Health Is A Skill with Todd Vande Hei
Welcome to the Health is a Skill podcast with host Todd Vande Hei! Todd is the CEO of Stark, which exists to change the future of health and fitness in the communities they serve. For the last 15 years, Todd has been on a journey to discover what it means to be in a state of peak health. After suffering from a series of seizures and being diagnosed with high blood pressure and atrial fibrillation in his early 30’s, Todd decided it was time to make a change. Those changes fell into one of four categories: lifestyle, exercise, nutrition, and stress management. But the biggest thing Todd learned through it all? Health is a skill. You’re not born with it, like some would like you to believe, and it isn’t acquired by simply buying another product or starting that new diet. Health is something you can create for yourself, and over time it is possible to attain peak health.
Episodes
56 episodes
From Martial Arts to Menopause: Dr. Alice Explains the Real Foundations of Longevity
Dr. Alice Nguyen has never stopped moving. From martial arts competitions in her twenties to strength training through medical school, she’s built a philosophy of health that blends functional medicine, hormone optimization, and the overlooked ...
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Season 4
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Episode 19
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44:03
Rewild Your Feet, Rewild Your Life – Nicholas Charlier’s Mission for Natural Movement
When Nicholas Charlier, co-founder of Vivobarefoot’s VivoHealth platform, talks about “rewilding your feet,” he’s not just promoting a shoe — he’s describing a path back to how the human body was designed to move. Over the last 13 years, Nichol...
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Episode 76
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51:43
From Scale Obsession to Strength – Jaclyn’s Autoimmune Comeback Story
When joint pain and fatigue nearly took her off her feet, Jaclyn discovered she was facing rheumatoid arthritis—triggered after COVID—and a future of possible bone erosion and loss of mobility. Instead of letting the diagnosis define her, she r...
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Episode 75
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37:03
From 45 Shots a Day to Sober Strength Coach – Colton Danz’s Stark Recovery
Colton Danz was the picture of discipline on the outside—an elite strength coach with single-digit body fat, running eight classes a day. But behind closed doors, he was consuming 45 shots of vodka daily, hiding tremors, neuropathy, and shame. ...
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Episode 74
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35:22
Comfort Is the Enemy – Csaba Lucas on Oxygen, Exosomes, and the Mental War for Health
Csaba Lucas wasn’t just building wellness companies—he was testing their limits on himself. When low immunity and poor labs disrupted his health, the President of Hyperion Motors and General Partner at CerraCap North turned to the tools he trus...
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Episode 73
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1:43:29
From Diagnosis to Direction – Rachelle Ramiro on Rebuilding Her Body from the Inside Out
When Rachelle Ramiro was diagnosed with multiple myeloma in her early 30s, her first thought was: “I’ll figure it out.” But what followed was more than just a health protocol. It was a complete rewiring of how she viewed time, energy, productiv...
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Episode 72
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36:23
Drew Valentine’s Journey to Elite Health by Age 29
When 26-year-old yoga teacher and personal trainer Drew Valentine arrived at Stark, he seemed like the picture of health—lean, athletic, and mindful. But underneath the surface, his testosterone was dangerously low, his protein intake was inade...
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Episode 71
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41:16
From 450 Pounds to 10% Body Fat – John Taylor
When entertainment executive and former touring musician John Taylor found himself at 450 pounds, depressed, breathless, and ashamed, he knew something had to change. Years of food addiction, alcohol dependency, and extreme dieting had left him...
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Episode 70
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59:33
Be Savage, Not Average – Craig Harper’s Playbook for Out-Training Multiple Myeloma
When 61-year-old executive Craig Harper heard the words “incurable blood cancer,” his oncologist told him there was nothing he could do except wait for chemo. Craig refused to roll over. Instead, he doubled-down on strength, mobility a...
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Episode 69
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47:20
Minimalist Muscle & Mobility with Brett Jones
StrongFirst Master Instructor Brett Jones trains on just five kettlebell moves—cleans, presses, squats, swings and get-ups—but keeps making progress because he “minds the gap.” In this episode Brett shows Todd how screening ankles, hips and T-s...
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Episode 68
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50:23
From Meds & Merlot to Macros & Muscle: Alison Wayne at 55
Ten years ago Alison Wayne measured health by the bathroom scale and a nightly glass of wine.Today the 55-year-old mom of three rings PR bells, sleeps migraine-free and wears two sizes smaller while weighing 20 lbs more.Host Tod...
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Episode 67
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1:04:55
From “Thin-Not-Strong” to Surf, Summits & Mid-Life Muscle: Cara Kleinhaut
At 52, experiential-marketing CEO Cara Kleinhaut dead-hangs surfboards, hikes Kilimanjaro for fun—and still cooks rainbow-bright farmer-market meals for her teenage girls. In this candid conversation with Stark CEO Todd Vande Hei, Cara unpacks ...
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Episode 66
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42:49
From Founder Burn-Out to Hunter-Gatherer Health: Chirag Sagar & Todd Vande Hei Re-Engineer the Executive Body
Mission Matters COO Chirag Sagar works 14-hour days, pops up at every L.A. networking event—and just popped a calf walking up the stairs. In this candid jam-session, Chirag asks Stark CEO Todd Vande Hei one simple question: “Where does a ti...
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54:39
From SnackWell to Regenerative Soil: Dr. Jeffrey Burke on AI‑Powered Medicine, Smart Supplements & the End of Comfort‑Zone Eating
Natural‑health broadcaster Dr. Jeffrey Burke has spent 45 years translating nutrition science for everyday people. In this lively conversation with Todd Vande Hei, he compares the 1980s “fat‑free” craze to today’s ultra‑processed foodscape, and...
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Episode 6
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42:44
Unlocking the Flow Code: David Nurse on Epigenetic Greatness, 10-Hertz Focus & Living Your Why
Former NBA shooting-coach-turned-mindset maestro David Nurse joins host Todd Vande Hei for a wide-ranging crash course on building greatness from the inside out. Drawing on epigenetics, Navy SEAL “attribute stacking,” and his brand-new Flow Cod...
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Episode 5
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1:00:59
Dominoes of Wellness: Dr. Michael Breus on Sleep, Hydration, Breathing & the Future of Sleep Tech
World‑renowned “Sleep Doctor” Dr. Michael Breus joins host Todd Vande Hei to strip wellness back to its three most powerful (and too often ignored) dominoes: sleep, hydration, and breathing. Drawing from his new book Sleep, Drink, Breathe
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Episode 4
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34:15
Stone‑Agers in the Space Age: Todd’s Blueprint for Closing the Health Mismatch
Why are chronic illness, fatigue, and plummeting testosterone rampant in the most “advanced” nations on Earth? Host Todd Vande Hei argues it’s simple: we’re ancient hardware running on futuristic software. Our hunter‑gatherer genes are drowning...
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Episode 3
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34:41
From Cancer to Vibrant Living: Elissa Goodman on Self‑Love, Soup Cleanses & Thriving in Your 60s
When holistic nutritionist Elissa Goodman was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma at 32, a forward‑thinking oncologist asked questions she’d never heard in a doctor’s office: Are you happy? Do you love yourself? That moment ignited a three‑decade...
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Episode 2
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48:40
Outside the Box: An Integrative Approach to Medicine with Dr. Paul Anderson
In this enlightening episode, host Todd Vande Hei sits down with Dr. Paul Anderson—co-author of Outside the Box—to explore how chronic and complex health issues often slip through the cracks of our traditional medical system. Dr. Ander...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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38:10
The Hidden Cost of Suppressing Emotions with Dr. Hillary Goldsher
Masculinity is evolving, but are men keeping up? In this compelling discussion, Dr. Hillary Goldsher joins Todd Vander Hei to unpack the societal pressures shaping modern masculinity and the consequences of emotional suppression.They explor...
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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1:07:01
Optimizing Brain Health & Recovery with Kristen Willeumier, PhD and Alice Nguyen, NMD
How do concussions, repetitive head trauma, and strokes impact long-term brain health? Neuroscientist Dr. Kristen Willeumier and naturopathic physician Dr. Alice Nguyen join Todd Vande Hei for an eye-opening discussion on brain resilien...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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1:04:58
Strength as a Skill, with Brett Jones
Strength training isn’t just about lifting heavier—it’s about training smarter. Brett Jones, director of education at StrongFirst, rejoins Todd this week on the podcast, sharing his philosophy on strength training as a skill.Bret...
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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55:54
Hydration, Joint Mobility, & Fascia Health, with Bryce Turner
Hydration is more than just drinking water—it’s about optimizing how your body absorbs, utilizes, and retains fluids to enhance mobility, reduce inflammation, and support long-term health. On this week’s episode of Health Is A Skill, Br...
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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48:28
Unlocking Intimacy, Connection, & Sexual Well-Being, with Aaro Ardis
Intimacy is about so much more than physical connection—it's a pathway to deeper relationships, stronger communication, and improved mental well-being. On this week’s episode of Health Is A Skill, relationship coach Aaro Ardis joins Tod...
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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1:01:04
Rewriting the Brain for Freedom & Performance, with “The Mind Architect” Peter Crone
Most people don’t simply live their lives—they live out the stories going on in their minds. On this week’s episode of Health Is A Skill, Todd sits down with “The Mind Architect”, Peter Crone, to dive into how deeply ingrained subconsci...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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52:47