Welcome to The Vitalist Podcast, where we take a vitalistic-powered approach to optimal living. This is your space to gain transformative knowledge, deepen your mind-body connection, and awaken your human spirit.
Join us as we explore the art and science of healing through thought-provoking conversations with practitioners, scientists, creatives, and visionaries. Driven by awe and wonder, we deepen the conversation around health and healing. Here, we believe human beings are healable, thrivable, and adaptable.
Our mission is to provide a vitalistic framework to help you reconnect with your innate healing potential, embrace the wisdom of your body, and trust the process of life’s challenges. Whether you’re seeking to enhance your well-being, or embrace a deeper perspective on healing, our mission is to help you experience moments of profound discovery that change how you see yourself and the world.
The Vitalist Podcast invites you to slow down, be moved by beautiful questions, and live like a true vitalist.
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From Setback to Strength: Coach Dar on Turning Pain into Purpose - Ep 001
Season 1 · Episode 1
Wednesday, May 7, 2025 • Duration 55:18
Dr. Keiko sits down with powerhouse leadership coach and mental skills expert Darlene Santore—known as Coach Dar (@thecoachdar)—for a deep and uplifting conversation on resilience, purpose, and what it really takes to bounce back from life's hardest moments. From working with elite athletes and CEOs to surviving three strokes, Coach Dar brings real, raw wisdom on mental fortitude and the art of rewriting your story when life knocks you down. Her new book, The Art of Bouncing Back, is a call to action for anyone ready to rise stronger—not in spite of challenges, but because of them.
HIGHLIGHTS
What it means to be “licensed to rise” after setbacks (5:61)
Why adversity isn’t a punishment—it’s preparation (8:21)
Finding your “flow state” and working in your genius zone (13:57)
Coach Dar shares her mentor Laurie Beth Jones (14:02)
Dar’s ultimate game changer in life when things get tough (18:10)
The moment Dar stopped looking for approval (22:40)
Letting people off the train. Not everyone is meant to go the full ride with you. Letting them go is part of your growth. (24:15)
Mental resilience starts by choosing hard over easy (24:56)
There’s no “right” way to grieve—just feel it, share it, and reframe it to keep moving forward. Grief is a personal journey (31:33)
Dar reflects on giving a keynote less than 24 hours after watching her mother take her last breath—and how she channeled that pain into purpose. (32:28)
Dar’s micro moments to recharge her energy (40:48)
Using stillness to discover your strengths (42:20)
Coach Dar shares her mental reset rituals even while in your car and with animals –sometimes it’s just the simple things that reset your soul. (42:57)
How not to agree with everyone-it’s about embracing differences and finding common ground through kindness. (45:22)
Surprising an Uber driver with apple pie to encourage the importance of human connection. (44:56)
This episode is for the visionaries, the high-performers, the healers, and anyone who’s ever asked: Can I come back from this? Coach Dar’s answer? Yes. You’re born to rise.
Longevity Starts at Your Feet: Dr. Emily Splichal on Barefoot Science, Mobility & What Most People Get Wrong About Walking (007)
Season 1 · Episode 7
Wednesday, June 25, 2025 • Duration 37:49
Your feet aren’t just for walking, they’re the foundation of your posture, your performance, and even your longevity. In this episode, Dr. Emily Splichal, functional podiatrist, barefoot science expert, and founder of Naboso, breaks down the overlooked role of the feet in whole-body healing.
You’ll learn why 10 seconds of single-leg balance predicts your lifespan, how foot posture impacts your spine and pelvis, and why the way you’re walking might be limiting your mobility, stability, and overall strength.
We dive into:
The $0 exercise Dr. Emily gives all her patients
How your feet connect to your pelvic floor (and your tongue) via fascia
The real reason your shoes might be making you stiffer and slower
Why walking isn’t cardio, it’s a neurological tune-up
How movement accuracy, sensory input, and foot mechanics unlock true mobility
Whether you’re healing chronic tension, chasing performance, or aging with vitality, this conversation will change how you move through the world, one step at a time.
HIGHLIGHTS:
When fitness and New York were non-negotiable, podiatry became Dr. Emily’s only option (1:19)
Why she quit surgical residency to get her masters in human movement from A.T. Still. (3:35)
Our foot posture will mechanically dictate how the rest of our body will align. (5:24)
What happens to our posture when we don’t have a stable foundation in our feet. (5:47)
How a flat foot is associated with slower stability in the pelvis and low back, increasing the risk of injury in the low back. (6:14)
Dr. Emily reveals what makes a sprinter fast. (7:21)
Everyone is born with flat feet. The key question: at what point does it impair movement? And what’s the real difference between overpronation and structural collapse? (8:13)
From Himalayan Caves to Healing Chocolate: Lisa Reinhardt on Meditation, Mindfulness, and Cacao as Medicine (006)
Season 1 · Episode 6
Wednesday, June 18, 2025 • Duration 36:46
What if the most powerful meditation practice didn't require a cushion, app, or even quiet, but a single piece of chocolate?
After 11 years in the Himalayas, living in a cave and studying with Tibetan masters, Lisa Reinhardt returned to the modern world with a mission: to demystify meditation and make presence feel deliciously accessible. In this insightful episode, Lisa shares how she founded Wei of Chocolate and discovered that something as simple as intentionally eating chocolate could soften the nerve system, awaken the senses and reconnect us to our fundamental goodness.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Daily life in a remote cave, immersed in silence and Tibetan teachings. (1:21)
A messenger arrives at her cave with an invitation that leads to rare teachings from a Tibetan master. (2:45)
From growing up in a small town to living in a cave. (5:53)
Meditation isn’t about “emptying the mind.” Lisa reframes it as a grounded, embodied practice accessible to anyone. (6:49)
Most people won’t live in a cave, but everyone eats. Lisa found that chocolate could open the same door to presence. (8:11)
Lisa describes traditional Tibetan practices that have been done for hundreds of years and engage the whole body. (9:35)
Lisa shares how she prepares for her meditation practice by first noticing the space in the room. (11:12)
Lisa invites you to “try on” your fundamental goodness. (13:52)
How daily meditation practice softens any defensiveness. (15:43)
We explore how meditative, tonal chiropractic and meditation complement each other. (16:18)
Lisa shares a teaching from Brene Brown on softening difficult emotions. (17:56)
Fluent in Tibetan, Lisa explains how language shapes perception and why certain meditative states are hard to access in English. (20:02)
Your Skin Is Smarter Than Your Products: Dr. Michelle Jeffries on the Skin’s Clock, Hormones, and Light (005)
Season 1 · Episode 5
Wednesday, June 11, 2025 • Duration 44:01
What if your skin could tell time, and was trying to tell you something deeper?
In this mind-shifting episode of The Vitalist Podcast, Dr. Michelle Jeffries, triple board-certified dermatologist and founder of the Skin Clock Method, blows open everything you thought you knew about skin.
She takes us on a journey through integrative dermatology showing how your skin is more than just a barrier. It’s a messenger. A memory keeper. A sensory organ that reflects your stress, emotions, rhythms, and story.
We talk trauma, time, hormones, fascia, light, and the daily rituals that help your skin reset and regenerate. You’ll learn why breakouts might be messengers, why sunrise is medicine, and how syncing with your body’s internal clocks could change everything.
If you’ve ever felt like your skin was trying to tell you something… it probably is. This episode will help you listen.
Highlights:
How Dr. Jeffries became a triple-board certified dermatologist and why it’s anything but traditional (1:35)
What most dermatologists are missing when it comes to our skin (4:51)
The wild connection you never learned about the skin and our nerve system (7:23)
Why your skin is a sensory organ that remembers your story (7:41)
How your skin expresses what’s beneath the surface (8:36)
Can skin hold memory? And what that means for scars, trauma, and healing (10:53)
Your cells can tell time: How light, rhythm, and clocks affect your skin (12:07)
Want better skin? Start syncing with Chrono Beauty and your body’s natural rhythms (13:58)
Your skin makes serotonin, dopamine, AND oxytocin (16:02)
Your Ring Isn’t Smarter Than You: Dr. Jen Huberty on Intuition, Hormones & Health (004)
Season 1 · Episode 4
Wednesday, June 4, 2025 • Duration 27:48
Just because your tracker says it, doesn’t mean your body agrees.
Dr. Jen Huberty reminds us: intuition is data too.
What if the key to better health isn't another wearable, protocol, or “science-backed” trend, but learning to trust your inner wisdom?
In this eye-opening episode, we sit down with Dr. Jen Huberty, behavioral research scientist, former Head of Science at Calm, and founder of Fit Minded, to explore the intersection of science, self-worth, and spirituality. With over 190 peer-reviewed publications and $10M+ in research funding under her belt, Dr. Jen’s insights are as rigorous as they are refreshingly human.
Highlights
Is tracking helping or hurting your mental health? (1:53)
Your ring says you slept badly, but you feel rested. Who do you trust? (2:44)
The only meditation app Dr. Jen still uses and how she uses it differently. (3:19)
Does waking up to a “bad” sleep score have a psychological impact? (3:36)
Spirituality vs. Science? Why Dr. Jen believes we need both. (4:33)
Why personalized health decisions must go beyond the research to consider your genetics, preferences, and intuition. (5:36)
A powerful lesson from her 12-year-old on how to build habits that actually last. (6:46)
How to spot real science vs. BS in wellness products. (8:13)
Her unfiltered take on GLP-1 weight loss drugs and why it feels like déjà vu from the 80s. (9:08)
What’s actually stopping people from lasting changing? (10:42)
Dr. Jen’s early research revealed a missing link in most wellness approaches: emotional, social, and intellectual self-worth. (11:05)
A book club that changed women’s health, without ever talking about weight. (13:21)
The Science of Flower Essences and What Nature Knows That We Don't with Katie Hess - Ep 003
Season 1 · Episode 3
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 • Duration 41:11
In this episode of The Vitalist, we’re joined by Katie Hess—flower alchemist and founder of LOTUSWEI—for a rich conversation about the subtle yet powerful world of flower essences. We explore what flower essences are, the science behind the intelligence of plants, and how flowers communicate with us, often beneath the threshold of our awareness. Katie shares how nature speaks in quiet, potent ways, inviting us to slow down, tune in, and access our deepest gifts. This episode is a call to remember our connection to the natural world and to let it guide us back to our own innate wisdom.
HIGHLIGHTS:
When she met her mentor, he shared two transformative truths. (2:15)
“If 3% of the world took flower essences, it would change the future of this planet.” (2:25)
Dandelions aren’t weeds, they are medicine. A reminder that nature often gives us exactly what we need, right when we need it. (3:13)
The difference between herbs, essential oils, and flower essences. (4:40)
How flowers express themselves as crystals in water. (7:21)
The unseen ways flowers communicate with us, down to the electrical charges bees detect. (8:51)
The emotional uses of each flower. (9:41)
Collecting flower essences blends science, spirit and deep intentionality (10:37)
Indigenous people communicated to plants, altering their chemistry within 24 hours. (11:13)
The go-to flower essence for stress, overwhelm, and burnout. (13:13)
Flower essences clear up to 7 generations of inherited, acquired and collective patterns. (14:48)
Flower essences create a 3 second delay to process emotional triggers. (19:42)
Personal client transformations using flower essences. (21:48)
The New Blood Test Is in Your Mouth: Flying, Stress, and the Secret Language of Saliva with Dr. Patti Milligan - Ep 002
Season 1 · Episode 2
Wednesday, May 21, 2025 • Duration 43:38
What if the key to understanding your health, mood, and even how well you age can be measured in your saliva?
In this fascinating episode, we’re joined by the brilliant Dr. Patti Milligan, a pioneer in the field of salivary science. Dr. Patti unpacks the groundbreaking world of saliva research. Join us as we cover how emotional states change your saliva composition and how it can help diagnose diseases years before symptoms arise.
You’ll learn how air travel impacts your nervous system, and more importantly what you can do to support your body to mitigate jet lag. Plus, practical tips on foods and movements to boost nitric oxide and saliva production.
HIGHLIGHTS
How saliva shifts with emotion — 42 types tied to your nervous system! (3:33)
Saliva can spot disease years ahead — including heart, inflammation & even breast cancer. (5:42)
How one child reversed “failure to thrive” just by boosting saliva. (9:02)
Low saliva = choking risk for elders — and why it’s more common than you think. (12:17)
What your saliva says about your nervous system (14:39)
How much saliva you produce every year (16:21)
How goji berries and lemon drops help children emotionally reset. (17:11)
The top foods that stimulate saliva naturally. (20:02)
A simple 4-move tongue routine to boost your saliva flow. (24:19)
How driving and flying suppress saliva—and what to do about it. (28:23)
The Renewal Kit: The 3 ingredients that protect your body mid-flight. (32:18)
The two groups leading the saliva research frontier (37:21)
Turn Toward the Fear: Why Stillness Is the Hardest (and Most Healing) Thing You’ll Ever Do with Akshay Nanavati
Season 1 · Episode 10
Wednesday, July 16, 2025 • Duration 49:26
Let us be real with you: most people aren’t actually afraid of failure, pain, or fear itself. They’re afraid of being still long enough to feel any of it.
In this episode, Dr. Keiko sits down with Akshay Nanavati, a former Marine, ultra-endurance athlete, and author of Fearvana, who went from addiction and self-harm to attempting the first ever solo ski crossing of Antarctica, pulling a 420lb sled.
And no, this isn’t about becoming fearless. It’s about building the courage to face the parts of yourself you’ve been running from.
We talk about:
Why fear isn’t your enemy, it’s your access point.
How to stop distracting yourself every time fear speaks
Why stillness is the most terrifying (and healing) thing you’ll ever do
The neuroscience behind labeling emotions
How Akshay went from drug addiction to becoming the most isolated life form on Earth
What Antarctica taught him about presence, suffering, and spiritual strength
This episode is packed with wisdom to help you face your fears and finally feel the stuff that’s been trying to get your attention for years. Because the moment you stop performing and start feeling, you begin healing.
So, if you’re ready to do the hard thing? Be still. Listen. Feel.
Fear is not here to break you.
Fear is here to reveal you.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Akshay’s journey from addiction and self-harm to joining the Marines (1:50)
How “Fearvana” was born and why it’s not the antithesis of nirvana, but the access point. (4:17)
From Overwhelm to Inner Wisdom: The Get Quiet Method Explained with Elaine Glass (009)
Season 1 · Episode 9
Wednesday, July 9, 2025 • Duration 36:42
In a world that praises the hustle and drowns us in noise, what if the most rebellious thing you could do… is get quiet?
In this soulful conversation, Dr. Keiko sits down with Elaine Glass, author of Get Quiet, transformational coach, and former dental hygienist, to explore what actually happens when we stop doing and start listening.
Elaine has sat with over 40,000 people. She’s heard their fears, their stress, their longing for peace. And what she’s found is something we all need to hear: healing doesn’t happen in the noise. It happens in the stillness.
You’ll hear the story of the day Elaine’s life shifted when, in the middle of a painful divorce and autoimmune burnout, she stumbled upon a labyrinth just half a mile from her home. That walk changed everything. It wasn’t just a path through the desert. It was a path back to herself.
Whether you're a mom, healer, high-achiever, or human just trying to hold it together, this episode will meet you where you are.
Because in a world that constantly asks for more, choosing to slow down, listen in, and get quiet?
That’s not weakness. That’s your quiet rebellion.
And honestly? It might be the most powerful thing you do all week.
HIGHLIGHTS:
How a heavy metal-loving, high-energy woman learned to get quiet. (1:30)
What inspired Get Quiet and Elaine’s journey in reclaiming her inner peace. (2:20)
Can you get quiet at a rock concert? The role of nature, environment, and embracing change. (3:27)
The insight gained from 40,000 dental chairside conversations: “I just want people to get quiet.” (4:33)
The moment Elaine found the labyrinth that would change her life. (6:09)
What is a labyrinth and why are more people building them in their backyards? (7:41)
What No One Tells You About Your Cycle, Your Gut, and Getting Pregnant with Dr. Samantha Ess (008)
Season 1 · Episode 8
Wednesday, July 2, 2025 • Duration 26:31
If you’ve ever wondered why your cycle feels off, what your gut has to do with your fertility, or how to actually prepare your body to conceive, this episode is for you.
In this powerful conversation, Dr. Sammie pulls back the curtain on what most women were never taught about their bodies. From cycle literacy and hormone balance to gut health, environmental toxins, and the truth behind “unexplained infertility,” we dive into the real, root causes that impact your ability to get pregnant and how to heal them.
Whether you're just starting to think about having a baby or you've been trying for months (or years), this episode will leave you feeling informed, empowered, and more connected to your body than ever before.
HIGHLIGHTS:
Natural medicine transformed Dr. Sammie’s childhood health from daily oxygen treatments for asthma to thriving as an athlete with no inhalers. (1:50)
From food to environment to emotional load, what you put in your body changes everything. (2:32)
Dr. Sammie’s calling was written in her family's generational story of conception challenges. (3:20)
Most women are never taught the three phases of their cycle, follicular, ovulation, and luteal, yet these phases govern everything from energy to conception. (4:30)
The surprising truth? Many women don't know if they’re ovulating. Learning the rhythm of their body creates deep empowerment. (6:20)
How to tell if your cycle is truly “regular” and why the luteal phase holds keys to your hormonal harmony. (7:00)
PMS may be common, but it isn’t normal. Cramps, mood swings, and cravings are data, here’s Dr. Sammie’s advice. (8:00)
Dr. Sammie’s foundational prescription: quality sleep, Mediterranean-style eating, hydration, and daily movement. (8:30)
The biggest threat to hormone balance? The questions no one’s asking, especially around stress, emotions, and suppression. (9:40)
Dr. Emily discusses how she works with children knowing “It takes until the age of 7 to develop an adult arch.” (8:58)
Pediatricians often get this wrong saying “All children will grow out of their flat feet.” Here’s how this isn’t true. (9:28)
The root cause of bunions is not genetics, it is midfoot ligament laxity. (9:45)
Her unique, full body approach to treating bunions. (10:51)
Your feet are sensory in nature, think “eyes to the ground”, feeding your brain constant information to calibrate balance, posture, and performance in real time. (12:09)
Every step you take sends vibrational information through your body. On natural surfaces, it’s resonance; on concrete, it’s distortion. (13:09)
Elite indoor tracks are tuned to the body’s optimal frequency, making world records possible. (14:10)
The truth about shoes: Every footstrike is a vibration; cushioned shoes mute it. And when your brain receives incomplete feedback, your movement becomes less accurate, less efficient, and more injury-prone. (14:54)
Three facets of movement Dr. Emily uses when working with athletes: Movement Longevity, Movement Accuracy, and Movement Efficiency. (16:37)
How to use tools, such as weighted blankets and the Naboso mat, to improve spatial awareness, speed up recovery, and improve balance.(17:22)
What is body schema and how is different than proprioception. (18:25)
How concussions break down our body schema. (19:24)
A sensory exercise to train body schema, upgrading your internal map to reduce falls and improve balance. (22:00)
How your feet are connected to the pelvic floor. (23:35)
The pelvic floor activation Dr. Emily gives all her patients using your toes and breath. (24:59)
The longevity markers no one talks about: walking pace and single leg stability. (27:22)
The benefits of walking at a fast enough pace. (28:01)
Walking isn’t supposed to be cardio, it is designed to nourish your nervous system. (28:44)
Most people walk with muscles, not fascia. True efficiency requires mobility in your big toe, ankle, pelvis, and spine. (29:26)
How to know if you’re walking efficiently. (30:32)
The importance of walking at your unique pace. (32:01)
If your low back hurts after walking, it’s not overuse. It’s a sign your skeleton can’t keep up with your natural pace. (32:54)
Dr. Emily’s new book “Sensory Sapiens” shares how sensory based movement unlocks longevity. (33:56)
Want to wake up your nervous system? Naboso’s textured insoles and mats stimulate mechanoreceptors for better balance, strength, and brain-body precision. (34:30)
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