S13 E22: On Deepening Human Connection With Yvette Erasmus

If it feels like you're hearing about autoimmune diseases more than ever, you're not imagining it — they're on the rise, and in this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, is unpacking why.    Lavalle shares what happens when the immune system gets confused and starts attacking healthy tissues in the body. He speaks to the main drivers behind autoimmune disease, including why these conditions disproportionately affect women. And he discusses common autoimmune conditions, potential triggers, and practical lifestyle strategies that can make a difference in both prevention and addressing the root causes of autoimmunity.   This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/why-autoimmune-disease-is-on-the-rise-performance-longevity-series   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program.    Life Time provides administrative, non-clinical support to MIORA as well as services and amenities related to general wellness and fitness; Life Time does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care.

Service members and first responders are the people you want by your side in a crisis. They act fast, stay calm under pressure, and put their own safety and well-being aside to protect others. That same instinct often makes them the last to seek care for themselves, even though their work means they may need it most.   In this episode, we're sitting down with two service-oriented healthcare professionals who understand this challenge from the inside: Geoff Dardia, MSG (retired), and Bryan Stepanenko, MD. Both are retired military members who have spent decades helping service members access functional health solutions for the unique mental and physical challenges they face. They've mastered the art of communicating complex health issues and the rationale for care to healthcare-avoidant individuals and are sharing some of their strategies for bridging that divide so we can better understand what it takes to care for the people who serve and protect.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/functional-medicine-for-service-members-with-geoff-dardia-msg-retired-and-bryan-stepanenko-md   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program. 

Kidney issues are on the rise, with more than 35 million people currently diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Keeping our kidneys functioning well is critical for overall health and longevity, and a proactive, preventive approach can help us do that while identifying issues before they become serious.   In this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, discusses why kidney health matters and how these organs do more than just filter waste. He explains what stresses our kidneys, what's driving the rise in kidney disease, and practical strategies to support and protect kidney health.    This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/filtering-health-how-to-take-care-of-your-kidneys-performance-longevity-series   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program.    Life Time provides administrative, non-clinical support to MIORA as well as services and amenities related to general wellness and fitness; Life Time does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care.

How we communicate with one another can affect our health and well-being in unexpected ways, for better or for worse. In this episode, clinical psychologist Yvette Erasmus joins us to explore emotional and relational health and how we can have more authentic, heart-centered conversations at a time when true listening and speaking feel increasingly rare.    She shares how awareness supports emotional regulation, why prioritizing connection over control leads to healthier relationships, and how self-acceptance, boundaries, and "I" statements can bring out the best in those connections.    Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/on-deepening-human-connection-with-yvette-erasmus   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program. 

We track metrics like heart rate, blood pressure, and respiration — but what if we saw the nervous system as one of the biggest indicators of our health status? The nervous system influences how we perform, recover, handle stress, and function day to day. Yet many of us are operating in chronic fight-or-flight mode without realizing it.    In this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, explains how stress, recovery, childhood experiences, and daily pressure shape how we feel, function, and perform. Together, these factors can shed light on an important truth: Even people who appear mentally and physically strong may be breaking down internally. When the nervous system is under strain, it affects not only how you feel each day, but also your long-term health and disease risk.    LaValle shares how to better understand the state of your nervous system, along with strategies to support nervous-system recovery and strengthen your response to stress.   This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/why-the-nervous-system-is-a-vital-sign-performance-longevity-series   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program.    Life Time provides administrative, non-clinical support to MIORA as well as services and amenities related to general wellness and fitness; Life Time does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care.

What if the most effective wellness strategy you haven't tried yet is signing up for a race? In this episode, Kimo Seymour, senior vice president and divisional president of Life Time's events and media division, explores how setting a finish-line goal can be a powerful part of a healthy routine — and why it may be more effective than traditional resolutions when it comes to staying committed.   Seymour also discusses the evolution of Life Time's event portfolio, now spanning 30 events, and makes the case that committing to an event is one of the most powerful ways to build a lasting, intentional routine. Whether you're lining up for your first race or chasing a personal best, your next starting line may be closer than you think.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/race-day-as-a-wellness-strategy-with-kimo-seymour   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program. 

Brain health isn't just a conversation for later in life: What you do early on and throughout your life can both help prevent cognitive decline and maintain your quality of life as you age. Think of your brain as the command center of your whole body: Signals start there, and it's constantly taking in information from everywhere else to shape what happens next. Protecting your brain matters, and — here's the empowering part — there's a lot within your control. Cognitive decline isn't a fixed path. Emerging science is fundamentally changing the way we understand brain health, making proactive brain care a real possibility.    In this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, discusses the factors we know affect brain health, the well-established lifestyle practices shown to help protect the brain, and new and emerging ways to measure cognitive health and risk.   This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/how-you-can-help-your-brain-age-better-performance-longevity-series   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program.   Life Time provides administrative, non-clinical support to MIORA as well as services and amenities related to general wellness and fitness; Life Time does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care.

What does it take to think like an Olympian, even if you never toe a starting line? In this episode, Olympic middle-distance runner Carrie Tollefson talks about building an athlete mindset and why self-belief isn't reserved for the elite or professionals. She also shares her take on why it's important to reinvent yourself — day after day, year after year, chapter after chapter — and the importance of saying "yes" to opportunities that push your limits.    Plus, Tollefson discusses how women's voices, presence, and allyship in sport strengthen the game for everyone.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/visualize-compete-repeat-a-conversation-with-olympian-carrie-tollefson   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program. 

Up to one-third of American adults may be dealing with a liver condition that's often "silent" until it becomes more serious. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (or MASLD, formerly known as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or NAFLD) is a chronic condition in which fat builds up in the liver. Because the liver is involved in about 500 bodily processes, MASLD's effects can extend across multiple organs and systems.   In this episode, Jim LaValle, RPh, CCN, explains why liver health matters and why fatty liver disease is on the rise. He also discusses the blood markers to monitor to understand your liver health and the lifestyle factors that can help protect, support, and heal the liver.   This episode of Life Time Talks is part of our series on Performance and Longevity with MIORA.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/the-rise-of-fatty-liver-disease-performance-longevity-series   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program.   Life Time provides administrative, non-clinical support to MIORA as well as services and amenities related to general wellness and fitness; Life Time does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or care.

Too many of us guess our way through our workouts and eating habits. We jump into a new exercise routine or nutrition plan and simply hope for the best — or hope that what worked for someone else will work for us too.     But you don't have to leave your health up to chance. By understanding your body's unique metabolic blueprint, you can build fitness and nutrition strategies tailored to your specific needs.     In this episode, Danny King, Master Trainer, delves into the science behind two metabolic assessments available at Life Time to show you exactly how measuring your oxygen and fuel is key to having the information you need to stop guessing and to start working smarter, not harder.   Find the episode highlights, get related resources and view the transcript for this episode at https://experiencelife.lifetime.life/podcast/all-about-metabolic-testing   Have thoughts you'd like to share or topic ideas for future episodes? Email us at [email protected] — we'd love to hear from you!   Follow us on Instagram: @lifetime.life   The information in this podcast is intended to provide broad understanding and knowledge of healthcare topics. This information is for educational purposes only and should not be considered complete and should not be used in place of advice from your physician or healthcare provider. We recommend you consult your physician or healthcare professional before beginning or altering your personal exercise, diet or supplementation program.