The Mindful Movement Podcast and Community

Why does weight so often come back after dieting? And what if the answer isn’t simply eating less, cutting carbs, or having more willpower?In this conversation, Les sits down with health coach and metabolic health educator Jay Feldman to explore a different way of thinking about weight loss, metabolism, carbohydrates, gut health, and our relationship with food.Jay explains why losing weight through restriction isn’t necessarily the same as improving metabolic health, and why the body may resist weight loss when it perceives a lack of energy, nutrients, sleep, or other resources. They discuss what can happen when you reintroduce carbohydrates after a period of low-carb eating, why some initial weight gain may not be body fat, and how supporting energy production and metabolic function may change the way the body regulates weight over time.The conversation also goes deep into gut health and carbohydrate tolerance. Why can a food that is considered “healthy” leave one person feeling energized and another bloated and uncomfortable? Jay shares his perspective on digestion, the microbiome, endotoxin, FODMAPs, fiber, probiotics, fermented foods, constipation, and how gut function may influence metabolic health. Finally, Les and Jay tackle a question that doesn’t get discussed nearly enough: if carbohydrates can support energy and metabolic function, how do we reconcile that with concerns about sugar, cavities, and dental health?**In this episode:**Why weight regain isn’t necessarily a failure of willpower• What happens when you add carbohydrates back after low-carb eating• Glycogen, water weight, and why the scale can initially jump• The relationship between energy availability and weight regulation• Why chronic restriction can affect energy, mood, sleep, libido, and digestion• How Jay thinks about creating a healthier metabolic “set point”• Carbohydrates vs. fat and how the body uses different fuels• Why carbohydrate quality and digestibility matter• Insulin resistance and carbohydrate tolerance• Gut health, inflammation, and metabolic function• What endotoxin is and why Jay believes it matters• FODMAPs, fiber, starch, fruit, and choosing easier-to-digest carbohydrates• SIBO, gut motility, and constipation• Why probiotics and fermented foods aren’t automatically beneficial for everyone• How to approach rebuilding gut health without endlessly restricting foods• Sugar, carbohydrates, cavities, and dental health• Supporting the body rather than constantly fighting it with another dietThis conversation offers a more nuanced way to think about nutrition. Rather than asking only, “What should I eliminate?” Jay encourages us to pay attention to how well the body is actually functioning, how food affects energy and digestion, and what may be getting in the way of using fuel efficiently.**Learn more from Jay Feldman**jayfeldmanwellness.com/guideListen to Jay Feldman and Mike Fave on The Energy Balance Podcast for deeper explorations of metabolism, nutrition, hormones, gut health, and bioenergetic health.*This conversation is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical or nutritional advice. Some of the ideas discussed reflect the guest’s perspective and interpretation of the available research. Please consult an appropriate healthcare professional regarding your individual health needs.#Metabolism #WeightLoss #GutHealth #Carbohydrates #Nutrition #MetabolicHealth #JayFeldman #TheMindfulMovementThemindfulmovement.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks so much for all of your support!With gratitude,Les and Sara_________________________________________________________Some of our Favorite ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Affiliates...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Absolute ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BEST Lightbulbs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sweat it out with an Infrared Sauna from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sunlighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Apollo ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use Discount Code: MINDFULSleep Well on these Grounding Mats from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ultimate Longevity

When was the last time you sprinted? Not jogged. Not ran a 5K. Not did cardio. Actually moved as fast as your body could comfortably and safely move. In this conversation, Les Raymond sits down with Graham Tuttle, known as The Barefoot Sprinter and author of *Born to Sprint: Unlock Your Natural Strength, Speed, and Athleticism*, to explore why speed may be one of the most overlooked pieces of lifelong health and physical capability. Graham challenges the idea that sprinting is only for young athletes. Instead, he sees it as a natural human movement capacity that can reveal a great deal about our strength, coordination, connective tissue, balance, confidence, and relationship with our bodies.Together, Les and Graham explore:* Why adults gradually stop sprinting* The relationship between speed, aging, and longevity* Why strength alone may not preserve athleticism* How sprinting supports power, coordination, impact tolerance, and movement quality* Why being able to move quickly can matter for balance, falls, parenting, emergencies, and everyday life* How sprinting differs from endurance training* Why athleticism is about more than performance* The role of the feet in movement, balance, and force production* Why barefoot training creates so much sensory feedback* How shoes, treadmills, watches, and other technology can sometimes disconnect us from what our bodies are telling us* Why movement quality may matter more than simply accumulating reps, miles, or calories* Walking, running, striding, skipping, and sprinting as parts of the same movement continuum* How adults can gradually rebuild the capacity to sprint rather than jumping into it unprepared* Why simplifying your training may sometimes help you become more capable, agile, and connectedOne of the central ideas in Graham's work is that sprinting isn't necessarily an ability we earn. It's an ability the human body is designed to express. That doesn't mean someone who has been sedentary for years should simply head outside and sprint at full speed. The real work is restoring the mobility, tissue capacity, coordination, strength, and body awareness that make speed available again. Much of Graham's book focuses on exactly that journey.Get Graham's Book...barefootsprinter.comAnd look for his book, ***Born to Sprint: Unlock Your Natural Strength, Speed, and Athleticism***, a practical guide to rebuilding the foundational movement qualities that allow the body to move with strength, speed, confidence, and freedom.Whether you're 30, 50, 70, or beyond, this conversation offers a different way to think about exercise: not simply as something we do to burn calories or improve numbers, but as an ongoing relationship with the body we live in.#Sprinting #HealthyAging #Longevity #BarefootRunning #FitnessOver40 #Movement #Athleticism #StrengthTraining #Running #TheMindfulMovementThemindfulmovement.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks so much for all of your support!With gratitude,Les and Sara_________________________________________________________Some of our Favorite ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Affiliates...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Absolute ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BEST Lightbulbs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sweat it out with an Infrared Sauna from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sunlighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Apollo ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use Discount Code: MINDFULSleep Well on these Grounding Mats from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ultimate Longevity

Can an ordinary person have a mystical or direct spiritual experience?In this conversation, Les Raymond sits down with Matt Zemon, executive director of the Council on Spiritual Practices and author of *Ordinary Mystics: Psychedelics, Faith, and the Reclaiming of Direct Spiritual Experience*, to explore the fascinating intersection of psychedelics, spirituality, religion, healing, and human connection. Matt shares how a guided psilocybin experience at age 46 completely changed the way he understood spirituality and ultimately led him to study psychology, neuroscience, mental health, ministry, and the long history of psychedelics in spiritual practice.Together, Les and Matt explore:* Why psychedelics can create profound feelings of connection and meaning* Whether humans may be naturally wired for mystical experiences* Psychedelics as one tool among many for accessing altered states* The relationship between religion and direct spiritual experience* Why similar mystical experiences appear across different cultures and faith traditions* The difference between psychedelics as a cure and as a catalyst* Why integration and community matter after a powerful experience* Psilocybin and changing our relationship with death* Les's own experiences with microdosing and psychedelic-assisted personal growth* How set, setting, source, and support can reduce risk* Why surrender can be such an important part of difficult psychedelic experiences* The role of self-love, reflection, meditation, and nature in integration* The emerging world of psychedelic spiritual communities and churchesMatt also shares powerful experiences around death, grief, connection, and gratitude, including moments in which psychedelic experiences radically changed his relationship with being alive.At the heart of the conversation is a simple but provocative idea: psychedelics may not give us something we don't already possess. They may instead act as catalysts that help us access parts of ourselves that were already there.**Learn more about Matt Zemon:**mattzemon.comHis new book, ***Ordinary Mystics: Psychedelics, Faith, and the Reclaiming of Direct Spiritual Experience***, explores how ordinary people can have profound spiritual experiences and what those experiences might mean for faith, community, healing, and everyday life.The book is available wherever books are sold, with an audiobook narrated by Matt as well.This conversation is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice or encouragement to use illegal substances. Laws and risks vary, and Matt emphasizes the importance of informed decision-making, source, set, setting, and community.Ordinary Mystics and Free Resources: https://mattzemon.com/ordinarymysticsbookWebsite: https://mattzemon.comLinkedin: https://mattzemon.com/linkedinInstagram: @matt.zemonTEDx: https://mattzemon.com/TEDx#Psychedelics #Spirituality #Psilocybin #MysticalExperience #Consciousness #PersonalGrowth #Faith #MentalHealth #TheMindfulMovementThemindfulmovement.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks so much for all of your support!With gratitude,Les and Sara_________________________________________________________Some of our Favorite ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Affiliates...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Absolute ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BEST Lightbulbs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sweat it out with an Infrared Sauna from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sunlighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Apollo ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use Discount Code: MINDFULSleep Well on these Grounding Mats from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ultimate Longevity

What might happen if we stopped treating nature as something outside of ourselves and started listening to it as a teacher? In this conversation, Les Raymond reconnects with Danny Clark, author of *Tracking Truth: An Alchemical Journey of Learning from Nature*, more than a decade after they first crossed paths in the world of strength and movement. Since then, Danny's path has taken an unexpected turn. From wrestling and strength coaching to natural movement, off-grid living, herbalism, alchemy, and a much deeper relationship with the natural world, his journey has become an exploration of what nature can teach us about health, purpose, spirituality, and ourselves. Together, Les and Danny explore:* Why spending time in nature can feel so fundamentally different from modern indoor life* Natural movement and our changing relationship with exercise* How nature can become a source of self-reflection, meaning, and personal growth* Danny's decision to live off-grid in the Rocky Mountains* What it means to view nature as a teacher* Herbalism, minerals, and the ancient practice of alchemy* The fascinating story of finding and preparing wild shilajit* The relationship between science, spirituality, and direct experience* Creating preparations from quartz, obsidian, herbs, and other materials found in nature* Why following curiosity and an inner calling can lead us somewhere we never expected* The importance of integrating strength and intensity with surrender, rest, and reflectionAt its heart, this conversation is about more than herbs, minerals, movement, or even nature itself. It's about learning to pay attention, following what feels meaningful, and allowing our relationship with the natural world to change our relationship with ourselves.Learn more about Danny Clark and his work...spiritualperformance.netAnd look for Danny's book, Tracking Truth: An Alchemical Journey of Learning from Nature, which tells the story of his own evolving relationship with nature and the path that ultimately led him from athlete and strength coach to the work he does today.#Nature #PersonalGrowth #Spirituality #Alchemy #NaturalLiving #Herbalism #OffGridLiving #Mindfulness #TheMindfulMovementThemindfulmovement.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks so much for all of your support!With gratitude,Les and Sara_________________________________________________________Some of our Favorite ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Affiliates...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Absolute ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BEST Lightbulbs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sweat it out with an Infrared Sauna from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sunlighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Apollo ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use Discount Code: MINDFULSleep Well on these Grounding Mats from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ultimate Longevity

Why is it so hard to think clearly, learn, sleep, or feel like yourself when you’re stressed? In this conversation, Les Raymond sits down with Dr. Dave Rabin, psychiatrist, neuroscientist, author, and co-founder of Apollo Neuro, to explore what modern neuroscience is teaching us about stress, safety, healing, and the nervous system. Dr. Rabin explains why our brains are wired to treat uncertainty as potential danger, why feeling safe in the body may need to come before trying to change our thoughts, and how chronic overstimulation can quietly keep us stuck in survival mode. Much of the conversation draws from Dr. Rabin’s book, A Simple Guide to Being Alive, which explores the fascinating intersection of modern science, spirituality, and ancient wisdom, and what these different ways of understanding ourselves may be able to teach us about living and healing. Together they explore:Why anxiety is closely tied to uncertainty and our evolutionary survival systemThe difference between bottom-up and top-down approaches to changeWhy the nervous system needs signals of safetyThe role of the vagus nerve, touch, vibration, and human connectionWhy more data and health tracking can sometimes create more anxietyHow small, repeated moments of regulation may be more practical than adding another demanding wellness routineThe relationship between stress, sleep, recovery, and resilienceWhat science may be beginning to explain about ancient and traditional healing practicesHow technology can potentially support nervous system regulation rather than adding more stressDr. Rabin also shares new research and developments behind Apollo Neuro, the wearable technology designed to use gentle vibrations to support relaxation, sleep, focus, and nervous system regulation.Interested in trying Apollo Neuro?Use our affiliate link for The Mindful Movement discount:https://apolloneuro.com/mindfulWe may earn a commission if you purchase through our affiliate link, at no additional cost to you.Daves New Bookhttps://amzn.to/4g9VVH1Whether you’re struggling with chronic stress, anxiety, poor sleep, burnout, or simply want to understand your nervous system more deeply, this conversation offers a fascinating look at what it means to help the body feel safe again.#NervousSystem #StressRelief #Anxiety #VagusNerve #Sleep #ApolloNeuro #Neuroscience #MentalHealth #TheMindfulMovementThemindfulmovement.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Thanks so much for all of your support!With gratitude,Les and Sara_________________________________________________________Some of our Favorite ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Affiliates...⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Absolute ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BEST Lightbulbs⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sweat it out with an Infrared Sauna from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sunlighten⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Apollo ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Use Discount Code: MINDFULSleep Well on these Grounding Mats from ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Ultimate Longevity