Optimal Performance

Author of Burn Your Couch, Rick Alexander is human movement advocate, military veteran, and ultra endurance athlete. We talk about his book, why you seek adversity daily, choice architecture, mindset, and intentional lifestyle design. If you refuse to settle for the status quo, then this episode of the OPP has your name all over it. Rick is a human movement advocate, US Military Veteran, entrepreneur who owns 2 businesses, podcaster, author of the upcoming book Burn Your Couch and an ultra-endurance athlete, who recently finished the Tahoe 200, where he ran 205 miles in 76 hours. Rick, like many of us, is intensely curious about the limits of our potential - both physical and mental. He's constantly pushing his own boundaries, documenting them through his podcast, articles, and now his book (and an upcoming project we discuss on the podcast) so that he can help others do the same in their lives. This is fantastic glimpse into the mind and habits of one of the strongest-minded individuals you will ever meet.  My Big 3 Takeaways Don't confuse comfort for happiness. Expose yourself to adversity as often as possible - even daily as Rick does. Take time to reflect. Many of us are committed to life-long growth and evolution, but it is the stillness between experiences that allows us to identify our gaps or blind spots that we need to strengthen in order to continue growing. I hope you enjoy this show as much as I enjoyed recording it.

Dr. Stephen Porges is the man who discovered Heart Rate Variability (HRV) in the 1960's and created the Polyvagal Theory - a model to explain how we function and operate. Thanks to Dr. Porges, this episode of the OPP is full of wisdom to help us understand our neurophysiology, how the Vagus Nerve impacts heart rate, HRV, emotional resiliency and how we can use that knowledge to optimize mental and physical performance. We cover: - How Dr. Porges discovered Hear Rate Variability (HRV) - Breathing does change parameters of HRV - Focus on tasks with metrics of success - The good scientist knows to learn from others - The only way the science moves ahead is through the feedback - What is the best way for us to measure HRV? - The Pocket Guide to Polyvagal Theory: The Transformative Power of Feeling Safe - Why the saying "scared shitless" is a real thing - Neuroception vs. Perception - Addressing the relevance of Polyvagal Theory in mammals - The vagus Nerve, trauma and mobilization - Once we identify the system, the mechanism, then we can intervene in ways to optimize those mechanisms - Being comfortable with stillness - Translating theoretical work into practice - How far can we push the window and when we hit the wall how do we use that information to define or redefine us - Why Dr. Porges say our nervous system is waiting for Johnny Mathis - Dr. Porges's Top 3 Tips to Live Optimal

Resprana CEO Sophie Frank on how they're revolutionizing personal air filtration and changing the way the world breathes with a new approach to fighting air pollution.  With their innovative design on wearable air filters (WAF), Resprana seeks to offer all the protection of a mask (if not more) - without the mask. Air pollution kills 7 million people every year - including 2 people every minute in India alone. When the Air Quality Index (AQI) was created, the scale was 0-500. Cities like Beijing, China and Delhi, India routinely measure AQI's at 700 to 1,000 - well above the top end of that scale. As I write this, the current AQI in Mexico City is 868 and the prevalence of yellow (moderate), orange (unhealthy) and red (hazardous) AQI's around the world is alarming. (Find a link to this real-time AQI map on the blog post.) As you'll hear from Resprana CEO Sophie Frank, air pollution is something we should all pay more attention to. "We're not opting into this behavior, it's presented to us because of the world's situation." 7 million die a year from effects of air pollution; 2 people every minute Environment matters City wide pollution It's not just urban areas - forest fires, earthquakes, and volcanoes affect air quality Spending one day on New Delhi same as smoking 2 packs of cigarettes When does Sophie wear protection herself in certain cities, and how does she decide? Correlation of exposure to pollution to cancer? Resprana next fashion accessory, while decreasing exposure to pollution Serve the need of the larger populations and increasing distribution through strategic partnerships with the corporate and hotel industries Using 3D printers to better the distribution Phase 2: Customizing and enhancing product as piece of jewelry - something users are proud to wear Get Sophie's Top 3 Tips to #LiveOptimal

Low Carb/Keto/Paleo Nutritionist Amy Berger on how much protein, fat, and salt we really need, insulin as the real cause of hypertension and Alzheimer's as an energy crisis in the brain, aka "diabetes of the brain". Hear how: - Insulin, not sodium, is the #1 cause of high blood pressure - Learn about the body's natural "cutoff points" for salt and protein - but not for carbohydrates - Find out how much salt, protein and fat we really need each day - Alzheimer's = an energy crisis in the brain, cause by glucose intolerance, leading to "diabetes of the brain" Tune in for all this and so much more from Amy.

Episode #139 of the OPP gives you a front row seat to the amazing speakers at the Success Live Conference run by Success Magazine.  The event featured some of the world’s leading speakers, writers, scientists and innovators - Peter Diamandis, Dr. Daniel Amen, Jocko Willinck, Brendon Burchard, Keith Ferrazi, Mel Robbins, Tom Bilyeu Les Brown, and John Gray, just to name a few... This episode of the OPP is the edited and distilled version of my notes - given you all of the major bullet points, quotes, and takeaways from every speaker. From start to finish, this episode is packed with 63 gems along with the 5-6 themes that seemed to permeate the weekend, regardless of who was speaking. #LiveOptimal

Today’s episode of the OPP features straight-shooting Texas-based holistic doctor, Stephen Lewis who specializes in chronic fatigue syndrome, thyroid issues and heavy metal detoxification.   On this episode, we talk about why US chicken farmers won’t eat their own chickens (you shouldn’t either), how heavy metal get into our bodies, disrupt hormonal function and health and what you can do about, as well as other strategies to detoxify our bodies and help optimize our health and energy levels.   Dr. lewis shares some of his favorite vitamins, minerals, and herbs for detoxification, hormone optimization, cancer-fighting, and energy metabolism.   We cover: Differences in US vs European health and obesity levels Why chicken farmers won’t eat their own chickens Heavy metal detoxification - arsenic, lead, mercury… Why grumpy polar bears are indicative of global toxic loads Cadmium and men’s prostate health "Detoxify or Die" Why 6-week detoxes suck and what you need to do to turn on your natural detoxification pathways Top causes and indicators of chronic fatigue - and what you can do about it Vitamin B5 for stress, and the power of Selenium and Ashwaganda Cancer and hypo-methylation Is magnolia bark the next super supplement? Road rage in the US vs other other countries Why finding peace is so powerful for our health

Find out why the world's top neuroscientists believe this "groundbreaking" device can reduce body fat and change our set points without any changes to diet or exercise. Neurovalens CEO Dr. Jason McKeown (trained under V.S. Ramachandran) has created a groundbreaking technology that uses vestibular stimulation to "biohack" the hypothalamus, the portion of our brain that serves as the control center for the hormones that regulate weight, appetite and body composition.  On the show we talk about: Discover how the hypothalamus controls body fat levels and appetite Learn how neurovestibular stimulation works Why our bodies are prepared to store fat than to burn fat (HINT: our ancestors were more likely to starve to death than overeat on a regular basis Can MODIUS really help us lower this "set point"? And do it without changing our diet or exercise? If it’s real, then it can withstand criticism and if it crumbles to criticism it wasn’t real Do they see benefit other than the superficial body fat reduction? And what can they say without upsetting the FDA? If this device works by replicating motion, why not walk or play flag football - something that is actually a motion, rather than stimulating it? (This Jason's ultimate goal, but he sees MODIUS as a bridge for millions.) The paradigm shifting study done by NASA in the 60’s  What you build your self-esteem around matters (Tom’s advice) Why it's good to be open to being wrong The Obesity Epidemic in the US has reached an all time high, with every state's population being > 20-25% obese, some states as high as 35-40%. MODIUS may be a life changing tool for millions of people who struggle to reduce fat.

This episode of the OPP is for everyone who was ever told they were too short, too slow, or not good enough. Told he was too short for years, Govert Viergever ignored the doubters, honed his craft, created an opportunity for himself and capitalized, earning himself a spot on the Dutch Olympic team for the 2016 Rio Games. After a 5th place finish, he and teammates have their sights set on gold in 2020 and today, Govert is on the OPP explaining how biohacking and functional medicine have fueled his success. Focused and determined to succeed, Govert explains how he's using neurofeedback, cold and hot thermogenesis, keto dieting in his training program and he shares the secrets to behind his training, recovery, mindset and more: Chasing your dreams despite the doubters and obstacles How Govert plans his training to develop both aerobic (power) and anaerobic (endurance) capacities  Find out how he cycles his carbs and use the ketogenic diet to support these training goals The difference between having a condition, and being a condition - "I may have a splinter" but that doesn't mean "I am a splinter" Tackle the problems you can measure Tracking HRV, sleep, and using the Oura Ring Goal setting and staying focused for a 4-year training cycle from 1 Olympic Games to the next

Our guest this week is leading digestive health expert, Dr. Michael Murray. Dr. Murray has authored more than 30 books on natural approaches to health and optimization. On today's episode we explore digestive health and dispel common misconceptions regarding heartburn medications, enzymes, probiotics and the public's perception of the term "natural". A few of the common digestive health questions we address: Digestive Enzymes vs. Probiotics (When and Why to use each) Why you should avoid the class of heartburn medications known as Proton Pump Inhibitors (like Nexium, Prilosec, Prevacid, etc) Discover the natural alternatives to these drugs  Why the public links "natural" with "not scientific" Learn why Ginger and Licorice should be staples in your pantry Why the "therapeutic dose" matters in the food vs. supplement debate How certain drugs get on the market before researchers fully understand their impact and what it takes to eventually pull them once we know they're harmful If you enjoy this episode, you can get more gut health information in Dr. Murray's FREE online Digestive Health Summit 9/9-9/17

"Success leaves footprints" is one of the rules I live by. It's one of the most powerful truths I know of, and it's extremely applicable to today's episode of the OPP featuring 2-time Olympian Peter Shmock. Peter is in the Oregon University Track Hall Of Fame. He was on the same track team as Steve Prefontaine (the Steve McQueen of running), was mentored and coached by the legendary Bill Bowerman - the same Bill Bowerman who invented the waffle outsole running shoe and helped Phil Knight found a little running shoe company called...NIKE! Aside from his Olympic, Oregon, and Nike connections, Peter has coached a wide range of elite performers, from professional baseball players (Seattle Mariners for 11 years) to professional dancers in the Pacific Northwest Ballet. To say he knows a thing or two about excellence and longevity is an understatement. His new book, The Way of The Life Athlete lays it all out, but I take you inside his brain for an inside look at the common traits shared by some of the world's most successful people - in sport, business, and life. Amid great storytelling, here are few of the key lessons Peter shares in this episode: Find a proven method, trust it and follow it with remarkable consistency. Mentors can be game-changers, but you must be open to learning The most successful people are lifetime learners Flow like water & be adaptable - life will inevitably throw you curveballs and chaos Get the details and the rest of Peter's sagely wisdom on this killer episode of the OPP.