In this eye-opening episode, Joseph and Richard sit down with Dr. Jason Sonners—functional medicine expert and hyperbaric innovator—to explore the cutting edge of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), biological aging, and the future of integrative health. Fresh off completing his PhD in molecular biology, Jason shares the results of a groundbreaking study comparing soft and hard hyperbaric chambers, uncovering surprising findings that could reshape the industry.

From cytokine signaling to mitochondrial function, Jason breaks down his clinical experience, personal practices, and research-backed insights on optimizing recovery, cognition, and biological age. This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in evidence-based biohacking, functional medicine, and using oxygen as medicine.

Key themes:

• Surprising benefits of soft-shell vs. hard-shell hyperbaric chambers
• How hyperbaric therapy impacts aging, inflammation, and cognitive function
• When more pressure is not better—and how hormesis plays a role
• The synergistic effects of HBOT with fasting, nitric oxide, methylene blue, and more
• What physicians are missing about post-surgical recovery and non-drug therapies

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Jason’s research shows both soft (1.3 ATA) and hard (2.0 ATA) chambers reduce systemic inflammation, but affect different cytokines—proving both have distinct therapeutic uses.
• Lower pressure chambers impacted cytokines like TNF-α and IL-6 more strongly—key for autoimmune and chronic inflammatory issues.
• High pressure chambers had stronger effects on markers like myeloperoxidase—making them more useful for cardiovascular inflammation and long COVID.
• Cognitive improvements were statistically significant for memory in both groups, with higher pressure showing stronger effects.
• Both pressure types reversed biological age, but in different ways: low pressure affected Gen 1 clocks early, while high pressure impacted Gen 2 clocks after a delay.
• Stacking HBOT with fasting, nitric oxide boosters, and methylene blue may enhance results—but combining with antioxidants like glutathione too early could blunt benefits.
• Biohackers often overdo hormetic stress; more isn’t always better. Stacking intelligently (and seasonally) is key.
• Jason encourages practitioners to move away from dogma and explore physiology-based decision making—matching tools to pathways, not diagnoses.
• Clinical logic matters: HBOT has decades of research on wound healing, so why isn’t it used for surgical recovery?
• Methylene blue is safe and effective for many, but not necessary for everyone. Use should be based on goals, tolerance, and context—not trendiness.

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In this eye-opening episode, Joseph and Richard sit down with Dr. Jason Sonners—functional medicine expert and hyperbaric innovator—to explore the cutting edge of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), biological aging, and the future of integrative health. Fresh off completing his PhD in molecular biology, Jason shares the results of a groundbreaking study comparing soft and hard hyperbaric chambers, uncovering surprising findings that could reshape the industry.

From cytokine signaling to mitochondrial function, Jason breaks down his clinical experience, personal practices, and research-backed insights on optimizing recovery, cognition, and biological age. This conversation is essential listening for anyone interested in evidence-based biohacking, functional medicine, and using oxygen as medicine. They cover:

• Surprising benefits of soft-shell vs. hard-shell hyperbaric chambers
• How hyperbaric therapy impacts aging, inflammation, and cognitive function
• When more pressure is not better—and how hormesis plays a role
• The synergistic effects of HBOT with fasting, nitric oxide, methylene blue, and more
• What physicians are missing about post-surgical recovery and non-drug therapies

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Jason’s research shows both soft (1.3 ATA) and hard (2.0 ATA) chambers reduce systemic inflammation, but affect different cytokines—proving both have distinct therapeutic uses.
• Lower pressure chambers impacted cytokines like TNF-α and IL-6 more strongly—key for autoimmune and chronic inflammatory issues.
• High pressure chambers had stronger effects on markers like myeloperoxidase—making them more useful for cardiovascular inflammation and long COVID.
• Cognitive improvements were statistically significant for memory in both groups, with higher pressure showing stronger effects.
• Both pressure types reversed biological age, but in different ways: low pressure affected Gen 1 clocks early, while high pressure impacted Gen 2 clocks after a delay.
• Stacking HBOT with fasting, nitric oxide boosters, and methylene blue may enhance results—but combining with antioxidants like glutathione too early could blunt benefits.
• Biohackers often overdo hormetic stress; more isn’t always better. Stacking intelligently (and seasonally) is key.
• Jason encourages practitioners to move away from dogma and explore physiology-based decision making—matching tools to pathways, not diagnoses.
• Clinical logic matters: HBOT has decades of research on wound healing, so why isn’t it used for surgical recovery?
• Methylene blue is safe and effective for many, but not necessary for everyone. Use should be based on goals, tolerance, and context—not trendiness.

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In this deeply personal and thought-provoking episode of RUNGA Radio, Joseph Anew and Dr. Richard Blake explore the ancient ritual of Misogi—a deliberate undertaking of hardship to meet your truest self. Joseph shares his raw, emotional journey through a 52.4-mile ultra-endurance race he signed up for just 26 days before, using it as a gateway to spiritual and psychological growth. Richard reflects on his own experiences with failure, masculinity, and naked vulnerability (literally) at a Tantra retreat. Together, they challenge our collective obsession with comfort and performance, offering listeners a new framework for transformation.

• Why failure is the most underrated tool for transformation
• The ancient roots of Misogi and its modern relevance
• Joseph’s physical and emotional unraveling during a 52.4-mile race
• How suffering reveals hidden parts of the psyche—“the cast of characters”
• Peptides, breathwork, and recovery tools for extreme endurance

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Failure isn’t a detour—it’s the path. Modern comfort has robbed us of our psychological resilience.
• Misogi is an ancient Japanese ritual of purification through hardship. The modern interpretation is choosing something with a 50% chance of failure to meet yourself more deeply.
• Joseph completed 40 out of 52.4 miles in an ultra-race, confronting pain, rage, shame, and even the “cheater” within him along the way.
• True self-awareness often requires stepping into discomfort where the “cast of characters” within you emerge—victim, critic, avoider, cheater, etc.
• Peptides like BPC-157 and TB-500, along with BioRegenics Cream, can play a remarkable role in recovery when the body is deeply stressed.
• Time is a false god—Joseph explains how we use it as an excuse to avoid the work we need to do.
• Suffering is unavoidable; the choice is whether you confront it on your terms or let life impose it upon you.
• Physical hardship creates transformation faster than therapy in many cases because of its intensity and immediacy.
• Misogis should be challenging but not reckless. The right threshold is something with a high risk of failure—but not guaranteed collapse.
• Richard shares how leaving a Tantra retreat due to discomfort and returning years later transformed his relationship to shame, intimacy, and the body.

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Laura Fullerton (@laurafullerton) is the founder of the high-performance ice bath brand Monk. In this episode, Richard (@the_breath_geek) and Joseph (@therungaguy) dive into:

• How cold exposure uniquely benefits women (and what week of your cycle to plunge)
• Why temperature matters way less than you think
• The secret link between trauma, PTSD recovery, and the cold
• The biggest myths about ice baths (and why “harder” isn’t always better)

Get ready to rethink what you know about cold therapy, stress resilience, and performance. 

TIMESTAMPS:

00:01 – Meet Laura Fullerton: founder of Monk Ice Baths and unexpected ice bath enthusiast

00:44 – Laura’s first (reluctant) plunge and life-changing breathwork experience

03:49 – Why the more afraid you are, the bigger the dopamine reward

04:18 – How the menstrual cycle affects cold tolerance: when women should (and shouldn’t) plunge

08:37 – Should you plunge when sick or hungover? (spoiler: probably not)

09:44 – Ice baths and inflammation: how plunging helped endometriosis symptoms in a pilot study [Liability Note]

11:07 – Does cold exposure blunt muscle growth? Here’s the real nuance

14:37 – When cold plunging boosts athletic recovery and endurance pre-cooling

16:14 – Carnivore Aurelius says cold plunges are bad? Here’s why that’s misleading

17:23 – Gender differences: how men vs women experience the benefits of cold

19:54 – Is cold therapy a lasting health trend—or just a stepping stone to something bigger?

24:03 – Joseph’s near-death hypothermia story (and accidental DMT experience)

26:00 – Swearing during cold plunges: surprising science about pain tolerance

28:47 – Laura’s #1 ice bath myth she wishes would disappear

33:26 – Behind the scenes: building Monk, hardware + software in the biohacking space

38:36 – Monk’s vision: syncing cold therapy with your biometrics

40:08 – How cold plunging could help PTSD and mental health for veterans

48:55 – Cold immersion, menstrual cycles, and psychedelics—new research insights

53:46 – Why women’s health research is finally (slowly) catching up

57:45 – How to find Monk, Laura, and what’s coming next

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In this episode, Dr. Richard Blake (@the_breath_geek) and Joseph Anew (@TheRUNGAGuy) go deeper than the usual therapy vs. fitness debate — questioning whether traditional therapy is even the best first-line treatment for many people.

We explore:

– Why SSRIs might not be the magic bullet we were promised
– How exercise could act as the “missing ingredient” in emotional healing
– The dangers of weaponizing “intention vs. impact” culture
– How plastic surgery affects mental health
– The real reason social connection predicts longevity
– Why men’s mental health needs movement, not just talking circles

With honest reflections, real studies, and no sacred cows, this conversation is a much-needed reality check for anyone navigating modern mental health culture.

Ready for a true mind-body-soul upgrade?
Join our RUNGA Intensive — a 12-week coaching journey to unlock your next level of health and freedom.
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TIMESTAMPS
00:00 – Facelifts: The new PED for biohackers?
04:17 – Plastic surgery and its unpredictable impact on mental health
06:56 – Why your perception shapes your reality more than you think
08:32 – How outrage culture is making us miserable
13:05 – Does therapy really work? A harsh look at the evidence
19:45 – The dangers of therapy if you don’t actually need it
24:15 – Exercise, SSRIs, and therapy: Which one wins for mental health?
37:31 – Why men might need exercise even more than women
43:34 – Longevity and friendship: It’s not what you think
48:10 – New Age spirituality and narcissism: a slippery slope
55:06 – SSRIs: The dirty secrets no one talks about
01:08:04 – Why therapy needs to integrate sleep, food, sunlight, and fitness

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Mold, EMFs, Histamine & the Biohacking Rain Barrel

Tony Wrighton was once a high-energy presenter on Sky Sports. Now? He’s the guy who walks into a café wearing EMF shorts, uses tapping to help his 5-year-old poop, and might just be the most nuanced voice in biohacking right now.

In this refreshingly honest and surprisingly funny conversation, we explore how Tony’s years of mysterious gut issues and burnout turned out to be histamine intolerance… caused by mold exposure in his student housing decades earlier. We also get real about the biohacks that don’t work, parenting in the digital age, EMF fails, and why the best hacks are still free.

Tony’s also the host of the popular Zestology podcast.

Topics We Cover

• Mold, histamine intolerance & post-viral fatigue
• EMFs, sleep canopies & tech that might be doing nothing
• Parenting without iPads (and why tapping helps with constipation)
• Biohacking fails: TSA trauma, shrinking shorts, and placebo pants
• Full-body MRIs, metabolic testing, and the future of diagnostics
• Why Gabor Maté and Esther Perel were Tony’s most important teachers
• Social media’s role in health anxiety — and what to do about it

Key Moments
00:00 – Mold vs. EMF: Why we’re not all reacting to the same triggers
03:18 – What histamine intolerance really feels like
07:11 – The “Plinko” theory of chronic illness
21:00 – Tapping for kids, parenting in the age of addiction
33:00 – EMF blocking fails, radiation fears & airport scanners
43:29 – What’s actually exciting in health: testing, not tech


Tools & Resources

• Dirty Genes by Ben Lynch
• SiPhox Home Testing
• Quicksilver Scientific – use code RUNGA for 15% off
• Dr. Khan – Austin Regenerative Therapy
  
  

RELATED EPISODES

• Amy Piper – The Science of Tapping & Becoming Your Own Healer
• Huberman’s Dangerous Advice

LIABILITY NOTE

EMF sensitivity is not recognized as a formal diagnosis by most medical institutions. However, some individuals report reproducible symptom relief from mitigation strategies.

Histamine intolerance remains a controversial and poorly defined diagnosis. Symptoms may overlap with other conditions. Always consult with a medical professional.

Airport scanners in the U.S. use millimeter wave technology. These scanners are banned in the EU based on precautionary principles.

EFT (Tapping) may be effective for emotional regulation but should not replace professional mental health care when needed.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM

@the_breath_geek | @TheRUNGAGuy | @tonywrighton

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Dr. Richard Blake responds to 3 million views, 3,000 comments, and a mental health system under fire. Last week Dr. Richard Blake (@the_breath_geek) posted a reel that challenged the foundational assumptions of modern therapy — and it exploded: 3M+ views, 100K shares, and thousands of comments.

In this episode recorded live from the Health Optimization Summit, Richard, therapist-in-training Natalia Blake, and co-host Joseph Anew unpack the firestorm. They address accusations of manipulation, the limitations of talk therapy, and the rise of therapy culture that may be doing more harm than good. This is a raw, honest, and timely conversation that asks big questions about how we heal, what’s keeping us stuck, and what a more empowered, integrated path forward might look like.

• The Limitations of Traditional Talk Therapy – Why many people feel stuck in therapy, and how the field is still influenced by outdated frameworks and models of the mind.
• The Rise of “Therapy Culture” – A critical distinction between therapy as a tool and the growing cultural identity around being in therapy, working on trauma, or identifying as broken.
• Personal Agency and the Path to Real Healing – How movement, community, breathwork, and lifestyle interventions can create the transformation many are seeking—but not finding—in conventional care.
• Conscious Connected Breathwork (CCB) as a Therapeutic Alternative – Drawing from his PhD research, Richard shares why CCB may offer a more embodied and effective route for emotional processing and nervous system regulation.
• Rethinking the Mental Health System – From ghosting therapists to the limitations of insurance-based models, the conversation explores what’s not working—and what could work better.

Liability Note
This episode includes a critique of therapy culture, outcomes, and common practices. Listeners are reminded that not all therapy is ineffective, and many benefit from mental health support when well-matched with a trained professional. This podcast does not offer individualized clinical advice. Always consult a licensed provider for mental health needs.

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Joseph and Richard sit down with integrative nutritionist Marek Doyle for a deep and honest conversation about the true nature of stress, why cortisol isn’t the villain it’s made out to be, and how the nervous system—and our energy levels—shape our capacity to heal. Marek brings a refreshingly nuanced perspective to the world of functional medicine, challenging mainstream narratives and offering insight into how energy security, nervous system regulation, and breathwork all play a central role in true well-being. You’ll hear about his transition from reductionist, evidence-based protocols to a more intuitive and personal approach—one rooted in lived experience, clinical insight, and the intelligence of the body.

What You’ll Learn:

Why Cortisol Isn’t the Enemy: Marek breaks down the true role of cortisol, showing that it’s not the stress hormone we should fear—but a key player in turning off the stress response. Chronic stress, not cortisol itself, is what leads to health issues like inflammation, gut permeability, and burnout.

The Hidden Cost of Low Energy: He explains how low energy availability—not just poor nutrition—can prevent healing, stall progress, and make even the best protocols ineffective. Energy security, including how the body predicts and produces energy, is at the center of Marek’s system.

Rethinking Functional Medicine: Marek challenges the typical reductionist model in functional medicine. Rather than relying on isolated tests and trendy supplements, he emphasizes a personalized, systems-based approach rooted in how the body actually functions in real life.

The Limits of “Evidence-Based” Approaches: This episode dives into why rigid, data-only thinking can leave many people behind. Marek shares how effect sizes, individual responses, and clinical nuance are often more important than what the latest study says.

Breathwork as a Breakthrough Tool: After trying countless somatic practices, Marek found breathwork to be the most consistent and fast-acting way to shift someone out of stress and into healing. He now considers it essential for restoring nervous system balance and resilience.

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Jay Campbell is a leading expert in the field of hormone therapy, peptides, and biohacking. With a wealth of experience dating back to 2004, Jay delves into the cutting-edge world of peptide therapies and their diverse applications for optimizing health, performance, and longevity. He dives into the transformative potential of both peptides and bio-regulators, with a particular focus on the revolutionary impact of GLP-1 receptor agonists for weight management and metabolic health. 

With exciting advancements in exercise-mimicking peptides and nootropics, as well as the reality of the complex regulatory landscape surrounding these compounds, listeners will get a glimpse into the forefront of biohacking for enhanced physical and cognitive function. This episode is packed with cutting-edge insights from Jay Campbell. Whether you’re an athlete, health optimizer, or just curious about the next frontier in performance science, you won’t want to miss it.

What You'll Learn:

•Peptides & Bio-Regulators 101 – Understand how peptides act as powerful signaling molecules, why injectables often have the greatest impact, and how bio-regulators target specific organ systems for healing and optimization.

•The GLP-1 Revolution – Discover how peptides like semaglutide (Wegovy) and tirzepatide (Mounjaro) are reshaping weight management, metabolism, and even brain function. Learn the critical do’s and don’ts of proper usage, including the emerging science of microdosing for long-term benefits.

•Breaking Through Plateaus with Biohacking – Explore how transdermal and oral bio-regulators, nootropics, and exercise-mimicking peptides can enhance recovery, cognition, endurance, and fat loss—without extreme interventions.

•The Truth About Performance Enhancers – From mitochondrial-boosting peptides to metabolism-shifting compounds, learn how to strategically use advanced tools to optimize fitness, longevity, and overall well-being.

•Peptides & Safety: What You Need to Know – Before jumping into peptide therapy, understand the evolving regulatory landscape, why blood work is a must, and how to navigate this space responsibly.

•The Benefits of Key Products – Before jumping into peptide therapy, understand the evolving regulatory landscape, why blood work is a must, and how to navigate this space responsibly.

• Bio Longevity Labs (Use code RUNGA for 15% off):
  • Bio Restore (Oral BPC-157)
  • Biomind (Nootropic)
  • Bio Gut Pro (Gut Health)
  • Shred (SLO-P 332 / Sloop)
  • Shred X (Pre-Cardio)
  • Meta Shred (SLO-P 332 + BAM 15)
  • Biogenics (Transdermal Healing)
  • BioSculpt (Transdermal Fat Loss)

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In this episode, Joseph Anew and Richard Blake break down what really matters in health and fitness—cutting through hype, misinformation, and overcomplication. They dive into authenticity in fitness advice, exploring whether figures like RFK Jr. and Greg Glassman truly “walk the walk” and exploring how rhetoric can overshadow truth. A deep discussion on the Huberman Lab interview with Pavel Tsatsouline sparks debate over a misunderstood recommendation about running with a unilateral load—leading to a breakdown of energy systems, metabolic pathways, and why so many people are aerobically deficient.

The conversation also explores longevity, stress, and why some Blue Zones research may be misleading. They unpack the “Midwit” meme—showing how fitness advice often gets needlessly complex—and highlight the power of community, the mental benefits of strength training, and the history of kettlebell training.

You’ll Learn:

• The real impact of creatine on energy and performance.
• Why authenticity matters in fitness advice.
• How energy systems fuel your workouts—and why most people ignore aerobic health.
• Why fitness advice often gets overcomplicated.
• The surprising mental benefits of strength training—especially back squats.
• The origins of kettlebell training and what RKC & Strong First got right.

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