't need to do intense workouts like CrossFit.  "The true wealth is our health. It's really important for us to honor the relationship we have with ourselves when it comes to trust, communication, respect, kindness, and compassion. Just like everything else in life, it takes work. It's not something that's just given to us and it's not something that's so simple unless we have the right tools." - Zlata Sushchik on the importance of honoring our minds and bodies.  About Zlata Sushchik Zlata Sushchik is a lifestyle coach, sports nutritionist and founder of an online fitness coaching company called Sexyfit. She grew up in Moscow, Russia but moved to Alaska (USA) at 16. During her career as a fitness competitor, she won top 5 placements at 26 shows including 3 national titles. She's been featured in Muscular Development, Flex Magazine, Rx Fitness and more. Her powerful message of The Sexyfit Method has helped tens of thousands of women let go of old weight by providing virtual nutrition, fitness and accountability coaching towards healthier, happier and sexier lives. She's known for her no-nonsense, no BS approach to health and fitness and at Sexyfit. Her focus is to create a foundation for sustainable living to help women get in shape and most importantly, create the habits that work for modern wellness. About The Sexyfit Method by Zlata Sushchik Sexyfit was created out of the notion that every woman is sexy in her own way and deserves to feel confident in her body. Zlata Sushchik helps women break up with unrealistic beauty standards and escape the “I’m not enough” mindset, as well as the guilt and anxiety around food. Zlata has combined her fitness knowledge with the expertise of the more than 300 top researchers, coaches, and nutritionists whom she on  interviews on her podcast . “The Sexyfit Method” is a complete five-step formula designed for women to create the body they love on their terms. What makes this approach unique is the combination of cognitive psychology practices, research-proven nutrition strategies, and simple fitness, all of which Zlata marries with useful tips to stay accountable and motivated for life. Resources Mentioned by Zlata & Josh Visit the official Sexyfit Website Get your own copy of the Sexyfit Method Book by Zlata Sushchik Learn more  about the creator of Sexyfit - Zlata Sushchik Check out the Sexyfit Podcast Join the Sexyfit Challenge Zlata's three helpful tips to beat emotional eating for good in 2017 Connect with Zlata Sushchik and Sexyfit via: Facebook Twitter Instagram Check out Zlata Sushchik's interview on the Earn Your Happy Podcast with Lori Harder Learn more about Reed Davis at Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Listen to the WFR 067: The 5 Metabolic Myths with Dr. Jade Teta Learn more about Upgrading Your Subconscious Beliefs with Bonnie Kelly on WFR 087 Read True to Your Core by Bonnie Kelly Check out WFR 071 Food Freedom Forever with Melissa Hartwig Listen to WFR 027 with Michael Strasner: Creating a Life Worth Living [tweetthis] "Just like 'success,' there's no one definition of 'sexy.' As women, we truly shine when we're different in our own way." [/tweetthis] Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the WFR Community on facebook Send Josh Trent a personal message Tweet me on Twitter: Send us a fun tweet (or a what's up) Comment on the Facebook page Sign up to get an email alert whenever we release a new episode Support This Podcast Leave a 5 star review on iTunes Share this episode with someone you care about Contact Wellness Force Radio for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities Rate & Review Wellness Force Aloha! Josh here. Listen, I deeply value your thoughts, now let your voice be heard. I live to serve the Wellness Force even better based on your words, feedback, and requests. (including how these episodes can allow you to break bad habits)

How can understanding the secret biological and emotional connections hidden deep inside our fat help us let go of old weight, discover individual wellness, and rekindle a trusted relationship with our body? On this episode of Wellness Force Radio, biochemist and author of The Secret Life of Fat, Dr. Sylvia Tara teaches us why fat is such a complex endocrine organ that can control our minds and how we can use that knowledge to our advantage for weight loss and more energy. JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST Our Individual Connection With Fat There is no one-size fits-all weight loss plan because our age, gender, genetics, as well as bacteria and viruses all play a role.  Forget everything that you thought you knew about fat and discover how you can create an individual approach to losing weight and loving the skin you're in. Listen To Episode 107 As Dr. Tara Uncovers  Why Dr. Tara wrote, The Secret Life of Fat, as an educational tool for us to use. What is fat? Why is it so easy for some people to lose weight and difficult for others? Why do we shame ourselves for our weight? When did we start judging our bodies? What changed society from bracing fat to fearing it? Dr. Tara and Josh share their fat loss stories and what has helped guide them to embracing their bodies. Why fat is so amazing and how it connects with our bodies, emotions, metabolism, and behavior. The analogy of money and fat in the body: glucose is cash, glycogen is a checking account, and fat is a certificate of deposit. What is leptin and how does fat regulate it? How does it affect our food cravings? What are the daily habits we can make to ensure that we continue to keep the weight off? Why we should keep in mind different hormones to keep off weight: insulin, ghrelin, and leptin. How intermittent fasting has helped Dr. Tara keep off her unwanted fat. As we age, other fat burning hormones such as estrogen and testosterone begin to decline. What do sumo wrestlers eat and what happens to their metabolism when they retire? The difference between visceral fat and subcutaneous fat. What can allow us to release adiponectin so we have fat stored as subcutaneous versus mesentery or visceral fat: cardio, HIIT, working out at night vs. the morning. How genetics, age, gender, viruses and bacteria all have different roles that play into how much fat we store. Why women are predisposed to pack on more fat than men because of their biology and hormone levels. Dr. Tara's tips to staying on your nutrition and exercise plan. Why we feel like a failure if we skip a day in our plan because of dichotomous thinking. Don't fall into a shame spiral. Take a break from your diet if you need and get recharged to get back on it again. Why sleep is so good to help our hormone levels and elevate our stress levels. The most fascinating fact that Dr. Tara learned during her research: that fat can control our mind. It controls our appetite and how affects how we think about food. What leptin replacement therapy is and how it could be used to help people control their weight.  Top 3 Takeaways From The Show If you're a woman, don't let the thin female models on the covers of magazines send you into a shame spiral. Women are naturally predisposed to pack on more fat than men because they are meant to store their fat for energy. Also, when women workout, they release more of the gherkin hormone which is why they're hungrier than men afterwards. It's not a bad thing that women store more fat and have hunger cravings after hitting the gym, it's completely natural. How much fat each person stores is completely unique to them because there are so many factors to consider (age, genetics, bacteria, gender). To approach weight loss, we need to create an individualized plan for ourselves. Know which foods help or hurt your weight loss goal and which type of workout benefits your body that most. Don't limit yourself to eating you favorite foods; just try to stick to your plan. Create a plan that works for your body, mind, and schedule. Don't be upset with yourself if you fall off your nutrition and exercise path one day. We're only human and taking a break is okay. We need time to recharge our batteries and get motivated to eat healthy and workout again. Power Quotes From Dr. Sylvia Tara [tweetthis] "We don't all lose weight the same way. You have to find a diet that just works just for you. " - @SylviaTaraPhD [/tweetthis] "The Secret Life of Fat is about having a better idea of what fat actually is and to stop believing in all of these myths about fat loss." - Dr. Sylvia Tara "Once I learned about fat and what it does with our bodies, it was actually really empowering. Fat has so many tricks to stay on our bodies and it can do amazing things. It's an endocrine organ so it can release hormones into our blood stream that can affect our behaviour, our appetite, and our metabolism." - Dr. Sylvia Tara on the power of fat. "We don't all lose weight the same way and that's why it's so important to tailor a diet that works for yourself." - Dr. Sylvia Tara "When you've lost weight and you're feeling less satiated and more hungry, just remember that your body and its leptin levels are driving you to get that fat back on your body. It takes a lot of drive and determination to not give into cravings. This feeling can even last for years and it's important to have that inner drive to keep off the weight." - Dr. Sylvia Tara "People think that sloth and gluttony are the only reasons why people gain on weight. However, genetics, age, gender, as well as viruses and bacteria all have a role in how much fat we actually store." - Dr. Sylvia Tara on how we actually store fat vs. how we used to think we store fat. "If we feel uncertainty in our daily lives, whether over a medical test, job offer, or family situation, the lingering doubt depletes our willpower. Starting a weight management plan during such a time of uncertainty makes it more difficult to persevere. If it is possible to ease the stress in your life before starting a serious attempt to change your lifestyle do so. Successful weight management requires the ability to take challenges in stride and maintain your diet and exercise plan." - Dr. Sylvia Tara on how to set up the mind so we can focus on losing weight.  "Once you get on a shame spiral, it's hard to get off of it. Not only will dichotomous thinking affect your diet plan, but other factors of your life as well. People with dichotomous thinking tend to have more depression, more eating disorders, and a lot more unhappiness in their lives." - Dr. Syliva Tara on how dichotomous thinking can negatively affect our minds and bodies.  "Dieting is hard. It's a long-term commitment and you have to fight a lot of urges to stay on it. However the rewards are good. It might be hard to go through and stay on a diet for awhile, but you also get a lot of rewards. You gain a control of your life, can buy clothes at the size you want to be, and so many other benefits. Choose to follow a diet when the timing is right for you and the commitment will be worth it. " - Dr. Sylvia Tara on her own difficulties with staying on a diet.  "Anger is a very strong emotion. What helped fuel me through this wellness transformation was my anger and vengeance towards my fat. Use your negative emotions and direct them in a way that you will win in the end." - Dr. Sylvia Tara on how we can use our anger and other negative emotions to fuel our motivation to lose weight.  About Dr. Sylvia Tara Sylvia Tara holds a Ph.D. in biochemistry from The University of California, San Diego and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. She was a healthcare management consultant with McKinsey & Company, and has worked for the world’s largest biotechnology companies. After an extended battle with fat, Dr. Tara became fascinated with its resiliency and embarked on a mission to better understand it. This book is the culmination of years of research and interviews with physicians, patients and leading scientists. The Secret Life of Fat will forever change how you think about this misunderstood organ. Resources Mentioned by Dr. Tara & Josh  Visit Dr. Sylvia Tara's official website Learn more about The Secret Life of Fat Buy your own copy of The Secret Life of Fat by Dr. Sylvia Tara Connect with Dr. Sylvia Tara: Twitter Facebook Check out Is Fat Really All That Bad? A Biochemist Explains in The New York Times Watch Weight Loss: Before You Move Your Muscles, You Have to Move Your Mind Read the article, Knoweledge is Power: How Fat Can Work For You , from Women's Health Listen to WFR 051 The Secret to Habit Change with Gretchen Rubin Stay with your weight loss goals with the help of StickK.com Download the Nudge Coach app Read Loving What Is by Byron Katie and Stephen Mitchell   [tweetthis]"When we're losing fat, we're actually remodeling your body's tissues and that's not an easy process." - @SylviaTaraPhD[/tweetthis]   Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the WFR Community on facebook Send Josh Trent a personal message Tweet me on Twitter: Send us a fun tweet (or a what's up) Comment on the Facebook page Sign up to get an email alert whenever we release a new episode Support This Podcast Leave a 5 star review on iTunes Share this episode with someone you care about Contact Wellness Force Radio for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities Rate & Review Wellness Force Aloha! Josh here. Listen, I deeply value your thoughts, now let your voice be heard. I live to serve the Wellness Force even better based on your words, feedback, and requests. (including how these episodes can allow you to break bad habits) Thanks To Our Amazing Sponsor Want to avoid more trips to the store and save hundreds of dollars a year on superfood supplements? Check out Perfect Supplements.com Go to perfectsupplements.com/wellnessforce to get your grass-fed collagen from today's show and sign up for a free membership, plus get 10% off your entire order - just enter promo code "wellnessforce" at checkout. Ask A Live Question For The Next Episode Click here to leave a voicemail directly to Josh Trent to be read live on the air.  You May Also Like These Episodes Food Freedom Forever With Melissa Hartwig Nir Eyal:Breaking Bad Habits, Technology Addiction, & Emotional Triggers Healthy, Happy & Harder To Kill w/ Steph Gaudreau of Stupid Easy Paleo Beyond Meditation: How To Get A Better Brain With Ariel Garten Living A Healthy Lifestyle In A Modern World With Dan Pardi Creating A Life Worth Living With Michael Strasner Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the Wellness Force Newsletter: www.wellnessforce.com/news Don't miss next week's show: Subscribe and stay updated Did you like this show? Rate and review Wellness Force on iTunes You read all the way to the bottom? That's what I call love! Write to me and let me know what you'd like to have to get more wellness in your life.

The digital world is growing faster than ever, but how it is really helping us to create better wellness, loving relationships, and true happiness in our modern world? On this episode of Wellness Force Radio, sociologist, entrepreneur, innovation consultant, and the author of Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way to Happiness, Dr. Anna Akbari shares how we can and find both happiness and wellness in a digital world. Listen and learn how to bring more wellness into your life as we dive deep into a discussion about career and life choices, relationships, and money in today's modern life.  JOIN THE FACEBOOK GROUP | REVIEW THIS PODCAST Think Like A Startup To change her life, Dr. Akbari had to start analyzing each of her decisions like a startup company would approach them. Even though Dr. Anna Akbari had a wonderful career in New York City and academia at New York University and Parsons New School for Design, she eventually realized that it was not enough to sustain her happiness and wellness forever. Following just one career path was not all that Dr. Akbari wanted to succeed at during her lifetime. She knew deep down inside that there had to be something more. One day, she woke up and finally decided it was time to pivot her life. Craving nature, new work projects, expanding her career and life possibilities, Dr. Akbari made the plan to move to California. Academia was her comfort zone but she knew she could be happier if she added more practical passions to the mix. Pausing our lives, pivoting, and making a major change isn't the easiest choice, but it could be what changes the direction of our journey forever.  Happiness Architecture How we can design our lives so that we can create the life that we want. Mental models hold us hostage in thinking that there's only one singular path that we have to follow to be happy and successful. Like a startup trying new tactics and finding better solutions, we can invert the truth about how a life should be lived and begin anew. We can afford to take chances, unlearn something, and innovate. We don't need to make a geographical change like Dr. Akbari did by moving from New York City to California, but we can find new ways to reinvent ourselves and be more open take chances. When we get outside of our comfort zone, we can make it easier for ourselves to pivot our lives in order to increase our wellness and happiness.  The 3 Part Formula for Happiness & Success If we get to a point in life where we know we can no longer stay with the same unrewarding job, a lot of us need to pivot our careers or find a new place to live like Dr. Akbari did to rediscover her wellness and happiness. While moving to a completely different location or leaving our work field for another career may not be entirely feasible, there is a formula we can use to evaluate and choose our next move. During our interview, Dr. Akbari shares her 3 Part Formula for Happiness and Success and how we can apply it to our lives. Simply ask yourself the following questions: Passion: What is something that you are passionate about? Practicality: What are you skilled at or could be good at? Audience: What does your audience demand? If all of these three areas successfully intersect, then you've created your own secret sauce for happiness and success.   Listen to Episode 106 as Dr. Akbari Uncovers Why Dr. Akbari decided to title her book, "Startup Your Life" and how it relates to her personal life. What her experience was like during the 2008 recession as a working professional. How "pivoting" can help us improve our careers, relationships, wellness, and more. The biggest pivot that Dr. Akbari has made in her life when she decided to leave New York City. Happiness Architecture: Digital Happiness in our modern world. How Dr. Akbari is able to handle decision fatigue throughout the day. What digital happiness can look like in 2017. How we can design our lives so that we can create the life that we want to create. What Dr. Akbari did to invert all of her assumptions about what would happen if she left NYC and took a chance to move to California. How do we know if we should drastically change our environments or stay where we are? What can we do to get rid of some of the facts that we used to believe about ourselves? How can we get rid of old software to start anew? Why Dr. Akbari decided to include the following quote in her book from Paramahana Yoganana: "Since you alone are responsible for your thoughts, only you can change them.” The 3 Part Formula for Happiness according to Dr. Akbari. How we can strategically spend money to help our feelings of well-being and security. Can love and relationships really thrive in this digital age? How does each gender play a part? How do men and women feel empowered in the world of technology? How do we socialize without technology? Why ghosting is one of the most selfish things a person can do in both their personal and professional lives.  Top 3 Takeaways From The Show Pivoting can help us improve anything we want to actively change in our lives. Our careers, relationships, or wellness can all benefit from pivoting. We can become better "pivoters" when we don't invest in the idea of what our singular outcome will be. If we keep an open mind and if we're experimenting with how we'll get to where we want to be, then the constant feedback will help us readjust our input. It's always good to remember to not be too over-attached to something that wasn't even feasible in the first place. Relationships, both personal and professional, have changed because of all of the new digital technology. We're so used to online dating that for someone to actually come up to us and ask us out in person can seem strange and even intimidating. The digital age has really affected the roles that both men and women play in relationships. Now there are all of these new terms like catfishing and ghosting that are really affecting our relationships with each other. We've gotten so used to moving from one relationship to the next through dating apps, they we don't take the time to really dig deep into one relationship. Conventional pieces of wisdom such as "money cannot buy happiness" is affecting the way we see money today. What a lot of people don't realize is that without money, we don't have the ability to create, thrive, nor relax. How we spend our money can affect our wellness and happiness. If we spend our money more strategically by investing in experiences, it can help build long-term happiness compared to buying objects. If we're worried that a life decision will set us back financially, we have to be honest with ourselves. Will it just slightly lower some of the luxuries that aren't bringing us happiness or will it threaten our well-being and security? Power Quotes From Dr. Anna Akbari [tweetthis]"If you follow your heart and you keep the 3 Part Formula in mind, then you will be happy." - @annaakbari[/tweetthis] "Since you alone are responsible for your thoughts, only you can change them.” - Paramahana Yoganana "The actions I did weren't necessarily glamorous decisions, but they were actions that many people think are out of reach for them. The difference is that I was trying to figure out life hacks and how to do things that might immediately seem inaccessible. That is what startups do all the time. That's what they have to do all the time to be relevant and to beat out the major competition. The more I applied that thinking to my life, the more of an edge I got and the happier I was." - Dr. Anna Akbari on how she was able to startup her life. "It's easier to be happy in the sludge. Much of our life is spent in the sludge. It's not all spent in those top-of-your-game milestones. We think that achieving those milestones will make us happy, but it's really all of those in-between moments that we have to sort out along the way that bring us joy." - Dr. Anna Akbari on how working towards achievements is what brings us purpose and makes us happy.  "As devastating as it was, I think the 2008 recession was actually really liberating for a lot of people. A lot of my friends and peers had been relatively unhappy in their life and career paths. Then everything that they had always taken for granted was pulled out from underneath them. So they thought to themselves, "Well, I should just go do what I want to do if this career that I don't want to do isn't secure anymore." - Dr. Anna Akbari on the effect of the 2008 USA recession and how people realized that they could change their careers to something that they love to do.  "Stop investing in so much of what the initial idea of what your singular outcome can be. If you're always thinking about what you're working toward and if it's only towards one thing, then you're not going to be open to a pivot. Any kind of shift in your focus or in the outcome is going to feel like a failure and an unacceptable outcome." - Dr. Anna Akbari on what can hold us back from pivoting and therefore making a successful change in our lives. "We've been taught over and over again that we should focus on one thing and really excel at it so that we can climb the ranks. But that's not the correct path for a lot of us; especially if we have different interests or just want to diversify our income. Following a singular path is not the only or right path for most people." - Dr. Anna Akbari on why pivoting and changing our paths can be the right thing for a lot of us.  "When I started following my heart and not doing just what was immediately professionally practical, all of these new professional opportunities for success started flowing in." - Dr. Anna Akbari on how her biggest pivot to move from New York City to California helped her find happiness in her career.  "We're at this interesting point in time when technology is such a crucial element of our lives and it affords us so many wonderful conveniences and yet, as we all know, it simultaneously diminishes and deteriorates the quality of our lives." - Dr. Anna Akbari on digital happiness. "Why does this magnificent applied science which saves work and also makes live easier bring us so little happiness?" - Albert Einstein on how technology can bring us very little happiness.  "Wherever you go, there you are." - Josh Trent "The more that we can keep our minds ripe and ready for change, the better we will be. Constantly pushing yourself out of your comfort zone or introducing new variables into your life will keep you fresh." - Dr Anna Akbari on how we can be open to change and be rid of old software or false beliefs.  "Your opportunity for both success and happiness is at this intersection of what you're passionate about, what you're actually skilled at or could become skilled at, and what people are demanding. If you can find an intersection of those three things and use that to interrogate which passions are viable and which aren't, you're going to have a much smoother and happier path." - Dr. Anna Akbari on her advice to clients on how to interrogate their passions for happiness and success. "When it comes to money and happiness, it's less about specific numbers and more about the choices that surround those numbers. Studies find that the amount of money you make matters less than how you spend it. While money alone can't buy happiness, strategic spending can significantly enhance your well-being." - Dr. Anna Akbari in chapter 8 (Hustle and Grow) of her book, Startup Your Life.  "Finding happiness is not so much in trading to a new novelty, but rather digging deeper. Really taking the time to put in the work is the key component with relationships."  - Dr. Anna Akbari "To follow my heart and not just always be thinking about being practical. If you follow your heart and you keep the 3 Part Formula (passion, audience, and practicality) in mind, then you will be happy." - Dr. Anna Akbari's advice on being happy.  "Everyone has their tipping point when they know that something is a breaking point for them. We all have to decide what that is for us and submit to it when that time comes. Embrace it and reflect on it so that we can grow. We don't grow the most when we're actually thriving. We grow the most when we've had some kind of failure and are forced to reflect and make something of it." - Dr. Anna Akbari on what we can learning from trying something new.  "We might not like everything that we see happening in the world and we can't always change all of that, but we can decide how we're going to design our lives and how we want to touch the communities that we encounter on an every day basis. " - Dr. Anna Akbari on what kind of legacy she wants to leave.  "Wellness is about creating balance. Whether it's sleep, diet, exercise, or meditation while also never forgetting the value of spontaneity." - Dr. Anna Akbari on what wellness means to her.  About Dr. Anna Akbari Dr. Anna Akbari is a sociologist, entrepreneur, innovation consultant, and writer.  She is a former professor in the department of Media, Culture, and Communication and the department of Art and Art Professions at New York University, as well as the Art and Design History and Theory department at Parsons The New School for Design. Her research focuses on visual and virtual self-presentation, technology and human intersects, dating and interpersonal relationships, and happiness and well-being. Akbari is the founder of Sociology of Style, which takes an intelligent approach to image and well-being and offers holistic image consulting and life coaching services.  She also created the Sociology of TV, which offers videos and white papers on the social significance of television media in public spaces. She is a partner in HVCK, an innovation consultancy, and the co-creator of the Silicon Valley Insider's Edge video series for entrepreneurs and enterprise employees. Resources Mentioned by Dr. Akbari & Josh Visit the official website of Dr. Anna Akbari Read Startup Your Life: Hustle and Hack Your Way to Happiness by Dr. Anna Akbari Learn more about Sociology of Style Connect with Dr. Anna Akbari via: Twitter Instagram Attend a New York Tch Karaoke Meet Up Listen to the WFR 099 with Ted Ryce: Eat, Sleep, & Move Your Way to Legendary Health [tweetthis]"Wellness is about creating balance while also never forgetting the value of spontaneity." - @annaakbari[/tweetthis] Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the WFR Community on facebook Send Josh Trent a personal message Tweet me on Twitter: Send us a fun tweet (or a what's up) Comment on the Facebook page Sign up to get an email alert whenever we release a new episode Support This Podcast Leave a 5 star review on iTunes Share this episode with someone you care about Contact Wellness Force Radio for podcast sponsorship and partnership opportunities Rate & Review Wellness Force Aloha! Josh here. Listen, I deeply value your thoughts, now let your voice be heard. I live to serve the Wellness Force even better based on your words, feedback, and requests. (including how these episodes can allow you to break bad habits) Thanks To Our Amazing Sponsor Want to avoid more trips to the store and save hundreds of dollars a year on superfood supplements? Check out Perfect Supplements.com Go to perfectsupplements.com/wellnessforce to get your grass-fed collagen from today's show and sign up for a free membership, plus get 10% off your entire order - just enter promo code "wellnessforce" at checkout. Ask A Live Question For The Next Episode Click here to leave a voicemail directly to Josh Trent to be read live on the air.  You May Also Like These Episodes Food Freedom Forever With Melissa Hartwig Nir Eyal:Breaking Bad Habits, Technology Addiction, & Emotional Triggers Healthy, Happy & Harder To Kill w/ Steph Gaudreau of Stupid Easy Paleo Beyond Meditation: How To Get A Better Brain With Ariel Garten Living A Healthy Lifestyle In A Modern World With Dan Pardi Creating A Life Worth Living With Michael Strasner Get More Wellness In Your Life Join the Wellness Force Newsletter: www.wellnessforce.com/news Don't miss next week's show: Subscribe and stay updated Did you like this show? Rate and review Wellness Force on iTunes You read all the way to the bottom? That's what I call love! Write to me and let me know what you'd like to have to get more wellness in your life.  106 Dr. Anna Akbari: Finding Wellness & Happiness In A Digital World