Pursuing Health

Sal Masekela is a well-known action sports commentator, journalist, and musician, perhaps best known for his work on NBC’s Red Bull Signature Series, ESPN’s Summer and Winter X Games, E!’s Daily 10, and most recently VICELAND's VICE World of Sports. Sal's CrossFit journey began in the fall of 2010 and our paths finally crossed on May 30th, 2015 - the day that both of us tore our left Achilles tendons. We connected over social media and used one another for support, inspiration, and motivation throughout the recovery process. Over a year later, we met up at Sal's home box, Deuce Gym, for a WOD and then sat down to reflect on our intertwining Achilles journeys, CrossFit, and life.

Bob Harper has an extensive background as a personal trainer and is perhaps best known for his role on NBC's The Biggest Loser. He has been a part of the show since its first season in 2004 as a trainer and has recently transitioned into the role of host. He found CrossFit in 2011 and hasn't looked back since - he incorporates CrossFit workouts on the show and has been intimately involved in the CrossFit community. We sat down at the 2016 Reebok CrossFit Games to discuss the impact of CrossFit on him personally as well as his career as a trainer. We also answered questions from our live audience.

On this episode I sit down with Pete Servold, owner of the paleo meal delivery company Pete’s Paleo. I've been using Pete's Paleo meals for about 6 months now and have been blown away by their quality and convenience, but even more so though I have been blown away by Pete’s personal story and his commitment to empowering people to eat local, real, fresh, and delicious food. Pete has extensive culinary training and experience, attending Le Cordon Bleu and working at Restaurant Eugene where he experienced the true meaning of farm to table and fine dining. It wasn’t until the restaurant industry took its toll on Pete's health that he decided to join his local CrossFit affiliate. There he found Paleo while participating in a 30 day challenge, and it wasn't long before Pete's Paleo was born. I was excited to sit down with Pete to talk about everything from his background, to the principles Pete’s Paleo lives by, to his advice for getting the most out of your local CSA, and of course, BACON. You can learn more about Pete and Pete's Paleo at www.petespaleo.com.

Robert Porter was a swimmer growing up and active through high school and college. As the years passed, he became more sedentary, and with his job as an insurance broker he ate a majority of his meals at restaurants. His weight slowly crept … Continued

Nadia Johnston just completed her first year studying psychology at McGill University in Montreal, Canada, but several years ago her life looked very different. Since the age of 16 she has struggled with eating disorders and depression, at one point nearly taking her own life. With the support of her family and friends, she began the long road to recovery which in 2013 led her to CrossFit. She got started in her friend's garage gym and today she just trains with the loving and supportive community at CrossFit Pro1 Montreal and this year she participated in her first Open. I was fascinated with Nadia's story and I am so appreciative that she had the courage to open up and share her experience here on Pursuing Health. In this episode, we discuss: -How her struggle with eating disorders began at age 16 -How this started to impact her academic performance and led her to come forward to her parents -Her journey to seek help and start the process of recovery -Her struggle with depression and functioning in school and work after high school -What brought her to the point of wanting to end her life -How support from her family and friends helped her to ultimately progress down the road to recovery -Her introduction to CrossFit and how it helped to change her body image and relationship with food -Different methods of treatment she used -How measuring her food still acts as a trigger for her eating disordered thoughts -How her experience inspired her current study of psychology at McGill University and future plans to become a physician -Three things she does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on her health -One thing she struggles to implement that could have a big impact on her health -What a healthy life looks like to her If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating. I’d love to hear all of your feedback in the comments below and on social media using the hashtag #JFHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every other Tuesday. Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional.

Dave Castro knew he wanted to become a Navy SEAL before graduating from high school, and it wasn't long after that he enlisted in the Navy, graduated from BUD/S and began his service as a SEAL from 1998-2010. Around 2005, he first caught wind of CrossFit and started following CrossFit.com to support his training. By 2006 he had begun training at the original CrossFit HQ affiliate in Santa Cruz, CA and was soon helping out at Level 1 seminars. The following year, he hosted the first ever CrossFit Games competition at his family’s Ranch in Aromas, CA. Since that time, the CrossFit Games competition has grown exponentially into a professional sport under Dave’s direction, and this year marks the 10th season of competition in CrossFit Games history. Now Dave serves as the Director of the CrossFit Games and Co-Director of Training alongside Nicole Carroll. I was excited to sit down with Dave to discuss what drives him, how he continues to use his SEAL training today, and his approach to programming and directing the Games. In this episode, we discuss: -His thoughts on the 2016 Regional Competition -His approach to programming events for various levels of CrossFit Games competition -How he uses inspiration from art, music, literature, and other sports to inspire CrossFit Games events -His daily routine -His experience dropping in to every affiliate in San Diego county this year -His current training regimen -What inspired him to become a Navy SEAL -How he applies lessons and skills learned as a SEAL to his position as a leader within CrossFit -How he found closure as a SEAL and transitioned out of the military and into his full time role with CrossFit HQ -What drives him to make the CrossFit Games competition the best it can possibly be -Three things he does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health -The books he's read most recently -One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health -How he distinguishes health from performance -What a healthy life looks like to him Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. We will continue to feature stories like this in the future!

James Hobart found CrossFit in 2007, and over the past decade he has served the CrossFit community through a variety of different roles. James joined CrossFit's Seminar Staff in 2010 while at Suffolk Law School and graduated with his JD shortly thereafter in 2011. After working for Reebok's Fitness and Training team from 2011-2013 during the early years of the CrossFit partnership, James took a full-time role on Seminar Staff and has since traveled the world teaching CrossFit and meeting the community. In the midst of these responsibilities, James has also developed into one of the top CrossFit Games athletes in the world, competing at the Games as an individual in 2009, 2010, and 2014 and on both the CrossFit New England and CrossFit Mayhem Freedom affiliate teams, winning the Affiliate Cup with each. James is notorious for training with some of the best CrossFit Games athletes including Austin Malleolo, Spencer Hendel, and Rich Froning. I was excited to sit down with James in the midst of the 2016 CrossFit Games Regional season to hear his perspective on teaching and competing in CrossFit and his relentless drive to make himself and those around him better. In this episode, we discuss: -How he found CrossFit -His transition from using CrossFit for personal health while in law school to making it into a full-time career -His experience teaching CrossFit seminars all over the world and the lessons he’s learned from that role -His evolution as a competitor both individually and on two separate winning teams at the CrossFit Games -His recent CrossFit Journal article on training volume and what inspired him to write it -Watching his mom start CrossFit at age 54 -His best advice for introducing CrossFit to a friend or family member -His best advice to someone who is just starting CrossFit -How and why he seeks out training partners such as Austin Malleolo and Rich Froning -Three things he does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health -One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health -What a healthy life looks like to him Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. We will continue to feature stories like this in the future! Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional

Adrian Bozman, known to many as "Boz," has been a staple figure in the CrossFit community for nearly the past decade. Coming from a well-rounded fitness background that even included circus training, CrossFit was a natural transition. After attending his Level 1 Seminar, Boz started helping out the seminar staff and eventually found himself traveling the world teaching the philosophy and methodology of CrossFit as a Seminar Staff Flowmaster. Boz is also well-known as Head Judge of The CrossFit Games and has played a large role in the development of the standards and judging of this still very young and evolving sport. I was excited to sit down with Boz to find out more about his background, experiences, and perspectives from his very unique vantage point within the CrossFit community. In this episode, we discuss: -How he found CrossFit and eventually his role as a flowmaster on seminar staff -What he loves about teaching and the Level 1 Seminar -How he evolved into the role of Head Judge at the CrossFit Games -How the judging has evolved at the CrossFit Games and how he addresses controversy in judging -His recent “Ro vs. Boz” win in the 2016 Open and how that experience has evolved over the years -What he loves most about training in his garage gym -The essential equipment to start with for building a garage gym -His background before starting CrossFit -Three things he does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health -One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health -What a healthy life looks like to him Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. We will continue to feature stories like this in the future! Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional

James is the creator of Functional Forum, the world’s largest integrative medicine conference which meets live in New York and in meet up groups around the world each month, as well as the Evolution of Medicine podcast. He lectures internationally, and has been featured on TEDMED, Huffpost Live, TEDx and more, and is a contributor to Huffington Post, KevinMD, thedoctorblog and MindBodyGreen. He also serves on the faculty of George Washington University’s Metabolic Medicine Institute. I couldn't wait to talk to James, because he is truly leading the charge in bringing functional and integrative medicine to forefront of chronic disease prevention and treatment. In this episode, we discuss: -His background in health economics and investment banking -How he became involved in functional and integrative medicine -How and why he started the Functional Forum -His vision for 100,000 micropractices -The synergy between CrossFit affiliates and functional medicine -The impact of community on health -The most surprising thing he's learned since starting this work -The slow uptake of research findings into clinical practice in medicine -Three things he does on a regular basis that have the biggest positive impact on his health -One thing he struggles to implement that could have a big impact on his health -What a healthy life looks like to him Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. We will continue to feature stories like this in the future! Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional.

In this episode, I sit down with 6-time CrossFit Games athlete Christy Adkins. Christy has competed in the CrossFit Games every year from 2009-2014 finishing as high as 6th place. In the 2015 season she narrowly missed her 7th trip to the Games, placing 6th in the Atlantic Regional. You may have heard her previously on Episode 6 of Pursuing Health with the ladies of the 2015 CrossFit Games Demo Team. After moving to to San Diego for her training in 2015 Christy is now back home in Virginia preparing for the 2016 season in an effort to qualify for her 7th CrossFit Games. Coming into this season, she’s had to overcome some enormous physical and psychological challenges with a torn bicep that required surgery. We caught up during a recent visit to Airrosti Rehab Centers Headquarters to talk about the impact of her injury, her rehab course, and her future plans to combine her experiences as a CrossFit trainer and a nurse to prevent disease. Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. We will continue to feature stories like this in the future! Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional

In this episode, I visit the Airrosti Rehab Centers headquarters in San Antonio, TX and speak with two of the first Airrosti doctors, Dr. Jason Garrett and Dr. Ty Nickleberry. I’ve gotten to know Airrosti over the past few years as they have provided services for athletes at the CrossFit Regional and Games competitions, and I’ve been fortunate to partner with them as a sponsored athlete for the past year. What I like most about Airrosti is that they are using evidence-based therapy for soft tissue injury, standardizing it’s delivery, and making it widely available and accessible to patients and providers. In our current health care system, we don’t often have great solutions for aches and pains other than medications or surgery. Rather than simply masking pain Airrosti helps to identify its root cause and provide effective treatment. They have tracked their outcomes from over 1 million patient visits to show timely resolution of pain and injuries with significant savings of unnecessary surgeries and procedures as well as cost. Airrosti was founded in 2004 by Sean Tipton with Ty Nickleberry as the first provider. Since then, Airrosti quickly expanded across the state of Texas and began to partner with local primary care physicians. In 2015, Airrosti's partnership with CrossFit began as they were named the head of Athlete Services for the CrossFit Games. In the fall of 2015, they have well over 150 practices spanning across Texas, Virginia, Ohio, Illinois, and Washington and reached a milestone of 1 million patient visits. Airrosti has even been voted one of the "Best Places to Work" in San Antonio multiple years in a row and one of the fastest growing companies in the US by Inc. Magazine. Drs. Garett and Nickleberry both graduated form Texas Chiropractic College. They came on as two of the first Airrosti doctors and helped to develop multiple practices and the training programs for new providers. Dr. Garrett now serves as the managing Vice President for Clinical Development at Airrosti where he trains new providers and educates physicians from family practitioners to orthopedic surgeons about Airrosti’s role. Dr. Nickleberry currently serves as the Vice President of Clinical Operations and Director of Provider Recruitment at Airrosti. We sat down to discuss what brought them to Airrosti, how the company has grown over the years, the role Airrosti plays in the greater health care system, it's evidence-based methodology and outcomes, Airrosti’s relationship with CrossFit, and their best advice for preventing and treating soft-tissue injuries whether you are a competitive athlete or training for health and longevity. Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. We will continue to feature stories like this in the future! Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional

In episode 23 of Pursuing Health, I sit down with CrossFit Games athlete Lindsey Valenzuela. With a background in collegiate volleyball and Olympic Weightlifting, Lindsey has become a seasoned CrossFit Games competitor, competing in 4 CrossFit Games and placing as high as 2nd place in 2013. This fall, she opened her affiliate Autumo CrossFit and announced she'd be taking the 2016 season off to have a baby. We sit down to catch up on her crazy year of transition, how she is approaching her pregnancy, and her plans for competing in the future. Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional

In episode 22 of Pursuing Health, I sit down with Brigid Titgemeier, registered dietitian nutritionist at the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine. We discuss how her passion for nutrition began as a teenager, her experience studying dietetics, how her approach now differs from a more traditional approach, and how she interprets some common nutrition controversies. We talk about the role of nutrition in a functional medicine appointment at Cleveland Clinic, as well as her most basic nutrition advice for anyone to follow and some tips for practical implementation. Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional

In this episode, I sit down with host of the CrossFit Games Update Show, Pat Sherwood. A former Navy SEAL, Pat has been deeply involved in CrossFit for over 10 years. We discuss his start in CrossFit, what he learned from traveling the world teaching over 180 CrossFit Seminars, and his eventual transition to working on the Update Show. He also provides advice for individuals interested in starting CrossFit and those who want to start competing. We discuss the role the CrossFit Games plays in the grand scheme of CrossFit and CrossFit for overall health, longevity, and quality of life. He remarks on his experience modifying workouts after a shoulder injury, and his current approach to training and nutrition. There are few people who have experienced and understand the CrossFit community as well as Pat, and I was ecstatic to sit down with him and pick his brain for a few minutes on this episode. Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. We will continue to feature stories like this in the future! Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional

In episode 20 of Pursuing Health, I answer questions submitted to me by listeners. I address topics including my current daily schedule and life as a medical student on rotations, the process of applying to medical school and residency and how it relates to CrossFit, preventing and recovering from injury, making progress in CrossFit, and my approach for the Open and advice for first-time participants. Please SUBSCRIBE and RATE on iTunes, and share your feedback in the comments or using #JFHealth. If you or someone you know has an inspiring story about using lifestyle to overcome disease, please share by emailing info@juliefoucher.com. We will continue to feature stories like this in the future! Disclaimer: This podcast is meant to share the experiences of various individuals. It does not provide medical advice, and it is not a substitute for advice from your physician or health care professional