You can’t just wake up one day, snap your fingers, and then go pick up a gold medal -  becoming an Olympic champion at anything takes real time, energy, and sacrifice. Very few people commit themselves to that pursuit and even fewer achieve their dreams. Well, today, we have a U.S. Olympian with us to talk about the ups and downs of being a world class athlete. Kate Grace qualified for the 2016 Olympics by winning the Women’s 800-meters at this year’s U.S. Olympic Trials and then reached the final of the 800-meters at the Olympics. Oh yeah! And she’s also my first daughter and I was able to travel to Rio and see her compete in an Olympic Final!  Follow Kate on Twitter (@fastk8), Instagram, and Facebook.

Olympian Kate Grace | The Method Behind Olympic Magic (UPDATED)

Health news that you can use with New York Times Best-Selling Author and Fitness Titan, Kathy Smith. Listen up if you want the most up-to-date and accurate information on fitness, longevity, health, aging and motivation. Each show consists of the biggest stories in health as well as new breakthrough techniques to live a healthier, more vibrant life. You'll feel like you're part of the conversation as Kathy gets real on The Art of Aging!

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Fitness

Health & Fitness

Here's a sobering fact: more than 75% of the population in America over the age of 65 has not one, but two degenerative diseases. The rise in chronic illness is affecting nearly every family in America. However, today's guest challenges the idea that we must accept this as a natural part of the aging process. Dr. Camillo Ricordi, a distinguished scientist, author, and pioneer in the field of regenerative medicine, joins us. Throughout his remarkable career, he has made countless contributions to advancing cellular and organ transplantation, particularly in the treatment of diabetes, thereby revolutionizing medical practices and offering hope to countless patients worldwide. Having been born and raised in northern Italy, his professional journey and research endeavours have led him to several universities and medical centers across the U.S., and eventually to Florida, where he founded the Diabetes Research Institute at the University of Miami. Now, with his groundbreaking new book, "The Health Span Code - How to Reverse Your Biological Age", Dr. Ricordi shifts his focus towards addressing one of the most severe pandemics we face: an unhealthy lifespan. The traditional notion of life expectancy is outdated. What we need to focus on is the quality of life we can expect as we age. His book delves into the captivating science behind biological aging and the factors that can accelerate it. A significant portion of our discussion will center around a major contributor to this decline: the body's inability to manage sugar effectively, which sets us on the path of metabolic dysfunction, often leading to diabetes. Uncontrolled sugar intake can have a detrimental effect on a healthy lifespan. However, there are proactive steps we can all take to slow down, and even reverse, this process. I have known Camillo for nearly 40 years, as we are connected through marriage. It is both a pleasure and an honor to introduce him to our listeners. For more podcasts, visit www.kathysmith.com/podcast

Crack The Health Span Code | Dr. Camillo Ricordi

From the moment we lift our heads off the pillow and put our feet on the floor… our days are filled with movement. In fact we make hundreds of movement decisions every single day. For the most part we don’t think of our movements as ‘choices’... but in fact whether they are conscious or unconscious – we’re the boss of how our bodies move and the consequences of those choices. I recently spoke with author Katy Bowman about her newest book: “Rethink your Position – an updated guide to everyday body alignment and movement. It’s chock-full of sensible – doable solutions to make your body your new best friend. Back as a guest on this NEW episode of The Art of Living podcast, nobody knows body mechanics quite like Katy. She’s made significant contributions to the field of human movement with her holistic, sensible approach to health… and truly practices what she preaches. In today’s episode, Katy talks about the numerous benefits of movement, going beyond the obvious to explore lesser-known advantages that you may have never heard about, including the profound effects on your health. During our conversation, you will discover:  Katy’s “Head Ramping” technique to save you from “tech-neck” The best Sleep shapes for a healthy spine and reduced pain Simple, easy toe exercises that lead to Better Balance Why your Calves are your second heart – crucial for good circulation 

Rethink Your Position | Katy Bowman

Many of us are searching for a magic bullet to improve our longevity, whether it be a supplement, medication, or exotic superfood. And yet, when it comes to enhancing our health span and preventing cognitive and physical decline, it turns out that exercise is the most potent tool we have at our disposal… even more than nutrition, sleep, or medication.   Exercise is the key to living a longer, healthier life, and nobody knows that better than today's podcast guest, Dr. Bob Sallis.   Bob is a visionary physician who helped launch the groundbreaking initiative, Exercise is Medicine in 2009 while president of the American College of Sports Medicine. By introducing a new approach of focusing on lifestyle and specifically exercise to extend your health span and prevent chronic diseases, Bob helped start the game-changing discussions that there is a new approach to aging.   For more podcasts, visit www.kathysmith.com/podcast.

Staying Younger, Longer | Dr. Bob Sallis

Change Your Brain Every Day | Dr. Daniel Amen

New York Times bestselling author, Dr. Robert Lustig, is sounding the alarm on the problems caused by processed foods and sugar. His new book, Metabolical, takes a deep dive into what’s fueling the continual increase of lifestyle diseases. By now, you know these diseases by heart… type 2 diabetes, hypertension, lipid problems, cardiovascular disease, cancer, dementia, and the list goes on.   One of Robert's defining messages is that these lifestyle diseases aren’t druggable, but they are foodable. You're about to find out what that means in today's episode. Food is the only lever you have to affect biochemical change to improve your health. As Dr. Lustig says, "If we do not fix our food and change the way we eat, we will continue to court chronic disease, bankrupt healthcare, and threaten the planet."  Here are some highlights from the show...   "My job is to kill the calorie, I want it gone as a unit of measure because it is absolutely completely useless. It’s only gotten us into more and more trouble."   "All food is inherently good; it’s what’s been done to the food that can make it bad. All of your cells either respond positively or negatively to the specific components of your food."    "Essentially, all you need to know are two precepts, six words total: protect the liver, feed the gut."    "Everybody kept saying, 'eat less, exercise more, eat less, exercise more.' Guess what? We ate less, we exercised more, and we only gained more weight."   Buckle up!    For more podcasts, visit www.kathysmith.com/podcast.

Olympian Kate Grace | The Method Behind Olympic Magic (UPDATED)

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