Orthodox Health

Dr. Michael Kuhn

How do we care for body, mind, & soul in Christ? Orthodox Health explores the patristic wisdom of the Eastern Orthodox Church for holistic well-being. Dive into Orthodox Christian theology & alternative health.

We explore the biological & spiritual power of liturgical fasting, traditional nutrition, functional medicine, hesychastic prayer, & longevity, while exposing wellness counterfeits, New Age deceptions, & spiritual warfare. Break free from a consumer industry & reclaim a faith life.

An Eastern Orthodox podcast bridging theology with alternative medicine & holistic wellness.

Play

Open in

26 episodes
weekly
Avg 1 hr 21 min
English

Episodes 26

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

S2 · E35
November 2 · 1 hr 55 min
The Ultimate Orthodox Fasting Carbohydrate Tier List
What carbohydrates should Orthodox Christians actually prioritize during the Nativity Fast? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Mike & John return to their Ultimate Fasting Tier Lists, ranking 30 carbohydrate foods from S tier to F tier based on energy availability, digestibility, nutrient density, preparation methods & real-world fasting utility. White potatoes make a surprisingly strong showing. Honey, maple syrup & blackstrap molasses challenge conventional assumptions about sugar. Oats, quinoa & lentils don't necessarily land where their reputations might suggest. And commercial vegan snacks face some particularly harsh scrutiny. Along the way, we explore resistant starch, fructose metabolism, fiber, traditional fermentation, antinutrients, the nutritional implications of food processing & how to construct practical meals that support energy and recovery throughout the Fast. We also return to an essential Orthodox distinction: a nutritionally useful food isn't automatically an appropriate expression of ascetic restraint. The Fast is medicine, & applying it requires discernment. In this episode: The complete S–F carbohydrate tier list Why white potatoes outrank several popular health foods White rice vs. brown rice Sourdough, oats, quinoa & buckwheat Why lentils rank differently for protein and carbohydrates Fruit, juice, honey, maple syrup & molasses The problem with industrial fasting convenience foods Building practical meals for the Nativity Fast Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:46 Orthodox Health Intro 02:16 The Nativity Fast & Carbohydrates 06:58 Potatoes: Our First S-Tier Food 14:04 Sweet Potatoes 16:36 White Rice vs. Brown Rice 26:06 Sourdough & Traditional Grain Preparation 31:02 Oats 34:46 Quinoa 38:58 Buckwheat 43:39 Lentils & the Legume Controversy 49:31 Chickpeas & Hummus 52:46 Beans 59:28 Bananas & Readily Available Energy 1:02:48 Citrus Fruits 1:06:58 Berries, Grapes & Other Whole Fruits 1:11:54 Dates 1:13:44 Fruit Juice 1:16:28 Honey, Maple Syrup, & Blackstrap Molasses 1:22:53 Refined White Sugar 1:24:58 The Ascetical Purpose of Fasting 1:29:52 Commercial Sandwich Bread 1:32:30 Sweetened Cereals & Granola 1:37:22 Pastries, Snack Cakes, & Industrial Snacks 1:46:12 Winter Squash & Corn Tortillas 1:47:40 Constructing Practical Fasting Meals 1:50:22 Fasting Calendars & Discernment 1:51:56 Final Takeaways Continue the series: Listen to Episode 71 for the Ultimate Fasting Protein Tier List. Subscribe to the Orthodox Health Podcast & share this episode with someone preparing for the Nativity Fast. ⁠Logos Cinema⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram⁠⁠
S2 · E34
October 26 · 1 hr 32 min
The Hidden Beliefs Behind Everything You've Been Told About Health
Who taught you what it means to be healthy... & why should you believe them? Modern medicine, nutrition science, and alternative healthcare often disagree about what makes us healthy. But beneath those disagreements lie deeper assumptions about evidence, authority, the human body, and what constitutes a good life. In Episode 84 of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John pull back the curtain on the philosophical and theological beliefs shaping our understanding of health. Building on the Sacred Diets Arc, they explore the religious roots of modern nutrition movements, the difference between science and scientism, & why supposedly objective health recommendations often depend on judgments that science itself cannot settle. Along the way, they tackle cholesterol & cardiovascular risk, the Blue Zones, functional medicine, the obsession with biomarkers, & the increasingly religious character of health optimization. Finally, they turn to Orthodox Christian anthropology to ask a question that changes the entire conversation: What is health actually for? Because caring for the body matters. But when the pursuit of health becomes the organizing principle of our lives, we may have lost sight of the very thing health was supposed to serve. Topics include: nutrition science, medical epistemology, scientism, functional medicine, cholesterol, metabolic health, Orthodox fasting, stewardship, suffering, & human flourishing. Chapters: 00:00 Trust the Science? 00:45 Orthodox Health Intro 02:17 The Hidden Beliefs Behind Modern Healthcare 08:53 Why Nutrition Debates Become Ideological 18:07 Kellogg, Adventists & Religious Health Reform 23:43 Epistemology: How Do We Know What's True? 26:08 Science vs. Scientism 35:03 Disease Management & Medical Authority 42:42 When Measurements Become Definitions 48:12 Cholesterol, Red Meat & Cardiovascular Risk 56:16 Blue Zones & Longevity Narratives 1:01:35 The Hidden Assumptions of Alternative Health 1:08:12 Orthodox Anthropology & Dietary Dogmatism 1:14:30 Telos: What Is Health Actually For? 1:22:49 Putting Orthodox Anthropology into Practice ⁠Logos Cinema⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram⁠⁠
S2 · E33
October 19 · 1 hr 26 min
Why You Can't Find Real Peace | Fr. Michael Marcantoni
When does something that offers relief begin to own you? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Mike & John sit down with Fr. Michael Marcantoni to explore alcoholism, addiction recovery, the passions, & the Orthodox Christian understanding of sobriety. Drawing on his personal journey through alcoholism & recovery, Fr. Michael connects the Twelve Steps with the ancient Orthodox practices of nepsis (watchfulness), repentance, asceticism, & the discernment of thoughts. We explore why relapse can begin with resentment long before someone reaches for a drink, why hitting rock bottom looks different for everyone, & how someone can be chemically sober while remaining enslaved to anger, bitterness, or other compulsions. The conversation also moves beyond substance addiction into the more respectable things that can quietly master us: work, food, exercise, our phones, & even the pursuit of health. Along the way, we discuss Orthodox fasting, yoga, spiritual freedom, & the work of St. Anastasia Orthodox Recovery Fellowship. Fr. Michael closes with a challenge rooted in rigorous honesty: Are your habits making your life unmanageable? Are you willing to recognize it? And what are you prepared to do about it? Because the Christian life ultimately calls us toward freedom: freedom to repent, to love, & to say yes to the good. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up | What Owns You? 01:00 Orthodox Health Intro 02:28 Welcome & the Universal Problem of Addiction 07:38 Fr. Michael's Conversion to Orthodoxy 15:07 Orthobros, BJJ & Spiritual Maturity 20:51 Orthodox Anthropology: Nature, Sin & Recovery 26:30 Fasting, Intention & Hamartia 29:00 When the Passions Become Your Master 32:55 High Bottom, Low Bottom & Getting Sober 37:33 Nepsis: Sobriety Beyond Alcohol 48:04 Can You Be Addicted to Anger? 50:17 St. Anastasia & Orthodox Recovery 1:01:37 Can Yoga Be Christianified? 1:07:52 Exercise, Vanity & Proper Measure 1:09:19 Rigorous Honesty & the Road to Recovery 1:15:06 Is John Actually Real? 1:15:49 What Are We Being Freed For? 1:20:31 Final Thoughts & Outro Resources: St. Anastasia Orthodox Recovery Fellowship: https://saintanastasiafellowship.org/ Fr. Michael's Nashville recovery group: https://www.stjohnnashville.com/st-anastasia-recovery-group/ Steps of Transformation by Fr. Meletios Webber: https://store.ancientfaith.com/steps-of-transformation Returning the Lost Sheep by Fr. Dimitrios Moraitis: https://orthochristian.com/69642.html ⁠Logos Cinema⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram⁠⁠
S2 · E32
October 12 · 1 hr 20 min
The Noonday Demon: Why You Feel Trapped in Your Career | Fr. Michael Butler (Avg2Alpha)
When does honorable sacrifice become a cage? A man works long hours to provide for his family. He pays the bills, keeps his commitments, & does what needs to be done. But what happens when the people he's providing for receive only what's left of him? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Fr. Michael Butler returns to help Dr. Mike & John examine one of the most difficult questions facing Christian men: How do we distinguish a cross we're called to carry from a way of life that is slowly consuming us? Beginning with an unlikely comparison between captive lions & modern office workers, the conversation explores the purpose of work, the dignity of the human person, spiritual freedom, monastic obedience, acedia, & the difference between sacrifice & tribute. Fr. Michael also shares his experience as a priest, husband, father, & provider, including the sacrifices his own family made over three decades of ministry. Along the way, we confront Christian burnout, the temptation to abandon difficult responsibilities, the temptation to endure out of fear, and the importance of freely choosing what we're working toward. The conversation ultimately reaches the Orthodox understanding of synergy, the example of Christ in Gethsemane, reconciliation with our fathers, & a powerful definition of mature masculinity: the gladful assumption of sacrificial responsibility. If this conversation brings someone to mind, send them the episode. And if you're enjoying Orthodox Health, follow the show & leave a rating or review. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 01:00 Orthodox Health Intro 02:29 - When Duty Becomes a Cage 07:27 - A Man Ain't a Lion: Suffering & Human Nature 12:00 - Modern Work, the Body & Human Dignity 18:58 - Work, Fulfillment & the Hidden Cost of Providing 23:45 - Sacrifice Needs an Object 26:21 - Acedia, Endurance & the Freedom to Choose 32:23 - Work Before the Fall & the Meaning of Obedience 38:40 - Discerning Sacrifice from Captivity 43:50 - When Work Crowds Out Worship 51:11 - Provision, Responsibility & Masculine Identity 55:25 - Humility, Competence & Synergy 1:00:42 - Christlike Sacrifice & Mature Masculinity 1:09:35 - Final Reflections & Closing 🎙️ Find Fr. Michael Butler: Website - Avg2Alpha.com Instagram - ⁠@avg2alpha⁠ YouTube - ⁠Logos Cinema⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram⁠⁠
S2 · E31
October 5 · 1 hr 24 min
You Need a Bunker: Church, Family, Movement & the Discipline of Simplicity | Fr. Ted Paraskevopoulos
When Carollynn Xavier reached one of the lowest points of her life, she went to Fr. Ted Paraskevopoulos with a simple request: “I need a bunker. Just tell me what to do.” His answer was equally simple: Go to church. Take care of your son. Move your body. On this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Fr. Ted joins Dr. Michael Christian & John to explain why those three things mattered, how his own experience with burnout shaped that advice, & why the Orthodox life so often comes back to doing a few basic things consistently rather than constantly searching for something more profound. They discuss the Church as a spiritual gym, prayer & fasting as fundamentals, the relationship between body & soul, the problem of disembodied online Orthodoxy, responsibility to family, doing the right thing even when you do not feel like doing it, & what Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu can teach us about ego, humility & discipline. The conversation also turns to yoga, discernment, the limits of “secularized” spiritual practices, & why physical training can sharpen the Christian life without becoming a substitute for it. Ultimately, Fr. Ted brings the episode back to the same question: When life is falling apart, what has God actually put in front of you today? Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:59 Orthodox Health Intro 02:29 The Bunker 14:05 Simplicity, Burnout & What Actually Matters 24:17 Prayer, Fasting & Church 31:12 Body, Soul & the Embodied Christian Life 35:32 Online Orthodoxy & the Problem of Disembodiment 43:12 Responsibility, Duty & Doing the Right Thing 53:18 Jiu-Jitsu, Ego & Humility 01:00:27 Yoga, Discernment & “Christianizing” Practices 01:09:11 Three Things to Do Tomorrow 🎙️ Find Fr. Ted: Father Ted Talks on YouTube - @fr.tedtalks Instagram - @fr.tedtalks & @BunkerJiuJitsu Logos Cinema⁠⁠⁠⁠ Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram⁠⁠
S2 · E30
September 28 · 1 hr 6 min
You Need to Be Bad at Something | Humility, Ego & Becoming a Beginner Again
Adults get very good at staying inside the rooms where they already know what they’re doing. But what happens when competence becomes armor? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Mike & John make the case for keeping at least one place in your life where you are still genuinely a student... where somebody else knows more than you, correction is unavoidable, failure is possible, and you occasionally have to say: “I don’t know. Show me.” Using Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as the obvious laboratory, they unpack why losing can reveal the ego, why competence can become part of our identity, & why becoming highly skilled without becoming unteachable may be the harder discipline. They also dig into the Orthodox distinction between humility and humiliation, false humility, confession, fasting, embodied asceticism, St. John Climacus, St. Isaac the Syrian, St. Anthony the Great, Abba Dorotheos, & why modern life can leave us increasingly optimized... but increasingly uncorrectable. Because eventually life makes every one of us a beginner again. The goal isn’t to stay bad at something. The goal is to remain teachable. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:54 Orthodox Health Intro 02:23 Why Adults Hate Being Beginners 11:42 When Competence Becomes Armor 19:12 BJJ, Losing & the Ego 29:46 Humility vs. Humiliation 39:01 What Orthodox Humility Actually Looks Like 48:08 Modern Life Makes Us Uncorrectable 53:28 When Life Makes You a Beginner Again 56:06 Become Competent Without Becoming Unteachable 1:01:51 Remain a Student Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram⁠ Logos Cinema⁠⁠
S2 · E29
September 21 · 1 hr 16 min
Why Do We Laugh When Life Hurts? | Carollynn Xavier
Why do human beings laugh in the middle of pain, embarrassment, grief, or fear? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, comedian Carollynn Xavier joins Dr. Michael Christian & John for a conversation about laughter, suffering, dark humor, humility, combat sports, & the Orthodox Christian life. Carollynn traces her journey from atheism and professional comedy into Orthodoxy, including what happened when public success and private misery collided. She talks about rethinking the responsibility of the microphone, finding jiu-jitsu & later boxing, learning the limits of self-will, & rebuilding her life around a remarkably simple rule: go to church, take care of your son, and move your body. They also get into the difference between humility & humiliation, humor as a defense mechanism, spiritual fatherhood and accountability, why people laugh together during terrible circumstances... & whether laughter might be “medicine” in a much deeper sense than simply lowering stress. Ultimately, the question is simple: What is laughter actually for? Chapters: 00:00 Dudes & Donuts? - Coming Up 00:59 Orthodox Health Intro 01:56 Why Do We Laugh When Life Hurts? 05:41 From Atheism to Orthodoxy 08:14 When Comedy Became More Than a Joke 14:09 What Happens When a Room Laughs Together 21:31 Funny on Stage, Miserable Offstage 28:37 Rogan, Jocko, Peterson… Then Christ 30:27 When Laughter Heals... & When It Hides 37:32 Jiu-Jitsu, Boxing & Dudes & Donuts 48:45 Why We Need Spiritual Fathers 55:26 Humility Without Humiliation 58:23 So What Is Laughter Actually For? Where to find Carollynn: Website - CarollynnXavier.com & Instagram Logos Cinema Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E28
September 14 · 1 hr 29 min
Why Your Child Needs Movement to Learn | Angelique Chaverri
Why does a reading teacher require a pull-up bar? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Angelique Chaverri, M.S.Ed. joins Dr. Michael Christian & John to explore a question modern education often misses: What is the rest of the child doing while we’re asking the brain to learn? Angelique works with students through Scholé Academy & the Center for Students for Learning Differences. Her approach brings together reading instruction, movement, posture, proprioception, vestibular function, primitive reflexes, cognitive timing, visual tracking, rhythm, & what she calls classical physical education. We get into why ordinary childhood movement may matter for learning; the relationship between crawling, walking, balance, posture, eye tracking, & reading; what primitive reflexes like ATNR have to do with development; why older models of physical education included hanging, stall bars, health wands, music, rhythm, & self-defense; what modern schooling may have lost by pushing formal academics earlier; & why Angelique believes physical literacy belongs alongside academic literacy. But underneath all of it is the question Orthodox Health keeps returning to: What is the body actually for? Orthodox Christianity never treats the human being as a brain carried around inside an inconvenient body. We pray, fast, stand, kneel, bow, prostrate, sing, work, play, suffer, & worship as embodied persons. So why would education be different? Chapters: 0:00 - Coming Up - When We Got Rid of the Horses 00:56 Orthodox Health Intro 2:25 - Why the Body Participates in Learning 7:14 - Homeschooling Led Her to Orthodoxy 10:32 - Body, Mind, Soul & Child Development 17:15 - Why Does a Reading Teacher Require a Pull-Up Bar? 19:33 - Classical Physical Education 24:37 - Phonics, Sight Words & Modern Reading 32:40 - Cognitive Timing, Rhythm & the “Brain Clock” 40:16 - Primitive Reflexes & Neurological Development 43:29 - ATNR & Learning Differences 47:57 - Primitive Reflexes, Martial Arts & Movement 53:43 - Eye Tracking, Reading & Dyslexia 55:49 - Crawling, Walking & Processing Speed 58:19 - Posture & Learning 1:01:20 - Proprioception, Spatial Awareness & Math 1:06:14 - Swedish Stall Bars & Classical PE 1:11:12 - Did We Push Formal Academics Too Early? 1:13:38 - Why Two-Year-Olds Should Move 1:15:13 - Why Age Seven Keeps Showing Up 1:17:03 - Jump Rope & the Scholar-Athlete 1:19:58 - Physical Literacy & What Needs to Change 1:20:52 - Where to Find Angelique 1:21:40 - Orthodox Formation Is Embodied 1:26:20 - Marina Becomes the Longitudinal Case Study If this conversation made you rethink what learning is supposed to look like, subscribe to the Orthodox Health Podcast, leave your biggest takeaway below, & share this episode with a parent, teacher, homeschool family, or educator who needs to hear it. Work with Angelique: Scholé Academy Website & their Learning Differences Center The Renaissance Video & The Motivation Factor⁠ The Lean Berets - Youtube Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E27
September 7 · 58 min
What Is Exercise Actually For? | Presbytera Marina Thornburg
What is exercise actually for? In this episode, Presbytera Marina Thornburg returns to the Orthodox Health Podcast for a conversation with Dr. Michael Christian & John about what happens when something genuinely good (exercise, discipline, taking care of the body) begins demanding more than it should. Can physical discipline make us more virtuous? Is something ascetical simply because it's difficult? What happens when the “optimal” training plan conflicts with prayer, marriage, children, work, or the people who actually need us? We talk about health hyperfixation, vanity beyond appearance, the danger of making discipline part of our identity, learning to adapt when life interrupts the plan, & why sometimes the ability to cheerfully miss a workout may say more about our relationship with fitness than never missing one. Presbytera Marina also shares how motherhood changed her relationship with exercise, how her family incorporates movement into ordinary life, what she hopes her children learn from watching their parents, and why fitness ultimately needs to make us more capable of serving... not more consumed with ourselves. “Let exercise help you serve. It's not your master; you are its master. And to the glory of God.” - Pres. Marina Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:45 Orthodox Health Intro 02:14 What Is Exercise Actually For? 05:33 Consistency Over Flash 10:20 Health Culture Has a “Why” Problem 12:10 Fitness, Marriage & Motherhood 15:02 Exercise, Asceticism & Spiritual Discipline 18:52 Self-Mastery Isn’t Holiness 20:46 When Health Becomes Hyperfixation 24:25 When Fitness Conflicts With Your Calling 27:53 Fitness, Family & the Royal Path 28:42 Habit Stacking 31:23 Health Requires Adaptability 36:31 Vanity Beyond Appearance 38:48 Shortcuts, Suffering & Optimization 44:35 What Should Fitness Prepare Us to Do? 49:57 Let Exercise Help You Serve 50:26 What Our Children Learn From Us 52:44 What Is Your Fitness Actually For? 53:06 Where to Find Pres. Marina 55:24 Final Thoughts Work with Presbytera Marina: Orthodox True Femininity - Website & Instagram The True Femininity Hormone Foundations Course Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E26
August 31 · 1 hr 21 min
Why The Athos Diet Changes How We Think About Food | Dr. Pete Patitsas
What can modern medicine learn from Orthodox fasting without reducing an ancient ascetical practice to another health intervention? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Pete Patitsas, emergency physician & author of The Athos Diet, joins Dr. Michael Christian & John to explore what the fasting traditions associated with Mt. Athos can teach us about food, health, discipline & the formation of the human person. They discuss intermittent fasting, metabolic health, protein during Great Lent, shellfish, pea protein, tofu, fasting-compliant junk food, food addiction & the relationship between fasting & feasting. But the conversation ultimately goes much deeper than nutrition: Why does Christianity use something as visceral as hunger to teach restraint? What happens when suffering is given a purpose? Can health optimization itself become disordered? And what does modern medicine miss when it isolates the physiological effects of fasting from the spiritual life in which those practices developed? Dr. Pete also shares why he believes fasting teaches delayed gratification, how purpose once helped him get a frightened patient out of an overwhelmed emergency department, & why Orthodox fasting may have something important to offer a culture increasingly unable to resist its appetites. Topics include: The Athos Diet • Mt. Athos • Orthodox fasting • intermittent fasting • Great Lent • fasting protein • metabolic health • delayed gratification • food addiction • asceticism • purpose • nocebo • fasting & feasting Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 01:00 Orthodox Health Intro 02:29 The Athos Diet & Orthodox Health 07:13 You Can't Fast From Something You Don't Desire 12:59 What Is The Athos Diet? 20:48 Health, Responsibility & Purpose 27:39 What Can Mt. Athos Teach Modern Medicine? 33:24 Protein During the Orthodox Fast 39:33 Training, Duty & a Purpose-Driven Life 42:53 Suffering, Purpose & the Nocebo Effect 47:18 Fasting, Withdrawal & Food Addiction 52:22 Tofu, Shellfish & Protein Optimization 57:40 When Health Optimization Becomes an Obsession 1:03:05 Why Resisting Good Things Changes Us 1:08:38 Can Fasting Help Rebuild Culture? 1:13:18 Fasting, Feasting & the Bigger Picture Connect with Dr. Pete & your copy of The Athos Diet: Before There Was Atkins, There Was Athos on TheAthosDiet.comThe Athos Diet YouTube Channel Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E25
August 24 · 1 hr 32 min
Is Stress Always Bad? The Lost Case for Voluntary Hardship
What if the goal of health isn’t to eliminate stress... but to become capable of responding to the right kinds of stress well? Modern wellness culture is intensely focused on lowering cortisol, regulating the nervous system, maximizing recovery, & avoiding added strain. Sometimes that is exactly what health requires. But somewhere along the way, “chronic stress can make us sick” became “stress itself is bad.” Exercise is stress. Fasting is stress. Heat & cold are stress. Hunger is uncomfortable. In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John ask what separates adaptive stress from destructive stress. We explore cortisol, homeostasis, allostasis, inflammation, oxidative stress, hormesis, recovery, capacity, control, meaning, nervous-system regulation, fasting, voluntary hardship, & why Christian asceticism cannot be reduced to an ancient biohacking protocol. The deeper question is: What am I enslaved to? Because the point of asceticism is not becoming the person who can suffer the most. It is becoming free enough to love. What stress do I need to remove? What stress do I need to recover from? What stress do I need to stop avoiding? Next week: Dr. Pete Patitsas, author of The Athos Diet, on traditional Athonite eating & the limits of reducing asceticism to a health intervention. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:59 Orthodox Health Intro 02:29 Is Stress Always Bad? 07:35 What Do We Actually Mean by “Stress”? 09:31 Homeostasis, Allostasis & the Stress Response 10:01 Cortisol Is Not Inherently the Enemy 11:45 Inflammation, Oxidative Stress & Context 14:18 Chronic Stress vs. Adaptive Stress 15:10 Allostatic Load & Recovery 17:50 Exercise: Voluntary Hardship We Already Accept 20:49 Dose, Recovery, Capacity & Hormesis 23:16 Fasting as a Physiological Stressor 25:50 Recovery Is Part of Adaptation 31:56 Control, Meaning & the Experience of Stress 36:22 Jiu-Jitsu, Discomfort & Learning Not to Panic 37:23 When Nervous System Regulation Becomes Fear of Activation 38:14 Nocebo, Hunger & Hypervigilance 39:43 When Bodily Desire Becomes a Command 43:21 Why Hormesis Cannot Explain Asceticism 47:22 Does Science Need to “Validate” Orthodox Practice? 50:22 The Passions & Voluntary Deprivation 52:28 Not All Voluntary Hardship Is Asceticism 53:01 Toughness Culture, Masculinity & Pride 55:37 Why Almsgiving Breaks the Biohacking Framework 56:56 Christianity Is Not a Cult of Suffering 59:17 Destructive Asceticism & the Need for Discernment 01:01:38 Why Obedience Matters 01:05:35 Faithfulness, Temperance & Freedom 01:07:28 What Do We Lose When We Stop Practicing Being Denied? 01:09:08 What Are We Actually Training When We Fast? 01:13:01 Fasting, Obedience & the Tyranny of Self-Will 01:15:09 Need vs. Preference vs. Habit 01:17:14 Why Fasting Requires Prayer & Almsgiving 01:18:45 Limits, Creaturehood & Modern Life 01:21:25 Why the Feast Matters as Much as the Fast 01:23:10 Stop Inventing New Hardships 01:25:52 So, Is Stress Always Bad? 01:26:35 Three Questions to Ask About Stress 01:29:37 The Case for Voluntary Hardship Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E24
August 17 · 1 hr 31 min
Our Thoughts Determine Our Health? Nocebo, Fear & the Orthodox Mind
Can fear, expectation, & the stories we tell about our bodies actually change what we experience physically? Elder Thaddeus of Vitovnica famously taught that “our thoughts determine our lives.” Modern research into the nocebo effect, pain, conditioning, stress, & health anxiety gives us a fascinating (though much narrower) window into the relationship between thought & bodily experience. In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Mike & John explore what our thoughts can and cannot do to the body; how diagnoses & prognoses can become identities; why constant health information can produce hypervigilance instead of wisdom; & why Orthodox Christianity refuses both New Age mind-over-matter & the materialist claim that thoughts are irrelevant to physical health. Dr. Mike also shares the personal story of being repeatedly diagnosed with cystic fibrosis as a child & told he might not live past twenty, drawing a striking parallel with Elder Thaddeus being told at eighteen that he might have only five years left. Ultimately, the question is larger than whether thoughts affect symptoms: How do we care faithfully for the body without trying to control what only belongs to God? Topics include Elder Thaddeus, Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives, nocebo & placebo, health anxiety, symptom scanning, diagnosis and identity, prayer, stress physiology, surrender, & Christian hope. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:46 Orthodox Health Intro 02:16 Our Thoughts Determine Our Lives? 05:34 What Is the Nocebo Effect? 08:51 Elder Thaddeus Was No Stranger to Illness 11:21 Dr. Mike Was Told He Wouldn’t Live Past 20 15:05 When a Diagnosis Becomes an Identity 18:52 Health, Control & the Fear of Death 22:36 Being Afraid vs. Nurturing Fear 24:45 How the Nocebo Effect Actually Works 28:44 Stress, Relationships & Physical Healing 31:27 How Medical Language Shapes Expectations 35:03 Attention, Hypervigilance & Symptom Loops 37:28 Is Health Content Making You Sicker? 44:04 Elder Thaddeus & the “Whirlpool of Thoughts” 47:15 Information Cannot Give You Certainty 49:16 What Inner Peace Actually Means 50:29 When You Stop Inhabiting Your Body 55:39 Elder Thaddeus on Stress, Illness & Surrender 1:03:12 Serving Others Without Carrying the World 1:06:35 Why We Keep Picking the Thought Back Up 1:09:09 Health Anxiety, Checking & the Illusion of Control 1:14:11 When Prudence Becomes Rumination 1:18:17 Turning Surrender Into Another Biohack 1:21:34 Why Prayer Is NOT a Placebo 1:24:47 Science, Noetic Life & Elder Thaddeus 1:26:45 Do Our Thoughts Determine Our Health? 1:28:31 The Final Takeaway Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E23
August 10 · 1 hr 48 min
The Dormition: What the Death of the Theotokos Reveals About Yours
You will die. So what exactly are you preparing your body for? After exploring how Orthodox Christians should feed the body during fasting & how to train without making the gym an idol, in this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John confront the question that neither nutrition nor physical discipline can answer: What are health, strength, suffering, & ultimately the body itself actually for? The Dormition gives the Church’s answer. The Theotokos, the holiest human person who ever lived, still shared our mortality. She truly died. Yet the Feast does not present her death as defeat. Christ receives His Mother, the grave does not have the final word, & her glorification reveals the destiny of humanity united to Him. They explore the theology of the Dormition icon, why Orthodox Christians fast before the Feast, bodily resurrection, illness and human dignity, the limits of modern wellness culture, remembrance of death, the difference between physical toughness & Christian asceticism, & what it actually means for a Christian to “die well.” Along the way, they ask a harder Orthodox Health question: Is caring for your health making you more available for love, service, & surrender... or simply making you more afraid of losing control? Health is good. Strength is good. Medicine is good. But none of them can tell us what our life is ultimately for. ☦️ Blessed Dormition Fast. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 0:41 Orthodox Health Intro 02:10 What Is the Body For? 09:04 What Is the Dormition? 15:23 Why Fast Before Dormition? 20:07 Why Celebrate a Death? 31:24 Reading the Dormition Icon 41:11 Scripture & the Feast 49:06 Why Mary Still Needs Christ 54:48 The Fantasy of Invulnerability 1:03:24 The Destiny of the Church 1:08:06 Dignity Beyond Productivity 1:16:21 Physical Discipline vs. Asceticism 1:24:02 Remembering Death Without Fear 1:29:24 What This Means for Health 1:32:08 Five Diagnostic Questions 1:44:04 What Does It Mean to Die Well? 1:45:05 Destined for Resurrection Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E22
August 3 · 1 hr 9 min
Making the Gym an Idol? Training & Orthodox Fasting | Sdn Michael Cassell, CSCS
Is your training serving your vocation... or has your life quietly begun serving your training? Physical training can teach discipline, patience, consistency & the ability to endure discomfort. But difficulty alone does not make something Orthodox asceticism. In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John are joined by Subdeacon Michael Cassell: a certified strength & conditioning coach, an active-duty serviceman, Catechumen/New Member Coordinator at All Saints of North America, & lifelong Orthodox Christian... to discuss how training should change during the fasting seasons of the Church. They explore whether Orthodox Christians should expect personal records during fasting periods, why training volume and frequency may need to decrease, how to preserve strength and muscle, the role of sleep & recovery, & how to periodize physical training around the Orthodox Church year. The conversation moves beyond programming into a deeper question: can the gym become an idol? Subdeacon Michael explains how physical success can mask spiritual sickness, why discipline can become spiritually deceptive, & how nepsis, or watchfulness, helps reveal when the body has stopped serving our vocation & quietly become its master. They also discuss military service, suffering, fatherhood, Spartan racing, Brazilian jiu-jitsu, prayer during training & why becoming more formidable does not necessarily make us more loving. Topics include: Fitness versus Orthodox asceticism Training during Great Lent, the Nativity Fast & the Dormition Fast Strength, volume, intensity & recovery Preserving muscle & performance while fasting Sleep &nervous-system overload Military service, suffering & fatherhood Spartan racing & Brazilian jiu-jitsu Prayer rules & divided attention Nepsis & spiritual watchfulness When fitness becomes identity, control or idolatry Chapters: 00:00 Coming up 00:48 Orthodox Health Intro 02:18 How Should Orthodox Christians Train During a Fast? 08:53 Meet Subdeacon Michael Cassell 15:37 Why are we attracted to difficult training? 19:12 When fitness competes with prayer 21:13 Can the gym become an idol? 23:33 Chasing PRs during an Orthodox fast? 26:39 Cardio loss, BJJ & getting humbled 30:01 Military service, suffering & fatherhood 35:11 Can chasing suffering become addictive? 36:50 Lower-volume, higher-intensity training 40:00 Sleep, recovery & nervous-system overload 43:02 What fitness culture misunderstands about Orthodoxy 45:41 Periodizing training around the Church year 48:16 Spartan racing & becoming a complete athlete 52:42 The biggest fasting-season training mistake 53:59 Prayer ropes, workouts & divided attention 56:10 When physical health masks spiritual sickness 58:26 The one takeaway to remember 59:31 Where to find Subdeacon Michael 1:01:00 Is training still your servant? 1:07:35 Closing thoughts Find Subdeacon Michael on Instagram at @struggle_make_strong His Other Resources: Jason Brown, Mountain Tactical Institute, SOFLETE Sbn Michael's 12-Month Training Plan (Spotify won't let us include the Google Drive File, so DM him or us if you want it) Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E21
July 27 · 1 hr 12 min
The Ultimate Orthodox Fasting Protein Tier List
Peanut butter contains protein... but does that make it a protein source? In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John build the ultimate Orthodox fasting protein tier list for the Dormition Fast. They rank shellfish, lentils, split peas, lupini beans, bean pasta, pea & rice protein, black beans, chickpeas, nutritional yeast, peanut butter, quinoa, oats, tahini, sourdough, vegan burgers, protein bars, seitan, tofu, tempeh & soy-based imitation meats. This is not a ranking of the holiest, cheapest or tastiest fasting foods. The central question is much more practical: does this food merely contain protein, or can it genuinely function as the protein anchor of a fasting meal? Along the way, they explain why shrimp & shellfish earn S tier, why lentils remain excellent without quite reaching the top, why peanut butter & quinoa are commonly overrated as protein sources, why a pea & rice protein blend can outperform either protein alone & why highly processed “Pharisee meats” belong near the bottom. The episode also moves beyond the rankings to show how to build a realistic, protein-anchored fasting day. They cover breakfast, lunch & dinner ideas for people who use protein powder, prefer whole foods, cannot eat shellfish or struggle with low energy during longer fasts. The goal is not macro worship, dietary perfection or turning fasting into a nutrition contest. It is to practice obedience, simplicity & stewardship: choose real foods, plan ahead, identify the protein anchor, then stop obsessing & participate in the fast. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 02:20 The Fasting Protein Problem 04:17 How the Rankings Work 07:30 Shrimp & Shellfish 11:31 Lentils 17:26 Peanut Butter 23:24 Quinoa 27:10 Bean Pasta 31:27 Protein Powders 35:58 Restoring Your Energy 36:49 Beans & Supporting Proteins 40:48 Seeds, Tahini, Oats & Bread 47:59 Processed Vegan Foods 52:40 The Final Tier 53:39 Seitan 54:29 Tofu, Tempeh & Soy 58:28 Pharisee Meats 59:36 Fasting Without Burnout 1:00:15 Building a Fasting Day 1:04:30 Whole-Food Alternatives 1:06:09 The Three-Meal Test 1:07:09 Asceticism Is Not Neglect 1:08:06 Stewardship Beyond Nutrition 1:09:18 The True Purpose of Fasting 1:10:11 The Key Distinction Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E20
July 20 · 1 hr 11 min
Regenerating the Land, Forming the Man: Farming, BJJ & Orthodoxy | Nick Hillman
What connects regenerative agriculture, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Orthodox community, & the formation of the human person? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Nick Hillman rejoins Dr. Michael Christian & John to explain what regenerative agriculture is actually trying to restore... from soil biology, nutrient density & plant health to the relationship between farmers, food & the people they nourish. Nick walks through regenerative viticulture, soil & plant testing, Korean Natural Farming, JADAM, compost extracts, cover crops, crop rotation, calcium amendments, earthworms, seed saving & the practical realities of restoring damaged land. He also audits John’s new backyard garden & explains how ordinary families can begin rebuilding the soil beneath their own feet. The conversation then expands into Nick’s other work: the Meeting of the Lord Ranch, a proposed Orthodox retreat center and agricultural community; St. Nestor’s Grappling Club; his journey to a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu black belt; & the announcement of our developing OrthrowBros podcast. Farming, BJJ, homesteading & Orthodox community may appear to be separate topics. But each asks the same question: What does it mean to faithfully tend something God has entrusted to you? Real strength preserves, cultivates, serves, & leaves something healthier than it found it. Featuring discussion of: Regenerative agriculture soil health nutrient density regenerative viticulture backyard gardening Korean Natural Farming JADAM homemade amendments seed saving Orthodox homesteading Meeting of the Lord Ranch St. Nestor Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Orthodox masculinity stewardship & Christian formation Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:39 Orthodox Health Intro 02:19 Tending Creation: Soil, Strength & Stewardship 07:57 Regenerative Viticulture & the Future of Farming 14:00 What Regenerative Agriculture Actually Regenerates 17:38 Book Ad 19:17 Transitioning Farms Without Destroying the Soil 22:28 John’s Backyard Garden Audit 25:32 Korean Natural Farming, JADAM & Garden Amendments 31:13 Energy Ad 32:05 Watermelons, Soil Testing, Earthworms & Saving Seeds 48:04 Fasting Ad 48:42 The Meeting of the Lord Ranch 59:05 St. Nestor’s Grappling Club & Orthodox BJJ 01:03:48 Announcing the OrthrowBros Podcast 01:07:07 Tending What God Has Entrusted to YouMeeting of the Lord: Website, Orthodox Crowdfunding, Instagram, & YoutubeRegerative Ag Solutions - Website & InstagramSt. Nestor's Grappling Club - Instagram & YouTubeOther Resources: The Temple Steps "Salt of the Earth Conference" - Nigel Palmer - Regenerative Grower's GuideMaster Cho Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E19
July 13 · 1 hr 32 min
You Don't Need Spiritual Techniques... You Need Repentance | St. Paisios
Modern spirituality promises healing. St. Paisios points to something much deeper. In the conclusion of our trilogy on yoga, the New Age, & Orthodox Christianity, Dr. Michael Christian & John examine the teachings of St. Paisios the Athonite on repentance, discernment, the passions, logismoi, prayer, & communion with Christ. Rather than becoming fascinated by counterfeit spirituality, St. Paisios calls us to become transformed through humility, confession, repentance, & the healing of the whole person. Topics include: • Yoga & Orthodox Christianity • New Age spirituality • Logismoi (thoughts) • The passions • Philautia (self-love) • Spiritual deception (prelest) • Discernment • The Jesus Prayer • Prayer vs spiritual technique • Healing through repentance Drawing from With Pain & Love for Contemporary Man, Passions & Virtues, Spiritual Awakening, Family Life, & The Gurus, the Young Man, & Elder Paisios, this episode offers the Orthodox answer to today's search for healing. Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 00:39 Orthodox Health Intro 02:09 St. Paisios & the Orthodox Answer to False Spirituality 08:49 Why Modern Man Is Vulnerable to Spiritual Deception 12:20 Book Ad 13:08 Orthodoxy Is Not a Christianized New Age 18:42 Spiritual Causality Without Superstition 23:18 St. Paisios on Curses, Repentance, & Confession 25:11 The Spiritual Power of Words, Blessings, & Curses 29:47 Logismoi: The War Within Our Thoughts 33:33 Can You Trust Your Inner Voice? 38:33 The Fly, the Bee, & Purifying the Heart 40:48 Understanding the Passions & Pathology 42:58 St. Paisios: The Passions as Powers of the Soul 47:40 The Body Is Not Spiritually Neutral 49:25 Energy Ad 50:10 Gluttony, Trauma, & an Orthodox Vision of Healing 53:35 How Counterfeit Spirituality Exploits the Passions 56:29 Philautia: When the Self Becomes an Idol 59:27 When Self-Love Becomes Self-Worship 01:02:20 Real Stewardship vs. Self-Ownership 01:03:47 Fasting Can Heal (or Feed) the Passions 01:05:39 True Discernment Is More Than Spotting Error 01:09:27 Testing Counterfeit Peace & Spiritual Experiences 01:11:13 Obedience, Spiritual Fatherhood, & Healing 01:13:22 Confession Brings Deception Into the Light 01:14:48 Fasting Ad 01:15:32 Prayer Is Communion, Not a Spiritual Technique 01:16:29 St. Paisios the Radio Operator & Prayer 01:19:01 The Jesus Prayer Is Not a Mantra 01:21:11 Prayer, Repentance, & Real Transformation 01:24:24 The Orthodox Answer to Yoga & the New Age 01:27:43 Come Home: Christ's Mercy Is Greater 01:29:34 Outro Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E18
July 6 · 1 hr 18 min
False Healing Exposed: New Age, Trauma & Christ with Anastasia Gerali (The Reborn Anastasia)
Not everything called healing actually heals. In this episode of The Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John are joined by Christian trauma therapist, Anastasia Gerali, The Reborn Anastasia, to discuss her journey from cultural Orthodoxy into New Age spirituality... & back to Christ. Anastasia shares how trauma, divorce, manifestation, hypnotherapy, yoga, meditation, psychic practices, Buddhism, & ayahuasca all became part of her search for peace. What first felt empowering & inclusive eventually revealed itself as spiritually destructive. Her story culminates in the moment the Holy Spirit instructed her to pray to Jesus, & Christ restored the identity that trauma & false healing had distorted. They also discuss why the New Age attracts wounded people, how trauma can become an identity, why nervous system regulation is not salvation, what therapy can & cannot do, & why true healing means becoming whole in Christ… body, soul, mind, will, memory, wounds, & all. Takeaways: Counterfeit healing often starts by naming a real wound. The danger is not always that the pain is fake, but the false gospel built around the pain. The New Age attracts people because it often feels compassionate, inclusive, & empowering. Manifestation replaces prayer with control. Trauma is real, but trauma is not identity. It can shape survival patterns, but it must not become the organizing center of the person. Nervous system regulation matters, but it is not salvation. Therapy & confession are not interchangeable. Therapy expose patterns, but repentance/metanoia bring the person before Christ for transformation. Christ restores identity. The final word over the person is not trauma, diagnosis, survival pattern, or false identity… but Christ. Sound Bytes: “New Age felt like the complete opposite. It was very inclusive… it felt like coming home, if I’m honest.” “You’re a ritual away or a practice away from the thing that you’re looking for.” “Now I absolutely know without a doubt that that was a demon.” “I was using the word surrender, but I wasn’t surrendering myself to Him. I was trying to surrender to me. “Christ restored my identity… my identity in Christ, as chosen, cherished, loved, created.” 00:00 Coming Up 03:08 False Healing 03:54 Meet Anastasia Gerali 07:09 Cultural Orthodoxy 09:48 Trauma & the Search for Healing 12:23 Why New Age Felt Like Home 13:29 What Christians Misunderstand About New Age 16:43 Manifestation & “The Secret” 18:40 Hypnotherapy & the Subconscious Mind 21:58 Yoga, Meditation & Psychic Practices 23:17 Subjective Truth, Dreams & Spiritual Deception 25:38 Ayahuasca, Hidden Knowledge & the Veil Dropped 33:59 Buddhism & Reincarnation 36:26 Plant Medicine, DMT & Testing Every Spirit 39:19 How Christ Pulled Anastasia Out 44:46 Jesus Christ, Surrender & Deliverance 50:07 When Trauma Becomes Identity 57:44 Trauma Neuroscience, Strongholds & Survival Patterns 1:06:18 Therapy, Confession & Repeated Patterns 1:08:38 Metanoia, Repentance & the Renewal of the Mind 1:10:58 Christ Restored Her Identity 1:17:18 Closing Thoughts Where to Find Anastasia: @the.reborn.anastasia - Instagram, YouTube, & TikTok Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E17
June 29 · 1 hr 26 min
False Peace: Yoga, the New Age, & the Gospel Without the Cross with Cantor & Seminarian Robert Sirico
What if the greatest spiritual deception doesn't look dark What if it looks peaceful? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John are rejoined by our good friend Robert Sirico, who is a cantor, choir director, & doctoral seminarian. In the conversation, we move beyond the question of whether yoga is religious & examine the larger worldview surrounding the New Age movement. Together we explore yoga, chakras, kundalini, mantras, breathwork, Reiki, energy healing, spiritual warfare, & the Orthodox understanding of true healing in Christ. Throughout the conversation we contrast the New Age's promises of peace, self-realization, & enlightenment with the Gospel's call to repentance, communion with Christ, & theosis. Whether you're trying to understand yoga, leaving the New Age yourself, or helping someone discern these practices, this episode offers both theological depth and pastoral compassion. Takeaways: Yoga is built upon a spiritual worldview... not merely a stretching routine. Relief, calm, & altered states are not necessarily signs of genuine healing. Orthodox Christianity offers communion with Christ rather than self-realization. Breathwork & meditation depend not only on technique but on their spiritual end. Spiritual deception often appears compassionate before it appears dangerous. Many people enter the New Age while sincerely searching for healing. Christ restores the human person rather than dissolving it. Sound Bytes: "Relief is not the same thing as healing." "Not every calm spirit is the Holy Spirit." "Yoga doesn't usually arrive saying, 'I'm another gospel.'" "Peace without Christ is not the peace Christ promised." "The counterfeit succeeds because it resembles the genuine." "Most people weren't looking for heresy... they were looking for healing." "The Gospel doesn't erase the person; it transfigures the person." Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up: Yoga, Demons & False Peace 00:43 Orthodox Health Intro 02:12 Yoga 2.0: Spiritual Warfare & the New Age Gospel 07:18 Robert Sirico on Deconstruction, Calvinism & Spiritual Hunger 10:30 Japanese Martial Arts, Tengu Demons & Hidden Rituals 17:44 What Should Christians Say to Someone Practicing Yoga? 27:49 Demons, Spiritual Pushback & Why Reality Is Not Dualist 29:37 Mantras, Magia & Pharmakeia Explained 36:04 Christianity, Exorcism & the Gospel’s Ripple Effect 41:01 Pranayama, Qi, Kundalini & Eastern Energy Practices 45:20 Eastern Mysticism vs Orthodox Christian Theology 55:44 Icons vs Idols: What Christians Misunderstand 56:50 The Third Eye vs the Light of Christ 59:44 Prelest: Spiritual Delusion, False Power & Demonic Deception 01:05:35 Skinwalkers, Shamans & Demonic Shape-Shifting 01:09:31 Aliens, Bad Physics & the Religion of the Future 01:11:39 St. Seraphim of Sarov, Motovilov & Spiritual Delusion 01:14:34 The Jesus Prayer, Breath & True Christian Stillness Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram
S2 · E16
June 22 · 1 hr 28 min
Nourished Asceticism: Fasting Without Crashing | Dr. Michael Moeller
Is the Fast making you weak… or is it revealing what modern life already depleted? In this episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast, Dr. Michael Christian & John continue the Apostle’s Fast arc with Dr. Michael Moeller, NMD, for a conversation on nourished asceticism, testosterone, men’s health, blood sugar, digestion, protein, metabolic resilience, peptides, berberine, & how to fast seriously without wrecking the body. This is not an anti-fasting episode. It is also not a “ignore your body & call it obedience” episode. The fast is medicine. But the person receiving that medicine is a real embodied person with real sleep, real stress, real digestion, real nutrient status, real hormones, real labs, & real limits. Takeaways: Why Orthodox fasting can reveal depletion Testosterone, dopamine, fatigue, libido, & the modern man Sugar, cortisol, sleep, & low testosterone Why fasting on processed carbs can backfire How blood sugar crashes can masquerade as spiritual struggle Protein, muscle, and fasting capacity Berberine, peptides, GLP-1s, and advanced therapies Why regular bloodwork matters The problem with the modern medical model How to walk the royal path without legalism or despair Sound Bytes: “The way I think about Orthodoxy, it is the naturopathic medicine.” “Health is a journey… & it’s the same thing with our salvation.” “Your body is actually diabetes-ing.” “We don’t want to view health as a false idol.” “What do I need to do to optimize my testosterone? Move to the country, throw out your TV, plant a garden, find Jesus.” “That’s why you’re not a number. That’s why you’re not your blood work.” “The fast may not be the thing that caused the crash. It may be the thing that revealed the crash was coming.” Chapters: 00:00 Coming Up 01:02 Orthodox Health Intro 02:32 Introduction to Nourished Asceticism 06:11 Introducing Dr. Michael Moeller, NMD 11:26 Hormonal Health & Men’s Wellness 16:17 Fatigue, Low Libido & “Not Feeling Like Myself” 19:23 The Interconnectedness of Body Systems 21:41 What’s Killing Modern Testosterone? 27:19 You Are Not Your Bloodwork 30:36 Should You Be Tracking Your Calories? 32:18 Assessing Health During the Fast 36:13 What to Check When You Feel Weak During the Fast 39:44 Avoiding Pride in the Fast 43:32 Addressing Underlying Health Issues During Fasting 44:20 Avoiding the Pharisee Meats Trap 47:37 Protein, Muscle & Fasting Without Crashing 50:31 Preparing Metabolically for Fasting 53:52 Berberine: Benefits & Considerations 57:13 Hormones, Cycles & the Fast 1:00:03 The Risks of Pushing Physical Limits 1:04:05 Peptides & Their Role in Recovery 1:08:18 Peptide Safety, Efficacy & Discernment 1:11:15 Weight Loss, GLP-1s & Health Risks 1:15:28 Why Regular Bloodwork Matters 1:18:21 What the Modern Medical Model Misses 1:21:02 The Royal Path: Discipline Without Destruction 1:22:47 Connecting with Dr. Michael Moeller, NMD Connect with Dr. Moe: Website, Instagram, YouTube Work with ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dr. Mike⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Signed Copies of Orthodoxy & The Medicine of the Future: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OrthodoxHealth.com/book⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Order Orthodoxy & the Medicine of the Future on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Amazon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Donate to St. John the Theologian ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the Show⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ with a One-Time or Recurring donation Intro & Outro Music: St. John of Chicago Orthodox Church Choir (Arkansas) - Please support their building fund by buying the whole album ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Orthodox Health ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ & ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram

Showing 1–20 of 26 episodes