Stop Chasing Pain

In this episode, join us as we talk with Boyd Varty, author of "The Lion Tracker's Guide To Life".  A wildlife and literacy activist Boyd Varty, had an unconventional upbringing. Born to a family of conservationists, Boyd grew up on Londolozi Game Reserve in the South African wilderness, a place where man and nature strive for balance, where perils exist alongside wonders.  Since childhood, Boyd shared his home with lions, leopards, snakes, and elephants and has spent his life in apprenticeship to the wisdom of nature. Boyd survived a harrowing black mamba encounter, a debilitating bout with malaria, even a vicious crocodile attack, but his biggest challenge was a personal crisis of purpose. As a university student, he studied psychology and ecology, supplementing his education by learning martial arts in Thailand, hiking through the jungles of the Amazon, and apprenticing to a renowned tracker from the Shangaan tribe deepening his intimate knowledge of the natural world. Boyd grew up speaking the local language and learning the true meaning of coexistence between people and with nature. Highlights of this podcast include: Awareness begins transformation Tracking Authentic self vs social self Healing Solitude in nature The story we tell ourselves  And so much more Follow Boyd on Instagram @boyd_varty. Learn more about his books and his work at boydvarty.com.

In this episode, join us as we talk with Dr. Uma Naidoo, author of "This Is Your Brain On Food".  A Harvard-trained psychiatrist, Professional Chef graduating with her culinary schools’ most coveted award, and a trained Nutrition Specialist. Her nexus of interests have found their niche in Nutritional Psychiatry. Dr. Naidoo founded and directs the first hospital-based Nutritional Psychiatry Service in the United States. She is the Director of Nutritional and Lifestyle Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) & Director of Nutritional Psychiatry at MGH Academy while serving on the faculty at Harvard Medical School. She was considered Harvard’s Mood-Food expert and has been featured in the Wall Street Journal. Highlights of this podcast include: Eating to up our mental health The gut-brain romance Impact of food on emotional health Mediterranean eating pattern Metabolic health Small changes you can apply today PTSD Sleep and food Proteins, oils, dairy, gluten, nuts, etc., And much more Follow Dr. Naidoo on Instagram @drumanaidoo. Learn more about his book and his work at umanaidoomd.com.

In this episode, we talk with Human Performance Specialist, Brian Mackenzie, founder & CEO of UnScared Inc/SH/FT, and co-founder & president of Health and Human Performance Foundation.  Brian Mackenzie is an innovator in human performance on stress adaptation and a pioneer in the development and application of custom protocols to optimize human health and performance. His work harnesses and integrates respiratory, movement, strength, conditioning and endurance-based training approaches to elicit unprecedented positive results. His protocols have been used to accelerate and raise both mental and physical performance in world-class Olympic and professional athletes, top executives, and elite military operators, as well as to improve the health for people suffering from various chronic and pathological issues. Brian’s work is voluntarily and repeatedly subjected to rigorous 3rd party scientific testing, re-testing and improvement, at top institutions. He has been contracted and his work involved in research projects at Stanford University School of Medicine, California State University Fullerton, and San Francisco State University. Brian has also co-authored the book Power Speed Endurance, The New York Times Best Seller UnBreakable Runner, and UnPlugged, which assesses the integration of emergent technology and human performance. Highlights of this podcast include: Pain Behavior change and misaligned energy Breathing and Autism Aerobic efficiency Evolution of medicine and technology Breathing vs oxygen consumption Over breathing and sympathetic dominance Aerobic and Anaerobic breathing and metabolic disorders And much more...   Follow Brian on Instagram @_brianmackenzie. Learn more about his book and his work at brianmackenzie.com.

In this episode, we chat with Ilene Smith.  Author, trauma healer, and speaker. We discuss Ilene’s first book, Moving Beyond Trauma: The Roadmap to Healing from Your Past and Living with Ease and Vitality.  The intention is to help the reader develop a new relationship with their history and understand the importance of bringing the body into the healing process when trying to resolve issues related to trauma Ilene is on a mission to create a world with less trauma. While it’s inevitable that we all will be touched by trauma on some level, everyone has the capacity to heal and create a life of ease and vitality. Ilene is a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (SEP) and completed a 3-year training with the Somatic Experiencing Institute founded by Peter Levine. She is a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) through the GROW Training Institute, Inc. and holds a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling and a Masters degree in Exercise Physiology. Ilene has passed the National Clinical Mental Health Counseling Examination (NCMHCE) qualifying her for licensure in Arizona.  Trauma – what does it mean Somatic Experiencing  It’s not your fault  Moving beyond the why Body – Mind connection The importance of the VAGUS nerve Healing Lifestyle And much more…   Follow her on Instagram @ilenesmithhealing. Learn more about her book and her work at movingbeyondtrauma.co and ilenesmith.com.

In this episode, Dr. Terry Wahls, an Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Practitioner and a clinical professor of medicine at the University of Iowa; tells us her story and how she has beat progressive MS.  In addition to conducting clinical trials at the University of Iowa, Dr. Wahls also holds secondary appointments in the departments of neurology and epidemiology. In 2018 she was awarded the Institute for Functional Medicine’s Linus Pauling Award for her contributions in research, clinical care, and patient advocacy. She is also a patient with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, which confined her to a tilt-recline wheelchair for four years. Dr. Wahls restored her health using a diet and lifestyle program she designed specifically for her brain and now pedals her bike to work each day. She is the author of The Wahls Protocol: How I Beat Progressive MS Using Paleo Principles and Functional Medicine, The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles (paperback), and the cookbook The Wahls Protocol Cooking for Life: The Revolutionary Modern Paleo Plan to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions. She also teaches the public and medical community about the healing power of the Paleo diet and therapeutic lifestyle changes that restore health and vitality to our citizens. Dr. Wahls also trains physicians, nutrition professionals, movement professionals, and health coaches on how to implement these concepts into their clinical practices.    Some stuff we cover: Trigeminal Neuralgia – Dr. Wahls tells us her story and how she is pain-free now Dietary and lifestyle changes Genetics and bacteria Chronic pain patients in veterans affairs medical center Conditions The Wahls protocol has helped What three things can people start doing now And much more…   Follow her on Instagram @drterrywahls, and on Facebook/Twitter at @TerryWahls.   Learn more about her MS clinical trials https://wahls.lab.uiowa.edu/join-study.

In this episode, we have Dr. Aly Cohen, co-author of ‘Non-Toxic: A Guide to Living Healthy in a Chemical World”.  Dr. Cohen is a board-certified rheumatologist and integrative medicine physician, as well as an environmental health specialist. Her medical practice, located in Princeton  NJ, focuses on the western medical and integrative approaches to a variety of health conditions in both adults and children, including rheumatologic disorders, arthritis, chronic pain, immune system dysfunction, environmental health, and nutrition consultation.  She is also the creator of TheSmartHuman.com where she shares environmental health, disease prevention, and wellness information with the public.  Dr. Cohen is working to educate and empower the next generation to make safer, smarter lifestyle choices through the creation of environmental health and prevention curricula for schools nationally.  Get your brain ready! Some stuff we cover: Environmental Toxins – How they affect humans and pets Chemicals and toxins in your cookware Endocrine disruptors and what to do about them Why did Dr. Cohen get into rheumatology BPA, other bisphenol and hormones EMF and radiation Easy tips you can begin to implement now Disinfection vs cleaning  And much more…   Link to Dr. Cohen and her work: WEBSITE LINK

This episode we have Gary Douglas discussing his 'Access Consciousness' program. Best-selling author, international speaker and a sought-after facilitator, Gary is known for his intensity of awareness and his incredible capacity to facilitate people to ‘know what they know’. He chooses to embody consciousness in everything that he does which inspires others to choose to become more conscious as a result. He has become an internationally recognized thought leader in transforming lives and creating different choices – willing to empower people to see different possibilities and to recognize what is truly possible for them. Gary is acknowledged worldwide for his unique perspectives on personal transformation that is unlike anything else in the world.  Strap your brain in for this one. Some stuff we cover...  What is consciousness?  The mind and body working together Lifestyle without limitations Choices and possibilities   Learning from observing the world around you Living beyond distractions And  much more...   Link to Gary and his work: WEBSITE LINK

In this podcast episode we do something a little bit different! While I'm usually the interviewer, in this episode I was the interviewee!  For two hours,  my Director of Operations, Luisa and I take the time to open up and give you a sneak peek into my brain. It can be really scary in there sometimes, but I hope are able to discover some valuable information and enjoy listening! Let's get right into it!  Some of the things my brain opens up about are... How I overcame my fear of public speaking My morning routine and what my day is like My mentors and who shaped my thought process Journaling and why I do it How I came up with the name Stop Chasing Pain My journey in overcoming obesity,  shyness and social awkwardness   And much more...  

This episode we have the foremost hormone expert Dr. Carrie Jones on the show. She knows hormones inside and out.  Dr. Jones is a Naturopathic Physician who is board certified in Naturopathic Endocrinology (FABNE) with a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) having over 15 years in the field of functional and integrative medicine. She is wicked smart, funny, and makes hormones easy to understand  You are gonna love this one.  Her energy and passion for hormones is contagious. Come along for the ride.  Some stuff we cover…  Understanding the role of hormones in health How to test your hormones Should you take hormones? The hormones of stress Hormone pathways and where they can get stuck Hormones, inflammation, health and chronic disease And  much more…   Link to Dr. Carrie: WEBSITE LINK

This episode we have the most awesome Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN a registered dietician nutritionist who is a nationally recognized expert. We have such a great time talking about practical, simple, and fundamental nutritional advice for you and your family. She is about education and empowerment, not cookie cutter programs that most people can’t follow for long. One of my favorite episodes. Her energy and passion for nutrition is infectious. Come along for the ride.  Some stuff we cover…  Her book The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook Why so many nutrition programs don’t work   Making smart, simple, and practical food choices for your meals The social and community aspect of eating and why it matters The power of eating together at the dinner table Food, inflammation, health and chronic disease And  much more…   Link to MAYA: WEBSITE LINK