Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried recently flew to Phoenix, AZ to visit Dr. Alan Christianson who analyzed their blood tests. Sara and Pedram are starting their 100-day gongs on August 15th and it's important to guage the stats at the beginning of a challenge to see what has changed when the challenge comes to an end. Sara and Pedram talk about the surprises they discovered when Alan went over the blood tests with them. Even two doctors such as Sara and Pedram can find issues within themselves that need to be improved. How can a gong help with these issues? What will Sara and Pedram do for their gong? And what do you need to know to start one?

We're all influenced from a variety of inputs. From our friends to our co-workers to TV and movies, we're always taking in information, even if subconsciously. It's no wonder then that sometimes trying to make an informed decision about our health can be a troublesome task. This week Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Pilar Gerasimo to talk about the ways we can fight negative influences and take control of the inputs we allow in our lives. Pilar and Sara also introduce Pedram to the absurd idea of wanting a thigh-gap. This one's explicit for just a few expletives.

Many of us have a morning routine that involves caring for our skin, both of the body and face. But what about caring for the skin of our young children? Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Kim Walls of Episencial.com to the Health Bridge to talk about the importance of skin care for both adults and children. Where can we find products that won't harm developing skin, especially on infants? Skin is the largest organ of the body, but in the womb it's one of the last systems to fully develop. In what ways is infant skin different from adult skin?

Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai are back! And in this episode they welcome fermentationist Summer Bock. Femented foods and the good bacteria in them can help relieve digestive issues some may have. What does fermented food do in the microbiome within us? What is the process of fermentation? And why is it important to buy unpasteurized food? Summer also shares with Pedram and Sara some of her favorite fermented foods.

Last fall, Pedram Shojai, Abel James, and Nick Polizzi all visited Sara Gottfried at her home and we recorded a long conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Here is the final part of that conversation. Pedram, Nick, Sara, and Abel talk about difficulties they've encountered while training. Sara talks about connecting to breathing while running and allowing the heart to talk to the brain rather than the reverse. They talk about the importance of the gut and the chemicals that are created in the gut before moving the discussion to the importance of understanding poop. And Pedram attempts a Yoda impression.

Last fall, Pedram Shojai, Abel James, and Nick Polizzi all visited Sara Gottfried at her home and we recorded a long conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Here is the third part of that conversation. Pedram, Nick, Sara, and Abel discuss vulnerability, violence, and coming-of-age rituals in regards to gender roles. Does flight-or-flight still have a use in the modern world? Abel discusses talking to a listener who applied World of Warcraft to everyday lifestyle. They discuss how small changes can have large effects. And Sara totally misquotes Yoda.

Last fall, Pedram Shojai, Abel James, and Nick Polizzi all visited Sara Gottfried at her home and we recorded a long conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Here is the second part of that conversation. Pedram, Nick, Sara, and Abel try to laugh while talking about death and discuss making time for the living. They discuss how to manage stress to be able to be present in the moment. Pedram tells a story about how conceited he was in his youth. What is it in our world that brings us happiness? How does belief and experience play into the health care we choose? Pedram also makes a Star Wars reference to the confusion of Sara.

Last fall, Pedram Shojai, Abel James, and Nick Polizzi all visited Sara Gottfried at her home and we recorded a long conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Here is the first part of that conversation. They discuss Nick's experience with filming his movie, Sacred Science, in the Amazon and having to unplug from modern technology. They also discuss how people often just hand over their power to the doctors. Do we know what we're taking when a doctor prescribes us something? When we take herbs do we understand each herb we're taking? They also dive into the topic of how we deal with death.

Last fall, Pedram Shojai, Ken Cook, and Abel James all visited Sara Gottfried at her home and we recorded a long conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Here is the final part of that conversation. Abel, Ken, Sara, and Pedram examine conventional meat and how to keep it from ruining our personal biology and how it can also affect the environment as a whole. They review other sources of protein besides meats. Abel compares conventional grocery store eggs to organic eggs from a farmer's market. Ken questions why it's so difficult to get fruits and vegetables into school lunch programs.

Last fall, Pedram Shojai, Ken Cook, and Abel James all visited Sara Gottfried at her home and we recorded a long conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Here is the third part of that conversation.

Last fall, Pedram Shojai, Ken Cook, and Abel James all visited Sara Gottfried at her home and we recorded a long conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Here is the second part of that conversation. Ken discusses how to combat lobbyists that protect their self-interests and not the interests of the public. Why do we have trouble getting fruits and vegetables into public schools? Are we aware of the toxins in the cosmetics that some people wear every day? The group discusses every day habits and ways to curb little actions to build large results.

Last fall, Pedram Shojai, Ken Cook, and Abel James all visited Sara Gottfried at her home and we recorded a long conversation that lasted nearly two hours. Here is the first part of that conversation. They discuss how Ken started the Environmental Working Group and what EWG aims to do. How can we live sustainably? Are we aware of all of the various toxin and chemical exposure events that take place through everyday life? Can technology help control certain issues?

We're in the high heat of summer! Pedram Shojai just got back from a vacation and Sara Gottfried is about to head into one. We all love them. The idea of going somewhere and getting away from work and our regular lives. But different people have different ideas of a perfect vacation. How can we try to create a vacation to please the varying opinions within our familes? And how can we get the most out of our vacations so that we return to work with gumption? We here at the Health Bridge will be taking a month to relax ourselves and we'll be back in August with fresh episodes, but will still have other content releasing for you through the month of July. We want to wish you all a fun, safe, and relaxing July!

This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Katie, the Wellness Mama, to The Health Bridge. Katie is a mother of five children and in this episode all three share their ideas of parenting and how to make sure their children know how to make proper choices regarding their health and food. How can we make sure kids (and perhaps even the adults) are eating well when the kids' menu is filled with items like mac and cheese or chicken fingers? Is it possible to adjust the taste palette of a kid that won't eat vegetables? And how do we make sure our kids are getting enough activity if all they want to do is play video games?

What does it mean to have too much estrogen? This is an issue that can affect men as well as women. What can cause a rise in estrogen? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the causes and how they've changed their own behaviors and actions to ensure they maintain proper hormone levels. What are the proper levels of estrogen women and men should maintain? How can we tell if our estrogen levels are too high? Can foods affect the level of estrogen in our bodies? What about the amount of exercise? Pedram and Sara also explore how aging changes the way our bodies produce hormones.

There was a study from last year that showed that sugar can have effects on the brain similar to cocaine (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23719144). We get our diet our order, we exercise, but we may still find ourselves craving that chocolate bar or package of cookies. What is it about sugar that is so addictive? How are we affected when we eat too much sugar? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the addictive power of sugar and stage an intervention.

This episode was recorded while Pedram Shojai was visiting Sara Gottfried at her home in Northern California. Pedram has been known to be heavily involved in multiple projects all at once and Sara asked him where he finds the time and energy to perform multiple jobs and be in charge of multiple projects without burning himself out. How can we garner the willpower to go about our lives without draining ourselves of all energy? Sara asks Pedram about his practice of gongs. What is a gong? How can a gong help move people towards their goals, whatever it may be? In our world of instant gratification, do we set realistic long-term goals? What discipline is needed to make sure we stick to a 100-day gong?

Did you know microbial cells that inhabit the human body outnumber human cells 10 to 1? And yet, the entire microbiome of a person only weighs about 200 grams. There is a fully functioning ecosystem inside of us that needs as much attention as the world around us. This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Tom Malterre to The Health Bridge. Tom discusses how important it is to set up a properly functioning microbiome, especially if you are or are considering becoming pregnant as the microbiome of the mother sets up the microbiome of the child. What symptoms can manifest and what are some things that can be done to help an unbalanced microbiome?

Pedram Shojai recently visited Sara Gottfried in NorCal so they went ahead and recorded a special episode of The Health Bridge in a car ride up to Napa. Also there was Sara's husband David Gottfried. The three have a fun conversation about gender roles and whether or not certain aspects of gender identities are hard-wired in the brain or if it's something that can adjusted. Now that people aren't actively hunting for food for surivival, what does that do to the mind? Is the need to hunt still embedded somewhere in people's mind? What are activities that can replace those embedded instincts? This one's explicit for language as the trio get pretty rowdy during their car ride.

Sara Gottfried had a minor emergency shortly before recording time and so for this episode Pedram Shojai is driving solo! He welcomes guest Tristan Truscott to The Health Bridge. Tristan has a background in martial arts so this episode is very stacked to the eastern side of the bridge. Tristan and Pedram dive into the concept of qi. Tristan talks about his first experience of getting in touch with his qi and how people can use qi to feed the energy for life. How important is it to find purpose in life?

Though we may try our best to get enough sleep, some of us still fall victim to fatigue. Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss the varying reasons being fatigue. How does an unstimulating 8-hour day job followed by an episode of 24 which can turn on the adrenaline affect the quality of our sleep? Our evolutionary ancestors engaged in very different daily cerebral activities than the engagement many of us get at our desks. Our ancestors had to worry about hunting for food and not being hunted themselves. Now we have to worry about whether we have enough to pay the bills this month. How does this shift in engagement create fatigue?

Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai in this episode welcome Alex Jamieson to the Health Bridge! Alex helped filmmaker Morgan Spurlock detox to reverse the damage he did to his body after filming Super Size Me. Alex discusses the importance of taking control over cravings of everything from men to meatballs. Sara, Pedram, and Alex also talk about Alex's choice to eat meat after being a vegan for years and the repercussions of that choice that had nothing to do with her personal health, such as the death threats she received. This one's explicit for language.

On this episode of The Health Bridge, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss depression. For those suffering from a major depressive disorder, it's a complex issue that won't be solved in 30 minutes via a podcast, though if you'd like Pedram and Sara to make that attempt, just let us know. As for this episode, Sara and Pedram tackle the subject regarding depression as a mood state. What could be causing the depression? They discuss self-worth with regards to body image, the effect of alcohol on our moods, and the spirit we bring to our everyday lives. What factors of our lives are we able to control to pull us out of depression? This one's explicit for language.

This week Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Larry Ostrovsky to the podcast as they discuss a more controversial topic this week. The trio discuss the use of drugs, and not the kind you get with a prescription. With the legalization of cannabis in Colorado and Washington, the United States is entering a new era to which not all the consequences are known. Are there benefits to using entheogens? What are the downsides? Sara, Pedram, and Larry each provide their own views on a subject with many different opinions and factors at play. This one's explicit for language.

Last week both Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai were in New York for a health conference so for this episode we're reaching into the archives with one we've been holding on to. Pedram and Sara in this episode discuss the overuse of antibiotics. In April (after this episode was recorded), the World Health Organization released a report stating, "a post-antibiotic era – in which common infections and minor injuries can kill – is a very real possibility for the 21st century." As antibiotics and antimicrobial treatments are a major foundation of modern health care, how can we ensure that we aren't setting ourselves up for more trouble down the line?

In this episode Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome Jayson and Mira Calton of Calton Nutrition. Jayson and Mira talk about their travels around the world and the nutrition of other cultures. They saw that people weren't trying to eat healthier, they just ARE eating healthier! Jayson and Mira talk about the importance of a diet that's balanced with micro-nutrients and the adverse affects of being micro-nutrient deficient. How does the way we shop in a grocery store affect the things we buy to eat? What changes in our attitude can we make to affect our food choices and overall lifestyles? Also, listen in as Sara attempts to make a Star Wars reference.

Some are morning people and some definitely are not. But how does the process to which we arise in the morning affect the rest of the day? In this episode, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss their morning rituals and what they do to ensure that their days start off on the right foot. Whether it's meditation or just focusing on the kids and packing their lunch, it's important to clear your mind to be able to handle the day and not let it overwhelm!

It's an emotion we've all faced and one we at times have tried our best to hide: fear. But is fear something we should let control us? In this episode, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Ana Forrest to The Health Bridge. As humans were evolving, fear was a response that could have kept our ancestors alive from the predator that wanted to kill them. But now fear can grip us when we take the test in school or hear that layoffs are happening throughout the company. Ana tells Pedram and Sara how to stalk and hunt fear along with tips on how to control the mind against stresses of our modern lives.

Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried recently welcomed The Bulletproof Executive, Dave Asprey, to The Health Bridge. A few weeks ago Dave was visiting Pedram at his home in Southern California when Dave started having a strange reaction. "There's mold somewhere," Dave said. Turns out there was a little plant in a vase that was filled with mold and Dave was able to sense it. Why is it that some people are more receptive to sensing toxins than other people? How can you tell if you're one of them? What adverse effects are there if we live in a house that has mold? How can mold and other toxins affect our immune systems, our food cravings, and our hormones? Listen in on Sara, Pedram, and Dave as they discuss these topics.

Any of us who have been on any sort of diet have been tempted to cheat. Whether it's the bacon or the donut or the candy bar, we're surrounded by temptations. In this episode, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome guest Jackie Wicks as they talk about how to handle cheat meals and not have the cheat meals turn into cheat days and cheat weekends. They talk about how to set up proper expectations and how expectations are different from goals. When we set goals, such as fitting in a certain swim suit or dropping below a certain weight, are we setting up the expectation that we will reach these goals as well?

Sara visited Pedram at his home in SoCal for a day to film for his next movie! It was a busy day but while Pedram was driving Sara back to the airport, we threw mics on them and recorded an episode in the car! Aptly this episode is about road rage. Many of us drive and every now and then we feel the raise in blood pressure from road rage. We all have different ways of dealing with it. Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss the ways they control the road rage Hulk that tries to break out. How we can apply the positive ways we deal with road rage to the other stresses in our lives?

Couples nowadays are starting families much later in life than in past generations. Whereas couples might have had their first child in their mid-twenties years ago, now some aren't having their first child until they're in their mid-thirties or even until they're into their forties. For women who have children closer to menopause, what are steps that can be taken to avoid falling down the hormonal flight of stairs? Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss the idea of menopause as this rough time in a woman's life. What can women do to take control of their hormones as their bodies change? What are the effects of stress on a woman's hormones? Be warned, Pedram and Sara touch upon the topic of sex and sensuality in this episode that may not be appropriate for the younger crowd.

As we near summer, we're all thinking about getting that perfect beach body. Some of us are probably starting an exercise routine and trying to get our diets in order. This week on The Health Bridge Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome nutrition expert JJ Virgin as she goes through a few of the foods that will make us fat. Why do these foods make us fat? What happens inside of our bodies when we eat these foods? What else should we do to help our bodies burn fat while avoiding the fattening foods?

You are what you eat. We hear it all the time. And often we're told what we're not supposed to eat. But what about things we should eat? What are the foods that will fill us with vitality? There are so many labels at the grocery store that tell us foods are "heart healthy" or "high in protein" but what does that all actually mean? Can the sugary bowl of cereal really be heart healthy? Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome guest Steven Masley to The Health Bridge to discuss the foods we can and should add that could help improve our daily lives.

Back pain is a common issue. Many people will experience some level of back pain at some point in their life. In this episode, Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried discuss different causes for back pain. For some it might be the way you sit at work, but for others it may be something more serious. In this episode Pedram and Sara come together with their different perspectives of qi gong and yoga and different ways you can relieve back pain and ways to prevent it from happening in the first place.

We all get them for all sorts of different reasons. Maybe it's stress from work. Maybe it's the visiting mother-in-law. Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss various ways we can avoid the triggers for headaches and migraines. Can poor posture lead to headaches? What's the connection between the foods we eat and the triggers for headaches? Is it possible craft a life without headaches?

If you've been listening to the podcast, you know the hosts are Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried, but who are they exactly? In a previous episode we explored Pedram's past. Now it's Sara's turn. Born in Maryland, how did Sara's grandmother shape her current relationship with food? How did Sara's family end up in Alaska? She also details her time at Harvard and how she got into yoga. Listen to the stories on what makes her Sara Gottfried!

Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome Dr. Susanne Bennett to The Health Bridge! An expert on allergies, she lists five common household items that could cause allergy problems for some people. We all try to keep our homes clean and free of toxins but certain things are much more difficult to avoid. What should you do if you are allergic to these things?

If you've been listening to the podcast, you know the hosts Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried, but who are they exactly? What are their backgrounds? In this episode Sara interviews Pedram. He details his time at UCLA in the pre-med program, his time as a monk in the Himalayas, and how he got into tai chi and Eastern medicine. He's basically a spiritual Forest Gump with an IQ a bit higher than 75.

We've all experience some level of anxiety. For some it's a bigger problem than for others. We all face stress from the busy workplace or the hectic home life, but how does the food we eat and the coffee we drink affect anxiety levels? In this episode of The Health Bridge, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss five things we can do that may help relieve anxiety.

Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried welcome the Fat-Burning Man, Abel James, to the Health Bridge. How does the environment around us affect how we feel and how we perform? Can changing the environment around us from the chairs in which we sit to the people with which we hang to the food we stock in our pantries make it easier to make good decisions?

Sex! Now that I have your attention, Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai are going to talk about sex! How do hormones and birth control affect anatomy? How do our everyday lives affect our sexual desires? Be warned that Pedram and Sara this episode features mature subject matter.

The Health Bridge welcomes its first guest! Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai welcome health and fitness expert Yuri Elkaim as they talk about the proposed changes by the FDA to update the Nutrition Facts label we see on packaged foods. Will the proposed changes, such as updating serving sizes, affect the way consumers make food choices?

Sara and Pedram sit and have a chat all about hormones. How can we change the balance of our hormones? Can balancing hormones change our lives? Is it about taking supplements or can we improve with diet? How can we concern ourselves with balancing hormones while not overloading ourselves with the busy lives we live daily?

What are telomeres and why are they important to our lifespan? Shortened telomeres have been shown to play a role in heart disease, colon cancer, stroke, dementia, and premature death. A recent study found that participants who adopted several healthful lifestyle changes for five years experienced a 10 percent lengthening of their cell's telomeres, indicating that the cells would have a longer lifespan. Pedram and Sara discuss if a healthy lifestyle can reverse cell aging.

Sara Gottfried and Pedram Shojai discuss on the topic of insomnia and how important it is to unplug from the bright electronics before bedtime in order to better fall into a deep sleep at night.

Are probiotics good for you? These days we see "anti-bacterial" thrown on everything and we buy into this bacteria-free frenzy. But does bacteria really deserve a reputation for causing disease? A growing body of studies tells us that the answer to this question is NO. Learn more about probiotics and how they can serve our body. Dr. Sara Gottfried and Dr. Pedram Shojai discuss the science behind probiotics and the different foods that are concentrated with these good bacteria.

In this episode Sara and Pedram talk about the Paleo diet. Is it sensible to try to eat like people did over ten-thousand years ago? How is this diet different from all the other diet programs out there? Pedram and Sara address various concerns and misconceptions about the Paleo diet which has become very popular in recent years.

What are the Benefits of Broccoli? What's this whole broccoli business? Well, it turns out that broccoli is one of the healthiest vegetables out there. Dr. Sara Gottfried and Dr. Pedram Shojai are back again to discuss the science behind this miracle vegetable.

Should Obesity Be A Diagnosis? Recently the American Medical Association classified OBESITY as a disease. This has send ripples into our culture as the AMA has thrown the gauntlet and is forcing us to look at this issue. We all know that obesity is a huge medical problem and leads to many life-threatening diseases which are costing us a fortune in healthcare expenses, but is it a disease? Let's explore this debate with Dr. Pedram Shojai and Dr. Sara Gottfried.

Grain Brain and how to avoid it. Pedram Shojai and Sara Gottfried get into what we can do to avoid brain fog by cleaning up what we eat and they also get into practices and supplements we could use to fix it.

Does air pollution and mercury link to autism? Recent studies link exposure to air pollution during pregnancy to the rise in autistic children. Pregnant women exposed to diesel particulates and mercury were twice as likely to have a child with autism. Can we clean up our act in hopes of a brighter future?

Dr. Sara Gottfried and Dr. Pedram Shojai talk all things breast cancer related. How to prevent breast cancer? They have some cool insight on rising awareness, prevention strategies, and Angelina Jolie's recent double mastectomy.

What are hormone disruptors? Weight gain may come from toxic overload of the system. Here, Pedram and Sara look at how certain chemicals signal the thyroid to slow down, and thus, trigger the body to put on weight. Several strategies are discussed as solutions to this problem including mercury chelation, dietary change, supplements, and more. Weight loss through hormone balance and thyroid health is key.