Pursuing Health

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Julie Foucher MD, MS is a four-time CrossFit Games athlete and family physician. Her passion lies in bridging the gap between fitness and medicine to empower individuals to live healthier, more fulfilling lives. Every third Tuesday, she shares insightful content from a diverse lineup of guests, including medical experts and elite athletes.

Episodes

Tuesday Feb 16, 2021

Pursuing Wild Health: Robb Wolf on The Case for (Better) Meat PH183

Tuesday Feb 16, 2021

Robb Wolf is a former research biochemist and 2X New York Times/Wall Street Journal Best-selling author of The Paleo Solution and Wired To Eat. He and co-author Diana Rodgers recently released their book, Sacred Cow, which explains why well-raised meat is good for us and good for the planet.

Robb is a longtime CrossFit enthusiast, and he is the co-founder of the 1st and 4th CrossFit affiliates in the world.

Robb has transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands of people around the world via his podcast, books and seminars. He’s known for his direct approach and ability to distill and synthesize information to make the complicated topics easier to understand.

In this episode, Robb joins myself and Dr. Matt Dawson and Dr. Mike Mallin of Wild Health to discuss a broad range of topics, including the online censorship of health communities, why beef can have a place in a healthy diet, and the importance of regenerative agriculture for the health of our planet.

*Robb’s bio adapted from his website

You can connect with Rob at sacredcow.info and join.thehealthyrebellion.com

Related Episodes:

Ep 93 - Debunking Nutrition Myths with Gary Taubes

Ep 123 - Zoë Harcombe on Dissecting Nutrition Research and Dietary Guidelines

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Tuesday Feb 09, 2021

Reversing Prediabetes with Dr. Robert Oh PH182

Tuesday Feb 09, 2021

Seemingly healthy and in his late thirties, Robert Oh was shocked when routine blood work showed that he was prediabetic.

He was at a healthy weight, did CrossFit 3-4 times per week, ate mostly healthy foods, and worked as a military family physician. He had no family history and no risk factors, and he had no intentions of starting the metformin recommended by his colleagues.

The more he researched, the more Dr. Oh began to believe that a statin medication he had been taking for 10 years contributed to his insulin resistance.

Instead of adding another pill to his daily routine, Dr. Oh decided to drop the statin and experiment with his nutrition. He ultimately adopted a Paleo/low carb diet and saw dramatic improvements in the way he felt, his waist circumference, and his blood markers.

Not only did this approach help Dr. Oh reverse his prediabetes, the changes inspired him to pursue a fellowship in Sports Medicine so that he could help others like himself- in the military and unknowingly having insulin resistance- heal through lifestyle medicine as well.

You can connect with Rob via Twitter @RobertOhMD

Related Episodes:

Ep 16 - Pete Katz and Dr. Isaacson on Using CrossFit and Paleo to Overcome Chronic Disease

Ep 93 - Debunking Nutrition Myths with Gary Taubes

Tuesday Feb 02, 2021

Alec Smith: Finding Growth Outside Your Comfort Zone PH181

Tuesday Feb 02, 2021

Alec Smith is a 3-time CrossFit Games competitor who is perhaps best known for his incredible expertise at gymnastics, and for being one of the first openly gay male athletes in the sport.

He started in gymnastics at age 2, and excelled at the sport through middle school when a car accident forced him to retire. After recovering and dabbling in several other sports, he eventually began training CrossFit alongside his older brother, Ben Smith.

In 2013 Alec qualified for his first Regionals, and by 2017 he was competing at the Games as an individual. In 2019 Alec joined Team CrossFit Krypton and went on to win first at Wodapalooza and second at the CrossFit Games.

Currently Alec is gearing up for the 2021 season by training alongside Brooke Wells in Nashville, TN.

I was excited to catch up with him to learn more about his experience winning team silver at the Games, to hear what his plans are for 2021, and to learn more about how he found the courage to get outside his comfort zone and share his true self with the world.

You can connect with Alec via Instagram @alecsmith8

Related Episodes:

Ep 49 - Ben Smith on Why He Trains and the Evolution of The CrossFit Games

Ep 170 - Brooke Wells on What it Takes to be a Top CrossFit Athlete

Tuesday Jan 26, 2021

Putting Scleroderma into Remission with Katie Spilka PH180

Tuesday Jan 26, 2021

This week’s story features Katie Spilka who shares her story of being diagnosed with a rare autoimmune disease called scleroderma at age 16 and how CrossFit and a positive outlook have helped her put her symptoms into remission.

Katie was an everyday teenager when she first experienced unusual symptoms, including numbness in her fingers. Because of her family’s medical history, Katie’s mom advocated for her to see a rheumatologist, and conversations with the doctor revealed that symptoms Katie had thought were normal were actually signs of scleroderma.

After 5 years of treatment involving some heavy hitting medications, Katie worked with her doctor to begin weaning off some of her prescriptions. Says Katie, “At this time I was 20 years old and scared yet relieved that I would be able to feel “normal” again. I knew I needed to do more for myself to keep myself well.”

She made the leap to join a CrossFit affiliate and the workouts and community were instrumental in helping her re-build strength she had lost to her disease, as well as providing an incentive to improve her nutrition.

As an adult, Katie, inspired by her rheumatologist, has gone on to become a nurse so that she can help care for others. She continues to experience remission from her symptoms and says, “I have now been weaned off all my medications that I was taking for my scleroderma and trying to take it one day at a time taking the best care of myself that I can!”

You can connect with Katie via Instagram @kspilkz

Related Episodes:

Ep 99 - Dr. Axel Pflueger on Fighting Chronic Disease with Fitness

Ep 169- Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis with Jasmine Joy

Tuesday Jan 19, 2021

Half His Size: Physical Therapist Alan Fredendall on Losing 200 Pounds and Introducing Patients to CrossFit PH179

Tuesday Jan 19, 2021

At age 18 and finishing high school, Alan Fredendall topped the scales at over 400 pounds. Climbing a single flight of stairs to attend class on the second story of his school left him wheezing and breathless.

During college, he began a weight loss journey involving body building and lots of cardio, but he hadn’t yet found a way to make sustainable, long term changes. A stent in the Army gave him the motivation he needed to maintain a healthier weight for several years, but it also left him looking forward to the day when he would get out so that he could “never exercise again.”

Once Alan left the Army and went back to college to finish his exercise science degree, he continued the cycle of inconsistent exercise, yo-yo dieting and huge weight fluctuations.

It wasn’t until a friend introduced him to CrossFit that he finally developed healthy habits that stuck. Although he was reluctant to start, Alan soon ramped up his attendance and quickly learned that good nutrition outside the gym helped him feel better inside the gym.

He came to love being part of a tribe of individuals looking to improve themselves, and appreciates that training with CrossFit allows him to be better in activities outside the gym.

Not only has Alan used CrossFit to improve his own health, he splits his time between working as a doctor of physical therapy and as a Level 2 trainer using CrossFit methodologies to help others who are in his old shoes. He often sees his clients transition from being physical therapy patients to affiliate members attending the classes he coaches.

I first connected with Alan via a virtual physical therapy conference for the Institute of Clinical Excellence, and I was excited to learn more about his remarkable transformation story in this episode. We talk about the approach his friends used to encourage him to make major lifestyle changes, and how he sees CrossFit and physical therapy working together to help individuals stay functionally fit throughout their lives.

You can connect with Alan via Instagram @alan.fred.dpt and the Institute of Clinical Excellence at @icephysio

Related Episodes:

Ep 116 - How Healing Works with Dr. Wayne Jonas

Ep 132 - Healing Through Functional Movement with Dr. Amy West

Tuesday Jan 12, 2021

Haley Adams: Poised to Top the Podium PH178

Tuesday Jan 12, 2021

Despite being the youngest Individual competitor at the 2020 CrossFit Games, Haley Adams brought a wealth of experience to the field, including three CrossFit Games podium finishes as a teen competitor.

In 2019, Haley’s first year participating in the Women’s division, she finished in 6th and earned the title “Rookie of the Year.”

In 2020, she continued to climb her way up the leaderboard and left no doubt that even at a young age, she’s ready to be one of the top CrossFit athletes in the world. Despite a tumultuous and uncertain training season, she gave a strong performance and finished 4th, just a few points out of podium contention.

The 2021 season finds her back hard at work in Cookeville, Tennessee where she balances studying at Tennessee Tech with training alongside the likes of Rich Froning and Tascia Percevecz at CrossFit Mayhem.

Haley last joined me on the podcast shortly before she won the title of Fittest Teen on Earth in 2017, so I was excited to catch up with her again and hear how her training has evolved as she’s grown up in the sport, what her 2020 training season looked like, and what’s in store for 2021.

You can connect with Haley via Instagram @haleyadamssss

Related Episodes:

Ep 64 - Haley Adams: A CrossFit Teen with Talent

Ep 79 - Sam Briggs on Going Back to Basics and Training for Longevity

Tuesday Jan 05, 2021

Living with Lyme Disease: Maddie Tretter PH177

Tuesday Jan 05, 2021

Maddie Tretter was an accomplished Division 1 swimmer at Cleveland State, preparing for the Olympic Trials, when she she started coming down with a laundry list of seemingly unrelated symptoms: panic attacks, nausea, migraines, swollen joints and more.

After trying several treatments with no success, Maddie was encouraged when she finally tested positive for Lyme disease - she figured now that she had a diagnosis, she’d complete a course of antibiotics and be back in the pool.

Despite treatment, her symptoms continued to worsen to the point where she could barely keep down food or walk to the mailbox. At the encouragement of a family friend, she began working with a functional medicine practitioner who used an array of traditional, alternative, and integrative therapies, and slowly her symptoms began to improve.

Says Maddie, “Treating my whole body and not just trying to cover it up with a pill changed my life.”

After nearly two years of treatment, Maddie was finally able to re-join her collegiate swim team and finish out her senior year.

These days Maddie credits prioritizing her nutrition and active lifestyle with helping her remain symptom-free. “I know to stay healthy and functioning I can’t sacrifice the little easy things. Advice I would give to other people going through my experience are not to give up and to always always advocate for yourself.”

You can connect with Maddie via Instagram @maddietretter

Related Episodes:

Ep 73 - Caroline Burckle & Rebecca Soni: Olympic Swimmers RISEing to the Occasion

Ep 104 - Physical Therapist & CrossFit Games Athlete Amanda Barnhart

Tuesday Dec 29, 2020

Pursuing Wild Health: Women are Not Small Men with Dr. Stacy Sims PH176

Tuesday Dec 29, 2020

“If a woman can understand how she feels on different days her cycle, then she can start dialing and being more personalized with her training. When the hormones are low, this is where women have more power, more speed, recover better, have more “mojo” because they have less central nervous system fatigue. Around ovulation, with that boost of estrogen, some women feel bulletproof and other women feel a little bit flat, and then a couple days later they’ll feel bulletproof, so, understanding that as well. And then when you get into the high hormone phase, with estrogen and progesterone being the highest, this is where we want women to deload more, where they’re working functional technique and they’re not doing too much high intensity, they’re not trying to do top-end VO2 work because physiologically you’re fighting your body because there’s so many different metabolic and thermoregulatory and metabolic shifts that happen with the hormones. It’s really hard to do that high, high intensity in the high hormone phase.”
- Dr. Stacy Sims

In the words of Stacy Sims, Ph.D, women are not small men. Dr. Sims is an applied researcher, innovator, and entrepreneur in human performance, specifically sex differences in training, nutrition, and environmental conditions. She is dedicated to educating women so that they can use their natural cycle to their advantage and train with their physiology, not against it.

Dr. Sims earned her Ph.D. in Environmental Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition from the University of Otago in New Zealand. From there, she began work as an exercise physiologist and nutrition scientist at Stanford University, where she specialized women's health and performance.

During her tenure at Stanford, she had the opportunity to translate earlier research into a science-based layperson's book, ROAR: How to Match Your Food and Fitness to Your Unique Female Physiology for Optimum Performance, Great Health, and a Strong, Lean Body for Life. In the book, she provides insights into how women can adapt their nutrition, hydration, and training to optimize their performance across the lifespan.

Dr. Sims's contributions to the international research environment and the sports nutrition industry have established a new niche in sports nutrition and established her reputation as an expert in sex differences in training, nutrition, and health.

She is a regularly featured speaker at professional and academic conferences, including those hosted by US Olympic Committee, High-Performance Sport NZ, and USA Cycling, and is a Senior Research Associate at AUT University.

I was first introduced to Dr. Sims's work by Dr. Matt Dawson and today's co-host, Dr. Mike Mallin of Wild Health, and since then, it's seems like I've heard her name everywhere! So many Pursuing Health listeners have suggested an episode with Dr. Sims, so I was excited to have a chance to chat with her to learn more about her work. We discuss the general differences between male and female physiology, how women can tailor their nutrition, fitness, and hydration to optimize their performance at different times in their cycle, and considerations for peri- and post-menopausal as well as pre- and post-partum athletes.

*Dr. Sim's bio adapted from her website

In this episode we discuss:

Dr. Sims's background and how she became interested in women's health and performance
The general physiological differences between men and women and the female hormone phases
Ways women can adapt their training around their cycle
Methods Dr. Sims's likes for tracking the female cycle
How macronutrient consumption should be adjusted for different times in the cycle
How hormones can affect thirst, and considerations for hydration
The importance of adjusting training intensity at different times during the cycle
Tips to help female CrossFit athletes optimize their training
Changes women experience during peri- and post-menopause and exercise changes that should be considered
Pregnancy and post-partum training and nutrition considerations for athletes
Why fasting is not ideal for female athletes
Lessons Dr. Sims would share with her younger self

You can connect with Dr. Sims on her website, Instagram, and Facebook.

Links:

Related episodes:

Ep 83 - Pelvic Floor Health for Athletes with Julie Wiebe, PT

Ep 126b - Nicole Christensen on Coaching Pregnant Athletes

Ep 155 - FACTS about Fertility with Dr. Marguerite Duane

Ep 172 - Optimal Health through Genomics Based Personalized Medicine

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Tuesday Dec 22, 2020

Pursuing Your Passion with Jonny + Libby Diaz PH175

Tuesday Dec 22, 2020

“I think the biggest thing that I take away are these transferable skills where, you would think that touring the country and hustling and making it happen in that way is specific to music, but it’s really not. That’s going to help us in the future with our gym, it has already as we bootstrapped the gym and figured that whole thing out, and even with our kids, just that idea of one step at a time. All you have control over is your next step. And that was all the music ever was, too, what’s my next step? What’s my next step? I never… It took me probably five years of doing music full-time to actually admit that I was a musician. I was always like, “Well, I’m doing music until I have to get a real job.” And then maybe five years later I was like, “I guess I’m a musician, I guess I should own that.” So yeah, it’s been fun to see how those skills kind of move into to different areas as well.”
- Jonny Diaz

Jonny Diaz is a contemporary Christian singer and songwriter with a number of chart topping albums, including More Beautiful You which has appeared on several Billboard magazine charts, but his heart wasn't always set on being a musician. He originally planned to focus his efforts on baseball, and attended Florida State University on a baseball scholarship. As the fourth of four brothers to attend college on a baseball scholarship, two of whom have played professionally, a career in baseball seemed a natural fit. However, while Jonny was in school, he also began to develop his musical talent. Ultimately, he discovered that by working hard and pouring his time and energy into his passion for music, he was able to turn something he loved into his professional career.

Libby Diaz grew up in Florida and fell in love with movement mechanics at a young age when she began using functional fitness to elevate her soccer training. She went on to play collegiate ball at Florida State University, and after graduation she slowly grew her hobby of leading fitness classes for friends into her own business. She started small, with an outdoor boot camp, and as her clientele grew she began renting space from other facilities until it became clear it was time to go all-in and pursue her passion.

Together Jonny and Libby opened Fit Factory Nashville, a huge functional fitness gym with an incredibly close-knit community.

I first met Jonny on an airplane, and over the years we've kept in touch through social media. I'm so impressed and inspired by the way he and Libby have charted their own course as they've established non-traditional careers. In this episode, we chat about how they turned their hobbies into thriving careers, how they navigate the challenges of owning their own businesses, and how they create balance in their lives as parents and busy entrepreneurs.

In this episode we discuss:

Jonny and Libby's backgrounds and how they met
The road to pursuing their passions after college
How Libby turned her hobby into a business she’s passionate about
How Jonny started a career in the music industry
How Jonny and Libby started CrossFit
The rewards and challenges of turning their passions into their careers
How they protect their time to create balance in their lives
Things that have helped them navigate some of the challenges of owning their own businesses
The power of having a mentor
What their fitness routine looks like now that they have three kids and two businesses
Lessons they’ve learned from the challenge associated with COVID
Creative solutions to keep their coaches members bought into the business during COVID
Three things Jonny and Libby do on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on their health
One thing they struggle to implement that could have a big impact on their health
What a healthy life looks like to Jonny and Libby

You can follow Jonny on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. You can follow Libby on Instagram, and you can follow Fit Factory Nashville on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Links:

Jonny Diaz on Spotify
Logan Gelbrich, Deuce Gym
BirthFit
ROMWOD
Whole30
Some of Libby's favorite toe mobility: Exercise 1, Exercise 2, Exercise 3, Exercise 4

Related episodes:

Ep 01 - Rich Froning on Competition, Shifting Priorities, and Discovering His Purpose

Ep 51 - Dick Costolo on Taking Risks and Finding Fitness

Ep 41 - Graham + Savanna Holmberg: From Fittest Man, to Faith and Family

Tuesday Dec 15, 2020

Building Stronger, Smarter, High Character Kids PH174

Tuesday Dec 15, 2020

We noticed her speech was definitely years ahead of her age, her confidence, her ability to walk into a room and own it, and other people started noticing all of these social, emotional, physical things about her, and we’re like, “yeah, it really works.” Through physical activity you can really have an impact on a child’s social-emotional health, you can. Mental health, speech, everything. So, Matt said, if we want this for her, imagine how many parents would also be interested in this? This was five years ago, exactly five years ago, when we started KidStrong.”
- Megin Sharp, KidStrong Founder

Observe a KidStrong class, and you'll see what looks like a child's dream playground. Kids climbing ropes, swinging from rings, crawling around obstacles. While you can immediately see that these kids are becoming physically stronger and more capable, they're also developing life skills that aren't immediately visible to the naked eye.

KidStrong is a child development training center focused on brain, physical & character development for young children. Their curriculum is designed with the goal of promoting a strong body, strong brain, and strong character. Based on developmental science, they leverage knowledge from experts in the fields of pediatric occupational therapy, child development, sports physiology, and physical education to create a program focused on helping the entire family. Classes include physical activity, public speaking, affirmations and more.

Founders Matt and Megin Sharp originally created KidStrong for their daughter Ella, to help her become strong and independent. Megin has a Masters Degree in Physical Education, and Matt has a wealth of professional coaching and tech experience. When Ella became old enough for play groups, they was dissatisfied with the un-structured approach of the options available to her, so they put their heads together and developed the beginnings of KidStrong. What started as a small class of children in a warehouse has grown into a nationwide program empowering kids and families.

Matt and Megin have created an amazing program in KidStrong, and I was excited to learn more about how they developed the curriculum, the science behind the program, and to hear some incredibly heartwarming stories of how KidStrong is helping kids excel at life.

In this episode we discuss:

Matt and Megin’s background and the inception of KidStrong
Skills that children learn in KidStrong and how it helps their mental, physical and emotional development
The importance of parents being part of the community, too
How Matt and Megin protect the culture of KidStrong to ensure excellence across all locations
The structure of a typical class
Ways KidStrong helps children excel at life
Stories of how KidStrong has helped families
The importance of kids having coaches and role models beyond beyond their parents
How families can get involved in KidStrong
Three things Matt and Megin do on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on their health
One thing they struggle to implement that could have a big impact on their health
What a healthy life looks like to Matt and Megin

You can follow KidStrong on their website, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.

Links:

Related episodes:

Ep 17 - Juliet and Kelly Starrett on Standing Desks and Movement for Kids

Ep 68 - Pat and Taz Barber on CrossFit, Coaching, and Kids

Ep 73 - RISEing to the Occasion with Olympic Swimmers Caroline Burckle and Rebecca Soni