I feel I’ve let you down. I’ve hosted pretty much every renowned breathing expert in the world on this podcast, and yet most of my listeners are still not sure exactly how yoga breathing works. On this week’s show, my goal is to break down the fundamentals of yoga breathing in a way that you can easily remember and apply to your practice.

------------

Listen & Learn:

• How all breathing practices are either water, whiskey, or coffee
• Why it’s easy to get confused with gurus and brand names
• Why most of us over-breathe (and what to do about it)
• Why the most popular breathing techniques tend to be too extreme
• How to incorporate all three breathing patterns into your life

ABOUT THE HOST

Lucas Rockwood is a yoga teacher trainer, digital nomad, green food junkie, and serial entrepreneur.

With a formal yoga training background in Hot Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Gravity Yoga, and the Yoga Trapeze, Lucas has studied with some of the most well-respected teachers on the planet. His most influential teachers (all of whom he studied with personally) include Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Paul Dallaghan, Alex Medin, Gabriel Cousens MD, and SN Goenka.

Lucas founded Absolute Yoga Academy in 2006, one of the top 10 yoga teacher training schools in the world with 2,000 certified teachers (and counting) and courses in Thailand, Holland, United Kingdom, and The Philippines.

In search of nutritional products designed specifically for achy yoga students’ bodies, Rockwood worked with senior nutritional formulator, Paul Gaylon, and founded, YOGABODY Naturals, in the back of his yoga studio in 2007. The company has gone from strength-to-strength and is now an internationally-renowned nutrition, education, and publishing organization serving 81 countries.

In 2013, Lucas founded YOGABODY Fitness, a revolutionary new yoga studio business model that pays teachers a living wage and demystifies yoga by making the mind-body healing benefits of the practice accessible to everyone.

A foodie at heart, Lucas was a vegan chef, and owned and operated health food restaurants prior to diving deep into the yoga world. Lucas is also a highly-acclaimed writer, radio show host, TV personality, business consultant, weight loss expert, and health coach.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Marshmallow

Links & References from the Show:

• FREE download & reference guide
• Patrick McKeown, The Oxygen Advantage
• Patricia L. Gerbarg, The Healing Power of Breath
• Wim Hof, Wim Hof Method

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• Yoga International, a community of 300,000 students learning about yoga, meditation, and mindful living from hundreds of expert teachers. It has more than 1,000 classes, the most popular of which are 30 Classes in 30 Days Challenge, The Busy Yogi Challenge, and Yoga to Soothe Sciatica with Doug Keller.

  Yoga International is offering listeners of the Yoga Talk Show a free Essentials of Yoga Therapy course when you sign up for a 30-day trial membership.

  Learn More

Open up Instagram right now, and start counting the number of narcissists in your feed today. How many? Three, ten, fifty? Is there anyone real in your feed?

Narcissistic personalities have always existed, but with social media, it's a bigger problem than ever. These hyper-insecure people lack empathy, live in a constant state of conflict, and value status and outward appearances over real human connection and understanding.

Why does it matter? Because we work with them, we live with them, and in some cases, we even marry and spend our lives with them. In this week's podcast, you'll meet a clinical psychologist who shares her pragmatic and down-to-earth approach to living with or running from the narcissists in your life.  

Listen & Learn:

• How to identify a narcissist.
• Why the stereotypical "successful man" today is often the definition of a narcissist.
• Realistic outlook of change (hint: low to none).
• Should you stay, or should you go?

Links & Resources:

• Dr. Ramani's Website
• Dr. Ramani's Books on Amazon

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Ramani Durvasula is a licensed clinical psychologist. She has a private practice in Santa Monica and Sherman Oaks, CA. She is a professor of psychology at Cal State Los Angeles where she was named "Outstanding Professor" in 2012. She is also a visiting professor at the University of Johannesburg.

She is the author of two books: Should I Stay or Should I Go: Surviving a Relationship With a Narcissist (Post Hill Press), and You Are WHY You Eat: Change Your Food Attitude, Change Your Life. She has appeared on nearly every major television network, as well as radio, print, and internet platforms.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Potatoes

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Recently, my friend returned from a family member's funeral 8 lbs heavier and asked, "What's going on?" Weight gain from stress can be clinically explained by a few different mechanisms. There is emotional eating, where you eat to distract yourself and bury your sorrows, but there is also emotion-induced weight gain, where, during a period of high stress, your psychological state chemically disrupts your hormones. This imbalance can increase (or decrease) hunger and change your body's propensity to store fat.

My friend's follow-up question was: "What should I do to lose the weight?" On this week's show, I'll share my advice (food, vitamins, and blood tests) with you. This is by no means a comprehensive solution, but it's a very simple and non intimidating starting point for a journey back to a healthy weight.

------------

Listen & Learn:

• The plus one/minus one approach to making healthy choices
• Which vitamins are a smart choice for almost everyone
• How to see what's actually going on with your body from a blood test

ABOUT THE HOST

In 2002, I worked for a New York City book publisher doing a job I hated. I drank seven nights a week, abused drugs, and smoked a pack of cigarettes a day. For food, it was pizza and takeout—anything quick and easy to keep me going.

No one consciously decides to destroy their health, but over the years, that’s exactly what happened. I was bloated and flabby, unable to sleep without alcohol. My eyes were red and puffy, and I struggled to get excited about anything. I had so much potential, so many opportunities, but when you’re sick and numb to the world, everything feels impossible and uninteresting.

Enter yoga. A friend dragged me to a yoga studio, where I suffered through one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. In that first class, I was sweating and dizzy, unable to do even the most basic postures. I was the youngest person there, but the way I moved, I felt like I was 90 years old. I couldn’t bend forward, sit cross-legged on the floor, or balance in a tree pose. Looking at myself in the mirror, I remember thinking, “How did I end up in such bad shape?”

I hated that first class so much, I knew it was exactly what I needed—so I kept going. People assume yoga classes are meant to be wonderful, peaceful experiences. This is not true. A good class should be the most challenging and uncomfortable hour of your entire day. When you push yourself on the mat, real-life problems become lighter and more manageable almost immediately. Hard yoga = easy life.

For the next 380 days, I practiced yoga every single day. While traveling, I used audio or video recordings. If I was in a new city, I’d go to any studio I could find. When my teacher told me to take a day off to rest, I’d ignore the advice and go to a class at another studio. The same way I’d fallen in love with things that were killing me (drugs and alcohol), I’d now fallen in love with something that was feeding me and fueling my growth.

And it worked. In six weeks, I lost almost 40 pounds (and had to replace my whole wardrobe). I quit drinking and smoking altogether, and most importantly, I found a renewed passion for life that is truly priceless. I remember walking around New York, still dripping with sweat from class, with a big, stupid grin on my face as if I’d unlocked a special secret. My life was changing.

Within six months, I’d quit my job and moved to Thailand. Within a year, I was teaching full-time to packed classes in Bangkok and later, Hong Kong. I opened my first studio in 2006 and that same year began training teachers. To date, I’ve taught more than 30,000 students and trained more than 3,000 teachers in 41 countries. I love my life and my work, and as a result, I’m in better health mentally and physically than I was in my early 20s.

YOGABODY was built on practice, sweat, and struggle. It’s the physical manifestation of everything I care about in life, and my greatest hope is that some of my passion for this practice and lifestyle rubs off on you when you walk through these doors. Nothing worth doing in life is easy. Movement is more powerful than meditation. And practice is everything.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Rinse Tea Rinse Rice

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• Four Sigmatic - makes delicious Mushroom Superfood Blends and Mushroom Elixirs. Four Sigmatic believes in the real magic of functional mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane, as well as other superfoods and adaptogens like rhodiola, eleuthero, and schisandra to help us live healthier, more enhanced lives.

  Visit: FOUR SIGMATIC and use coupon code "yogabody" for 15% off your order.

  Learn More

You close your blackout curtains, flip your phone to airplane mode, and crawl into bed with all the best intentions to get 7.5 hours of sleep—and then your monkey mind starts peeling bananas. Work deadlines stream through your mind, the next episode of your current favorite series beckons, and for no good reason, you’re dying to see what your friends are posting on Instagram. Thirty minutes pass, and more of the same. You’re now worried you’ll have raccoon eyes at the office meeting in the morning, but that thought just makes things worse. You finally fall asleep at 2:00 am and manage just four hours of sleep. Sound familiar? Many people overcome this by drinking half a bottle of red wine, puffing on a CBD vape pen, or popping an Ambien—but these are all Band-Aids. The underlying problem has not been solved. You’ve got a sleep problem, and it needs to be fixed.  

Sleep expert Dr. Guy Leschziner dedicates his work to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, and he’s my guest on this week’s show. 

Listen & Learn: 

• Why 50% of your sleep tendencies are likely inherited 
• How to intelligently use sleep apps and other consumer tracking devices 
• Why REM sleep is not fully understood and can even be problematic 
• How sleep problems and mental health are very much a chicken and egg problem
• How to know when to get professional medical help 

Links & Resources

• Guy’s site
• Guys’ Book on Amazon 

About Our GuestGuy is the clinical lead for the Sleep Disorders Centre at Guy's Hospital, which is one of Europe's largest sleep units. He is also Reader in Neurology at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. His new book The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience and the Secret World of Sleep is available now.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

Apples vs Oranges

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com 

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

By the end of the 1700s, the average American consumed four teaspoons of sugar a day. One hundred years later, that number had risen to eighteen teaspoons. Today, we're consuming 22 teaspoons (93 grams) per day, and it's a huge problem. Diabetes rates are through the roof, and elevated blood sugar levels contribute to nearly every major disease and illness.

But... we all love sugar. We're genetically wired to seek it out and gorge on it. So how do we even begin to find balance in a sugar- and carb-laden world? After a scary bout of Hashimoto's Disease, our guest on this week's podcast dedicated her life to researching and eliminating sugar. She'll share the bitter truth about sugar and how to break free from your addiction to it.

Listen & Learn:

• Why fructose (fruit sugar) gives you a beer belly
• How "natural sugars" can be even worse than plain white sugar
• Why it's nearly impossible to not cook and be healthy
• How to begin your own sugar detox
• Why agave is the worst sweetener on the market

Links & Resources:

• Sarah's Website
• Sarah's Books on Amazon
• Sugar Consumption & Diabetes Research

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Sarah is a New York Times bestselling author, former journalist, and founder of the former site, IQuitSugar.com. She wrote the book, First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, as well as 15 different I Quit Sugar books.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

•  Iron

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to Our Sponsor:

Molekule – has completely reinvented the air purifier. From the inside out, Molekule has reimagined what clean air ought to look and feel like—unobtrusive, portable, and 100% effective.

Visit: MOLEKULE and use coupon code “Lucas” for $75 off your first order.

Learn More

Here is one of my favorite interview questions: "What did you get in trouble for most when you were 12 years old?" The answer often reveals more about who someone really is than an hour-long conversation. Why? Because the things we do that drive people crazy are often the things that define us; and with the right application, the things that enable us to shine our brightest.

What if your weaknesses were your greatest strength? What if your weirdness made you wonderful? Our guest on this week's Yoga Talk Show reveals how this works.

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Listen & Learn:

• Why your weaknesses might be your superpower
• Why it's foolish to focus on your weaknesses, and why you should instead focus on your strengths
• Why "perfect" and "balanced" don't exist so we should not go looking for them
• Why almost any personality type can find a way to excel at something

ABOUT OUR GUEST

David Rendall is an author and sought-after speaker with clients that include: The US Air Force, Australian Government, and Fortune 50 companies such as Microsoft, AT&T, United Health Group, Fannie Mae, and State Farm. David has a doctor of management degree in organizational leadership, as well as a graduate degree in psychology. He is the author of four books: The Four Factors of Effective, Leadership, The Freak Factor, The Freak Factor for Kids, and Pink Goldfish.

Prior to becoming a speaker, he was a leadership professor, stand-up comedian, and nonprofit executive. David is also an athlete competing in ultramarathons and Ironman triathlons.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Lemon in the Morning

Links & References from the Show:

• David Rendall's Site

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• SeatGeek - Buying tickets can be complicated and confusing, but there is a better way to buy – with SeatGeek. SeatGeek is the smartest, easiest way to get tickets to every type of live event. Whether you’re searching for a last minute deal, planning a night out with friends, or need to find the perfect gift, SeatGeek helps you find the best seats at the best prices – fully guaranteed.

  Just download the SeatGeek app and enter promo code ‘YOGA’ today. That’s promo code ‘YOGA’ for $20 off your first SeatGeek purchase.

  Learn More

I said goodbye to my grandfather when I was 8 years old. He had his first heart attack, and my mom was convinced he didn’t have long to live. Turns out he had many, many years ahead of him. Unfortunately, he was riddled with recurring heart problems, Parkinson’s, and a whole host of medical challenges. He lived a long life, but not a healthy one. His rapid decline shook my family, turned my mother into a health fanatic, and she passed the bug onto me. 

I wish I could say that pleasure and dreams of excellence motivate me, but it’s pain and fear that drive most of the big moves in my life. “I don’t want to end up in a rocking chair watching Wheel of Fortune,” gets me to my yoga mat much more often than “I want to glow with radiant energy.” I wish I chased carrots, but mostly, I run from the stick. What about you? My guest on this week’s show is a medical doctor who has dedicated most of his work to trying to unravel the complex challenge that is the #1 killer in the world: heart disease. 

Listen & Learn: 

• How medical advances treating heart disease are largely responsible for extended life expectancy 
• Why Lipitor is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world
• How your choices and health goals might shift if you planned to live past 100 in a healthy state
• Healthspan vs. lifespan: What matters most? 
• What the “heart-healthy” 1980s got right and what we got wrong

Links & Resources: 

• Book on Amazon

ABOUT OUR GUEST

 Physician, writer, and clinical researcher Haider Warraich is the author of the new book, State of the Heart - Exploring the History, Science and Future of Cardiac Disease that we’ll be talking about today. He writes for the New York Times but also contributes to the Guardian, the Atlantic, the LA Times and the Boston Globe. He completed internal medicine and cardiology training at Harvard Medical School and Duke University. Haider has appeared on CNN, Fox, CBS, PBS, and shows like Fresh Air, The Diane Rehm Show, The World, Marketplace and the BBC World Service.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Garlic and feeling bad

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com 

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Many people think mineral deficiencies only occur in the developing world where food is scarce; but the reality is that most people are deficient in at least a few vitamins or minerals. Our soils are over-farmed leaving our foods nutrient poor, so even people eating the highest-quality of foods are susceptible to imbalances.

Enter: magnesium.

It's the 8th most abundant mineral on earth and affects everything from bowel regularity and cramps to sleep quality and digestion. It's found in nuts, seeds, greens, and even rice—and yet, most people only get about 1/2 their daily recommended allowance from food alone.

For yoga students, magnesium is one of the top minerals (right up there with sulfur) as it helps muscles relax and balances the nervous system—both essential for bendy bodies. On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll learn why magnesium deficiency is so common, and more importantly, some very simple tests to fix it safely at home.

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Listen & Learn:

• Why most people only get about 200mg of magnesium per day
• How magnesium dosage will self-regulate by sending you to the toilet if you have too much
• Why magnesium is essential for ATP (energy) production
• How to get tested for magnesium deficiency
• Recommended dosage: up to 600 mg/day of magnesium citrate (orally) or 2 cups of Epsom salts in a bath

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Carolyn Dean is a medical doctor and naturopath. She has authored and co-authored over 35 books including The Magnesium Miracle, IBS for Dummies, Hormone Balance, Death by Modern Medicine, and 110 Kindle books.

She graduated from Dalhousie Medical School in 1978, holds a medical license in California and is a graduate of The Ontario College of Naturopathic Medicine – now the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine (CCNM) in Toronto. She served on the board of Governors of the CCNM for six years.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Polyphenols

Links & References from the Show:

• Carolyn's Site
• Carolyn's Books

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• FreshBooks - a cloud accounting solution specially designed for small business owners. Join 10 million people using FreshBooks and spend less time on accounting and more time doing the work you love. Freshbooks automates tasks like invoicing, organizing expenses, tracking your time and following up with clients in just a few clicks.

  It is also offering now Yoga Talk Show listeners a free 30 days trial.

  Go to freshbooks.com/yoga and enter “yogapodcast” in how did you hear about us section.

  Learn More

"I just want to be happy..." is something you've probably said one thousand times. You want to be happy at work, at home, with your partner and friends—but what does that mean?

You've no-doubt felt "happy" while walking on the beach on a warm summer night at sunset, but if you're like me, you've also felt "happy" in a sweaty, controlled mess on your yoga mat—so what's going on?  

Happiness is something we're all seeking and yet almost no one can define. No wonder we struggle to achieve it. On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll learn about the four chemicals responsible for happiness, and more importantly, how to cultivate them.

------------

Listen & Learn:

• Why social status & pride are important for serotonin
• Why the stress hormone cortisol can kill your chances of happiness
• How early life patterns can influence (but not predict) your habits today
• Why people get addicted to "runner's high"
• How to choose healthy ways to trigger happy brain chemicals

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Loretta Graziano Breuning, PhD, is the founder of the Inner Mammal Institute. She's Professor Ammer-ita at California State University, East Bay, and author of I-Mammal, Habits of a Happy Brain, and The Science of Positivity.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Healthy Oils

Links & References from the Show:

• Inner Mammal Institute
• Loretta's Books on Amazon

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• FreshBooks - a cloud accounting solution specially designed for small business owners. Join 10 million people using FreshBooks and spend less time on accounting and more time doing the work you love. Freshbooks automates tasks like invoicing, organizing expenses, tracking your time and following up with clients in just a few clicks.

  It is also offering now yoga talk show listeners a free 30 days trial.

  Go to freshbooks.com/yoga and enter yogapodcast in how did you hear about us section.

  Learn More

The world is getting fat at an alarming rate. Two in three adults are overweight or obese, and excess weight is correlated with every degenerative illness across the board. While some overweight people are in perfect health, it's rare and often fleeting as the downward spiral is very predictable—and it happens fast.

Here's what you need to understand about the global weight problem. It's not about lack of willpower or discipline, that's an ignorant and uninformed excuse. It's not about lack of exercise, though sedentary lives certainly don't help and movement is always a good thing.

The real problem is imbalance: emotional, hormonal, and nutritional. We in a time when stress levels are through the roof, social support systems have crumbled, and most of the food available is various forms of lifeless carbohydrates.  

So what do you do? How do you find balance in an imbalanced world? I've had the good fortune of unfettered access to some of the leading minds in health and wellness over the past 10 years, and I'll share my best learning with you on this week's Yoga Talk Show.

------------

Listen & Learn:

• Manage your stress or don't bother
• Fix your social circle or don't bother
• 8+16 meal timing
• Throttle your carbs
• Baseline your protein
• Eat healthy fat

ABOUT THE HOST

Lucas Rockwood is a yoga teacher trainer, digital nomad, green food junkie, and serial entrepreneur.

With a formal yoga training background in Hot Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Gravity Yoga, and the Yoga Trapeze, Lucas has studied with some of the most well-respected teachers on the planet. His most influential teachers (all of whom he studied with personally) include Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Paul Dallaghan, Alex Medin, Gabriel Cousens MD, and SN Goenka.

Lucas founded Absolute Yoga Academy in 2006, one of the top 10 yoga teacher training schools in the world with 2,000 certified teachers (and counting) and courses in Thailand, Holland, United Kingdom, and The Philippines.

In search of nutritional products designed specifically for achy yoga students’ bodies, Rockwood worked with senior nutritional formulator, Paul Gaylon, and founded, YOGABODY Naturals, in the back of his yoga studio in 2007. The company has gone from strength-to-strength and is now an internationally-renowned nutrition, education, and publishing organization serving 81 countries.

In 2013, Lucas founded YOGABODY Fitness, a revolutionary new yoga studio business model that pays teachers a living wage and demystifies yoga by making the mind-body healing benefits of the practice accessible to everyone.

A foodie at heart, Lucas was a vegan chef, and owned and operated health food restaurants prior to diving deep into the yoga world. Lucas is also a highly-acclaimed writer, radio show host, TV personality, business consultant, weight loss expert, and health coach.

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• FreshBooks - a cloud accounting solution specially designed for small business owners. Join 10 million people using FreshBooks and spend less time on accounting and more time doing the work you love. Freshbooks automates tasks like invoicing, organizing expenses, tracking your time and following up with clients in just a few clicks.

  It is also offering now Yoga Talk Show listeners a free 30 days trial.

  Go to freshbooks.com/yoga and enter “yogapodcast” in how did you hear about us section.

  Learn More

The two big reasons marriages fail are sex and money. While finances are by no means easy, you can always go get another job, cut back, add on, or get creative. These creative solutions rarely play out well when it comes to sex, so you can quickly see why challenges often end in disaster. Sexuality is such a private issue, something most people prefer to discuss behind closed doors; but in reality, they don’t even discuss it in privacy either. Mostly, it goes unspoken. So what do you do? What is sexuality? How does it change as you age, have kids, and grow older? On this week’s show, you’ll meet a sex therapist with a very simple and practical approach to sex and sexuality. He’ll share his time-tested clinical experiences and hopefully shed some light on the challenges in the bedroom.

Listen & Learn:

• Why good sex is fundamentally about getting stupid and happy together
• How children can sometimes kill sexuality in a relationship
• How age and mismatched desire can create new challenges in a couple
• Men vs. women: is there a difference?
• Why we often protest during the day the things we fantasize about at night

Links & Resources:

• Dr. Synder’s Website

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Stephen Snyder, MD is a sex and relationship therapist in Manhattan, Associate Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine, a regular contributor to Huffington Post and Psychology. Today, a frequent guest on major media, and one of America's most original voices of sex and relationships. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children. He is the author of the book Love Worth Making.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Tahini Raw

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

When we think about toxins in our food and environment, most people assume the risk is "cancer," and that's true; but the more immediate risk is often hormonal imbalance. Common addictives in foods and skin care products can disrupt your natural endocrine balance and lead to everything from thyroid problems and infertility to weight gain and depression. This is a huge and growing problem, and the solution includes diet and lifestyle choices that aren't always obvious.

Health coach, Magdalena Wszelaki shares her personal story of overcoming both Graves and Hashimoto's Diseases as well as her professional advice for finding balance.

------------

Listen & Learn:

• Why thyroid issues are often a symptom of autoimmune conditions
• What blood tests to check your thyroid (TSH, Free T3 & T4, TPO & Anti-Tg)
• Why estrogen dominance is a huge problem for both men and women
• Why estrogen dominance is a huge problem for both men and women
• How to eat a PFF (protein, fat & fiber) breakfast to start your day right

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Magdalena Wszelaki is a Certified Holistic Health Coach whose own health journey started from a personal crisis. She is in remissions from Graves’ and Hashimoto’s and managed to reverse estrogen dominance and heavy metal toxicity. She is a Vipassana meditator and a Level II Reiki practitioner. She coaches people with thyroid and endocrine imbalances.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• A1C Test

Links & References from the Show:

• Magdalena’s Website
• Hormone Balance Cookbook

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• Four Sigmatic makes delicious Mushroom Superfood Blends and Mushroom Elixirs. Four Sigmatic believes in the real magic of functional mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane, as well as other superfoods and adaptogens like rhodiola, eleuthero, and schisandra to help us live healthier, more enhanced lives.

  Visit: http://www.foursigmatic.com/yogabody and use coupon code "yogabody" for 15% off your order.

  Learn More

Have you ever used a scalp massager made of long, thin wires? For most people, it causes quite the sensation, sending tingles from the back of their neck down their spine. Or maybe you have this reaction when someone whispers in your ear? This pleasurable response to specific auditory and visual stimuli is known as autonomous sensory meridian response (ASMR), and is likened to meditation.

ASMR is exploding on the internet right now because it is deeply relaxing, extremely pleasurable, and can serve to relieve anxiety and depression in some cases.

The ASMR movement is mostly made up of YouTubers and DIY fanatics, but there are also a handful of researchers out there gathering information about the real, therapeutic benefits of this response.

On this week's show, you'll meet Craig Richard, PhD, the founder of ASMR University.

------------

Listen & Learn:

• Why ASMR might be helpful to relieve stress and anxiety
• Why ASMR audio tracks could be more effective than the viral videos online
• How this deeply relaxing, neck tingling sensation can help you relax

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Craig Richard, PhD, first learned about ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response) in 2013, but has been experiencing its triggers and effects since childhood. In 2014, he launched ASMRUniversity.com to encourage and report ASMR research and to provide helpful resources to assist with the further understanding of ASMR.

Craig is the cofounder of the ASMR Research Project and has produced several ASMR podcasts. He is a professor in the department of biopharmaceutical sciences at Shenandoah University, School of Pharmacy in Winchester, Virginia and the author of a new book, Brain Tingles, available soon on Amazon.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Chili Peppers

Links & References from the Show:

• ASMR University
• The ASMR Podcast

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• Yoga International, a community of 300,000 students learning about yoga, meditation, and mindful living from hundreds of expert teachers. It has more than 1,000 classes, the most popular of which are 30 Classes in 30 Days Challenge, The Busy Yogi Challenge, and Yoga to Soothe Sciatica with Doug Keller.

  Yoga International is offering listeners of the Yoga Talk Show a free Essentials of Yoga Therapy course when you sign up for a 30-day trial membership.

  Learn More

When we think of strength and muscle mass, we typically imagine physique-obsessed bodybuilders staring at themselves in the mirror and clanking weights around in the gym. But what if there is more to the story? What if lean muscle is more than just aesthetics, particularly as we age?

My guest on this week’s show is a trial lawyer who represented two former presidents. He’s an avid skier and a gym rat who still skis at Vail with his granddaughter, still tries cases, and remains as sharp as ever at 86 years old. It’s a remarkable story, and Fred Bartlit credits his health to a lifelong commitment to pumping iron. Don’t miss this show—it’s an eye-opener.  

Listen & Learn:

• How sarcopenia can cause a loss of 1% of strength per year after middle age
• How your telomere length might predict longevity
• How a lack of exercise correlates with early death
• How to “die living” not “live dying” as you age

Links & Resources:

• Fred’s StrongPath Website

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Fred is a former US Army Ranger and trial lawyer who has represented two former presidents. Co-founder of StrongPath, demonstrating that frailty doesn’t need to be an inevitable part of aging, Fred says he’s stronger now at 86 years old than he was in his 20s thanks to a lifelong commitment to good exercise habits.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Healthy skin

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

It was Christmas 2001. I was 23 years old, and I woke up in the back of ambulance after convulsing in a grand mal seizure in front of my parents. I'd managed to wobble through the previous 3 years in steady haze of drug and alcohol abuse, chronic sleep deprivation, and borderline mania, but that holiday season, I bottomed out.

There was no more hiding the truth from myself. I was in trouble.

I wish I could say that I've always loved yoga, health and wellness—but that's not my story. I took my first swig of gin straight from the bottle at age 13, and I loved it right away. No learning curve. I was never drawn to lotus position or meditation halls in those days. Early in my life, I was obsessed with escaping the overwhelming anxiety and restlessness of my own brain.

My yoga story is one of running away from pain, of channeling negative obsessions into positive ones, and finding a toolkit that made me feel well, every time. I turn 40 this year, and as strange as it sounds, I'd never shared my story in its entirety with anyone because it continues to be a deep source of shame for me. With few exceptions, shame is a pretty useless feeling, so I'd like to share my story with you on this week's Yoga Talk Show. My hope is that if you're at a crossroads or a crisis point now, you can perhaps connect with my "rock bottom" story and begin to find your North Star as I did.

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ABOUT OUR GUEST

Lucas Rockwood is a yoga teacher trainer, digital nomad, green food junkie, and serial entrepreneur. With a formal yoga training background in Hot Yoga, Ashtanga Yoga, Gravity Yoga, and the Yoga Trapeze, Lucas has studied with some of the most well-respected teachers on the planet. His most influential teachers (all of whom he studied with personally) include Sri K. Pattabhi Jois, Paul Dallaghan, Alex Medin, Gabriel Cousens MD, and SN Goenka.

Lucas founded Absolute Yoga Academy in 2006, one of the top 10 yoga teacher training schools in the world with 2,000 certified teachers (and counting) and courses in Thailand, Holland, United Kingdom, and The Philippines.

In search of nutritional products designed specifically for achy yoga students’ bodies, Rockwood worked with senior nutritional formulator, Paul Gaylon, and founded, YOGABODY Naturals, in the back of his yoga studio in 2007. The company has gone from strength-to-strength and is now an internationally-renowned nutrition, education, and publishing organization serving 81 countries.

In 2013, Lucas founded YOGABODY Fitness, a revolutionary new yoga studio business model that pays teachers a living wage and demystifies yoga by making the mind-body healing benefits of the practice accessible to everyone.

A foodie at heart, Lucas was a vegan chef, and owned and operated health food restaurants prior to diving deep into the yoga world. Lucas is also a highly-acclaimed writer, radio show host, TV personality, business consultant, weight loss expert, and health coach.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Boost Immune System

Links & References from the Show:

• J. Brown's Podcast on iTunes
• J. Brown's Site
• Train with Lucas
• YOGABODY Supplements & Products

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• Trapeze Teacher Training -- For passionate yoga students who love inversion yoga, this is an exciting opportunity to train with YOGABODY, the leading educator and manufacturer of inversion slings worldwide. The Yoga Trapeze is the most-popular yoga inversion sling ever with over 100,000 students in 81 countries. Despite the ever-growing demand, there are hardly any professional instructors - until now.

  We’re now accepting applications for The Yoga Trapeze Certification course where you’ll learn how to teach both group and private lessons for beginning and intermediate students.

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I live in Spain where the average life expectancy just hit 83 years—number three in the world, less than one percentage of a point behind Switzerland and Japan. Foreigners often hypothesize that the reason is due to the diet, the long walks, or red wine that keep people alive until such an old age, but after I’ve lived here for 10 years, I must disagree.As I look out of my office window right now, the corner cafe is filled with office workers on a morning break drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and eating croissants. In the evening, that same crew will return for beer and wine, deep-fried tapas, and another round of cigarettes. This is the norm. So why then do they live so long? My theory is that people are less stressed, on average, all the time. Plus, the family unit and social ties are extremely strong. Grown adults will share a sitdown meal with their parents weekly (or more). Friendships are cherished and developed, the average workday is long and leisurely, and life is slower and less intense. Research clearly shows that great relationships and reduced stress are predictive of health worldwide, and yet most of us obsess much more about the perfect meal or the perfect workout (at least I do). Chronic stress is a silent killer that affects your mood, your waistlines, your hormones, and mental health. The goal is not to live a stress-free life, that’s impossible; instead, our aim should be to reduce the stressors we can and manage the rest effectively through diet, exercise, nutrition, breathing, and positive mental models. Our guest on this week's podcast teaches a “stress less” holistic approach to wellness. Listen & Learn: 

• Why 90% of periodontal disease has no pain and how a lack of pain in life is not a signal of no problems
• How thoughts are things, literally, they are neurotransmitters made of proteins
• The PERMA model (positive, engaged, relationships, meaning, accomplishment)

Links & Resources:

• Book on Amazon
• Dr Ron’s Site

ABOUT OUR GUEST

B.D.S (Syd Uni) FACNEM (Dent) Dr. Ron Ehrlich is a holistic health advocate, educator, and holistic dentist. Dr. Ron has developed his health model of how stress affects our health; breaking stress down to emotional, environmental, nutritional, structural and dental stressors. He’s the author of the book A Life Less Stressed available on Amazon or his website. 

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

•  Garlic Onion

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes 

My six-year-old son will approach the person behind the counter at the grocery store and ask, “Do you have anything for kids?” At the doctor’s office, he’ll ask, “Do you have any candies?” He doesn’t break eye contact and his voice is steady, without a shred of insecurity, and it works. People give him things everywhere he goes. This is the power of confidence in action, and it’s remarkable to watch. I don’t take credit for it, he came out this way; but I have come to believe that confidence is a skill that can be learned. Since confidence is a meta-skill that makes pretty much all other skill acquisition easier, this is something we should all train regularly.

On this week’s Yoga Talk Show, you’ll meet a woman who wrote the book, Confidence Creator. Her story and her no-nonsense approach can serve anyone at any age

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Listen & Learn:

• Fired from your career job? Try this...
• Sexually harassed at work? Stay strong
• Why doing hard things is the bedrock of confidence
• How confidence can be learned and developed just like any skill
• The importance of journaling for self-awareness and growth
• Simple steps you can do right now to build confidence in your life

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Heather Monahan started from very humble beginnings growing up in Massachusetts, and built a successful career in sales working in real estate and radio in multiple states. Her recent work is focused on coaching and training in the “Monahan Method” and self-confidence is the cornerstone of this approach. Her new book, Confidence Creator, is available on Amazon.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Kombucha

Links & References from the Show:

• Heather’s site
• Heather’s Book

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• Four Sigmatic - makes delicious Mushroom Superfood Blends and Mushroom Elixirs. Four Sigmatic believes in the real magic of functional mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane, as well as other superfoods and adaptogens like rhodiola, eleuthero, and schisandra to help us live healthier, more enhanced lives.

  Visit: http://www.foursigmatic.com/yogabody and use coupon code "yogabody" for 15% off your order.

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Most health and diet books focus on reducing your waistline but neglect the most "mission critical" part of your entire body: your brain. The 3 lbs, watery, fatty mass between your ears needs to be fed well and cared for, but most people don't give brain health the attention it deserves.

Meet Dr. Lisa Mosconi, neuroscientist and author, and learn how your brain health can be dramatically influenced by food and lifestyle.

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Listen & Learn:

• Why your body can survive on many foods, but your brain is much more picky
• The importance of essential fatty acids for brain health
• Why the brain's saturated fat and cholesterol is created by the brain and stored in the brain from childhood—not affected by diet
• Why too much Omega-6 from seed oils is a problem for inflammation
• Why a 2:1 ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 is ideal (while most people get 20+:1)
• Why we need around 4 grams of omega-3's per day
• Why the brain needs glucose for neuron synthesis and balance
• Why alcohol enters the brain and dehydrates your brain

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Mosconi holds a PhD degree in Neuroscience and Nuclear Medicine, and is a certified Integrative Nutritionist and holistic healthcare practitioner. She is the Associate Director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medical College (WCMC)/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital,

She is an adjunct faculty member at NYU and the University of Florence. Dr. Mosconi has published over 100 peer-reviewed papers in medical journals. Her new book, Brain Food: the Surprising Science of Eating for Cognitive Power we'll talk about today.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Cinnamon

Links & References from the Show:

• Dr. Mosconi's Website
• Brain Food Book

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• SeatGeek - Buying tickets can be complicated and confusing, but there is a better way to buy – with SeatGeek. SeatGeek is the smartest, easiest way to get tickets to every type of live event. Whether you’re searching for a last minute deal, planning a night out with friends, or need to find the perfect gift, SeatGeek helps you find the best seats at the best prices – fully guaranteed.

  Just download the SeatGeek app and enter promo code ‘YOGA’ today. That’s promo code ‘YOGA’ for $20 off your first SeatGeek purchase.

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How many of your exes are you connected to on Facebook? How often do you find yourself dredging up past emotional head trash from lost love? For most people, the answer is “too often.” We live in an era where forgetting and moving on has never been more challenging, and most of us need to learn strategies to put the past in its place to make room for a fulfilling future. And some of us are even “exaholics,” literally addicted to the emotional rollercoaster of times long ago. On this week’s show, therapist and marriage counselor, Dr. Bobby, will share her strategies for navigating this emotional minefield. 

Listen & Learn: 

• How we’re biologically wired for love, lust, and emotional attachment 
• The lost art of forgetting: how to relearn it
• How to navigate the booby trap that is social media 
• Ghosting vs. honest conversations about boundaries 

Links & Resources:   

• Dr. Bobby’s Site

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Lisa Marie Bobby is a marriage counselor, therapist, and life coach based in Colorado. She is the author of the book Exaholic: Breaking Your Addiction to an Ex Love.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Canned Tomatoes

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes 

People joke that they 'laughed so hard they peed their pants.' However, this is a real problem called stress incontinence—a symptom of pelvic floor dysfunction.

The pelvic floor is a complex group of muscles, fascia and connective tissues at the base of your spine that is crucial for bladder control, posture, sexual function, and the health of many vital organs. 

So what's the problem? Maybe you gave birth to two kids and never resumed your pre-kid exercise routine. Maybe you are 45 years old and haven't done a proper squat since you lifted weights with your buddies in college. For dozens of reasons, modern lifestyles lead to atrophy of the pelvic floor that can manifest overtime into very serious health issues.

On the flip side, a strong, toned pelvic floor will help your posture, sexual performance, spinal health, and bladder control. In yoga, you'll feel the difference in almost every pose, and in your everyday life, you'll notice changes throughout the day.

On this week's Yoga Talk Show, you'll meet a kinesiologists who will help demystify this often overlooked region of the body.

------------

Listen & Learn:

• What the pelvic floor is and why it is important to both women and men
• Why incontinence and prolapse are huge (and growing) problems
• Why posture starts at the base of the spine
• How to strengthen and tone your pelvic floor with daily, 10-minute exercises

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Adrianne has a degree in kinesiology, with an emphasis on exercise science. She has certifications in Pilates, yoga, the Yoga Trapeze, Zenga, and Barre, among others, and specializes in spinal conditions, pelvic floor issues, and fascial tissue. She served as the fitness specialist at the NASA Langley Research Center and currently runs an eating disorder center in California.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Palm Oil

Links & References from the Show:

• Adrianne's Site

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Thanks to our sponsor:

• Four Sigmatic - makes delicious Mushroom Superfood Blends and Mushroom Elixirs. Four Sigmatic believes in the real magic of functional mushrooms like Reishi, Chaga, Cordyceps, and Lion’s Mane, as well as other superfoods and adaptogens like rhodiola, eleuthero, and schisandra to help us live healthier, more enhanced lives.

  Visit: FOUR SIGMATIC and use coupon code "yogabody" for 15% off your order.

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I’ve set a personal goal to live to be 122, and I specifically chose this number because it seems like a stretch but also totally within the realm of reasonable given my age and the advances in science. My children, I’m almost certain, will easily surpass my age simply because they have even more time for science to make it possible. So if 80 is the new 50, what does that mean for our hair, teeth, and liver? What choices should we make now to extend not just our lifespan but our healthspan too? My guest on this week’s show is a thought leader on longevity, and he’ll share his latest research from Harvard. 

Listen & Learn: 

• How metformin, resveratrol, and NAD might be the ultimate pill stack for longevity we know of
• Why it’s important to get hungry
• Why you need to exercise to the point of breathlessness
• How 20% of your health is genetic, the other 80% is up for grabs
• How your choices today play out in your healthspan in the future

Links & Resources: 

• Lifespan Book

About Our GuestDavid A. Sinclair, Ph.D. is a Professor in the Department of Genetics at Harvard Medical School and co-director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biological Mechanisms of Aging. He is best known for his work on understanding why we age and how to slow its effects. He’s the author of a new book, Lifespan, found on Amazon or at his site.

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

When you’re fasting, your body undergoes rapid healing that is very well-documented and exciting, but it’s also extremely impractical. When you spend a few days without eating, you’re weak, tired, hangry, and no good for much of anything except lying around the pool (hence the need for fasting resorts). But what if there was a way to get many of the same hormone-balancing and neuroprotective benefits of fasting while still eating and feeling good? This is where ketosis comes in, and while it’s turned into a fad diet, the real uses for the occasional reset are timeless and relatively simple to use.

Listen & Learn:

• Why ketosis is anti-inflammatory
• How it takes time to adapt to eating healthier fat
• Why the real exciting health changes are in the boring middle (not the extremes)
• How to think about food and nutrition from a balanced perspective
• Why inflammation can often be the deeper underlying issue with many fads in health

Links & Resources:

• Will Cole’s Website
• Will’s books on Amazon

About Our Guest Dr. Will Cole promotes functional-medicine and specializes in clinically investigating underlying factors of chronic disease and customizing health programs for thyroid issues, autoimmune conditions, hormonal dysfunctions, digestive disorders, and brain problems.

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

My worst fear with aging is losing my cognitive abilities, forgetting my kids’ names, and just becoming an old fool. It’s easy to assume that the brain will go along with the body, but there’s pretty good evidence to suggest that your mental age can be a decade younger than your physical body’s age, but you have to start working on it now.

On this week’s show, you’ll meet a neuroscientist whose mission is to help us all understand how to take better care of our brains. 

Listen & Learn: 

• Why your brain needs 7-9 hours of sleep or you'll lose IQ points the next day
• How nutrition and hydration are essential for neural health 
• How exercise can dramatically slow brain aging 
• Why a sense of belonging is the number one factor in neural health 

Links & Resources: 

• Tara Swart's Website
• Tara’s books on Amazon

About Our Guest

Dr. Tara Swart is a neuroscientist, leadership coach, author, and a medical doctor. She helps leaders achieve mental resilience and peak brain performance, improving their ability to manage stress, regulate emotions and retain information. Her newest book is called The Source.

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Hormonal birth control has been directly correlated with weight gain, mental health problems, and decreased libido—not exactly an ideal mix when it comes to sexuality. But what are you supposed to do? What is the alternative? With anything health and wellness, all decisions are personal, but unfortunately, most decisions are uninformed. 

Our guest on this week’s show will shed some light on the real concerns so you can make the decision that is right for you. Listen & Learn

• How the pill can make you attracted to less masculine men
• How birth control can lead to anxiety and depression
• Why non-oral hormones carry a higher risk for mental health problems
• How old school methods are worth considering in some cases 
• How a pill can have cascading effects throughout your mind and body 

Links & Resources

• Sarah’s website 
• Sarah’s book

About Our GuestSarah E. Hill, Ph.D. is a research psychologist and professor who studies health, relationships, and social behavior. Her research lab is located in the Department of Psychology at TCU in Fort Worth, Texas. She is also a writer, speaker, and author. Her book, This is Your Brain on Birth Control, is available on Amazon or on her website.

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

I had a rough year in 2006. It was the year I opened my first yoga studio. I should have been on cloud nine, but I wasn’t ready for all that responsibility and all that stress. I had a staff of 12, hundreds of students, courses, a restaurant, and very little support. Mostly, I was alone. An old friend sent me some audio meditation tracks he’d be using that had a technology called binaural beats. I’d never heard of it, but I gave it a try. Right away, I felt something. Technology and I have a complex relationship, but when it makes life easier, I’m a fan. Meditation is really hard, and anyone who tells you differently is actually just walking their dog (and calling it meditation). The real practices require deep work, and it’s very hard to do all alone at home, even with books and apps. This is why I love yoga breathing, and it’s also why frequency-following music can be very helpful, particularly when you’re just getting started or in a mental and emotional jam.

My guest on this week’s show is an audio engineer who makes meditation music, and he’ll share how this simple technology can potentially help you find more balance. 

Links & Resources

• Cory’s Site
• Try some binaural beats on Spotify

About Our Guest

Cory Allen is an author, podcast host, meditation teacher, and audio engineer from Austin, TX. His first book, Now Is the Way, was just released. Cory has studied and produced music for over 15 years. He has released over a dozen albums. 

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com 

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

I wanted to run a marathon this year. The truth is, I hardly ever run, but like any good mid-life crisis man, I wanted to tackle that goal to prove to myself I still could do hard things. Sounds great, right? Fun and challenging? Here’s the problem—I didn’t do it. I don’t even think I wanted to do it. If I had been smarter, I would have set a tiny goal, like running 5 km per week for a year for example. Then I could “win” the goal, and if the marathon happened, it’d be gravy. Instead, here I am approaching the end of the year. I’ve actually logged at least 10 km/week all year long, but I don’t feel like it matters. But it does matter. My goal was just poorly crafted. 

In this “dream big” and “hustle hard” era, it can be difficult to dial it back and make tiny goals and tiny habits, but I’m convinced it’s where most of the change is actually possible. On this week’s show, Dr. BJ Fogg shares his behavior change research from his upcoming book. 

Listen & Learn: 

• How you need an epiphany, an environment change, or a collection of tiny habits to make lasting change
• Why stacking small successes is often much wiser than chasing huge moonshots
• Why feeling good is the best way to change
• How things that make you feel guilt and shame are unlikely to motivate you long-term 

Links & Resources:

• Tiny Habits Site
• BehaviorModel.org

Nutritional Tip: Food Allergies

About Our Guest

Dr. BJ Fogg founded the Behavior Design Lab at Stanford University, where he directs research and innovation. He teaches industry innovators how to use his models in Behavior Design. The purpose of his research and teaching is to help people improve their lives. BJ is the author of Persuasive Technology, and Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything is coming out in a couple months.

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com 

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

You close your blackout curtains, flip your phone to airplane mode, and crawl into bed with all the best intentions to get 7.5 hours of sleep—and then your monkey mind starts peeling bananas. Work deadlines stream through your mind, the next episode of your current favorite series beckons, and for no good reason, you’re dying to see what your friends are posting on Instagram. Thirty minutes pass, and more of the same. You’re now worried you’ll have raccoon eyes at the office meeting in the morning, but that thought just makes things worse. You finally fall asleep at 2:00 am and manage just four hours of sleep. Sound familiar? Many people overcome this by drinking half a bottle of red wine, puffing on a CBD vape pen, or popping an Ambien—but these are all Band-Aids. The underlying problem has not been solved. You’ve got a sleep problem, and it needs to be fixed.  

Sleep expert Dr. Guy Leschziner dedicates his work to the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders, and he’s my guest on this week’s show. 

Listen & Learn: 

• Why 50% of your sleep tendencies are likely inherited 
• How to intelligently use sleep apps and other consumer tracking devices 
• Why REM sleep is not fully understood and can even be problematic 
• How sleep problems and mental health are very much a chicken and egg problem
• How to know when to get professional medical help 

Links & Resources

• Guy’s site
• Guys’ Book on Amazon 

About Our GuestGuy is the clinical lead for the Sleep Disorders Centre at Guy's Hospital, which is one of Europe's largest sleep units. He is also Reader in Neurology at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience at King's College London. His new book The Nocturnal Brain: Nightmares, Neuroscience and the Secret World of Sleep is available now.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

Apples vs Oranges

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com 

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

I said goodbye to my grandfather when I was 8 years old. He had his first heart attack, and my mom was convinced he didn’t have long to live. Turns out he had many, many years ahead of him. Unfortunately, he was riddled with recurring heart problems, Parkinson’s, and a whole host of medical challenges. He lived a long life, but not a healthy one. His rapid decline shook my family, turned my mother into a health fanatic, and she passed the bug onto me. 

I wish I could say that pleasure and dreams of excellence motivate me, but it’s pain and fear that drive most of the big moves in my life. “I don’t want to end up in a rocking chair watching Wheel of Fortune,” gets me to my yoga mat much more often than “I want to glow with radiant energy.” I wish I chased carrots, but mostly, I run from the stick. What about you? My guest on this week’s show is a medical doctor who has dedicated most of his work to trying to unravel the complex challenge that is the #1 killer in the world: heart disease. 

Listen & Learn: 

• How medical advances treating heart disease are largely responsible for extended life expectancy 
• Why Lipitor is one of the most prescribed drugs in the world
• How your choices and health goals might shift if you planned to live past 100 in a healthy state
• Healthspan vs. lifespan: What matters most? 
• What the “heart-healthy” 1980s got right and what we got wrong

Links & Resources: 

• Book on Amazon

ABOUT OUR GUEST

 Physician, writer, and clinical researcher Haider Warraich is the author of the new book, State of the Heart - Exploring the History, Science and Future of Cardiac Disease that we’ll be talking about today. He writes for the New York Times but also contributes to the Guardian, the Atlantic, the LA Times and the Boston Globe. He completed internal medicine and cardiology training at Harvard Medical School and Duke University. Haider has appeared on CNN, Fox, CBS, PBS, and shows like Fresh Air, The Diane Rehm Show, The World, Marketplace and the BBC World Service.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Garlic and feeling bad

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com 

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

Would you survive if you had to grow or forage your own food for an entire year? Would you eat roadkill, wild yam, coconuts, and acorn grubs? Rob Greenfield is finishing up 365 days straight growing and gathering (from the ‘wild’) as his own food. Rob is an adventurer, environmental activist, humanitarian, and a guy on a mission to create a more sustainable and just world.Listen & Learn: 

• Why our current food systems are broken
• How extremes can plant seeds for moderate ideas that make more sense
• Why mono-crops and siloed thinking have a lot in common 
• How our planet will look and feel with 9 billion people on it 

Links & Resources: 

• Rob’s TEDx Talk 
• Rob’s Website 

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Rob Greenfield is an adventurer, environmental activist, humanitarian, and a guy on a mission to create a sustainable and just world. He dumper-dived into more than two thousand dumpsters across the United States, cycled across the USA three times, wore all his own garbage as clothing for 30 days, and spent the past year growing and foraging his own food. Rob walks his talk.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Hydration

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

Like the Show?

• Leave us a Review on iTunes

“Inhale fresh, life-giving oxygen… exhale toxic, dead carbon dioxide,” said my yoga teacher. I’ve heard some variation of this hundreds of times in classes. Oxygen is good, carbon dioxide is bad. In with the good, out with the bad. Right? 

As it turns out, this kindergarten understanding of breathing physiology is wrong. Most of us could really benefit from more CO2 because it opens up your air passageways, relaxes smooth muscle tissues, and allows for greater absorption of oxygen. Lack of CO2 actually leads to a lack of oxygen. Confused yet? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. 

On this week’s show, we’ll set the record straight and help you understand why slow breathing boosts CO2, and why that’s a good thing. 

Listen & Learn:  

• The CO2 paradox: why you need carbon dioxide to actually absorb oxygen
• Why 4-6 liters of air per minute is what we need but most people breathe 2x that much 
• How over-breathing reduces (not increases) oxygen levels
• Why over-breathing and mouth breathing is associated with dozens of neurological disorders and diseases 
• How to slow down your breath 

Links & Resources: 

• Artour’s Site

ABOUT OUR GUEST 

Dr. Artour Rahkimov has been teaching the Buteyko method and breath retraining to thousands of students for more than 17 years. He was trained by Ludmila Buteyko and Dr. Andrey Novoh-zhilov, MD, the Chief Physician of the Buteyko Clinic in Moscow. Dr. Artour trained numerous breathing practitioners in the US, Germany and Denmark.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Why bread makes me sick

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People often compare the human body to a car, but this is a bad analogy (unless it’s a Tesla) because your body doesn’t contain a combustion engine. You’re electric, my friend, and your nerves are in the driver’s seat. One electrical stimulus makes you anxious, another makes you calm; mostly, you’re an out-of-control cross-fire of signals that kicks you around energetically and emotionally throughout the day. To know your nerves, you must know the vagus nerve. It’s the master controller of the parasympathetic branch of your autonomic nervous system - and it’s more complex than simply “rest and digest.” Let’s deep dive into the polyvagal theory on this week’s show. 

Listen & Learn: 

• How to better understand your body’s nervous system responses
• The importance of the vagus nerve for stress modulation 
• How to deal with triggers and embrace and appreciate glimmers
• The polyvagal theory explained
• Ventral vagal complex: readiness to connect
• Dorsal vagal complex: collapse and freeze

Links & Resources: 

• Deb’s website
• Polyvagal theory

ABOUT OUR GUEST 

Deb is a clinician, consultant, lecturer, and coordinator of the Traumatic Stress Research Consortium in the Kinsey Institute. Her work is based on the Polyvagal Theory to understand and resolve the impact of trauma, understand the autonomic nervous system, and move into states of protection and connection. She is the author of the book The Polyvagal Theory in Therapy available on Amazon or through her website.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Organic vs conventional

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• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
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My second child has black circles under his eyes in all his photos from birth to age four. He slept as little as possible and willed himself through most days with all the angst and irritability of any insomniac. At age four, he finally started sleeping and quickly became a new person. He learned more, laughed more, talked (a lot) and was a joy to be around. Was it just the sleep? No, but it made a huge difference. No more nervous anxiety in the mornings, no more dark circles, and finally, he seemed to find real moments of peace. 

When kids sleep poorly, parents sleep poorly, and the entire health and happiness of the household are affected. When you sleep badly, you’re obviously tired and grumpy, but there are much more worrying long-term effects that can include malformed jaws (in children), weight gain, mood disorders, and cognitive impairment. But what can you do? 

Listen & Learn:  

• How poor sleep decreases leptin (satiety hormone) and increases ghrelin (hunger hormone) 
• How bad sleep is correlated with hedonistic eating (think Netflix+ Haagen-Dazs binges)
• How attachment parenting may not be the best approach for you
• Why “cry it out” techniques are not for everyone and not for every stage of development
• How to discern what you can and should control and what you should simply let go of  

Links & Resources: 

• Dr. Canapari’s Book
• Craig’s Website

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Craig is a pediatrician at Yale-New Haven Children’s Hospital in New Haven, CT, specializing in the care of children with breathing and sleep problems. He is boarded in Pediatrics, Pediatric Pulmonology, and Sleep Medicine. His book, It’s Never Too Late to Sleep Train, is available on Amazon or on his website.  

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Eat seaweed

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The American life expectancy is currently 79, which sounds great until you realize that is the 26th in line worldwide. Despite being one of the most developed and wealthy nations in the world, the US system is not only ridiculously overpriced (at least 2x), it’s also ineffective. It’s a double fail with upstream and downstream effects that are impossible to even begin to quantify. This wonky system was built post World War II with financial incentives going to everyone except the average citizen, and while no one has a clear cut solution, everyone agrees that things must change. 

My guest on the show is a medical doctor and industry insider-turned-whistle blower, and his insights provide an optimistic 10+ year outlook for change. 

Listen & Learn:  

• How the medical industry has 4x the number of lobbyists than the military 
• Why the US medical system is about 2x overpriced 
• How Germany, Canada, and the Scandanavian countries all seem to do it better 
• How spending on medical care is on track to reach 20% of GDP by 2026

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Mike Magee is on faculty at Presidents College at the University of Hartford. He has worked as a doctor, a university medical school administrator, a hospital executive, and head of global medical affairs for Pfizer. He’s the author of the book Code Blue: Inside America’s Medical-Industrial Complex available on Amazon.

Links & Resources:

• About the book
• Mike’s site 
• Buy the book on Amazon

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Choose Seafood

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I live in Spain where the average life expectancy just hit 83 years—number three in the world, less than one percentage of a point behind Switzerland and Japan. Foreigners often hypothesize that the reason is due to the diet, the long walks, or red wine that keep people alive until such an old age, but after I’ve lived here for 10 years, I must disagree.As I look out of my office window right now, the corner cafe is filled with office workers on a morning break drinking coffee, smoking cigarettes, and eating croissants. In the evening, that same crew will return for beer and wine, deep-fried tapas, and another round of cigarettes. This is the norm. So why then do they live so long? My theory is that people are less stressed, on average, all the time. Plus, the family unit and social ties are extremely strong. Grown adults will share a sitdown meal with their parents weekly (or more). Friendships are cherished and developed, the average workday is long and leisurely, and life is slower and less intense. Research clearly shows that great relationships and reduced stress are predictive of health worldwide, and yet most of us obsess much more about the perfect meal or the perfect workout (at least I do). Chronic stress is a silent killer that affects your mood, your waistlines, your hormones, and mental health. The goal is not to live a stress-free life, that’s impossible; instead, our aim should be to reduce the stressors we can and manage the rest effectively through diet, exercise, nutrition, breathing, and positive mental models. Our guest on this week's podcast teaches a “stress less” holistic approach to wellness. Listen & Learn: 

• Why 90% of periodontal disease has no pain and how a lack of pain in life is not a signal of no problems
• How thoughts are things, literally, they are neurotransmitters made of proteins
• The PERMA model (positive, engaged, relationships, meaning, accomplishment)

Links & Resources:

• Book on Amazon
• Dr Ron’s Site

ABOUT OUR GUEST

B.D.S (Syd Uni) FACNEM (Dent) Dr. Ron Ehrlich is a holistic health advocate, educator, and holistic dentist. Dr. Ron has developed his health model of how stress affects our health; breaking stress down to emotional, environmental, nutritional, structural and dental stressors. He’s the author of the book A Life Less Stressed available on Amazon or his website. 

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

•  Garlic Onion

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Imagine a mosquito bites your arm. You scratch the bump and it grows big and red and doesn’t go away for months. You’d be panicked, right? Now, imagine that the red inflamed area is inside your gut, your small intestines, and your colon. What now? Just because you can’t see it doesn’t mean it’s not there. The long-term health impact of gastrointestinal inflammation is devastating. At the extremes, there’s Crohn’s and Colitis, but hundreds of millions of people are suffering from endocrine disruption, nutrient malabsorption, and general malaise due do this lurking problem. 

My guest on this week’s show was so skinny you could see all his bones. He was drugged up and nearly dead from this hardcore bowel disease—but he fixed it. Naturally. No more medicine. Despite the odds, he’s 55 pounds heavier today and looks like a fitness model. His research is solid and his advice takes each individual into account. You’ll Learn: 

• What Crohn’s and Colitis are
• How inflammation can be a silent killer
• How epigenetics can be influenced by diet and lifestyle 
• Why some people go fruitarian and others meatatarian - who’s right? 
• How cheat days can still happen — you don’t have to be perfect

Links & Resources: 

• Dane’s Lifestyle

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dane Johnson is a Certified Holistic Nutritionist and Health Coach. Years ago, he was diagnosed with Crohn's Disease and Colitis that got so extreme he was on a feeding tube, chemotherapy, immunosuppressants, and nearly dead. Today, he takes zero drugs, gained 55 pounds of lean muscle, travels the world, and is super healthy. 

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Calorie deficit

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
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More than 80% of people are dissatisfied with their work, and yet work is where we spend the majority of our waking hours. People say things like “Do what you love and the money will follow” and “Follow your passion…” but is it really that simple? Not for most of us. On this week’s show, author, speaker, and entrepreneur, Evan Carmichael, shares his research for finding meaning and purpose at work. 

Listen & Learn: 

• Why most people run away from their life rather than running toward a better one 
• Why most people choose entertainment and distraction over hard work
• How one word, one value, probably drives 80% of your behavior
• The “who”, “why”, and “how” of your life

Links & Resources:

• Evan’s site
• Books on Amazon

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Evan is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and Youtuber. At age 19, he built and then sold a biotech software company. At 22, he was a venture capitalist helping raise $500k to $15mil. He now runs the biggest YouTube channel for entrepreneurs with 1M+ subscribers. He’s committed to creating more entrepreneurs.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Ice water

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
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One in five women and one in 16 men are sexually assaulted in college in America*, so there are literally tens of millions of victims living every day with guilt, shame, pain, trauma, and baggage. How can we be body-positive and sex-positive in this environment? How do people trust each other or even themselves? The challenges between men and women have existed since the beginning of time, and yet, the rules of engagement are unclear; and mostly, things are left unsaid, trauma is left to fester, and no one is getting any closer to their true, vulnerable selves. On this week’s podcast, we attempt the impossible task of unraveling this issue. 

Listen & Learn:

• Why the workplace is one of the most poorly defined environments for men and women to interact — and it’s where we spend most of our waking hours
• Why there must be the possibility of reconciliation or we all become monsters and demons 
• How in the 21st century, men and women still have no idea how to work together, give clear consent, and draw boundaries 

Links & Resources:  

• Dr. Jenn’s Site
• Dr. Jenn’s new book

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Jenn Gunsaullus, sociologist and sexologist, is a frequent speaker about sexual empowerment, healthy relationships, body image, erotic play, and sexual health. She is a TEDx speaker and a recurring intimacy expert on the San Diego Morning News. She’s also a black belt in the Koren martial art, Soo Bahk Do. She is the author of the book Madness to Mindfulness: Reinventing Sex for Women that we’ll be talking about today. Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Vitamin timing

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
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Just as an infant requires physical touch to ensure healthy development, every adult requires intimacy and connection to be mentally and physically healthy... and yet many of us are left lacking. A lingering hug can increase oxytocin and decrease cortisol, deep conversations can be neuroprotective, and a true friend or lover can alter not just your emotional life but also your biology. On this week’s show, we’ll unpack the role between intimacy and your endocrine system, and the vital importance in finding balance. 

Listen & Learn: 

• How healthy testosterone levels can reduce or even eliminate the risk of Alzheimer's
• Why BPA-lined cans (including sparkling water) can block oxytocin receptors 
• The role of the sex hormones in brain volume and function
• Why the nuclear family is supported by biology 
• Hippocampal shrinkage induced by lack of intimacy   

Links & Resources: 

• Dr. Berkson’s Site
• Books on Amazon

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Dr. Devaki Lindsey Berkson is a thought leader in functional medicine and women’s health. She has been in clinical practice for nearly four decades, and her research has focused on hormones, nutrition, and the gut. She has written 21 books. Her most recent include: The Sexy Brain, Safe Hormones Smart Women, and Hormone Deception.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• K2 MK4

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
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Any relationship crisis is usually coupled with a communication breakdown. Your needs are not being met, so you shut down. You’re upset about something, but instead of voicing it, you bottle it up. Your partner does the same, and over time, you grow distant, bitter, and even resentful. We’ve all experienced this poor communication pattern at some point. But what does good communication even look like? Do you take notes and make an outline of your key points? Do you talk, text, or email? There is no right answer to this, but everyone in a relationship needs to figure it out one way or another to survive. On this week’s show, you’ll meet a couple’s counselor who shares her best practices for couples in crisis and those who want to avoid problems in the future. 

Listen & Learn: 

• How to assign one listener and one speaker during conversations
• The “doing” versus “feeling” part of showing love
• How to navigate the complexities of money, sex, and lack of time 
• Emotional versus physical affairs

• How polarity attracts and also creates conflict

Links & Resources: 

• Sonya’s site

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Sonya Jensen is a marriage counselor, premarital counselor, relationship coach, and breakup recovery counselor with Growing Self Counseling and Coaching. Her practical, positive approach helps couples succeed, and individuals create positive changes in their lives.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Ketones

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
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You don’t manage to leave the office until 8 pm. Traffic is terrible, so it takes you an hour to get home. One of your relatives is sick and has been texting you all day, but you haven’t had a moment to call to check in. Your taxes are due in a few weeks, and you don’t have any idea how much you’ll owe. You’re best friend is just not there for you the way she used to be. She hasn’t called you in weeks. It’s Thursday evening, and you’re all alone in your kitchen trying to manage this very common mundane overwhelm that comes with everyday life. So what do you do? No one is looking, no one will ask… Is it a Haagen Dazs and Netflix binge? Sleeping pills and a glass of red wine? Do you vape or watch porn? We all have our escapes. When the pressure cooker of our lives builds, it has to find a release. But most of our choices are destructive. On this week’s show, we’ll talk about how to find a better way.

Listen & Learn: 

• Why sobriety is often a sliding scale
• How dose and frequency often determine damage and risk
• How cocaine was not deemed addictive until 1986
• Why the opposite of addiction is choice
• The challenges of positive escapes in a stressful world 

Links & Resources: 

• Judith’s Book on Amazon
• Video Lecture on Addiction

ABOUT OUR GUEST

Grisel is a behavioral neuroscientist with expertise in pharmacology and genetics whose research focuses on determining root causes of drug addiction. She’s the author of a new book, Never Enough: The Neuroscience and Experience of Addiction.

Nutritional Tip of the Week:

• Pink Salmon

Got Questions?

• Send me a voicemail here: Ask Lucas a Question
• Or write to us: podcast@yogabody.com

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