The Health Feast

Welcome back to The Health Feast, hosted by Dr. Rak ("rock") and Po.  After our regular mind, body, and soul/spirit check-in with Dr. Rak and Po, we get into motivation this episode- inspired by Po's feelings of lack of motivation in his life. Does motivation even matter? Where does it come from, and how can we tap into intrinsic motivation to aid our habits? Dr. Rak reviews the three sources of intrinsic motivation- autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Rak reflects on purpose and how one can craft an aspirational self-identity to help motivate desired behaviors. Dr. Rak also discusses the downside of self-identity in the form of attachment to ego and self- a common source of all conflict.  The two then reflect on the value of meditation for building awareness and allowing us to respond to our lives rather than constantly reacting. The conversation ends with Po reflecting on and making goals for the week ahead, including exercise and meditation goals. Available where you get podcasts and at thehealthfeast.com Follow us on IG: @thehealthfeast  Check out The Health Feast YouTube Channel here

Disclaimer: The Health Feast Podcast is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice or professional services. The opinions expressed are our own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of our employers.

For our second episode, Po interviews Dr. Rak! We learn about Rak's upbringing and how this shaped his relationship with food and his body image. We also learn about why Dr. Rak made big changes to his lifestyle habits after a difficult conversation with his wife, ultimately leading him to adopt a whole-food plant based diet.  He shares he has lost over 70lbs over the last 5 years and reversed his prediabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol.  Dr. Rak ends by sharing how he views the state of healthcare today and how lifestyle medicine is the solution to our current reactive sickcare system. 

You can watch this episode (including additional photos) on YouTube by clicking here. 

In today's conversation, we take a deep dive into all things Tupotu.  We talk about Po’s childhood in American Samoa and how this shaped his early relationship with food.  We talk about Po’s relationship with his body image and being a “big person” and how that has shaped his identity and career path.     And we’ll get into Po’s struggles with his weight and his health, and his history with dieting.  In addition to his recent reality TV experience in Abu Dhabi, Po and I also discuss his previous foray into reality TV: a 2010 show called Money Hungry, where Po and his friend teamed up to lose as much weight as possible for a chance to win $100,000.  We also discuss Po’s relationship with health and how his view and goals for his health have changed over time as he’s had children and gotten older. and we touch on his thoughts about getting weight loss surgery. Also I’ll note one big realization I had as a result of this conversation is that the Universe keeps pulling Po more and more into lifestyle medicine, and our meeting was just a further manifestation of that.  I’ve come to love Po like family, and I think you'll grow to love him too.  What strikes me the most about him is his genuineness and ability to openly express his vulnerabilities. He’s humble, affable, and kind.  Po and I talk a lot about our intention for starting this podcast. And his intention, which is also my intention - is to support each other and now to support all of you, in leading healthy lives. 

You can watch this episode (including additional photos) on YouTube by clicking here.