
Pursuing Health
Julie Foucher MD, MS is a four-time CrossFit Games athlete and family physician.
Her passion lies in bridging the gap between fitness and medicine to empower individuals to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Every third Tuesday, she shares insightful content from a diverse lineup of guests, including medical experts and elite athletes.
Latest episodes

Sep 17, 2024 • 53min
Exploring Consciousness + Transcendental Meditation with Dr. Tony Nader PH303
Tony Nader, MD, PhD is a medical doctor trained at Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Ph.D. in neuroscience) and a globally recognized expert in the science of Consciousness and human development. Dr. Nader, whose training includes internal medicine, psychiatry, and neurology, is a bestselling author (One Unbounded Ocean of Consciousness), with his book Consciousness is All There Is recently released on August 6 (Penguin/Hay House). He is the successor to Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and the head of the Transcendental Meditation organizations globally.
Dr Nader conducted research on neurochemistry, neuroendocrinology, and the relationship between diet, age, behavior, mood, seasonal influences, and neurotransmitter and hormonal activity, and on the role of neurotransmitter precursors in medicine.
Dr. Nader’s interest to explore the full potential of the human physiology, and the human mind led him to also study and conduct research on ancient and modern techniques of self-development.
For many years, Dr. Nader worked closely with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who first introduced Transcendental Meditation or TM® to the world in 1958, and who emphasized the scientific understanding and validation of Transcendental Meditation.
Dr. Nader has discussed his expertise at academic institutions such as Harvard Business School on The Neuroscience of Transcendence, Stanford University, where he gave talks in a series entitled "Hacking Consciousness" as well as the keynote speaker for a number of conferences at the House of Commons, British Parliament. His research has been published in Neurology, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Journal of Gerontology, Progress in Brain Research, and many other journals. Dr. Nader has been awarded many time for his outstanding contribution in human development, environment, education, and health.
You can connect with Dr. Nader via Instagram @drtonynader
Related Episodes:
Ep 223 - Tapping to Reduce Stress with Nick Ortner
Ep 277 - The Science of Spirituality and Mental Health with Dr. Lisa Miller
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Aug 27, 2024 • 56min
The Danger of Seed Oils with Dr. Cate Shanahan PH302
Dr. Cate Shanahan is the leading authority on nutrition and human metabolism. A board-certified Family Physician with over 20 years of clinical experience, and NY Times bestselling author of The FatBurn Fix, Deep Nutrition and Food Rules, her expertise is fixing the underlying problems that cause metabolic damage and inflammation, leading to autoimmunity, weight gain, diabetes, cancer and accelerated aging processes. Her passion is helping people feel their best.
After getting her BS in biology from Rutgers University, she trained in biochemistry and genetics at Cornell University’s graduate school before attending Robert Wood Johnson Medical School. She practiced in Hawaii for ten years where she studied ethnobotany and her healthiest patient’s culinary habits. She applied her learning and experiences in all these scientific fields to write Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food.
Her most recent book, Dark Calories, explains how eight common seed oils cause the cellular damage that underlies virtually all chronic disease, exposes the corruption that deceives doctors and consumers alike, and gives us a clear roadmap to recovery and rejuvenation.
You can connect with Dr. Shanahan via Instagram. @drcateshanahan
Related Episodes:
Ep 71 - The Sugar Free Revolution with Karen Thomson
Ep 123 - Dissecting Nutrition Research and Dietary Guidelines with Zoë Harcombe
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Aug 6, 2024 • 1h 24min
Capturing the Human Experience of the CrossFit Games: Christine Bald PH301
Christine Bald is a freelance writer in the CrossFit space. She is best known for her deeply human behind-the-scenes coverage of the CrossFit Games season via Dave Castro’s Instagram. She is the co-author of Resilient with Brooke Wells, Chasing Excellence with Ben Bergeron and What Is The Way? with Annie Thorisdottir and Katrin Davidsdottir.
You can connect with Christine via Instagram. @christinedca
Related Episodes:
Ep 84 - Chasing Excellence with Ben Bergeron
Ep 131 - Dave Castro on Changes in Life and the CrossFit Games
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Jul 16, 2024 • 58min
Q+A: Celebrating 300 Episodes PH300
300 episodes of Pursuing Health—what an incredible journey!
It’s been almost three years since my last Q&A-style episode, so to celebrate this milestone, I'm hosting a special Q&A session with the help of the amazing Nicole Carroll. Thank you to everyone who responded to my call for questions via email; there were so many excellent ones, and I wish I could have answered them all!
I deeply appreciate your support for the podcast. Many of you have followed my path from CrossFit Games athlete to medical student to physician, and I'm truly honored that you tune in week after week. It's been a privilege to listen and learn from an array of remarkable guests—medical experts, elite athletes, and everyday individuals with inspiring transformation stories—and I'm grateful to share these conversations with you.
Cheers to nine years of Pursuing Health, and here's to many more ahead!
You can connect with Julie and Nicole via Instagram @JulieFoucher, @Nicole.Carroll
Related Episodes:
Ep 200 - Q+A: Catching Up with Julie Foucher
Ep 58 - Nicole Carroll on the early days and preserving the culture of CrossFit
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Jun 25, 2024 • 1h 13min
Whole Person Care for Cancer and Healing with Dr. Wayne Jonas PH299
Wayne Jonas, MD, is a widely published investigator, practicing family physician, and professor of medicine at Georgetown University and at Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences. He is also a retired lieutenant colonel in the Medical Corps of the United States Army.
Dr. Jonas was the director of the Office of Alternative Medicine at the National Institutes of Health from 1995 to 1999 and led the World Health Organization’s Collaborative Center for Traditional Medicine. Prior to that, he served as the director of medical research fellowship at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
He now advises national and international organizations on ways to implement evidence-based healing practices in their medical systems.
He serves as the President of Healing Works Foundation and participates with Primary Care for All Americans. His newest book is Healing and Cancer: A Guide to Whole Person Care, co-authored with Alyssa McManamon, MD, released April 23, 2024 by Rodin Books.
You can connect with Dr. Jonas via Instagram. @drwaynejonas
Related Episodes:
Ep 242 - Exercise to Prevent and Treat Cancer with Dr. Allison Betof
Ep 288 - From the Vault: How Healing Works with Dr. Wayne Jonas
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Jun 4, 2024 • 1h 21min
The Science of Spirituality + Mental Health with Dr. Lisa Miller: From the Vault PH298
Lisa Miller, Ph.D., is the New York Times bestselling author of The Spiritual Child and a professor in the Clinical Psychology Program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She is the Founder and Director of the Spirituality Mind Body Institute, the first Ivy League graduate program and research institute in spirituality and psychology, and has held over a decade of joint appointments in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Medical School. Her innovative research has been published in more than one hundred peer-reviewed articles in leading journals, including Cerebral Cortex, The American Journal of Psychiatry, and the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
Dr. Miller is Editor of the Oxford University Press Handbook of Psychology and Spirituality, Founding Co-Editor-in-Chief of the APA journal Spirituality in Clinical Practice, an elected Fellow of The American Psychological Association (APA) and the two-time President of the APA Society for Psychology and Spirituality. A graduate of Yale University and University of Pennsylvania, where she earned her doctorate under the founder of positive psychology, Martin Seligman, she has served as Principal Investigator on multiple grant funded research studies. Dr. Miller speaks and consults around The Awakened Brain and The Spiritual Child for the US Military, businesses (including tech, finance, HR and sales), personal development, faith based organizations, schools and universities, and for mental health and wellness initiatives.
You can connect with Dr. Miller via Instagram. @dr.lisamiller and her website lisamillerphd.com. You can access her book, The Awakened Brain: The New Science of Spirituality and Our Quest for an Inspired Life, via Amazon. Check out her Ted Talk on Depression and Spiritual Awakening via YouTube.
Related Episodes:
Ep 149 - The Science of Spontaneous Health with Dr. Jeffrey Rediger
Ep 267 - Elijah Muhammad: Always Positive Energy
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every week.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

May 14, 2024 • 1h 7min
From Prison to Pastor: Andrew Carter PH297
Andrew Carter is the founder and lead pastor of Royal City Church in Los Angeles, CA. He runs a popular live YouTube Bible study called 'Coffee and Prayer' that streams on all major podcast platforms. He appears on television networks, podcasts and stages preaching the good news of Jesus. Andrew travels the world guest speaking at conferences, churches, and events, and recently released his first book, The Privilege of Prayer.
Andrew has become an inspiration for others who face difficult times and struggles. With millions of followers, Andrew has become an influencer for God's Kingdom. He is a leader, speaker, writer, husband and father.
In addition to his social media, you can find Andrew on Kinship, a platform to make connections and share conversations.
You can connect with Andrew via all social media channels. @andrewfcarter
Related Episodes:
Ep 175 - Pursuing Your Passion with Jonny + Libby Diaz
Ep 173 - Small Steps, Big Results: Carrie McCall
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Apr 23, 2024 • 1h 17min
Nutrition and Brain Health with Dr. David Perlmutter: From the Vault PH 296
Dr. Perlmutter is a Board-Certified Neurologist and Fellow of the American College of Nutrition. He received his M.D. degree from the University of Miami School of Medicine where he was awarded the Leonard G. Rowntree Research Award. He has published extensively in peer-reviewed scientific journals and is a frequent lecturer at symposia sponsored by such medical institutions as Columbia University, Scripps Institute, New York University, and Harvard University. He also serves as an Associate Professor at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine.
Dr. Perlmutter is the author of four New York Times bestselling books showing the connection between gut health and brain health, including Grain Brain, Brain Maker, The Grain Brain Cookbook, and his most recent book, The Grain Brain Whole Life Plan. Dr. Perlmutter has also been interviewed on many nationally syndicated television programs including 20/20, Larry King Live, CNN, Fox News, Fox and Friends, The Today Show, Oprah, The Dr. Oz Show, and The CBS Early Show.
He is also the recipient of numerous awards, including: the Linus Pauling Award for his innovative approaches to neurological disorders; the National Nutritional Foods Association Clinician of the Year award; the Humanitarian of the Year award from the American College of Nutrition; the Media Award from the American College of Nutrition; and the Healthy Living Award from The Invisible Disabilities Association.
Related episodes:
Ep 22 - Brigid Titgemeier on Functional Nutrition
Ep 38 - Micronutrients and Quality Supplementation with Oliver Amdrup and Julius Heslet
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Apr 3, 2024 • 1h 8min
Fitness for Peri + Post Menopausal Women PH295
Stacy T. Sims, MSc, PhD, is a forward-thinking international exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist who aims to revolutionize exercise nutrition and performance for women.
She has directed research programs focusing on female athlete health and performance and pushing the dogma to improve research on all women.
During her tenure at Stanford, she had the opportunity to translate earlier research into consumer products and a science-based layperson's book (ROAR) written to explain sex differences in training and nutrition across the lifespan. Both the consumer products and the book challenged the existing dogma for women in exercise, nutrition, and health. This paradigm shift is the focus of her famous "Women Are Not Small Men” TEDx talk.
Her contributions to the international research environment and the sports nutrition industry has established a new niche in sports nutrition; and established her reputation as the expert in sex differences in training, nutrition, and health.
Stacy currently holds a Senior Research Associate position with SPRINZ- AUT University, supervises PhD students, writes academic papers, and is on the advisory board of some cutting edge companies including Tonal Strength Institute, WILD.AI, and EXOS. She also has her own business (www.drstacysims.com) where she creates and delivers online learning material focused on women training with their physiology across the lifespan.
She currently resides at the beach in Mt. Maunganui, New Zealand with her husband and young daughter.
You can connect with Stacy via Instagram. @drstacysims
Related Episodes:
Ep 155 - Dr. Marguerite Duane on FACTS about Fertility
Ep 176 - Women are Not Small Men with Dr. Stacy Sims
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Mar 12, 2024 • 1h 2min
Building a Champion Mindset with Dr. Joe Janesz: From the Vault PH 294
Joseph Janesz, PhD, is an Associate Staff and Director of the Outpatient Executive and Professional Program at Cleveland Clinic. He has been a Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor, lecturer, author and national Consultant for the past 30 years.
Dr. Janesz completed his undergraduate work at The Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, and received his PhD degree from Kent State University in Kent, Ohio. His training includes couples and group therapy, performance enhancement and sports psychology, executive coaching and management and organizational consulting.
He consults with a wide range of clients in the medical, legal, financial, sports and entertainment fields and has been a Consultant to the National Football League for the past 20 years and a key player in the first NFL Players Assistance Program -- the Cleveland Browns "Inner Circle Program."
Dr. Janesz played an integral role in my own training as I prepared for the CrossFit Games. It was a pleasure to re-connect with him to learn more about his approach for helping individuals become their own personal best self and how high-performers can find balance and excellence through mindfulness.
*Dr. Janesz’s Bio was adapted from clevelandclinic.org
Related episodes:
Ep 274 - Be the Hero of Your Own Story with Donald Miller
Ep 264 - How to Build Mental Resilience with Dr. Lara Pence
If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health.
Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. I recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.
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