Miss Understood with Rachel Uchitel

Alexis Bellino Janssen sits down with Rachel Uchitel for a conversation about life before, during, and after The Real Housewives of Orange County. Alexis gets candid about the facelift everyone is talking about — breaking down her entire experience of before, during and after. She also takes Rachel behind the scenes of her Real Housewives journey: how she unexpectedly landed RHOC all the way to the infamous “Jesus Jugs” nickname. Alexis opens up about meeting John Janssen, falling in love after believing she would never marry again, and the misconceptions surrounding her relationship with John and Shannon Beador. Plus, Alexis shares the deeply personal experiences that shaped her outside of reality television — from divorce and motherhood to losing her mom and finding love again. And just when Alexis thinks the interview is over, Rachel shares some major personal news of her own. --- --- --- Want some more BTS bonus content of Miss Understood? Join our Patreon for Post Show Podcasts, Monthly Merch Giveaways, and Weekly Bonus Episodes! https://www.patreon.com/c/MissUnderstoodwithRachelUchitel     Shop Miss Understood Merch https://missunderstoodpodcast.com/shop/     PLEASE LIKE, SHARE, SUBSCRIBE, AND GIVE US A 5-STAR REVIEW!: ratethispodcast.com/missunderstood ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠     Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en     Follow Rachel on TikTok! https://www.tiktok.com/@itsracheluchitel     Email us [email protected]
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Is a lack of motivation a personality flaw, or a signal from your brain that something needs attention? We tend to think brain decline begins with memory loss, but changes in motivation, behavior, attention, and decision-making can show up much earlier. Apathy can look like laziness. Poor sleep can feel like memory loss. Doom scrolling gets blamed on dopamine, even though the science does not support many of the claims people repeat online. And the habits we rely on for brain health are often based more on trends than evidence. This matters because your brain is constantly deciding whether a reward is worth the effort. When that calculation becomes harder, doing even simple things can feel overwhelming. Understanding how motivation works can help you reduce friction, take action before you feel ready, build routines that support your brain, and pay closer attention to changes in yourself or someone you love. Purpose matters. Curiosity matters. Relationships matter. And movement may be one of the most effective tools we have for protecting cognitive health. Dr. Masud Husain is one of the world's leading neurologists studying memory, motivation, attention, and cognitive decline. He is a professor of neurology at Oxford University, co-leads Dementia Research at Oxford University, and serves as editor-in-chief of Brain, one of the most respected journals in neurology. He is also the author of Our Brains, Ourselves, which explores how the brain shapes our behavior, identity, relationships, and sense of self. What's Discussed: (06:01) Why losing motivation can appear before memory problems and signal early cognitive decline. (08:07) How apathy differs from depression, even when the behavior looks almost identical. (12:14) What two tiny strokes revealed about the brain circuit responsible for motivation. (20:55) How purpose, curiosity, and strong relationships help protect the aging brain. (22:23) Why unmotivated people may use more brain energy deciding whether something is worth the effort. (24:54) What dopamine actually does and why it is not the brain's pleasure chemical. (26:31) Why the idea that social media gives you constant dopamine hits is not supported by evidence. (34:50) Whether Alzheimer's can be reversed and what current treatments can realistically accomplish. (45:17) How breaking tasks into smaller steps, starting before you feel ready, and building routines can create motivation. (57:12) Whether relying on AI is making our brains lazier and changing how we think. (01:01:36) How loneliness and isolation affect cognitive performance and long-term brain health. (01:07:22) How poor sleep, anxiety, and low mood can create memory problems that feel like dementia.   Thank You to Our Sponsors! Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout. Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription.  Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift. Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off. Tru Niagen®: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com
Find more from Jen Cohen: Website: jennifercohen.com
Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements   Find more from Dr. Masud Husain:  Website: masudhusain.org X: @MasudHusain Instagram: @masudhusainoxford Book: Our Brains, Our Selves LinkedIn: Masud Husain

Want some more BTS bonus content of Miss Understood? Join our patreon for Post Show Podcasts, Monthly Merch Giveaways and Weekly Bonus Episodes! Become a Patreon Member: https://www.patreon.com/c/MissUnderstoodwithRachelUchitel   Shop Miss Understood Merch https://missumerch.com   BONUS EPISODE: In light of Perez Hilton’s recent hospitalization following a deeply concerning TikTok livestream, we’re revisiting our raw and unfiltered conversation with the man who became known as one of the original kings of celebrity gossip. Long before this latest crisis, Perez opened up to Rachel about what was happening beneath the larger-than-life persona—the insecurity, pain and anger that fueled some of his most controversial behavior, and the realization that “hurt people hurt people.” He takes responsibility for the people he lashed out at, reflects on the ways he has hurt himself along the way, and reveals a much more vulnerable side of the person behind Perez Hilton. Listening to his words today, this conversation takes on an entirely different meaning.   --- --- ---   PLEASE LIKE, SHARE, SUBSCRIBE, AND GIVE US A 5-STAR REVIEW!:  ratethispodcast.com/missunderstood ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en Follow Rachel on TikTok! https://www.tiktok.com/@itsracheluchitel Email us [email protected] Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona  
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Can being obsessed with other people's lives distract you from living your own? Reality TV can feel like harmless entertainment. You watch the drama, follow the relationships, and debate who was right or wrong. But when people become deeply invested in edited storylines, compare themselves to strangers, or attack contestants online, it reveals something bigger about where we are putting our attention. The more time we spend watching other people live, the less energy we may have for building a life of our own. Entertainment can be a way to unwind, but your attention is still one of your most valuable resources. Reality shows are designed to manipulate emotions, create villains, and keep audiences coming back. We rarely see the full story, yet people make sweeping judgments based on a few edited moments. The better question may be: Is this helping me recharge, or is it pulling me further into comparison, distraction, and negativity? In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I break down why Love Island has become such a cultural phenomenon, what reality TV reveals about modern dating and self-respect, how edited storylines influence the way we judge people, why online audiences have become so cruel, and why we need to spend less time watching other people live and more time investing in our own lives.   What's Discussed: (02:12) Why "I do not have time" often means something is not a real priority. (04:51) Why women are often held to a higher standard and expected to answer for men's behavior. (07:12) Why Love Island's constant stream of new episodes keeps audiences deeply invested. (10:42) How reality TV became a launchpad for fame, brand deals, and influencer careers. (11:43) Why audiences are easily manipulated by edited storylines and manufactured drama. (13:21) What Love Island reveals about self-respect, dating standards, and knowing when to walk away. (15:25) Why reality dating shows mirror the confusion and unhealthy patterns of modern dating. (16:38) Why people are drawn to honesty when so much media and social content feels performative. (18:04) How producers turn nonstop footage into emotional storylines designed to provoke viewers. (19:45) How comparison and consuming other people's lives can distract you from building your own.   Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout. Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription.  Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift. Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off. Tru Niagen®: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com
  Find more from Jen Cohen:  Website: jennifercohen.com
Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

Want some more BTS bonus content of Miss Understood? Join our patreon for Post Show Podcasts, Monthly Merch Giveaways and Weekly Bonus Episodes! Become a Patreon Member: https://www.patreon.com/c/MissUnderstoodwithRachelUchitel   Shop Miss Understood Merch https://missumerch.com   In 1995, twenty-year-old Navy SEAL Dusty Turner watched the man he trusted most — his SEAL Team “swim buddy” — murder a young woman in the back seat of his car. What followed was 31 years in a Virginia prison for a crime Turner didn’t commit: two trials, an 82-year sentence, a 2008 ruling that called him “actually innocent” (the first of its kind in Virginia history), and a Virginia Supreme Court reversal that sent him back to prison for 18 more years on what he calls a legal technicality.   Paroled in March 2026, Turner sits down with Rachel Uchitel for his first extended interview since walking free — the SEAL “code” that kept him silent for a week, the polygraph strategy he used so the truth could surface without him breaking that code, what three decades inside 13 different facilities does to a person, and why he’s still fighting for full exoneration while living under sex-offender-registry restrictions for a crime he was never charged with.   In this episode: • The night of June 18, 1995, and how it unraveled in under two minutes • Why Turner didn’t go to police — and the polygraph gambit he used instead • Learning years later that Billy Brown had confessed to the murder • Being ruled “actually innocent” in 2008 — and losing it again in 2011 • Training rescue dogs and growing an apple tree from a windowsill in solitary • Walking out of prison after 31 years, and what “paroled, not pardoned” really means • His new work with Veterans Healing Veterans, helping other wrongfully convicted vets   Learn more and support Dusty’s fight for exoneration: https://www.freedusty.com/   Veterans Healing Veterans from the Inside Out: https://veteranshealingveterans.com/index.html   --- --- --- PLEASE LIKE, SHARE, SUBSCRIBE, AND GIVE US A 5-STAR REVIEW!:  ratethispodcast.com/missunderstood ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en Follow Rachel on TikTok! https://www.tiktok.com/@itsracheluchitel Email us [email protected] Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona  
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Are your thoughts helping you move forward, or are they quietly running your life? We talk a lot about positivity, discipline, leadership, and good habits, but very few people understand how those things actually work together. Negative thoughts can feel true simply because they show up fast. Bad habits can undo years of progress. Leaders can have a great vision and still lose their team because they do not communicate, connect, or create trust. And being hardworking is not always enough if people do not want to follow you. This matters because success is shaped by what you believe, what you repeat, and how you show up around other people. Real confidence comes from learning how to challenge your own thinking, remove friction before a habit begins, communicate with clarity, and become the kind of person who strengthens the environment instead of being controlled by it. Positivity is a skill. Likability is a skill. Leadership is a skill. And all of them can be practiced. Jon Gordon is one of the most influential leadership authors and speakers in the world. He has worked with CEOs, professional athletes, championship teams, coaches, and major organizations across business, sports, and education. He is the author of 32 books, including The Energy Bus, The Power of Positive Leadership, The Coffee Bean, and his latest book, The Power of Positive Habits. His work focuses on helping people build stronger mindsets, better habits, healthier cultures, and teams that perform at a higher level. What's Discussed: (03:05) How The Energy Bus went from 30 publisher rejections to selling more than three million copies. (09:05) Why positivity is a skill you develop, especially when negativity comes naturally. (14:43) How connection and disconnection affect anxiety, clarity, focus, and performance. (18:39) Why physical habits like lifting weights can build discipline, confidence, and mental strength. (24:40) How choosing one word for the year can create more focus than setting another resolution. (33:16) Why becoming a better leader starts with addressing your own wounds, habits, and mindset. (36:21) How communication gaps create negativity and confusion inside teams. (37:46) The culture-building question every leader should ask before hiring someone. (43:16) How the "habit before the habit" removes friction and makes consistency easier. (45:43) Why one destructive habit can undermine all the positive habits you are trying to build. (01:03:37) Why you should talk to yourself instead of automatically listening to every negative thought. (01:05:15) Why optimism may matter even more than discipline. (01:06:39) How likability helps leaders challenge people, build trust, and demand more from their teams.
  Thank You to Our Sponsors! Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout. Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription.  Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift. Kion: Visit getkion.com/habits for 20% off. TruNiagen: For supplements that are rigorously tested, third-party verified, and actually deliver what's on the label, head to truniagen.com
Find more from Jen Cohen:  Website: jennifercohen.com
Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements   Find more from Jon Gordon:  Website: jongordon.com Instagram: @jongordon11 Books: jongordon.com/books Facebook: Jon gordon YouTube: @jongordon11 LinkedIn: Jon Gordon

What if manifestation is keeping you focused on the life you want while distracting you from the work required to build it? Manifestation has become one of the biggest trends in personal development. Visualize the outcome, believe it is coming, raise your vibration, and trust the universe to deliver. There can be value in believing in yourself and getting clear on what you want, but belief without action quickly becomes wishful thinking. Your thoughts can influence your focus, confidence, and behavior, but they cannot control every external outcome. Health challenges, financial circumstances, psychological struggles, timing, and access all play a role. When manifestation culture ignores those realities, people can end up blaming themselves for circumstances they were never fully able to control. It also creates an opportunity for self-help coaches to sell false hope, expensive programs, and promises they cannot realistically guarantee. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I break down what manifestation gets right, where it becomes harmful, why mindset must be paired with a real plan, and the warning signs to look for when someone is selling you a fantasy instead of practical guidance. Because believing in yourself matters, but nothing replaces action, effort, and good old-fashioned hard work. What's Discussed: (00:39) Why manifestation has become one of the biggest and most controversial trends in self-help. (01:19) How belief, confidence, and positive self-talk can support the pursuit of a goal. (02:25) Why visualizing an outcome means very little without effort, action, and struggle. (03:50) How manifestation can make people overestimate their ability to control external circumstances. (05:18) Why the useful ideas behind manifestation cannot stand on their own without real work. (07:32) How social media and online coaches have distorted manifestation into a larger self-help subculture. (08:36) Why parts of the coaching industry prey on people's insecurities and vulnerable moments. (09:24) How misguided hope can become dangerous when it replaces practical tools and realistic guidance. (09:54) Why manifestation needs a clear plan and how it can lead to self-blame when outcomes do not go as expected. (11:23) How to identify coaching red flags, including constant upselling, expensive retreats, flashy lifestyles, and promises of material success.
Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout. Pique: Go to piquelife.com/jenniferrsd to get 20% off for life plus free gifts Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription.  Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.
  Find more from Jen Cohen:  Website: jennifercohen.com
Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements

🎧 Want more Miss Understood? Join us on Patreon for exclusive bonus episodes, behind-the-scenes conversations, extended interviews and more. Visit the Miss Understood Patreon and become a member today.   To the world, Victor “Little Vic” Orena became known as a powerful figure in New York’s Colombo crime family. To Jackie Orena, he was simply her grandfather.   Jackie joins Rachel for a deeply personal conversation about growing up with the Orena name, the moment she realized her family wasn’t like everyone else’s, and why she has dedicated herself to fighting for her grandfather after more than three decades behind bars.   Now elderly and suffering from serious health problems, Orena remains incarcerated—and Jackie is asking a difficult question: At what point should punishment give way to compassion?   Rachel doesn’t shy away from the other side of the story. She challenges Jackie on her grandfather’s conviction, the victims connected to the case, whether Jackie is arguing for his innocence or simply asking for mercy, and how she responds to people who believe she was too young to understand the man her grandfather was accused of being.   Jackie also reveals what she would say if she had five minutes with President Trump, why every rejection has made her fight harder, and whether her advocacy will continue even after her grandfather is gone.   This isn't just a conversation about organized crime. It's about what happens when the person the world knows from headlines is the person you simply know as family. --- --- --- PLEASE LIKE, SHARE, SUBSCRIBE, AND GIVE US A 5-STAR REVIEW!:  ratethispodcast.com/missunderstood ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Rachel on Instagram!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/racheluchitelnyc/?hl=en Follow Rachel on TikTok! https://www.tiktok.com/@itsracheluchitel Email us [email protected] Executive Producer: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠George Carmona  
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Are you chasing longevity hacks while missing the habits that actually change your health? Everyone wants the shortcut. The GLP-1. The fasting protocol. The supplement. The perfect biomarker. The next thing that promises better energy, better body composition, and a longer life. But the real issue is that most people are drowning in information and still missing what actually moves the needle. Your body is not random. Muscle affects insulin sensitivity. Movement changes how glucose gets used. Sleep impacts recovery. Fasting can be powerful when it is done strategically. And the right biomarkers can show you risks that "normal" lab work may completely miss. Once you understand the why behind the habit, you stop guessing and start making smarter decisions. In this episode of Habits and Hustle, I sit down with Dr. Jonathan Schoeff, surgeon, longevity expert, and co-founder of The Longevity Lab, to break down the real science behind GLP-1s, muscle loss, fasting, testosterone, grip strength, key biomarkers, movement, sleep, and what actually supports long-term health. What's Discussed: (1:26:03) Why GLP-1s are more nuanced than the muscle loss headlines suggest. (1:30:31) How strategic fasting can support fat loss without sacrificing muscle. (1:33:09) Why fasting activates repair pathways and metabolic flexibility. (1:39:26) What fasting actually does to insulin, ketosis, and fat burning. (1:42:29) Why random five-day fasts may not work the way people think. (1:55:24) How to structure a pre-fast, fast, and post-fast day. (1:57:02) Why walking after your last meal can change glucose and insulin response. (2:09:31) How metabolic dysfunction can drive low testosterone in men. (2:23:29) What biomarkers most doctors miss, including fasting insulin and lipoprotein(a). (2:31:23) Why grip strength is an overhyped longevity metric and what matters more.   Thank You to Our Sponsors!

Magic Mind: Head over to magicmind.com/jen and use code JEN at checkout. Pique: Go to piquelife.com/jenniferrsd to get 20% off for life plus free gifts Momentous: Ready to try supplements that actually do what they claim? Head to livemomentous.com and use code JEN for 35% off your first subscription.  Therasage: Visit therasage.com and use code JEN to get 15% off your order. Your skin Prolon: Prolon is offering listeners 30% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift when you subscribe to their 5-Day Program! Just visit prolonlife.com/JENNIFERCOHEN and use code JENNIFERCOHEN to claim your discount and your bonus gift.  
Find more from Jen Cohen: Website: jennifercohen.com
Instagram: @therealjencohen Books: jennifercohen.com/books Speaking: jennifercohen.com/speaking-engagements   Find more from Dr. Jonathan Schoeff Website: longevitylabwellness.com Instagram: @jonschoeff Facebook: Dr. Jon Schoeff YouTube: @drjonschoeff

With Lee Asher back in the news following the recent attention surrounding Velveteen, I wanted to bring back one of my favorite interviews.   For those who aren’t familiar with him, Lee is the founder of The Asher House and one of the most influential voices in animal rescue today. Nearly 3 million people follow his work across Instagram and YouTube as he documents the realities of rescuing animals and running a sanctuary.   Years ago, I interviewed Lee for Miss Understood. At the time, we released the conversation in two separate episodes. We’ve never published it as one complete interview—until now.   The interview was recorded well before the recent Velveteen story, so it isn’t about the current headlines. This is a candid conversation about Lee’s childhood, how he built The Asher House, why he devoted his life to rescue, and what it’s really like caring for so many animals every day.   One of the most fascinating parts of our conversation is Lee’s honest perspective on running an animal sanctuary. The biggest challenge often isn’t the animals—it’s the people. We talk about the emotional toll, public expectations, criticism, and the realities of rescue work that most people never see.   Whether you’ve followed Lee for years or you’ve only recently discovered him because of the Velveteen story, this is the full interview you’ve never heard in one place.
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