

Optimal Performance
Sean McCormick
Optimal Performance is the podcast all about taking your mental and physical performance to the next level. Whether it's through nootropics, cutting-edge biohacking techniques, or adjusting your approach to nutrition and fitness, we'll have the best minds in the industry on to talk about how you can achieve optimal performance in all areas of your life.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 17, 2018 • 54min
156: Stem Cell Optimization
OPP host Sean McCormick has a ranging conversation with Stem Cell expert and Integrated Health Specialist Regan Archibald. Regan has had 7 therapeutic sessions of stem cell therapy himself and is an expert in it's wide ranging uses.

Jan 8, 2018 • 1h 5min
155: Leaky Gut - Leaky Brain & How to Custom Repair Your Microbiome - Dr. Rosche
OPP 96 Guest Dr. Christine Rosche returns to talk gut permeability, stool testing and how leaky gut can lead to leaky brain and have a drastic effect on your whole body.

Jan 1, 2018 • 33min
154: Craving The Truth - Nutrition Advice That Works with Chris Dufey
Craving The Truth author Chris Dufey

Dec 25, 2017 • 1h 9min
153: Perfect Keto Founder Dr. Anthony Gustin on Movement, Sleep, Stress and Nutrition
Perfect Keto founder Dr. Anthony Gustin on the integrative approach to Movement, Stress, Sleep and Nutrition for optimal health and performance. Dr. Gustin is a sports chiropractor who owns multiple businesses (Perfect Keto & Equip Foods) and can talk leadership and time management skills just as well as he can explain physiology and nutritional strategies. On this episode of the OPP, we talk about: The difference between a cyro and a sports cyro? Looking at things from a movement-based, integrated approach Fire-alarm going off in your house, you wouldn’t ignore it Imagining does not equal intervention Foods that increase inflammation What you need to know about vegetable oils and food quality All tissue is made from the things you eat Problems he sees and how to scale his mission to the masses Have to let go of ego to grow As business owner you should be putting yourself out of business time and time again Purpose, vision, goal Transparency over all Educational company first Own your own health Keto is not a quality based diet If you look for average advice, you will be an average human Never use the exception to prove the rule Exogenous ketones, will they break your intermittent fast? Dr. Gustin's take on the Carnivore diet, Eat food that spoils

Dec 18, 2017 • 45min
152 Habit Nest The Greatest Gift
In theory, positive change isn't so difficult. The reality, as we all know, is a much different story. This week, we talk with Ari Banayan and Mikey Ahdoot, 2/3 of the founding team at Habit Nest to explore the neural connections involved in habits. We discuss the reasons change is so difficult, and what the research and their experience tells us about the best ways to help all of us take back our decisional authority over our every action so that we can actually realize the growth and self-improvement we all wish to see in our lives. We also talk about their latest project - The Greatest Gift - a gratitude journal experience inspired by Darren Hardy's The Compound Effect. Show Notes: Focus your attention Tracking and monitoring body for stress Self-awareness Maximize happiness on daily basis Lessons from Partners in Grind The Morning Sidekick Journal Helping enact actual behavior change Habits are neurological connections being strengthened The waterfall and dirt road analogies Be mindful of small decisions you make daily The Greatest Gift Become the ultimate storyteller Top 3 tips to live optimal Be grateful – your life is a blessing Experiment with breaking bad habits Remove the emotion of guilt from your life

Dec 11, 2017 • 1h 6min
151: Virtual Reality as a Fitness Tracker & Platform with Wellovate Founder Dr Joe Morgan
Is Virtual Reality the Future of Fitness Devices & Fitness Tracking? That's exactly what we discuss with Wellovate founder Joe Morgan as we explore potential applications for their mixed reality health and wellness platform. A collaboration between 3 doctors, Wellovate is creating an innovative health and wellness experience that may change the way we see health and fitness, the way we track it, and the way our personal devices can integrate with clinician's software. On this episode, we talk to Dr. Joe Morgan about: Meet Wellovate and the doctors behind it The most important health metric to track How many steps a day do we really need? Why Dr. Morgan says "don't miss the simple stuff" General --> Customize --> Personalize The importance of making health goals relevant to our individual health risks and family history (See last week's podcast with Dr. Anthony for more on how to decode your DNA to discover individual health risks) How fitness trackers are moving toward more valid and useful devices A picture is worth a thousand words, but a 3 dimensional one is worth a million The "nerds that know they need to workout" Cheapest genetic test in existence is to ask your parents How Wellovate plans to disrupt health and wellness Keep it simple, you don’t have time unless you make time and spend time with people that are healthy to your life Dr. Joe Morgan's Top 3 Tips to #LiveOptimal

Dec 4, 2017 • 1h 8min
150: How to Analyze Your 23 & Me Data and Decode Your Genetics with Dr. Anthony Jay
This week on the OPP, we’re decoding our genetics by analyzing 23&Me data with Dr. Anthony Jay. Author of Estrogeneration and a previous guest on the OPP (#97), Dr. Jay is back to talk Epigenetics by using our 23&Me data to look at our single nucleotide polymorphisms, or snips (SNP). These polymorphisms (not mutations), or DNA snips are the most common variations in our genes, playing a direct in the function of those genes and serving as biological markers for certain disease risks, among other health implications. Dr. Jay analyzes 23 & Me to investigate 3 key areas: detoxification, disease risk, and overall health. On this episode, Dr. Jay analyzes my DNA snips and you’ll hear: How single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP or snips) occur and how scientists use them as biological markers What these DNA snips reveal about our disease risks and other epigenetic tendencies The 3 crucial areas Dr. Jay analyzes My results What our detox genes reveal about our affinity for adrenaline, our ability to clear medications and caffeine from our system, and why bad coffee is a real thing What we can learn about our genetic risk for certain diseases - especially Alzheimer’s The exact genes and snips we need to looks at for this data The MTHFR gene, methylation and what you need to know about folic acid before you take another supplement Dr. Jay also reveals the genes that 23&Me stopped reporting and why this should cause concern The Top 3 Books Dr. Jay has read this year And more…

Nov 27, 2017 • 39min
149: Joe DiStefano on Spartan Living, Breathing, Kettlebells and Go Runga
Get ready to give yourself permission to act outside the status quo and seek adventure as our guest Joe Di helps us cultivate a Spartan lifestyle on this week's OPP. Joe DiStefano is the articulate and inspiring head of Spartan Sport and Spartan coaching. He also owns his own adventure travel company and in this episode of the OPP, we cover the rising popularity of obstacle course racing, tips for athletes, kettlebells, his digital detox retreats with industry leaders and much more. Show Notes for OPP #149 with Joe Di Stefano Joe's take on the growth of Spartan Racing and "suffer fests" Giving yourself permission to act outside of the norm How your life perspective changes when you seek adventure and opportunity Joe's top tips for first-time Spartan racers Tips for advanced Spartan racers Joe's amazing "Adventure Travel Company" Go Runga - featuring former OPP guests Ben Greenfield, Scott Dolly, Aaron Alexander and Eric Remensperger How do you get 3,000 pounds of ice, Dragon Door kettlebells, and Dry Farm Wines to the middle of nowhere in Panama The one exercise everybody needs to be able to do well... and some tips to make yours better ("shoulders are ear poison" and "line up Orion's Belt") The Prague Institute and DNS, aka Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization and developmental kinesiology Why we should lie on our back like a baby and blow up ballons Joe's Top 3 Tips to #LiveOptimal

Nov 20, 2017 • 48min
148: Alitura Naturals Founder Andy Hnilo on Peak Health, Vitality and Natural Skin Care
We’re pleased to welcome Alitura Naturals founder Andy Hnilo back to the OPP this week. Recorded in-person during the Bulletproof Conference in Pasadena, California last month we talk about Andy’s latest projects - at Alitura, on TV, and more - as well as his world-famous habits that are part of his quest for optimization. On this episode of the OPP: Find out what Andy has been working on for his natural skin care line Alitura Andy’s no compromise ethos on ingredient quality, the benefits of Manuka Honey, Hyaluronic Acid (from sweet potatoes), plant derived stem cells and the #1 anti-aging ingredient - all part of the Alitura lineup Why Derma Rollers matter for skin health and how to use them Andy reveals potential new products: deodorant and sunscreen Andy’s latest tips for optimizing health: activated charcoal to whiten teeth, methylene blue and aloe vera plants How Andy uses HIIT workouts to stay sharp physically and mentally What it’s like to act along side Mark Paul Gosselaar, aka Zack Morris and other people he grew up watching on TV 2 Books Andy thinks we should read and why How Andy uses perspective, gratitude and visualization to stay grounded, positive, and moving forward in his pursuit of the Optimal Life Use the code OPTIMAL save 20% at Alitura Naturals (dot) com

Nov 13, 2017 • 60min
147: Is NAD the Key To Longevity, DNA Protection, and Cellular Energy?
NAD, or nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide is found in every living cell and many researchers are excited by it's potential for recovery, longevity, DNA protection, energy, and cellular health. On this week's OPP, we're talking with Tom Ingoglia from the NAD Treatment Center on NAD in San Diego, CA about: My experience with NAD injections Tom's recovery story and how NAD treatments helped him "miraculously heal" when nothing else worked The latest research on NAD for: circadian rhythms cellular energy DNA protection Anti-aging & longevity The underground history of NAD and why these treatments are not more well known (yet) The future of NAD Therapy and potential applications for this powerful treatment How we can naturally boost NAD levels through sleep, diet, exercise, and supplements