641: The science of real optimism & why positivity is holding you back | Deepika Chopra, Ph.D.

This podcast was created in sponsorship with Toyota. Find a vehicle that makes memorable moments happen, from the 2026 RAV4 and Sienna to the Highlander and Grand Highlander. Plan the trip, pack the trunk, gather your crew, and go places—together. Toyota: People are the destination.  "Emotional flexibility is literally the skill that we all should be sharpening like a muscle," explained Deepika Chopra, Ph.D. Chopra (widely known as The Optimism Doctor) is a clinical health psychologist, visual imagery expert, and author of the upcoming book The Power of Real Optimism. But here's what makes Deepika's work so different: she's not selling you positivity. In this episode, we get into the real science of optimism—and why it has far more to do with resilience and curiosity than with good vibes.  Optimism vs. positivity: what we're getting wrong (0:00) Why affirmations don't always work (6:58) The seven-tenths rule for effective affirmations (10:00) Manifestation and getting what you expect (10:50) Emotional flexibility: the skill to sharpen like a muscle (17:46) Why the nervous system has to feel safe before growth can happen (23:11) Deepika's son's rare diagnosis (23:40) A Holocaust survivor with real optimism in practice (36:58) Letting go of control vs. reclaiming agency (40:52) Healthy hope vs. delusion—the dark room metaphor (42:45) Referenced in the episode:  Find Deepika Chopra on her website: https://www.drdeepikachopra.com Get her book here: https://a.co/d/0dG1VFwX Find her viral article from 2018 here: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/articles/what-to-do-if-positive-affirmations-dont-work-for-you Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index (2026): https://news.gallup.com/poll/702125/american-optimism-slumps-record-low.aspx We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"Your body heals better when it feels safe, when your nervous system is quiet,’ explains Victoria Maizes, M.D. Maizes is the Executive Director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine and co-host of the Body of Wonder podcast. She's a leading voice in integrative medicine and author of the new book Heal Faster, which makes the case that modern medicine has been so focused on treating disease that it's largely overlooked the body's most powerful asset: its innate capacity to heal. In this episode, we discuss: What is the recovery reflex? (1:10) Why two people can have completely different health outcomes (3:26) Protein, the catabolic state, & tests to run before major surgery (6:11) The difference between managing disease & actually healing (18:21) The power of language (19:00) Trauma & how to activate your vagus nerve (29:00) Mindset, guided imagery, & letting go of outcomes (35:42) The mystery of long COVID (41:46) Circadian medicine & red light therapy (48:50) Referenced in the episode:  You can find Dr. Maizes website here: www.drvictoriamaizes.com And her latest book, Heal Faster, here: https://a.co/d/0i0OT4KJ We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"You are in control of your brain health, just the same way you're in control of your heart health." Today's guest is Majid Fotuhi, M.D., a Harvard and Johns Hopkins-trained neurologist, brain health researcher, and author of Invincible Brain. Dr. Fotuhi has spent his career studying one of the most pressing questions of our time: why do some people's brains deteriorate with age, while others stay sharp well into their eighties and nineties? His answer might surprise you. Why 45% of dementia is preventable (00:00) The biomarkers worth testing for cognitive decline (1:53) Why you should never test tau in isolation (2:50) How COVID can spike your tau levels (10:54) How to grow your hippocampus in 12 weeks (16:00) The 5 pillars of brain health (18:16) Slow breathing can reduce amyloid in the brain (24:00) Chronic stress is silently shrinking your brain (30:13) Why your IQ doesn't define your intelligence (33:19) Lifestyle outperforms Alzheimer's drugs by 200-400% (43:02) Referenced in the episode:  Learn more about Dr. Fotuhi on his website: https://drfotuhi.com/about-dr-fotuhi/ You can find Dr. Fotuhi’s book here: https://a.co/d/00qJcyuE We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“When we really look at the definition of flourishing, it's joyful, meaningful growth shared,” explains Daniel Coyle. Coyle is the bestselling author of The Culture Code and The Talent Code, who just released his latest book, Flourish: The Art of Building Meaning, Joy, and Fulfillment. After spending decades studying elite performers, Navy SEALs, championship sports teams, and top business leaders, Coyle had climbed to the mountaintop of success research only to realize it wasn’t what he thought it would be. Now, he focuses his work trying to answer the question: What actually makes a life worth living?  Here's a glance at our conversation: What makes a life meaningful? (00:24) Why you can’t flourish alone (00:45) Shifting your focus (04:43) Rituals vs habits (09:12) The value of small, frequent connections (12:49) The 33 miners & bottom-up rituals (15:51) A tiny Vermont town that produces Olympians (19:14) Rebuilding community in Paris (25:30) How to design vulnerability (30:53) Why connection creates health & safety (31:38) Cleveland Guardians case study (33:25) Joy vs fear as fuel (40:13) Referenced in the episode:  Find more on Daniel Coyle and his books at his website, danielcoyle.com We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Are your kids too clean for their own good? Amish children experience 90% less asthma than the national average—not despite getting dirty, but because of it. When scientists analyzed the dust in their farmhouses, they discovered an invisible ecosystem that was training immune systems to be resilient instead of reactive. In his episode, host Jason Wachob explores the groundbreaking research behind the "hygiene hypothesis" and its implications for modern parents raising kids in an increasingly sanitized world. This discovery is forcing us to rethink everything about dirt, bacteria, and health. And it's already led to treatments used by 100+ million people worldwide. Are we too clean for our own good? Study Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37210851/ Chapters: [00:18] The Amish morning: A scene from another era [02:23] The asthma epidemic vs. farm kids' secret weapon [04:30] What's really in farm dust? (It's not what you think) [05:46] Bacterial lysates: Recreating farm protection in a lab [08:22] The hygiene hypothesis: Why clean might be too clean 🎙️ This new format episode, hosted by founder and co-CEO Jason Wachob, is from the mindbodygreen podcast, where science meets meaning—and small shifts lead to big health changes. If this story resonated with you: 👍 Like this video 🔔 Subscribe for more science-backed stories on longevity, nutrition, and whole-body health Read more here:⁠ https://www.mindbodygreen.com/⁠ Shop our supplements: ⁠https://shop.mindbodygreen.com/⁠ Join 1M+ subscribers on their journey towards strong and healthy: ⁠https://www.mindbodygreen.com/newsletters⁠  Follow us:  Instagram: @mindbodygreen   TikTok: @mindbodygreen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"I define wealth as being able to take my son in the pool at 1:00 PM on a Tuesday," explains Sahil Bloom. Bloom is a NYT bestselling author of The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life. He’s also an entrepreneur, investor and a proud, son, husband, and father who believes the greatest things in life come not from finding the right answers, but from asking the right questions. The math that changed Sahil’s life (0:18) Redefining success & happiness (2:03) The truth about time with kids (6:11) Can you be a present parent & still pursue a career? (8:37) The “last time” principle (13:30) The arrival fallacy we all fall into (19:18) Avoiding the pyrrhic victory (23:33) Light switches vs. dimmer switches (30:00) His anti-goals framework (32:49) Referenced in the episode:  You can check out Bloom’s book here: The 5 Types of Wealth Learn more on his website, here You can read the stats of the American Time Use Survey mentioned, here We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

"They look magical on Instagram, but they're not magic. Micronutrients have to be in place, your hormones have to be in place," explains Elizabeth Yurth, M.D., Elizabeth Yurth, M.D., a double board-certified physician in Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation and Anti-Aging/Regenerative Medicine, joins us on the podcast to discuss why peptides are much more than an Instagram trend, what forms of peptides might be most beneficial, and how to be mindful of safety and quality if you’re trying to incorporate them into your own protocol. Show Notes (00:00) Introduction to peptides (02:31 ) Endogenous vs. exogenous peptides (03:15) Growth hormone (05:25) Peptides for muscle & immune health (07:19) The peptide explosion & safety concerns (08:11) BPC 157: A remarkable peptide? (10:38) Quality & sourcing of peptides (16:54) Anti-aging & HRT (20:54) Peptides for cognitive health (24:27) COVID-19 & neuroinflammation (27:12) Addressing chronic inflammation & resilience (39:12) The importance of nutrition & lifestyle Referenced in this episode: Follow Dr. Yurth on Instagram (@dryurth) Find out more about her work (https://boulderlongevity.com/about/dr-elizabeth-yurth) We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected] in the episode: Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Strength is not for sale. It's one hundred percent earned,” explains Gabrielle Lyon, D.O. Lyon, a fellowship-trained physician, a bestselling author, and a pioneer of muscle-centric medicine, joins us today to dive into the science of muscle as the organ of longevity, from resistance training and protein intake to building strength that lasts. - Muscle is the organ of longevity (~1:18) - Muscle for longevity vs. muscle for aesthetics (~2:11) - Does lifting weights make you bulky? (~4:00) - Building functional strength (~5:35) - Muscle & metabolic flexibility (~8:45) - Building strength for independence (~10:00)  - Progressive overload (~12:20) - Do you have to lift heavier? (~13:35) - How much should you be training? (~15:40) - Establishing healthy habits in children (~17:30) - Purposeful friction (~19:35) - Muscle & mindset (~23:30) - Don’t waste your time on this (~24:55) - Protein, leucine, & amino acids (~28:15) - GLP-1s & muscle mass (~33:55) - How to make the most of your time (~41:30) - Navigating social media & extreme views (~44:15) - 2 aspects of health Dr. Lyon is focusing on (~49:55) Referenced in the episode:  - Follow Dr. Lyon on Instagram (@drgabriellelyon)  - Pick up her book, The Forever Strong Playbook (https://www.amazon.com/Forever-Strong-PLAYBOOK-Science-Based-Strengthen/dp/1668085623/)  - Check out her website (https://drgabriellelyon.com/)  - Work with her at Strong Medical (https://strongmedical.com/)  We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What does it really take to get healthier with age? In this deeply personal solo episode, mindbodygreen co-founder and co-CEO Jason Wachob shares his N-of-1 longevity experiment—and all the data behind it. At 51 years old, Jason’s biological age clocks in at 37.9, with elite cardiovascular and recovery metrics to match: a VO₂ max of 52, resting heart rate as low as 35, and record-high HRV. This isn’t about extreme biohacking or million-dollar longevity protocols. Jason breaks down the exact lifestyle choices, training approach, and precision nutrition strategies that helped him reverse key aging markers—while balancing life as a CEO, husband, and father of two. He also opens up about the emotional weight of outliving multiple generations of men in his family—and why, for him, longevity is ultimately about presence, strength, and showing up fully for the people he loves. Whether you’re curious about VO₂ max training, heart rate variability, diet personalization, or how to build sustainable habits without burning out, this episode offers a rare, data-backed look at what’s possible with consistency and intention. Chapters [00:00] Introduction: Biological Age 37 at 51 [00:42] Why This Matters: My Family History [01:45] My Why: Being the Dad Who Keeps Up [02:22] The Reality: CEO, Husband, Father [03:20] The Data Story: HRV, VO₂ Max, and Resting Heart Rate [04:00] Why I Row the Way I Row [06:05] Strength Training: 45 Minutes, Maximum Efficiency [06:45] Diet and Testing: The Boston Heart Labs Game-Changer [07:10] My Daily Nutrition Protocol [08:40] Morning Routine and Supplementation [10:07] Sleep and Recovery Rituals [10:55] Final Thoughts: What Longevity Really Means 🎙️ This new format episode, hosted by founder and co-CEO Jason Wachob, is from the mindbodygreen podcast, where science meets meaning—and small shifts lead to big health changes. If this story resonated with you: 👍 Like this video 💬 Share your thoughts in the comments 🔔 Subscribe for more science-backed stories on longevity, nutrition, and whole-body health Read more here: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/ Shop our supplements: https://shop.mindbodygreen.com/ Join 1M+ subscribers on their journey towards strong and healthy: https://www.mindbodygreen.com/newsletters  Follow us:  Instagram: @mindbodygreen   TikTok: @mindbodygreen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“Never give up hope. Never give up your vision. Never give up your purpose,” explains Tara Narula, M.D. Tara Narula, M.D., a board-certified cardiologist, Assistant Professor of Cardiovascular Medicine, and author of The Healing Power of Resilience, joins us today to explore how resilience, stress, and mindset profoundly shape heart health—and how we can build these skills to improve both recovery and long-term wellbeing. - The power of resilience (~1:45) - The role of stress (~2:55) - Handling the stress of a diagnosis (~6:10) - Patient stories (~7:25) - The eight tools to resilience (~9:20) - The role of spirituality (~12:12) - Findings flexibility in our life path (~15:00) - Hope & purpose (~16:45) - Doctors providing a diagnosis (~17:30) - How to improve your physical health to improve resilience (~18:40) - The real driver of health (~25:40) - The negative impact of stress on our health (~29:00) - You can develop resilience (~31:40) - The importance of connection & social support (~35:15) - Gender-specific differences in heart health (~36:20) - How Narula prioritizes her health (~42:40) Referenced in the episode:  - Follow Narula on Instagram (@drtaranarula) - Read her book, The Healing Power of Resilience (https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1982198842) We hope you enjoy this episode, and feel free to watch the full video on YouTube! Whether it's an article or podcast, we want to know what we can do to help here at mindbodygreen. Let us know at: [email protected]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices