The Smart Nutrition Made Simple Show with Ben Brown

You’ve heard me say it before and you’ll continue to hear me say: We’re all biochemically individual or as the old adage goes, one man’s food is another man’s poison.   When we turn to social media, IG influencers, mainstream news, and “biohackers” to provide us with cookie-cutter health solutions, we’re taking a “ready, fire, aim” approach to healing. Rather, we need to objectively and subjectively assess our starting point, determine and implement the individually appropriate steps to move the needle, and use those same metrics to strategically adjust as we move forward.   Today, I’m discussing these very concepts and more with Dr. Anthony G. Beck, a physician who has been practicing functional medicine for almost 25 years. In this conversation, we break down Dr. Becks' strategies for implementing and assessing long-term health and healing change with his clients through his Q2M2 approach in conjunction with the 4 overarching principles to his balance protocol that revolve around: Environment, Lifestyle, Nutrition, and Mindset.   Additionally, we discuss:   > Nutritional dogma, the scope of the field today and where to turn to for help   > How we use key performance indicators (KPI’s) to track progress   > The potential damage that “biohackers” pose on nutrition when the individual isn’t factored into the equation   > The environmental impact on one’s nutrition strategies   > The Coronavirus and supporting our immune systems   As a physician who has practiced Functional Medicine for almost 25 years, Dr. Anthony G. Beck doesn’t manage diseases ~ he empowers people to resolve them. With an extensive education in many clinical disciplines such as Functional Medicine, clinical nutrition, systems biology, epigenetics and nutrigenomics, he takes a dynamic approach to assessing, educating, and working with his patients to achieve their highest levels of wellbeing.   Even more importantly, Dr. Beck wants to empower patients to demand a higher level of care from their health care providers. Dr. Beck’s approach involves a vast array of aspects including environment correction, healthful lifestyle design, individualized nutrition, hormone balancing, resolving immune dysfunction and clearing hidden infectious diseases.   Here he brilliantly transforms the new science of healthy living into programs that are simple, fun, completely straightforward and highly effective.   www.bslnutrition.com/episode96

Are you living a life of purpose?   Are you happy with the trajectory of your life, or are you living someone else’s vision for what you’re supposed to be doing?   In this episode, I bring back Dai Manuel, super-dad, husband, coach, author, and fitness educator to share more about his journey towards creating the life of his dreams and what steps we can realistically take to do the same. Dai shares how identifying and living your life purpose starts by peeling away the distractions that keep us playing small. Think about it, If money didn’t matter, what would you love to be doing on a daily basis? We discuss the inevitability of change, facing the unknown, and admitting the possibility that you aren’t happy with the life you’re currently living.   There are so many “what-if’s” that can really get you thinking outside of the box, and, according to Dai, start to paint a picture that maybe is a lot more reasonable and achievable than what you weren’t originally willing to consider. When you’re willing to ask the hard questions, you’re ultimately opening the door to limitless possibilities and how to be proactive about the inevitable change that faces all of us daily.   Additionally, we discuss:   - The power of asking tough questions, like “what is enough?” and “what am I really working towards?”   - Why being an early riser has such profound advantages   - Why taking just 2% (30 min)of your day to invest in yourself, learn, and grow.   - When it comes to making change, there are 3 crucial questions to ask yourself that will determine your success.   - The “DadBody Project” and how Dai works with men to improve their confidence, self-image, and health.   - The power of community to drive success through synergistic core values, support, and to challenge you to aim higher.   - Why embracing change is paramount in personal and professional growth.   Dai Manuel is a super dad, dating his wife, with a lead by example way of living and a contagious personality, who is on a mission to positively impact one million role models around the globe to lead a FUN-ctionally fit life through education, encouragement, and community.    He is an award-winning digital thought leader and author, Distinguished Toastmaster & keynote speaker, former partner and Chief Operating Officer of a multi-million dollar retail company, and a sought after lifestyle mentor and executive performance coach.   Dai knows the struggle of the juggle and keeping his health and happiness a priority. He models his work based on 5 F’s: Fitness, Family, Faith, and Finances with an overarching roof of FUN, built on a rock-solid foundation of Health. Nuggets of wisdom and inspiration to take action to be your best self are guaranteed when you connect with Dai!   As always, if you love what you hear on this show, then do me a favor and subscribe, leave a positive rating and review and share this episode with a friend or loved one whom you think could benefit. AND, if you want to talk about working with me personally, I’d love to chat, just schedule your free nutrition strategy call over at www.bslnutrition.com/levelup   http://www.bslnutrition.com/episode95

In a world that is plagued by chronic disease, we’ve realized that we can’t medicate or cut our way out of a lifestyle and environmentally induced epidemic. Note that I said lifestyle induced. It is my opinion that much of what plagues us we have created within ourselves, be it physical, mental, and/or emotional, and certainly not intentionally, but as a product of the poisonous environment we live in, the food we consume, and people we surround ourselves with. In order to heal, we need to change all of those environmental factors, yet sometimes getting a better idea of exactly what plagues us, physiologically, can be a motivating driver to know what and how to move forward.   Enter “functional diagnostic nutrition” - an alternative way of objectively assessing health, or dis-ease and a methodology to treat the root cause of illness using various components of diagnostic testing, lifestyle modification, nutritional intervention, supplementation, and stress management.   Today I interview Brendan Vermeire, a Functional Medicine Consultant and Holistic Health Practitioner specializing in complex chronic illness. After being exposed to the power of functional lab testing in the start of his career, he began intensely pursuing that as a career path which has lead him to being the current Director of the Association of Functional Diagnostic Nutrition Practitioners, the owner/founder of the Premier Virtual Integrative Health Clinic, Metabolic Solutions, and a Clinical Educator for Bio-Botanical Research.    In today's episode, we talk about some of the nuances of functional diagnostic nutrition, when, if, and how it can be responsibly used and what other factors are necessary to help promote healing and long-term health, including physical activity, social and emotional support, and healthier eating habits.   As always, if you love what you hear on this show, then do me a favor and subscribe, leave a positive rating and review and share this episode with a friend or loved one whom you think could benefit. AND, if you want to talk about working with me personally, I’d love to chat, just schedule your free nutrition strategy call over at www.bslnutrition.com/levelup   http://www.bslnutrition.com/episode94

Of increasing popularity is the adoption of a vegetarian or “plant-based” diet due to health concerns as well as those wishing to take a higher level of responsibility for the environment as well as the treatment of animals.   In this episode, I want to discuss several things with you that are worth considering when making this kind of lifestyle change as well as some (hopefully) helpful educational, nutritional and supplemental strategies to help aid you in your journey, including:   - What’s the difference between vegetarian, vegan, and plant-based? Is one better than the other? - What merit does the “Game Changers” movie have with respect to the benefits of being vegan and what did they get terribly wrong? Who benefits from a movie like this? - Do vegetarians live longer than omnivores? - Vegetarian diets and muscle building, strength, and athletic performance. - Are animal proteins and plant proteins created equal? - Establishing protein goals for vegetarians.   - What nutrients/micronutrients are missing in a vegan diet? - How to supplement a vegan diet   - What (in my opinion) is a valid reason to make the switch and what is not and how we can stop arguing over nonsensical ideologies.   Let’s start with the basics: Terminology (Most to least restrictive)   Veganism: The strictest vegetarian diet. Excludes ALL animal products from the diet, including food products derived from animals (for example: milk, eggs, and in some cases honey). Some vegans even avoid using animal products made from leather or wool and avoid plants that are not organically grown.   Lacto Vegetarianism: “Lacto” means “dairy,” and this variation thus includes milk products, but no eggs or meats of any kind (fish, poultry or red meat).   Lacto-Ovo Vegetarianism: “Ovo” means “egg,” which is why egg products, but no meat, is included in this vegetarian variation.   Pesco-Vegetarianism: Are similar to lacto-ovo vegetarians, but also eat fish and crustaceans.   Semi-Vegetarianism or “flexitarianism”: Occasionally consume meat, but try to choose vegetarian options when possible. Some flexitarians exclude red meat completely, but still eat chicken and fish.   Plant-Based: Plant-based or plant-forward eating patterns focus on foods primarily from plants. This includes not only fruits and vegetables, but also nuts, seeds, oils, whole grains, legumes, and beans. It doesn’t mean that you are vegetarian or vegan and never eat meat or dairy. Rather, you are proportionately choosing more of your foods from plant sources.   Vegetarian Diets and Health: Do Vegetarians Live Longer than Meat-Eaters?   Vegans and vegetarians are probably some of the most health-conscious people on the planet - they tend to have a higher education, exercise more, sleep more, smoke less, and drink less alcohol. This also means that when you compare these people to the general U.S. population of non-vegetarians (less educated, less active smokers), avoiding meat is but one of a myriad of differences between them.   Observing differences in health outcomes is relatively easy but determining the cause of those differences is virtually impossible because of the confounding variables (education, exercise, smoke less, drink less alcohol, etc…).   But when adjusted for lifestyle, it turns out that the vegetarian diet doesn’t make us live longer. A 2017 meta-analysis looking at observational data from 130,000 vegetarians and 15,000 vegans, comparing them to a control group of non-vegetarians, reached this conclusion. (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26853923)   Another major problem with this type of comparison is generalizing about what a “meat-based” diet constitutes  - which in reality is comparing vegetarian diets to the Standard American Diet (SAD) Diet.   Let’s take a look at the top 10 sources of calories in the US and you tell me if you think it’s the meat that’s the problem:   Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars) Yeast breads Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks Pizza Alcoholic beverages Pasta and pasta dishes Mexican mixed dishes Beef and beef-mixed dishes Dairy desserts   Now despite the fact that everything on this list tastes fantastic, it’s easy to see how there’s far more, from a dietary perspective, to the sickening of the American population that just a meat-based diet.   I’d argue that doing literally anything but the SAD diet would positively impact health and longevity, with going more “plant-based” certainly being one of those things… but also low carb, keto, Mediterranean, the banana diet, the potato diet, the Atkins diet, etc… because all of these diets would effectively eliminate one or multiple of the calorically dense and potentially nutritionally void food of the foods or beverages that I just mentioned.   The problem is that when you have so many variables that can and do change—often simultaneously—when leaving the SAD, it is very difficult to determine what the actual health effects are coming from, probably because it’s coming from some combination of all of the dietary and lifestyle changes, i.e. in the case of transitioning from a SAD diet to a plant-based diet, one would start to eat more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. They eat less refined carbohydrates, sugar, and saturated fat. They exercise more and may put more of an emphasis on stress management as well as social support. During the transition, they may quit smoking, quit or reduce the consumption of alcohol, and focus more on getting adequate sleep. While we could debate the evidence for and against each one of these interventions, the point is that there are many changes taking place, in addition to cutting out animal products, that are consistent with what many people believe to be healthy living.   So tell me why we need to be looking at this in black or white?   Because of these two points that I have the biggest problem with the way the Game Changers movie represents itself. Certainly it’s not with the diet itself but because the movie references subpar and often inaccurate science to mislead the viewer in a dogmatic and ideological way when there’s clearly nuance and a healthy balance to be considered.   I think it’s great that it’s helping motivate people to want to lead healthier lifestyles but I’m vehemently opposed to using biased viewpoints and politically and financially charged dietary drama (probably to help feed Netflix views) to push an agenda on us when it’s so difficult to know what’s right or wrong for us with the scope of the nutritional landscape as it is.   If you’re interested in a reference that debunk many of the Game Changers Health Claims, check out the references below because I’m just not going to waste my time on the idiotic claims made.   Vegetarian Diets and Environmental Impact:   I’m actually not going to dive into this. It’s terribly complex, extremely emotionally fueled  - understandably so - and definitely not my area of expertise nor something I’m really interested in examining.   Here’s my opinion and what I can say:   I think that commercially raised, farmed, and slaughtered, meat is a problem. Particularly, I’m referring to Concentrated Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO) - industrial-sized livestock operation. They grossly mistreat their animals, feed them a diet that’s not conducive to health which affects the quality and health of the meat, use tons of antibiotics and hormones, and are massive contributors to global pollution, through both our water and air.   If it was that or being vegan, I think we’d be better off going vegan.   But, fortunately, there’s a lot that we can do choose a healthier way of eating for ourselves, the animals, and the environment.   Eat less meat - Meatless Monday - and implement more intermittent fasting Choose meats from local farms that are sustainably farmed and fed on pasture. Hunt your own meat (see my friend Curtis Jackson’s hunting academy: ) Use higher protein non-meat foods, like beans, lentils, and chia seeds as nutrient-dense sources of protein   If you’re passionate about this topic and want to learn more, I’d suggest following Diana Rogers - @sustainabledish (https://www.instagram.com/sustainabledish/) on IG as a resource to better understand the role of animal farming and sustainable livestock on climate change.   Vegetarian diets and muscle building, strength, and athletic performance.   There’s really no long term-studies to suggest any difference between vegetarians and non-vegetarians in athletic performance, so it makes sense to look into the effects of muscle building and strength…   The reality is that plant-proteins are simply not as dense of a protein source as animal proteins. That’s neither a good thing nor a bad thing, just the biochemical reality - so let’s discuss what that means briefly and how to objectively look at plant-protein vs. animal protein intake.   The two most important dietary factors for building muscle are: getting enough calories and getting enough protein in your diet   As you know, proteins are made of 20 amino acids, 9 of which aren’t made in our bodies, meaning that we need them in our diet (a.k.a. the EAAs). Three of the EAAs are known as branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) and have a particularly important role in protein metabolism. About a third of the protein in your muscles is made of BCAAs   We build muscle through something called muscle protein synthesis (MPS), particularly when MPS is greater than muscle protein breakdown. When it comes to stimulating MPS, EAAs as a group do it best, but mostly due to the BCAAs, and particularly the amino acid leucine. In order o maximize MPS after a meal, it is estimated that you need around 2-3 g of leucine - which is known as the “leucine threshold” - and THIS is the biggest difference between animal and plant-based protein sources.   Plant-based proteins contain around 6–8% leucine, while animal-based proteins contain about 8–11% leucine - What we see is that in smaller amounts, animal proteins seems to better stimulate MPS because of the amount of Leucine, however at higher doses, there doesn’t seem to be much of a difference when total amount of protein is equated, i.e. 48g of plant-protein vs. 48g of animal protein. The tough part becomes HOW to get in the necessary dose when eating plant-based…   Vegans need to eat larger amounts of plant proteins to give the same muscle-building signal (MPS) as animal protein. At the same time, it is more difficult to get as high – let alone higher – protein levels from a plant-based diet compared to your average non-vegetarian diet. The reason for this is because protein from plants is less efficiently absorbed as compared to animal-based protein, meaning that less of the plant-based protein you eat actually ends up in your blood. Furthermore, many other essential amino acids are more commonly missing in a plant-based diet. These include lysine (most commonly missing), methionine, isoleucine, threonine, and tryptophan.   These recommendations are referenced from a strongerbyscience.com article (below)   “Because of the above, we recommend non-athletic vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy eat 1 g/kg/day protein per day (compared to 0.8 g/kg/day for the general population). For non-athletic vegans, we recommend 1.4 g/kg/day. Athletic vegans can aim for 2.0 g/kg/day while bulking and 2.7 g/kg/day while cutting. Protein supplements are therefore a good idea if you want to optimize building muscle on a plant-based diet. There are many vegan-friendly options out there, including pea protein and rice protein supplements.”   Based on 200-lb individual (converted into grams/lb bodyweight)   Non-athletic vegetarians (eggs and dairy) - 90g protein/day For non-athletic vegans - 126g protein/day Athletic Vegans (bulking) - 180g protein/day Athletic Vegans (cutting) - 243g protein/day   Generally speaking, you’d need to consume approximately 20% more high-quality plant protein (i.e., pea & soy) to be on par with animal protein in terms of amino acid profile quality. - For most that are physically active and physique conscious, that’s about 1g of protein per lb of body weight.   To help make this easier, it can be a good idea to supplement with plant-based protein powder (some combo of rice/pea/soy) to more easily hit those daily protein goals.   Also, you’ll want to consider increasing your protein intake as you age because age-related sarcopenia and the MORE you strength train, then less protein you can get away with consuming because the training itself stimulates MPS - make sure you check out 2 previous episodes:   Lean, Strong, Healthy and Plant-Based with Karina Inkster (episode 43) - h Optimal Protein Intake and Muscle-Centric Medicine with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon (episode 63) - h   What nutrients/micronutrients are missing in a vegan diet?   Vegan diets are lower in vitamin B12, calcium, and iodine. Calcium, iron, and zinc might also be an issue due to poorer absorption from plant sources. Vegans diets do, however, have the benefit of higher fiber, antioxidants, and phytochemicals (plant-chemicals which, when eaten from plants, have several health benefits).   Most vegans will need to supplement with vitamin B12 because you won’t be able to get enough from your diet. 1,000 mcg (1mg) per day. - about 50% vegans deficient. Most vegans are at a high risk of vitamin D (unless you get daily sun exposure without sunscreen) and iodine deficiency (unless you eat a lot of sea vegetables). So consider taking 2,000 I.U.s of vitamin D and 90 micrograms of iodine per day, respectively. Supplemental iron for some men and certainly for menstruating women Some vegans will fall short on their calcium needs. Consider 1,000 mg daily.   Fat Intake:   Vegan diets tend to be lower in fat. Low fat intake levels are linked with low testosterone levels, which can impact health and performance. Aim for at least 15-25% of your daily calories from fats - nuts, seeds, oils, avocado     Should you go Vegan?   Why do you want to?   Where on the nutritional spectrum do you currently stand between SAD diet and Vegan? Can you make improvements without having to make such a big lifestyle change?   If you’re going to do it, please do it the right way, consuming more vegetables, fruits, legumes, whole grains, and nuts and seeds. They eat less refined carbohydrates, sugar, and saturated fat. IMO, going vegan does not mean switching from regular whoppers to the impossible burger, vegan mac n’ cheese and sloppy joes, which I just don’t think is making a positive shift, rather more of a lateral move from one shit food to another.   Contact me if you need help, use the Complete Essentials and if you’re looking for high faulty supplements to support you in your health journey at a fantastically discounted rate then I’d suggest signing up for a free Wellevate account - link below. You get a 20% off all practitioner grade products and I get a small kickback to help support the massive amounts of time and energy I put into trying to provide the best possible information, tools, and practical nutrition guidelines for you.   References:   Debunking many of the “Game Changers” Health Claims: https://rippedbody.com/game-changers/   https://www.strongerbyscience.com/vegetarian-and-vegan-athlete/   https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/what-is-a-plant-based-diet-and-why-should-you-try-it-2018092614760   https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26853923   https://peterattiamd.com/191027/   https://peterattiamd.com/is-red-meat-killing-us/   https://www.sierraclub.org/michigan/why-are-cafos-bad   As always, if you love what you hear on this show, then do me a favor and subscribe, leave a positive rating and review and share this episode with a friend or loved one whom you think could benefit. AND, if you want to talk about working with me...

If you asked me, I’d say that the exponential growth of CrossFit over the past 10 years has been overwhelmingly positive. It’s built communities that value health, it’s motivated women and men to lift weights and validated the benefits of lifting heavy weights, it’s created a fun level of competition within the group training sphere and without question, has tested the boundaries of what people are capable of if they commit to the process.   But for as many of its benefits, it has an equal amount of flaws: a high injury rate, incongruent program design and coaching methodology, high participant attrition, and unrealistic and dogmatic nutrition guidelines.   To highlight the pros and cons, I’d like to introduce you to Elliott Schackne. Elliott is a strength and physique coach, specializing in helping CrossFitters and trainers drop stubborn body fat, build muscle, and improve metabolism.   He has worked across the globe as an educator, public speaker, and coach helping people break through plateaus to improve performance, regain health, and simply look better naked.   As a former athlete, Elliott was a state-ranked junior tennis player in Florida, a Division 1 tennis and football player at the University of Connecticut, and a competitive CrossFitter.   In today’s episode, we discuss:   - The pros and cons of CrossFit, including what’s missing and why there is such a high rate of injury present - The role of carbohydrates in performance and body composition improvement - Why low carb diets are a recipe for disaster if you train hard - How you should prioritize your training and nutrition vs. simply cutting calories - The role of nutrient timing, specifically when to eat your carbs for optimal recovery and sleep - How to structure your peri-workout nutrition and how CrossFit totally missed the boat on this one   As you’ll hear, Elliot is a battle-tested veteran of CrossFit and a highly respected strength coach and online trainer who is openminded and progressive enough to realize that if he wanted to continue to improve as an athlete, trainer, and coach, then he needed to move away from the standardized CrossFit approach. In doing so, he’s built a much more refined and effective way of working with clients to help them achieve their strength, performance, and body composition goals.   As always, if you love what you hear on this show, then do me a favor and subscribe, leave a positive rating and review and share this episode with a friend or loved one whom you think could benefit. AND, if you want to talk about working with me personally, I’d love to chat, just schedule your free nutrition strategy call over at www.bslnutrition.com/levelup   http://www.bslnutrition.com/episode92

We’ve all heard that alcohol intake can negatively impact our fat loss and muscle building goals, but is that really true? Today we’ll dissect some of the commonly held beliefs and misconceptions about alcohol intake, including:   - Do alcohol calories count and is alcohol more fattening than other calories? - What happens in our bodies when we drink alcohol? - Are there any health benefits to alcohol intake? - We’ll address some of the known and unknown side effects of drinking - The impact of alcohol on testosterone and muscle mass - And should you choose to drink alcohol, 3 rules that will help you make the most informed choices possible   Additionally, I’ll discuss some of my personal beliefs and practices around alcohol intake, why I choose to eliminate it completely for periods of time throughout the year, as well as how we should be viewing our alcohol intake with respect to our relationships, stress tolerance, personal and professional growth, and long-term health and happiness.   As always, if you love what you hear on this show, then do me a favor and subscribe, leave a positive rating and review and share this episode with a friend or loved one whom you think could benefit. AND, if you want to talk about working with me personally, I’d love to chat, just schedule your free nutrition strategy call over at www.bslnutrition.com/levelup   http://www.bslnutrition.com/episode91  

By now you’ve probably heard all about the benefits of intermittent fasting. From weight loss to longevity to autophagy to improved performance. But which of these claims are supported by the scientific evidence and which ones have been incorrectly propagated despite well-intentioned bloggers, biohackers, health practitioners, your next-door neighbor who swears by the skipping breakfast, or your coworker who only eats one meal per day.    Today I’m joined by Dr. Krista Varady, Professor of Nutrition at the University of Illinois, Chicago to share the benefits and dispel some of the common misconceptions around intermittent fasting.    Dr. Varady is one of the foremost experts in intermittent fasting, and author of the Every Other Day Diet, having spent the last 15 years researching the various forms. Her research focuses on the efficacy of intermittent fasting for weight loss, weight maintenance, and metabolic disease risk reduction in obese adults. Her work is funded by the NIH, American Heart Association, International Life Sciences Institute, and the University of Illinois. She has published over 70 publications on this topic.    In this episode, we discuss:     - What is intermittent fasting (IF)and the 3 different forms, including Alternate Day Fasting, the 5:2 diet, and Time-Restricted Feeding  - The nuances of each form of fasting as it pertains to meal timing, meal frequency, and macronutrient intake  - The differences in weight loss between various forms of IF and daily calorie restriction (or lack thereof)   - The practicality of intermittent fasting techniques and behavioral change, long-term compliance, and success rates   - And finally, some of the common misconceptions with intermittent fasting and improvements in health    This was an enlightening conversation that helped me, and hopefully will help you get a deeper understanding of just how effective intermittent fasting can be as a tool to facilitate long-term, healthy, and realistic weight loss. And most importantly shed light to the fact that when it comes to weight loss, there’s no magic pills, potions, or diets, rather a myriad of behavioral change tools, like intermittent fasting, that can help you more effectively control your daily calorie intake in a way that works for you.    As always, if you love what you hear on this show, then do me a favor and subscribe, leave a positive rating and review and share this episode with a friend or loved one whom you think could benefit. AND, if you want to talk about working with me personally, I’d love to chat, just schedule your free nutrition strategy call over at www.bslnutrition.com/levelup    http://www.bslnutrition.com/episode90 

Today on the show I am sharing an interview my friend Nate Palmer did with me about a lot of the behind the scenes of my day-to-day. We talk about how I am forced to prioritize my time around my non-negotiables, how I prioritize my sleep, what my morning workouts look like, how I set my goals and make sure that I take care of the most important tasks so that I can spend time with my family. I hope you enjoy!

Struggling to find a solution to your health issues?    With the rising popularity in naturopathic medicine, it can be easy to think that where conventional medicine may have failed you, alternative medicine could provide the panacea.     But as one naturopathic doctor has seen first-hand, the path to true health lies not in the type of treatment, rather in one’s ability to identify what’s really at the root of their health problems.    Dr. Saman observed early in his career that much of the “Dis-ease” that his clients were experiencing was, in his opinion, self-induced, or psychosomatic (a physical condition caused or aggravated by mental conflict or stress) likely brought on as a product of their upbringing and ingrained belief systems. As such, he knew he needed to create a new model for how he treated his patients, which encompassed more than even the traditional naturopathic model had to offer.    Over the last several years, Dr. Rezaie and his wife Dr. Beardsley have addressed the missing components in both allopathic and naturopathic medicine through their Blocks of Health Model of healing. This healing methodology, as the name implies, has numerous building blocks addressing physical movement, the process of nourishment and elimination, as well as emotional connection with ourselves and our environment to promote a comprehensive and systematic approach to health and healing.    In this conversation we discuss:    Dr. R’s experience with the 75HARD challenge developed by MFCEO Project - Andy Frisella   Why exercise can be a negative stressor on the body and how to turn it into a net positive by factoring in your sleep, nutrition, and recovery  How even the most health-conscious people abuse their bodies only to turn to allopathic and naturopathic medicine as a band-aid.  How sleep is so directly correlated with our hormonal output, the risk for injury, and the ability to perform to say nothing of how the drive to go-go-go can negatively influence our children's growth and resilience.  Real or perceived emotional trauma and how it can influence our genetic expression  What constitutes Dr. R’s “Blocks” of health beginning with WHO you believe yourself to BE.    Dr. Saman Rezaie is a licensed Naturopathic Physician (N.M.D.), receiving his Medical Degree from the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine and Health Sciences.   Through personal challenges including weight gain and general health decline during his undergraduate career, Dr. Rezaie took it upon himself to learn more about nutrition and a healthy lifestyle. He implemented changes to his diet, took up distance running and within a few months, he released 15 pounds and acquired a complete return of his health.   Since this experience, he has maintained a passion for achieving health through habit, behavior and lifestyle modification as he has seen how these changes can first-hand reverse dis-ease and optimize the body. He makes life work with a balance of priority and his own time. He enjoys playing tennis, exploring the outdoors with his wife, 3 round kiddos and labrador, and continuing to learn about what it means to be human.    http://www.bslnutrition.com/episode88

Do you remember a time in your life when you were so excited or nervous or scared that you could literally feel it in your body? Maybe you had “butterflies in your stomach” before a first date or your heart was racing, or you felt nauseous and lightheaded.     What about when you had a deadline or a big presentation at work, or a loved one was injured…    There’s no doubt that there’s a strong connection between the brain, our hormones, and our immune system. This is called the neuroendocrine immune system and suggests that our past and present-day external and internal stimuli and stressors have a profound influence over our day-day health and long-term well-being.    In today’s conversation, I catch up with Dr. Jason Kolber, a highly sought-after chiropractic doctor and creator of the nervous system enhancement method for radical recovery. Having worked with numerous professional sports organization and athletes as well as everyday Janes and Joes, Dr. J has seen first hand the negative relationship between our self-imposed, perceived stressors and the impact on our physiology, from tight and restricted muscles, to anxiety and depression, to the dependency for OTC drugs to help suppress these powerful emotions.    As a lifelong healer, Dr. Jason has worked tirelessly to not only help his clientele through physical dysfunction, but has recently formulated an all-natural supplement to support the reduction of anxiety and onset of sleep after seeing many of his athletes struggling with tough travel schedules and the pressures of their day to day profession to help them, and all of us, wind down.     From fight or flight to rest and digest, we could all use a little more time in our day to take a strategic pause, a bit more reflection, and a conscious approach to being more proactive about our health by living with realistic expectations of our strengths and weaknesses and embracing the power of our sensitive neuroendocrine immune system.  http://www.bslnutrition.com/episode87