The Human Potential Project

In episode #25 Tom McAdam speaks with team Jamaica weightlifter, coach and spoken-word artist Chloe Whylie.

What does it take to compete at the highest level in olympic weightlifting? Having transitioned from coaching and powerlifting to competing at the World Championships in weightlifting in just 4 years, Chloe is the perfect person to provide an answer.

Having overcome enormous challenges along the way, Chloe's story provides lessons for anyone seeking elite-level performance in any field. Chloe is an athlete; but it has been her mindset that has propelled her to success.

In this wide-ranging conversation we discuss:

* Chloe's famously impressive squat numbers

* Chloe's early years and getting into sport from the age of 4

* Leaving home at age 15

* The period of depression and personal losses that ultimately lead Chloe to weightlifting

* Finding a way out of depression through strength training and sport

* Chloe's powerlifting career and how she got incredibly strong (200kg+ back squat)

* Why maxing out won't get you strong and how to strength-train properly

* The importance of sport and physicality for young girls

* How and why Chloe transitioned from powerlifting to weightlifting

* How Chloe dealt with a string of serious injuries: a broken hand and a slipped disc that lead to drop-foot, severe muscular atrophy and pain.

* How Chloe used counselling, yoga, meditation and deliberate routine setting to deal with a prolonged period during which she was unable to train during lockdown in 2020

* How Chloe lost 15kg bodyweight: the importance of vegetables, nighttime protein for recovery and knowing when to eat carbohydrate and protein.

* How Chloe performs at the highest level on a plant-based diet.

* Working with Giles Greenwood and how he helped Chloe overhaul her lifting technique to rely less on pure strength

* Joining team Jamaica and Chloe's experience competing at the World Championships

* Chloe's goals for her lifting career

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

Find Chloe on instagram @whyliecanlift and train with Chloe on her website www.weliftandwelive.com

Follow Basis London on instagram @basis.london and find us at www.basis.london

In episode #24 BJ Rule speaks with Basis London co-founder and coach Tom McAdam. 

What is health? What is performance? What is well-being? What are we really trying to work towards in training and in life and how can we get there? These are the questions that come up as Tom and BJ chat.

Through a discussion of Tom's personal story and interests within the world of training, health and well-being we touch on a wide range of fascinating topics:

* How Tom went from working in investment banking to PT to opening a CrossFit affiliate

* How CrossFit put athletic performance on the map for the average gym goer and why this was such an important shift for Tom

* How Tom's pursuit of performance lead to disordered and obsessive behaviour surrounding training, nutrition and lifestyle

* The role meditation played in helping Tom resolve disordered behaviour, find true well-being and improve relationships

* Tom's view on what meditation is, how it works and the story of where he has taken his practice in the 5 years since starting

* Tom's take on breathwork for athletic performance and finding calm: the Oxygen Advantage "breathe light" exercise and the importance of carbon dioxide tolerance

* How becoming a parent during the pandemic changed Tom's attitude towards training and health and how he approaches exercise now

* What's the deal with nasal breathing running? The physiology of breathing.

* The BOLT (blood oxygen level test) and the MBT (maximum breathlessness test) from Oxygen Advantage and what they tell us

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

Follow Basis London on instagram @basis.london and find us at www.basis.london

In episode #23 Tom McAdam speaks with Basis London co-founder, coach and trainer BJ Rule. 

After 22 episodes, it felt like the right time to introduce the coaches behind Basis: BJ Rule and Tom McAdam.

We begin with BJ's story and how he got to where he is now, covering some 25+ years of experience coaching people and athletes and teaching group  classes. We discuss lessons learned and mistakes made over that period.

Then we open up a conversation about the topics and themes in health and fitness BJ is currently most interested in, including:

* Why "the basics work" is a guiding principle for BJ in training and nutrition

* The fundamentals of resistance training and aerobic training and how to apply them

* The modern origins of physical exercise as a concept and the reduction in opportunities for movement

* What’s so wrong with the “punish yourself” mentality to training

* The way progressive overload works

* Fundamental human movement patterns

* BJ’s passion for the Hampstead ponds and cold water dips

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

Follow Basis London on instagram @basis.london and find us at www.basis.london

In episode #22 Basis London founder Tom McAdam speaks with Ayurvedic medicine practitioner Geeta Vara.

In the context of allopathic medicine and evidence-based fitness and nutrition, we can forget or dismiss the wisdom of ancient Eastern disciplines like Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Western medicine has its place and should rightly be celebrated for its many life-saving and life-improving innovations. Equally, evidence-based fitness and nutrition is at the core of a lot of what we do at Basis London.

But traditions like Ayurveda offer a powerfully different and valuable perspective that we can all learn from.

This episode is for those of you who know little about Ayurveda but are open-minded about the potential of learning from this fascinating 5,000 year old tradition of holistic health.

Geeta is the perfect guide for an introduction to Ayurveda. She has both a BSc and a PG Dip in Ayurvedic Medicine from Middlesex University and has been practicing for over a decade delivering truly holistic healthcare for her clients. She is also the author of the fantastic Ayurveda - Ancient Wisdom for Modern Wellbeing

Find Geeta @geetavara on Instagram and on her website geetavara.co.uk where you can learn more about working with Geeta as well as finding amazing Ayurvedic recipes and educational articles.

We speak about:

* Geeta’s personal journey from business degree and office job to Ayurvedic practitioner

* The difference between Ayurvedic medicine and Western / allopathic medicine

* Fundamentals of Ayurvedic medicine: the 5 elements; the 3 doshas and their roles in the human mind and body

* Understanding your personal constitution (prakruti) and mind-body type  in the framework of vata, pitta and kapha (the 3 doshas)

* Balancing the doshas with nutrition and lifestyle practices

* Understanding how to listen to our bodies, disengage from the mind and avoid “crime against our body’s wisdom”

* The importance of seasonal and circadian rhythms in Ayurveda and how to eat, move and live in harmony with these cycles; why you perhaps shouldn’t eat like a King at breakfast.

* Gut health, digestive fire (agni) and how to approach gas, bloating and food intolerances through the lens of Ayurveda

* The importance of how foods are cooked and prepared and the implications for digestibility and nutrient availability

* Conscious eating to improve digestion

* What your bowel movements say about your gut health

* Why you should drink warm water

* Drinking water from a copper vessel

* What your tongue says about your health and the practice of tongue scraping

* How to practice oil-pulling correctly for improved oral health

* Morning rituals for optimal health

* The medicinal properties of herbs and spices

We hope you enjoy the conversation!

In Episode #21 Basis London founder Tom McAdam speaks with yoga & breathwork teacher Anastasis Tzanis.

Breathing practices have been a part of human culture for thousands of years as the master key to physical, mental and spiritual potential. Science is beginning to catch up and provide explanations for the transformative power of controlling the breath.

In this conversation, Anastasis and Tom explore the power of the breath through the lens of yoga / pranayama, Wim Hof and the Oxygen Advantage.

Anastasis gives a master class in the intricacies of functional breathing mechanics and shows us how to understand the physiological and psychological effects of different approaches by looking at breathing biochemistry.

Anastasis trained as a yoga teacher with Sri Andrey Lappa at Universal Yoga. He then trained in breathwork with both Wim Hof and Patrick McKeown of Oxygen Advantage. He has since become an Oxygen Advantage master instructor and the creator of the Oxygen Advantage “Breathing for Yoga” course. Anastasis is also a qualified nutritional therapist.

Anastasis is offering listeners of The Human Potential Project exclusive discounts on 2 of his flagship online courses. Apply the discount code BASIS to claim 25% off:

* Breathe right 2-week course: https://www.atzanis.com/product/breathe-right-2-week-course/

* Your first 6 yoga exercises: https://www.atzanis.com/product/your-first-6-yoga-exercises/

Find Anastasis on instagram @anastasis.tzanis and on his website here: https://www.atzanis.com/

We speak about:

* Anastasis’ personal journey from currency derivatives trader to redundancy to yoga teacher and nutritional therapist

* How Anastasis’ deep interest in yoga was initially ignited by inversions and why you should find your own entry point into any training modality

* The disconnect between modern yoga classes and traditional yoga practice

* How listening to Wim Hof describe body temperature control became the catalyst for a deep interest in the breath

* Training to become a Wim Hof instructor

* The Oxygen Advantage breathing methodology and training with Patrick McKeown

* An introduction to the “Breathing for Yoga” course that Anastasis leads for Oxygen Advantage and an explanation of the focus on breathing biomechanics

* Simple definitions of breathing biomechanics and breathing biochemistry and why they are so important

* The importance of posture for breathing

* How the diaphragm muscle controls breathing

* How functional breathing creates intra-abdominal pressure

* Why belly breathing is an oversimplification and the importance of secondary respiratory muscles

* How to use yoga blocks to unlock abdominal tightness, improve digestive health and learn how to breathe functionally

* How to structure flexibility training to go from stiff to super bendy using a simple, progressive approach

* What it takes to take your mobility to the next level

* Anastasis’ perspective on the benefits of ice baths

* Using breathing biochemistry to understand the synergies and differences between divergent breathing methodologies: pranayama, Wim Hof, Oxygen Advantage and Buteyko method.

* Where different breathing techniques converge and differ

* How Wim Hof breathing may lead to super-physiologic level of nitric oxide and how this may explain some of the phenomenology of the mind-altering technique


We hope you enjoy the conversation!

Join Oxford Mindfulness Centre meditation teacher Per Norrgren for a 10-minute deep relaxation meditation based on his own daily practice.

See Episode #20 for our full conversation with Per in which we discuss all the various ways meditation practice can transform your mind and your life.

We hope you enjoy the practice!

In Episode #20 Basis London founder Tom McAdam speaks with meditation and mindfulness teacher Per Norrgren.

Meditation and mindfulness practice are powerful antidotes to the stresses and challenges of the modern world. In this conversation, Tom and Per explore the many ways in which these practices can improve the state of your mind and transform the quality of your life.

Per also shares practical tips on how to meditate, how to get started and how to bring mindfulness practice into your everyday life to radically upgrade your sense of wellbeing.

This conversation is for both the experienced meditator and the novice with Per sharing wisdom accumulated over many years of practice and teaching.

Per is an associate teacher at the Oxford Mindfulness Centre where he trained to teach MBCT (mindfulness based cognitive therapy) and has also completed teacher training with Bangor University. Per has extensive experience teaching both MBCT and MBSR (mindfulness based stress reduction). He is co-founder of InMindSight, an organisation that trains teachers and hosts meditation retreats in the Algarve in Portugal.

Per’s popular 8-week introductory meditation course can be found on Udemy here:

Books mentioned:

Breath by breath - Larry Rosenberg

The Mind Illuminated - John Yates

We speak about:

* Per shares a short meditation practice called The 3 Step Breathing Space

* Per’s transformative first experience of mindfulness doing the MBSR course

* Dealing with burnout and divorce and how Per found healing through  meditation and mindfulness 

* Why the key to the mind is working through the body

* Teaching mindfulness in the workplace

* What is the point of paying close attention to the breath?

* Why you shouldn’t expect to feel calm when you begin meditation and how meditation gradually leads to a lasting and powerful state of calm

* The problem of the restless mind for meditation beginners and what to do with it

* How meditative movement and mindful everyday activities (e.g. washing the dishes) can be a good first step for those with agitated mind states

* The power of walking meditation and how to do it

* Per’s definition of mindfulness and the relationship between mindfulness and concentration

* The relationship between mindfulness, non-judgement and suffering

* Per shares a short meditation practice exploring reactivity (43:00)

* The two arrows of suffering from the Buddhist tradition and how reactivity unnecessarily compounds our pain

* Dealing with negative thought patterns through mindfulness practice and Tom’s own experience uncovering anxiety-inducing thoughts

* How meditation practice allowed Per to stay calm and find innovative solutions in highly stressed professional situations

* Per describes his own personal meditation practice: when, how and how long

* Per’s advice for how beginners should start meditating and Per’s own 8-week beginners course on Udemy (see link above)

* Per guides us through a 10-minute meditation practice focused on relaxation and comfort and based on his own daily practice

We hope you enjoy the conversation

In Episode #19 Basis London founder Tom McAdam speaks with nutritional scientist, functional medicine practitioner and breast cancer thriver Toral Shah.

This is a very special episode about a topic that will affect 1 in 2 of us during our lifetimes. This conversation is about cancer; cancer in general and breast cancer in particular.

There is no shortage of opinions about optimal nutrition and lifestyle strategies for cancer prevention and for improving the efficacy of treatment.

But which approaches are really supported by the best available evidence? Fasting? Raw vegan? Keto? Alkaline diets? 

Returning guest Toral gives us a masterclass in the current state of knowledge in the field of integrative nutrition and lifestyle approaches to cancer.

We speak about:

* Toral's personal experience with breast cancer

* How Toral tackled the mental health challenges associated with her most recent diagnosis during lockdown

* Meditation, breathwork and other stress management techniques

* The link between stress and oestrogen metabolism as a possible mechanism for breast cancer aetiology.

* The link between psychological trauma and breast cancer

* The importance of gut health and the gut-brain axis

* Separating evidence-based nutritional recommendations from quackery and anecdote

* What the evidence says about fasting during chemotherapy

* How fibre might play a role in hormone-sensitive cancers

* The importance of muscle mass for health

* The role of fat loss

* Sleep, melatonin and 5-HTP

* Exercise and a specific tactic for those undergoing radiotherapy

Among many other things.


To learn more about some of these fascinating topics, check out the resources below created by Toral:

On the oestrobolome - the gut microbiome specific for metabolising oestrogen and its metabolites:

https://www.symprove.com/blogs/community/the-oestrogen-gut-axis-and-menopause

On how gut health might support some forms of newer cancer treatments including immunotherapy:

https://nutritank.com/can-improving-your-gut-health-help-prevent-cancer-or-support-cancer-treatment/

On the gut-brain axis, stress responses and the vagus nerve.

https://www.theurbankitchen.co.uk/blogs/the-urban-kitchen-blog/stress-gut-brain-axis-and-modulating-stress-responses-via-gut-microbiome-and-vagus-nerve

We hope you enjoy the conversation!
 
You can find Toral on instagram @theurbankitchen and online at theurbankitcken.co.uk

This conversation is meant for general informational purposes only. Nothing said during this recording constitutes medical advice. Consult your medical professionals.

Join Anastasis for a breathwork practice designed to still your mind through ascending inhale breath holds. 

In Episode #18 Basis London founder Tom McAdam speaks with internationally recognised breathing expert Patrick McKeown.

Much of what we've been taught about breathing is wrong. We learn that carbon dioxide is just a waste gas; that we should take "deep breaths" to calm down; that breathing more is the best way to improve body oxygenation during exercise.

In this episode, Patrick introduces us to the real science of breathing...

Having discovered the power of breath in resolving his own challenges related to sleep, asthma and focus, Patrick has spent much of the last two decades teaching functional breathing  to many thousands of people.

Patrick is the creator of the Oxygen Advantage breathing methodology, which was inspired by his training with the pioneer Konstantin Buteyko.

Alongside training instructors through the Oxygen Advantage, Patrick is also the author of two essential books on breathing: The Oxygen Advantage and more recently The Breathing Cure. 

We speak about:

* How to unblock your nose with a simple breathing exercise

* Why carbon dioxide is so much more than a waste gas and is key to effective breathing, optimal health and stress management

* What carbon dioxide sensitivity is and why it is an important marker for sports performance and in anxiety and panic disorder

* What the BOLT score is, how to measure it and what to aim for

* The incredible physiology of nasal breathing

* How breathing through the nose improves oxygen delivery, aerobic efficiency and hydration status

* How nasal breathing releases nitric oxide and the critical role this gas plays in breathing and health

* Practical breathing exercises to improve your breathing and increase your BOLT score

* The three dimensions of functional breathing: light, slow and deep (LSD)

* The real physiology of Wim Hof breathing techniques, why you should be discerning in how you use these practices and Patrick's adapted hyperventilation exercise

Among many other things. We hope you enjoy the conversation!
 
You can find Patrick on instagram @buteykoclinic and @oxygenadvantage