Category Archives: Personal Improvement

Episode 104: Simon Whitfield

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Description: On today’s special show, hosts Brad Kearns and Andrew MacNaughton connect with retired triathlon legend Simon Whitfield from Victoria, B.C., Canada. Simon details his remarkable victory in the inaugural Olympic triathlon in Sydney, Australia in 2000, along with other memories and perspectives gained from his lengthy career at the top of the sport. Simon is an extremely thoughtful, introspective athlete whose insights can provide great value to whatever peak performance or life goals you pursue. “If you love your pursuits, you’ll find a way to success. If you succumb to your fears and insecurities, your results will suffer accordingly,” says Simon. With refreshing candor, Simon mentions the dangers of drifting into a prima donna perspective and how to recalibrate to focus on the journey; especially having a strong and authentic support team. “Hard truths come with sharp edges, but they are the source of the greatest learning,” Simon offers. Simon updates us about his recent doings, including epic standup paddling adventures in Victoria. Enjoy this deeply revealing and impactful discussion with triathlon’s most thoughtful coach, Andrew MacNaughton, and most thoughtful elite athlete, Simon Whitfield.

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Episode 94: Dr. Dana Lyons

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Description: On today’s show, Elle sits down with Dr. Dana Lyons—a primal-aligned holistic health practitioner (and Primal Blueprint Cert grad)—to discuss the tips, techniques, and healing methods used in Dr. Lyon’s practice. Dana began following a primal lifestyle in her early 30s while studying medicine. Before that, she spent 10 years as a vegetarian with a chronic-cardio habit—continuing on that path even when she was hurting her health. But adopting a primal diet was pivotal to her own healing, which in turn shaped her practice as a doctor. Currently, she runs a holistic clinic with her husband, where implements what she calls an Alchemist Eating program, which helps people who experience food and eating as a place of struggle or pain.

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Episode 93: Tony Federico

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Description: On today’s show, Elle Russ sits down with Paleo Fitness Magazine editor Tony Federico, a ten-year veteran of the fitness industry who ditched the conventional wisdom of low fat, high carb eating after reading The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain and The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson. After adopting the paleo lifestyle, Tony was able to resolve his lifetime struggle with binge eating and exercise addiction. He wrote the best-selling cookbook Paleo Grilling – A Modern Caveman’s Guide to Cooking with Fire and is a regular contributor to Paleo Magazine. He also hosts the Paleo Magazine Radio Podcast. He recently partnered with fellow trainer “Relentless” Roger Dickerman to create a professional development program for Personal Trainers called Prime Time Trainer. Tony also blogs at LiveCaveman.com and can be found on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook @tonyfedfitness.

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Episode 90: Stuart Tomc

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Description: Today’s show features Stuart Tomc, a natural health aficionado and science guru who’s worked at a litany of blockbuster nutrition companies, such as Nordic Naturals, North American Herb & Spice, and, most recently, Cannavest. If you’re a science buff, and you’re ready to dive into the nitty gritty mechanics of the emerging science on CBD (cannabidiol) and omega-3 fatty acids, then you won’t want to miss this episode. First, Stuart sheds light on the optimal testing required to make sure you’re getting the omega-3 intake your body type needs. Then, Elle and Stuart dive into an in-depth review of the current scientific literature supporting the various benefits of compounds found in hemp. Those benefits range from neuroprotective, anxiolytic, seizure-reducing, and metabolic optimizing effects. Elle and Stuart go over the fundamental differences between the compound typically recognized in popular culture, THC, and the rich array of other compounds found in the plant that has an unmistakable history of controversy. So pop on your thinking caps, folks, and tune into this episode that doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to hard science!

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Episode 87: Brad Kearns and Mark Sisson

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Description: Brad Kearns visits with Mark Sisson to discuss the delicate balance between striving for ambitious peak performance goals and pursuing longevity. Sometimes it’s a delicate balance that even the most experienced athletes might screw up by getting a little too ambitious with their performance goals and compromising health in the process. Mark mentions his lifelong athletic, competitive mindset that essentially leaves him with a 62-year-old body and a 21-year-old’s competitive intensity.

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Episode 86: Bill Grundler

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Description: Host Brad Kearns catches up with CrossFit legend Bill Grundler, a 46-year-old retired firefighter and proprietor of CrossFit Inferno in San Luis Obispo, CA. Bill has defied the normal notions and realities of aging by competing in the Open division of the CrossFit Games—challenging the best athletes in the world despite having a couple decades of seniority on the pack. Bill subscribes to what he calls a firefighter mentality, where “you just get the job done. The fire doesn’t care how old you are.”

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Episode 84: Gabrielle Reece

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Description: Today’s episode features Women’s Beach Volleyball League legend, fitness icon, actress, author, and social advocate, Gabrielle Reece. Named one of the 20 Most Influential Women in Sports by Women’s Sports & Fitness, Gabby first came into the spotlight for her prolific volleyball career. In 1997, competing with the best global beach volleyball players ever assembled, Gabby’s 4-person team took first place at the first-ever Beach Volleyball World Championships. She continued playing across the next decade until she was five months pregnant in the summer of 2007. Besides her time as a player, Gabby has been featured in feature films, top-rated television shows, and magazines.

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Episode 83: Katy Bowman & Mark Sisson

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Description: On today’s special show, Mark Sisson and Katy Bowman discuss their exciting joint project, “Don’t Just Sit There,” which is a comprehensive multimedia educational course designed to help people overcome one of the major health hazards of modern life: prolonged sedentary periods that compromise your health at the cellular level. Katy is a biomechanist (someone who studies living structures like the human body), author, and popular blogger at KatySays.com. Her focus is on how movement and variability are the keys to a healthy work environment. It turns out that true movement variability at work requires more than simply transitioning from a sitting to standing position at a standup workstation. And it’s not just about assuming the correct ergonomic positions at your keyboards, either. Anytime you have prolonged stillness, you are putting undesirable “loads” upon your cells that can lead to pain, dysfunction, and disease. This includes your eyes gazing at a computer screen at a fixed distance for hours.

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Episode 82: Dr. Loretta Breuning

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Description: How much are we like our mammalian cousins in the animal kingdom? And what can they teach us about our mental and emotional lives? Elle Russ tackles these questions in a riveting interview with Dr. Loretta Breuning, blogger, former professor, and founder of The Inner Mammal Institute, which studies how our neurochemical makeup guides our feelings and behaviors in similar ways to our non-human relatives. Dr. Breuning began studying the brain chemistry of animals because she was not convinced by prevailing theories of human motivation. When she learned that our happy brain chemicals trigger survival behaviors in animals, she retired from her career as Professor of Management at California State University, East Bay to connect the dots. Now, her books and resources have helped thousands of people worldwide to make peace with their inner mammal.

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Episode 79: Eli Rodhe

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Description: On today’s show, Elle Russ and Eli Rohde talk about making the transition from sugar burner to fat burner. Once you adopt new habits and lifestyle behaviors, they’re often easier to maintain than you might have initially thought. But getting over the initial hurdles of making the transition can be a challenge. So on today’s show, Elle and Eli share their own personal experiences, and expertise, when it comes to navigating through the initial stages of going primal. They talk about motivation, willpower, and implementing practical tricks to make the process easy—so sticking to your new habits can become a reality.

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