Align Podcast

What's the planet's most nutritious food? SPROUTS! And in this episode of the Align Podcast, the author of the Sprout Book, Doug Evans, tells us why. Among the mind-blowing nutritional qualities of sprouts: ― they have 20-30 times the nutrients of other vegetables and 100 times those of meat ― they pack cancer-fighting properties and help to protect us from cardiovascular disease and environmental pollutants ― they aid in digestion ― they are a simple way to grow your own vegetables and compatible with all diets Ready to learn more? Tune into the full episode! 

Over 70% of our body is composed of water, which means that staying hydrated is extremely important. But is simply drinking water enough to keep us hydrated?  In this episode of the Align Podcast, our guest Tracy Duhs covers the hidden capabilities and benefits of hydrating adequately. We discuss the incredible amount of information that water is capable of holding onto and how that is crucial for processing our emotions. We also discuss the different water filtering processes and filtering systems and how we can upgrade the quality of the water we drink, catered to various budgets. Tracy Duhs is the director and founder of The Sanctuary Wellness Experience, a luxury retreat that provides complete nurturing for the mind, body, and soul. She is a herbalist, alchemist, and specialist in integrative medicine.   What we discuss: 03:54: What is water? 08:13: What are the potential contaminants in water? 11:08: How does water hold information? 13:52: Masaru Emoto's experiments with water 16:22: What is structured w

In this episode of the Align Podcast, I have a wonderful conversation with Emily Fletcher where we dive into the semantics of meditation and how it's much more powerful than many of us may realize. It's not only a tool for calming our mind, but it physically transforms our mind and body.  We also dive into our childhood wounds, how it has affected us in our adult life, and what we have found to be successful in our healing process. And as a bonus, at the end of the episode, Emily offers us a transformative 5-minute mediation practice that you can use as a tool for yourself. Emily Fletcher is the creator of The Ziva Technique and the founder of Ziva, where she developed the world meditation training program. She is also a best selling author: she wrote Stress Less, Accomplish More - Meditation for Extraordinary Performance. She is one of my best friends and overall, a meditation legend. What we discuss: [00:08:16] How meditation calms our chaotic energy [00:11:43] The cerebral processes that occur in meditatio

What’s keeping you from claiming your true powers? Are you even aware of the powers you hold within you and how you can tap into them? Today’s conversation is with one of my closest friends and widely known, Mr. Jim Kwik. We talk about his book, Limitless – a fabulous read! Jim’s main niche is about memory, focus, and accelerated learning, although the book content is much wider than that. While our imagination might make us think that being limitless is a synonym for perfection, in this episode, Jim explains it in a much more tangible and human way: Limitless is about advancing and progressing beyond what we believe to be possible. Jim has created a three-part framework that he breaks down for us in this episode. This framework acts as a lens to see what holds us back and to construct our self-awareness to "unlimit" the areas that are in our way. Plus, we both talk about what makes us come alive and our purpose - both fundamental emotional factors for reaching our full potential. Jim is a renowned brain coac

How can we cultivate an environment in our homes and lives that brings us closer to Nature? How do psychedelics help us see our lives from a different perspective? What can we do to slow down in a world that seems to never stop?   In this episode of The Align Podcast,  we discuss Kyle Kingsbury’s vast mesmerizing experiences with psychoactive substances and how that affects his intuition and inner trust, which in turn allows him to connect deeper with his family and see himself from different angles. We also cover why Kyle’s family created their own“eco-field” and how they fully enjoy nature from their home by dedicating themselves to keeping their home low-tech.    Plus, we cover Kyle’s experiences and perspectives with polyamorous and monogamous relationships, as well as what we think about what is happening in the present, modern world.   Kyle Kingsbury is the host of the Kyle Kingsbury Podcast, is an optimization expert, everyday shaman, full-time coach on the Fit For Service Fellowship and a forme

What is cholesterol? Is it beneficial or is it harmful to our body? How is it related to insulin resistance (and what the heck is insulin resistance in the first place)?   Looking back over the past few decades, the benefits and dangers of cholesterol have been constantly shifting – triggering a war on fat and popularizing both high and low-fat diets. It’s confusing, frustrating, and even more overwhelming. So what’s the truth?     In this episode of the Align Podcast, author of The Great Cholesterol Myth, Jonny Bowden, gives us the answers. Jonny explains why we have demonized cholesterol and why HDL cholesterol isn’t what we should be looking at as a predetermining factor for heart disease. And, he breaks down what the heck is cholesterol in the first place, the values of it in our body, blood, and brain, and how it actually gets produced in our body.   Plus, he dives into the close relationship between cholesterol and insulin resistance, which is one of the most leading factors of inflammation and he

Do you know how to love? And more importantly, do you know how to let love in? In this conversation, I sat down with the legendary Bobby Klein at his own awesome home in Tulum, Mexico who shares the most important life lessons he has learned throughout his 89 years of life, including why the bottom line of life is always love. Plus, we explored the ideas of what this human experience is, our inner guidance and intuition, and how necessary it is to be brutally honest with ourselves. As we go deep into what the hell we are doing here, he shared a handful of fascinating and badass experiences in his life. Bobby Klein is a truly special guest: He carries a rare wealth of experience, deep compassion, and an arsenal of healing tools. He's a clinical psychologist, spiritual and psychological educator, writer, and intuitive Life Path Counselor. He was also a driving force in securing the legalization of acupuncture in America and became one of the first practicing acupuncturists in the United States. He is a true eld

What can we learn about ourselves when we go through a separation from another? It’s easy to feel strong when things are working, but what about when things aren't? There is valuable opportunity given to us that only present themselves when relationships fall apart–The opportunity to navigate through the deep layers of ourselves. But how do we actually navigate through these layers?  In this conversation, Aubrey Marcus and his wife Vylana - two of my very favourite people - answer the questions I have on separation from someone you love (or feel deeply about), as it's something I currently am going through in my own life. Plus, they discuss why “wounds allows the light to enter”, and how truly loving ourselves is the best tool for facing a broken heart. Aubrey is the founder of ONMIT, a NYT bestselling author, the AMP podcast host, and founding member of Fit For Service Fellowship. Vylana is a sound alchemist, singer, Tahitian dancer, and medicine woman. What we discuss: [00:07:09] Aaron's current context [00

Our ability to connect and relate to each other is dependent upon how we feel. Which means, the food we eat has a strong influence on how we connect to each other. But one of the issues lies in the fact that the environment we have created around us is conducive and supportive to sickness, and is ultimately preventing us from experiencing deeper connections.  In this episode of the Align Podcast, I have a conversation with Shawn Stevenson on what contributes to deeper human connection, how the media affects our relationships, and why Shawn’s marriage has been successful. Plus, he also discusses how nutrition plays a surprising role in sleep, his thoughts on the conventional medicine approach. Shawn is a bestselling author of Sleep Smarter and has another book coming out, Eat Smarter, is a nutritionist, science educator, & creator of The Model Health Show, featured as the #1 Health Podcast in the U.S. What we discuss: [00:06:15] Shawn discusses the relationship between social media and sleep deprivation [

How often do we extend the effort to connect with our parents as the humans they truly are? Do we really know who they were before their parent roles and who they are beyond? This episode is truly special: My mother, Tina Louise Thomas, and I have a deeply intimate and vulnerable conversation that we initially were hesitant to release. Although, we decided if it helps even just one person connect more deeply with their parents or child, it's worth it. We talk about holding in emotions (and why my mother felt the need to hide her emotions during my upbringing), accepting aging and death, dealing with regrets, navigating forgiveness, moving forward after divorce and so much more. This has been a beautiful moment in which we felt deeply connected to each other, and probably one of the most important moments of my life. What we discuss: [00:05:48]: - The legacy my mom wishes to leave to her children [00:07:00] - My challenging emotional openness [00:07:53] - Holding emotions and covering up suffering [00:10:53] -

What impact did the dietary changes in humanity have on our bodies? Going back as far as our pre-historical ancestors hypothesize very interesting correlations. What does the wide research say about eating animal products and how that influences our brain size and capacity? Research shows we have shrunk our brains in the last 10-12 thousand years, very possibly due to relevant shifts in our diet and habits. These big shifts were forced by major planetary changes such as the Younger Dryas, which took place 12,900 years ago. Dr. Paul Saladino, who is back on the Align Podcast, not only discusses why our brain is shrinking but also shares with us very interesting suggestions on nutrition and lifestyle through an anthropological lens. He discusses findings and hypotheses by significant figures throughout history that observed indigenous peoples and compared their aligned diet to the general western diet.  We also dig into our surroundings as a factor for stimulation, focus, and relaxation, and we pose the questio

This month there has been a general trend of discussing relationships. I think relationships are the most important things we could ever invest our time and energy into as we are literally in relationship with everything, from being in a relationship with yourself, your partner, your friends, and your family to your work or business and the entire world around you. How can we cultivate deeper relationships? How can develop relationships that last?   In this episode of the Align Podcast, I'm joined by Colin Guinn and Christie Woods who have been together for almost 20 years, and to me, that is beyond fascinating. They discuss why we need to take conscious responsibility, be aware of our ego, say yes to growth with our partner, and give our partner permission to be human. Plus, we touch on the topics of tantra, sex magic, psychedelics, and relationship plateaus.   Colin and Christie are dear friends of mine, although you may know the two from winning Season 31 of The Amazing Race. Colin is a serial entrepreneur

Do you wonder how your sex life can improve our relationships– with others and with yourself–either in a monogamous, a polyamory, or an open relationship? In this conversation with Whitney Miller, we talk about the dynamics of monogamous vs. polyamory relationship, we go deep into details of sexuality within relationships and we discuss a very interesting pleasure exploration technique of the vulva: the vulva mapping. In her past polyamory experience, she shares what she learned about herself to be able to thrive in it, namely understand why she got jealous, why she got sad, and how she was able to cultivate meaningful relationships with women by having to constantly have vulnerable conversations which allowed her to truly love the other women.  Often, relationships help us to open up a part of ourselves that needs to be exposed in order to heal and to know ourselves better: our thought processes, our patterns, and how we respond to challenges. Whitney tells us how deeply transformative this process was in he

Relationships are complicated, no matter what kind of relationship you are in–whether it's with your partner, your family, your friends, or your co-workers. The biggest issues that arise within relationships stem from our attachment to needing others to validate us and make us feel whole, our inability to communicate what we are feeling and holding onto attachment, and struggling to stay deeply connected in a society that is built to pull us apart.  In this episode of the Align Podcast, I'm joined by the beautiful and dynamic couple, Miki Agrawal and Andrew Horn, who share insight into navigating through these issues and how they personally keep their relationship alive, happy, and healthy. This episode is somewhat of a couples counseling session that Andrew guides us through and I'm simply just a fly on the wall.  Miki is a social entrepreneur who uses creativity and disruptive innovation to challenge the status quo and change culture. She is the founder of several acclaimed social enterprises: WILD, THINX &

Did you know nitric oxide plays a fundamental role in the optimal functioning of your body? Nitric oxide not only has an anti-microbial effect (it kills bacteria and viruses), but also has a series of preventive functions, such as hypertension, inflammation, and coronary-artery disease and heart attack. Dr. Louis Ignarro is the 1998 Nobel Peace price winner in Physiology Medicine for discovering nitric oxide acts as a signaling molecule in the cardiovascular system. And in this episode, he shares the knowledge he has cultivated from his 50 years of research on the topic. So how can we boost this important molecule in our bodies? It’s surprisingly easy: by intaking antioxidants from fruits and vegetables and breathing through our nose! As Dr Louis said, inhaling has been thought of for thousands of years as being important, especially by yogis, but only about 15-18 years ago the physiological significance was discovered: as we breathe through our nose Nitric Oxide is carried to the lungs. What we dicuss: [00:

Have you ever heard the term ‘humiliatrix’? It might ring a bell and you can probably guess in which industry this profession belongs to. But the contours of it might surprise you! In this episode, guest Ceara Lynch discusses her career: a niche in men’s fantasies and needs. She calls herself a Humiliatrix where she humiliates men, by request, in the most different ways. During her career she has worked with all sorts of men and perhaps contrary to what many would think, there isn’t exactly an obvious pattern of men who seek to be professionally humiliated, which led her to gain a non-judgmental view of people. We also talk about Ceara plans for the future as a means to fulfillment and learning and how achieving life goals can have us spin into existential crises. Overall, this was a fascinating conversation about the intricacies of being human. Ceara Lynch works as a humiliatrix and had a curious start in the industry at only 17 years old. She is also the host of the Standard Deviation Podcast and an executi

Is the lymphatic system the missing link in your healing? In this episode of the Align Podcast, Dr. Perry Nickleston guides us through the vital role of the lymphatic system in the functioning of our entire body. In western medicine, we often use a bandaid to cover the symptoms that possibility are trying to make us aware of a larger, underlying issue. And by treating symptoms in isolation, without considering the entire system as a whole, it often results in long-term chronic pain and fatigue, a compromised immune system, and cancer. Plus, Dr. Nickleston discusses our mental and lymphatic health in-depth, why he thinks of the human body as an aquarium, and the correlation of the body-mind relationship by showing how trauma and physical and emotional stress can manifest in our health Perry Nickelston, DC, NKT, FMS, SFMA, is a Chiropractic Physician with a primary focus on Performance Enhancement, Corrective Exercise, and Metabolic Fitness Nutrition He is the author of the “Stop Chasing Pain” program, combinin

Are you ready for anything life throws your way? In this episode of the Align Podcast, guest Kelly Starrett discusses how putting ourselves in physically stressful situations prepares us for the mentally stressful situations life throws our way. The example he shares is how the risk he emersed himself in doing high-level white water kayaking mentally prepared him for the risk he took to start his own business. We dive into why taking risks and breaking ourselves against our fear doesn't make us more reckless, but actually makes us more responsible in the decisions we make in our lives.  Kelly is a physical therapist, author of Becoming a Supple Leopard, the founder of The Ready State, and to be honest, my preferred human of choice. Kelly has had a profound impact on me personally, and I'm excited to have him back on the podcast in hopes of having a profound impact on you as well. What we discuss: 02:25 - How does your bike affect your spine? 05:05 - How to implement biking into your life? 10:45 - What's activ

Most of us are nutrition and supplement obsessed when it comes to increasing cognitive health, although exercise is at the top of the list for preventing cognitive decline, yet it's the least utilized. In this episode, guest Ryan Glatt breaks down how we can properly use exercise as a means to boost our brain health.    Ryan also does a deep dive into what the heck the brain is in the first place, how it is deeply interconnected to the rest of the systems throughout your body, how exercise affects it, how to prevent cognitive decline and depression, and many other fascinating topics in relation to neuroscience.    Ryan Glatt is a psychometrist and Brain Health Coach at the Brain Health Center in the Pacific Neuroscience Institute. With a strong background in exercise science and human health, Ryan develops curricula specifically targeted towards developing optimal brain health.   Ryan is an amazing friend with a similar background, which means we get pretty silly.    What we discuss:    3:30 - What is t

Do you predominately move and live in a supplemented, linear way?   I personally believe the large majority of us aren’t actually living life. We are living a broken version of what we are taught life should be. At some point, we were taught it’s not mature to play. But, it’s so important for both our physical and mental health that we do shit that naturally engages our muscles.    Your muscles and the way you move them work as an endocrine organ that releases hormones and various different proteins, all things that affect the way you think and the way you feel. Therefore, your exercise routines, postural patterns, sleeping patterns, and lifestyle choices affect the chemistry of your body which directly affects the way you experience your life.    In this episode, which is audio pulled from my episode on the Mind Pump Podcast, I share ways we can stack variables in our lives to ensure we avoid making ourselves sick.   Listen to the original episode on the Mind Pump Podcast here.