RUNGA Radio

My very first guest is back! Dr. Jen Esquer is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and she’s ranked as one of the Best Fitness Trainers on Instagram by Shape Magazine. Her resume is impressive, but what’s even cooler is her mission: to help anyone who’s willing to learn how to listen to their own body to address pain at the source and establish the foundation for true, sustainable health. Doc Jen does private sports therapy, creates online programs and workshops, and is featured as a speaker at fitness gatherings worldwide (when gatherings were happening worldwide, that is). Always on the move, Jen hosts her own podcast now – the Optimal Body Podcast – and recently got engaged!We get right down to it with an in-depth exploration of common pain complaints and how the overly cushioned footwear so many of us are conditioned to gravitate toward is causing problems all the way up the chain. I share my experience with Spartan-racing soccer players, and Doc Jen gives us the PT’s view of what’s actually happening when we experience knee, hip, and back pain. Of course we talk about my favorite minimalist shoes, made by Vivobarefoot (Jen loves them too!), and how to transition into them gradually. We discuss the hang-ups that might prevent people from embracing more ergonomic footwear, and make a list of conditions under which minimalist shoes aren’t actually the best choice. If you haven’t listened to my episode with Kris Gethin, I highly recommend you start there for an intro into minimalist footwear. Then check this episode out to learn how the shoes you wear can help you become healthier.Proudly Sponsored ByVivobarefoot Vivobarefoot can help you reduce pain and improve your posture and performance by getting you out of shoes that don't serve you. With 30 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments in each foot, it's imperative to opt for footwear that's wide, flexible, and thin to connect with the ground and feed good information up the chain. Tight muscles aren't a sign that your body is fighting against you—it's your body's response to bad shoes. Switch to Vivobarefoot and experience the difference!P.S. You've got nothing to lose: Vivobarefoot offers a 100-day free trial and these shoes come in a variety of styles, from CrossFit shoes to hiking boots.Use code STACKED10 to save 10% on vivobarefoot.com.Support the show

Rejecting the approach of “standard care,” Dr. Will Cole dives deep into each of his patients’ presenting symptoms to find the physiological, biochemical, and hormonal causes that lie at the root of so many modern health concerns and illnesses. He uses groundbreaking testing and analysis techniques to personalize his healthcare treatment for each patient and provides the support they need to take charge of their health for themselves. A leading functional medicine expert and one of the top 50 functional medicine and integrative doctors in the nation, Dr. Will specializes in health programs for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal dysfunctions, digestive disorders, and brain problems.I had the honor of chatting with Dr. Will about homeostasis and how he brings his patients back to a place of balance after living in a state of unhealth. We discuss autoimmune triggers, the value of sleep and morning routines, gratitude, inflammation, and what a healthy use of technology looks like. Dr. Will talks about ways in which wellness can be taken to an extreme and breaks down the steps he takes to intervene when exercise and mindfulness become detrimental rather than elevating. With a deep-seated understanding of the importance of treating each patient as a complex human being and not a set of labs, Dr. Will’s approach to addressing chronic illness and restoring wellbeing is changing lives and breaking harmful habits for good. Elite biohackers and average Joes alike can benefit from his vast knowledge of functional medicine.Proudly Sponsored ByKionPerhaps the most important supplement on our counter right now is KION Aminos. This company offers amazing, scientifically validated products—including some of the cleanest coffee on the planet—but the first thing you’ll see on their site are these aminos. I’ve been doing some intense training lately, and these tablets are key to my recovery. These aminos are also crucial to the production of our neurotransmitters, and we all need optimum serotonin levels right now. Let’s come out of this quarantine fitter and healthier than we went into it!Head to getkion.com/STACKED and use code STACKED for 20% off your order. This is a one-time-use code, so make it count!Support the show

Aptly deemed “one of the most versatile fitness entrepreneurs in the industry,” Kris Gethin has covered some serious ground in his 45 years. From natural pro bodybuilding to Ironman endurance training, Kris has tried it, coached it, and written about it. He also created Kaged Muscle, an ultra-premium sports nutrition supplement company, pioneered the DTP training method, founded healthkik.com, and hosts the Knowledge and Mileage podcast. Kris’ extensive experience has informed his unconventional—but more sustainable—approach to training for performance, building muscle, and eating to support specific goals.Kris joins me from his treadmill to share his journey from living on the edge of burnout to promoting a holistic lifestyle for more balanced training that accomplishes goals while also promoting longevity. He takes us back in time to his early days of bodybuilding, looks critically at the books he wrote before he understood true wellness, and unpacks the approach he takes both with his own health and training and with his clients and athletes. We explore some common practices of both bodybuilders and endurance athletes, and discuss better alternatives that don’t require compromise. No matter what kind of fitness you’re into, you’ll learn something from this episode!Check out KagedMuscle.com and use code TEAMKM15 to save on all products! Interested in joining Kris’ community or signing up for online training? Visit HealthKik.com.Proudly Sponsored ByVivo BarefootVivobarefoot can help you reduce pain and improve your posture and performance by getting you out of shoes that don't serve you. With 30 joints and over 100 muscles, tendons, and ligaments in each foot, it's imperative to opt for footwear that's wide, flexible, and thin to connect with the ground and feed good information up the chain. Tight muscles aren't a sign that your body is fighting against you—it's your body's response to bad shoes. Switch to Vivobarefoot and experience the difference!P.S. You've got nothing to lose: Vivobarefoot offers a 100-day free trial and these shoes come in a variety of styles, from CrossFit shoes to hiking boots.Use code STACKED to save 15% on vivobarefoot.com.SeedAfter first sitting with Seed’s founders, Raja and Ara, I began to dig a little deeper into the traditional "probiotic" industry—only to be quite disappointed with the reality of the effectiveness of almost all probiotic products on the market. Seed, on the other hand, has 16 strain-specific clinical studies as well as 13 in vitro/ex vivo mechanistic studies behind it that demonstrate its effectiveness. Their innovative 2-in-1 capsule also nests the probiotics inside a prebiotic (punicalagins isolated and purified from Indian pomegranate) capsule for additional protection, ensuring the probiotics actually get where they need to be inside of you—your gut.Use code STACKED at seed.com for 20% off your first month of the Daily Synbiotic!Support the show

Todd White has a dream job. He flies all over the world to hang out with winemakers, cooking and learning and, of course, drinking wine together. The best part? He wakes up every day with no hangover, ready to meditate and work out and do it all over again. That’s because the wine Todd drinks is natural, free of the toxins, sugars, and other additives that contribute to the unpleasant effects often associated with wine. An expert on the natural wine production process, Todd founded Dry Farm Wines to curate pure artisan wines, derived from grapes grown on small, sustainable family farms, and share them with wine connoisseurs and health enthusiasts around the world.Todd joins me from California for an in-depth explanation of natural wine production and the factors that set it so far apart from the commercial wine you find in a grocery store or at a restaurant. He gives us some insight into his life as a natural wine producer, what it’s like to traverse the globe to attend natural wine fairs, and how he’s created a business he never wants to sell. We dive into the wine industry’s dirty secrets and unpack some common misconceptions about regulations, label accuracy, and point rating systems. It’s an episode chock-full of fascinating facts that you can share with your friends at a post-quarantine dinner party—don’t forget to bring a bottle of Dry Farm Wines along!Proudly Sponsored BySeedAfter first sitting down with Raja’s Seed co-founder, Ara Katz, I began to dig a little deeper into the traditional "probiotic" industry—only to be quite disappointed with the reality of the effectiveness of almost all probiotic products on the market. Seed, on the other hand, has 23 strain-specific clinical studies behind it that demonstrate its effectiveness. Their innovative 2-in-1 capsule also nests the probiotics inside a prebiotic (sourced from Indian pomegranate and organic wild-harvested Scandinavian chaga and pine bark) capsule for additional protection, ensuring the probiotics actually get where they need to be inside of you—your gut.Use code STACKED at seed.com for 20% off your first month of the Daily Synbiotic!Traeger GrillsAfter six weeks of being quarantined in Europe, I can say with certainty that my Traeger Grill is what I miss the MOST about my home in Los Angeles. I can only imagine that if I were home right now what I’d be cooking. Chances are I would be practicing my 8-hour slow-cooks of beef brisket or ribs. Traeger Grills are second to none when it comes to gourmet-quality grilling. Like no other grill, they offer backyard chefs an incredible support system to guide your flavor journey and to ensure the perfection of your end result. Traeger’s WiFire technology paired with the Traeger App (which has over 1500 recipes!) syncs to your grill and built-in meat thermometer, coaching you through the entire process. If you are in the market and you want it to be the last time you buy a grill that you can cook on for  years to come, look no further than Traeger Grills.Support the show

There have been over 2,000 research papers published on the impact of EMF radiation on biology and health, and many of them have demonstrated a clear link between cell phone radiation and cancer. And yet, the media remains largely silent. That’s why Arthur Menard de Calenge decided to take matters into his own hands...and, well, underwear. Using technology first pioneered by NASA for space suits, he created LAMBS EMF-blocking boxer shorts.LAMBS has generously sponsored this podcast in the past, so you already know how much I love these products. In this episode, Arthur and I get into the why of LAMBS—what EMF is, how much of a threat it really poses, and why we can’t just put radiation-blocking cases on our cell phones. We talk about the mitigation strategies we’ve employed over the years, which of them are realistic in the modern age, and what’s on the horizon for LAMBS. There’s a lot we still don’t know about the effects of radiation, but it pays to be informed. This episode will get you up to speed in no time. Don’t forget to review and subscribe!What’s EMF and why does your phone emit it? (7:00)What are the negative effects? (10:30)Which devices emit more EMF? (17:00)The effect of stress on fertility (22:40)The chain of events following radiation exposure (27:00)EMF-blocking phone cases actually increase exposure (30:00)Does airplane mode stop EMF transmission? (34:00)We can’t stop 5G—so what do we do? (36:00)The origin of Lambs, and how the fabric works (40:00)Can EMF pass through walls? (45:00)Comfort is important for lifestyle change, and Lambs knows that (51:00)There are a lot of weird things going on in tech (55:00)Finding a middle ground by mitigating the harmful effects of useful innovations (58:00)What’s next for Lambs? (1:01:00)Proudly Sponsored ByTraeger GrillsAfter five weeks of being quarantined in Europe, I can say with certainty that my Traeger Grill is what I miss the MOST about my home in Los Angeles. I can only imagine that if I were home right now what I’d be cooking. Chances are I would be practicing my 8-hour slow-cooks of beef brisket or ribs. Traeger Grills are second-to-none when it comes to gourmet-quality grilling. Like no other grill, they offer backyard chefs an incredible support system to guide your flavor journey and to ensure the perfection of your end result. Traeger’s WiFire technology paired with the Traeger App (which has over 1500 recipes!) syncs to your grill and built-in meat thermometer, coaching you through the entire process. If you are in the market and you want it to be the last time you buy a grill that you can cook on for  years to come, look no further than Traeger Grills.Support the show

Named after the Nicoya Peninsula in Costa Rica, where she was born, Nicoya Hecht is as unique as her name. She’s the co-founder of Rising Springs, a delivery water service that sources natural mineral water from a spring on a property her family owns in Batholith, Idaho. After initially turning down her husband’s suggestion that they start a business together, Nicoya jumped in with both feet after she discovered a passion for water and wellness. Today, that passion fuels a thriving company and drives her continued pursuit of knowledge.Nicoya joins me for a quarantine chat about water source quality. We discuss why Americans like their water cold, how natural mineral water improves your health and vitality, and the practices Rising Springs follows to reduce the company’s carbon footprint. Nicoya explains what it means to be a water sommelier, and how her learning experience is informing her role as co-founder. This is a full-bodied episode about a substance we interact with every day and that many of us rarely give much thought to, and I know you’ll enjoy learning about the healing benefits of water as much as I did.Proudly Sponsored ByBrain.fm Before every show, I find a quiet place, grab my noise-canceling headphones and head over to my brain.fm app. With brain.fm you can decide how you want to spend the next few hours of your day—focus, productivity, relaxation—and they will play music that has been scientifically engineered to shift your brain in that direction. (See more of the science behind this here).P.S. You can now save 20% on this already inexpensive app when you click here!Rising SpringsAfter listening to this episode, I bet you’re starting to wonder about the quality of the water you are drinking. Well, Rising Springs may be just what you have been looking for. In fact, it’s the rare opportunity to drink a water so pure and full of minerals that it’s considered to be a natural mineral supplement. This water, taken from 2.2 miles below the earth’s surface, has been tested to parts per quadrillion to be free of any contaminants and has a naturally high pH of 9.4. Before Rising Springs, I had never had water like this before, and it truly makes me feel amazing. Now you can get it delivered directly to your front door!Use code STACKED for 25% off your first shipment!Support the show

I’m on the mic all by myself again for part 2 of my deep dive into key kettlebell exercises—why they’re essential, how to perform them properly, and what you can do to modify them for your fitness and mobility level. My training style evolved through my years of gym ownership and athlete observation to become a minimalistic, low-impact style that promotes balance and functional movement. Whether you’re an average Joe or a high-level athlete, these exercises will activate dormant muscles, bring your mind and body back into alignment, stabilize your core, and help you become truly STACKED.The fundamental misconception of what strength is (2:30)It’s a fundamental movement, but you have to earn your right to press (8:00)The role of the lower body in pressing (16:00)Dial in strength, then move on to ballistics (24:30)The difference between the swing and the snatch (26:00)Building a base for the swing (35:30)Two types of breathing (38:30)One-hand swings vs. two-hand swings (45:00)How to work up to the snatch (55:30)Movement recap (1:03:00)How to dial it back when things go sideways (1:05:00)Proudly Sponsored ByTraeger GrillsAs of this moment, Week 5 of being quarantined in Europe, my Traeger Grill! is what I miss the MOST about my home in LA!  I can only imagine that if I were home right now what I’d be cooking. Chances are I would be practicing my 8-hour slow-cooks of things like beef brisket or ribs. Anyway, Traeger Grills are second-to-none when it comes to the incredible cooking experience and also offer backyard chefs an amazing support system the guides your flavor-journey better than you can imagine. Traeger’s WiFire technology paired with the Traeger App which has over 1500 recipes and that syncs to your grille and built in meat thermometer coaching you through your cook the whole time! If you are in the market for a grille and you want it to be the last time you buy a grille that you can cook for your family and friends for years to come, look no further than Traeger Grills. BLUblox If you are anything like me, you are always looking to improve your sleep quality. BLUblox makes the highest quality blue-blocking shades on the market, and the only glasses that I know of that have been third-party tested and shown to block 100% of both blue and green light. This light, from ultraviolet spectrum, is what’s emitted by our screens and phones and, in the hours after sunset, has the ability to suppress melatonin production and impair our sleep quality. Wearing BluBlox is perhaps the simplest, most effective way to improve sleep my blocking this light from ever entering your brain. So head on over to BLUblox and use code STACKED at check-out for a 15% discount off your entire cart!Support the show

I hop on the mic all by myself today to talk about key kettlebell exercises—why they’re essential, how to perform them properly, and what you can do to modify them for your fitness and mobility level. My training style evolved through my years of gym ownership and athlete observation to become a minimalistic, low-impact style that promotes balance and functional movement. Whether you’re an average Joe or a high-level athlete, these exercises will activate dormant muscles, bring your mind and body back into alignment, stabilize your core, and help you become truly STACKED.The evolution of Joe’s training style, starting back in the gym ownership days (2:00)The foundational movements (10:00)Why steps are important, and other practices and movements to implement ASAP (13:00)Isometric drills for strength (19:00)First exercise: Loaded carries (21:30)Different ways to perform a loaded carry (34:00)Second exercise: Get-ups (45:00)Third exercise: Goblet squats (58:00)Okay, so what now? Take it to the next level (1:06:00)Orion’s Belt, the Windshield Wiper, and the Golden Rule (1:08:00)Proudly Sponsored ByLambsNever before in our history have we been exposed to so much electromagnetic radiation. Whether you’re a frequent traveler like me and worried about the radiation in the airplane or airport, or you’re sitting at a desk all day exposed to WiFi and sitting close to your phone… all of this stuff is adding up, and the research on the impact this is having on our health is piling up too! This is why my friends over at Lambs have created protective clothing (including the only underwear I wear) to block almost 100% of this harmful radiation.Use code STACKED for 20% off your order!Support the show

Dr. Chris Shade is back for a timely episode about immunity and how you can use Quicksilver Scientific supplements can help maximize your immune health in the face of the current pandemic. We break down strategies for three different demographics—the typical American, the older adult, and the biohacker—and talk about helpful tricks and tips that will benefit anyone. No matter where you are on your health journey, the protocols we discuss in this episode will help you boost your health and stay well during this chaotic time. Find a sunny spot to sit and dive in!Proudly Sponsored ByKIONPerhaps the most important on our counter right now is KION Aminos. This company offers amazing, scientifically validated products—including some of the cleanest coffee on the planet—but the first thing you’ll see on their site are these aminos. I’ve been doing some intense training lately, and these tablets are key to my recovery. These aminos are also crucial to the production of our neurotransmitters, and we all need optimum serotonin levels right now. Let’s come out of this quarantine fitter and healthier than we went into it!Head to getkion.com/STACKED and use code STACKED for 20% off your order. This is a one-time-use code, so make it count!BLUbloxIf you are anything like me, you’ve probably tried to block out every single speck of light in your bedroom—whether at home or on the road. Well, there’s a better option out there. BLUblox has created this incredible sleep mask that not only blocks out all light but also feels comfortable on your face. It makes getting to sleep and staying asleep that much easier...much like their stylish blue-blocking glasses! Especially now that everyone is working from home and spending even more time in front of a computer screen, it’s a great idea to grab a pair of blue-blockers to give your eyes a break and help keep your sleep patterns regular.Use Code RUNGA for 15% off your entire cart at checkout.Support the show

Darin Olien is an exotic superfood expert, supplement formulator, and environmental activist as well as an avid superfood hunter. The founder and visionary of SuperLife, Darin seeks to help individuals live richer, healthier, and more vibrant lives by making simple changes and implementing powerful habits in their daily life. He brings in the six life forces—nutrition, hydration, oxygenation, alkalization, detoxification, and attitude—and encourages responsibility and awareness in all aspects of being. With the right resources, Darin believes anyone can live the greatest expression of their life.I join Darin in an undisclosed location in Malibu for a chat about his life after the Malibu fires and how he’s using this catastrophe as an opportunity to create a more sustainable lifestyle. We also discuss the destructive effects of technology and what we can do to mitigate their effects on our well-being. Darin shares a wealth of knowledge about water and its science-transcending ability to carry information, in addition to why cultivated foods don’t boast the same nutritional profile as their wild counterparts. With so much chaos in the news and in our spheres of influence these days, it’s easy to panic and become discouraged—but Darin offers a message of hope that’s applicable to everyone, regardless of where you are in this moment: Storms bring regeneration.Proudly Sponsored ByRising SpringsAt one point or another on any health journey, you start to wonder about the quality of the water you are drinking. Well, Rising Springs may be just what you have been looking for. In fact, it’s the rare opportunity to drink a water so pure and full of minerals that it’s considered to be a natural mineral supplement. This water, taken from 2.2 miles below the earth’s surface, has been tested to parts per quadrillion to be free of any contaminants and has a naturally high pH of 9.4. Before Rising Springs, I had never had water like this before, and it truly makes me feel amazing. Now you can get it delivered directly to your front door!Right now, to help the community stock up on quality, life-enhancing essentials, Rising Springs is offering pallet purchasing options. Choose between 40 or 80 five-liter boxes and save almost 50% on normal product cost!Use code STACKED for 25% off your first shipment!Traeger GrillsI was first introduced to Traeger last year when we grabbed one of their amazing wood-fired grills for our RUNGA experience in Napa. These grills have amazing versatility—if you follow me on Instagram you’ll see I’m making incredible meals all the time now! With their WiFire technology paired with their mobile app that contains over 1500 recipes, any amateur backyard barbeque-r becomes an absolute pro. Cooking is a great cure for cabin fever! Traeger On and stay in a good mood through food.Visit traegergrills.com/STACKED for more details, and connect with Traeger and the community they’ve built on social media by searching @traegergrills!Support the show