Bodies by Brent

 Elizabeth Swail is the special guest on this week’s episode of Bodies By Brent. She’s an entrepreneur, weightlifter, mom, wife, and wellness expert based in Austin, where her and her husband Michael run their Holistic Wellness Center Alive and Well. 

Liz had a complicated journey into the health and wellness space, as growing up she experienced a turbulent home life, disordered eating, suicidal thoughts, and poverty. She and Brent discuss her childhood and compare the “then” and “now” of her life, touching on how she transformed her own health by making changes over time. They list the benefits of giving up gluten and alcohol, and the long-term benefits that you’ll see if you invest time and effort into your weightlifting regime. Liz also shares how she balanced her strength training around her two pregnancies, and how she managed to keep training right up until giving birth. 

This interview also delves into some deeper topics, such as what it means to be “masculine” today and why men are lacking male role models in society. Liz explains the role that her Christian faith plays in her life and encourages listeners to find a higher power so that they’re not the center of their own universe. At the end of the interview, she tells Brent about the legacy that she wants to leave the world. 

If you liked this episode, you can support Bodies By Brent by subscribing to the podcast, recommending it to a friend, or by making a purchase with the sponsor of today’s episode, Athletic Greens. 

What You’ll Learn

• What it means for women to “have it all” in today’s society
• How breathwork can give you the same buzz as alcohol
• Why you need to believe in a higher power
• The benefits of weightlifting for women, even during pregnancy
• The legacy that Liz and her husband are creating through their business and family

Links and Resources

Fundraiser by The SOFIE Foundation: Flood Relief for Yawanawá Families in Acré Brazil
 
 https://www.gofundme.com/f/flood-relief-for-yawanawa-families-in-acre-brazil

Liz on Instagram

Alive and Well

Alive and Well on Instagram

Bodies By Brent 

Bodies By Brent on YouTube

Bodies By Brent on Instagram

Bodies by Brent on TikTok

This episode’s sponsor, Athletic Greens

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Libby Vincek is a Nashville-based personal trainer who coaches her clients on fitness, weight lifting, healthy eating, and balanced living. Her career has included roles at Disneyland, working as a model and a cheerleader, and an appearance on season 36 of the hit TV show Survivor. She’s active on Instagram, where she shares training routines, recipe inspiration, travel photos and wellness advice. 

Brent and Libby Vincek get in-depth and technical on this fun episode of Bodies By Brent, where they exchange ideas on strength training and healthy eating. Fellow trainer Libby talks about how she got into personal training and how working on her fitness gave her the strength she needed to get through a grueling stint on the reality TV show Survivor.  

Libby and Brent also give some great fitness advice that you’ll want to hear, covering topics such as reverse dieting and what they tell their female clients who are scared to lift because they think they’ll get too bulky. At the end of the episode, Brent and Libby answer listener questions about nutrition, overtraining, pre-workout meals, and more. 

If you enjoyed this episode, stick around and subscribe to the Bodies By Brent podcast and leave a review to tell Brent what you think. 

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/bodiesbybrent

What You’ll Learn

• What Survivor is like behind the scenes
• The harm that restricting your calorie intake can do to your body
• Libby’s detailed workout routine, every day of the week
• How Brent designs workouts for his PT clients
• Which workout moves do and don’t get results

Links

Libby Vincek

Libby on Instagram

Libby on Twitter

Bodies By Brent 

Bodies By Brent on YouTube

Bodies By Brent on Instagram

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Dr Nicole is a doctor in Chinese medicine and a fourth-generation farmer based in Austin, where she grows herbs and runs healing workshops. Clients come to her for gut health imbalance, hormonal problems and mental health issues such as anxiety and depression and she prescribes treatments that align traditional Chinese and prescription medication. She advocates for natural remedies that restore that body’s innate healing powers. 

Dr Nicole walks Brent through the Chinese medicine approach to health and the mind-body connection, where diseases of the mind can cause symptoms in the body and vice versa. She gives some useful insights into what you can do to look after your own health with herbs, sharing tips on which seeds women should eat at what stage in their hormonal cycle and the five herbs you can easily grow at home. Towards the end of the episode, Nicole and Brent discuss the benefits of microdosing and how it can be combined with medication to heal the mind and body. 

If you liked this episode of Bodies By Brent, don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast to catch future episodes with Brent and his special guests. 

Thank you to our sponsors

AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/bodiesbybrent

What You’ll Learn

• What herbs to take for your health and how long you should take them for
• Which herbs you can grow in your garden
• How the temperature of what you eat and drink can affect your gut
• The differences in the hormonal cycles of men and women, and what that means for your health
• How microdosing has helped to keep Nicole sober

Timestamps

[0:53] Nicole talks growing up as a fourth-generation farmer and moving to Austin

[2:09] Studying Chinese medicine and using herbs as a remedy

[3:42] Nicole’s breakdown and her Appalachian trek 

[4:55] “That’s when life was put back into perspective”

[7:00] How Chinese medicine sees mental health and the mind-body connection

[9:38] What you can do for your gut health

[10:35] “But what’s the temperature?”: Cold water and raw food might be blowing out your gut balance  

[12:37] The herbs that Nicole eats for her health and hormones 

[15:10] Many conventional diets aren’t designed for women

[17:00] Nicole’s advice to her female patients: Seed cycling with pumpkin, flax, sunflower, and black sesame seeds

[20:23] The herbs that can help to mitigate Hashimoto’s  

[22:24] Quality and quantity: What herbs to take and when  

[23:46] The top five herbs you can grow at home 

[26:13] Why Nicole uses microdosing and how it’s supported her sober journey

[30:19] Which medications you can combine with microdosing

[31:15] The real magic of Lion’s Mane mushrooms 

[32:52] Nicole’s farm and therapy garden 

[36:02] The workshops Nicole runs at the farm, including herb cultivation and smoke medicine  

[37:17] Nicole’s proprietary smoke blend 

[37:50] Where to go to find out more about Nicole and her farm 

Links

Herban Austin

Herban Austin on Instagram

[email protected]

Bodies By Brent 

Bodies By Brent on YouTube

Bodies By Brent on Instagram 

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On this episode of Bodies By Brent, special guest Alexa Martinez, also known as “That Sex Chick” takes Brent into the world of sexuality, psychedelic drugs, and dominant/submissive (D/s) relationships. Alexa is a qualified sex coach and the founder of the Sex & Love Co. Team, an organization providing courses and coaching for singles and couples who want to have a more satisfying sex life. 

Alexa begins by telling Brent about her early years, where her Catholic childhood and unstable home life made sex a difficult and unwelcome topic, and how all this changed when she started to travel and shift her perspective. She goes on to talk about what sex is like for her today and how she and her partner balance their different sex styles and kinks in a healthy and fulfilling way. 

Alexa then walks Brent through the BDSM community, explaining how to explore BDSM kinks and how to learn about your sexual preferences in a safe environment. At the end of the episode, she shares some of her favorite books about kinks and BDSM and gives her top toy and lube recommendations for different kinds of sex. 

This in-depth episode of Bodies By Brent is a great introduction to kink communities and gives insightful advice about how you can explore your sexual fantasies, alone or with a partner. If you enjoyed listening to Alexa and Brent, please leave a rating and make sure that you’re subscribed to the podcast so that you never miss an episode. 

What You’ll Learn

• How travel can open your eyes to different kinds of sex and relationships
• Why people may desire to be in a D/s relationship
• How to start talking about your sexual preferences with your partner
• When to tell a new partner about your kinks

 Links and Resources 

The Want/Will/Won’t List

BDSM Test

The Erotic Blueprint Test

Sex at Dawn on Amazon

Untrue on Amazon

The Ethical Slut on Amazon

The Ultimate Guide to Kink on Amazon

I am a Dominant on Amazon

Diary of a Submissive on Amazon

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Jill and Jenna are two sisters on a journey, advocating for gut health and sustainable lifestyles. After becoming a three-time All-American softball player, Jill started experiencing IBS symptoms. Countless tests and doctor’s visits later, she was diagnosed as “healthy.” Several years later, after seeing a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, her life completely transformed, and she uses her experience to help others on their journeys to optimal gut health. 

Jenna’s friends would’ve described her as happy go lucky. She was active and seemed perfectly healthy. Behind-the-scenes, she was in and out of doctors offices, therapy sessions, and more. She had been active in sports despite struggling with scoliosis. In recent years, she has struggled to get her anxiety under control. Today, after embracing holistic medicine, she is pursuing her passion as a Nutritional Therapy Practitioner. 

They tell the story of their grandmother’s journey with Alzheimer’s and how that drove their health mission. “I’m really passionate on the difference between being fit and being healthy,” they add. “We want to feel good.” 

“We grew up with the media portraying skinny bodies as the ideal look.” With the media’s overwhelming push for fitness over health, many people fall into the trap of trying to look a certain way, even if it’s detrimental to their health. Diet, lifestyle, and supplements are an important combination. 

There are things that can generally be done to minimize gut problems: stress management, exercise, therapy, sunlight, and prioritizing good sleep. Ways to get good sleep include reducing screen time and blue light, meal portion control before bed, regulating blood sugar, and journaling. 

In their words: “The body always wants to heal. You have to give it what it wants. If you don’t feel good, make adjustments. You have to be your own advocate. No one is coming to save you,” says Jenna. “Be brutally honest with yourself and how you’re feeling. Don’t make every change in one day. Be really picky as to what’s trendy and what’s really going to help you,” Jill adds. 

Jill and Jenna share their stories of health struggles and healing, and they talk about the many ways in which people can listen to their bodies to make better choices for their own health, including: 

• ●  Making the important distinction between fitness and health. 
• ●  Some general ways to manage gut problems. 
• ●  Being aware of how the media adds to the prevalence of health problems. 
• ●  Managing sleep in order to improve general health and wellbeing. 
• ●  Making good gut health decisions to boost your mental health. 
• For more interesting conversations and celebrations with diverse humans, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, leave a review, and tell us about your guts! 

Resources Mentioned 

• Hatch: https://www.hatch.co
  Joe Dispenza: https://drjoedispenza.com Gabby Bernstein: https://gabbybernstein.com 
• Connect with Jill and Jenna: Gut Talk Girls | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram Follow Brent Hruska on social media: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok 
• A special thanks to Logan Lepper and his production company The Authentic Exposure for their work on Bodies by Brent: Website | Instagram 

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Angela Gargano is an international fitness model, speaker, certified trainer, and founder of the Pull-Up Revolution and the Warrior Strong Method.

She has been featured on the cover of Oxygen Magazine, in Women’s Health, Muscle & Fitness, and Shape, she won Miss Fitness America 2016, was a finalist for Women’s Health Next Fitness Star, she has been on Ninja Warrior four times, and she has a degree in Biochemistry.

She utilizes her knowledge of biochemistry and the human body to help others reach their fitness, health, and wellness goals.

Her training programs also serve as a motivation for women who have been taught from a young age that they’re not strong enough to do pull-ups. “I think everybody should put their kid in gymnastics,” she adds. “They should push males and females to do these things.”

People who do pull-ups, or even work towards being able to do pull-ups, derive extensive benefits from this exercise, specifically. Physically, people get into better shape and become fitter, even without necessarily having those as objectives. The process of learning to do pull-ups have weight loss and and improved fitness as a by-product.

“It’s not really about the pull-up. It’s actually about the journey to getting your pull-up,” says Angela. She adds that, although there are physical benefits to doing pull-ups, the mental effect of simply being able to do the pull ups are significant as well. “If you do can that, and you realize that you can do that, you can do so much more in your life.”

Working with people on their pull-ups, Angela focuses on three things: mobility, stability, and strength. She adds that, during the process, it’s important to have a strong mindset despite all the negative thoughts.

In her words: “It’s not a matter of ‘if’, it’s a matter of ‘when.’ As long as you keep showing up, whatever you’re looking for, it’s going to happen, but you have to show up on the good and the bad days.”

Angela dives deep into the value of pull-ups and, as a result, overall wellness, both mentally and physically, including:

●      Why people should care about pull-ups in the first place.

●      What the physical benefits, as well as the mental benefits are of doing pull-ups.

●      How to build the mental pathways to be able to do a pull-up for the first time.

●      The equipment that you can buy to do pull-ups at home.

●      How your mindset is the most important part of being successful in any area of your life.

Resources Mentioned

Book recommendation: The Richest Man in Babylon.

App recommendation: Headspace.

Connect with Angela : Angela Gargano | Instagram | YouTube | TikTok | Facebook

Follow Brent Hruska on social media: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

A special thanks to Logan Lepper and his production company The Authentic Exposure for their work on Bodies by Brent: Website | Instagram

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 Angie Lee is an ADHDer, content creator, entrepreneur, wellness hacker, podcaster, and speaker. She dropped out of college after experiencing the limitations of the schooling system for the neurodivergent brain, started her first company at the age of 19, and has inspired and encouraged countless women to be unapologetically themselves.

Growing up with ADHD, the traditional schooling system doesn’t cater to the gift of neurodiversity. “That quality should be celebrated. Some of the most creative humans on this planet have ADHD.”

ADHD brains don’t have enough dopamine. There are things that naturally give people dopamine, including playing, exercise, movement, foods, sex, and novelty. If you have ADHD, here’s Angie’s advice: find your window of flow and create in that state, don’t feel guilty when your flow state ends, and manage your energy.

In her words: “A lot of times in life, our weakness or our vulnerability ends up being the thing that is the superpower. What’s personal is universal, so share the vulnerable thing.”

Angie owns her ADHD and encourages the celebration of ADHD and neurodiversity as Superpowers, and shares some important information on enhancing the experiences of those with neurodiverse brains, including:

●      Through her experience with micro-dosing to enhance her ADHD creativity.

●      How traditional schooling adds to the frustrations of neurodivergent brains.

●      The natural ways to treat ADHD symptoms and guarantee success in fields where ADHD thrives.

●      The types of ADHD and their symptoms.

●      How to ensure good enough sleep as the foundation for wellness.

●      Some tips for couples with ADHD or collaborating with “normal” people.

●      The benefits of nootropics and CBD in managing the ups and downs of the neurodivergent brain.

For more interesting conversations and celebrations with diverse humans, subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, leave a review, and tell us about your Superpower!

 Resources Mentioned

Connect with Angie Lee: Soul CBD | Angie Lee | The Angie Lee Show | Instagram | |

Follow Brent Hruska on social media: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok

 A special thanks to Logan Lepper and his production company The Authentic Exposure for their work on Bodies by Brent: Website | Instagram

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Brooke Taylor is the founder of The Road, which blends ancient medicine with modern modalities to bring about one’s best self. Their services include acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, unique cellular regulation, and soft tissue work with gua sha, cupping, and renowned massage sculpting techniques for sustained health and wellness.

Brooke was in her late 30s and living in Australia when she first had a taste of the restorative powers of Chinese medicine. That one session cured her insomnia and allowed her to completely relax in every area of her life. She was hooked and never looked back as she proceeded to attend more sessions on the regular.

In 2010, Brooke discovered that she had colon cancer after a fall in the middle of the street one day. Up until that point, she was suffering from fatigue, shortness of breath, and failing muscles—all things she tried to power through day after day… until she no longer could.

Determined to make a change, Brooke doubled down on her “selfish (self-care) quest to be the best me I can be without relying on medications or resorting to invasive procedures.”

Somewhere down the line, she studied acupuncture in Austin, during which she also familiarized herself with the intricacies of both Chinese herbal medicine and modern Western medicine.

In 2018, Brooke founded The Road to where she holistic treatment through the lens of Chinese medicine in order to help her clients create health and wellbeing, all while aging gracefully.

Brooke dives into the many facets and benefits of Chinese medicine, including:

●      the goal of yin and yang and the secret to releasing stuck energy

●      why Chinese medicine calls for warm, cooked food first thing in the morning

●      how the tongue becomes a useful diagnostic tool

●      the importance of cosmetic and facial rejuvenation

●      breathwork, sound, and other unorthodox healing modalities

●      how to age gracefully, aka Nobody cares about your wrinkles!

“At the end of the day,” says Brooke, “health is everything. It’s what you need to be able to get through and enjoy life.”

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Brooke Taylor: Website | Instagram

Follow Brent Hruska on social media: Instagram | YouTube 

A special thanks to Logan Lepper and his production company The Authentic Exposure for their work on Bodies by Brent: Website | Instagram

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Casey Lepper is a spiritual guide and healer as well as a psychotherapist specializing in individual and couples counseling. She often integrates the spiritual with the psychological in her work to assist others in moving towards their highest potential. 

She offers a variety of activation services, classes and training, and healings and readings for spiritual healing and empowerment via her brand Clarity Veil. Casey is also the founder of Austin Counseling Balance, where she works with women, couples, and families.

“I love breaking apart human behavior and the human condition to figure out why people do the things that they do,” says Casey. She adds that there is nothing like meeting men and women face-to-face and helping them get to the root of their mental, emotional, and spiritual roadblocks.

Casey makes the case that we have a personal responsibility to figure out our own issues. We cannot blame the other person for drawing out negative emotions or making us feel unsafe because, when it comes down to it, that’s an inside job. It’s on us to clean our trauma, burden, pain, or wounds within ourselves, and it’s only from that healed place where we can finally enjoy an ideal, long-lasting relationship.

 Casey utilizes therapy to uncover those unproductive patterns and the factors that led to the emergence of those patterns. She does this by nurturing a safe, private relationship with her clients so that she can see the situation from their perspective.

In her words: “We live so close to ourselves that it’s really hard to know what our patterns are without any reflection, and that’s what a therapist does. Therapy is about reflection, and that means showing someone the things they don’t want to see.”

Casey unravels the DNA of healthy relationships and offers advice on how to move towards our highest potential, including:

●      why supportive relationships are the foundation to a rich and purposeful life

●      how to take responsibility for our own issues and clear our trauma

●      what to look for in a new relationship and how to best prepare yourself 

●      how utilizing the Gottman Method leads to healthier relationships

●      the gifts that masculine and feminine energy uniquely bring to the relationship

●      how to support a parent or older relative struggling with trauma

One of the greatest things that can happen for us in life is to find a partner that is along for the same ride, who is keen on growing as a person right by your side. But, as Casey proves in this conversation, finding the right partner starts with taking responsibility for our own personal development.

 Resources Mentioned

Connect with Casey Lepper: Austin Counseling Balance | Clarity Veil | Instagram

Follow Brent Hruska on social media: Instagram | YouTube

A special thanks to Logan Lepper and his production company The Authentic Exposure for their work on Bodies by Brent: Website | Instagram

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Erica Medina is the owner of Thicc Mamis Fit Lab. Two years ago, Erica quit her six-figure corporate job to become a personal trainer on the heels of a successful journey to change her unhealthy relationship with food and exercise.

Today, she offers 1:1 personal training at her studio in East Austin as well as an online accountability program to help her clients stay on track with their goals.

Erica believes that every woman seeking to improve their physique needs to incorporate resistance training into their routine. The myth that lifting heavy weights makes a woman bulky has gone on long enough as far as Erica is concerned. She wants to serve as an example that, with the right plan in place, strength training alongside proper nutrition and recovery is the key to building your best body.

“My passion,” says Erica, “is not just to empower women to feel good; but, specifically to empower women to step into their power unapologetically.”

Erica unloads a treasure trove of her best advice for helping other women step into their power and achieve the physique of their dreams, including:

●      baby steps that anyone can take when beginning their health and fitness journey

●      how long it takes to forge healthy habits that last

●      why accepting who you are makes the process of change so much easier

●      her training philosophy

●      the best exercises for developing your glutes

●      structuring macros and meals around training days versus non-training days

●      plant-based high protein foods

●      her favorite supplements to aid in strength training/muscle building

“Everybody was a beginner at some point. You’re literally one choice away. That vision isn’t as far away as you think it is. It’s just not.”

Resources Mentioned

Connect with Erica Medina: Website | Instagram

Follow Brent Hruska on social media: Instagram | YouTube

A special thanks to Logan Lepper and his production company The Authentic Exposure for their work on Bodies by Brent: Website | Instagram

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