The Science of Hormesis: How Strategic Stress Makes You Stronger

In this essential episode, Dr. Pedram Shojai exposes the invisible thief stealing your peace, presence, and authentic self-worth: social media comparison culture. Drawing on behavioral psychology research from Stanford's Behavior Clinic that informed Instagram's addictive design, Dr. Shojai explains why your brain—evolved to assess status in tribes of 150 people—is now comparing you to billions of curated highlight reels 24/7. Learn the neuroscience behind the comparison spiral, from status threat response to cortisol-driven inflammation, and discover how this chronic "not enoughness" drives anxiety, depression, and a desperate search for external validation. Dr. Shojai offers practical protocols including the three-breath awareness practice, ruthless curation guidelines, and the 100-day digital fast to help you break free from comparison poisoning. This episode is your roadmap to using social media without it using you, witnessing others' success without diminishing your own worth, and returning to what matters most: your actual life, your body's wisdom, and your authentic journey.

Discover why deliberately stressing your body might be one of the most powerful health interventions available. In this episode, Dr. Pedram Shojai explores hormesis—the principle that low to moderate doses of stress trigger beneficial adaptations that make you anti-fragile. Learn the science behind cold therapy, strategic fasting, and exercise as consciousness-expanding tools, complete with practical protocols for safely implementing these practices. From understanding the adaptation cascade at a cellular level to recognizing when you're overdoing it, this episode provides a comprehensive guide to using hormetic stressors for health optimization and expanded awareness.

Fecal Microbiota Transplant (FMT) is emerging as a breakthrough treatment for patients who've exhausted conventional and functional medicine options. Dr. Pedram Shojai sits down with Dr. Jason Klop and neuroscientist Dr. Shaina Cahill to explore how this ancient practice—dating back to 4th century China—is now backed by modern science and delivering remarkable results for conditions ranging from IBS and IBD to autism, Parkinson's, and beyond. This conversation reveals why the gut microbiome is the foundation of whole-body health, how FMT works by transplanting an entire healthy ecosystem rather than isolated probiotic strains, and what rigorous donor screening and manufacturing processes ensure both safety and efficacy. The discussion covers who benefits most from FMT, proper preparation protocols, and the critical lifestyle factors needed to maintain results long-term. For those suffering from chronic gut conditions who've been told they're "probably crazy" by conventional medicine, this episode offers hope through science-based solutions that address root causes rather than managing symptoms.

Dr. Pedram Shojai delivers a transformative guide on developing interoceptive awareness, which is the ability to sense and interpret your body's internal signals before minor symptoms become major health crises. He uses the powerful analogy of a car's check engine light to illustrate how most people ignore their body's warning signs, choosing to "tape over" symptoms rather than investigate their root causes. Drawing from functional medicine principles, he explains why modern culture has systematically disconnected us from our body's intelligence through the "no pain, no gain" mentality, constant stimulation, caffeine dependence, and a medical system focused on symptom suppression rather than prevention. The episode breaks down the body's four-phase warning system, from subtle whispers weeks before a crisis to full-blown alarms requiring medical intervention. Dr. Shojai provides a comprehensive three-level framework for reclaiming body awareness: daily two-minute body scans, weekly pattern recognition exercises, and monthly deep-dive investigations into symptom clustering and root causes. He explores how your vagus nerve network, inflammatory markers, and multiple interconnected body systems communicate constantly through energy patterns, digestive signals, nervous system regulation, and hormonal cycles. Learn how catching issues at phase one through improved interoceptive awareness could prevent a health crisis years down the road and transform your relationship with your own health and wellbeing.

In this essential Urban Monk weekly call, Pedram explores the critical distinction between sleep quantity and sleep quality—revealing why many people who log 7-8 hours still wake up exhausted. Drawing from his experience owning sleep labs, he breaks down the architecture of restorative sleep, identifying common saboteurs from blood sugar dysregulation to environmental factors. The discussion provides practical, actionable protocols for optimizing deep sleep and REM cycles, emphasizing that better sleep—not more sleep—is the key to energy, healing, and cognitive performance. Pedram demonstrates how sleep optimization begins the moment you wake up, making it the foundation for every other health practice.

When Martha Carlin's 44-year-old marathon-running husband was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease in 2002, she applied her auditor's mindset to examining the evidence behind this "old person's disease." What followed was a remarkable 20+ year journey from studying food toxins to pioneering targeted probiotic therapies. In this episode, Martha shares how she discovered the connection between gut bacteria and Parkinson's symptoms, developed probiotics that significantly improved her husband's condition, and is now working on therapies for Crohn's disease and post-antibiotic gut restoration. She also reveals the hidden dangers of glyphosate, explains why the "magic bullet" approach fails for complex diseases, and discusses the future of microbiome medicine.

In this poolside conversation, entrepreneur Eric Farewell shares his transformation from a workaholic aviation CEO to a presence-focused coach helping executives escape the trap of their businesses. After building multiple seven-figure companies but sacrificing his health and relationships, Eric's brother's tragic death at 22 became the catalyst for change. Unable to walk due to emotional trauma manifesting physically, he discovered somatic healing, breathwork, and nervous system regulation. Through years of intensive inner work, Eric learned that presence—not productivity—creates true success. He now teaches entrepreneurs how to replace themselves in their businesses (it took 8 people to replace him), build systems that create freedom, and most importantly, heal the childhood programming that drives destructive work patterns. His philosophy: boundaries create presence, presence creates wisdom, and wisdom creates leverage that transforms both business and life.

In this episode of the Urban Monk Podcast, Dr. Pedram Shojai interviews Mark Fox, a NASA rocket scientist turned inventor who has adapted PEMF (Pulsed Electromagnetic Field) technology for pet health. After discovering the technology 27 years ago when his own dog developed arthritis, Fox has created affordable, portable devices that help pets with anxiety, inflammation, pain, and various health conditions. The conversation explores how this same technology used for humans is proving remarkably effective for dogs, horses, and cats, offering a drug-free alternative for common pet ailments like separation anxiety, arthritis, and stress from fireworks or travel. 🐕 Transform Your Pet's Health Today: Get the same PEMF device Dr. Shojai uses on his dogs - proven to reduce anxiety, ease pain, and improve quality of life. Available at https://resona.health/transform-your-dog-urban/  

Dr. Matt Wilyonson, a former Navy orthopedic surgeon and current Chief Medical Officer of Woobie.io, shares his powerful journey from serving 10+ years in the military to becoming a fierce advocate for veterans navigating the broken VA (Department of Veterans Affairs) disability system. The VA is the U.S. government agency responsible for providing healthcare, benefits, and support to military veterans, but as Dr. Wilyonson reveals, it often fails those it's meant to serve. After witnessing firsthand how hardworking service members were being shortchanged by bureaucratic red tape while serving as a primary care doctor for Marines, Dr. Wilyonson made it his mission to help veterans get the disability benefits they've earned through their military service. In this eye-opening conversation, he exposes how the VA systematically denies or minimizes legitimate service-connected injuries and conditions, discusses the hidden epidemic of veteran mental health struggles, and offers hope through his company's honest, membership-based approach to securing proper disability ratings and compensation.

Dr. Dennis Hooper, founder of Real Time Laboratories and a pioneer in mycotoxin testing, shares his personal journey from growing up in Nevada's nuclear testing zone to becoming a leading expert in environmental toxicity. After his family and community developed widespread autoimmune diseases from nuclear fallout and mining toxins, Dr. Hooper dedicated his career to understanding and testing for environmental toxins, particularly mycotoxins from mold. He discusses the widespread nature of mold exposure, the importance of proper testing methods, and why treating the whole patient—not just symptoms—is crucial for recovery. Dr. Hooper emphasizes the role of glutathione supplementation and comprehensive environmental testing in helping patients overcome toxin-related illnesses.