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Why do we shrug at grown men in body paint at a football game but cringe at an adult in Mickey ears? Are we judging an entire community by the loudest 1% the algorithm shows us?    AJ Wolfe is a writer, speaker, entrepreneur, and media creator. She is a New York Times Bestselling author of  Disney Adults: Exploring (And Falling In Love With) A Magical Subculture. She is also the founder and owner of Cambrick Yard Media, The Disney Food Blog and is a multi-million follower personality.    In this episode, we speculate on why Disney adults get so much other hate compared to similar levels of fandom in other areas of society, unpack how much of the cult following is addiction by design on behalf of Disney & how even Disney adults can’t escape criticism from each other.     If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 334: FOOTBALL: ARE WE CHEERING FOR BRAIN TRAUMA?  Guests: https://www.instagram.com/ajwolfeofficial https://www.linkedin.com/in/aj-wolfe/ https://www.facebook.com/DisneyFoodBlogAJ https://ajwolfe.com/  https://a.co/d/09yHGTjm    Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    01:01 Stereotype vs. reality 05:12 Why football fans get a pass 06:40 Walt wanted adults all along 10:08 Are Disney adults making it pricier? 13:41 Resorts, adolescence, and who gets judged 16:05 Who can really afford Disney? 19:11 Is it Disney or big corporations? 22:18 Attacked from both sides 23:47 Youth group meets Mean Girls 27:35 The rose gold ears frenzy 30:43 Blame the algorithm? 33:27 Disney and FOMO 34:47 From suing fans to courting them 36:53 Is Disney hacking your biology? 43:11 Disney’s $1.5B betting bet 44:33 Stop judging from one-liners Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Why isn’t there a consistent message about alcohol and health? How do you know if you’re putting yourself at risk? Is it really “all things in moderation”?   Courtney Conley, D.C holds a doctorate in chiropractic medicine & 2 bachelor’s degrees in kinesiology & human biology & is the founder of Gait Happens. Milicia McDowell, DPT holds a doctorate in physical therapy & has over 20 years of experience. Together, they are the authors of Walk: Rediscover the Most Natural Way to Boost your Health & Longevity One Step at a Time.   In this episode, you’ll hear the BEST kind of footwear (& why it lasts longer than what you’re buying right now), why strong feet matter & all the ways walking could make your life better for FREE.     If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 130: BAREFOOT IN CANADA: REWILDING, BRAIN FOG & STARBUCKS  Guests: https://a.co/d/0c20BNFz  https://www.drcourtneyconley.com/  https://www.instagram.com/gaithappens/  https://www.instagram.com/drcourtneyconley/  https://www.facebook.com/gaithappens  https://www.milicamcdowell.com/  https://www.instagram.com/drmilicamcdowelldpt   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    5:57 Functional, minimal, or wrong? 12:34 Why minimal shoes outlast conventional ones 15:41 Stop fearing pronation 18:38 I went barefoot for a year 27:39 So why do podiatrists still say cushion? 28:45 Fashion is the real enemy 29:41 The status symbol on your feet 34:28 How strong should your big toe be? 36:17 Can walking really prevent dementia? 37:32 The 6th vital sign nobody checks 41:42 Is 10,000 steps a lie? 43:56 The step count that beats depression 45:09 What CrossFit and yoga can't give you 48:49 Do antidepressants fix foot pain? 57:27 Weighted vests: helpful or harmful? 58:13 Heel striking: good or bad? 1:00:00 Why some people bounce when they walk Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Why isn’t there a consistent message about alcohol and health? How do you know if you’re putting yourself at risk? Is it really “all things in moderation”?   Rachel Bernstein is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Cult Specialist & the Host of the IndoctriNation Podcast. She has spent the last 35 years helping former cult members & those who have had loved ones in cults, focusing on emotional abuse recovery, identity repair & moral injury.    In this episode she explains the psychology of political allegiance, why religion & politics always fuse together, thought stopping cliches & media influence vs media manipulation.   This episode originally aired August 18, 2025     If you like this episode, you’ll also like episode 229: IS YOUR HAPPINESS BEING POLITICIZED? CULTURE, CORTISOL & THE BRAIN   Guest: https://rachelbernsteintherapy.com/  https://www.facebook.com/rachelbernsteintherapy https://www.instagram.com/indoctrinationpodcast/ https://open.spotify.com/show/1prXo4iIxUfjYpfX671cUD?si=3522f54be4ae456f https://rachelbernsteintherapy.com/book--journal.html  Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:15 When We Get Vulnerable 4:18 Easily Offended, Easily Swayed 5:04 Are Parties Actually Cults? 6:19 High-Control Groups, Explained 8:13 The Death of Diplomacy 9:35 Identity Over Ideas 11:16 Why Religion and Politics Fuse 13:34 Thought-Stopping Clichés 16:34 Two Magnets, Same Playbook 18:35 The Theocracy Blind Spot 19:17 Allergic to Gray Areas 20:15 The Seven Mountain Mandate 22:32 Anything But Them 23:06 Education as the Antidote 25:35 Reacting vs. Acting 27:54 You're Being Played 31:12 Chasing Likes, Losing Truth 32:59 Data Mining Is Grooming 35:02 Nobody Taught Us This 38:31 Where to Find the Truth 42:10 Shrinking Your Data Footprint Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Why isn’t there a consistent message about alcohol and health? How do you know if you’re putting yourself at risk? Is it really “all things in moderation”?   Dr. Sarah Wakeman is an Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School & Sr. Medical Director for Substance Use Disorder at Mass General Brigham. She is also the author of Treatable: Rethinking Addiction and How to Get Care Right.   In this episode, she shares why we hear conflicting messages on alcohol, why what “one drink” means is subjective, the actual health risks even for moderate drinkers, drinking stigma & what real sobriety means.     If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 265: HOW DO YOU KNOW IF YOU’RE AN ALCOHOLIC? [REMASTERED]   Guest: https://www.drsarahwakeman.com/ Book https://a.co/d/0afUgsLE https://www.massgeneralbrigham.org/ https://www.instagram.com/massgeneralbrigham/ https://www.instagram.com/drsarahwakeman/  https://www.facebook.com/MassGeneralBrighamInternational/?brand_redir=45556346121#    Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    1:04 — How People Measure Their Own Drinking (Spoiler: They Don't) 2:08 — Why the Science Is So Confusing: CDC vs. WHO 3:35 — What "Class 1 Carcinogen" Actually Means 4:39 — Why We Can't Study Alcohol the Way We Study Other Things 6:09 — What’s “a” drink? 11:04 — Does It Matter Why You Drink? 12:27 — The Capsule Wardrobe Approach to Alcohol 14:21 — Health Risks for Moderate Drinkers 16:08 — Breast Cancer and Light Drinking: The Uncomfortable Truth 17:42 — Toxic Load: Can We Blame the Country We Live In? 20:04 — The Challenge of Counseling Patients on Alcohol 25:00 — What Alcohol Does to the Brain 25:34 — Alcohol-Induced Dementia: How Would You Know? 27:17 — Alcohol, Anxiety & Depression: A Two-Sided Coin 29:10 — Dry January: Helpful Reset or False Start? 33:00 — Moral Incongruence and the Drinking Stigma 34:38 — The "Alcohol Puppy" in Your Brain: Dopamine & Reward 36:20 — The Endorphin Connection: Why Alcohol Feels Like a Painkiller 37:17 — Naltrexone & the Sinclair Method: Medicine for Moderation 39:22 — How to Talk to Your Doctor About Drinking 41:40 — The South Dakota 24/7 Sobriety Experiment 44:00 — Is Alcoholism a Disease, a Behavior, or Both? 46:31 — Contingency Management: Rewarding Sobriety 48:23 — "The Opposite of Alcoholism Isn't Sobriety — It's Connection" 49:31 — Where to Find Dr. Wakeman & Her Book Treatable Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Can you befriend someone OUT of racism? Are Klan members just misguided? Is racism a permanent state?   Daryl Davis is a musician & author. He’s also a black man who chooses to be friends with Klansmen. Over his lifetime, he has inspired over 200 Klu Klux Klan members to give up their robes.    In this episode he shares about the boyscout parade where he got a race reality check, FBI files, the connection between travel & racism, his first encounter with a klansmen, his first KKK friend & true transformation in the age of cancel culture.       This episode originally aired April 29, 2024   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 134: HE VOTED OBAMA & JOINED THE KKK: the How & the Why (PART 1)   Guest: https://klanwetalk.com/  NEW BOOK! https://a.co/d/06vMvFop https://x.com/realdaryldavis https://www.instagram.com/realdaryldavis/  https://www.facebook.com/realdaryldavis    Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    02:22 – Ambushed at a Boy Scout Parade 04:27 – The Day His Parents Had to Explain Hate 06:29 – 63 Countries, 50 States, One Missing Piece 08:14 – What Mark Twain Got Right About Prejudice 10:00 – The Fight in a Parking Lot at 2 A.M. 12:07 – Why the Cops Wouldn't Arrest Him 17:39 – "I Never Sat Down With a Black Man Before" 22:26 – The Question That Had Been Waiting 15 Years for an Answer 29:22 – A Bodyguard, a Gun, and a Bible in a Motel Room 32:50 – The Noise That Almost Got Someone Killed 37:02 – The Four-Step Chain That Leads to Destruction 38:30 – Why Diverse Companies Still Eat Lunch Segregated 42:49 – The Five Things Every Human Being Wants 45:07 – The History Books Left This Out 51:20 – The Year America's Racial Majority Flips Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

What's the difference between a fetish, a kink, and just really liking something? Where do fetishes come from?   Niki Davis-Fainbloom’s entire job is to help people make peace with their fetish. She holds a masters in psychology, studied sex therapy at the Kinsey Institute & has been working with clients for 8 years. She’s also the author of Fetish: smash taboos & celebrate what turns you on.   In this episode, you’ll hear about some of the more unusual fetishes, where fetishes come from, where we draw the line in ethical fetishes (Race? Disability? Yikes!), the difference between a kink & a fetish, why people hide what turns them on (& what happens when they don’t).   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 286: WHAT IS MEDICALLY ASSISTED SEX [REMASTERED]?   Guest: https://a.co/d/0165o2Qg  https://www.instagram.com/missbloomsexeducator/  https://www.facebook.com/niki.davis.7 https://www.nikidavisf.com/about-niki  https://x.com/nikidavisf?lang=en   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    00:00:56 — What Actually Makes Something a Fetish (vs. Just Being a Preference) 00:03:50 — Fetish vs. Kink: What's the Difference? 00:04:27 — Unusual Fetishes: Vore, Macrophilia, and the Wet Floor Sign Guy 00:08:46 — Balloon Fetishes, Online Communities, and SizeCon 00:09:57 — Where Do Fetishes Come From? The Conditioning Theory 00:12:34 — The Baby Fetish, Pregnancy Kink, and Stress as a Factor 00:15:23 — Culture, Decades, and How Your Childhood TV Shapes Your Desires 00:17:02 — Japan's Panty Vending Machines: Normalization and the Fetish Question 00:19:47 — The Most Common Fetishes by Volume 00:21:21 — Sneezing Fetishes, Feet Everywhere, and the Can't-Unsee Phenomenon 00:25:15 — The Neuroscience of Foot Fetishes: Somatosensory Cortex and Amputation Studies 00:27:38 — Is There a Genetic Component? Dopamine, Novelty-Seeking, and Risk 00:30:11 — Disgust, Arousal, and Why Evolution Had to Make a Compromise 00:32:45 — Fetishes and Trauma: Separating Myth from Reality 00:34:28 — Rape Kink, Survivors, and Reclaiming Control 00:35:38 — Is Shame Part of What Makes a Fetish Work? 00:37:50 — Grindr at the RNC, Anti-Gay Preachers, and the Forbidden Fruit Effect 00:40:08 — Tools for Working Through Shame: Postponing Worry, Self-Compassion Letters 00:43:42 — How and When to Disclose Your Fetish to a Partner 00:50:51 — The Ethics of Fetishes: Race, Disability, and Objectification 00:55:21 — DSM Paraphilias, Non-Consent, and Where People Can Get Help 00:57:31 — AI Romantic Partners, Dirty Talk Experiments, and the Capitalism Interruption 01:02:32 — Niki's Documentary, the Book, and Where to Find Her Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Could the very thing that makes America work also be what's quietly breaking us?   James F Richardson is a cultural anthropologist who has studied American society for twenty years. He’s also the author of Our Worst Strength: American Individualism and Its Hidden Discontents.   In this episode, we cover the impact of boundless optimism, options & the playground of autonomy. He speaks to the impact our individualism has on our work, mental health, friendships & romantic relationships.   This episode originally aired on October 7, 2024.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 192: AM I A BAD FRIEND/? 7 DEADLY SINS OF FRIENDSHIP  Guest: https://jamesrichardson.substack.com/  https://a.co/d/3cmICjE   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    1:10 Cowboy vs. Businesswoman Archetypes 2:13 Why the Founder Myth Wins 5:37 Innovation Without Asking "Then What?" 7:56 Is Restriction the Real Opposite? 8:44 Decades of Unlocked Life Choices 9:52 Failure Happens in Private 11:24 What Community Oversight Could Look Like 12:06 We Traded Neighbors for Apps 13:00 Stage-Gate Checks for New Businesses 13:45 The Untouchable 95% Fail Rate 16:08 Shame, American-Style 18:29 Radical Personal Responsibility, Examined 20:44 The Case for Individualism 25:00 "How Do I Make Friends?" 25:54 Friends as Entertainment 27:13 Open vs. Closed Reciprocity, Explained 31:29 James's Own Alienation Cycle 32:42 Asperger's, Therapy, and Energy Management 40:13 Where Does Responsibility End? 44:13 One Life Tip That Matters Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

How does a suburban dad end up addicted & sleeping in a Tenderloin doorway?   Tom Wolf was a suburban Dad & city employee when he became addicted to drugs. He soon found himself sleeping in a doorway in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco getting high every 90 minutes.     Now six years sober, he serves on the leadership council of Foundation for Drug Policy Solutions & is a bridge between the reality of the streets & the meeting room of policy makers.  In this episode, you’ll hear his story, the down and dirty about “live & let die,” Chinese fentanyl and Mexican cartel, if housing plus services is really the answer & should we follow the Portugal model?   This episode originally aired on September 9, 2024.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 317: LIFE IN THE VEGAS TUNNELS: CLOWNS, CRICKETS & CRANK [REMASTERED]  Guest: https://x.com/gooddrugpolicy https://x.com/Twolfrecovery https://gooddrugpolicy.org/papr/ https://www.facebook.com/gooddrugpolicy https://www.linkedin.com/company/foundation-for-drug-policy-solutions/   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    1:07 The Foot Surgery That Started It 2:23 Buying Pills On The Street 4:21 Switching To Heroin 5:02 The OxyContin Crisis Origins 6:32 Should Purdue Pay? 7:38 Fentanyl's Chinese Precursors 9:09 Working For The Cartel 10:38 Arrested And Released 15:09 Why Not Get Shelter? 16:40 Using Every 90 Minutes 19:43 Housing Isn't Enough 22:20 Six Strikes And Jail 24:37 Sober vs. In Recovery 28:57 Portugal's Decriminalization Model 33:24 Decriminalization vs. Legalization 35:33 Could Plant Medicine Help? 39:25 Pivoting San Francisco's Approach 42:31 A Hostage Takeover Of The Brain 43:12 Alberta And Houston's Success 45:42 Closing Thoughts And Hope Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

What if your "chemical imbalance" was never actually in your brain — but on your plate?   Dr. Georgia Ede is a Harvard trained psychiatrist who began to experience a host of mystery symptoms in her 40s, including fibromyalgia, migraines, chronic fatigue syndrome, and IBS.    When she got relief after experimenting with her diet, she began her path of nutritional studies & later became a nutritional psychiatrist. In this episode, she covers questionnaire collecting vs research, a warning about experimenting on yourself, chemical imbalances vs inflammation & 3 tests you can do at home.   This episode originally aired on July 8, 2024.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 251: FOOD ADDICTION: CHARACTER FLAW OR REAL DEPENDENCE? [REMASTERED]  Guest: https://www.instagram.com/georgiaedemd/ https://twitter.com/GeorgiaEdeMD https://www.diagnosisdiet.com/ https://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaEdeMd https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgiaedemd/   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    1:31 Skeptical Psychiatrist's Turning Point 3:11 Why Nutrition Studies Lie 5:38 Rethinking Chemical Imbalances 7:10 Metabolic vs Nutritional Psychiatry 8:52 Two Diets, Two Goals 11:12 Testing Diets in Prisons? 12:04 How Fast Results Come 14:05 Special Forces Eat Keto 15:00 Is Inflammation to Blame? 18:14 Try 30 Carbs a Day 21:02 Self-Experimenting Without a Doctor 24:25 Test Your Insulin at Home 28:58 Does Red Dye Cause ADHD? 31:06 The Chocolate Craving Mystery 34:00 Inside Food Addiction Research 39:32 Escape the Glucose Rollercoaster 42:11 Her 90-Year-Old Mom's Keto Win 46:08 Hope Is on the Menu Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

What happened to ontological shock?   Michael Glawson, PhD, is a philosopher of science and technology with a background in theology. He’s also the host of the podcast Anomalous Review & the UAP Studies Podcast. In this video, we cover the public’s love affair with cryptids, why new information is unlikely to smash our world view, ancient aliens, data vs entertainment & how the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies collects data.   This episode originally aired on April 14, 2025.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 276: ARE ALIENS HUMANS FROM THE FUTURE? [REMASTERED] Guest: https://www.explorescu.org/podcast https://www.instagram.com/michaelglawson/ [email protected]   https://www.facebook.com/michaelglawson  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gmglawson/  https://x.com/MichaelGlawson   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:14 UFOs as "the cryptid we're bored with" 3:24 The double-talk that primed us 5:56 Diana Pasulka and denominations of belief 8:00 The "aliens are demons" camp 9:19 The Alien Resistance Christian group 10:28 Why nothing smashes a worldview 12:24 Michael's personal crisis moment 13:57 Inside the Scientific Coalition for UAP Studies 15:16 MUFON, NUFORC, and the data problem 16:53 300 best cases and emerging patterns 19:44 The missing taxonomy for non-human intelligence 21:09 The career risk of studying this openly 23:04 Defending the "petty" reputation concern 25:38 Philosophy vs. data as competing lenses 28:12 Why doesn't the public care? 28:40 Could disclosure hurt our "galactic reputation"? 29:22 The nuclear weapons parallel 30:39 The game theory of disclosure 33:48 UAP apathy vs. religious apathy 35:27 Kahneman's fast and slow thinking 36:23 Economic survival crowds out big questions 37:35 Why the NJ drones felt different 38:23 Michael's anatomy of the NJ drone panic 40:33 The Iran mothership claim debunked 41:07 The germanium-68 "missing nuclear material" myth 42:45 Thousands of unexplained military incursions ignored 44:35 If you could interview an alien Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Should voters have to prove their competence? How do balance ethics & efficacy in the world of politics?   Dr. Jason Brennan is a Flanigan Family professor at Georgetown Business School who agrees that democracies outperform most historical alternatives, but suggests that some form of Epistocracy (meaning the rule of the knowledgeable) could be worth experimenting with. In other words, the more of an informed voter you are, the more weight your vote carries.    He covers why democracy may not be as bullet proof as we believe, what the practical applications of epistocracy could look like, education’s disappointing impact on informed voting & the right and wrong way to become a more informed voter.   This episode originally aired on April 15, 2024   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 136: VIRTUE SIGNALING. CAN WE MAKE IT STOP? NACHOS & NARCISSISM  Guest: https://a.co/d/3INKj7z   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    3:05 What is epistocracy? 7:25 Is a "statistically informed" vote really informed? 8:52 When IQ tests get weaponized 11:00 Let citizens write the test 12:52 Why civic education backfires 13:37 The forgetting curve of civics class 15:47 Voting as a collective action problem 19:38 Do you have a duty to vote? 22:05 Reproductive rights and the bottle-in-the-ocean problem 23:45 Lottocracy: voting by lottery 25:50 Should we vote on issues, not parties? 26:41 Politics as tribal signaling 28:55 Your brain on politics 29:41 More parties, less tribalism 30:50 Duverger's Law and the two-party trap 34:28 How the electoral college shapes campaigns 36:09 Finding trustworthy information Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

What if the villain isn't high cortisol, but low? Does the idea of relaxing make you cringe?   Erin Kinney, ND, is a Naturopathic Doctor who specializes in helping type A patients use cortisol as a currency to generate energy, handle stress, heal, & perform. She is also the author of The Cortisol Cure: The Secret to Resetting Your Stress Response, Boosting Energy & Feeling Better Than Ever.   In this episode, she describes two patients with wacked out cortisol (is this YOU?), the relationship of burnout & cortisol, how to understand your HRV, if your fasting & exercise could be making your stress worse, when stress is GOOD, free tips to rebalance your stress hormones & how to find the right doctor to work with you   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 61: REDUCING STRESS THROUGH BREATHING: HACKS FOR THE NON-HIPPY  Guest: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-dr-kinney-show/id1547023817  https://a.co/d/06TmZ6hw  https://www.thekinneyclinic.com/about-dr-erin-kinney  https://www.instagram.com/TheKinneyClinic https://www.facebook.com/TheKinneyClinic   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    4:20 What your labs should say 6:58 The cortisol bank account 9:06 The real ideal numbers 11:34 Introvert vs extrovert stress 14:28 CGM spikes as a clue 16:10 What HRV is really telling you 23:51 Two muscles: stress and rest 25:21 Mold, trauma, and fight or flight 27:14 The 90/10 rule 31:15 Is burnout just low cortisol? 31:51 The top 3 culprits 37:29 Meditation and the off switch 39:31 The compressed vagus nerve 43:30 Why exercise isn't relaxing 44:30 Are you overtraining? 45:17 Fasting: his vs hers 47:22 Alcohol, weed, and your bank account 48:57 Free tips you can use today 53:24 Finding the right doctor Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Who convinced us that the fate of the world rests on our personal recycling habits? Does it even make a difference?   Melissa Valliant serves as the communications director at Beyond Plastics, a nationwide environmental advocacy group.   In this episode, Melissa shares how recycling isn't just imperfect, but a decades-old PR strategy engineered by the same fossil fuel, petrochemical, and consumer goods giants that profit from plastic production. You’ll hear the war origins of the plastics boom, who quietly bankrolled the Keep America Beautiful campaign & the logistical reasons that only 5-6% of everything you carefully sort actually makes it to recycling. She also covers the real bottom line on what will move the needle as well as how to keep your family healthy from the chemicals leaching from plastic.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 140: CAN HAIR SAVE THE WORLD? OIL, OTTERS & HAIR MATS  Guest: https://www.beyondplastics.org/act  https://a.co/d/00KBkQjw  https://www.instagram.com/beyondplastics/ https://www.facebook.com/beyondplasticsaction    Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:17 – Plastic's Wartime Origins 6:56 – Keep America Beautiful's Secret Founders 8:35 – Only 6% Actually Gets Recycled 11:48 – The Chasing Arrows Con 12:48 – The Gar-Barge That Woke Us Up 14:29 – Deconstructing a Recycling Religion 17:39 – Are Bottle Caps Recyclable 19:01 – Wish-Cycling and Corporate Gaslighting 21:11 – California's Plastic Bag Loophole 23:02 – When Companies Fake Caring 26:55 – Busting Starbucks' Recycling Claims 29:07 – Advanced Recycling Isn't Advanced 31:06 – Proving Environmental Racism 33:06 – Exxon Sued Over Recycling Lies 34:38 – Would Banning Plastic Backfire 38:18 – Industry-Funded Studies Exposed 42:56 – The Human Health Turn 45:24 – Kicking Plastic Out of Schools 46:37 – The Secret Fourth R 47:55 – Rotisserie Chickens and Leaching Heat 50:34 – Real Swaps for Your Kitchen 53:57 – How to Deprogram Yourself Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Paul Ollinger was one of Facebook’s first 250 employees. At age 42, he walked out with a pocket full of cash in what most would consider an ideal situation, but what he found instead left him wondering what’s next while he explored the relationship between money, happiness, work, and meaning.     In this episode, we discuss how wealth changes us, leaves us the same and why it even matters for the average middle class American as we explore the question.     This episode originally aired January 20, 2025.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 330: IS YOUR HAPPINESS BEING POLITICIZED [REMASTERED]?  Guest: https://words.paulollinger.com/  https://www.paulollinger.com/ https://www.paulollinger.com/podcast https://www.instagram.com/paul_ollinger/ https://www.facebook.com/pmo https://x.com/Paul_ollinger   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:12 Walking away from silly money 4:17 Was it burnout or something deeper 5:44 Does ambition kill happiness 9:34 Why the top 1% work the longest hours 10:36 The Meritocracy Trap explained 16:26 The one question you get to answer 19:06 Everyone has a Facebook story 21:17 The Saturn SL2 and narcotic gratitude 24:37 Why it's hard to remember life is good 27:38 Still a grumpy f**k half the time 28:22 Why we count steps instead of love 29:26 Flow state and podcasting addiction 32:38 Vast wealth as an unnatural state 34:09 The 80% who can't cover a $1,000 bill 36:22 Does pursuing wealth also isolate you 39:44 Finding work you're curious about early 40:05 Mind time traveling to define happy 41:27 Six years of podcasting, honestly assessed 43:39 Final question: are you reasonably happy Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert

Why are Americans paying MORE for healthcare with WORSE results?   Dr. John Abramson was a family physician for 20 years who left his practice in 2002 to devote himself to researching the commercial takeover of medical knowledge. He has since served as an expert in medical litigation, served as a consultant to the FBI & US Dept of Justice & authored two books – Overdosed America & Sickening.    In this episode, he shares how the power of public conversation could be the key to sustainable change in the American medical system. He also explores why your doctor is a captured agent, answers the question, are Americans too lazy for healthy lifestyle changes?, the drug that that killed more Americans than the Vietnam War & the specific wording you’ll need at your next doctor’s appointment to help your doctor help you.   This episode originally aired June 3, 2024.   If you liked this episode, you’ll also like episode 204: ARE LOW FAT DIETS HEALTHY? HEART HEALTH & HECKLERS [REMASTERED]    Guest:  https://a.co/d/9cgu9Ci   Sponsors:  https://www.historicpensacola.org/about-us/    2:56 A 9/11 every day: 1 million excess American deaths a year 6:42 The good news: 80-90% of your health is in your control 9:53 96% of medical research is about drugs, not health 11:53 The "Americans are just lazy" myth, debunked 13:42 A landmark study: lifestyle beat metformin at preventing diabetes 15:47 Why doctors default to the pill 16:09 Statins cut heart disease risk 20%. Lifestyle cuts it 80% 18:44 How to get real answers out of your doctor 21:14 Your doctor might know less about nutrition than you think 21:47 "A captured agent": why doctors trust bad information 23:42 The peer review system doesn't work like you think 25:45 Is medical research being ghostwritten? 27:01 The Vioxx case: 60,000 dead, nobody arrested 28:15 Inside Merck's cover-up email 36:07 Why the FDA won't stop the ad blitz 38:20 How to actually negotiate with your doctor 39:32 The real math behind whether you need a statin 41:24 What if being an informed patient gets you fired by your doctor? 45:31 Where to find Abramson's books, Overdosed America and Sickening Request to join my private Facebook Group, MFR Curious Insiders: https://www.facebook.com/share/g/1BAt3bpwJC/ Follow me in all the places: https://www.meredithforreal.com/   https://www.instagram.com/the_curiousintrovert/  [email protected] https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal  https://www.facebook.com/curiousintrovert