Back to Human

By James AndriellaHealth & Fitness

Back to Human episodes

January 22, 2025 Earth & Water: Grounding for Health & Athletic Performance with TheGroundedAthlete
Welcome to the 41st episode of the Back to Human Podcast.
On this episode I had the pleasure of speaking with Robert Iron Shell, aka The Grounded Athlete, aka Earthpapi. I wanted to have Rob on after reading his book Earth & Water, volumes I & II. This book in my opinion should be required reading and covers everything you would need to know about grounding, also known as earthing. He does a great job at dumbing down complex mechanisms and the books also have great visual art with captions that make it a very digestible read.
Rob also makes grounded footwear so you can ground on conductive surfaces while protecting your feet. His footwear along with his research can be found at his website:
https://www.thegroundedathletellc.com

On this episode we discuss:
• Rob's upbringing and Native American background
• How Rob got introduced to grounding and how it impacted his performance as a track athlete
• Running barefoot and modern day footwear
• Rob's experience training indoors vs. outdoors
• How grounding helps with athletic performance
• What surfaces are conductive?
• Do you need direct contact while using a grounding mat or sheet?
• How grounding is a subjective experience and everyone may experience something different
• Could grounding potentially be bad for you?
• How grounding influences blood flow and blood pressure
• Does having a purpose allow people to live longer despite not having healthy lifestyle practices?
• The Big 3: (Charges the water protein matrix battery of your body, attenuates excessive inflammatory oxidative stress response, it increases density of negative charge in your body which helps you achieve electrical homeostasis)
• What impact grounding has on HRV (heart rate variability) and stress
• Conductive antioxidants vs. chemical antioxidants and the antioxidant paradox
• Has grounding brought Rob closer to God?
• What is EZ water and how does grounding help build structured, coherent water?
• Do we need to eat and drink less when we ground?
• Rob's nutritional philosophy
• How grounding mitigates EMF exposure
• What does the future of grounding look like in healthcare settings?
Thank you for listening to the show! Earthing has changed my life and I am positive it will significantly improve your quality of life. I would love to hear your experience with grounding and would greatly appreciate you sharing this episode with....everyone! Grounding is essential for health!

Make sure to follow Rob on Instagram for all things regarding earthing and awesome memes:
• https://www.instagram.com/thegroundedathlete/

If you are interested in purchasing Earth & Water you can find both volumes at Barnes & Noble:
• https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/earth-water-robert-iron-shell/1145186031

For earthing mats I use:
•https://www.earthing.com/?rfsn=7219712.8d50a1

For fitted earthing sheets I use (Code Sixkiller will save 15%):
• https://www.mitolife.co/?afmc=3ml
1 hr 28 min
January 22, 2025 Pain Is in Your Brain: Beyond Conventional Physical Therapy with the Bodmechanic Andreas Saltas
Welcome to the 42nd episode of the Back to Human Podcast.
On this episode, I had the opportunity to sit down with Andreas Saltas, also known as the Bodmechanic. Andreas is a phyiscal therapist with a unique approach to physical rehabilitation and optimizing the body’s systems for health and performance. From vision and vestibular training to visceral therapy, Andreas shares insights on how focusing on our body’s foundational systems can improve both movement and recovery.
Andreas’ journey is especially inspiring—following a severe accident that left him temporarily paralyzed, he has since developed a deep understanding of rehabilitation, integrating diverse techniques that support the body holistically.
In this episode, we cover:
• Andreas’ rehabilitation journey after paralysis
• How our focus on screens impacts posture and leads to forward head position
•Techniques for improving visual acuity and Andreas’ “eye reset”
• Alternative ways to load exercises beyond just adding weight
• Are MRIs truly helpful or sometimes unnecessary?
• Andreas’ rehabilitation journey after paralysis
• Why eyeglasses may restrict natural eye function
• An introduction to visceral therapy and understanding referred organ pain
• How Andreas uses Kinesio tape for support and recovery
• Why not all treatment modalities work universally
• How the cerebellum supports accuracy, balance, and coordination (the “ABC’s”)
• Integrating vision and vestibular training with movement for better function
• The hierarchy of bodily systems: 1) Vision, 2) Vestibular, 3) Proprioception
• How Andreas uses bone conduction headphones
• Breathing techniques that stimulate specific brainstem areas like the midbrain, pons, and medulla
• Why the central nervous system governs all other body systems
Thank you for tuning in! Andreas’ journey and methods offer invaluable insights for anyone interested in maximizing movement, recovery, and body awareness. Share this episode with friends, family, or anyone you know who’s interested in the mind-body connection!
Follow Andreas on Instagram for more insights and updates on his work:
- @thebodmechanic (https://www.instagram.com/thebodmechanic/)

2 hr 39 min
April 05, 2024 How to Be a Dragonslayer with Ste Lane
Welcome to the 38th episode of the Back to Human Podcast.
On this episode I have return guest Ste Lane. Ste is the creator of the Peak Human Solution, a transformative online holistic coaching program. Ste is also the host of Radical Health Radio.
On this episode we discuss what it means to be a proverbial dragonslayer:
• What exactly is a dragonslayer?
• Who are the "dragons"
• How men are purpose built creatures
• How the school system is a system of control
• Navigating the propaganda of the past few years and having the courage to live your truth
• How being wrong is a death sentence for the ego
• Have you formed your beliefs through self exploration?
• Taking responsibility and stepping out of the victim mentality
• How your unconscious will rule your life until you bring it to the forefront
• How there is an agenda to divide us
• What actions can we take for the things that are outside of our control?
• How children are in a theta state which makes them more “programmable” their first 7 years of life
• Walking the walk instead of talking the talk
We were a bit short on time on this one so if you’d like to hear a part two, let us know what topics you would like us to cover. Thank you for listening to the show!
56 min
March 24, 2024 From Surviving to Thriving: The Chiropractic Philosophy with Dr. Denis Chang
Welcome to the 37th episode of the Back to Human Podcast.
On this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Dr. Denis Chang. Denis is a chiropractic doctor who is committed to enriching lives through holistic wellness and education. He is the driving force behind Optimize Health Chiropractic and he is also the author of, “From Surviving to Thriving: A Transformative Guide on Optimizing Your Health, Body and Mind".
On this episode we discuss:
•Denis’s upbringing and how a chiropractic adjustment changed his life
•What is the chiropractic philosophy and how does if differ from conventional medicine?
•How interferences or misalignments can restrict us from healing or performing at our best
•Different types of interferences: Physical, chemical & emotional
•Is it possible to adjust someone that has had a spinal fusion?
•What movement does Denis recommend to maintain a healthy spine?
•How a misalignment in the extremities can affect the spine
•What patterns does Denis typically see?
•Can an adjustment have an impact on hormones?
•How does Denis determine how to adjust someone
•How Denis gained confidence adjusting
•Denis’s ideal 3 step protocol; adjustment, movement and cold plunging
•What is cerebrospinal fluid?
•How frequently should someone get adjusted and what should they feel like afterwards?
• What recommendations does Denis have outside of getting adjusted?

If you are just starting out on your health journey I highly recommend picking up Denis's book "From Surviving to Thriving: A Transformative Guide on Optimizing Your Health, Body & Mind". You can find it here:
https://a.co/d/2ugX9s9
I have read a ton of health related books over the years, many of which can get very science-y, technical and impractical. Denis has done a great job of condensing all of that information into one easily digestible book providing you with just the essentials that will take you from just surviving, barely hanging in there, to thriving and living optimally.

Thank you for listening to the show! Share it with someone you believe needs to hear it!
1 hr 31 min
February 02, 2024 A Year of Conscious Parenting with Jade Jaime
Welcome to the 36th episode of the Back to Human Podcast.
Joining me on the show again today is my fiancé, Jade Jaime.
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/intuitivehealthguide
This episode is a year in review of our experience as conscious parents. Some of the topics that we discuss are:
• What has been the most challenging part of being a parent?
• What has been the most rewarding?
• The important of presence
• Mom's feeling "touched out" postpartum and getting back your pre-mom bod
• How guys may not feel as connected to baby throughout pregnancy
• How breastfeeding is a relationship between mom and baby
• Our choice not to introduce Jax to processed foods
• The difference between co-sleeping and bedsharing
• Our experience with "sleep training"
• Our choice not to v4xxinate, autism and SIDS
• How much screen time does baby get?
• Our approach to education
• What are forms of natural birth control?
• What has sex been since having a kid?
• What else do we advocate for?
• What do we eat? What does Jax eat?
Some sources if you are on the fence about v4xxinations:
Aluminium in brain tissue in autism
•https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0946672X17308763
V4xxines and sudden infant death: An analysis of the VAERS database 1990–2019 and review of the medical literature
•https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2214750021001268
Dissolving Illusions
• https://dissolvingillusions.com/
Thank you for listening! Please share it with someone you think needs to hear it!
1 hr 55 min
January 12, 2024 From Macro to Micro: Vitamins & Minerals for Regeneration & Youthfulness w/ Chris Giraldo
Welcome to the 34th episode of the Back to Human Podcast.

On this episode I talk with the founder of Caelum Elements, Chris Giraldo. Caelum Elements is a company that makes a supplement I have been taking for the past few months called Royal-T. Since taking Royal-T I have noticed a significant improvement in energy, performance in the gym, and a massive boost with my sex drive.

On this episode we discuss:
• What life was like for Chris growing up
• How waking up with a tumor on his face from combining a diet of junk food and anabolic hormones led Chris to pursue holistic health
• Our experiences with fasting
• How a mineral imbalance can cause you to look overweight
• How potassium deficiency can lead to hypogonadism (low testosterone)
• The ingredients in his products Royal-T & Divin-E, their benefits and how he came up with the dosages
• What customers are saying about their experience taking these supplements including my testimonial
• How Chris does his own bloodwork and what tests he has done
• How boron can increase your free testosterone
• What is more important? Total testosterone or free testosterone?
• Does eating meat age you and do we need as much protein as the fitness industry says?
• Chris's vision for the future of Caelum Elements
Chris is a wealth of knowledge and I highly suggest you give him a follow. He explores a broad range of topics and doesn't hold back!
•⁠https://www.instagram.com/chris_giraldo
•⁠https://www.instagram.com/caelum_elements/

If you're interested in learning or grabbing a bottle of Royal-T or Divin-E for yourself visit his website:
•https://caelumelements.com/

Thank you for listening to the show! Please share it with someone you believe would benefit from hearing it!
1 hr 45 min
December 01, 2023 Holistic Hygiene: Intentionally Crafted Goat Milk Products with Krystal Weaver
Welcome to the 33rd episode of the Back to Human Podcast.

On this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing Krystal Weaver. Krystal runs her company, Rocky Top Goat Soap Company, where she makes home-made, small batch skincare products such as soaps, lip balms, and salves from goat milk and other natural ingredients. Actually natural ingredients!

Krystal Weaver came from a traditional farming & ranching background. She grew up rodeoing & showing horses. The passion for horses led to several equine therapy certifications & an equine sports therapy business. Now married to a cowboy/rancher/welder, her & her husband had a small vision for their family to be able to live off the land & source from their own ranch that they homestead on.

Among some of the topics we discuss in this episode are:
• Krystal’s upbringing and growing up on ranches
• What inspired Krystal to begin making goat milk soap
• What differences she and her customers have noticed since switching from conventional products
• How is goat milk soap made?
• What ingredients go into the soap and how they are sourced
• What to look for in essential oils
• What ingredients to avoid when purchasing anything that will be going on your skin
• Using essential oils as a cologne or perfume
• How Krystal keeps the herd healthy
• Krystal and her husbands vision for her ranch
• How does Krystal plan to educate her son?
If you would like to learn more about Krystal’s work, give her a follow:
•https://instagram.com/regeneration.ranch
•https://instagram.com/rockytopgoat
If you would like to support Krystal and your skin, visit her website:
•https://www.rockytopgoat.com/

Thank you for listening to the show! Please share it with someone you believe would benefit from hearing it!
1 hr 7 min
November 18, 2023 Life Without Liquor: A Journey of Sobriety From Alcohol With Jason Stauffer
Welcome to the 32nd episode of the Back to Human Podcast.
On this episode I had the pleasure of interviewing the third head of the dragon that is Morozko Forge, Jason Stauffer. Jason is the President of Morozko Forge, a company that builds state of the art cold plunges with the capability of producing it’s own ice.
Jason is a Phoenix native, Army combat veteran and ASU graduate with his Bachelors of Science in Engineering in Civil, Environmental and Sustainable Engineering. He has a background in healthcare analytics, game theory and systems analysis and optimization. Jason's early civilian career in for-profit pharmaceuticals gave him intimate knowledge of the decreasing ability of synthetic medicine to treat the underlying causes of diseases of aging, chronic ailments and post-industrial afflictions of urban human society.

For this episode we discuss Jason's recent journey to abstain from alcohol and what that journey has looked like.
Some of the topics covered on this show include:
• What is the origin of Morzko Forge and where did the name come from?
• The first time Jason drank and what role drinking played in his life as a young adult
• How drinking has become culturally engrained within us and has, in some situations, developed into a competition of who can drink the most
• How alcohol was affecting Jason's relationships
• Taking ownership and not blaming the alcohol
• How alcohol became a tool for him to numb out and avoid feeling
• When he decided to quit
• What helped keep him accountable during this transition
• How our symptoms are signals that our body gives us when something is out of alignment
• Being able to have gratitude for alcohol for serving him during the times when he could not bear the pain he was feeling
• Some lessons he learned from smoking that helped him quit alcohol; Cravings are temporary and don't cheat
• Why Jason chose not to avoid environments that have alcohol
• Is it awkward for him to be in these environments?
• How the idea of drinking is better than the reality
• How quitting has improved his life
• Did Jason have any revelations after quitting?
• Learning to take breaks and establishing a work-life balance as an entrepreneur
• Does Jason have more fun now? How does he deal with boredom?
• Having grace for himself throughout the process
If you'd like to learn more about Jason and the work that they are doing at Morozko, give them a follow:
• https://www.instagram.com/morozkoforge/
• https://www.instagram.com/jason_morozko/
Thank you for listening to the show! Please share it with someone you feel needs to hear it!
1 hr 9 min
November 03, 2023 Wild & Free: A Discussion About Wild Pregnancies & Free Birthing With Ste Lane
Welcome to the 31st episode of the Back to Human podcast.

Joining me on this episode is returning guest Ste Lane. Ste is the creator of the Peak Human Solution, a transformative online holistic coaching program. Ste is also the host of a great podcast called Radical Health Radio.

I had the honor of interviewing Ste shortly after welcoming his second baby boy, Indy, into this world. He and his wife, Nicole, chose to bring Indy earthside is a seemingly radical way. They opted for a free birth and wild pregnancy which is what we discuss on this episode.
Some of the topics covered on this show include:
• What is a free birth and wild pregnancy?
• How we aren't really experiencing desirable outcomes despite increased obstetrical spending, testing and interventions
• What Nicole's first birth looked like and how interventions ultimately led to a cesarean section
• How ultrasounds are damaging to the baby
• The cascade of interventions; once synthetic oxytocin (Pitocin) is introduced, the likelihood of c-sections skyrockets
• How some women in the free birth society go well beyond their estimated due date
• How Nicole passed a massive clot with the birth of Indy and considered this closure of the physical trauma from her first birth
• Ste's role throughout the pregnancy and Nicole's labor
• How giving birth is a right of passage for women
• How this was the most transformative experience for Nicole and what she felt like after labor
• How the very first moments of our lives are potentially filled with trauma
• Why they chose not to go with a certified midwife which may have saved them another trip to the hospital
• Were there any doubts that came up throughout Nicole's labor?
• Surrendering and stepping into faith
• What Nicole was doing throughout the pregnancy to prepare for a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean)
• Finding a supportive online community (Free Birth Society)
• What it was like for Ste to catch his baby boy
If you'd like to learn more about Ste's work, his coaching and also give Radical Health Radio a listen you can find him at the links below:
• https://instagram.com/peakprimalhealth
• https://www.tiktok.com/@peakprimalhealth
• https://instagram.com/radicalhealthradio
• https://radicalhealthradio.com/

If you are interested in following a similar path and are looking for support you can check out Free Birth Society at:
• https://www.freebirthsociety.com

Thank you for listening to the show! Please share it with someone you feel needs to hear it!

1 hr 20 min
October 27, 2023 From Riches to Rags: Leaving an Unfulfilling Career to Live a Nomadic Lifestyle With Josiah Wolfson
Welcome to the 30th episode of the Back to Human Podcast.
On the show with me today I had the pleasure of speaking with Josiah Wolfson. Josiah made the adventurous decision to give up his successful career as a lawyer to live life on the road in his sprinter van, Paz, with his wife Laura.
Some of the topics we discuss on this episode include:
• Josiah's upbringing and what inspired him to give up traditional comforts to live a nomadic lifestyle
• Reintegrating back into western civilization after living in South America
• When Josiah decided to retire as a lawyer and what that transition looked like
• What influenced Josiah to become a lawyer in the first place?
• How money can't buy happiness and often times we neglect what is truly important by pursuing a life of materialism
• Do you need to leave your country to disconnect from the matrix?
• How the matrix is a mental construct
• Is pressure healthy? What kind of pressure do we need to grow?
• What does success look like for Josiah now?
• The struggles that come with living a nomadic lifestyle
• What expenses come with being a nomad?
• What it's like to connect with others once you've unplugged yourself from the system
• Josiah's experience with Gratitude Training
• Did Josiah ever think about returning to "normal life"?
• How to travel cheaply by volunteering
• Sources of income to support your nomadic lifestyle
• How we miss out on real experiences by being distracted and staying busy
• How Josiah and Laura built their home from cob
If you'd like to follow Josiah and Laura on their journey, give them a follow:
• https://www.youtube.com/@livinginpaz
• https://www.instagram.com/_livinginpaz/
Thank you for listening to the show!
1 hr 27 min