The Model Health Show: Nutrition | Exercise | Fitness | Health | Lifestyle

No matter what your goal is, a clearly defined purpose is key to success. If you haven’t outlined why you’re working toward change, you’ll quickly become unmotivated and give up. But it’s not enough to simply have a motive. In order to create lasting change, your why should have meaning behind it. Your why should give you a purpose, bring you fulfillment, and inspire you on days when motivation is lacking. Once you define your why, everything becomes much clearer. Whether we’re talking about fitness, money, or life in general, a fulfilling purpose is a catalyst for change. On today’s show, my friend Drew Manning is back to share the lessons he’s learned about discovering a meaningful purpose, practicing gratitude, and developing a stronger sense of empathy. We’ll talk about the dangers of staying in your comfort zone, the importance of learning self-love, and how to find strength in vulnerability. In this episode you’ll discover: The biggest lesson Drew learned throughout gaining and losing 70 pounds. Why ch

If you were to type in your search engine, “how to lose fat,” I bet you’d find a lot of articles emphasizing the importance of diet and exercise. Undoubtedly, those two components play a major role in changing your body composition. But there’s a huge piece of the puzzle that is missing from common knowledge—sleep. If you really dig into the science, you’ll find that your sleep quality plays a more important role in fat loss than diet and exercise! However, this information has not (yet!) made its way into our culture. Sleep isn’t part of the conversation, because it is seemingly less actionable than meal prepping or putting in work in the gym. In this episode, my mission is to help you understand the importance of sleep for your body, hormones, and overall fitness. I’ll share facts and strategies about regulating hormone levels, and how sleep influences the body’s basic mechanisms (including the brain and gut!) You’ll learn four actionable steps you can take to enhance your sleep quality, and in turn improve

Eating isn’t as simple as consuming calories for energy. With the advent of frozen dinners and drive-thrus, we’ve lost sight of the importance of proper nutrition, and how what you eat can influence your health long-term. Food is information, medicine, and nourishment. The quality of food you put in your body literally affects everything—from the way you feel and look, to how you perform. Science now shows that what we choose to eat ultimately influences the expression of our genes. By understanding how to properly fuel our bodies, we can not only transform our health, but also the health of future generations. On this episode, Dr. Cate Shanahan is back to share her in-depth research (yet simple philosophy) on the optimal human diet. Her influential work has transformed the way I think about nutrition, and I know it will inspire you to implement positive changes in your life. In this episode you’ll discover: Why new science takes time to infiltrate into traditional wisdom. What it means to eat in alignment w

When it comes down to it, making small changes consistently is what will bring you lasting results. No matter your skill or knowledge level, there are a few simple lifestyle changes you can make to completely transform your health. In this episode, I’m taking it back to basics and sharing some tried-and-true health tips that you can easily implement into your routine. I’ll explain a few essential nutrition, movement, and sleep tips that are scientifically proven to help you look and feel your very best. If you’re ready to take your health to the next level, today’s show is for you! In this episode you’ll discover: The importance of striving for better while still having appreciation for what you have. The approach you should consider before turning to medication or supplementation. How your environment influences your habits. How consciously building new habits can rewire your brain. The four levelsyou go through when mastering any new behavior. How to overcome unconscious self-sabotage. The two main factors

It’s important to have goals, but being fixated on the end result can actually be a huge obstacle to your overall success. Whether you’re trying to top a personal record at the gym, or drop some pounds before a vacation, there will frequently be times that you will fall short. And that’s okay, because it’s part of the process that forges greatness. If you can flip the switch in your mind to become process-oriented instead of results-oriented, a whole new world of joy and success will open up for you. How you react in those difficult moments can be a powerful testimony to your strength. If you accept defeat and stop moving toward your goal, you will have gained nothing. But if you can understand that hardship is simply part of the process, you’ll come out stronger on the other end. Success isn’t strictly about results. Part of the journey is embracing the process and gaining experience along the way. Our guest for today’s show is Jeff Bercovici, journalist, athlete, and author of the mind-blowing book, Play On

Whether your goal is to lose weight, build muscle, or boost endurance, following a consistent nutrition approach is essential. Without proper planning, many of us become easily consumed by our busy schedules and turn to run-of-the-mill restaurants or packaged foods. Consequently, we end up consuming subpar fuel for our bodies. Achieving one’s health and fitness goals does not happen by chance. It really boils down to creating an actionable plan and following through on it. This is why meal planning can be so powerful. By implementing a weekly meal prep routine you can plan your meals in advance, give your body the proper nutrients, and ultimately reach your goals. On this episode of The Model Health Show, meal prep expert and superstar nutrition blogger Amanda Meixner is sharing her tried and true methods for meal planning like a boss! Amanda also shares her early struggles with eating (and how she ultimately found balance with food), how to start thinking about food as fuel (that can also be fun), and how yo

When it comes down to it, performance is a key aspect of everything we do. Whether it’s in our relationships, jobs, or physical fitness, the ability to perform at a high level is what creates incredible results. Sharpening that ability begins with building a strong foundation. Many people want to jump to achieving an end result, while not realizing the importance of putting in the work and mastering the basics. Physically, this can manifest in a whole host of problems. Without a strong foundation in place, we can develop faulty patterns that negatively affect our movement, posture, and strength. My guest on today’s show is Peter Park, former Ironman triathlete, ultramarathon runner, and strength and conditioning coach. Peter has 28 years of experience training everyone from elite athletes to everyday folks. On today’s show, Peter is sharing the guiding principles from his proven methods, sharing what it means to go slow to go fast, and discussing the importance of ensuring your body is functional, no matter y

No one else can do your push-ups for you. This means that there is always an amount of personal responsibility and action you need to take to be a better version of yourself. Those are your arms, your lungs, and your chesticles you’re working doing those push-ups. But, in many ways, we share our hearts and minds with others. Your desire to be better for your kids could be the WHY behind your reps. Your drive to show your community what’s possible could be the WHY behind the choices you make at the dinner table each day. Our relationships drive us.... and they also devastate us. They give us the fuel we need to grow: the good, the bad, and the ugly. But I’m here to share with you today that you can have a lot more of the good, and a lot less of the ugly, if you realize how to approach your relationships with heart, intention, and a willingness to be better yourself. I’m in a pretty interesting place because I’ve been with my wife for almost 15 years, yet a lot of the time I feel like I just met her, and I’m ov

Billions of dollars have already been spent on cancer research. But it’s shocking to me how little effort has been invested in teaching our society the basics of cancer prevention. What if there were SIMPLE lifestyle changes that were clinically proven to reduce your risk of various cancers by over 50 percent? Wouldn’t that justify a couple million dollars in promotion? I think so. Benjamin Franklin said it best, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” But the money and attention is on the backend… in drugs and other treatments for cancer that have startlingly low long-term success rates. Today I’m advocating that we remove the veil from cancer, and stand up to reduce the rates of cancer even showing up in the first place! This episode is filled with practical, actionable advice that can serve you and your family for a lifetime. Check it out now, and please make sure to share it with those you care about. In this episode you'll discover: Why immersion is so significant in transforming our health (

What could you accomplish if you weren’t afraid? Have you ever held yourself back because you were worried what other people might think? Have you ever rejected an opportunity because you feared rejection or failure? We all experience fear, but what truly matters is how you direct that fear and ultimately overcome it. Often we see a successful person, but neglect to understand the shortcomings and insecurities they had to push through in order to thrive. We think that maybe one day we will reach this magical place where our fears dissipate, but that isn’t reality. Our power lies in our ability to break outside of our comfort zone and go after what we want, despite fear. Today’s episode features one of my favorite people, Andrea Navedo from Jane the Virgin. Andrea is a living testament of what it takes to overcome fear, find strength, and unleash your potential. Her story will inspire you to let go of your excuses, live with integrity, and pursue your dreams. In this episode you'll discover: Why it’s importan

What separates good from great? It’s usually not the presence of an innate talent, and it’s usually not a particularly unattainable skillset. What decides whether someone will be good, great, or phenomenal are “soft skills” like caring, focus, perspective-taking, continuous study, and a willingness to serve. My guest today has all of these soft skills in spades. Not only is he a highly respected cardiothoracic surgeon, he’s gained world-acclaim and become a household name by devoting himself to sharing prevention strategies to keep folks from ending up on his office in the first place. You’d think that in the field of medicine, it would be obvious to help people prevent their illnesses in the first place (rather than being forced to treat them with drugs and surgery after the problems have occurred). Unfortunately, our culture was lost for a few decades, and that reality was simply not the case. Though, we’ve still got a long way to go, folks like Dr. Oz have stepped to the forefront to teach people how to ta

Keeping up with the Joneses is not just reserved for material objects. Today, more than ever, keeping up with the Joneses means measuring up with your body and physical appearance as well. For decades, if you wanted to fit in with the fitness “in” crowd, slim and lean was the standard. Think, Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct, Brad Pitt in Fight Club, and Robin Givens in Boomerang. No rolls, no back fat, no thick thunder thighs were welcome. In fact, having too much thickness just might make other people uncomfortable. All the while, ultra-slim models can prance around essentially naked, and no one bats an eye. Now, just to be clear, being super slim and lean is not the problem. That’s absolutely awesome for some people! But, who decided that that was the definition of what healthy looks like? What we’ve come to accept as the ideal picture of health has led to a lot of body dysmorphia, and a subtle to strong belief that we’re just not good enough. You may eat healthy most of the time, workout consistently, get p

Since the beginning of humanity, I’m sure there’s been a fascination with the accumulation of a lot of “stuff”. There were probably a bunch of cave-people who had way too many animal skins and rocks hanging around just for the sake of showing off to the cave-folks in their neighborhood (this is basically the premise of every episode of The Flintstones by the way). It’s probably a hard-wired psychological game that if you have the most stuff, you win. But the sad reality is that this accumulation gene is still alive and well within us today. As a result, there’s been a tidal wave of folks jumping to the complete other of the spectrum to become minimalist (in revolt of our typical hoarding nature). But, as with most things, there’s actually a much more balanced middle ground that you can find happiness. But, it starts with you finding out just how much the clutter in your life matters. Seriously, this information blew me away! I had no idea how much organization in our lives could affect our food choices, our m

Have you ever avoided posts on social media just so that you don’t see any spoilers for a movie or tv show you were looking forward to seeing? And have you accidentally seen too much anyway… and you try to lie and tell yourself that you didn’t see what you saw? I’ve literally closed my eyes and blocked my ears when movie trailers have come on television just so that I can keep the goodies in a movie a secret to myself. Maybe childish… but maybe I’ll end up enjoying the movie more than you. ;) We live in the age of spoilers. And a “spoiler alert” is common courtesy. It used to be a big spoiler when I would share with patients and attendees at live events that their fear of dietary fat is not actually the boogie man it was made out to be. Today, the vast majority of folks who are at least semi-interested in health and fitness know that fats are a crucial part of human wellness. But… SPOILER ALERT! Not all fats are good for you. And some (that could easily pass as some of the good guys), are really deadly villai

Have you ever let fear stop you from doing something that you really wanted to do? Fear of rejection? Fear of failure? Fear of what other people might think? Well, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Fear is often used as a tactic to control people. The media at large today, for example, utilizes fear to direct people’s beliefs and opinions about the world. Many of them sensationalized, and blatantly not true on many levels. But we accept them anyway, because fear is a very primal thing we’re driven by. Fear can be used to control others, but the most unsuspecting and pervasive use of fear, is the fear we use to control ourselves. Fear is a valuable evolutionary feedback system that helps to keep us safe. The problem with fear, however, is that it has not evolved with the times. Today we have literally millions more data inputs to be fearful about than our ancestors had. The sheer amount of things we have to be worried about can be overwhelming. Not to mention when the big choices come up in life (what career to c

There’s hardly anywhere you can go in our modern society and not get your hands on a cold, fizzy soda pop. Whether you call it a soda, soda pop, pop, or just a plain old Coke, they’re as much a part of our world as reality tv, smartphones, and tiny dogs. Fun fact, in certain parts of the U.S., millions of people refer to ALL types of soda as a Coke. In southern states like Alabama and Mississippi, when someone says, “Grab me a Coke”, the common reply would be, “What kind?”. And when you hear the Coke-wanting person reply with, “A Sprite”, don’t get confused and give them the side-eye. Sodas seem to have been a part of our culture for a very long time. But, where did it all begin? Today we’ll be exploring the humble beginnings of the world of soda, and I guarantee it’s going to eye-opening (and maybe even a little trippy). We’re also going to cover the impact that soda is having on the health of our world’s citizens today. We’ll look at how it all got to this point and, most importantly, we’ll talk about some

Is our ability to endure tough circumstances, whether it’s in sports performance, in our careers, or in our relationships, designated to the strength of our mind? You can never take our physical health out of the equation too. There’s no doubt that when we are physically fit and feel well, we’ll tend to be able to do well in the venture that we’re undertaking. But what if two people of comparable physical health are going up against each other, who will win in the end? This conversation immediately shifts back to the strength of our mind. Finding out what makes your mind stronger and more capable is a huge, underlooked key to success. I love the quote that says, “Where the mind goes, the body will follow.” Though we still need to keep in mind that we need a capable body as well. So, what are the physical attributes that matter most in boosting our stamina? And how can we tap into our mental muscles to make us more fit and capable overall? That’s what we’re diving into with New York Times bestselling author Al

New leaders in the world of personal development have emerged. And they’re not about fluffy sentiments that don’t hold any weight in the real world. This new guild of superheroes are all about action, mastering mindset, service, and results. With our hyper-distracted world, we need leaders who can really grab our attention and snap us out of a funk. We need leaders who talk the talk, walk the walk, and lead with heart. Our guest today is definitely one of these superheros. Ed Mylett is a renowned speaker, life strategist, and insanely successful entrepreneur. Today he’s positively impacting the lives of millions of people around the world, and I truly believe he’s just getting warmed up. Part of his story entails a shift in his own health and fitness, and that story alone might transform your life today. I’m telling you, if you ever need a reminder of how powerful you are and what you’re capable of, come back and listen to this episode over and over again. There are some universal truths shared in this that y

One of my favorite definitions of the word diet is “habitual nourishment”. We can unknowingly develop tunnel vision and think that food is our only source of nourishment. True, food is a huge part, but our diet consists of far more than what we are putting in our bodies. Our movement practices, our exposure to healthy environments (with adequate fresh air and sunlight), the influence from the relationships in our lives, and several other factors play a key role in our habitual nourishment. To attain true, sustainable health as a human being, all of these areas need to be addressed intelligently. And no one knows that better than today’s guest, Dr. Kelly Starrett. Kelly is a doctor of physical therapy, world-class coach, thought leader, and New York Times bestselling author. He’s having a tremendous impact in our world by being an advocate for a culture of movement. The way we move can tell a lot about us as an individual, and the improvement in our movement diet can directly enhance every area of our lives. O

When everyone shows up to the theater and sees their favorite superhero on the big screen, we are just seeing the end result of an incredible process. Superheroes, and champions alike, are made when no one is watching. When the lights and cameras are all off, the best of the best are putting in work. But not the kind of work you might think of… Getting in superhero shape, for example, doesn’t take a particularly special plan, or a particularly special person, or even a beat yourself into the ground work ethic. It does, however, take a special mindset. That’s where celebrity trainer Don Saladino takes the cake. He’s mastered the ability to maximize the results for his clients by maximizing their mindset and paying attention to what his clients really need. Believe it or not, we all have many of the same needs, whether we’re starring in a big budget film or managing the family budget each month. There are some critical basics that so many folks who want to transform their bodies are missing out on. Don’s big on