HealThy Terrain

Eight years ago, on November 11, 2016, I made the life-changing decision to quit drinking after 30 years of alcohol addiction. It was the hardest, most humbling step I've ever taken, and to anyone reading this who has taken that same step—congratulations. Truly. You've done something extraordinary, and I honor you for it. But I want to share something with you: when I got sober, I wasn't prepared for what came next. Even though I was finally free of alcohol, my body still felt like it was stuck in the past. I had joint pain, back spasms, fatigue, brain fog, digestive issues, sleep struggles—you name it. I remember thinking, "I did the hard part…why do I still feel like this?" That's when I realized that sobriety wasn't the end of my healing—it was the beginning. Years of addiction had left my body depleted of nutrients, overwhelmed by toxins, and running on empty. So, I dove deep into figuring out how to rebuild—not just on the surface but at the cellular level. I started focusing on detoxing, restoring energy, and giving my body the tools it needed to repair itself. Slowly but surely, I began to feel like me again. Today, I feel better than I ever thought possible—not just sober but vibrant, healthy, and full of energy. And now, I want to pay it forward. If you've overcome addiction—or know someone who has—this is the next chapter. You've already conquered the mental and chemical hurdles. Now it's time to tackle the physical ones. Rebuilding your health, your energy, and your vitality is possible. It's not about judgment or perfection. It's about taking the steps to support your body in the same way you've supported your mind and spirit. I'm here to help guide you through it. Whether it's detoxing, restoring cellular health, or simply figuring out what your body needs to thrive again, know that you don't have to do this alone. Your recovery is already an incredible achievement. Let's make your health just as strong. With love, respect, and gratitude, Dave 😎

I love a good conspiracy theory, especially when they're just spoiler alerts. Agree or Disagree with me, I'm OK with that but make sure you're thinking for yourself and using the grey matter sitting atop your shoulders. 25 years ago I first starting listening to the talk about chemtrails, today we're talking about geo-engineering of hurricanes.  Viruses, aliens, fluoride, "vaccines", Big Pharma, Big Food, Big Media Oh my! The crazier, the better.  

My achilles heel pain was excruciating 3 days ago. Today I ran 3 miles. Why cellular metabolic health is vital for injury recovery as well as avoidance. It's not just acute sports type injuries but chronic inflammation related to most disease ie. joint pain, diabetes, weight management, cancer, digestive issues etc. Supporting  the body's ability to heal itself is the foundation.

Oh my goodness, Southern California is crazy with the Acai bowls. Why I don't get the hype and what I eat instead. Guess what, I haven't tried an Acai bowl yet! Check out my riff and thoughts on this craze.

We wonder why our kids have difficulty communicating in person? Let's start by not handing them phones, iPads and games when they're toddlers at the dinner table. Dining out or at home. The cortisol hormone spikes are not only detrimental to them mentally but also affects their digestion. Let's keep the garbage off their plates and out of their minds. As parents we have the responsibility to guide and teach our children - Nobody said it would be easy.

Sometimes the 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle) is enough. Why not having to stress about every little detail on your healing journey is OK. 20% of the Things You Do will get you 80% of the Results You Want and Deserve.

Yes, I sell donuts on the weekend. And, yes they're a treat. Find out how we make the healthiest version of a donut you can enjoy as an occasional treat.

All you need is patience. Why do we think we can fix our health issues quickly when it's taken years or decades to get where we are? Give yourself grace, celebrate the small steps and wins on your way to optimal health. Progress over Perfection!

Restaurant kids meals. Are they a healthy choice or just a bit of marketing to get parents in to restaurants and spending money? With the advent of the two income families in the 70's dining out became, for many, the go to.  1979 brought us the "happy" meal. Kids meals, more often than not are made with nutrient deplete and highly inflammatory ingredients, engineered to hit the kids pleasure centers of the brain creating cravings.

Lifestyle, Nutrition, Stress, Sleep & Movement all contribute to push towards a tipping point. Unfortunately, this tipping point for most is a metabolic disaster, 88% of the American adult population is metabolically unhealthy. Let's turn this around and "tip" back towards health.

If you're a GenXer like me, you've been told oatmeal is a heart healthy breakfast. Let's dispel this rubbish. What to eat instead.

After a hiatus of several years, always with the intent of bringing back my podcast, "Fat Food 4 Life", I've rebranded naming the version 2.0 Heal-Thy Terrain. My goal is to kick off with 30 days in a row of metabolic health, nutrition, and lifestyle content. Whether you're a Gen-Xer like me or younger and want to make it to my age healthy, active and full of vitality this is the spot for you. I've been there, suffered, struggled and conquered. Let's enjoy the ride together

Today we talk with Sarah Lawley from San Diego, CA.  She's a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist as well as an FNTP (Functional Nutritional Therapy Practictioner). We explore the meaning of what is the "Paleo" craze, the nutrition and lifestyle it involves.  Sarah shares her own personal story of how a Paleo diet dramatically changed her life and health.  She gives examples of lifestyle and meals that make following a Paleo way of living easy.   We also talk a little about our journey together through our Nutritional Therapy training. To contact Sarah you can reach out to her through her Self emBody Therapy at www.selfembodytherapy.com or on Instagram www.instagram.com/nourish.and.heal   

He's Back!  After a break to focus on studying to become a Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner, Dave does a solo-cast to catch everyone up on what's been happening the past few months.  ie. Selling one of the restaurants, training to become a FNTP, COVID-19s affect on how they're adapting in their current restaurant... Dave covers the benefits of strengthening your own immune system through diet & lifestyle and how this affects your outcomes when becoming exposed to viruses, bacterias, etc.  

Today Dave & Renee give an overview of the problems associated with grains, mainly wheat and gluten. Maybe the Aliens are just fattening us up for our fatty livers.  

Today we give you a brief history of the vilification of cholesterol and fat in in our diets.  Dave shares his test results and history with statins and the side effects he experienced.

Today we give you the low down on low carb.  We share our Keto knowledge while traveling to San Diego.  We'll share what works and doesn't work for us.  The goal is to set everyone on the path of trial to see what works for each unique individual.

Dave & Renee share their stories transitioning from sugar burners to fat burners.  Today's episode gives a general overview of the ketogenic diet and the low carb/high fat lifestyle.

Fat Food 4 Life is brought to you by the couple of Dave & Renee who currently reside in Santa Fe, New Mexico and own and operate two farm to table restaurants. Today we'll share our reasons for starting and the concepts behind Fat Food 4 Life podcast.  Our focus will be on telling our stories and sharing our knowledge on Real Food and Real Nutrition for Real People.   Today we share our backgrounds and what we believe the future holds for us. And just for fun we share our reaction to the Impossible Vegetarian Burger