Modern life disconnects us from the very rhythms and principles that allow nature to thrive, leaving us depleted, stressed, and searching for lasting health. We struggle to find vitality despite our best efforts, overwhelmed by confusing health advice and with uncertainty about the true quality of our food and environment. In this episode, we explore how taking lessons from regenerative agricultural practices and aligning with nature’s principles can restore our bodies, build resilience, and protect the environment.

Ric Scalzo is the founder of Gaia Herbs and a leading advocate for regenerative agriculture and holistic health. Over three decades, he grew Gaia into a well-recognized name in natural wellness before selling the company, later establishing an institute for botanical research at the Southwest College of Naturopathic Medicine. Now based in Costa Rica, he operates a regenerative organic certified farm and leads Kokora, a product line developed from medicinal plants grown on his land. Scalzo’s work includes advising governments, such as El Salvador, on the national adoption of regenerative organic farming practices.

“We probably have enough nutrition in our soils to provide us and provide our foods for thousands of years.” - Ric Scalzo

In this episode you will learn:

• What it means to live a regenerative life, guided by the operating principles of nature, and how these principles can inform both personal and business decisions.
• Ric's journey from founding Gaia Herbs to creating Kokor` and running a regenerative organic farm in Costa Rica focused on medicinal plants.
• The core philosophical and naturopathic principles Ric integrates into his health practices and leadership approach, including the healing power of nature and practicing prevention.
• Insights into the crucial connection between soil health, nutrient density, and the quality of the foods and supplements we consume.
• The lifestyle routines Ric uses to support healthspan, including movement, flexibility, stress adaptation, and aligning his sleep with natural light cycles.
• The role of social connection, compassionate leadership, and daily rituals in building resilience, reducing stress, and enriching overall wellbeing.

Resources

• Connect with Ric on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ricscalzo
• Learn all about Kokora: https://www.instagram.com/kokoralife

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com

Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:

https://alively.com/

We carry more than we realize: mental, emotional, and even physical baggage weighs us down as we strive for health and fulfillment. We can find ourselves investing energy in habits, routines, or beliefs that no longer serve us, leaving little room for vitality or joy. This isn’t new information, but the challenge is knowing how to let go of what’s unnecessary.

In this episode, learn how simplifying your “backpack” - in everything from nutrition to mindset - can help you move more efficiently toward your goals, making space for what truly matters and energizing every summit you climb.

Saahil Mehta is an entrepreneur, coach, author, and mountaineer known for helping individuals declutter their lives and optimize well-being. After a near-fatal car accident and ongoing health struggles, Saahil overhauled his lifestyle, prioritizing personal health, plant-based nutrition, and functional routines for peak performance. He is recognized for his work with business leaders and his Seven Summits framework, which encourages defining and striving toward holistic life goals. Saahil's practical approach to health and clarity has influenced international teams and audiences, blending lessons from his own business leadership and mountaineering pursuits.

“I'm going to do this because I'm going to make me a priority.” - Saahil Mehta

In this episode you will learn:

• Why Saahil believes identifying and removing “clutter” is key to personal growth, energy, and reaching your goals.
• How a wakeup call about hidden food intolerances and vitamin deficiencies transformed his health, productivity, and outlook on life, and the practical steps he took to recover.
• Saahil’s approach to nutrition as a lifelong plant-based eater, including insights from blood sugar tracking and the importance of lean muscle for healthy aging.
• The daily routines and stress management techniques he uses, from morning movement and meditation to “cup of time” breaks and mindful meal practices.
• Strategies for maintaining physical fitness throughout the day, including “walking pads” in the office, habit stacking, and training for purposeful challenges like mountaineering.
• The significance of defining your personal “seven summits” in life for clarity and fulfillment, and how cultivating strong social connections and clear priorities can keep you energized and at peace.

Resources

• Connect with Saahil on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saahilmehtaofficial/
• Find out all about Saahil’s offerings: https://www.saahilmehta.com/
• Buy Saahil’s book, ‘Break Free: A Guide To Decluttering Your Life’: https://www.amazon.com/Break-Free-Saahil-Mehta/dp/1922456209/ref=sr_1_1

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com

Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:

https://alively.com/

Many of us over 60 are worried about losing strength, mobility, and independence as we age, and it’s easy to feel that poor health is inevitable after a certain point. There’s a lot of fitness advice out there, which makes it difficult to know what actually works, especially when most programs seem built for younger bodies, not older people with busy lives and changing needs. This episode provides a clear path forward, focused on proven methods that help older people not just survive, but thrive.

Jaime Brenkus is a veteran health educator and fitness professional, best known for pioneering the "8-Minute Abs" program, which brought accessible fitness routines to millions. With over 40 years of experience, Jaime has worked with everyday people, from all walks of life, emphasizing routine, nutrition, and movement over intensity or perfection. He has published several books, including 'If You Want to Live, Move! Putting the Boom Back into Boomers' and 'Age Rewind - Turning Back the Clock! Ageless Energy & Timeless Health'. He’s well known for his ability to take simple, tried-and-true health concepts and package them as consumer-friendly innovations. He has produced hundreds of fitness videos and has made various television appearances.

“If you do nothing at all for the rest of your life, what do you think's going to happen?” - Jaime Brenkus

In this episode you will learn:

• Why the health challenges you face later in life, like loss of independence or chronic illness, often begin with habits established decades earlier, and how small, daily choices shape your healthspan.
• The power of simple, sustainable routines, such as short daily workouts and consistent habits, over fleeting bursts of motivation or extreme exercise regimens.
• How movement and resistance training can combat age-related muscle loss, support metabolism, and promote long-term health - even if you start with just a few minutes a day.
• Practical, realistic nutrition strategies for lasting results, including the “clean, lean, and green” rule, managing protein intake as you age, and focusing on progress over perfection.
• The critical role of sleep and recovery in the aging process, and how fitting movement and wellness practices into real-life schedules can promote better rest and resilience.
• Why mindset, routine, and self-compassion are foundational for health transformation, and how adopting an 80/20 approach can help you make changes that last.

Resources

• Connect with Jaime on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boomercoachjaime/
• Join his private Facebook group, Health and Fitness Over 50 Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/health.and.fitness.over.50.community

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com

Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:

https://alively.com/

Could the best way to calm your mind really be as simple as changing the way you breathe?

This episode explores how shifting from unconscious to intentional breathing can disrupt our tendencies to get stressed and have difficulty thinking clearly. We go into how such an accessible change can help lower stress hormones, restore mental clarity, and help you approach daily challenges with more resilience.

Todd Steinberg is the founder of Komuso, a company dedicated to practical stress management and mindfulness through breathwork. Formerly a high-performing entrepreneur driven by what he later identified as high-functioning anxiety, Todd shifted his approach after discovering simple breath techniques, an experience that became the basis for his company’s signature breathing necklace. Today, Steinberg’s tools are used by individuals seeking accessible solutions to stress, emphasizing simplicity in optimizing healthspans.

“When you're returning yourself to that state, you're able to again wash out the cortisol and then come back to just feeling good and okay.” - Todd Steinberg

In this episode you will learn:

• How high-performing anxiety can show up as constant drive and stress, and how Todd realized it was impacting his daily life and health.
• The science behind straw breathing and how simple, deliberate breathwork can reduce cortisol, support clearer thinking, and interrupt negative thought cycles.
• Practical breathing routines for different situations, including preventative breathing first thing in the morning and rescue breathing when stress hits.
• Why most of our daily thoughts are negative and repetitive, and how breath awareness offers a way to break unhelpful patterns.
• The connection between mouth versus nose breathing, physical performance, and long-term health, with easy experiments to try while exercising.
• How using physical cues like the Komuso necklace can help build the habit of mindful breathing and improve emotional resilience throughout the day.

Resources

• Connect with Todd on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/todsky21
• Learn more about what Komuso has to offer: https://www.komusodesign.com/
• Shop all the products Todd mentions in this episode: https://alively.com/products/todd-steinberg

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com

Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:

https://alively.com/

Could the key to adding vital, healthy years of your life be hiding in plain sight? In today's episode, we separate fact from fiction in the often confusing world of fitness and aging. Many of us reach a point where maintaining health feels like an impossible challenge, with contradictory exercise advice only adding to our frustration. We'll cut through the noise to reveal how strategic movement can transform your health trajectory, helping you break free from stagnation and rediscover the vibrant energy you thought was lost to time. Join us as we share the science-backed strategy that can turn exercise from a chore into your most powerful tool for extending not just your lifespan, but your healthspan.

Bill Gifford is an acclaimed journalist, author, and curiosity-driven outdoorsman. He is best known for co-authoring the New York Times bestseller "Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity" with Dr. Peter Attia, a definitive work on the science of longevity and healthspan. Bill also wrote the bestseller "Spring Chicken: Stay Young Forever (or Die Trying)", a deeply personal and investigative look at the aging process. He has written for Wired, Bloomberg and Men's Health, among others.

“There are more people who need to start doing something, or do maybe a little bit more than they are now… than there are people who are worried… about overtraining.” - Bill Gifford

In this episode you will learn:

• How curiosity, adventure, and a passion for learning can act as lifelong drivers for health and vitality, shaping both career paths and daily habits.
• The value of diverse, enjoyable movement and how a broad approach to fitness—including strength, flexibility, and balance—contributes to healthy aging.
• Why individualized dietary approaches matter more than following popular nutrition trends, and what the latest research suggests about fasting, muscle mass, and metabolic health.
• The importance of quality sleep and proper recovery, including the trade-offs between early morning routines and getting adequate rest.
• How social connection, intentional relationship-building, and shared experiences help to combat loneliness and add meaning to our lives as we age.
• Practical steps for creating lasting change—such as signing up for an event or making a firm commitment—that can impact all pillars of healthspan, from nutrition to social engagement.

Resources

• Connect with Bill on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billgifford
• Buy his book, ‘Spring Chicken’: http://a.co/d/dA35FHE
• Read and buy the book he co-authored with Dr. Peter Attia, ‘Outlive’: https://www.amazon.com/Outlive-Longevity-Peter-Attia-MD/dp/0593236599

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com

Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:

https://alively.com/

Can someone really reverse aging? What if you could reverse your biological clock and be more physically fit than ever before, even in your senior years?

As you get older, you might think that your best days are behind you. Instead of thriving, it’s easy to accept the aches, poor sleep, and waning motivation. But what if you could radically reshape what’s possible for your body and mind at any age?

This episode takes a deep dive into the habits and science-backed protocols that can help you reverse aging. We'll hear from a prominent medical doctor who reveals how he achieved the physiological markers of someone nearly 50 years younger through health optimization.

Dr. Bob Arnot is a doctor of internal medicine, journalist, author and former host of the Dr. Danger reality TV series, with numerous appearances on talk shows including Larry King, NBC and Late Night with Conan O'Brien. He is well known for his humanitarian work, and has sat on the board for Save the Children, the UN High Commission for Refugees and Global Outreach Doctors, among others. He is also the co-founder of the American Working Group on Greater Syria, and is the founder and chairman of Lifeline Iraq. His focus is now on food technology and longevity, and he is the Chief Innovation Officer at Health Tech Without Borders.

“People get so trapped by their ideology that they can't eat something or they can't do an exercise or they don't want to do something because they're ideologically stuck.” - Dr. Bob Arnot

In this episode you will learn:

• Why Dr. Arnot believes it’s possible to physiologically get younger with elite-level fitness, and how he personally maintains a biological age decades younger than his chronological age.
• The concept of a “portfolio lifestyle,” and how diversifying activities across athletics, music, technology, and humanitarian work contributes to sustained motivation and fulfillment.
• How advanced tracking devices and metrics like heart rate variability (HRV), VO2 max, and continuous glucose monitoring guide Dr. Arnot’s training, recovery, and dietary decisions.
• The importance of structured sleep and nutrition routines, such as early dinners, whole foods, and sleep hygiene, to optimize recovery, cognitive function, and HRV.
• Why psychological mindset, meditation, and proactive agency are as crucial as physical protocols in extending healthspan and maintaining vitality.
• Key takeaways on purpose-driven living: investing time in meaningful activities, continually reinventing oneself, and why giving full effort, no matter the task, optimizes both health and happiness.

Resources

• Connect with Dr. Arnot on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drbobarnot/
• Learn more about his innovative work with Health Tech Without Borders: https://www.htwb.org/
• Read his book, ‘Turning Back the Clock’: https://www.amazon.com/Arnots-Guide-Turning-Back-Clock/dp/0316051748

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com

Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:

https://alively.com/

Ever wondered what the daily routine of a serious biohacker actually looks like? What are their strict do's and don'ts? What do they recommend for people seeking to live longer, healthier lives?

In this episode, we talk to someone who's turned self-optimization into both a science and art. If you've felt overwhelmed by conflicting advice, or wasted money on trendy products that don't deliver, we'll offer a transparent look at what actually works.

Melanie Avalon is a biohacker, podcaster, author, influencer, and entrepreneur known for her deep research into health optimization. As the host of The Melanie Avalon Biohacking Podcast, she has interviewed a diverse range of experts across the nutrition and longevity spectrum. Her AvalonX supplement line was created out of frustration with the lack of transparency and purity in the supplement market, marking her shift from researcher and communicator to product innovator. Melanie’s work has been featured across mainstream media, and she is recognized for bringing scientific rigor and nuance to everyday wellness practices, making her a trusted guide for those looking to improve their healthspan.

“I'm not about all the supplements all the time and I'm not about supplements replacing food. I'm about them filling in the gap and then optimizing.” - Melanie Avalon

In this episode you will learn:

• Why Melanie started her own supplement line, AvalonX, and the challenges she sees in the supplement industry regarding purity, fillers, and transparency.
• How Melanie approaches nutrition as a biohacker, including her protein-forward diet, thoughts on supplementation, and lessons learned from interviewing the full spectrum of dietary experts.
• The daily routines and exercise habits Melanie uses for improved healthspan, including her experience with fasting, movement, and optimizing muscle mass.
• The role of sleep in her wellness protocol, and how she supports rest and recovery using tools like blue light blocking, sauna, mouth taping, and wearables.
• Insights on managing stress and optimizing mindset, from practical breathwork and tracking devices to the importance of reframing and individual experimentation.
• Why social connection, self-knowledge, and individualized approaches are essential for sustaining changes, along with Melanie’s advice for anyone starting their own health journey.

Resources

• Connect with Melanie on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanieavalon/
• Find out more about Melanie’s work and offerings: https://melanieavalon.com/
• Listen to Melanie podcast, ‘The Melanie Avalon Biohacking Podcast’: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-melanie-avalon-biohacking-podcast/id1474706111
• Listen to the podcast Melanie co-hosts, ‘The Intermittent Fasting Podcast’: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-intermittent-fasting-podcast/id1228755008
• Shop all the products Melanie mentions in this episode: https://alively.com/products/melanie-avalon

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com

Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:

https://alively.com/

Feeling frustrated by the endless cycle of prescriptions, procedures, and fleeting diets? Many people find that traditional approaches only mask symptoms instead of addressing the root of the problem, leaving them tired, discouraged, and searching for lasting solutions. This episode sheds light on how rethinking your relationship with food - particularly by embracing a whole-food, plant-based diet - can unlock real improvement in energy, digestion, and overall well-being.

Dr. Matthew Lederman is a board-certified internal medicine physician and recognized leader in the fields of nutrition, lifestyle medicine, and mind-body integration. Best known for his appearance in the Forks Over Knives documentary and co-authoring several influential books, Dr. Lederman combines conventional medical training with deep expertise in whole-food, plant-based nutrition and emotional well-being. He holds certification in Nonviolent Communication and is one of the few physicians to have completed the rigorous four-year training process in that discipline. He is the co-creator of the Webe Kälm device, and co-host of the webe Pärents podcast, where he works alongside his wife Dr. Alona Pulde to help families cultivate connection and build resilience.

“It's not a lack of these specific nutrients. It's a lack of whole foods and too much processed [food] and too much animal foods that's making people sick.” - Dr. Matthew Lederman

In this episode you will learn:

• Why Dr. Lederman considers physical sensations and felt experience essential for optimizing health, and how he encourages fluency in communicating with your body’s signals.
• The journey that led Dr. Lederman from conventional medicine to a focus on plant-based nutrition, practical ways he transitioned his diet, and how he helped patients make sustainable changes.
• Approaches to nutrition that emphasize abundance rather than restriction, with specific details on Dr. Lederman’s own daily regimen and views on protein, supplementation, and processed foods.
• The importance of flexibility, balance, and consistent daily movement for long-term health, plus strategies for incorporating effective stretching and bodyweight routines into a busy life.
• How chronic stress, nervous system regulation, and emotional connection impact overall well-being - and why connections with others are as vital to health as diet or exercise.
• Practical tools for self-regulation and sleep, including Dr. Lederman’s work with the Webe Kälm device and why establishing routines of physiological safety is foundational for both adults and children.

Resources

• Connect with Dr. Matthew Lederman on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theconnectiondocs/
• Learn more about his offerings at Connection Docs: https://www.connectiondocs.com/
• Listen to the podcast he co-hosts, "webe Pärents": https://open.spotify.com/show/41fJGgev0Md7ingDYzJ8td?si=Ara6rkDbQjuRzFLYTPvQ0g&nd=1&dlsi=0ce90442e36044a5
• Shop all the products Dr. Lederman mentions in this episode: https://alively.com/products/matthew-lederman

This podcast was produced by the team at Zapods Podcast Agency:

https://www.zapods.com

Find the products, practices, and routines discussed on the Alively website:

https://alively.com/