The B.rad Podcast

With the launch of my Male Optimization Formula with Organs (MOFO), I present to all MOFO’s out there a comprehensive lifestyle plan to fight the battle against epidemic testosterone deficiency in hectic modern life. Did you know that the average American male testosterone level has declined at a rate of one percent per year since the 1980s! That’s crazy, and it’s time to fight back. MOFO is a unique supplement made with nutrient-rich animal organs from 100 percent grass-fed cattle from New Zealand. It’s designed to naturally boost your testosterone production, increase daily energy levels, and help replenish your body at the cellular level. However, for a testosterone boosting supplement to have a maximum beneficial impact, you must implement a comprehensive lifestyle plan to avoid the major stressors of modern life and give your body the food, exercise stimulus, rest and recovery, and emotional stability it needs to thrive. This recording could change your life, as it details 10 lifestyle tips that form the foundation for the MOFO movement. Here are the 10 lifestyle objections from your MOFO mission, as reprinted from the MOFO website. I’ll provide further details and inspiration for each item of the assignment. It will take some focus and discipline to correct some of the flawed patterns and bad habits you have fallen into, but everything on this list will feel natural and easy to maintain because it will give you more energy and peace of mind. Sleep is #1: Health, vitality and peak performance all flow downstream from getting outstanding sleep. Minimize artificial light and digital stimulation after dark, perhaps the worst genetic disconnect in modern life. Clean Up Your Act: Ditch toxic foods, toxic relationships, toxic substances, and toxic energy in your life. Summon the courage to face life’s challenges and take action, instead of drift into familiar–but dysfunctional–routines and ruts. Eat Ancestral Foods: Eat sustainably raised animals in a “nose-to-tail” strategy, complemented by nutritious whole foods such as vegetables, fruits, nuts and seeds. Establish a zero tolerance policy for refined grains, sugars, sweetened beverages, industrial seed oils, heavily processed crap, and inferior quality feedlot animals. Emphasize superfoods like grass-fed liver and other organ meats, pastured eggs, oily cold water fish, and fresh local berries. Pound The MOFO!: Take six capsules per day for at least three months to fully replenish and rejuvenate your energy and help optimize male hormone function. This is honoring our ancestors by putting back in, what the modern world has left out. Guaranteed extra bounce in your step or your money back! Move Frequently: JFW—Just F—ing Walk—is the key to healthy fat metabolism and stable daily mood, appetite and energy levels. Take frequent walking/stretching/exercise breaks during the workday. Sprinkle formal movement practices (yoga, Pilates), calisthenics, and flexibility/mobility drills into daily life. Humans are meant to move! Hit It Hard!: Challenge your body with brief, intense strength training sessions and all-out sprints. Explosive efforts will prompt a spike of testosterone and human growth hormone in the bloodstream with tremendous adaptive, anti-aging benefits. A couple formal sessions a week lasting 10-30 minutes is plenty. Also include “micro-workouts” where you haul off a single set of deep squats in your office, or a set of pullups when you walk through the bathroom door. These really add up over time. Take Control: Overcome nonstop digital stimulation and distraction by focusing, prioritizing, and powering down with unwavering discipline. Implement proactive daily rituals, such as morning exercise before you reach for a bloody screen and kick into shallow, reactive brain function. Daily exposure to cold makes you more resilient to all other forms of life stress. Avoid Estrogens: Eliminate all plastics touching your food or drink; use stainless steel or glass containers instead. Ditch soy, flax, and corn-based foods; they have 100x more phytoestrogens than other plants! Use all-natural skin and personal care products, such as castile soap, zinc sunscreens, and eco-friendly home cleaners and laundry detergents. Rest Like A MOFO: Slow down and reclaim the lost art of down time. Try a midday outdoor stroll, a park bench meditation, or afternoon power nap. Rest and recover with the same focus and dedication as your ambitious workouts. Integrate more days off, easy aerobic sessions, foam rolling, breathing practices, and temperature therapy. Quit Being A Dick To Your Wife/Girlfriend: Real MOFO’s display emotional stability, kindness, and vulnerability. Relationship expert Dr. John Gray (Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus) says your primary biological drive is to protect your female from danger, but in the modern world her main threat is your own anger and emotional outbursts! Remain calm, cool, collected, and clear thinking amidst the daily stresses of life. “Don’t speak if you have a negative emotional charge,” commands Gray. Dudes, these are the marching orders of life and the time to start is right now. As you can read in detail on the website, if you fail to accept this MOFO mission, you can experience a slippery slope effect with dynamics such as prolonged periods of stillness and adding a lil’ spare tire around the midsection as you age. When your day includes long periods of sitting — commuting, office job, and digital entertainment leisure time, you become insulin resistant and glucose intolerant. This leads to sugar cravings and fat storage. When you pick up a bit of spare tire, known as visceral fat, it secretes inflammatory cytokines into the bloodstream that inhibit fat metabolism and make you more likely to increase the size of your spare tire. If you are occasionally a bitchy boy with your wife/girlfriend, it tends to happen more and more often. Why not instead become a full-time, full-on MOFO? TIMESTAMPS: How are you going to get your MOJO back? No matter how busy you are, no matter how stressed you are, you can do it. [02:50] Making an effort and improving is the secret to self-esteem. [04:45] Sleep is of number one importance. A dark room is a must. [05:29] When we are in constant summer mode, we are in constant fat storage mode. [07:00] Our hormonal processes are calibrated to wake up with the rising sun. [11:21] Make sure your bedroom is as totally black as possible. [14:11] You want a cool temperature in your room for optimal sleep. [16:59] Clean up the toxic portions of your life.  [17:55] Just getting rid of the crap (processed foods, feedlot animals and sugars) in your diet puts you way ahead of the game.  [19:55] Get your MOFO (male optimization formula with organs) to get your body rejuvenated. [22:09] Four pillars of human nutrition are organ meats, meats on the bone, fermented foods and fresh foods. [23:38] Get up and move throughout the day.  It makes your body work better and brain work better. [26:02] Brief explosive efforts don’t have to be long duration.  Hit it hard! [29:55] Take control of technology. Connect with nature. [33:27] Get rid of the estrogen in the environment. Avoid all plastics touching your food or drink. [38:16] Rest; not just talking about sleep. We are talking about downtime.  [41:11] In modern life, the male’s anger and emotional outbursts are a threat to the female. You need to get into testosterone balance. [44:16] Brad summarizes the ten points for getting your MOFO. [48:21] LINKS: Brad Kearns’ Morning Routine Brad Kearns.com/MOFO Brad podcast with Ashley Merryman UVEX lenses Deep Nutrition Brad Kearns Cold Therapy Active Couch Potato Syndrome Brad podcast with Jamieson Brad podcast with John Gray QUOTES: "Making an effort and improving is the secret to self-esteem." "Go for the SMASH foods. (Sardines, Mackerel, Anchovies, Salmon and Herring)" Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Breather) This Q&A breather episode exhibits great insights about evolving one’s approach over time from super competitive to enjoying the experience of nature and aging gracefully. Curly writes in about the dilemma of doing super fun endurance feats out in nature versus getting in the gym and doing strength sessions that deliver better hormonal and injury prevention benefits but are boring by comparison. How to balance aerobic base building, high-intensity strength training sessions, and all-out sprints week in, week out, and in the context of an annual training pattern. It’s much easier to slip a bit and lose your A-game with some unbridled celebrations and mindless habits. It’s much more difficult to recalibrate and get rid of body fat that was unwanted in the first place. I gained a fresh perspective on a lot of the content I communicate in books, podcasts, and videos from fighting a personal battle instead of just being theoretical. The best starting point for a fat reduction effort is to get your mind right - do you really want this goal, or are you deep down okay being just okay and giving yourself permission to celebrate life and use food as a release valve against all the pressure and expectation we face in other areas of daily life? As you embark on achieving a tangible goal, it’s important to strike a balance between having the focus, discipline and competitive intensity to kick butt with a process-oriented approach where you don’t attach your self-esteem or self-image to the outcome. Insights from Mark Manson and Andrew MacNaughton apply here. You also have to recognize the strong influence of environmental factors, as revealed by the discovery of “clusters” for things like obesity, or happiness, in the Framingham Study. TIMESTAMPS: Jose is asking about his training goals now that he is not competing any longer.  [04:55] Connor Curly is trying to find a balance between running and lifting that makes him feel best. We have to apply restraint to even to things that we enjoy, to act in our long-term best interest. [10:10] Harry has two goals: health and longevity, daily energy in a sedentary job, and getting strong and lean. If you have that aerobic base, you can survive and thrive in high-intensity training sessions, much better. [19:10] Harry, a non-competitive athlete, also asks if he should take a month off of exercise. [29:38] LINKS: Body By Science Brad’s Shopping page QUOTES: "Lifting makes me feel good, but it’s boring; running is super fun but makes me feel bad." (Curly) Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

“Rinse, repeat, and live to fight another day.” These are the prophetic workouts that represent the cutting edge of athletic training and functional fitness. I catch up with former Los Angeles Lakers Strength and Conditioning Coach Tim DiFrancesco to discuss matters of great importance to weekend warriors everywhere: how to get the most out of your body and steer clear of nagging injuries and body breakdown that leaves many people on the sidelines or under the surgery knife before their time. Tim has retired from the grind of the NBA with many great insights and a tremendous database of assessments and exercises that help fitness enthusiasts of all levels correct functional weaknesses to improve performance and heal or prevent injuries. Tim’s best insight from his NBA experience is that champions don’t have any special magic formula, but rather an ability to lock into a winning routine, “nothing earth shattering,” that allows them to maintain an awesome functional fitness baseline. The best athletes establish a comfortable, do-able pattern of the right exercises without overextending themselves and breaking down. Learn more about Tim’s interesting customized approach to client programming at TDAthletesEdge.com. It starts with an assessment of how well you perform basic movements (the same thing he did to NBA draft prospects for the Lakers to see who’s been trained well and who has high injury risks before a multimillion dollar contract decision is made!), and then a consequent prescription of exercises to address areas of injury, pain and discomfort ― making them stronger without over-stressing them. Short of getting some custom programming from an expert, Tim offers listeners a cool Top 5 list of areas of most concern/injury risk, followed by a go-to exercise to improve function. Here is the list: Ankle/plantar fascia/Achilles: Do calf raises (off the edge of a step or any elevated surface) Patellar/quadriceps area near knee: The mighty wall sit is the isometric movement here! Quadriceps/hip flexors: The “Sprinter” exercise where you lay on ground, bring knee to chest, and apply counter pressure with your hand Adductor (groin): The “side laying bottom leg lift” aka the “TD Jane Fonda” move! Hamstrings: Partner-assisted Nordic hamstring curl is the best, or a bridge pose with legs extended out instead of the usual near-to glutes position. This informative show will give you a complete understanding of the cutting edge concepts in functional fitness, injury prevention and peak performance. TIMESTAMPS: Tim DiFrancesco formerly worked with the LA Lakers, now has a cutting-edge fitness program. [04:58] If you're enjoyable to be around, if you add positive energy to the room, how can you lose? [08:39] Feeling strong in what you do physically is a good way to feel empowered emotionally and in everything else. [08:55] How does one optimize minimizing injury risk? [11:52] One important aspect is the degree of difficulty of the regimen. [15:47] The goal is not to crush you. The goal is to see if we can build you up and make you last forever. [19:46] Twelve weeks is a physiological window for you to be able to feel like you’ve put in the right effort. [23:54] It's not just muscles that get strong and more robust and healthier. The common denominator is strengthening. [25:09] An example is the meniscus of the knee. If it has been overtaxed, Tim would NOT have you working through pain. [33:43] Hip replacement surgery is only the last resort. Even surgery for torn meniscus. [38:27] When Tim films a client, what is he looking for as you squat or do a pushup. [45:06] Each client is different but there are some guidelines that are offered here. [51:22] There’s a golf standard hamstring exercise called Nordic hamstring curl. [59:40] LINKS: TD Athletes Edge Instagram: TD Athlete’s Edge Firas Zahabi Zahabi on Joe Rogan podcast Dr. Craig Marker Dr.Phil Maffetone Primal Endurance Mastery Course QUOTES: "Rinse, repeat, and live to fight another day." Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Breather: “Mindless positivity isn’t practical or helpful for most people,” Mark Manson writes in his first book, The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck. He is, as usual, right on with this observation. Realizing that, “our modern, and maddening, urge to always find happiness only serves to make us unhappier,” Manson communicates clearly and concisely throughout his books about why we need to change the way we look at things like personal identity, hope, shame, and happiness. The reason why Manson’s message works so well is not just the power of the message itself, but the fact that, instead of trying to push the power of positivity onto his readers, he offers an entirely new perspective ― what if everything you thought you knew about happiness and success and yourself was wrong? And what if that was actually a good thing? Here’s the thing: as humans, we are all naturally inclined to feel attached to various parts of ourselves, especially the parts of ourselves that receive praise. Whether you’re a standout student or worker, an amazing athlete, a math genius, or a truly great dancer, it’s important to not fixate on the things about ourselves that we identify with the most. Why? Because Manson argues that identity is an arbitrary facade. He suggests looking at your life as a series of decisions and actions and try to maintain an identity that is defined by as little as possible. Our emotional feeling brain actually rules over our rational, thinking brain. Yet we think, or pretend, that the opposite is true! According to Manson, emotions drive our consciousness, and it is emotion only that can motivate us into action. “Emotions convince your thinking brain that you’re right,” Manson says. When emotions rule over the thinking brain, it can lead to narcissism, addiction, compulsion, self-righteous anger, and so on. This is because a person ruled by their emotions has no independent thought, so they only pursue things that bring them instant gratification. Ultimately the goal is not to suppress your emotional brain, but to get your thinking brain connected to your emotional brain. Manson says do not try to suppress your emotions, but instead, try to convince your feeling brain that you will benefit from whatever decision that you are asking yourself about. A good example of this is when people often fail to succeed with lifestyle changes ― this is because our “feeling brain” feels like we don’t deserve the success. Which leads us to self-worth. “Our self-worth is the sum of our emotions over time. If we can’t equalize, we accept inferiority, shame, and low self-worth,” Manson writes. Interestingly, both high and low self-worth are narcissistic, and self-worth is also an illusion. I know a thing or two about tying your accomplishments and/or abilities to your self-worth, so here’s a funny story from my college days: One day, the lockers got totally looted, so I had no choice but to jog home down a busy boulevard, for a mile and a half….in nothing but a Speedo and swimming goggles (and no shoes!). This was only one day after being the champion of a big tournament ― talk about being taken down a peg! “Your identity will stay your identity until an event changes it,” Manson writes. “It’s a network of value-based narratives that determines our identity.” There are two ways to heal from this: Examine the narratives of your life, and reposition them. Visualize the future you want for yourself, and make that your new identity. Let the feeling brain “try on” your new identity so it can become accustomed to it. This can be difficult, because it signifies that you’re really ready to change. “The stories of our future define our hopes, and the stories of our past define our identity” Manson notes, and he advises we take a look at both of those, so we can straighten them out, and get them right! Catch up with my recent interview with man himself, Mark Manson, here and if you haven’t yet read his books, check out The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Everything Is F*cked: A Book About Hope. TIMESTAMPS: It doesn’t work to try to be constantly happy. [04:11] Carefully choose what you give a fuck about and then reject the social pressures.  [07:06] Identity doesn’t exist.  It is arbitrary. It is a façade. [08:14] Some of the chapter titles of this book are intriguing: Don’t Try, Happiness is a Problem, You are Not Special, etc. [10:37] If you don’t have hope, you are basically headed toward depression and anxiety. [11:14] A quick history of the 20th century gives an idea of what many people have lived through and helps put things in perspective. [13:37] When life gets too comfortable, we have to pick a cause to worry about to give us meaning. [16:18] Our emotional feeling brain actually rules over the rational thinking brain. [17:42] The history of humanity features a major effort to conquer the emotional feeling brain with self-control. [19:50] There's a common notion in spiritual psychology that the affluence and love we achieve in life equates to our level of self -worth. [24:04] Every emotional reaction has an equal and opposite reaction. [25:11] Both high and low self-worth are narcissistic because they imagine themselves as something special. [27:25] Your identity will stay your identity until an event changes it. [29:52] LINKS: Brad’s Shopping The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck Mark Smelly Bell Podcast with Mark Manson Podcast with John Gray Podcast with Luke Storey QUOTES: "Struggle gives richness to life." - Roger Bannister "Our modern and maddening urge to always find happiness only serves to make us unhappier." - Mark Manson Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What an incredible honor and memorable experience to connect with the worldwide #1 bestselling author Mark Manson, author of the runaway sensation The Subtle Art Of Not Giving A F*&k, which has now sold over 12 million copies worldwide and been translated into dozens of languages. Mark also wrote a brilliant follow up book called Everything is Fucked: A Book About Hope and produced a creative audio project for Audible.com called Love Is Not Enough, where he coaches a handful of people immersed in relationship struggles. In this wide-ranging conversation, we discuss Mark’s observation at the end of Love Is Not Enough that relationships success is super simple, we just make it complex and full of pain and suffering ― likely relating to replaying flawed childhood programming or lacking self-awareness. Mark discusses the important first step of acknowledging your weaknesses or blind spots, perhaps with the help of friends, family or experts. We discuss the profound assertion framing the message of Subtle Art that we should, “maintain an identity that is defined by as little as possible, instead seeing your life as a series of decisions and actions.”  Mark describes how emotion, even negative emotions like fear, can be powerful catalysts to take action and repeat the action until it becomes habit. He describes his present difficulty with keeping to his workout schedule during quarantine. Mark details the insight in Everything Is F*ucked that the emotional brain actually rules over the logical brain, and how the logical brain convinces us to think otherwise. To avoid “persistent low level narcissism” that seems to be our collective ― default state these days, we must develop healthy communication and interaction between our emotions and logic. Mark also reveals how the unexpected runaway success of his first book caused him to lose his way for a while to the point of feeling depressed and unmotivated for around a year, and how his recalibration helped him develop the theme of the second book to make life all about “creating a string of hope narratives.” Enjoy this valuable and deeply reflective show from one of the leading modern philosophers and top authors. Order both of Mark’s bestselling books here so you can get up to speed! TIMESTAMPS: Love is great. Love is necessary. Love is beautiful. But love is not enough. [12:06] It is simple to break up with someone, but we make it difficult. [13:10] When an athlete retires, it is like an identity crisis. [14:45] To function well in a relationship, get your emotional health in order. [18:37] Recognize your own pattern and what gets triggered. [22:29] Therapists are taught to be very careful about inserting their own ideas in a session. They want you to find your way yourself.  [26:37] Being very analytical can be a problem. [31:35] There are two brains…the thinking brain and the feeling brain and they are not good at talking to each other. [34:51] What are some parameters to keep us away from the narcissism that comes as a result? [37:33] Stress is our body’s call to action. [41:18] Some people respond better to positive reinforcement and some people respond better to the negative. [44:35] When Mark’s book took off in popularity, he had a difficult time adjusting. [50:53] LINKS: Brad’s Shopping The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck Everything is Fucked. Mark Manson Who is Mark Manson? Get Over Yourself podcasts Love Is Not Enough  QUOTES: “Maintain an identity that is defined by as little as possible, instead seeing your life as a series of decisions and actions.” “It’s important to recognize patterns within yourself.” “When you get your emotional health in order, the outward stuff starts to take care of itself.” “You can’t control the outcome, but you can control how you handle it.” “There are two brains…the thinking brain and the feeling brain and they are not good at talking to each other.” Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

An interesting mix of questions gives an opportunity to sound off on important insights covered in previous shows. First, a cross country skier says hills and altitude causing elevated heart rates can require possibly more dietary carbs? I say find a way to slow down - same for me on the mountain bike! Gabrielle the super mum from Aussie land references the great show about Ashley Merryman and Po Bronson’s insights about effort-based praise in the book Nurtureshock and the epic 2007 New York Magazine article, The Power (And Peril) Of Praising Your Kids, that changed my approach to parenting forever.  Gabrielle makes great points about separating specific praise with declarations of love and also being proud of a child’s character instead of achievements. I mention how I’ve had incredibly disparate guests on the show, like vegan advocate Rip Esselstyn and carnivore leaders Dr. Paul Saladino and Dr. Shawn Baker. I reflect that I’m not an “in your face” host getting into controversy with my guests, as I prefer to cultivate an open mind and willingness to appreciate alternate points of view. Obviously, Rip and I have drastically disparate positions on healthy eating, but during our show and with our friendship, I prefer to focus on the incredible work he has done to motivate and inspire people to be healthy, and the common ground that we do share about healthy eating and living. Hopefully if I need to be badass at some point I will step up, we’ll see! Another commenter remembers the great show with boy wonder health expert Matt Maruca, founder of RAOptics.com, and how he is taking Matt’s message to his adult kids and himself. He also notes his excitement for my next venture into food, Brad’s Macadamia Mix, a combination of superfoods blended together to form the most delectable, nutrient rich nut butter. Seriously, this stuff is so delicious you will be eating it straight out of the jar. Stay tuned for that, and keep the questions coming - I love receiving, and reading through such compelling commentary, so email your feedback and any and all questions you have. TIMESTAMPS: Wade, a Nordic skier, has a question about maintaining heart rate.  Is a low carb diet approach consistent with the extreme metabolic demands of this athlete?  [06:12] Even with altitude and hills, it’s important to continue to maintain the heart rate under the aerobic maximum. [08:39] What is the role of carbohydrates in the lifestyle of a high performing athlete? [10:10] Females need to pay particular heed in order to be fit for reproduction. [14:31] Gabrielle asks about the parenting podcast where the message is:  When praising kids, saying you’re proud of them specifically on their achievement is ill-advised. [18:01] Should you tell your daughter she is pretty, when our culture tends to traffic on looks? [19:53] Be careful connecting “I love you” with the talent, rather than the effort, as this damages self-esteem.  [22:14] Brad is suggesting we keep an open mind on vegan, vegetarian, carnivore diets. [23:31] John is getting back into triathlon and working on getting competitive while staying healthy. [28:41] LINKS: Brad’s Shopping Page Try LGC Autophagy Dr. Tommy Wood podcast Ashley Merryman podcast Matt Maruca podcast Rip Esselstyn podcast Dr. Paul Saladino Nurture Shock CarnivoreMD MeatRX Quotes: “The essence of modern life is overfeeding of the cells. When your cells are depleted of energy, that’s when your cells start to do better at recycling old material, repairing, rejuvenating, rebuilding, and you become a more efficient human being - the same with fasting. So if you put those two together, you’re achieving the same goals to the extent that it’s possible to overstress the body and stimulate a flight or fight response.”  "Don’t pile on too many stress variables particularly if you’re a female - fasting and low carb is just too much." Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Get ready for a wild ride with the multi-faceted Dr. Anna Cabeca, author of an exciting new book, Keto Green 16 and also The Hormone Fix. Dr. Anna is an OBGYN with a deep interest in holistic health, alternative healing strategies, menopause, sexual health, and pulling yourself out of health destruction and accelerated aging with integrative strategies that emphasize lowering your overall life stress level. This show covers a ton of ground and you will probably have to hit the replay button a few times to get a full appreciation for her insights. Anna talks about andropause and menopause, the do’s and don’ts of hormone replacement therapy, how stress hormones mess things up for us when it comes to sexual health and rate of aging, and how oxytocin ― the so-called “love hormone” that promotes feelings of bonding and connection ― is an all-powerful key to happiness, sexual health and aging gracefully. Lower stress, raise oxytocin and you will be inspired to pursue more oxytocin producing behaviors. When you are dragging ass and don’t feel like doing or being happy, that’s when you might need an intervention.  Echoing the message from a previous show with Dr. Michael Platt, Dr. Anna discusses the wide-ranging benefits for both men and women of bio-identical progesterone ― particularly for neuro-protective benefits. Dr. Anna relates how she nearly fell apart as she approached the big 5-0 ― brain fog, mood disturbances, weight gain, PTSD, and acidic pH. She was a hot mess but she turned everything around and then started honing and testing a healing protocol that eventually became the Keto Green 16 program. “Why settle for just normal aging, when our rate of aging is so accelerated? Let’s talk about being that aging couple who stand out from the crowd ― attractive, fit, happy, in love ― living their best life.” Yes, you will enjoy this visit with Dr. Anna and learn some fresh new insights. TIMESTAMPS: Brad introduces Dr. Cabeca who specializes in menopause and sexual health. [04:02] What shall we do about menopause symptoms? Do you want to be normal? [07:12] Regarding lab tests, one needs to do some research.  A woman’s testosterone level is often misread as it has been compared with men’s level. [10:49] It takes more than hormones to fix our hormones. We don't want to suppress menopause and andropause any more than we'd want to suppress puberty and our kids. [13:47] How does a male navigate andropause? [15:30] Oxytocin is the most powerful hormone of your body. [18:09] Adrenals are needed to take over when testosterone drops in the example of andropause. [24:51] With PTSD the cortisol production goes up, and the oxytocin goes down and you don’t feel love. [29:01] When women’s progesterone starts to decline, in our thirties, forties, we start getting other symptoms like anxiety, insomnia, irritability, decreased libido. [34:12] Dr. Anna talks about her problems with weight fluctuation and how it related to her hormonal imbalance. [39:37] The foods we eat as well as the people with whom we eat, support our body’s hormonal system. [44:13] In the Keto Green 16 system, they are creating insulin sensitivity, managing cortisol. [47:58] What is expected and what kind of commitment is needed to join the Keto Green Community? [54:29] LINKS: Brad’s Shopping Page Keto Green 16 Andropause Mighty Maca Plus Dr. Anna Cabeca Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Breather) Enjoy more insights from Cal Newport’s book, Deep Work. In this episode, I discuss why attention is key to living a happy life, why you are the sum of what you focus on, and why you can find something positive in any and every situation ― even when you get into a massive blowout fight with a friend or family member! All the way back in 1993, the late Neil Postman warned us against the culture of technology, where anything representing technological progress was deemed as good, instead of weighing the pros and cons. Oh man, doesn’t this hit home with the Apple Watch? You can make a list of the good things about it if it counts your steps and get you more active. If an old person falls, it sends a warning and help is alerted. But shouldn’t we make a list of potential downsides such as the constant ability to be distracted from the present moment, or perhaps the constant emission of electromagnetic fields on a device strapped to your body? Newport talks about examples from The New York Times pressuring their top reporters to regularly tweet (while their prestige comes from investigative journalism and complex stories, they still want distractible, low value noise instead of quality work. And Marissa Mayer banned Yahoo employees from working remotely, entirely due to a perceived lack of productivity (they would track employees as they logged-in to a remote server to get email). It’s all because the deep work that provides the real value in today’s economy is invisible, along the way at least. What you’ll learn during this episode:     Human beings are at their best when they are immersed into something that’s deeply challenging.       Since depth (people who do deep work) is becoming more and more rare, those who disengage from the cultural momentum can create a huge competitive advantage for themselves by being more productive than those immersed into busyness. By rejecting pressure to answer emails quickly or participate in social media, you can also obtain an additional benefit, which is increasing the meaning and the sense of accomplishment you get from your work.       Winifred Gallagher’s 2009 book, Rapt: Attention and the Focused Life, drew some parallels between attention and happiness. The skillful management of attention is the key to living a good life and it transcends across all different kinds of endeavors, including parenting, friendship, family, relationships, personal health, and fitness.        Gallagher says who you are is the sum of what you focus on. Her insights came from a cancer diagnosis, where she was resolute to not obsess about the treatments or the prospects, but instead focus on enjoying her daily life. It was, of course, an extreme ordeal, but she still reports feeling quite pleasant most of the time.       You can use even unpleasant situations, such as an argument with a loved one, and turn it into a positive by declaring that the argument has uncovered a need to address an issue that’s causing pain and suffering. There’s always a positive attribute to focus on: Gallagher cites research with elderly folks showing that they were successfully able to rewire their brains, such that the amygdala did not respond to negative imagery in the same manner as a young person.       When you are deeply focused on something, you by definition ignore the little intricacies of your day that are not perfect and can add up to major frustrations.  You have no time and energy to worry about little personal slates or busy work that needs to get done. But, when we are constantly distractible and constantly checking inbox and text messages, we get dragged down the drain of negative energy, because the idle mind tends to fixate on the negative, such as FOMO (‘fear of missing out’) and FOKU (‘fear of keeping up’, as coined by my past guest, Dr. Elisha Goldstein).       Wise words from Gallagher after surviving cancer: “For the rest of my life, I’ll choose my targets with care, and give them my wrapped attention.”        Referencing the work of the great Flow state researcher Mikhail Csikszentmihalyi, Newport argues that, when we are in the flow state we are the happiest, and this happens more likely at work, than during leisure time.        Deep work leads to flow, it leads to deep satisfaction, and it leads to a happy, content life. Check out the show where I cover Dr. Robert Lustig’s book, The Hacking of the American Mind, and talk about how most people don’t even recognize that they are constantly flooding their dopamine pathways, to the extent that they suppress serotonin and can’t concentrate or obtain contentment or satisfaction.      So ― how do you kick some butt and become a Deep Worker??? Here are the top tips I’ve gathered from the book:   Schedule time for deep work. Block out (at least) one hour in your calendar to focus on working on high cognitive demand tasks. Most people prefer to do more mentally demanding tasks in the morning, when they have fresh and clearer mindsets (as opposed to later on in the day), and still have the discipline to enforce boundaries that ensure productivity.    Be OK with annoying people. Not by being annoying, but by not responding, or taking a long time to respond to messages and calls ― this is OK and oftentimes, very necessary for focus and productivity.    Track your time. Good to Great author Jim Collins sets a goal every year that 50% of his time will be spent on deep work or creative work. He also uses a spreadsheet so he can account for every minute of his time.  Protect the time that makes you more creative. For many people, this time is during the morning. But it doesn’t matter what time of the day it is that you’re able to get the most “deep work” done - just that you do it. If that’s mid-afternoon, then great! Just stay committed to doing deep work during a time that works best for you.  Don’t forget about distinct shutdown time. It’s easy to focus on the importance of productivity, but rest is equally important for focus and hard work. You won’t be able to get anything done well on little to no sleep, so take time to recharge.   “Inspiration is for amateurs.” If you are going to wait around for inspiration to just suddenly strike, then you will be in the amateur division. Don’t wait to get started on all of these very important steps, like scheduling time and tracking how you spend your time, because how can you expect to make any progress that way? Don’t hesitate, overthink, or wait for inspiration ― just go for it!   TIMESTAMPS: The morphing of technology with humanity is not necessarily a good thing. [05:04] Is commuting to work and school always best? [08:45] The skillful management of attention is the key to living a good life. [10:04] The idle mind tends to fixate on the negative. [13:12] Schedule some time (actually use your calendar) an hour in the morning to work on highly cognitive demand tasks when you are most fresh. [15:18] Be okay with annoying people by not responding immediately. Keep track of how you spend your time. [17:13] Have the discipline to protect your time. Have a shut-down time as well. [19:03] If you are going to wait around for inspiration to strike you like a lightning bolt, you’re going to be in the amateur division. [19:51] LINKS: Deep Work Dr. Elisha Goldstein podcast Rapt Attention Mihaly Csikszentmihaly QUOTES: "Human beings are at their best when they are immersed into something that’s deeply challenging." Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Brad Kearns welcomes Luke Shanahan for the momentous occasion of unveiling the true identity of the bestselling book, The God Academy: A Master Class In The Power of Attraction, by Angelica Crystal Powers. ACP is in fact a pseudonym, and the true author of this Amazon.com classic is Luke himself! This book was written as a satire of the bestselling book The Secret, about the law of attraction. But if you flip through the pages just a bit, you will quickly realize that there are some powerful life lessons offered by Luke ― ideas like how your behaviors have a ripple effect on the entire world. For example, Luke mentions that every day our choice of words can either generate pride or shame in our loved ones. We can take things for granted and miss out on some of the precious simple pleasures of life, or we can jump to gratitude with a quick thought exercise, or by taking inspiration from those who have experienced setbacks and persevered.  In this interview, Luke touches on numerous aspects of the book content, but the discussion is framed by the circumstances of the day, namely the global COVID-19 pandemic and the social distancing obligation. Luke discusses how we live our lives like a movie, injecting drama, and conflict to keep the plot interesting. He talks about how we grossly distort and misinterpret the law of attraction to believe we can call in our dream man or a big house to make us finally happy. Only when you live in gratitude for your present circumstances are you able to unlock the power of attraction. This is a wide-ranging discussion that will really get you thinking about the big questions of life, if not the classic movie Groundhog Day. Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(Breather) Deep Work is about building the mindset and habits to eliminate distraction and focus on producing high quality, meaningful work. This book was written by Cal Newport, a computer science professor at Georgetown University who has authored six self-improvement books. He also writes the Study Hacks blog, which is focused on academic and career success. I obtained tons of helpful insights, motivation, and practical tips from this book that have helped me minimize distractions and improve my workday habits, so I consolidated them into two Breather shows providing highlights and tips from the book. Let’s start with the premise of the book, which is pretty simple: There is a huge penalty to pay when we engage in constant distraction. In today’s information economy, excellence is what’s going to pay off, because so many things can get outsourced now. But, if you are able to transcend the constant penchant for busyness and distractibility, you can gain a huge advantage in your career. So many great performers have systems in place where they can do deep, non-distracted work. My past guest Seth Godin said, “Turn that shit off.” Even Mark Twain had to go to a cottage to get some peace and quiet and get to work! He was so isolated that they had to sound the horn to call him back! JK Rowling rented a hotel suite to finish the final Harry Potter book, and Carl Jung went to a stone castle. Remember, Dr. Seuss wrote his books on a yellow legal pad. And then got on a plane from La Jolla to New York to hand-deliver them ― these were the only, original copies of his work! Great ones have the drive to cut themselves off from busyness. They have a greater level of satisfaction with their work when they get to focus on the peak performance task. But, unfortunately, the modern workplace is highly focused on busyness ― to our detriment. People who think they are multitasking are constantly distracted, and their performance capability drops significantly.  Other research shows we switch tasks every 3 minutes, and interact with an average of 37 windows per hour. Brief interruptions, such as checking text and email have a massive negative impact, due to something called Attention Residue. This is where each time you lose a bit of productivity/cognitive power when you return to the original tasks you were doing. Think of it this way: “If your brain is how you make a living, you have to be cognizant of brain fitness!” I spent some early days in a large corporate environment, and my opinion is that the only fool who should be up and about, with a constant open-door policy, is the CEO. Because that is why they are there ― to help make others better, to supervise, and support. This is the kind of leadership I saw Martin Brauns embody at Interwoven ― he always had his door open, and always had time for anyone and everyone, no matter how busy his already packed schedule was. And I never forgot what my boss at Interwoven, Kevin Hayden said: “Remember: I work for you, not the other way around.” He felt his role was to act as a resource for others, in order to make everyone else better and to be someone people could see for guidance and direction. Think of it like this: the manager works for the team, not the other way around. So, knowing how distracting and damaging hyperconnectivity is, and knowing how utterly useless multitasking is, why do we even engage in this bullshit? Newport offers a few reasons: To have a sense of being needed and feeling useful. Tribal wiring: The psychological pain associated with not answering emails, texts, calls from family and friends. Busyness is used as a proxy for productivity: Unlike assembly line days, it’s much more difficult to measure productivity these days. Newport calls it the “metric black hole,” meaning that we have no good way to measure the lost productivity created by busyness and distractibility. The truth is, “busyness” really just means that you’re doing lots of stuff in a visible manner. It means you are sending and/or replying to cc group emails, and constantly available on chat or on the phone, constantly attending meetings and conference calls. But why? Because in the modern workplace, without clear feedback and guidance, people gravitate toward the “principle of least resistance,” which is the stuff that is easiest to accomplish in the moment. That’s why we foster a culture of connectivity, when studies show that it is ruining productivity. Imagine if answering emails were to move to the periphery of your workday ― you’d be required to apply a more thoughtful approach to what you should really be working on. And sometimes it really is as simple as changing the conditions of your environment so you can adapt to that environment. If you’re distracted by the need to answer all your incoming emails in the morning, then just don’t let yourself even look at your inbox until later in the day, when you’ve already ticked off enough boxes on your to-do list. Newport tells an inspiring story of an accomplished physics professor in the book, a man who was measured by the frequency of publishing important papers. This professor created an image of irresponsibility and proudly, and continues to reinforce that to his colleagues. He doesn’t answer emails, turns down meetings and opportunities to serve on the committee or boards, he’s entirely focused on publishing research. And that’s all anyone can do: live and work in a way that ensures you will not get in your own way! Stay tuned for part two where I’ll discuss more of the amazing insights I learned from reading this great book, Deep Work. TIMESTAMPS: There is a huge penalty to pay in society at large when we engage in constant distraction. [03:42] If you can transcend the constant penchant for busy-ness and distractibility that we see in today’s workplace, you can gain a huge advantage. [06:44] When your inbox pops up with new things while you are working, it is an example of intermittent variable reward. [08:46] The bump of dopamine that you get with new “dings” on your screen, is similar to the addiction to sugar. [11:02] Just turn it off or go away in order to get work done! [12:22] Hand-writing pen to paper has more significance than typing because of the interaction with the brain. [14:12] Unfortunately, the modern workplace is highly focused on busy-ness rather than focus. [16:53] Attention residue is where each time you pull yourself away, and get distracted, you lose a tiny bit of productivity and cognitive power. [20:17] The manager works for the team rather than the other way around. [21:11] When you feel busy, you feel satisfaction that you are needed. You feel you have been pulling your weight. [22:31] Busy-ness is used as a proxy for productivity. [24:02] LINKS: Brad’s Shopping Page Deep Work Seth Godin Study Hacks The Hacking of the American Mind Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/the-get-over-yourself-podcast/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.