Pursuing Health

Fran Whitfield is a London based personal trainer who, at age 25, learned she has breast cancer that had metastasized to her brain and was given a prognosis of 2 years to live.  Unwilling to settle for such a grim diagnosis, Fran sought the help of a care team who was willing to fight the disease with her.  She credits her hedge of fitness with helping her recover quickly from brain surgery, and her current fitness routine with protecting her mental and physical health as she manages the side effects of chemotherapy.  Throughout her treatment, Fran has candidly documented her experiences to help spread awareness to other young people.  She hopes that by sharing her journey she can reduce the fear of the unknown that so many people experience as they battle cancer.

I first heard Fran’s story on a panel discussion at the CrossFit Games, and I was immediately struck by her resilience in the face of such a scary diagnosis.  Her mental fortitude as she advocates for herself and keeps her focus on the variables within her control is nothing short of remarkable.

You can connect with Fran via Instagram @franwhitfield

Ep 203 - Scott Britton on Using CrossFit to Battle Cancer

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Athena Perez is the owner of Scaled Nation CrossFit, the author of the book, Lifting the Wait, and is an advocate for the inclusivity of obese and overweight athletes in the CrossFit community. She has a remarkable transformation story, and she draws on her experiences to support others in need. A survivor of child abuse, Athena has struggled with her relationship with food since the age of 5, but with the help of CrossFit, she’s lost over 225 lbs and reclaimed her confidence.

You can connect with Athena via Instagram @athenamariebt

Ep 179 - ​​Half His Size: Physical Therapist Alan Fredendall on Losing 200 Pounds and Introducing Patients to CrossFit

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

As a second degree black belt in Taekwondo, two-time New York City marathon finisher, and long-time CrossFit athlete, Vanessa Lew was shocked when she experienced a ruptured brain aneurysm while working out. Thanks to the quick thinking and fast reaction of her CrossFit community, she quickly received the appropriate medical attention, and within weeks was on the road to recovery.

In this episode, we talk about the importance of undergoing regular medical screenings, even for healthy individuals, and the lessons she’d like to share as she’s had to relearn the most basic of skills, from walking to talking. Vanessa also shares her incredible mindset around admiring other’s achievements, but keeping her focus on celebrating her own progress as she continues to recover. 

You can connect with Vanessa via Instagram @glenmere67

Related Episodes:

Ep 180 - Putting Scleroderma into Remission with Katie Spilka

Ep 169 - Jasmine Joy on Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Austin Malleolo and James Hobart have been leaders in the CrossFit community for over a decade. Austin is a 7-time CrossFit Games competitor, including two individual finishes inside the Top 10. James is an 8-time Games veteran, including two first place finishes as part of Team CrossFit Mayhem Freedom.

Austin and James are also two of the most prolific CrossFit Seminar Staff Flowmasters, having been a part of  hundreds of Level 1 and Level 2 Seminars, in addition to being experienced affiliate owners.

Austin and James have combined all this expertise, together with fellow Seminar Staff member Spencer Hendel, to develop CrossFit Affiliate Programming, a new resource that CrossFit Home Office is making available to affiliates. CAP provides programming, class planning, and coach development tools to affiliates with the goal of strengthening coaches’ skills and giving CrossFit affiliate members the best experience possible.

In this episode we discuss how James and Austin became so involved in CrossFit, the challenges and lessons they’ve learned from running affiliates, and why they are so passionate about creating resources to support trainers.

You can connect with James and Austin via Instagram @jameshobart,  @austinmalleolo, and @hamplan. 

Ep 28 - James Hobart on Teaching, Competing, and the Real Purpose of CrossFit

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Michael Asterino shares his journey from young lacrosse athlete managing a chronic stomach condition known as gastroparesis, to college sophomore struggling with alcohol and drug abuse. When Michael recognized that his addictions were damaging his relationships and preventing him from upholding commitments, he sought help from others who were sober. With their support, he started on a path to self-betterment. Along the way, fitness, spirituality and mindfulness played a key role in his recovery.  

In this episode, he shares how he came to recognize the power of living in the present moment, and how CrossFit helps him live a life free of alcohol and drugs, and focused on connecting with the ones he loves.

You can connect with Michael via Instagram @coachasterino

Related Episodes:

Ep 67 - Sobriety through CrossFit: Brain Reap’s Story

Ep 153 - Mat Fraser + Sammy Moniz: Sweethearts on a Mission

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Disclaimer: This podcast is for general information only, and does not provide medical advice. We recommend that you seek assistance from your personal physician for any health conditions or concerns.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a functional medicine physician specializing in the concept of muscle-centric medicine, which focuses on the largest organ in the body, skeletal muscle, as the key to health and longevity.  By using high-quality protein diets, supplements, and resistance training, she helps a variety of patients, from those suffering with sarcopenia or pre-diabetes to elite military operators, reduce chronic disease risk and improve longevity.

Dr. Lyon received her doctorate in osteopathic medicine from the Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine and is board-certified in family medicine.  She earned her undergraduate degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign where she studied vitamin and mineral metabolism, chronic disease prevention and management and the physiological effects of diet composition.  She also completed a research/clinical fellowship in Nutritional Science and Geriatrics at Washington University in St. Louis.

In this episode, we talk about why muscle mass is so critical for overall good health, the importance of having a substantial amount of protein at each meal, and why dietary protein is not a clinically significant risk factor for developing cancer.

Links:

The Role of Meat in a Healthy Diet

Protein researcher’s rebuttal to Dr. Valter Longo’s research

Piedemontese discount code: GLYON

Ep 183 - Robb Wolfe on the Case for (Better) Meat

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Scott Britton is the founder of Battle Cancer, a non-profit that uses functional fitness events to raise funds for cancer charities, as well as provides free training programs to help cancer survivors thrive post-treatment.

Originally a small, personal fundraising initiative, Scott quickly recognized that when it came to creating a big impact, there is strength in numbers.  He recruited others and worked hard to grow Battle Cancer into a huge movement that has raised over $1.4 million and hosted events across Europe and in the US.  

Most recently, Battle Cancer has formed an official partnership with CrossFit and sits poised to become an even bigger global phenomenon as it leverages the CrossFit community to create powerful bonds and relationships that support cancer survivors.

In this episode, Scott shares how he became so passionate about the fight against cancer, the benefits of using movement as medicine, and his dream of developing a network of fitness professionals and affiliates who are trained to support those affected by this pervasive disease.

You can connect with Scott and Battle Cancer via their website and Instagram @battle.cancer

Ep 127 - Fighting Breast Cancer with Barbells: Barbells for Boobs Founder Zionna Hanson

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Jackie Bowen is the executive director of the Clean Label Project, a non-profit with the mission to bring transparency to food and product labeling by using analytical chemistry and data investigations to research top selling products. Jackie has a Master of Science in quality engineering from Easterm Michigan University, a Master of Public Health in management and policy from University of Michigan, and has appeared on numerous media outlets including NBC, ABC, CNN, ‘The Doctors’, ‘Dr. Oz’, and ‘Dr. Drew’.

Oliver Amdrup is co-founder of the natural health and food supplement brand, Puori, as well as the founder of the first CrossFit affiliate in Denmark. His interest in food and supplement quality was borne out of a desire to ensure his own personal fish oil supplementation was coming from the best source possible. Since then, he has helped Puori grow into a company that offers a variety of supplements to address the main nutritional deficiencies of the developed world with full transparency testing across their entire product portfolio.

Together, Jackie and Oliver are working to educate consumers on how environmental toxins can lead to chronic disease and how as consumers we can make better food choices.

In this episode, we cover the basics of cleaner living, steps you can take to reduce your overall toxin load, and what to look for when purchasing supplements.  We also get into some fascinating research, including why vanilla protein might be a better choice than chocolate!

Resources:

Toxins in Chocolate

Coming Clean Project podcast

Clean Label Project brand search

You can connect with Oliver and Jackie via Instagram @comingcleanproject

Ep 22 - Brigid Titgemeier on Functional Nutrition

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

Samantha Briggs has been a staple athlete within the CrossFit community for over a decade. Her nickname, “The Engine,” refers to her incredible work capacity in longer events, but it now seems to apply to her longevity in the sport as well.  Sam is a 9-time CrossFit Games competitor, the 2013 Fittest Woman on Earth, and in 2022, she has her sights set on becoming the fittest 40 year-old in history.

It’s been over 3 years since Sam last joined me on the podcast, so I was excited to have the chance to catch up with her recently to learn more about what she’s been up to lately.  We talked about several of the philanthropic endurance challenges she’s taken on, her world record time at the Spartan Games, how she’s adapted her training over the years, and what drives her to continue working hard in the gym, day in and day out.

You can connect with Sam via Instagram @bicepslikebriggs

Ep 72 - Sam Briggs on Going Back to Basics and Training for Longevity

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.

200 episodes of Pursuing Health, wow! 

To celebrate, I decided it was time for a long overdue Q+A style episode.  Thank you to everyone who responded to my email request for questions; there were so many fantastic ones, and I wish I was able to cover them all! 

To make this Q+A session extra special, I enlisted the help of my friend Pat Sherwood.  Pat was one of the first people to interview me when I began my career as a CrossFit athlete, so it was a huge treat to catch up with him now, over 10 years later!

Thank you so much for your continued support of the podcast.  I know many of you have followed along on my journey from CrossFit Games athlete, to medical student, to physician and I’m honored that you continue to tune in each week.  I’m so grateful to have the opportunity to listen and learn from so many amazing guests, from medical experts to elite athletes to everyday individuals with inspiring transformation stories, and it’s a privilege to get to share these conversations with you.

Here’s to 6 years of Pursuing Health, and many more to come!

You can connect with Julie and Pat via Instagram @JulieFoucher, @Sherwood215

Ep 21 - Pat Sherwood on CrossFit, the Games and Quality of Life and Longevity

If you like this episode, please subscribe to Pursuing Health on iTunes and give it a rating or share your feedback on social media using the hashtag #PursuingHealth. I look forward to bringing you future episodes with inspiring individuals and ideas about health every Tuesday.