The EMPWR Podcast

If I had to lose fat, build muscle and start from zero again, these are the 10 things I'd do. I spent years yo-yo dieting, doing random workouts and weighing myself twice a day, and none of it worked until I changed the way I approached it. This is everything I wish I'd known at the start. 

We cover why discipline beats motivation, prioritizing whole foods without being restrictive, strength training four days a week, progressive overload, tracking macros for the first three months, building a small deficit instead of slashing calories, keeping carbs in, throwing the scale away, changing your environment, and why six months is the number that actually matters. 

TIMESTAMPS: 

0:00 - Intro

1:20 - The activewear brands I actually wear 

2:42 - What I'd do if I had to start my fitness journey over 

3:12 - The years I spent yo-yo dieting and never sticking to it 

4:03 - Why results take longer than anyone tells you 

4:28 - Everyone starts at a different point 

5:44 - The 10 things I'd do to lose fat and build muscle from zero 

6:41 - 1. Build the mindset before you build anything else 

7:03 - Discipline vs motivation, and why motivation always runs out 

8:27 - The days I still don't want to train 

9:31 - Affirmations and feeding yourself positivity

10:18 - The first taste of change, and why it keeps you going 

11:04 - Give any program three months before you judge it 

12:24 - 2. Prioritize whole foods 

12:50 - Why food quality matters more than perfect macros 

13:25 - Why processed foods leave you hungry and over your calories 

14:30 - Eating more volume and snacking less 

15:01 - Protein sources, fiber and vegetables 

15:34 - The carbs I actually eat 

15:57 - My 90/10 lifestyle and why restriction never lasted 

16:27 - The Happy Meal rule 

17:08 - Meal prep and my 3-2 rule 

17:54 - Using sauces so meal prep isn't boring 

19:03 - 3. Strength train four days a week 

19:35 - If you want to look toned, it is not through more cardio 

20:18 - How to split your four days based on your goals 

21:08 - Recovery, and the 24 to 48 hour rule 

22:28 - Where cardio actually fits in 

23:28 - 4. Focus on progressive overload 

23:48 - Your body adapts to what you repeatedly ask it to do 

24:15 - What progressive overload actually means 

25:28 - The goblet squat example, week one to week five 

26:43 - Why random workouts kept me stuck for years 

27:30 - Nail your form before you add weight 

29:20 - 5. Track your macros for the first three months 

29:46 - Why the long term goal is intuitive eating 

30:13 - What 30g of protein actually looks like 

30:32 - How quickly fats add up 

31:02 - How tracking showed me I was over and under eating 

32:30 - 6. Create a small deficit, don't slash your calories 

33:13 - Adjusting based on energy, hunger and recovery 

34:15 - How to tell if you're at maintenance, deficit or surplus 

34:56 - 7. Keep the carbs in 

35:26 - The low carb years and how miserable I was 

36:21 - Timing your carbs around your workout 

37:08 - Do you need to eat before a 5am workout 

38:35 - Blood sugar, and what to eat if you feel dizzy 

39:09 - 8. Stop weighing yourself every day 

39:34 - Weighing myself multiple times a day 

40:37 - Everything that moves the number on the scale 

41:19 - What to measure instead of body weight 

42:09 - Throwing the scale away 

42:44 - Why your own body is the best scale you have 

44:42 - Take your before photos 

45:36 - 9. Change your environment sooner 

45:52 - What's quietly pulling you away from your goals 

47:34 - Setting boundaries around your time and energy 

49:54 - 10. Give yourself six months 

50:48 - The biggest mistake I see women make 

52:00 - The restart cycle that kept me stuck 

52:33 - A true body recomposition took me a full year 

53:24 - What changed beyond the physical transformation 

56:05 - Write these down where you'll see them 

57:58 - Wrapping up 

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Most women are told their bloodwork is normal while they still feel exhausted, foggy and stuck. Dr. Clay Moss breaks down what a standard panel checks, what it misses, and the labs to ask for instead. We get into iron and ferritin, full thyroid panels, cortisol rhythms, and why your baseline in your 30s matters more than any single result.

We also cover hormone replacement therapy and the study that scared a generation of women away from it, what perimenopause really looks like, GLP-1s and who they help, creatine and vitamin D, why DEXA beats BMI, intermittent fasting for women, and why strength training is the one thing he would never give up.

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - Intro/Trailer

1:23 - Training for aesthetics vs training for longevity

2:15 - When the mirror stops matching what's underneath

2:52 - Strep throat 22 times and the tonsils that came out too late

7:17 - What's actually wrong with the medical system

10:06 - How much nutrition doctors learn in med school

14:17 - Athletes who look incredible and aren't healthy

15:11 - How do you know you're healthy on the inside

15:42 - What feeling like crap actually looks like

17:42 - When your doctor says everything looks good

18:03 - What insurance covered labs actually check

18:24 - The labs to ask for: vitamin D, B12, thyroid, hormones

18:45 - Why your baseline in your 20s and 30s matters

19:23 - The top deficiencies he sees in women's bloodwork

19:40 - Iron and ferritin, and the symptoms to watch for

20:41 - Why women get thyroid issues far more often than men

21:04 - Why thyroid and adrenals come before estrogen

21:27 - Brain fog, fatigue, low libido, dry skin, stubborn weight

22:05 - TSH, T4, free T3 and reverse T3 explained

23:29 - Why trending your labs over the years is so powerful

23:48 - Hormone replacement therapy

24:34 - The steps to take before you jump to HRT

25:10 - Why perimenopause is so volatile

26:30 - Saliva testing and your cortisol rhythm

27:09 - Urine testing across a full cycle

28:42 - Why HRT can be an amazing thing for a woman

29:24 - The study that used horse urine estrogen

30:31 - How doctors stopped being trained to prescribe hormones

30:54 - Supplements for women seeing hormonal shifts

32:28 - Vitamin D, and why normal isn't optimal

32:51 - Magnesium and creatine

33:37 - Why creatine may help women more than men

35:11 - Body composition, and why DEXA is underused

36:12 - Why BMI is the wrong measure

36:56 - Waist circumference and the number to aim for

37:30 - Intermittent fasting

37:48 - Why women are more sensitive to fasting

39:09 - Sam on fasting and the calorie mistake she made

39:44 - Building a protein first morning

41:39 - Why carnivore worked, and what it really was

42:33 - Sam on lower carb and the inflammation she lost

45:37 - A day of eating, and the 80% rule

46:22 - Why a protein forward Mediterranean diet is the best start

49:10 - GLP-1s

49:31 - Why he used to be anti GLP-1

50:46 - The ApoE4 gene and Alzheimer's as type 3 diabetes

52:22 - Which peptides he thinks are most beneficial

53:33 - BPC-157 and the shoulder injury it helped

54:37 - The Hollywood stack

56:47 - How GLP-1s get misused and titrated too fast

58:30 - The DEXA error that made us think GLP-1s destroy muscle

1:00:06 - The loss of pleasure nobody talks about

1:02:43 - Non-negotiables if you're on one for weight loss

1:03:02 - Why strength training is by far number one

1:04:21 - How much protein, and the body weight number to use

1:05:32 - Why strength training matters most for longevity

1:06:27 - Gym or run? Why he picks the gym every time

1:08:44 - The study where women over 65 lifted heavy

1:10:48 - Muscle memory and why it's never lost for good

1:12:07 - Why now is the easiest it will be to build muscle

1:12:46 - His daily habits, starting with morning sunlight

1:15:33 - Sauna vs cold plunge

1:16:32 - What he wants to be able to do at 80

1:18:58 - Where to find Dr. Clay Moss

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CONNECT WITH DR. CLAY MOSS:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drclaymoss

SAM'S LINKS:

ELEVATE App | free 7 day trial: https://www.elevatebysam.com/

Macro Guide: https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides

Running Programs: https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides

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The average person consumes about a credit card's worth of plastic every week, and PFAS forever chemicals are now in roughly 97% of people's blood. I sat down with Jordan, the founder of Caraway, to talk about what's actually in your nonstick cookware, why Teflon was originally created for the atomic bomb, and how to tell in five seconds whether the pan in your kitchen is coated in it.

We get into the night he gave himself Teflon poisoning and called poison control, why 6 to 8 states have now banned PFAS in cookware, what happens when your nonstick coating starts to flake, and whether heating food in plastic is as bad as you think. Plus the easiest nontoxic swaps to make first, what to do about takeout containers, baby bottles and kids' toys, and the new nontoxic coffee maker that took five years and two dozen factories to build.

Use code EMPWR20 at: http://www.carawayhome.com/empwr20 for 20% off any Caraway product!

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 - One credit card of plastic a week

1:13 - Intro

1:30 - The cheap college pots and pans I had no idea about

2:16 - The three types of cookware, and where Teflon came from

3:42 - How to tell if a pan has Teflon in it

4:22 - What happens when your nonstick coating flakes and scratches

5:20 - Where these toxins go once they're in your body

6:15 - PFAS is in 97% of people's blood

6:24 - Why the FDA hasn't banned forever chemicals

8:05 - Everywhere else PFAS is hiding in your home

8:33 - Why manufacturers still use Teflon if they know

9:59 - Will PFAS ever actually be banned

11:13 - Is Teflon linked to cancer

12:44 - How Jordan got into the cookware industry

14:25 - The night he got Teflon poisoning and called poison control

18:51 - The friend who melted baby bottles on the stove

20:31 - Going nontoxic after my son was born

21:28 - How to handle this when you travel

22:39 - Takeout containers and plastic

22:59 - Is cold food in plastic any safer

23:56 - Why heating food in plastic is the worst thing you can do

25:04 - What to swap out for your kids

26:42 - Baby teethers, toys, and whether silicone is better

27:31 - Why BPA free doesn't mean PFAS free

28:20 - Clean cosmetics, perfume and lotions

29:25 - Is nontoxic living just too expensive

30:52 - Where to start, and how long ceramic cookware lasts

31:51 - Should you put your pans in the dishwasher

35:30 - How Caraway products actually get made

36:17 - Two dozen factories turned them down

37:51 - Pushback from the legacy cookware brands

38:33 - Why they started with ceramic nonstick

39:34 - Cooking with stainless steel vs ceramic

40:29 - Replace or not: plastic water bottles, microwaves, ice makers

41:19 - The nontoxic coffee maker, five years in the making

42:27 - Is Caraway first to market with it

43:03 - The design, the colors, and one button

44:29 - When the coffee maker launches

44:46 - Replace or not: toothbrushes, dental floss, straws

45:39 - Jordan's favorite Caraway product

50:05 - What's next for Caraway

50:56 - Launching in Canada and 500 Walmart stores

51:26 - Why it looks good enough to leave on the counter

52:58 - The 100 year vision for the brand

54:40 - Why I gifted my ex a full Caraway set

55:36 - Caraway as a gift, and the boomer cohort

56:46 - Microplastics in clothing and activewear

57:45 - What it's like waiting five years for a launch

58:19 - The factory that dropped them three years in

59:27 - Building trust with customers

1:00:23 - Best Caraway gifts for the holidays

1:00:52 - 20% off for EMPWR listeners

1:01:20 - Wrapping up

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We're finally answering every question you sent us about our wedding. Ian and I sat down to go through the whole day, from the venue in Chattanooga and the three dress changes, to the kids' recorded voice notes that played as they walked down the aisle, the tattoo artist we had at the reception, and the cinnamon roll cake we poured icing over instead of cutting.

TIMESTAMPS:

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I booked the hair stylist, the makeup artist and the trial in Atlanta, and then I looked in the mirror and it just didn't feel like me. So I decided to do my own wedding makeup. This is the exact sun kissed, feminine, bronzed bridal look I landed on after multiple trials.

I'm taking you through every step, from skin prep and eyeshadow placement to sculpting with blush, setting it so it doesn't sink into fine lines, individual lashes, and the lip combo I found after about ten tries. Whether you're a bride, going to an event, or you just want your everyday makeup a little more glam, this one's for you.

Let me know in the comments if this is a look you'd recreate 💄

TIMESTAMPS:

0:00 Why I decided to do my own wedding makeup 

0:24 Watching my mom do her makeup growing up 

2:00 Booking the hair and makeup artist 

2:30 My bridal trial, and why it didn't feel like me 

3:20 The look I'm going for 

4:00 Skin prep 

4:45 Eye cream and lip prep 

5:45 Why I do my eyes first 

6:50 Eyeshadow and why I avoided cool tones 

8:00 Lid and crease placement 

10:20 Rose gold shimmer topper 

11:40 Freestyle Diapers 

13:30 Ella Ola 

15:20 Gold on the centre of the lid 

16:10 Choosing the eyeliner 

16:40 Waterline and the wing 

21:20 Foundation and shade matching 

23:10 Concealer 

23:50 Brows, a laminated look without lamination 

25:20 Avoiding creasing into fine lines 

26:40 Covering a blemish 

31:00 Liquid blush 

32:10 Sculpting with cream blush 

33:10 Contour, and why I use less 

34:50 Setting the under eyes 

35:50 Setting the T zone 

36:10 Powder blush so it lasts 

37:00 Highlighter 

38:20 Bronzer 

40:00 Finishing the eyes 

41:20 Branch Basics

43:30 Cozy Earth 

45:40 Mascara, and why I'm not using waterproof 

46:20 Individual lashes 

49:00 Filling in the brows 

50:20 Brow bone and inner corner highlight 

52:10 Contouring the lips 

53:20 Lip liner and lipstick 

54:40 The gloss trick that makes it last 

55:10 Body glow 

56:20 Setting spray 

56:50 The finished look

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Sam's LINKS:

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Macro Guide: https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides/

Running Programs: https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_

YouTube: @samantha_christine

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I was diagnosed with ADHD at seven and spent the next twenty years on medication before taking myself off everything in 2021. For most of that time I thought ADHD just meant I couldn't focus. Nobody ever told me the part actually running my life was emotional regulation.

Dr. Sasha Hamdani is a psychiatrist and ADHD specialist who has ADHD herself. She explains why ADHD is a regulation disorder rather than an attention disorder, why the diagnostic criteria were built by studying hyperactive little boys and how that leaves women misdiagnosed with anxiety and depression, and what is happening in your amygdala when one small criticism floods you for hours. We get into rejection sensitivity, procrastination, perfectionism, sleep, caffeine and ADHD medication, and I share for the first time that my six-year-old son was just diagnosed.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Trailer/Intro

Follow Dr. Sasha Hamdani:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepsychdoctormd

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thepsychdoctormd

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thepsychdoctormd

Thank you to our sponsors:

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Cozy Earth:

Sam's LINKS:

ELEVATE App | free 7 day trial: https://www.elevatebysam.com/
Macro Guide: https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides
Running Programs: https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_
YouTube: @samantha_christine

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I've been afraid of the same things most women are. That lifting would make me bulky, that I needed to be in the gym five or six days a week, that the cardio was the part actually doing the work. I've since built my whole approach around the opposite, but I wanted to hear it from someone who could show me the science rather than the anecdote.

Dr. Mike Israetel is an exercise scientist, co-founder of Renaissance Periodization, and one of the most cited voices in modern hypertrophy training. In this episode he tells me women need two days a week in the gym for a full body recomposition, explains why cardio is the wrong tool for fat loss, breaks down exactly what happens to the female physique when you lift and eat enough protein, and answers the question I get in my DMs more than any other: why do I feel puffy in the first three weeks of lifting? We also get into GLP-1s, creatine, seed oils, macro tracking, and why chasing strength is what actually gets you toned.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Women, Muscle & Fat Loss: What Actually Works

01:15 - Welcome to the EMPWR Podcast with Dr. Mike Israetel

01:45 - Will Lifting Weights Make Women Bulky?

03:20 - What Weight Training + Protein Really Does to the Female Body

07:40 - Can Women Build Muscle in a Calorie Deficit?

09:40 - How to Find Your Calorie Intake Without Guessing

10:50 - Why You Feel Puffy the First 2-3 Weeks of Lifting

13:20 - Scale Anxiety: Should Women Weigh Themselves Daily?

14:50 - Menstrual Cycle Weight Fluctuations Explained

15:55 - Kinsyn Women's Health Platform

18:00 - Jones Road Beauty

19:40 - Building Muscle vs Losing Body Fat: Is There a Lag?

21:45 - Consistency, Lifting Technique & Progressive Overload

25:45 - Negative Self-Talk and Trusting the Fitness Process

29:15 - How Long Should You Stay on a Workout Program?

30:30 - Train for Strength and the Aesthetics Will Follow

33:20 - Progressive Overload for Women: What It Actually Looks Like

36:20 - Remi Night Guards for Teeth Grinding

38:20 - Clearstem Acne & Anti-Aging Skincare

40:20 - Why Repeating the Same Exercises Every Week Builds More Muscle

44:55 - Master Your Lifting Technique Instead of Switching Exercises

46:15 - Why Being Distracted in the Gym Kills Your Results

47:10 - How Many Days a Week Should Women Lift Weights?

48:35 - Training 2 vs 3 vs 4 Days a Week for Muscle Growth

50:20 - You Only Need 4-6 Exercises Per Workout

51:30 - Choosing Compound Exercises and Using Supersets

54:00 - The 30-Minute Full Body Workout Structure

55:40 - Cozy Earth Bamboo Bedding

57:20 - iRestore Red Light Therapy Face Mask

59:00 - Should Women Train Differently in Their 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s?

59:50 - HIIT, Cortisol and the Women's Hormone Myth

1:01:30 - Why High Intensity Training Matters More As You Age

1:02:45 - Why You Feel Wrecked After a Workout

1:03:50 - Strength Training for Beginners Over 60

1:05:10 - Dr. Mike's Cardio: Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

1:06:20 - Should You Add Cardio for Fat Loss?

1:08:50 - Cardio Burns Fewer Calories Than You Think

1:09:30 - Half Ironman Training and Losing Muscle Mass

1:11:40 - What Cardio Is Actually For (Not Weight Loss)

1:12:30 - Body Recomposition: How Big Should Your Calorie Deficit Be?

1:13:45 - Why Fast Weight Loss Always Fails

1:16:00 - How Slow, Sustainable Fat Loss Compounds

1:19:20 - The Mental Reframe You Need Before Losing Weight

1:20:15 - Does Dr. Mike Israetel Track His Macros?

1:21:40 - Dream Recovery Mouth Tape

1:23:00 - Kane Footwear Recovery Shoes

1:24:20 - Should Women Track Macros for Body Recomp?

1:26:00 - Snacking and Sneaky Calories

1:26:40 - Dr. Mike's Full Day of Eating

1:29:55 - Are Seed Oils and Artificial Sweeteners Bad for You?

1:32:20 - Deep Frying, Oxidation and Reused Oils

1:32:50 - Is There a Hidden Poison in Our Food Supply?

1:33:45 - The Twinkie Diet Experiment Explained

1:35:00 - The Real Reason Junk Food Makes You Gain Weight

1:37:20 - Dessert, Diet Soda and Low Calorie Ice Cream

1:38:45 - Why Cravings Disappear When You Eat Well

1:40:15 - GLP-1s Explained: Semaglutide, Tirzepatide, Retatrutide

1:43:20 - How to Keep Muscle While on a GLP-1

1:44:55 - Rapid Fire: Women's Fitness Myths Debunked

1:48:50 - Creatine for Women: Dosage, Puffiness and Acne

1:50:30 - Where to Find Dr. Mike Israetel

1:51:40 - Outro

Follow Dr. Mike Israetel:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drmikeisraetel/

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@RenaissancePeriodization

Website: https://rpstrength.com

Thank you to our sponsors:

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Kane Footwear

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Two weeks out from my wedding and I'm sharing everything I've changed about my routine that's made me feel and look better than when I was training for an Ironman. This isn't another "do more" episode. I talk about why I cut my workouts down to 30-40 minutes and 4 days a week, how romanticizing my mornings transformed my mindset, why I'm reconsidering caffeine completely, the hypnobreathwork practice that's grounding me, how I'm using light, sound, and smell to calm my nervous system at home, the skincare products that are actually giving me a glow, why my body lost inflammation the moment I stopped overtraining, and why I think the pressure to be a "perfect bride" is the biggest trap on social media. This applies to any woman, not just brides.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Intro trailer

1:07 - Welcome: two weeks out from the wedding

2:00 - Why doing less has done more for me

2:30 - What I'm covering today: workouts, skincare, mindset, and how I'm showing up daily

2:45 - Romanticizing my daily habits and making them feel fun

3:00 - Mornings: why the first 30 minutes matter

3:16 - Why I stopped looking at my phone and social media first thing

4:00 - Why I barely scroll Instagram anymore

4:30 - What my mornings actually look like now: eye patches, silence, grounding

5:30 - Nervous system: what I've been doing differently

5:41 - Limiting caffeine and what happened when I cut it out

7:07 - Breathwork: the hypnobreathwork app that changed things (Mastry by Francesca)

9:00 - Creating a calm home atmosphere

9:55 - Light, sound, and smell: the three things I'm focusing on

10:48 - Ambient lighting: color-changing bulbs, lamps, no overhead lights

12:14 - Salt lamps and why I love them

15:55 - Sound: piano jazz playlists and background music throughout the day

17:00 - Smell: non-toxic candles (Flamingo Estate, Primally Pure)

18:00 - Essential oils, lavender, and diffusers at night

19:00 - Body butter: the Neom products making my skin glow

20:00 - Morning and nighttime moisturizing routine

20:30 - Fitness: why this one surprised me

21:00 - What happened when I stopped Ironman training (the inflammation I lost)

21:30 - Why 6-7 days of high intensity creates inflammation in most women

22:00 - What I'm doing instead: bridal body workout, 4 days, 30-40 minutes

24:00 - You don't need 90 minutes in the gym to see results

25:00 - After the wedding: building muscle and eating more

30:00 - Walking for steps instead of extra cardio

31:00 - Skincare: why I'm so happy with my skin right now

31:30 - EZ Gel under eyes and Sculptra

32:00 - My top 5 must-have skincare products

33:00 - Clearstem Bright Me Up Toner

33:30 - InnBeauty Eye Cream

34:00 - Golden Hour Retinol Drops from Complexion

34:45 - Rhode Glazing Milk

35:30 - Red light therapy face mask: how I use it and why

36:56 - My nighttime wind-down routine: shower, skincare, PJs, essential oils, music

39:00 - Mouth tape, eye mask, brown noise, and the Hatch

39:30 - Sleep: why I'm aiming for 9 PM bedtime and 7.5-8 hours

40:30 - Nutrition: I'm not in a crazy deficit

41:00 - Sticking to whole foods and three meals a day

46:30 - A day in the life of what I eat: breakfast, lunch, and dinner

50:00 - Mindset: the most important part of my bridal routine

50:45 - Creating boundaries and saying no to more

51:30 - Saying no to brand deals and social events

53:00 - The pressure to be a perfect bride and social media comparison

55:00 - These habits aren't just for brides, they're for any woman

56:30 - What's coming: wedding content, honeymoon, and more

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Sam's LINKS:

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My Macro Guide: https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides

Running Programs: https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides

How I romanticize my home: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/4544846

The skincare products I recommend: https://shopmy.us/shop/collections/4552627

Hypnotherapy app that really works: https://mastryexperience.com/hypnobreathwork-app/ 

Dinner jazz playlist I recommend in this episode: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWWKeNBqaIy5U?si=dBREKoC1Rj6sll416dIh8A&utm_source=copy-link&pi=cSivamvQQZqSG

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_

YouTube: @samantha_christine

#bridalroutine #weddingprep #preweddingroutine #lessismore #doingless #overtraining #inflammationinwomen #nervoussystem #groundingroutine #morningroutine #breathwork #hypnobreathwork #skincareroutine #glowyskin #ambientlighting #bodybutter #redlighttherapy #workoutroutine #liftingforwomen #30minuteworkout #bridetobe #weddingwellness #mindset #socialmediapressure #selflove #empwrpodcast #wellnesspodcast #womenswellness #fitnessjourney #womenover30 #romanticeyourlife

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I was diagnosed with ADHD at seven years old. I was put on medication and stayed on it for over twenty years. I changed medications more times than I can count, for ADHD, for anxiety, for depression, and I never really felt like I knew who I was without them. When I finally came off everything in my early 30s, I started building structure and discipline through fitness, nutrition, breathwork, and routine, and it changed my life. But there was always something underneath that I couldn't reach. So I let a brain specialist put a cap on my head and map my brain. What she found confirmed things I'd felt my entire life, and explained things I never understood.

Angie is the founder of Brain Code Centers and a neurofeedback specialist who has helped thousands of people rewire their brains without medication. She fractured her skull and suffered a traumatic brain injury in college, was told she might never go back to school, learned to walk again, and went on to get her master's in clinical mental health. In this episode she maps my brain live, maps Ian's brain, explains why 80% of people diagnosed with ADHD don't actually show the neurological pattern for it, breaks down what anxiety, depression, and trauma actually look like in brain waves, and tells me the one thing I've been missing in my entire wellness routine: a hardware reset for my brain.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Trailer/Intro

1:30 - What is neurofeedback and brain mapping

3:00 - How neurofeedback is different from therapy and counseling

5:30 - Angie's story: fractured skull, TBI, and learning to walk again

7:00 - What the brain is capable of: transformation and healing

8:00 - What conditions neurofeedback treats: anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD

8:30 - ADHD in kids: the youngest she's ever worked with

9:30 - Why people are skeptical (and how a 10-question questionnaire gets you medication)

11:00 - How the brain map session works: in-person vs remote

16:00 - What happens during a brain map: eyes open, eyes closed, done

17:00 - How women's cycles affect brain wave patterns

18:00 - Brain markers for anxiety and depression: what she actually sees

18:30 - "80% of people with ADHD show no neurological pattern for it"

19:30 - How long neurofeedback takes and when you start noticing changes

21:00 - How it actually rewires your brain: operant conditioning explained

23:30 - Who is neurofeedback for (even if you feel fine)

24:30 - Brain health and longevity: Alzheimer's, dementia, and why plasticity matters

30:00 - My brain map results: the classic ADD pattern she found immediately

31:00 - What the ADD pattern means: theta waves, processing speed, and routine

34:00 - Sleep patterns, brain injury correlations, and sleep apnea

35:00 - Ian's brain map: hypervigilance and the Navy SEAL pattern

36:00 - My emotional brain vs. Ian's emotional shutdown: what she saw in both of us

37:00 - Why we choose the partners we choose, based on brain patterns

38:00 - How ADD fuels creativity but kills execution (and why I get paralyzed)

40:00 - I was on ADHD medication from age 7 to 31. Here's what it was really like.

41:00 - "If we have a hardware issue, a software update isn't going to cut it"

42:00 - Is neurofeedback permanent? Do you need maintenance sessions?

47:00 - Ian's brain: military, first responders, and PTSD patterns

49:00 - How Ian copes: working out as his outlet

50:00 - The question she's never been asked: empathy for addiction

51:00 - Addiction is an OCD pattern: why addicts are always addicted to something

52:00 - Can you see narcissism on a brain map? Born vs. made

54:00 - The transformation story: from unable to fly to boarding a plane to China

56:00 - Your brain is capable of change. You are not your diagnosis.

57:00 - What living with ADD has taught me about myself

58:00 - What empowerment means to Angie

59:00 - Where to find Brain Code Centers and how to start

Follow Angie / Brain Code Centers:

Instagram: @braincode.centers Website: https://braincodecenters.com Free consultations available - DM them on Instagram or visit the website.

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Sam's LINKS:

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My Macro Guide: https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides 

Running Programs: https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_ YouTube: @samantha_christine

#adhd #adhdwomen #adhdmedication #neurofeedback #brainmapping #brainhealth #brainwaves #mentalhealth #anxietyrelief #depression #adhddiagnosis #adhdinwomen #adhdawareness #adhdmom #braintraining #neuroplasticity #rewireyourbrain #ptsd #traumahealing #mentalhealthawareness #braincodenters #empwrpodcast #wellnesspodcast

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We talk red flags, exes, and why you should never settle for less! I sat down with Ian three days after his vasectomy reversal to answer the questions you've been sending in. This Q&A covers dating red flags, the non-negotiables I refused to break, co-parenting with our exes, blended family life, and what it actually takes to rebuild after divorce.

Three years ago we both said we didn't want a relationship. I also said I'd never date a military man. This is the honest version of how that turned out, plus the questions I get asked most: how you know when you've found your person, why you should never settle, when to walk away from red flags in the talking stage, and what I'd tell myself before any of it happened. We also get into the reversal itself, including why he got a vasectomy after his divorce, how we made the decision together, and the odds nobody tells you about.

Timestamps:

0:00 - The questions you sent in

1:40 - Three days post-op (and why he can't work out for a month)

5:00 - Three years ago we said we didn't want a relationship

5:24 - The conversation in Destin that changed everything

6:20 - Why both our shields were up

7:04 - What we're covering today

7:16 - Why Ian got a vasectomy after his divorce

8:06 - How we knew we were ready to try for a baby

9:47 - Getting help at home, and why we stopped feeling guilty

11:02 - How Ian feels about the house manager situation

14:57 - How soon we're trying (and the wedding day timing)

15:18 - Finding a specialist and what the reversal involved

16:13 - The odds nobody tells you about

17:29 - Do we want one baby or more?

17:35 - How the kids reacted

18:29 - What my last relationship taught me about what I needed

20:11 - What I had to fix in myself first

21:04 - How we handle disrespect: call it out, talk it out

22:10 - Has the spark faded? An honest answer

23:49 - Never stop dating each other

29:17 - Do we talk to each other's exes?

29:51 - Where our co-parenting relationships stand now

32:01 - Making sure every child feels equally loved

33:22 - Being a step-parent without replacing anyone

33:53 - The day she started calling me mom

35:32 - Do we discipline each other's kids the same way?

36:00 - Will a new baby make the kids feel left out?

37:26 - Building our own traditions around theirs

41:32 - How do you know when you've found your person?

41:49 - Advice for anyone dating in their 20s and 30s

43:15 - My top 10 non-negotiables (and the one I broke)

43:40 - Should you make the first move?

44:53 - The red flags to walk away from

45:04 - What we're most excited about

45:53 - Wedding update

46:27 - What we'd tell ourselves before the divorces

47:10 - The person who brings out your worst self

47:40 - Stand firm in your values

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Sam's LINKS:

ELEVATE App by Sam | free 7 day trial: ⁠https://www.elevatebysam.com/⁠

My Macro Guide: ⁠https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition⁠

Running Programs: ⁠https://samanthachristine.co/running-programs⁠

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_

YouTube: @samantha_christine

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