Abel James Show

Have you ever wanted to do something creative that makes absolutely no business sense?

We just wrapped up an epic road trip across the United States, zig-zagging nearly 10,000 miles from the border of Mexico to Canada and back... and after moving house, narrating a ridiculously challenging non-fiction audiobook, and recording a original album in Nashville with Tim McGraw's band leader Denny Hemingson, we owe you an update or two.

So Alyson Rose, my wife, partner, and producer of this show for over a decade, graciously interviews yours truly in this special 2-part episode filmed in the heart of Texas Hill Country.

Aly is a web developer, former pro gamer who starred on SyFy, and the gamification wizard behind our community challenges at WildRx.com, and even the cover designer for the new album, Headline. She sure comes in handy in a pinch.

And I'm of course Abel James, resident health nut and host of this show, as well as the writer, singer, guitarist, saxophonist and clarinetist behind the brand-spankin' new album Headline. 
In this episode, we explore:

• How to level-up your brain health and performance with improvisation
• Why Abel refuses to sign a record deal (and what record labels really take from artists)
• Why many A-List Celebrities and musicians signed away their free speech and creative freedom
• How mastering your fitness gives you a massive head start on mastering music
• Behind-the-scenes stories from laying down tracks for Headline in Nashville and Austin with world-class musicians
• And much more...

As a super-special bonus, you'll hear tracks from the new album, Headline, woven throughout the episode.

Like what you hear? Keep real music from real humans alive by supporting this show and grabbing the new album below.

Get the new album "Headline" at: https://abeljames.com/headline

Download it, own it forever, burn it to a mixtape if you want. Help us keep making groovy real music with real musicians.

You can also grab my international bestselling book of poetry "Designer Babies Still Get Scabies": https://www.amazon.com/Designer-Babies-Still-Get-Scabies/dp/1099353092/

Please take a moment to make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts, and to stay up-to-date, sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock. 

What if the secret to becoming smarter, sharper, and more creative isn't about doing more?

What if it’s about doing less?

We live in an age where we’re told to optimize everything. We analyze our problems to death, we outsource our thinking to AI, and we fill every silence with noise.

But what if the key to unlocking your next level of health and mental clarity is actually to be unfocused?

Today, I’m sitting down with two brilliant minds who are redefining how we think about the intersection of food, psychology, and longevity.

We're here with our friend Dr. Srini Pillay, a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, brain imaging researcher, and the author of Tinker, Dabble, Doodle, Try. He’s here to talk about why insight trumps analysis, how to break the categories that hold us back, and why walking on a "zigzag" path might be the most creative thing you do all day.

Joining him is Dr. Uma Naidoo, a nutritional psychiatrist, chef, and author of This Is Your Brain on Food. She’s the founder of the first nutritional psychiatry fellowship at Mass General, and she’s going to share why "comfort foods" are often "discomfort for the brain," how to hack your diet for better focus without starving yourself, and why fermented foods and spices might be the missing link for bolstering your mental health.

If you’ve ever felt like you’re running on a hamster wheel, checking boxes, and then coming back from a "restful" break feeling more exhausted than when you left… this episode is for you.

We’re diving deep into:

• Why insight is the superpower we’re losing in the age of AI
• How and why to diversify your experiences and diet
• The hidden danger of outsourcing your cognition and how to reclaim your creative spark
• And why the best way to come back from summer smarter isn’t to work harder, but to let your mind wander intentionally

Whether you’re a foodie, a fitness enthusiast, or just someone trying to figure out how to stay sane in a chaotic world, this conversation is going to give you a fresh perspective on what it really means to be healthy.

Find Dr. Srini Pillay and his work at: 

• Join us for upcoming events and retreats: https://dspmedia.ai/jointhesociety/
• Join us online: https://dspmedia.ai/thesocietyonline/
• Website: https://drsrinipillay.com/
• Harvard Health Publishing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/authors/srini-pillay-md
• Law of Attraction Course: https://loacourse.drsrinipillay.com/
• Substack: https://drsrinipillay.substack.com/
• Medium: https://drsrinipillay.medium.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SriniPillayMD/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsrinipillay/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsrinipillay

Find Dr. Uma Naidoo and her work at: 

• Website: https://umanaidoomd.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drumanaidoo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrUmaNaidoo/
• X: https://x.com/drumanaidoo
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uma-naidoo-m-d-93813860/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.umanaidoo
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drumanaidoo

Big News: The New Album "Headline" Is Here!
Exciting news... My brand-new album of original tunes, Headline, is finally ready for you. And we're stoked for you to take an early listen, as it's not yet available on streaming platforms.

This collaborative album features real human musicians who have spent a lifetime honing their chops and getting crowds moving. Big vocals. Deep grooves. Real instruments (even snuck in a few woodwinds). Performed by legendary Grammy-nominated and award-winning musicians who love to groove, including the incredible Denny Hemingson, Wendy Moten, and special guests.

In an age of rampant AI slop, we believe now is the time to double down on art made by real humans.

Grab the entire 10-song collection and get ready to rock: abeljames.com/headline

Please take a moment to make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts, and to stay up-to-date, sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock.

What would your perfect day look like if money were no object, and what's actually stopping you from living closer to it right now?

We’re here with my good buddy, Brian Sanders, a mechanical engineer, host of the Peak Human podcast, creator of the upcoming documentary series Food Lies, and founder of Sapien.org. Brian has done field work and then some, from eating raw liver with hunter-gatherer tribes in Tanzania to interviewing PhDs who are rewriting what we know about human longevity.

We recorded this conversation live from the Montana wilderness beside a babbling river, surrounded by beautiful mountain vistas. Bugs weren’t even bad. Soak it in, we hope you enjoy.
In this episode, we’ll dig into:

• Why meat isn’t the enemy (and how it might actually be key to solving obesity)
• The “nutrient-to-energy“ ratio that explains why most diets fail
• Surprising things the Hadza tribe can teach us about longevity
• Brian’s “Hard 30” workout that builds lean muscle in just one hour per week
• A thought experiment to build your perfect day
• And much more...

Find Brian Sanders and his work at:

• Website: https://www.sapien.org
• Podcast: Peak Human (subscribe on iTunes, YouTube and Spotify)
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/foodlies
• Instagram: @food.lies
• X: @foodliesorg
• Facebook: @FoodLiesOrg 

Please take a moment to make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts, and to stay up-to-date, sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show. You rock.

Is modern medicine actually making us sicker?

Today’s guest is a board-certified physician who nearly walked away from medicine when he realized the entire system was built on the wrong foundation. But instead of quitting, he did something far more dangerous: he stayed. He finished med school, crushed his residency, passed his boards… and then turned his back on the  profit-driven pharmaceutical playbook.

We're here with my friend Dr. Ahmad Ammous: a doctor who treats patients with sunlight, movement, and real food instead of an endless cascade of prescriptions. 

We’re talking about how modern hospitals became some of the worst places on Earth to actually heal, why medications are now the third leading cause of death, and how the same fiat thinking that broke our money has also broken our medical system and our food.

We’ll dig into:

• The hidden dangers of statins, antidepressants, and peptides
• How the American Medical Association helped erase traditional and lifestyle-based solutions from modern medicine entirely
• Why circadian biology, light, and EMFs may matter more than the macros on your plate
• And much more...

If you’ve ever felt like the conventional medical system treats you like a lab rat, don't miss this episode. 

Find Dr. Ahmad Ammous and his work at: 

• Website: https://ammousmd.com
• X: @AmmousMD
• Instagram: @ammous_md
• LinkedIn: @ahmadammous

Please take a moment to make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts, and to stay up-to-date, sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock.

As AI and special interests sloppify the interwebs, we need to ask ourselves: do clicks and ratings matter more than the truth? 

When media is rigged, the monetary system is imploding, and tech bros are racing to turn us into the product, how do you stay truly free?

If you feel like the world’s gone insane with a weaponized media system, endless distraction, and soul-sucking tech, listen up. We're exploring how to create a reality where people use technology instead of being exploited by it.

Today we're here in person with my friend Sky King: podcaster, entrepreneur, artist, and the creative mind behind Sky King’s Mental Playground. Sky’s work lives right at the fault line between centralized and decentralized systems: media, money, politics, and the propaganda that quietly shapes how we think.

In this special in-person episode with Sky in his studio, you'll hear:

• Why ratings and clicks now seem to matter more than truth
• What it takes to stay honest when the money shows up
• How to harness the concept of self‑patronage by building businesses that fund your art so you never have to sell your soul to advertisers or algorithms
• How you can use Sky’s protocol of phone-free silent walks to reset your brain
• And much more...

Find Sky King and his work at: 

• Website: https://www.skykingpodcast.com/
• Merch: edopunk.com
• Podcast: skmp.supercast.com
• Substack: https://skyking.substack.com/
• Instagram: @iamaskyking
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@skykingsmentalplayground
• X: https://x.com/consumersky

Please take a moment to make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts, and to stay up-to-date, sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock.

Are medical bills eating away at your savings? 

Today we're exploring the hidden connection between sound money and sound health, and why inflation is stealing more than just your purchasing power.

Joining us today is the man behind innovations like Sound HSA, Nos Fabrica, Fork and Coin, and the Chicago Bitcoin Collective: Jon Gordon. With ten years in healthcare and deep knowledge across multiple domains, he's a dude worth listening to.

And if you're in the Chicago area on September 14th, I'll be playing the V4V Live Show and would love to see you there. As the event organizer, Jon is the one who made it happen, so come hang with us! I'll be playing original tunes from the upcoming album, and Nora will be playing with her full band. Check out details and grab tickets for the show here.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• Why to prioritize owning your health data instead of letting corporations sell it
• How inflation steals your time 
• How decentralized philosophy and breathwork lead to individual sovereignty
• How to earn real Satoshis with global step challenges
• And much more...

Find Jon Gordon and his work at: 

• Website: https://www.soundhsa.com/
• Website: https://nosfabrica.com/
• Website: https://www.chicagobitcoincollective.com/
• Website: https://www.satoshihealth.com/
• X: @thebitcoinyogi
• Primal: Jon Gordon
• LinkedIn: Jon Gordon

Please take a moment to make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts, and to stay up-to-date, sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock.

Have you ever been told that your labs are normal but you just know something is seriously off?

Over the course of our lives, we all experience “mystery symptoms” that seem to come out of nowhere—from bloating, brain fog, and anxiety to thyroid problems and stubborn weight.

Today we’re getting to the root of the most significant health blind spots of our time—your gut.

If you’ve ever been told “your labs look normal” while you’re still dealing with brain fog, anxiety, thyroid issues, stubborn weight, or mystery symptoms no one can explain, you’re going to want to listen closely to this one.

Joining us today is a longtime friend and true trailblazer in functional medicine, Dr. Izabella Wentz. She’s a New York Times bestselling author, an integrative pharmacist, and the woman millions know as the Thyroid Pharmacist. Her new book pulls back the curtain on what’s really driving IBS and the tidal wave of gut issues we’re seeing today—and more importantly, how to fix them.

In this episode, you'll hear:

• How Izabella's own “stress-related” IBS diagnosis in pharmacy school spiraled into Hashimoto’s and autoimmunity—and how she reversed it
• Why one bad bout of food poisoning, a moldy apartment, or a round of meds can quietly reset your “normal” from 100% to 80%
• The overlooked role of parasites, mold, Candida, SIBO, and meds like birth control and metformin in wrecking your digestion
• Why “healthy” processed foods, sugar alcohols, gums, and fake fibers can quietly fuel gut chaos
• Practical strategies to finally get your digestion and energy back

If you’re tired of being dismissed by doctors and ready to understand what your gut has been trying to tell you for years, this conversation could be a serious turning point.

Find Dr. Izabella Wentz and her work at: 

• New Book: IBS: Finding and Treating the Root Cause of Irritable Bowel Syndrome
• Website: https://thyroidpharmacist.com/
• Podcast: Thyroid Pharmacist Healing Conversations with Dr. Izabella Wentz
• Facebook: @ThyroidLifestyle
• Instagram: @izabellawentzpharmd
• YouTube: @ThyroidPharmacist
• Pinterest: @thyroidpharmd
• TikTok: @izabellawentz

Want help tracking whether certain foods are triggering your gut issues? Try the new Wild Habits app. You'll get instant personalized feedback on your meals, fitness, sleep, HRV and more, along with access to time-tested real food meals proven to get epic results.

Get the Wild Habits App here and lock-in 20% savings (expires Sun, June 21)

Please take a moment to make sure you’re subscribed wherever you listen to podcasts, and to stay up-to-date, sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock.

Can you get better results by gamifying your health?

Today, we have a very special episode for you. I'm sitting down with the woman who's been the secret weapon behind this show for over ten years: my wife and producer, Alyson Rose.

Aly toured the world as one of the first professional gamers in esports, who transmuted her talent to become a professional health nut like me for about 15 years.

We're diving deep into retraining your microbiome, mastering the perfect steak without the char, and why your body might be throwing a tantrum over that plant milk you might think is "healthy."

In this episode, we dig into:

• Why your gut is "rioting" and how to calm it down in 10 days or less
• Secrets to cooking the perfect steaks
• How homemade yogurt could be key to helping us digest dairy 
• Alcohol-free alternatives that actually give you a "state change"
• How to gamify your health with cutting-edge new tech
• And much more...

Find Aly and her work at: 

• Website: https://www.wildrx.com/
• Wild Habits app (save 20% off for a limited time): https://studio.com/abel/wildhabits?c=pOSyfCS7
• Club Wild (and get 2 months free): https://www.wildrx.com/join-club-wild
• Newsletter (sign-up and get free goodies): https://www.wildrx.com/start-here-your-free-wild-lifestyle-guide

To celebrate the launch of our new Wild Habits app, we'll be sending you our favorite recent kitchen concoctions, including:

• Parm-Fried Chicken 
• Chocolate-Dipped Coconut Macaroons
• Probiotic Yogurt 
• Cookie Dough Truffle Fat Bombs (with Coconut Manna)
• Plus, our step-by-step guide to cooking the perfect steak.

To get all these new recipes and more goodies, make sure you're signed up for the newsletter at AbelJames.com.

If you're ready to dial in your health and tone up for summer, give Wild Habits a try. Right now, you can lock in 20% savings for life by clicking the link below:

Yes, Get Wild Habits & Save 20% Off For Life (Offer expires: 6/21/26)

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock. 

Have you ever done something just because you were told not to?

Today we're here in the studio in Austin with a genre-defying force of nature. DPAK is a sonic visionary, a boundary-smashing artist, and speaker who ignites stages and earbuds around the globe. He’s performed with icons like Rihanna, India.Arie, and Jason Mraz. He writes and performs songs that mean something, and his art is living proof that, at its best, sound can set people free. 

Even more than that, DPAK is a rare artist who can drop a banger anthem at a festival, then cogently explain how inputs and outputs work, like a rogue systems engineer with a mischievous mind. 

If you're a deep and expansive thinker, you're going to dig this one. 

In this special in-person episode with DPAK, you'll hear: 

• Why the “lone wolf” phase of the creative process is a myth
• How censorship, self‑censorship, and propaganda shape what you think is possible
• The hidden power of sound, tuning, and mantras to change your physical, mental, and spiritual state—whether you “believe” in it or not
• Why your playlist might secretly be eroding your self-esteem as you bob your head
• And much more...

Find DPAK and his work at: 

• Website: https://dpakworld.com/
• Instagram: @dpak.world
• Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/5gv5EPhOtWTHz3wlXtOEyE?si=9p0ZlguoQiibtjRYeElj4g
• Facebook: @DPAKWORLD
• YouTube: @DPAKWORLD
• X: @DPAK_WORLD
• TikTok: @dpakworld

We just got back from playing a show in Vegas, laying down new tracks for my new album, vocals, guitars, and even dusted off the old tenor sax and clarinet. And thanks to everyone who joined us for live music at Banger's in Austin, TX—you all rock!

Stay tuned for many more live shows coming up. You can join the newsletter to stay up on upcoming events, podcasts and more goodies.

We just released our new habits transformation app and our Club Wild community—check it out at wildrx.com. if you want to eliminate bad habits or install new ones, now is the time and we can help get you there.

With 15 years coaching people all around the world to get in the best shape of their lives, we're here to help you get real results.

Take your 2-minute personalization quiz to get started with the Wild Habits and save 20% off for a limited time.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock.

This episode is brought to you by:
Branch Basics – Go to BranchBasics.com/ABEL and save 15% off with our code ABEL

Does splurging on late-night takeout quietly rewire your brain like a drug?

Are your nutritional choices building resilience and longevity, or quietly feeding inflammation, burnout, and creeping disease?

If you’re done with extreme diet dogma and want a science-backed way to eat for your brain and your future—this one’s for you.

In today’s special episode, I'm thrilled to be here with two incredible Harvard-Trained Doctors and dear friends: Dr. Srini Pillay, psychiatrist, brain scientist, and musician, and Dr. Uma Naidoo, a pioneering nutritional psychiatrist, chef, and best-selling author known for her “mood food” creations.

In this episode with a couple of brilliant docs, you'll hear:

• How to enjoy treats like chocolate cake and hot dogs guilt-free without sending yourself into a shame spiral
• The story of a patient who transformed his mental health by changing one daily habit before breakfast
• How art, poetry, and music can rewire your brain and support longevity just as powerfully as diet and exercise
• The shocking truth about women’s health research, and how nutritional psychiatry is finally starting to close the gap

Dr. Uma, Srini and I are hosting in-person retreats coming up in the weeks and months ahead, and we'd love for you to join us.

Longevity Retreat on Singer Island, FL (May 29 - 31, 2026)
What: Self-Reinvention & Longevity Retreat with Dr. Srini Pillay, Dr. Uma Naidoo and Abel James
When: May 29 - 31, 2026
Where: Amrit Ocean Resort on Singer Island in Florida (3100 N Ocean Dr, Riviera Beach, FL 33404)
Get Tickets: tickets and full schedule
Watch from anywhere: join online

Find Dr. Srini Pillay and his work at: 

• Join us for upcoming events and retreats: https://dspmedia.ai/jointhesociety/
• Join us online: https://dspmedia.ai/thesocietyonline/
• Website: https://drsrinipillay.com/
• Harvard Health Publishing: https://www.health.harvard.edu/authors/srini-pillay-md
• Law of Attraction Course: https://loacourse.drsrinipillay.com/
• Substack: https://drsrinipillay.substack.com/
• Medium: https://drsrinipillay.medium.com/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SriniPillayMD/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drsrinipillay/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drsrinipillay

Find Dr. Uma Naidoo and her work at: 

• Join us for an in-person retreat: Longevity Retreat in FL (May 29 - 31, 2026)
• Website: https://umanaidoomd.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drumanaidoo
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DrUmaNaidoo/
• X: https://x.com/drumanaidoo
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/uma-naidoo-m-d-93813860/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.umanaidoo
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@drumanaidoo

Here's some exciting news. Just got back from Nashville laying down tracks for the new album with my dear friend Denny Hemingson, as well as going on tour for another show in Vegas, and coming up soon we have a brain reset and longevity retreat at Amrit Ocean Resorts and perhaps a live musical surprise with Dr. Srini and Dr. Uma.

We'd love to see you at one of our upcoming events.

To join in person or on a livestream, make sure to sign up for my newsletter at AbelJames.com, and I'll send you more details and a sweet little tasty gift, too.

You can also join Substack as a free or paid member for ad-free episodes of this show, to comment on each episode, and to hit me up in the DM’s. Join at abeljames.substack.com. And if you’re feeling generous, write a quick review for the Abel James Show on Apple or Spotify. You rock.

And if you're looking to upgrade your habits and get transformative results without any newfangled peptides, pharmaceuticals, or other eye-wateringly expensive biohacking equipment, we have a brand new habits transformation app that's now available. Click here to get started with a 2-minute personalization quiz.

This episode is brought to you by:
MUD\WTR – Go to mudwtr.com/ABELJAMES and use the code ABELJAMES for a discount, plus free shipping and a free rechargeable frother.