True Life Show

You can now find the True Life podcast content, happening on the Self-Help(ful) podcast where Kevin Miller and Dr Randy James bring you their "Functional Friday" episodes and more! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#102: Recovering from injury is a popular topic, whether it's a broken bone, a soft tissue sprain, pull, or tear, or a severe illness or disease. Yet as you'll hear in this episode, we hit on the reality that living itself is injury. Every morning you wake up, hopefully having gotten quality sleep that was healing. Let's say you start at 100%, which is impossible, but whatever level you start out, from that point on you are depleting yourself, physically and mentally. You spend the day wearing down your resources, which is why by nighttime, we are tired. It's our body saying, “Hey, I've used up enough resources I need rest and recovery to recharge!” If you have a specific, acute injury, like my recent broken rib, or if you are down with COVID, your body needs even more recovery. Thus the things we think to do to recover from a big injury, don't differ from things we want to address every day for our recovery. It's a valuable paradigm shift to realize the reality of our existence as it pertains to our overall capacity and ability. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#101: The topic today is the value of play. Now as soon as I say that, some of you will be turned off, as I used to be. I get it. For the aspiring and success oriented individual the topic of play and fun can sound like a frivolity or luxury and lacks the valor of just pushing toward the big goal. And yet, this is how sleep used to be viewed as well. The hero doesn't sleep! Getting more than 4-5 hours is wasteful to the truly committed! Now we know better. If you want to perform at the top level, you need great sleep. Quantity and quality. Among the truly successful I see a priority given to play. Budgeting time for non-productive work that gives our emotions a break and our inspiration a boost. In this episode we dig into the concept. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#100: Every moment of every day, we are becoming. Something. There is no neutral. We are taking actions to further our transformation into something. Something we WILL be...next week, next month, next year...” This can be both daunting and exciting, but regardless it is just happening. We happen to our transformation or our transformation happens to us. Dr Randy James and I have a candid discussion on this that is not a big call to arms for positive transformation as much as a humble look at our propensities as humans and the challenge this reality can be even for us aspiring people. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#99: We talk diet and exercise and sleep and all our habits and routines around them, and it can often sound like a chore. How about elevating our efforts to…rituals. Rituals transcend mere chores and instill a reverence and even sacredness to the effort. In this episode Dr James and I talk about taking our daily health and wellness habits and treating them as true rituals that give them far more depth and meaning which of course help dramatically to how we perceive them and therefore, consistently engage with them for the benefit we truly desire. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#98: We continue our walk through a fairly comprehensive list of menu items on treatments for depression. Apathy, or even just feeling blue and unmotivated and fatigued. In the previous episode, 97, we discussed solitude, outside time, exercise, positive input, having purpose and surrounding yourself with inspiration. Here we continue on with about nine other menu items you can pick and choose from to raise your spirits and increase your hope. We really worked to be compassionate and gracious as we discuss this very serious issue, and not showcase any one thing as the holy grail, and recognize you could engage in so many of these and still have a clinical problem. But none of these efforts will hurt, and they will most assuredly help give you the best chance to combat what is holding you down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#97: Depression, apathy, and just feeling blue and numb, are very real issues affecting all of us. We are all on the spectrum, we're all coping to a level, and even when we are greatly inspired in one area of our life we can be dealing with aspects of depression in others. The culture looks at two possible treatments; counseling and medication. Both are of course, worthwhile. Yet they are merely two options out of about 15 we are going to discuss. None are guarantees, but all are highly relevant in combatting these issues. We get through six of them in this episode and continue on in the next episode to cover the rest. A quick note of relevance I feel we should have started off with, is...motive. Until we have a clear motive to pull out of depression, few of any treatments will matter. And motive is the root of my other podcast, What Drives You. I encourage you to find it and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#96: We see sugar as a gift and honor it like we honor wine. And like wine, it's probably not best to have it in excess. For the greater span of time, humans went most of their lives with little to no sugar outside of the occasional fruit when it was in season. In America it wasn't until around 1619 when sugarcane came on the scene. Today sugar is added to everything. The American Heart Association recommends up to 25 grams, or 6 teaspoons per day. Though the average American consumes 88 grams, about 22 teaspoons a day. What's best for our physical health? Zero. Today, 1 in every 3 Americans has diabetes or prediabetes. Another way to look at it, around 122 million Americans have a sugar related disorder, while only 14 million have an alcohol disorder. We are sicker and fatter than ever and sugar is the primary culprit. In this episode we talk about how to best view and manage sugar. Something again, we love too! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#95: Fat is good. Say it again, fat is good. Empty carbs, bad. If you lived through the 80s as I did, they vilified fat and we pounded ourselves full of low and no fat carbs. The result this? I'll read it to you as quoted by the NCBI: The prevalence of obesity changed relatively little during the 1960s and 1970s, but it increased sharply over the ensuing decades—from 13.4% in 1980 to 34.3% in 2008 among adults and from 5% to 17% among children during the same period. Then...the national adult obesity rate has increased by 26 percent since 2008 and today the U.S. adult obesity rate stands at 42.4 percent, the first time the national rate has passed the 40 percent mark. No fat has made us fat. Now let me clarify; a pint of Ben & Jerry's is 16 oz, and if I have it, I eat it all. The whole pint. A pint of Chubby Hubby has 1,320 calories and 80g of fat. A 16 oz slab of salmon has 944 calories and 59g of fat. However that Ben & Jerry's Chubby Hubby also packs in 140g of sugar and the salmon has zero. The fat you want is from fish, meat, olives, avocado, seeds and nuts, and some dairy...but not the Ben & Jerry's kind. Stay tuned and we'll help you decipher what you want. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Where should fruit factor into your diet? At all? A little? A lot? And then, if any fruits, which are the most beneficial to your wellness? It seems so basic, but these types of questions on food categories and value of different varieties are stumbling blocks in our decisions on diet, and fruitions of health. Yes. Pun intended. In this episode Dr James and I talk through whether we are generally best to eat fruit or not, and if so, which ones and how much. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#93: Continuing on with our series on the most nutrient dense, life-giving foods, we now hit on grains. In the health and wellness world these have gotten much rap as the enemy. Carbs! I won't hold you in suspense. Do we advise never eating grains? No. Are some types better than others? Yes. Are we best to minimize them in our diet. Yes. The greatest struggle with grains is simply the cultural norms and social friction we must deal with in a time when grains, and generally the least healthy, are still the primary food consumed in America. And being so countercultural is a bigger effort than merely managing our taste buds. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#92: Eating meat or not is one issue, but if you choose to, are they all equal? Absolutely not. Again, we're talking about food, the item we ingest every day that is intended to build, repair, heal, and help us flourish. So if the next meal has meat, does it contain the natural ingredients it was intended to? Ingredients that give us life? Or is it made up of synthetic hormones, antibiotics, waste products, and an overall soup of refuse and pharmaceuticals? It matters, hugely. The type of meat to a degree, but moreso, the life of the animal it came from. Dr James and I walk through meat to help you understand what will best support your...true life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#91: Not all vegetables are created equal. In a recent episode, Dr James quipped about his kids going for the most sugar-full veggies like carrots and snap peas and it sparked a listener to ask which veggies were in fact, “better”. We intended to discuss the “better” foods in five categories but found just getting through veggies was a complete episode. To give you some Cliff's Notes, his “top tier” picks for the most nutrient dense veggies were broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, spinach, cabbage (especially purple) and kale. Tier two? Peas, corn, carrots and okra. Why? You'll serve yourself to understand, so listen on to the episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#90: In this episode of the True Life podcast, an exhaustive review of good sleep habits. Pun intended. The point...for you to get insight into anything that can help you achieve a better, more restorative night's sleep that fuels your life for the better. This was a listener request and though we've talked extensively about the power and necessity of quality sleep for our lives to be abundant, we realized we hadn't specifically gone through tangible habits. As we unpacked them we were a bit surprised to realize just how many integers there are regarding our sleep. From food we eat prior to sleep, to our mattress, to light and sound and even the topic of our last waking thought. What we thought would be a quick run through of our list turned into our longest show yet, but resulted in even us realizing just how many things can influence our sleep quality Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#89: Have you ever been in a place of feeling like you are eating clean, not eating that much, you are exercising well, but still not losing weight? Or not enough weight? Or even gaining weight? In this episode we hit the reality that a calorie isn't a calorie, but even further, any certain calorie may be fine for one person and not so much for another. The weight loss industry wants to give answers everyone can simply follow, but they just don't exist. Ultimately you must have some understanding of food and calories and your personal makeup in order to find a nutritional and exercise plan that gives you the results you desire. In this episode we strive to help you get a grasp on finding your ideal plan. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#88: Do you know what happens to you when you're faced with too many choices? You are inclined to choose nothing. Why? Because figuring out the best decision causes stress and we are generally suffering from decision fatigue. Now think about the reality of life today that always has an infinite amount of choices for anything at any given moment. It produces a culture of anxiety. We're calling it “choice pollution” and in this episode we talk about the problem, the solution and the anti anxiety drugs being prescribed for it. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#87: Irritable bowel syndrome affects nearly everyone to some degree, even those living a very clean, healthy and active lifestyle. Diarrhea, constipation, gas, bloating, abdominal aches and pains and general discomfort down there should not be “normal” and there is hope to address it. When you do a search in Google and type in, “How often should you…” the number one search is “wash your hair”, number two is “poop”. You are not alone. In this episode Dr James and I candidly talk about IBS, SIBO and...poop. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

#86: Nearly 50% of American's have high blood pressure...hypertension. Most just take a medication to control it. Is that good enough? There are little side effects to the medication itself, but what else is going on? Being overweight is the primary correlation but then you have seemingly fit people like actor Will Smith who is on them too. How does that happen? Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The culture talks about “life span”, which is how long we live from the day we are born until the day our heart stops beating. Health span however, is how long you are well and able. Do you care more about living to be 100, in a nursing home, in a wheelchair, hooked up to oxygen, wearing diapers, and completely devoid of any conscious thought, or being active and able in body, mind, and spirit, well into your sixties, seventies, or eighties? Dr Randy James and I recorded this segment following our weekly, Friday guys gathering where we share our lives together. One of the guys had just spent time with his family and witnessing his elderly mother who could not get around much and was not able to join the family in much of any activity other than eating. While we want to be sensitive, he was just aware she has peers who are fully capable in body and mind and he's aware of her lifestyle choices that have not helped the disability she finds herself in. Randy and I have a candid and I hope compassionate discussion on this and it brings to light what our goals are, and how our daily actions are supporting these goals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Health comes from our controlled actions, right? Hopefully from good nutrition, exercise, and sleep. If it's acute, maybe a medicine or surgery or treatment. “Thinking yourself healthy” is woo woo psycho babble and hardly tangible science. Or is it? Dr James and I have been studying the topic and thinking through it in our own lives. A book we are reading cites a study where people worked out their biceps, with dumbbells, just as we expect in order to grow a bigger bicep. But half of the test subjects were tasked with just thinking about growing their bicep. The first group using dumbbells, grew their biceps. They measured bigger. The second group who just thought about it, also, got bigger biceps. Not as much, but take the measuring tape, and sure enough...bigger. Yeah. So take that to your health. As you'll hear in this show, I talk about an injury I have. The only mental input I give it is...negative. According to this study I could be helping heal it with my thoughts, but currently I'm making it worse. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Your thyroid regulates much of your body and we as a culture are having more and more dysregulation. In this episode we dig into what problems thyroid dysregulation causes within us so you can hopefully ascertain if you are being negatively affected. We cover how traditional medicine treats it, and then of course how Dr James would treat it from a Functional Medicine perspective, even down to nutritional supplements and recommended dosages. Here in America many people suffer from hypo and hyper - thyroidism, though hypo is most common and the result is feeling the brakes are on in your physical health. You are pushing forward and feeling like you're in quicksand. Tune in for help. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everything in our lives is speeding up. Technology and artificial intelligence and deliveries and...boom. We can fill every second with something new and interesting and the marketplace is focused on delivering us intstanteous gratification in any way possible. Compared to our grandparents and especially great grandparents, the speed and convenience of life and survival is supersonic. We can do in one hour, maybe even 20 minutes, what it took them all day to achieve. So how is it working for us? Are we awash in free time and leisure? Are we happier and healthier and more at peace than ever? Exuding so much joy as a result of all the privilege we have? You know the answer. We as a culture are sicker, sadder, adn more anxious than ever. But the speed and convenience is not bad, only our management of it. I can have a burger for a dollar in a minute at a drive through, or have one that costs $10 and an hour over my grill. Which will serve me better? Dr James and I talk through this issue, not with certainty, but with grappling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We continue talking through stories of people who made big health changes, and why. In this episode we cover breast implant illness, having the consummate dad bod, weight loss after a child called her fat, aching knees and hips from weight, quitting tobacco, afib, and type 2 diabetes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I wanted to hear from people who have made significant health improvements and what their catalyst was. I asked listeners to share their health accomplishments. I asked to hear from people who were out of shape and possibly ill...and got fit and healthy, and what was the catalyst for them. What triggered them to finally make change and commit to it? Dr James and I talked through comments that included, chronic back pain and back injury, weight gain due to health problems and medication, committing to health due to responsibility to family, and not wanting to be a future burden to family, spinal surgery recovery, and family history of heart attacks. The discussion was rich on what caused these folks to take big action on their health and we didn't get to half the responses and will continue in the next episode. This should give many of some significant inspiration and equipping, to make any big changes you may be looking for in your health and wellness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There is a culprit draining your energy. Anxiety. And here’s the deal, you do have anxiety. You are on the spectrum. Our effort is to help you understand this so you can work to mitigate it. In our culture today we know pesticides have gotten into all our foods. We can’t escape it, it permeates our entire country at this point. Same with anxiety. We live amongst it and can’t avoid it, even if we don’t feel we worry about much. We’re finding people are so often feeling drained by day’s end and they aren’t aware of the role the anxiety of our culture plays in our lives. In this episode we get it on the table and discuss mitigation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We talk candidly about me just going through coronavirus, I think for the second time though I did not get tested the first time. The realities of dealing with it and admitted humbling it has had on me. Then we also discuss the vaccine. I ran a survey asking who was and was not getting it and with 140 responses it was almost right down the middle. Dr James and I do not tell you our opinion but ultimately come to feeling the topic is very similar to the tenets of functional medicine, in that if you ask what is the best diet or exercise or health regime, the answer is, “It depends.” On the vaccine what is most interesting is the cultures need to polarize and be so definite, even when some of the top notch health experts, doctors and scientists that Randy looks to are split on the issue themselves. The anxiety and division the topic is causing may very well be far more detrimental to the culture and your own health than the issue in and of itself. But we really strive to do justice to this issue of the vaccine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Let’s talk about snacking at night. Specifically with ice cream. I have on the show, Sean Folkson, the founder of Nightfood, a better, healthier, and more sleep friendly ice cream. I’m not advocating eating ice cream late at night, but as you’ll hear in the show, the concept is, if you’re going to anyway, at least make it a better option. Randy and I often talk about us all being creatures of our appetites, and we won’t squelch that. Trying to leads to failure. But let’s upgrade them. That’s why I have Sean on the show and he simply felt like if he was going to indulge anyway, could he make it less harmful? More than ice cream we simply discuss the realities of our own humanity and our efforts to make better decisions, even if it’s a less offensive ice cream than Ben & Jerry’s or Haagen Daz. I generally try not to eat after dinner, but if I do, I strive for the healthiest thing I can to appease my appetite. I think you’ll find some comfort in this show...about comfort food. We’re seeking health, we’re not seeking to deprive ourselves of every pleasure! Find Sean and his tasty treats at nightfood.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to run. Specifically, how to run without injury and keep running into old age. We’re advocating running simply because it’s one of the easiest exercises that can be done nearly anywhere and anytime with little to no equipment required. So many people who would run however, do not. Even those who used to at an elite level. The reason? Aches and pains. We’ve gotten to where it’s the norm to stop running earlier in life and try to find an exercise with less impact. I had that as my own story. I did a 2 hour run on Father’s Day about five years ago. It was glorious. Except for the pain in my hip and back. Then Randy and I got a hold of some new information. Today we both run pain free. It’s not a promise for you, but it sure is a great hope. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When your phone or computer is always on, always running multiple programs, it gets bogged down. We often power it down and reboot. As humans we get this. We seek relief and rest. But now think about upgrading the operating system on your phone. You shut down every program, power the phone down, then allow the operating system to be updated and upgraded. This often takes a while longer. When we keep running the same programs of our life without ever taking a break and further to allow new information to come in and take root, we miss the possibility of a real upgrade. In this episode Dr Randy James and I talk about the primary roles in our lives and the concept of backing off from them for a time. A day. A week. Taking in new information and taking time to consider our desires. Then coming back with an upgrade. Think about this in terms of your job. The work you do. Being a spouse. A parent. Being a homeowner who is continually keeping up with everything. I recently took an extended break from almost all of it, but we cover ideas to experience this benefit regardless of your situation. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Something we all have to a degree is trauma. Which is simply a distressing or disturbing experience. The reality is our past traumas, especially in our early upbringing, latch on and often negatively affect our health. Tana Amen is a New York Times bestselling author, a neurosurgical ICU trauma nurse, a world-renowned health and fitness expert, and she and her husband Daniel Amen run the revolutionary Amen Clinics. We brought Tana on because she had significant trauma from birth into young adulthood. Significant trauma. We talk about her personal experience in mitigating the negative effects to her health, combined with her’s and Daniel’s studies, research, and testing on the brain’s ability to change and grow. Trauma is a primary culprit in our fight for wellness that generally goes untended to. We’re going to tend to it, here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How to breathe. Isn’t that odd. I, like you, figured I knew how. For 50 years I’ve been breathing air in and continuing to live. I was a pro cyclist and seemed to breathe pretty proficiently. What more do I need to know? Turns out there is a lot to know if we want to be fully functioning. In this show Dr James and I discuss the message of the book, Breath, by James Nestor. Here is a big hook of the message that may intrigue you as it did me, our nose is not simply for smelling. It is for breathing through. Our mouth is for food. When we use our mouth for breathing instead of our nose, especially at night, there are negative consequences. You’ll learn much in this show and even the simple awareness of correct breathing will benefit you tremendously.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Food is like money. We can’t do without it. Food is not good or bad. So we either have a good and healthy relationship with it and invest wisely, or we have a poor relationship with it and it’s a thorn in our side. We are losing the war with food in America and in this show we highlight a reality of our true and real addiction with food. All of us are on the spectrum. We can’t stop eating, so what do we do? First we get aware of our individual issues then work to manage them. This is not a call to abstain from food or from food you like. It’s not a quest to take away your joy and pleasure from food. Food truly is life. The issue is whether we are in control of it or it is in control of us. The difference is everything and this episode is meant to empower you to be in control, even as you not only get great joy from your food but even more. What we are realizing is to have the health, wellness, and physical and mental capacity we desire we must start by establishing a healthy relationship with our food.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Here is what we truly believe is the number one tactic you can use for your physical healing. If you have a chronic illness or disease, I’m bringing you the best medicine possible. And I’ll preface it by saying...I don’t like it either. I’ve broken bones, and I don’t like wearing a cast to heal. But I do. I’ve dealt with psychological things and seen therapists. Not a great joy. But I want the help. The topic today is...not eating food. For a prolonged period. In order to enable the body to heal. Eating throughout the day, from morning till night, is something humans have done only for a very short amount of time. A time where we’ve seen a massive rise in chronic illness and disease. Our bodies were created for an intended to get a break from food. In this episode we discuss just this, prolonged fasting. And you’ll hear me address that I do not, at all, like to not eat. I love to eat. But I also love to feel great. To perform at a top notch level. I don’t want aches and pains, now at 50 or in the future at 90. I want to think clearly and creatively. I want to be fully mobile and spry. I have no reason to give these up. And taking times to not eat and let my body heal is paramount for all this. You don’t have to abstain from food for 30 days. But mere intermittent fasting is not enough. So...here you go. The episode your taste buds and belly don’t want to hear, but the rest of your body is starving for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The fight against cancer began around 1970, the year I was born. Culturally we’ve treated cancer like an insidious evil that is hunting us as a predator and we are its prey. It gets you or it doesn’t, you catch it or you don’t. Yet the science does not back this up. Do genetics contribute? 5-10% possibly. The main issue is what we are doing to our cells that is much the causation and the continued growth. Now I realize that even the hint at us having any responsibility regarding cancer is a highly volatile premise. I’ve had family members with cancer. Who died from cancer. And I can’t guarantee I won’t get cancer. Regardless, this is not our opinion. Our very own National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI) as a division of the National Library of Medicine (NLM) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published "Cancer is a Preventable Disease that Requires Major Lifestyle Changes” and cites the highest percentage of causation is diet and specifically, inflammation. We have more and more doctors and experts coming forth with this message. It's not popular to the masses, but for those of us who want and accept control over our health, this...is glorious news.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Parkinson’s Disease. Like every illness, disease, and malady it is on a drastic rise in America. And it’s no longer the old man’s issue, but is being rapidly experienced in the 30-50 year old range of men and women. As we discuss in all our discussion of illness and disease, there are lifestyle issues at work. But different than most other issues we cover, Dr James reveals that with Parkinsons there are some significant environmental toxin issues that come into play, which makes it relevant for everyone to be aware of. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Everyone has heard of “the placebo effect” and it’s usually treated with disdain. We don’t want mind games to fix us, we want a literal ingredient or treatment. But here is the deal, your mind games, your expectations, can cause a placebo to heal you or cause a literally beneficial treatment to fail you. What you expect has a dramatic effect on your reality. Do you expect your exercise to enhance your health? Do you expect your nutritional supplements to enhance your health? Do you expect your efforts to eat healthy to enhance your health? The bigger issue is your awareness of how you feel and what you expect from all your efforts. If you have doubt or bitterness in regards to any of your efforts you are likely sabotaging them. But you’ll be incredibly well served to increase your positive expectations of improvement. As you will hear in this show, Dr. James and I have great faith that our expectations are incredibly powerful placebos in our overall levels of health and wellness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our focus is genetics. How much of an impact do they have on your health? We’ve come to a place in time where the culture places more blame on genetics than ever. We are not here to discount the role of genetics, let me put that out there. But we are here to give you hope that you are not a victim to your genetics. How much of a role do they play and what can you do to compensate for and negate them? Stay tuned... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our focus is dementia. An issue that used to be a rarity has now become one of the greatest fears of everyone over 50. It’s getting to the point now of expecting that mental impairment is a given for aging. It is not. Does genetics play a part? Yes, but it should be negligible. Does lifestyle play a part? Yes. The biggest. If hearing you have massive, the most, power to control whether you get dementia or any cognitive decline, you will want to hear the great news in this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the True Life Podcast we tackle adrenal fatigue. The Mayo Clinic defines it as, “a lay term applied to a collection of nonspecific symptoms, such as body aches, fatigue, nervousness, sleep disturbances and digestive problems” and goes on to say, “Your adrenal glands produce a variety of hormones that are essential to life. The medical term "adrenal insufficiency" refers to inadequate production of one or more of these hormones as a result of an underlying disease or surgery.” Dr James and I unpack the issues so you can discern if some of your issues extend beyond a mere lack of energy and into a true adrenal problem. And then of course, what to do about it. The key is...recovery. But sleep alone is not enough! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr Daniel O’Neill, orthopedic surgeon, sports medicine doctor, and sports psychologist. Dr O’Neill is leading the charge to help our kids. Our kids who are becoming more and more sedentary. They are getting fatter and out of shape and sicker and the consequences are dire. Their brains function out of the health of their bodies and yet schools are doing away with physical education and activity and us parents aren’t fostering play and activity and are letting the kids sit still on screens all day. So to put it bluntly our kids are getting fatter, sicker, dumber, and are having less resilience and capacity. They are getting depressed. What do we do? That’s what this show is about. Find Dr O’Neill at survivalofthefit.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I continue with the question from episode 59 about what health issue you’d most like a magic pill for, and a lot of people said food issues. They’d want help enjoying healthier food. Help not wanting to eat so much. Help losing weight. What we kick off the show with is the stark reality that food is our number one drug. And we can’t quit it. It is so much more powerful and problematic than we understand. Truthfully this episode is possibly top of the list of importance regarding our quests for better health and wellness.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Guess what we’re talking about. Yes, diabetes. Or “diabeetus” as Wilford Brimley so famously said in the Liberty Mutual ads, and I sourced the audio from Youtuber odiosderp https://youtu.be/1eApR0PFP50 for my show intro. I have relatives with type 1 diabetes and an adopted child with prediabetes, so I’m not poking fun, but anything can deserve a little levity. Dr James and I hit this issue now affecting over half of America, starting with type one and the most prevalent, type two and pre diabetes. Around minute 13 we get into the relevance of a ketogenic diet, and around minute 30 we discuss how the average family pursuing health is still missing it and at risk. This is info that as an individual, and as a parent, I wish I’d known long ago, but am so grateful I do now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the True Life Podcast we continue our series from the episode 59 question, “If you could have a magic pill to fix one health issue for yourself, what would it be?" Kent, Kristy, and Susie cited knee issues, while Tanya and Sheamus cited back issues. As with all maladies, musculoskeletal problems are on the rise. Anyone past the age of 30 is now prone to accept the norm of bodily aches and pains when they move. Younger and younger people have left physical activities they used to enjoy due to physical limitations and inability. Should this be normal? What is causing our cultural aches and pains? And what can help alleviate them? We give most of the show to causation and around minute 40 get into treatments! Surprisingly, your best prescription may be in regards to what you are eating! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I threw the topic of autoimmune issues at Randy because we had multiple people cite it as the primary issue they deal with. While not the leading cause of death which I keep a pulse on, Randy shares it is the most costly of all maladies in America and is growing at an alarming rate. He shares what it is and how to go about dealing with it. For many of you this may be revealing that some of your issues may be attributed to autoimmune, and if you know you have it, you’ll find wise counsel here. At the end of the show Randy shares about his youngest son who has a significant autoimmune issue they have yet to resolve. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I asked our audience, “If you could have a magic pill to fix one health issue for yourself, what would it be?” I wanted to get a pulse on the primary ailments that even our relatively healthy audience is dealing with right now. It’s true that in some aspects of our life, we would all like a magic pill to alleviate a problem or give us the desire we want, as you’ll hear at the top of the show as I pose the question to Randy. I belies an area where we may feel out of control or fairly frustrated. We received so many responses. We grouped some together, but they were all so relevant we are going to go ahead and run a series to address all the issues we think affect so many of us. In this episode we address chronic headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, and allergies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

More than two-thirds of Americans are overweight or actually obese. Angelo Poli has coached and trained over 20,000 people and cites that around 75% of those people just need to get on a healthy eating and exercise routine and stick to it. But for the rest, they have a metabolic issue and unless corrected, the weight will not come off and stay off. Angelo founded Metpro where he and his team specialize in this area by utilizing an algorithm based transformation engine. Angelo and Metpro work with regular folks like us, but he’s well know for working with high-profile clientele that range from Olympic Athletes, NFL MVPs, physique models, and business leaders. I’ve worked with Angelo and his team for a long time so this was me introducing him and his research to Randy and as you’ll hear they get into the nuances of why we are having metabolic problems, how to figure out who does, and what to do about it. You’ll hear my story in this episode as well, as I’m one who had really slowed my metabolism down. For some of you who have trouble losing weight this could be revolutionary, as it was for me, and you may want to check Metpro out. If you visit metpro.co/ziglar you can take their assessment and speak with a coach on their team for no cost or commitment, which I highly recommend! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adi was 23 years old and as you’ll hear, bloated, constipated, and only going to the bathroom once per week. This is critical digestive illness. She started researching the colon and herbs and from it found healing agents in tea, from which she started a business, Teami Blends which is sold online and also across the country in stores like Target. But of course it’s not a stand alone magic bullet. She made other significant lifestyle changes and today seeks to help customers create a program that provides them optimal health. Randy and I asked about her personal health journey, the benefits of tea, and more. In the latter part of the conversation I asked her and she provided, her top three list of what causes and helps alleviate digestive problems which may be the greatest benefit you get from this episode. Adi is offering us 20% off all her products at teamiblends.com when you use code TRUELIFE. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

My premise for this show was looking at the coming New Year and giving some guidance as to what you can do to improve, bolster, and support your health. Randy and I talked through some of the comments then keyed in on primary initiatives you can engage with for food, exercise, mental wellness, and recovery. We give primary focus to how you can make your plans sustainable, and undergirding them with your motive. Your reason why you want to do anything to help your health and wellness. Before you attempt any change I encourage you to give this episode a listen, as I believe it will greatly increase your chances for success. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We are always exposed to negativity in our lives, it’s impossible to avoid. As of this recording at the end of 2020 I’m going to claim we are at an all time high. The covid pandemic, racial tensions, and presidential campaign offered volatile topics, and just about everyone in the country, if not the planet, is citing more anxiety, uncertainty, confusion and fear. Everyday we have more people spending more time on screens that pump out media more than ever, and as media is paid to get our attention, they know what gets it most is...negativity. Randy and I talked over what he is seeing with patients and how very real this issue is, and how we can minimize it...but in truth the bigger issue is combating it. Interestingly what we landed on was seeking ways to lift ourselves emotionally. I think you’ll find some tangible actions you can take from this show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is there a widening gap in our culture between those who adopt a healthy or unhealthy overall lifestyle? I asked my podcast audience, “During COVID have you gotten more or less healthy? Second question, do you feel those in your sphere (family, coworkers) have gotten more or less healthy?” We cover a good number of responses and find that of course our listeners are a healthier bunch in general and most cite they have gotten even healthier. But most also admit those around them have not. You’ll hear Dr Randy James affirming the reality of whatever tendency we’ve had, during the pandemic, it has increased. What does this mean for you? Depending on your social environment, it may be a slight pressure, or a lot, but it’s a reality we will all do well to be aware of.

Do you think of yourself as athletic? Or do you just exercise? In this show we discuss the label of being athletic as if you were writing a personal’s ad. Dr James and I discuss what does being athletic imply, and most importantly, why would you not want this label? Much of the point was elevating the label beyond just exercising, as I don’t know many people who enjoy exercise, but they really enjoy being athletic. My intent is to get you thinking about how you embrace your physical vitality, and how you can position this aspect of wellness in your life, your family’s life, and with others. Randy and I talk about our kids and how we are raising them as athletic, regardless of whether they compete in sports or not. We also reference some replies from me posting the question, “Do you think of yourself as athletic?” Over 80 comments that brought up some interesting issues. I truly hope it inspires you to further embrace your athletic self.