The Model Health Show

If I had a dollar for every time I’ve heard a professor, a trainer, a coach, a well-meaning gym buddy, a special news report, or a random passerby say that you need to do more cardio to burn more fat, I’d have Scrooge McDuck level cash in my account.

If so many people say it, then it must be true, right? Scratch that… if so many intelligent and well-meaning people say it, then it must be true, right?

And therein lies one of the problems…

If you take really smart, well-meaning people and teach them the wrong thing, they can become world-class at doing the wrong thing. So good at doing the wrong thing, in fact, that they create compelling arguments as to why they should continue doing it (even if it’s not working).

When it comes to doing hours of cardio each week, and still not seeing the weight budge, we can justify and say… “Ah, I just need to sneak another hour in each week.” Or “I just need to cut back on the calories even more.” Or “I’m just not good at this.” Or, and this is the worst, “I’m obviously not trying hard enough.”

So, we try to beat our metabolism into submission. Or, we develop a condition of learned helplessness… where we believe that no matter how much dieting and cardio we do, we’ll never be able to change.

But, what if all along it was the tactics, and not the ability of the person, that was not working to begin with? Cardio being the ideal form of exercise for fat loss was something that was largely just assumed and not proven. Sort of like when people believed that the earth was flat (this was even taught in universities!), until the assumption was finally disproved.

That busted myth took centuries to happen. The Great Cardio Myth is getting busted in just one episode of The Model Health Show.

In this episode you'll discover:

  • Why cardio machines are lying to us.
  • The impact that conventional cardio exercise has on appetite.
  • How basic dieting compares to doing hours of cardio.
  • Where the idea of doing more aerobic exercise for better health originated.
  • How low-fat, high-carb diets got advocated along with conventional cardio.
  • Whether or not you can outrun a pizza.
  • The truth about how overuse injuries occur.
  • Why the treadmill creates abnormal walking and running movements.
  • The shocking influence that conventional cardio can have on heart health.
  • How high intensity interval training compares to strict cardio in clinical trials.
  • What to do if you’ve only got 3 days a week (and less than 30 minutes) to exercise each week.
  • How to train if you want to build muscle mass and if you DON’T want to build muscle mass.
  • The real reason so many people gravitate towards cardio for exercise (truth bomb!).

Items mentioned in this episode include:

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Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

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Direct download: 211-The_Great_Cardio_Myth_-_With_Craig_Ballantyne.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:01pm PDT

Working as a clinician for many years, one of the most common questions I would get is, “What can I take for more energy?”.

It was always a tough question because I knew I’d just be treating a symptom by giving them energizing natural supplements like maca, cordyceps, and ginseng. Sure, it’s better that they didn’t ask a drug dealer the same question. In the immortal words of Rick James, “Cocaine is a helluva drug…” But, I didn’t want them to see me like a natural pill-pusher, and get them hooked on something just to get them by, either. So, I dedicated myself to helping them get to the root of their energy problems. And today you’ll learn the very best of what I came up with.

In this episode you'll discover:

  • How my struggle with chronic fatigue began.
  • A potent superherb that’s clinically proven to improve insulin sensitivity.
  • What going to the gym is compensating for.
  • How you’re able to literally charge up your cells like a battery.
  • The surprising amount of energy the human body can generate.
  • Simple strategies to get in more nutritious movement throughout the day.
  • Why you can still wake up exhausted after 7 to 8 hours of sleep.
  • What sleep architecture is.
  • How many total sleep cycles you need for optimal energy.
  • What happens in your brain during sleep.
  • The 2 major things that can disrupt your sleep cycles.
  • Key nutrient deficiencies that cause fatigue and sleep problems.
  • The #1 mineral that supports human energy production.
  • How dehydration impacts energy (and how much water you really need!).

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Download The Transcript

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

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Direct download: 210-4_Reasons_Youre_Tired_All_The_Time_And_What_To_Do_About_It.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:18am PDT

Culture is a very interesting and versatile thing. Culture is like the invisible force that guides our beliefs, behaviors, and knowledge. Culture is what gives color to how you experience your life.

There are many shades and varieties of colors (you already know there are 50 Shades of Gray), and your culture, versus the culture of someone else, is a fundamental reason why two people can have a totally different experience from the same event.

Take seeing a new superhero movie, for example. You have been immersed in a culture that loves the ideas of superpowers. They believe human potential is limitless. They believe that good always wins in the end. While your friend, who you’ve unwittingly brought along to see the movie with you, has been immersed in a culture believes only in what they see. They value hard, cold facts and extreme rationality. They believe in love, but also that bad things happen no matter what, and it’s all about probability.

You think the movie is fantastic and inspiring. As a result, you get a rush of endorphins and positive “feel good” neurotransmitters and hormones. Your stress levels go down, and you are inspired for days after.

Your friend, on the other hand, thinks the movie is a waste of time and resources. They watched with pessimistic cultural views, and they were so busy pointing out what’s not realistic that they missed out on the magic of human creativity. As a result, your friend’s stress hormones elevate from irritation. Their blood sugar is low because of all the mental energy used to dissect the cinematic foolishness, and they leave feeling like they’ve just wasted three hours of their life that they can’t get back. Two totally different experiences from the same event. Neither of you is right or wrong. Just very different.

Now stretch this variance in perception into the realm of food, exercise, stress management, relationships, and, most importantly, what’s deeply ingrained in you about how long you’re going to live, and you’ll discover the real power that culture has over your life. The issue is that its power has been hiding in plain site, governing everything you do and how you experience the world. Today, thanks to the incomparable Dr. Mario Martinez, you’re going to learn how to come out of a cultural fog and embrace only the cultural influences that are serving you in becoming the greatest version of yourself.

In this episode you'll discover:

  • How we can know what’s best for our health but still not do it.
  • What psychoneuroimmunology is.
  • How much genetics actually play into how long you’ll live healthfully.
  • What a culture is and how it affects the brain.
  • How feelings like shame impact inflammation and pain.
  • Why affirmations alone don’t work.
  • What causes people who elevate and “make it big” to come crashing back down.
  • How to move beyond pseudo-humbleness.
  • Why we need to learn about the causes of health.
  • The difference between a ritual and a routine (this is important!).
  • The surprising way that pleasure can affect your immune system.
  • How to differentiate hedonistic pleasure and eudemonic pleasure.
  • How to be an outlier and not lose your health and happiness because of it.
  • Why old psychological programs can show up and sabotage your relationships.
  • Why speed of implementation is important.
  • How junk food can mean love for us.
  • Why giving something up can make you want it more.
  • The difference between having an illness and becoming an illness.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

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Saying that this will change your life is an understatement. What we were taught about conventional exercise is running people into the ground (literally) and our society isn’t any healthier as a result of it.

Today you’re going to get the truth about the most important form of exercise for human health and fitness. It’s so effective that it’s almost unbelievable. So unbelievable, in fact, that I had to hunt down the world’s foremost expert on the subject to have him break it down for us. And he didn’t pull any punches!

You’re about to find out what The One Minute Workout is all about. Plus, you’re going to discover how Dr. Martin Gibala can get you fitter and healthier 10 times faster than any traditional program ever could. This eye-opening episode is loaded with insights, so click play, take good notes, and enjoy!

In this episode you'll discover:

  • The surprising history of interval training.
  • How to do Wingates to radically boost your fitness levels.
  • How to actually increase the number of mitochondria (energy “power plants”) you have in your cells.
  • Why one minute of hard exercise can get you the same benefits as 150 minutes of conventional steady state cardio (this is mind-blowing!).
  • The truth about your VO2 Max and why it’s important.
  • The little known impact that HIIT has on your aerobic fitness.
  • How HIIT influences muscle fiber recruitment.
  • The surprising benefits of interval walking.
  • How many days a week you should incorporate HIIT.
  • Whether or not you should do HIIT and resistance training on the same day.
  • What exercise snacking is.
  • Whether or not interval training is safe for people with heart conditions.
  • The best way to warm up for your training session.
  • The very best ways to do HIIT for maximum results.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

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Direct download: 208-The_One_Minute_Workout_-_With_Dr._Martin_Gibala.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 3:32am PDT

Time is not toxic. Just because the days roll by on the calendar, does not mean that you have to be sentenced with years of sub-standard living and loss of function.

New York Times bestselling author, and superstar physician, Dr. Sara Gottfried is here to blow your mind with the latest research on aging. You’re going to learn firsthand how to ensure that your healthspan--the amount of time you live with good health and normal function--is as long as possible. This information will be valuable to you for a lifetime (and a much longer, healthier lifetime at that!). So, click play, take good notes, and become Younger!

In this episode you'll discover:

  • The triggering event that led Dr. Gottfried to focus deeply on the aging process.
  • Why the experience of aging starts in your muscles.
  • How your muscles are actually a fat-burning endocrine organ.
  • What normally happens to your blood sugar as you get older.
  • Why it’s critical to extend your healthspan as long as possible.
  • How our various organs age differently.
  • Why it’s vital for us to have a continuous means of emotional release.
  • How traumatic stress genes can get activated and passed on to future generations.
  • What fascia is and how energy can get clogged up in your system.
  • How sex can counter the effects of stress.
  • Why exercise can be a valuable gene reset.
  • The surprising percentage of your genetic expression that you’re in control of.
  • Which glorified “fat gene” might be influencing your health (and what to do about it!).
  • The specific gene that influences detoxification (and how it affects your partying).
  • Which gene codes for how you carry and process cholesterol.
  • What Dr. Sara recommends for your carbohydrate threshold.
  • What specific markers you can use to measure your healthspan.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

Click Here to Subscribe via Apple Podcasts

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Direct download: 207-Reset_Your_Genes_And_Become_Younger_-_With_Dr._Sara_Gottfried.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:46pm PDT

How often have you found yourself feeling stressed by time?

How about the feeling that you don’t have enough time to do the things you really want to do? And, if you’re like most us, just thinking about how little time you have makes you so exhausted that you just eat some dessert, watch tv, and waste even more time?

It’s crazy how time can do such a number on our psyches. But, today, we’ve got some major solutions to our society’s crazy time epidemic!

Time is not measured by clocks, it’s measured by moments. The more that we can take control of how we invest our time, the more we’re going to be present for the moments that really make life worth living. On the health side, time worry is actually a major cause of anxiety. So much futurecasting, and not feeling empowered to do the things we want, can lead to a subtle, or very strong, feeling of helplessness.

To help all of us become a better master of our days, I called in one of the top productivity and leadership experts in the world. His story is remarkable. Many people that have 1/10 of the responsibility that this man has are quaking in the boots trying to figure out how to make it. Not only is he making it, but he’s thriving, and helping people all over the world to do the same. He’s an incredible model for us all, so I’d like to introduce you to the incredible Michael Hyatt.

In this episode you'll discover:

  • The do’s and don’ts of melatonin supplementation.
  • The #1 reason most people aren’t exercising.
  • Why asking for permission is a waste of time.
  • The 2 biggest misconceptions when it comes to productivity.
  • What the “Circle of Being” is and why it’s important.
  • Why it’s important to exercise your “NO” muscle.
  • A powerful written response to help you devote time where it’s needed most.
  • Why a combined rest and work flow is valuable to your success.
  • The critical importance of hard boundaries.
  • What an activation trigger is.
  • How productivity technology can actually make us less productive.
  • How to instantly reframe your tasks to make them more appealing.
  • The importance of creating a positive work environment (and strategically avoiding disrupters).
  • Why it’s helpful to fill up other’s emotional gas tank.
  • Why a productivity mindset is more important than productivity techniques.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on iTunes by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

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Sometimes I contemplate on just how fragile life is. Here we are, spinning around the sun in the middle of the universe with a billion delicate balances allowing us to be here.

When you stop and think about how grand everything is, it can be a little overwhelming. But, if you zoom in even closer… and even closer than that… and even closer than that… all the way down to the makeup of our cells, you see that life is also very powerful and resilient. And there are intelligent systems governing it all.

Life, and how long we live, is not an accident. Our cells can actually tell us how long we’re going to live. More specifically, they can tell us how long we’re going to live healthfully. I just overheard a gentleman at the gym, probably in his late 50’s, telling another seasoned fellow how he’s getting too old to do basic things he used to do. He was complaining about the inability to tend to his yard and to exercise normally. The man he was talking to simply replied, “It’s too bad, isn’t it?”

They have bought into the idea that it’s a sharp downhill slope now that their 50’s have shown up. All I could think about in that moment was The Telomere Effect.

To put it simply, your telomeres are a biological marker that can tell you how long you’re going to live with your health intact. Nobel Prize winning scientist Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn and superstar health psychologist Dr. Elissa Epel collaborated to write one of the most important books of our time. The Telomere Effect provides eye-opening study after study proving how this incredible biological marker can be shortened or extended based on our lifestyle choices, and even our beliefs.

Today you’re about to hear from Dr. Epel about just how powerful you are to ensure you live healthfully for the vast majority of your years. As grand as the universe is, some of the greatest power resides in your cells, and it resides in your ability to choose. To be healthy as you age, or not to be. That is the question! And today we’ve got your answer.

In this episode you'll discover:

  • Which incredible compound has been found to protect your body from the effects of sleep deprivation.
  • What telomeres are and how they work.
  • Whether or not things like bullying and violence have an impact on your healthspan.
  • The difference between your healthspan and disease span.
  • How stressful events influence your cellular aging.
  • The crucial lifestyle factors that can protect your telomeres from shortening too fast.
  • The difference between a threat response and a challenge response.
  • What cognitive defusion is.
  • How to swiftly move past being overly self-critical.
  • What inflamm-aging is and how it impacts our lives.
  • Which key nutrients have been found to support telomere length.
  • How sleep minutes are like calories.
  • The amount of exercise needed to protect you from accelerated telomere shortening.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

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Conventional wisdom says that your body burns fat as a whole, and that you can’t “spot-eliminate” fat. Well, if conventional wisdom had a nose, it would be growing like Pinocchio’s right now. In past episodes we’ve discussed how your body actually burns fat, how it’s eliminated, and what fat even is in the first place. In this episode we’re going to talk about how you can influence your body to burn more fat from specific “problem areas”, plus a whole lot more.

Today we have a very special episode we recorded with listeners of The Model Health Show live in Washington D.C.! This special Q & A show delves in on topics ranging from overlooked causes of heart problems, spot-treating body fat, deciding on your career path, avoiding hip and knee replacements, quickly eliminating inflammation and that’s just for starters.

I hope this episode provides you with a plethora of tools and insights that you can use for a lifetime. And a special shoutout to everyone who joined us in D.C. It was an amazing time in an awesome city. Thank you for making us feel at home!

Enjoy, and please stay tuned for more cities that I’ll be traveling to for speaking events, meet & greets, and a whole lot more!

In this episode you'll discover:

  • Which field of science teaches how every bite of food you eat impacts your genetic expression.
  • The leading cause of physician visits today (this might surprise you!).
  • How you can target and burn fat from specific “problem areas” on your body.
  • A big revelation about cellulite and stretch marks.
  • How to better understand your body’s electrical conductivity.
  • The impact that “grounding” has on cortisol levels.
  • What the #1 mineral deficiency in modern society is.
  • The most important questions to ask yourself when deciding a career path.
  • Which category of food/medicine is crucial for your immune system today.
  • What to do when family and friends aren’t on the same page with you when it comes to improving their health.
  • Essential tips for health and mobility as you age.
  • The underlying component of any chronic health issue that’s often overlooked.
  • How to best address the need for hip replacements, knee replacements, etc.
  • Why questions are able to guide our lives and decisions.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

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What does a good sandwich, an Oreo cookie, and a Hot Pocket all have in common? Well, even though I might not be sycked to eat any of those things, it’s the stuff in the middle that makes them what they are.

Without the fixings in the middle of the sandwich, you’d just be eating bread (true story, I’ve eaten many bread sandwiches in my lifetime), without the cream in the middle of the Oreo, you’d just have two dry black discs, and without the cheesy meaty center of the Hot Pocket, you’d just have a pocket.

So, what’s the point of this pro-diabetes food analogy? It’s to remind you that what happens in the middle counts. I’d argue to say that what happens in the middle is where all the action is. And that’s why today’s show is so important…

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t actually “get fit” when you’re working out. It’s the stuff that you do in between your workouts (aka in the middle) that makes all the difference in the world.

You see, exercise is known as a hormetic stressor. It’s something that puts a stressful load onto your body that can actually make your body stronger, if you allow/support your body to heal from it.

We can radically up-level our body’s healing process and come back better, faster by adding in a few recovery essentials. Today we have on health & fitness celebrity Drew Canole to share some of his best tips to help you recover faster and get the most out of your fitness program.

Many of these tools are simple, easy to implement, and proven to work. But they don’t work unless you work them! Plus, you’ll get the inside scoop on what Drew’s personal training programs looks like that keeps him in cover model shape year round. So, let’s get to it!

In this episode you'll discover:

  • The #1 way that we influence the people around us.
  • Why you may want to change how you label your cheat meals.
  • How your breathing habits influence your body’s ability to burn fat.
  • What interesting compound in broccoli can help you body detoxify more effectively.
  • Why it’s more difficult to gain weight when you eat real food.
  • Simple tips to help you speed up your recovery time.
  • How to radically increase muscle hypertrophy (King TUT is the key!).
  • What training program Drew used to put on size and strength in a short amount of time.
  • Why accountability is so valuable in accomplishing your fitness goals.
  • How to do pyramid drop-sets for faster results.
  • Why you need to immediately become a sleep ninja.

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

Click Here to Subscribe via Apple Podcasts

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The term “superfood” has been used more and more loosely as the years have gone by. It’s sort of like when a really skinny guys who doesn’t workout has abs… and you’re like, “Nah, that doesn’t really count. Put your shirt back on and stop flexing.” Well, at least that’s what I would have told my 12-year old self...

Superfoods are not the run-of-the-mill foods that you see everyday. These are foods that have rare nutrients, or concentrations of nutrients, or a completeness of nutrients that are rarely seen in nature. Broccoli is like abs on Justin Bieber. Real superfoods (like you’re about to learn about today) are like abs on Arnold Schwarzenegger. They are totally in a different league (and no disrespect to broccoli!).

You’re about so get the inside scoop on foods that are clinically proven to destroy cancer cells, foods that can regenerate and heal your ligaments, tendons, and bones, and even foods that can upgrade your entire immune system. Enjoy, and make sure to share this with the people you care about!

In this episode you'll discover:

  • Which powerful superfood has been used historically as a “famine food”.
  • What the surprising benefits of polysaccharides are.
  • What it means to be a COX-2 inhibitor.
  • The incredible impact that one (stinky) superfood has on lowering cholesterol.
  • Which superfood boasts 7x more vitamin C than oranges, 7x more potassium than bananas, 4x more calcium than milk.
  • A food that’s clinically proven to optimize blood sugar and prevent prediabetes and diabetes.
  • Where to find usable antioxidants that actually show up in your bloodstream.
  • A wonderful superfood that’s being used to help feed impoverished children.
  • Which superfood is also the best natural laxative.
  • The superfood that was prized by the ancient Egyptians and Alexander the Great.
  • What to use to rapidly heal burns and skin damage.
  • Which class of little known superfoods are responsible for creating most of the world’s oxygen supply.
  • A rare compound that can help support your stem cell production.
  • Which superfood contains every essential amino acid, every essential fatty acid, and every essential glyconutrient.
  • How this special superfood helps to “format” your immune system.
  • How inflammation is tied to weight gain, and which superfood can help with reducing it!

Items mentioned in this episode include:

Thank you so much for checking out this episode of The Model Health Show. If you haven’t done so already, please take a minute and leave a quick rating and review of the show on Apple Podcasts by clicking on the link below. It will help us to keep delivering life-changing information for you every week!

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Direct download: 202-7_Little_Known_Superfoods_You_Need_To_Learn_About.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:17pm PDT