The Made to Thrive Show

What does it mean to be free? 
That is one of life’s biggest questions, and has occupied the minds of philosophers for time immemorial. But what does it mean to be metabolically free? Hangry? Post-meal slumps? Type II diabetic? These are all examples of the opposite - metabolic imprisonment. 
That's why we decided to revisit this episode with Ben Azadi to rediscover what it means to be free of this "prison", some of you find yourselves in.
Ben is an incredible advocate for metabolic health, someone who walks the talk with his own pain to purpose story and someone who has made a personal impact on a member of my family.
In 2008, Ben Azadi was an obese man who went through a personal health transformation of releasing 80 pounds of extra weight, and getting metabolically healthy. Ever since, Ben Azadi, FDN-P, has been on a mission to help 1 billion people live a healthier lifestyle. Ben has over 15 years of experience in the health industry, and he’s the author of four best-selling books, including his latest Keto Flex. Ben has been the go-to source for intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet since 2013. He is known as ‘The Health Detective’ because he investigates dysfunction, and he educates, not medicates, to bring the body back to normal function. Ben is the founder of Keto Kamp; a global brand bringing awareness to ancient healing strategies such as the keto diet and fasting. 
Get his new book “Metabolic Freedom: A 30-Day Guide to Restore Your Metabolism, Heal Hormones & Burn Fat” NOW, https://tinyurl.com/metabolic-freedom

Join us as we explore:
Everything about metabolism - what it is, how it works, can it be “slow” or “fast”, why it becomes dysfunctional and the most important signals of sub-optimal metabolism.
An incredible study that exposes the “I’m getting old equals weight gain” myth, and why you can actually have the same metabolism at 90 as you had in your 20s.
Fasting insulin, why it’s critically important in metabolism and the difference between being metabolically free and being an imprisoned “sugar burner”. 
The scientifically-proven power of “vitamin G”.
Ben’s top biohacks to bolster metabolism.

Contact:
Website: www.benazadi.com 
Instagram: @thebenazadi 
Mention:
Study - Pontzer H, et al,. Daily energy expenditure through the human life course. Science. 2021 Aug 13;373(6556):808-812. doi: 10.1126/science.abe5017. PMID: 34385400; PMCID: PMC8370708. 
Study - Kobayashi LC, Hagan KA, Trudel-Fitzgerald C, et al.
Gratitude and Mortality Among Older US Female Nurses.
JAMA Psychiatry. Published online July 3, 2024. doi:10.1001/jamapsychiatry.2024.1610

Study - Picard M, Prather AA, Puterman E, Cuillerier A, Coccia M, Aschbacher K, Burelle Y, Epel ES. A Mitochondrial Health Index Sensitive to Mood and Caregiving Stress. Biol Psychiatry. 2018 Jul 1;84(1):9-17. doi: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2018.01.012. Epub 2018 Feb 3. PMID: 29525040; PMCID: PMC6014908.
Support the show
Follow Steve's socials:

Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok

Support the show on Patreon:

As much as we love doing it, there are costs involved and any contribution will allow us to keep going and keep finding the best guests in the world to share their health expertise with you. I’d be grateful and feel so blessed by your support: https://www.patreon.com/MadeToThriveShow

Send me a WhatsApp to +27 64 871 0308.

Disclaimer: Please see the link for our disclaimer policy for all of our content: https://madetothrive.co.za/terms-and-conditions-and-privacy-policy/

Despite being the most studied supplement of all time, creatine is making a big resurgence. 
That's why we decided to rebroadcast this highly informative episode, that is more relevant now, than when it was originally posted. 
It’s been the hot topic in the health podcast space, as new scientific evidence is showing creatine is about more than looking big, but has big and important effects on brain health and overall longevity. But, like all things, creatine needs to be handled with care. It needs to be the right type, at the right dose, at the right times, with the right movement and for the right person. That’s why it was fundamentally important for me to get a true creatine expert on the show, Dr Darren Candow.

Dr. Darren Candow is a professor specializing in exercise physiology, nutrition, and aging. He supervises the Aging Muscle and Bone Health Laboratory, where the primary research focus is to develop effective lifestyle interventions involving nutrition—primarily creatine monohydrate—and physical activity, particularly resistance training. These interventions aim to improve muscle, bone, and brain health and function, with both practical and clinical relevance. To date, Dr. Candow has published over 120 peer-reviewed journal articles, supervised more than 20 MSc/PhD students, and secured research funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canada Foundation for Innovation, the Saskatchewan Health Research Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, and the Nutricia Research Foundation.

Join us as we explore:
Everything about creatine! What it is, is it right for you, the safest form, dosage, its most important (and surprising) effects, why it’s the most studied supplement ever and some risks and side effects.
Creatine’s incredible effects on a sleep deprived and exhausted brain!
Creatine’s relationship to caffeine, hyperbaric chambers/hypoxia and TRT.
Dr Candow’s recommended morning exercise and creatine protocol.
Does creatine cause you to gain weight, retain water, and is the loading phase a real thing?
Veganism and creatine.
Mention:
Study - Creatine and anti-depressants, Roitman, S., Green, T., Osher, Y., Karni, N., Levine, J., & Levine, S. (2012). Creatine monohydrate in resistant depression: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. American Journal of Psychiatry, 169(7), 779-784. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.ajp.2012.11091452
Study - Creatine and pregnancy, Ellery, S. J., LaRosa, D. A., Kett, M. M., Della Gatta, P. A., Snow, R. J., Walker, D. W., & Dickinson, H. (2016). Dietary creatine supplementation during pregnancy: A study on the effects of creatine supplementation on creatine homeostasis and renal excretory function in spiny mice. Amino Acids, 48(8), 1819–1830. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-015-2150-7
Study - Creatine and sleep deprivation, Gordji-Nejad, A., Matusch, A., Kleedörfer, S., Patel, H. J., Drzezga, A., Elmenhorst, D., Binkofski, F., & Bauer, A. (2024). Single dose creatine improves cognitive performance and induces changes in cerebral high energy phosphates during sleep deprivation. Scientific Reports, 14, 4937. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54249-9

Person - Stuart Phillips, https://experts.mcmaster.ca/display/phillis

Support the show
Follow Steve's socials:

Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok

Support the show on Patreon:

As much as we love doing it, there are costs involved and any contribution will allow us to keep going and keep finding the best guests in the world to share their health expertise with you. I’d be grateful and feel so blessed by your support: https://www.patreon.com/MadeToThriveShow

Send me a WhatsApp to +27 64 871 0308.

Disclaimer: Please see the link for our disclaimer policy for all of our content: https://madetothrive.co.za/terms-and-conditions-and-privacy-policy/

This week we run a rebroadcast, back by popular demand, of our discussion with Dr Sean O’Mara, and what an incredible episode it was with an amazing health hero  who gives a no nonsense, no prisoners-taken masterclass on visceral fat and adipose tissue, and how it’s killing you and turning on the “ugly button”. What sets this episode apart is not only Dr O’Mara’s knowledge, but his use of incredible visual images to tell the story of visceral fat and how it is creating disease and death. This is one of the most important episodes I’ve ever done. 

Dr. Sean O'Mara works with business executives, professional performers and athletes motivated to optimize through innovative techniques of performance enhancement. He was a founder of an innovative medical startup in Minneapolis, MN called Lantu, focusing on health and performance optimization. In 2016, Lantu was awarded a National Science Foundation research grant to reverse chronic disease. Dr. O'Mara and his team used cutting-edge data analytics to glean insights to both identify and leverage innovative biometrics/biomarkers of health, the human genome as well as the microbiome. He has over a decade of experience evaluating and, more importantly, reversing chronic disease. He innovatively provides his clients with practical solutions to optimize their overall appearance, performance, health, and quality of life. No risky pharmaceuticals, hormones, or surgical interventions are needed for better optimizing results.

Join us as we explore:
Visceral fat, adipose tissue, is any amount healthy, where it comes from , how to get rid of it and how it’s the #1 risk most directly causal to cardiovascular disease.
Why your face is a picture of your health, especially as you age and how visceral fat and adipose tissues affects everything from hormones to cancer and even your beauty.
The number one (by far) most important thing everyone needs to do to get rid of visceral fat, including visual proof of how it can radically change your body composition in less than 6 months!
Why the “MRI ends the lie” and is the best tool available to literally see where your visceral fat is hiding and creating 24/7 inflammatory disease.
Terrifying photos of young children’s visceral fat, and the massive changes to their health and face when the fat is vanquished.
Contact:

Website: https://drseanomara.com
Instagram: @drseanomara

Mention:
Programs - The Alpha Plan, https://drseanomara.com/plans

Support the show
Follow Steve's socials:

Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok

Support the show on Patreon:

As much as we love doing it, there are costs involved and any contribution will allow us to keep going and keep finding the best guests in the world to share their health expertise with you. I’d be grateful and feel so blessed by your support: https://www.patreon.com/MadeToThriveShow

Send me a WhatsApp to +27 64 871 0308.

Disclaimer: Please see the link for our disclaimer policy for all of our content: https://madetothrive.co.za/terms-and-conditions-and-privacy-policy/

Panic. Stress. Overwhelm. Anxiety. Worry. It’s me, it’s you, it’s everyone. What are we going to do? Meditate. Be present. Yes, this ancient practice and philosophy is more relevant and necessary than ever before. Why? Because we are overstimulated and overloaded. Allostatic overloaded. But how to meditate in this world and brain of overstimulation? Tom has some tips and tricks to succeed with meditation in an overstimulated world.
Tom Cronin is the founder of The Stillness Project, author of a global movement to inspire 1 billion people to meditate daily, and Producer and Writer of the film and book The Portal. Tom discovered meditation in the early stages of his successful 26 yr career in finance as a tool for stress management. Tom’s experiences through meditation were not only immediate but very profound. He explored deeper into the realms of his meditation practice and Eastern philosophy, and after completing his teacher training in Bali, India and Australia, he qualified as a meditation teacher. Tom has been teaching meditation for top level companies in Australia, from Nova Fm, CBA, Rivkin Finance, Criteo and Fairfax Media and also authored 6 books.
Contact:
Website - https://tomcronin.com
Join us as we explore:
The corporate burnout crisis, Tom’s nervous breakdown and how he transformed from it.
Allostatic load, how to clear it and the highest 20 min ROI practice is meditation.
How to find peace and presence inside of us despite the chaos and craziness happening around us by balancing the polarity of pleasure and pain In a world chasing pleasure and avoiding pain at all costs.
Modeling peace for our kids by following one simple principle, and why we need to embrace dynamic, more relevant schooling systems like the Green School.
Why peak performance is happening during the time you are not performing.
Why 85% of lawyers are anxious and depressed.
Mentions:
School - Green School Bali, https://bali.greenschool.org
Person - Steven Kotler, https://www.stevenkotler.com 

Support the show
Follow Steve's socials:

Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok

Support the show on Patreon:

As much as we love doing it, there are costs involved and any contribution will allow us to keep going and keep finding the best guests in the world to share their health expertise with you. I’d be grateful and feel so blessed by your support: https://www.patreon.com/MadeToThriveShow

Send me a WhatsApp to +27 64 871 0308.

Disclaimer: Please see the link for our disclaimer policy for all of our content: https://madetothrive.co.za/terms-and-conditions-and-privacy-policy/

What if the mental health crisis isn’t simply a crisis of the mind—but a crisis of the environment we’ve created for the brain? In this fascinating conversation with Dr. Dave Rabin, one of my best podcasts ever, we explore why our nervous systems are being pushed beyond what they evolved to handle, how chronic overstimulation is fueling everything from burnout to dementia, why HRV is one of the most important biomarkers of longevity and the remarkable science and results of the ApolloNeuro.
Dr. David M. L. Rabin, MD, PhD, is a translational neuroscientist, psychiatrist, entrepreneur & inventor on a mission to cure mental illness. He has been studying the impact of chronic stress in humans for over 20 years, focusing on trauma, addiction, and human performance. Dr. Rabin is a Senior Research Scientist at the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition, the Chief Medical Officer and co-founder at Apollo Neuroscience, the Executive Director of The Board of Medicine nonprofit medical board, and the Medical Director of The Apollo Clinic.  Dr. Rabin is also the author of A Simple Guide to Being Alive (2026). At the Apollo Clinic, Dr. Rabin and his team collaborate with clients and patients, empowering them to take control of their mental and physical health by tapping into the natural ability for the body to adapt and heal itself. 

Contact
Website - https://www.drdave.io
Website - https://apolloneuro.com

Join us as we explore:
Why the mental health crisis is at the core a cognitive and neurological habitat mismatch emergency - things are too much, too fast and too loud and we are overstimulated, overwhelmed and overreactive.
How an overstimulated world has crashed the glympathic system and led to the fact dementia is now the number one killer in multiple countries.
The three major categories of chronic, acute nervous system overstimulation.
Measuring overstimulation subjectively and critically objectively with data and using technology to curate the habitat required for a healthy nervous system.
Why HRV is the true longevity signal, and how ApolloNeuro can elevate your HRV sustainably.
How Dr Rabin used ApolloNeuro to move his HRV from the 20s to averaging over 100 ms and hitting heights of 220 ms.
Dr Rabin’s 17 clinical trials prove scientifically the ApolloNeuro works to improve REM, deep sleep, decrease burnout and elevate HRV.
Dr Rabin’s new book “A Simple Guide to Being Alive”, and his three most important guidelines.
Mentions
Science - ApolloNuero Backed by Science, https://apolloneuro.com/pages/apollo-neuro-research

Support the show
Follow Steve's socials:

Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook | Twitter | TikTok

Support the show on Patreon:

As much as we love doing it, there are costs involved and any contribution will allow us to keep going and keep finding the best guests in the world to share their health expertise with you. I’d be grateful and feel so blessed by your support: https://www.patreon.com/MadeToThriveShow

Send me a WhatsApp to +27 64 871 0308.

Disclaimer: Please see the link for our disclaimer policy for all of our content: https://madetothrive.co.za/terms-and-conditions-and-privacy-policy/