The B.rad Podcast

Let’s make things simple with a big picture look at the most urgent and beneficial lifestyle practices you can implement right now to have more energy and better physical and cognitive performance. Future breather shows will provide more detail about each category, but this episode should get you focused on the big picture so you can explore these strategies further. This is one of my favorite topics to discuss, and it’s based around a concept called compressed morbidity. This means you remain strong, mentally sharp and physically healthy, living disease-free and illness-free for as long as you possibly can.  My father, the late great Dr. Walter Kearns (1922-2019) did a fantastic job of this, living to the age of 97 and having basically 95 years free of any physical ailments and health complaints. He was healthy and strong, and playing golf at a high-level for almost his entire life. By the time he was 95, he started to gracefully decline, but this period was for such a shorter time than most folks his age experience, and without the prolonged suffering so many elderly people endure at the end of their life.   As common as it is, it certainly doesn’t mean you have to deal with a long, drawn-out, painful decline into old age. It’s simple: implement the most important changes you can make to your lifestyle now, because it will pay off – not just in the short term, but in the long-term too. The four most important changes you can make can be categorized into four steps:    Eat primally: Ditch processed carbs in favor of nutritious primal foods, especially healthy fats. Keep it simple: eat real food, and make sure your diet works for your specific needs. Maybe you need to figure some things out first, like getting a food allergy test. An unhealthy lifestyle can lead to a leaky gut, which leads to a whole host of problems, including food sensitivity. Find out if any of the foods you’re eating are actually irritating your gut, so you can avoid them while you heal your body by consuming nutrient dense things like bone broth and liver. You’d be surprised at how many people are sensitive to foods that seem like they would be good for you (egg yolks, coconut, and blueberries are common), so it’s crucial you pay attention to your digestion and how you feel after meals. It’s also very typical that foods that were once intolerable are easily digested once you’ve worked on healing your gut. I know some people who could not have even the slightest bit of dairy without getting an eruption of acne the next day, who now enjoy grass-fed organic milk and cheese, daily, with absolutely no problems. Eating primally is simple, easy to do, and all about giving your body the best fuel – the kind it deserves – so it runs as well as possible.    Move around more:  Just freakin’ move! Wherever, whenever – just do it. Walk places, take frequent breaks, and do structured cardio workouts at a comfortable pace of (180 minus your age) heart rate or less. Maybe don’t try to find a parking space right outside the building you need to go into, but a block or two away (if you have the time to walk – or better yet, make the time). Little things like that make a huge difference. If you can bike or walk to the grocery store or farmer’s market, do it. Take the stairs whenever you can. Look for little opportunities everywhere to be less sedentary, and take them.    Use it or lose it: While walking is great and essential, don’t forget to sweat: getting your heart going is also key. Don’t overdo it, but be sure to include brief, high-intensity strength workouts twice a week, and all-out sprints once a week, every 7-10 days. This will help your body preserve muscle mass, reduce body fat, and delay aging.     Sleep/relax: Sleep is crucial to health, bottom line. Unfortunately, it seems like getting good sleep is becoming more and more difficult for some people – which is hardly surprising, considering the circumstances of our modern world. Because of this, you have to be mindful when creating your ideal sleep environment. It’s super important you align your sleep habits with your circadian rhythm. Start your day off right with a natural wakeup call and energetic morning as the sun streams in naturally and wakes your body. In the evenings, keep it mellow and dark with natural light, and don’t forget that it is critical you minimize your digital screen use after the sun goes down! Once it’s dark, you really shouldn’t be looking at screens – your body will be confused, and you be will miserable and exhausted from lack of sleep. Focus on finding times during the day and the week to relax, instead of being so go-go-go all the time!    I’ll expand on these four topics further in-depth for future breather shows, but for now, enjoy this show as an opportunity to learn about which lifestyle practices and changes you can make so you’re feeling as good in your body as possible.     TIMESTAMPS:  Brad shares how he doubled his testosterone levels entirely through lifestyle modification [5:45].  Brad explains the concept of compressed morbidity [6:54].  Put yourself into a position to succeed through your habits [10:00].  The top 4 lifestyle changes to make [15:20].  Active couch potato syndrome [16:22].  Brad talks about his morning routine and how he like to start his day [18:58].  Why slowing down is so important [23:33].  The kind of high intensity exercise you should be doing [24:10].  The importance of sleep and downtime [28:53].  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.

I sit down with Mr. Red Power Ranger and Carnivore Shredder himself, William Shewfelt. When you visit him on the Internet and see his shredded physique of 3.8% body fat, or striking a pose in his tight red Power Ranger outfit, you might form a superficial first impression that here’s another Hollywood poser but this show quickly proves that notion is wrong. Alas, you are in for a wonderful treat on this show, as I became educated and inspired from an extremely poised, thoughtful, driven, focused, yet fun-loving young guy, and his charming girlfriend Chelsea who accompanied him. Only 23 years old, William offers profound insights about the importance of dreaming big and then executing with a relentless passion for living life to the fullest and breaking past your personal limits of what you believe is possible.   This is a guy who can quote Tony Robbins and the other motivators but then actually back up the aphorisms with a distinct plan of action. William believes there should be a balance of risk taken in life and how holding on to past traumas prevent you from achieving your goals. He firmly believes it's not where you've been but where you're going.   I talk about the origin of the Get Over Yourself theme and the importance of cultivating a pure motivation for peak performance, and these were lessons I had to learn the hard way over years of struggling and self-reflection as an athlete and with career pursuits. This dude has a lot of stuff figured out already - no kidding!   How can he go from disinterested economics student at UC San Diego to dabbling in local theater acting, to a starring role in a major television program in one year? By formulating an entirely evolved and bulletproof mindset that was all about focus, dedication, and “protecting your mindset” against the trials and tribulations and heartbreak that is endemic to the acting game.   I was truly inspired and motivated by absorbing his energy and positive attitude. We were supposed to talk about the carnivore diet, his body fat reduction programming, and other such boilerplate stuff, but I was too captivated to leave the thread of how a young person overcame an unhealthy youth to dream big and then execute according to plan every day.   Eventually, we transition our focus into diet and exercise, making for a great stand-alone show coming soon.  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.

After a great show with Bordeaux Kitchen author Tania Teschke, we keep recording and I start to get freaked out over the health concerns relating to radiation from “Smart” utility meters and also excess artificial light and digital stimulation from various blue-light emitting sources like digital screens and LED light bulbs. After the recording, I headed over to Home Depot to buy some vintage style light bulbs with the yellow hue incandescent filament style light bulb. This type of bulb is far less offensive to your circadian rhythm and mitochondrial function than the popular LED lights and fluorescent lights. Look at these up close, and you’ll realize they are emitting an intense flickering that is invisible to the naked eye, but highly disruptive to your mitochondrial function and melatonin release at night.   How about WiFi? Are you ever freaked out when you login to a wireless connection and notice 27 other networks within range of your device? Scoff if you must, but we have no reference points for long-term exposure to modern tech devices. In addition to the devices, we must also be mindful of the health consequences of hyper connectivity and sensationalist media. This is a good breather show to get you focused on doing the best you can to live healthily in your high-tech modern environment.  TIMESTAMPS:  Tania talks a lot about the dangers lurking in our surroundings. [05:14]  Fluorescent light and LED light bulbs are harming us. [07:25]  The utility smart meters are also dangerous. [10:54]  Wearing blue light blocking glasses helps. {16:48]  It’s important to learn and be aware of these sorts of dangers. [18:44]  We trust our sources of authority and now we are learning they often aren’t correct. [21:35]  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.

Keen fans of Borat, the legendary movie my Sacha Baron Cohen, will realize I’m knocking off his movie title here. It’s appropriate to capture the theme of our conversation, which covered all manner of healthy eating and living, but hit the theme of healthy European traditions contrasted with hectic, hyper-speed, overly-stressful American life today. Tania was born and raised in America and graduated from Brown University, and has spent many years of her adult life in places like Japan, Russia, and is now based in Bern, Switzerland. She has been on amazing journey of health and immersion into her authoring of one of the most fabulous and comprehensive books ever written on the planet, titled The Bordeaux Kitchen, An Immersion Into French Food and Wine, Inspired By Ancestral Traditions.   This book represents her life’s work, filled with insights about improving health through ancestral-style eating, the rich tradition of French cuisine, always honoring the ancestral perspective, and a fabulous education about wine and how to pair it with assorted paleo meals. We talk about Tania’s quest to regain her health after a disastrous ordeal starting with a burst appendix sustained in Kazakhstan (speaking of Borat, that’s his hood!), and a long hospital stay afterward dealing with complications. She has studied the health consequences relating to mass produced food (including the recent alarming commentary about widespread ingestion of glyphosates, the toxic chemical found in RoundUp weed killer product), EMF exposure (SmartMeters from utilities, WiFi signals), excess artificial light and digital stimulation on your circadian rhythm as well as your mitochondrial function, impurities in the water supply, the consequences of gut dysfunction, and much more. Yes, Tania is a real forward thinker about health and natural living. It’s worth listening carefully to her concerns and insights, instead of our usual knee-jerk reaction to accept as normal all the health offenses in modern life.   TIMESTAMPS:  Tania has written a masterpiece of a cookbook that includes French Cooking recipes along with the wine and descriptions of life there. She focuses on ancestral health. [04:23] Her book is way more than a French Cookbook. Surprisingly the French culture is much aligned with the principals of Primal living. [09:08]  The Europeans seem to have a much calmer, socializing, relaxing lifestyle. [13:00]  People in the US need to slow down. [19:31]  The organic label does not entirely let us know the facts. [25:15]  Eggs’ labels are very confusing. [30:05]  From farmers’ markets in Europe, there has been a shift in some areas to super market, but most people still take advantage of the farmer’s markets. [33:48]  Public transportation functions well in Europe compared to US. [39:03]  Kid’s absorption with light from screens is damaging eyes. [40:25]  Blue light is the color we see around noon, so the artificial light at night from screens throws off our Circadian rhythm. [46:24]  A lot of the new light bulbs we have are a problem [49:17]  Sun exposure in the morning sets up your Circadian rhythm. [52:10]  They explain the difference between fresh air and stale air. [56:24]  Obesity might be a function of not getting the right amount and right type of light. [58:35] Many people don’t really realize the importance of being outside. [59:41] We are creating endless summer according to how our genes are wired to use light. [01:00:40] In Tania’s book she covers ancestral health, her health journey as well as French cooking and wine. [01:03:38]  If you use fresh ingredients, you don’t have to read labels.  Put the boxes away! [01:07:05] When you make desserts with rich fats, you don’t need as much sugar. [01:09:49] The moral of vegetarian versus meat eaters is another issue. [01:16:40] If you are taking an animal’s life, you’d better lead a purposeful and meaningful life yourself. [01:18:08] 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.

I’m bringing you some of the best quotes from relationship expert John Gottman for today’s blip show. Gottman’s ideas are simple and straightforward, but radically different from anything you’ve heard before, and will change the way you approach relationships and your partner.  Gottman advises couples to stop wasting time arguing. Why’s that? Because most arguments cannot be resolved, yet couples still spend time fighting year after year, trying to change each other’s mind. This is a complete waste of time because the arguments stem from fundamental differences in personality, values, and/or lifestyle. Fighting about these differences is just wasting your time harming your partnership. Want to learn more? Tune in to the show to find out how you can enhance the harmony in your relationship and establish methods to help strengthen your connection with your partner.  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.

My athletic friend reached out to me recently to tell me he had a body scan revealing arterial blockage issues and the need for a pipe cleaning procedure. Yep, getting old brings some surprises and challenges, and it’s important to implement healthy habits and track your risk factors. Today, it’s easier than ever to self-quantify with online blood testing, but when you embark on the process of tracking your heart disease risk, it is integral that you are looking for (and at) the right information.   To ensure you receive the most accurate results, I would follow the advice of Dr. Cate Shanahan and Dr. Ron Sinha, who agree that the most beneficial and reliable method of tracking heart disease risk is by focusing on your triglycerides to HDL ratio. We all know HDL: “the good cholesterol” (or “nature’s garbage truck” as some call it) - the higher the levels, the better. HDL goes through the blood stream, scavenging and eliminating damaged cellular material, like small, dense LDL molecules, which unfortunately have a penchant for lodging on the walls of your heart, prompting the oxidation and inflammation of these molecules that leads to heart disease. Not getting enough sleep, eating a high-carbohydrate, high insulin producing diet, and either not exercising enough or over-exercising can all greatly affect your chances of heart disease. Simply put, you want good things to be happening in your blood in order to lower your risk. Obviously, examining your blood is a great way to deduce what’s going on internally, and for decades, doctors have tracked LDL cholesterol levels with the belief that this was the key to detecting heart disease risk.  However, it’s clear now that examining your triglyceride to HDL ratio is vastly superior to the oversimplified obsession with LDL which has led to widespread statin use, despite a recent UCLA meta study revealing that 80% of heart attack victims had LDL values considered to be in the safe range. Instead, take the focus off the LDL numbers and check out your triglycerides. Firstly, if you’re over 150, it is time to get that down (like, yesterday) because that is too freakin’ high! A triglyceride level over 150 indicates that your bloodstream is seriously overwhelmed by the amount of fat circling around in it, so if you are over 150, then try minimizing (or even full-on cutting out) the amount of refined grains and sugars in your diet, and see what happens after three weeks of this change. Chances are, you’ll find your numbers have gone way down. 150+ is high, but you can decrease it in a matter of weeks if you really commit to making the necessary tweaks in your lifestyle.  For some, even under 150 is too loose – Dr. Sinha recommends you aim to get your triglycerides under 100. It is critical to get your triglycerides to HDL ratio under 3.5 to 1 (if you’re over, you’ll find yourself in the “ticking time bomb” category). Ideally, Dr. Shanahan and Dr. Sinha want to see a 1:1 ratio. Getting your triglycerides even with your HDL is the goal, so let’s say you get your HDL at 60, 65: then you’ll want to drop you’re your triglycerides to 60 - 65 as well.  Many more details are offered in this show about good tests to order and values to strive for. Visit places like DirectLabs.com or UltraLabTests.co m and order some tests. All you have to do is purchase your test, head to a nearby lab for a blood draw, then receive your results by email in a few days. Then you can take action with medical professional if necessary or do some dietary modification to correct red flags.  UCLA Study link: https://www.uclahealth.org/most-heart-attack-patients-cholesterol-levels-did-not-indicate-cardiac-risk   TIMESTAMPS:  Brad reminds you that it is important to get blood tests frequently. [04:52]  Stay strong and fit by modifying your lifestyle. [06:00]  The hard choices pay off down the line. Get a routine. [09:24]  What a disaster to think that 71% of the fuel we're putting in our bodies is merely low octane fuel to burn for energy that's almost entirely deficient in the micronutrients that we need to be healthy. [11:31]  Move around more! People with a devoted fitness regimen still show signs of metabolic dysfunction and disease patterns. [15:30]  Keep your heart rate in the low range of 180 minus your age when exercising. [21:07]  Once in a while push your body; do something challenging. [24:00]  Have workouts short in duration and explosive in nature. [25:22]  Should you feel sore after working out? [27:14]  We should have periods of brain downtime. [28:58]  Dim Light Melatonin Onset is when you allow the sleep hormone and restorative hormone flood the bloodstream so you can sleep. [30:54]  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.

This show is about rethinking the basic notions of athletic training, particularly the “no pain, no gain” model that’s been widely criticized but is still embedded into DNA of many competitive athletes. This show was syndicated on the Primal Endurance podcast, so if you are an endurance athlete, definitely check out that show and learn how to pursue endurance goals in a healthy, balance banner. I was a pro athlete for nine years and been in the fitness business for 30 years, but in the last couple years I’ve met some people that have absolutely blown my mind with evolved insights and athletic training, performance, and recovery. In particular, we are experiencing an awakening in the fitness world as to the importance of recovery in the big picture of peak performance. For decades, we’ve been stuck in a narrow mentality focused on conducting a thoughtful and effective pattern of workouts as the end-all for fitness success. What a joke. It’s time to wake up and learn some insights that will transform your approach to fitness, and help you preserve your health as you pursue ambitious fitness goals.   I compiled some brief insights from an assortment of fitness leaders, patching them together to an interesting and memorable. I know you may like to listen to podcasts on the go, but this show requires some note taking. Do what these folks say you will become a better athlete and healthier person. Here is the dream team for insights and a sound bite for the insights detailed on the show:   Dr. Phil Maffetone: The godfather of aerobic training and fat-adapted eating has been preaching the same message for nearly 40 years. Finally, people are paying attention and the MAF training concepts are becoming highly respected and adopted by endurance athletes.   MAF heart rate: The maximum aerobic heart rate is the upper limit for an effective aerobic workout. It’s 180-age in beats per minute. Go faster as a pattern (extremely common for endurance athletes of all levels) and you will dig yourself a grave of overtraining and overstress.   Stressful workouts—return on investment: You need never exceed 90% of maximum heart rate when conducting high intensity intervals, time trials, tempo sessions, or group classes. Topping out at 90 percent of max is vastly less stressful that taking things up to true max. You get only moderately different training stimulation but vastly more stress and recovery time necessary. Oh mercy, I wish I knew and honored this in my triathlon career. Lots of effort and money was left in workouts that should have been saved carefully for race day!  Brian McKenzie: The Power, Speed, Endurance guru and author of Unbreakable Runner is now obsessed with breathing and recovery as the primary focus for fitness enthusiasts. If you learn to breathe correctly, you minimize the stress impact of the workout and spend more time in healthy balance between sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous system function. Brian helped endurance athletes embrace the importance of intensity instead of just road slog; now he is poised to help all athletes embrace the importance of recovery—including cutting edge techniques for breathing and hot and cold therapy. Listen to his show on the Get Over Yourself podcast!  Joel Jamieson: The guru of Recovery Based Training talks about Rebound workouts, where doing a focused protocol of movements in the gym can actually speed up recovery! I have only recently implemented Joel’s techniques, and with great success. Previously, I thought that sleeping more, napping, and relaxing on the couch were the ultimate recovery tools. Joel’s workout features breathing, stretching, mobility/range of motion exercise, doing positive lifts only (dropping the weight after lifting to avoid eccentric), and doing very short intervals with mindful heart rate lowering during long recovery periods.   Craig Marker: Craig and Pavel Tsatsouline of StrongFirst are making some awesome breakthroughs in training theory that you absolutely must try. First, dig the concept of HIRT instead of HIIT. The latter, High Intensity Interval Training, is a term that’s been bantered about for years as the foundation of serious athletic training. High Intensity Repeat Training conveys a different concept where you focus on producing repeat efforts of explosive, intense effort without declining performance and getting tired with successive efforts. This is similar to Jacques Devore’s breakthrough method called Maximum Sustained Power (MSP) that is detailed in the book Primal Endurance.   How to transition to HIRT and MSP? Freakin’ rest more between efforts man! And stop the workout when you notice performance declining! I have recently implemented the HIRT concept with fabulous success. I will be doing a whole show about it in the future, so stay tuned. HIIT workouts lead to exhaustion, extended recovery time and ultimately burnout. Why do almost all group exercise workouts, high school and college team workouts, and personal trainers believe that HIIT is the way? Dated and misinterpreted science, such as the “bastardization of the Tabata concept” as Craig says.   If you are a serious fitness enthusiast, this show can transform your approach, make recovery better, and change your entire life in the process!  TIMESTAMPS: Some exercise programs are disastrously flawed and set you up for an overly stressful life. [03:51]  Recovery is very important. [04:55] The most enthusiastic athletes as well as the casual fitness person need to learn how to work-out in a way that doesn’t do damage. [08:24]  The Maffetone method is: slow down and emphasize aerobic development. For heart rate, the formula is 180 minus your age. [12:11]  You need not ever exceed 90% of your maximum heart rate, even during the most intense and explosive training sessions. [14:09]  Brian MacKenzie,’s contribution to this is suggesting to endurance athletes to add Crossfit training into their routines. [18:30] What’s the big deal about breathing? [21:32]  Dial things down. [24:24]  Rebound workouts are sessions you perform when you are trying to recover from high stress training sessions. [26:13]  HIIT is high intensity interval training. [30:55]  Sprinting is very important. [32:32]  When lifting, pick a weight you could do eight times, make sure to do a succession of sets with a declining number of reps in order to make sure you are rested and explosive for each effort. [37:59]  Brad summarizes the messages in this podcast. [41:59] 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.

By age 35, 95-99 percent of your thoughts and actions originate from the habitual programming of the subconscious mind—a combination of memorized behaviors, emotional reactions, beliefs and perceptions that run in the background like an app on your smartphone. Brain scientists report that we think between 12,000-60,000 thoughts per day, that 98 percent of them are identical to yesterday’s thoughts, and that 80 percent of your subconscious thoughts are negative.  Most of your subconscious programming happens in childhood, and Lipton explains the already obvious bad news that keeps therapists in business: “The subconscious mind has the tendency to interfere with our conscious desires by programming undesirable thoughts and behaviors, which could lead to a great deal of stress and turmoil in our lives.”  The good news is that the latest research in cell biology and quantum physics show that our bodies can be changed as we retrain our thinking! 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.

Fatty popcorn boy is me — two years after exiting a really strict ketogenic eating strategy (mostly on account of R&D while writing Keto Reset Diet with Mark Sisson) and embarking upon an experiment to increase overall caloric intake, including by default, carb intake. The experiment was inspired by my NourishBalanceThrive.com consultants Chris Kelly and Dr. Tommy Wood — both of whom have appeared on the podcast. From review of my bloodwork, there was speculation that I might be depleted from the combined stress of high intensity workouts at advanced age and ketogenic eating patterns with extended daily fasts.   The experiment worked really well and I enjoyed a noticeable bump in energy and recovery rate. Dr. Tommy assured me that I could hit the healthy foods hard, theoretically up to the point of maximum returns represented by adding body fat! Fast forward to two years later and this is exactly what happened: With standards relaxed, occasional indulgences started to become habitual indulgences. Without really noticing, I had packed on around eight pounds of extra body fat. Shown is a photo from March, 2019 weighing 172 pounds — the most ever in my life. The comparison photo is exactly three months later, weighing 164lb. I’ve been around this weight for over 20 years, but occasionally with varying levels of muscle mass and body fat. In this recent effort, my weight change would be mostly all body fat, so I’d guess I was 12% level at 172, and 8% level at 164.  This has never been a main concern, but it was an awakening to see a body built by popcorn, dark chocolate, and habitual mindless eating in the mirror. Always eating healthy food with high standards and keto friendly in recent years, but lacking any guidelines, structure, or discipline regarding caloric intake/meal patterns. I might as well have had a dark chocolate IV at times!  This got me thinking about the absolute importance of discipline in one’s diet. We’ve all heard countless success stories from people who cut processed food, grains, sugar, and bad oils, and immediately lost a ton of weight. However, it’s also no secret that many folks actually struggle with weight gain after they’ve switched to eating a whole-foods, nutrient dense diet. How can this be? Well, it can result from many different factors, but a lot of the time, it’s just the simple fact that you can’t expect to mindlessly eat and not gain weight – even if those foods still do fall into the “healthy” category, using discipline and following guidelines is still essential, no matter how strict the parameters you set for yourself already are. Yes, one of the great parts of following the paleo diet is that you aren’t supposed to have to calorie count and worry about straying off your diet – and this is true, but it doesn’t mean you can just eat whatever you want (especially as you get older) and expect to fit into the same clothes!  We all want our bodies to feel good and look good, but it isn’t always easy to get there.   Here are some insights I’d like to share if you have body composition goals or frustrations, and want to do something about it and succeed:     Writing a book causes body fat increase. Need to negotiate for fat farm/spa retreat tuition with future book deals.     Modern humans enjoy incredible luxury, comfort, decadence. This is mostly unhealthy. We need to orchestrate ways to move more, perform explosive fitness efforts, introduce hormetic stressors like cold or heat exposure, spend more time fasting/eat less food, disconnect from hyperstimulation.    We can benefit from implementing habits through repetition and endurance. A main success factor for fat loss has been no calories until 12 noon. Simple. Commitment. No will power or decision fatigue involved. Just wait for the clock to strike, then consider eating options.    Similarly, I believe morning immersion into 34-38F chest freezer cold plunge helps boost fat metabolism. I often get an intense hunger sensation afterward, which I ignore and it passes in ~15 min (Dr. Cate Shanahan confirms this is ghrelin spike in stomach timeline).    Dropping fat is way more difficult than adding fat, duh. I have more empathy and appreciation for the challenge.  It’s interesting to trace how the definition of the word diet has changed drastically over the years. But let’s go back to its original meaning – diete, as it was first used in the English language, used to mean “a day’s journey.” What a cool concept! Instead of thinking of diet as this restrictive, negative thing that you must follow exactly every single day, why not think of it as a day’s journey: a positive experience, a series of mindful decisions you make for yourself, as you nourish yourself, in order to continue on with your day. If this whole fatty popcorn boy saga has truly drilled in and cemented one thing, it is the very valuable lesson that self-discipline = self-love (Thank you Will Smith for that one!). It’s all about making the best decision for yourself in that present moment, and sometimes that means a healthy, homecooked meal, and sometimes that means you just need to munch on some popcorn and chocolate! Diet is a day’s journey, one that you are in charge of, and yeah, it’s easy (and even normal) to get a little lax now and then. But when you exercise discipline and mindfulness when it comes to the food you consume throughout the day, every single day, not only does it make it so much easier for you to stay on track with your health and fitness goals, but that kind of disciplined mindset bleeds into everything else you do in life. Self-discipline equals self-love (and, also allows you to enjoy eating your popcorn without becoming the fatty popcorn boy!)     TIMESTAMPS:  Brad talks about discovering that he needed to lose excess fat. [04:26]  Sometimes appetite regulation and caloric efficiency sometimes don’t line up well. [07:23]  Brad restructured his eating style and found it enhanced his enjoyment of eating. [10:14]  The idea of carnivore diet is emerging. [14:19]  If you're experiencing a fat reduction plateau, get in there and do some weight bearing sprints. [16:23]  Dr Phil Maffetone references the idea that a sprint workout can have a metabolic effect lasting for up to 72 hours afterward. [18:37] As soon as you spike insulin, you shut off fat burning. [20:36]  When Brad tried to change his eating habits, he found it more difficult than he thought. [24:30] 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.

Here is a different flavor of show, as I become (for the most part) the interviewee in a wild and wacky session with the dynamic duo from the Trail Runner Nation podcast, Dr. Don Freeman and Scott Warr. These guys have a super popular show, featuring nonstop repartee between the pair, as well as interesting guests in the world of ultramarathon running. Dr. Don is an absolute marvel of a human specimen; a busy chiropractor and entrepreneur, he runs in his spare time, and runs. And runs. He has completed countless 100-mile ultra-races and an epic event in the Pacific Northwest of 240 miles of nonstop running.  After this show in the summer of 2018, Don was headed to the French Alps to compete in a 6-day ultramarathon run of 225 miles and 90,000 feet of climbing over the high-altitude trails traversing les Alps. Yes, these ultrarunning folks are an amazing breed. They set a comfortable pace and keep moving for hours and hours and even into multiday racing. Don’s strategy is to sleep one hour per every eight of running! Let’s see, that works out to three hours of sleep per day... In this show, we talk about our shared appreciation for a relaxed and intuitive approach to athletic goals, the inspiration for the name “Get Over Yourself” for this podcast and the importance of getting over ourselves in everyday life, the nature of motivation and the influence of genetics, the importance of drinking only the healthiest and cleanest wine, especially as an athlete. Wine? Don’t whine, we indeed engage in engage in our specialty of tangents, asides, interruptions, and circle backs. Many podcasts have a distinct pattern of interview questions and start-to-finish progression, but sometimes it’s fun to just let it flow and see where the conversation takes you. I think you will enjoy connecting with these guys. This show is syndicated on the fabulous Trail Runner Nation podcast, hosted by in their fabulous Rocklin, CA studios.   TIMESTAMPS: This guy, Freeman, is going to the French Alps to compete in a six-day ultra-marathon.  [05:39] Podcasts are opening a whole new way of communicating. [07:09]  How limiting is your own brain to performance? [12:10]  Practicing doesn’t necessarily translate to the competitive arena. [16:29]  The work that a long-distance cyclist does, doesn’t even come close to what our hunter/gatherer ancestors did. [17:41]  What is the theme of Brad’s Get Over Yourself podcasts? [18:57]  Social media usually shows people at their best, ignoring the fact that sometimes we fail. [21:36]  Some of the GPS features can inhibit your ability to think on your own, however there are some great apps for racing. [26:29]  Screens are dominating our lives. [30:05]  Performance on cognitive test slows down when you are lacking sleep. [33:34]  Brad details what his experience was in becoming a pro triathlete. [38:09]  Brad talks about how he “got over himself.” [47:28]  It’s really important through for the duration of your life to have some compelling competitive goals, whatever that is. [56:30] Brad talks about his speed golf fete. [57:21]  Make sure you are doing what you are doing for a good reason. [01:01:16]  How would you advise an athlete to recognize comfort zone versus Wimp? [01:05:46] 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.