Amanda Kuda is an alcohol-free lifestyle expert. After realizing that the best version of herself did not include drinking, she closed the door on alcohol in 2017. Amanda went from being a casual drinker to elevating her life through living alcohol free. Present day, she offers a contemporary perspective on personal growth, self-actualization, and spiritual enlightenment, all through the lens of voluntary sobriety. WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [6:18]- How going alcohol free for 30 days translated into 8 y...
Dec 17, 2024•59 min•Ep. 213
Nicki Williams is a nutritional therapist and hormone expert who embarked on a personal healing journey after struggling with exhaustion, weight gain, and hormone imbalances in her early forties. She is the founder of Happy Hormones for Life and is the host of the Happy Hormones Podcast that features quick episodes with hormone hacks. Present day, Nicki guides women worldwide to heal confusing hormonal symptoms and live their happiest and healthiest lives. WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [4:56]- How a false ...
Dec 10, 2024•52 min•Ep. 212
Miriam Jacobsen is a functional medicine dietitian with 15+ years of experience helping people improve their physical and mental well-being through food, mindset, lifestyle, and breathwork so they can feel more alive in their bodies. Miriam’s holistic healing approach challenges current medical narratives by examining physiological, biochemical, social, and emotional factors to resolve underlying symptoms of poor digestion, fatigue, and mood imbalances. It was enlightening to have a conversation...
Dec 03, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 211
Lori Balue gained a certificate as a functional nutrition practitioner after healing herself from metabolic dysfunction and PCOS. To promote weight loss and nervous system regulation, Lori implemented daily movement, grounding, and sunlight exposure as often as she could. For her 60th birthday, and to celebrate a 100 pound weight loss journey, Lori walked the Grand Canyon from one side to the other. If you want encouragement about losing weight in your 50’s/60’s, Lori’s story is just that! WHAT ...
Nov 26, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 210
This bonus episode is a replay of a conversation I had with Lauren Sanchez from the Total Mastery Wellness Show! The show was a free event that took place in October with over 30+ wellness experts sharing their various areas of expertise. In my segment of the event I shared lifestyle tools for maintaining healthy cortisol and melatonin levels, healing insulin resistance and metabolic dysfunction, and living a lifestyle that supports healthy metabolism. WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [1:16]- Sharing life upd...
Nov 19, 2024•55 min•Ep. 209
Dr. Martin Moore-Ede has been a leading expert on circadian clocks and the health problems including sleep disorders, fatigue, diabetes and cancer caused by light at night. He is the author of The Light Doctor and discovered the human circadian clock as a professor at Harvard University. Dr. Moore-Ede currently teaches about blue light toxicity as a carcinogen contributing to the current cancer epidemic. He also shares why it is important that you use healthy circadian lighting environments and ...
Nov 11, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 208
Dr. Liz Lyster is an OB/GYN medical doctor, best-selling author and speaker, and an expert in perimenopause and menopause. She has a private practice in California where she provides resources for women in midlife to successfully lose weight, have more energy, and increase their motivation and drive. In this episode Dr. Lyster shares information about female hormone fluctuations, symptoms of perimenopause and menopause and how to combat them, and her thoughts on hormone replacement therapy. WHAT...
Nov 05, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 207
Dr. Nayan Patel is the author of the The Glutathione Revolution . His expertise lies in identifying and addressing the widespread deficiency of glutathione, a crucial antioxidant that plays a significant role in maintaining overall health. Dr. Patel believes that by understanding and increasing glutathione levels, we can prevent a range of chronic diseases and slow down the aging process. We had a wonderful conversation about what glutathione is, how artificial chemicals affect our bodies natura...
Oct 29, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 206
Dr. Sara Pugh is a quantum biologist, circadian ketogenic coach, and earned her PhD in biochemistry and biophysics. Dr. Pugh specializes in all things quantum biology: heat, time, light, magnetism, water, and cold. She says that when these practices are leveraged together, our mitochondria can function optimally. In this episode we discuss the changing of the seasons which result in darkness, cold, food scarcity, and more. Dr. Pugh applies these changes to a new way of living, along with address...
Oct 22, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 205
Stephen Davis is an expert on frequency medicine. In the search for a cure for his daughter's Lyme disease, Stephen pursued a deep dive into frequency medicine. That led him to develop the NIKKI, a bioenergetic wearable that delivers light emitting frequencies designed to promote cellular function, immunity, and healing. This “wellness center on your wrist” helps people overcome health struggles like poor sleep, pain, allergies, stress, and even Lyme disease. In this episode we discuss frequency...
Oct 15, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 204
Meredith Mann, also known as The Peachie Spoon , is the author of two cookbooks and recently created her own line of protein powder. Meredith focuses on eating protein focused meals that are quick and easy to make. She is well known for her Instagram account, @thepeachiespoon , where she shares her famous nourishing and filling go-to meals. In today's episode our conversation was focused around getting enough high quality protein, natural fats, and complex carbohydrates through fiber-rich, whole...
Oct 08, 2024•54 min•Ep. 203
Jon Hegarty, co-founder of North Star Grounding , is on the podcast this week sharing his knowledge surrounding grounding and its ability to decrease inflammation in the body. After helping his brother recover from bone cancer through a holistic approach, which included frequent grounding and grounding technology, Jon invested his professional career into offering grounding instruments to people worldwide. In this episode we discuss how to ground, what the right amount may be, and the benefits o...
Oct 01, 2024•51 min•Ep. 202
Dr. William is the CMO of L-Nutra and continues to advance the science and research on the Fasting Mimicking Diet. The ProLon Fasting Mimicking Diet is the first and only meal program that has undergone clinical trials at the University of Southern California and been patented for its healthy-aging effects. This 5-Day meal program provides scientifically researched nutrients in precise quantities and combinations that nourish you, but are not recognized as food by your body, therefore mimicking ...
Sep 28, 2024•47 min
Daniel White is the founder of Sleep Better Live Better, a company dedicated to creating innovative sleep solutions for ultimate human potential that results from being well-rested. The CRD (Circadian Rhythm Disruption) Challenge, also launched by Daniel, is a free, 21-day educational experience that will offer learners the opportunity to end this endemic of circadian disruption and realign with nature's natural patterns. In this week's episode we discussed the different wavelengths of the sun a...
Sep 24, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Ep. 201
Martha Tettenborn, RD shares her inspiring story of surviving and thriving through cancer and chemo treatments! It is no secret that cancer thrives on sugar. Cancer cells need it, unable to grow without a steady supply of glucose. But when you’re diagnosed, nutrition recommendations often result in increased blood sugars, the essential food that cancer cells need to thrive. In her book Hacking Chemo , Registered Dietitian and cancer survivor @marthatettenborn offers a new way of treating cancer ...
Sep 21, 2024•1 hr 3 min
Happy 200th episode of Optimal Metabolism! My life has truly been so enriched by the guests and topics I have been able to engage with and learn about for the success of this podcast. To celebrate 200 episodes, it seemed fitting for a Q&A episode covering topics about my personal life and sharing the behind the scenes of the podcast. Enjoy this fun listen while learning more about me and what it has taken to keep this podcast alive! WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [10:32]- If I could interview anyone for...
Sep 17, 2024•57 min•Ep. 200
Twin sisters Merav and Michal Mor are both Ironman winners and business founders of the Lumen Metabolism Tracker . It is a small handheld device that measures the CO2 concentration in one's breath to understand if you’re burning carbs or fats for energy in real-time. This technology has been used to transform lives through enhancing physical performance, reversing chronic pain and fatigue, and aiding in weight loss. In this episode Merav and Michal shared their advice for promoting physical fitn...
Sep 10, 2024•56 min•Ep. 199
Miguel Bautista is the founder of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CSF) Recovery. He specializes in helping individuals recover from chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, and long covid through neuroplasticity and brain rewiring techniques. Miguel shared his powerful story of when he woke up one day and was astonishingly incapable of sustaining his own needs which led to months spent bedridden in the hospital with unexplainable symptoms and debilitating pain. Ultimately, it wasn’t until Miguel crossed paths w...
Sep 03, 2024•1 hr 9 min•Ep. 198
Sarah Kleiner is a coach in applied quantum biology and a circadian health expert. Sarah tried nearly every diet, from vegan and vegetarian to carnivore and beyond until finally understanding the root cause of her chronic inflammation and infertility. She used a combination of lifestyle and therapeutic interventions including healing from low leptin levels, watching the sunrise and being outside as much as possible, blocking artificial light, eating seasonally, and so much more, to accomplish op...
Aug 27, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 197
Soursop is an ancient super fruit that contributes to whole body wellness, specifically immunity, skin health, regulation of metabolism, and opportunity for weight loss. In this episode I welcomed the founder of Soursop Nutrition, Amy Lacey, to share her story of entrepreneurship, discovering the benefits of soursop, and using it to promote wellness in her own family and beyond. This episode is for anyone looking to have a better understanding of the supplement industry and how to be a discernin...
Aug 20, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 196
In this episode I took to talking about weight loss and metabolically the similarities and differences between losing 5 pounds and losing 50 pounds. Ultimately, weight gain is a multifaceted symptom the body expresses when it suffers from inflammation or hormonal imbalances. As a practitioner who has supported MANY students in their weight loss journeys, I wanted to share my advice on healthy weight loss, whether your goal is to lose 5 pounds or 50! WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [5:04]- What causes weight ...
Aug 13, 2024•39 min•Ep. 195
Endocrinologist Dr. Kelsey Dexter practices circadian and mitochondrial health, along with lifestyle modifications such as diet and exercise, to treat patients with metabolic dysfunction. We had an incredible conversation delving into the fruitfulness of grounding, natural light breaks, effects of red and blue light, and the science behind these areas of wellness. This episode will leave you inspired to better understand your biological clock! WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [7:42]- How interest in skin heal...
Aug 06, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 194
It was so fun to be a guest on Michelle Montone’s podcast, Fast and Fabulous! We had such a great conversation digesting the fundamentals of what I teach and believe, so I just had to share this episode with my listeners on my podcast! This is a great episode for anyone new to the basics of metabolic health, light biology, adrenal wellbeing, and maintaining balanced hormones. WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [0:55]- Sharing how you can be a part of my new “Pay What You Can” offer for my courses! [3:49]- If yo...
Jul 30, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 193
Chef James Barry has been in the culinary industry for over 15 years and is passionate about creating tasteful meals from nutrient dense, whole foods. Most recently, James has launched several functional food products known as Pluck , organ-based seasoning. It's the first of its kind and a simple and delicious way for people to get organ meats into their diet daily. We discussed how you can use Pluck products in the kitchen, how to encourage healthy eating amongst picky eaters (specifically chil...
Jul 23, 2024•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 192
It's time for a midyear update! 2024 has been the most challenging time of my life, and I explain why in this episode. There has been a huge silver lining revealed to me in the last couple of weeks! I have had cortisol dysregulation for likely decades, and I wasn't sure what else to implement other than stress mitigation and sound nutrition. Enter cirdadian health strategies that are mostly FREE! I've been able to restore my cortisol pattern within a few months, despite having the biggest load o...
Jul 16, 2024•40 min
In this episode of the Unscripted Pharmacist, host Kyle Rootsaert is joined by Shana Hussin , RDN for a refreshingly honest discussion about the world of dietetics. Shana and Kyle dive into common misconceptions, such as the controversial topic of consistent carbs in hospital settings. We explore the real impact of popular meal replacements like Glucerna and Ensure and challenge the traditional advice often given to patients. Whether you’re a healthcare professional or someone interested in nutr...
Jul 09, 2024•1 hr 14 min
Dr. Alexis Cowan completed her Ph.D. in molecular biology from Princeton University and uses her continuing education to share principles relating to light, mitochondrial, and circadian biology. Our conversation was unique in which Dr. Cowan offered a deep dive into the specifics of the scientific research that supports the knowledge she shared. We discussed Dr. Cowan's outstanding health journey, different kinds of sunlight and its effects on the body, and how light patterns affect hormone heal...
Jun 25, 2024•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 189
Kate Morton serves her community as a registered dietitian with specific expertise in seed cycling, menstrual health, and fighting diet culture. After living in New Zealand for some time, Kate was exposed to a holistic way of living that led her to understand the science of hormones and cyclical living. Kate believes in the healing power of food and teachings females worldwide how to leverage specific nutrients to best support their menstrual cycle. WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [7:15]- What piqued Kate’s ...
Jun 18, 2024•55 min•Ep. 188
Mollie Eastman is a sleep expert specializing in creating quality sleep and its direct correlation with one’s quality of life. After struggling with insomnia herself, Mollie dedicated her professional career to educating others about the value of sleep. I loved our conversation about creating an optimal sleep environment, the importance of melatonin and its correlation with our lighting environment, creating a regular sleep-wake schedule, and more! WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [8:33]- How Mollie became pa...
Jun 11, 2024•1 hr 12 min•Ep. 187
It is always an honor to answer questions asked directly from my podcast listeners! I tackled topics like how long you should fast before lab testing, how to reverse insulin resistance when already at a healthy weight, should you practice intermittent fasting while simultaneously struggling with sleep imbalances, and how I approach nutritional guidelines for my students. I am certain you will walk away with a few key takeaways from this episode! WHAT WE DISCUSSED: [1:20]- Why I have been quiet o...
Jun 04, 2024•39 min•Ep. 186
