Mental Well-Being, Meditation, & Building Resilience, with Mark Vande Hei Artwork

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.

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Health Is A Skill with Todd Vande Hei

Mental Well-Being, Meditation, & Building Resilience, with Mark Vande Hei

December 19, 2024 • Todd Vande Hei • Season 1 • Episode 22

For today’s episode of Health Is a Skill Todd is joined by a very special guest, his brother Mark Vande Hei! But this isn’t just some catch-up conversation between two brothers. Mark is a NASA astronaut and retired U.S. Army colonel who served as a mission specialist aboard the International Space Station on multiple expeditions, including a record-setting stay of 355 days. Given his background in high-stress environments, Mark and Todd discuss how to build a foundation of mental well-being, why practicing meditation was so important for Mark while on mission in space, and the many ways our mental state affects our physical health.

During the first part of the episode, Todd outlines his own mental health journey and how having a healthy (or unhealthy) mental state can drastically impact so many areas of our physical health—from our cardiovascular system and orthopedic health to our gut and sleep. Then Mark and Todd get together to take a deep dive into Mark’s experience serving on the International Space Station. Mark discusses how meditation played a key role in maintaining his mental well-being during orbit, why community and connection were some of his top priorities, and even his advice for dealing with conflict among different groups of people.

This unique take on how to build resilience and prioritize your mental health is a conversation you’re not going to want to miss!

Get access to Todd's free health resource: https://podtodd.com

Learn more about Stark at: https://www.stark.health

CHAPTERS

00:00 Introduction to Mental Well-Being
02:46 The Wheel of Health and Its Components
06:07 The Interconnectedness of Mental and Physical Health
09:05 Detoxification and Its Importance
11:55 Gut Health and Stress Management
14:48 Nutrition's Role in Mental Resilience
18:12 Orthopedic Health and Stress
21:10 Mark Vande Hei's Experience in Space
24:04 Meditation and Mental Resilience in Space
29:51 Adapting to Life in Space
33:07 The Role of Meditation in Physical Health
40:15 Fostering Connection and Purpose in Isolation
46:03 Navigating Interpersonal Relationships in Space
51:53 The Impact of News Consumption on Perspective
57:09 Shifts in Family Dynamics and Communication