Category: Podcast Episodes

In this week’s episode I sit with Dr. Shayna Keller. She helps ambitious women master chronic heartburn so they can achieve food freedom.

She became passionate of health after being a sickly teenager on 10+ medications for various diagnosed conditions. Today she is on exactly zero medications and loves helping others begin their health journey.

She can be reached on IG @Naturopathic_DrShayna or via email at hello@westelkswellness.com

In this week’s episode of The ZecoHealth Show, I sit with Health Coach & Creator of The Healthy Lifestyle Reset Christian Elliott.

We discuss, how to break through your limits, how to improve psychological issues, how stress impacts our health & much more!

Christian is a husband and father of five young kids. He wears funny looking toe shoes. He wears out podcasts and audiobooks faster than people can make them. He loves tropical weather and plans to own a boat and take flying lessons in his late 40s or early 50s.​

Christian is a recovering perfectionist, fan of America’s Team, and an even bigger fan of dramatic transformation stories. He has an endless fascination with the human body, human psychology, and figuring out what inspires people.

He didn’t grow up dreaming to be a professional question asker. Yet, somehow he has managed to take his brain that loves strategy, complexity, and finding angles other people miss, and combine those skills into something people pay for.

At age 27 he thought his best health was behind him. Seventeen years later he is one of the fittest people he knows…and showing no signs of slowing down.

He authors the fantastic blog, Deconstructing Conventional which has been featured on, CBS, Mens Fitness, Huff Post & other news outlets. You can access it here & prepare to transform your life.

https://deconstructingconventional.com

You can also contact Christian @

christian@truewholehuman.com

Julie is a nurse practitioner with over 20 years of experience in healthcare. She received her undergraduate degree from the Medical College of Georgia and graduate degree from Emory University. She holds a faculty position at Emory University educating future nurse practitioners.

In 2013, Julie became interested in a more holistic approach to wellness. She began educating others on the power of food and natural medicine to heal the body. Today, Julie owns a virtual consulting business helping clients get to the root cause of their symptoms through innovative clinical testing. She is passionate about gut health and is the co-founder of Mastering GI MAPPING, a course teaching medical practitioners how to incorporate GI MAP testing into their practice. She takes a holistic approach to healing the issues uncovered through proper testing in order to restore energy, mental clarity, promote better sleep, skin, immunity, weight loss, and so much more! Julie is the co-host of the podcast “Take the Upgrade” which allows her to share her message with the masses. Julie loves empowering women with the necessary tools to live a healthy and vibrant life. She believes that with the right support and daily habits, you will experience real progress and lasting change!

Julie’s website is http://www.julieannwellness.com/

or you can email her @ julie@julieannwellness.com

Welcome to another weekend short of The ZecoHealth Show

This is Weight Management Expert, Narado Zeco Powell 

In this weekend’s short, I will speak about Collagen. 

There are benefits to taking collagen & we see everyone from trainers to celebs promoting it.

In this short, I will break down the possible benefits & proper ways to use collagen.

Many of us take collagen, but we are really not getting proper benefits. 

Before I begin, remember that I have launched the Zeco Recommendation Page with all products I have ever recommended for health, fatloss & fitness 

The link is in the shownotes & the description of the show  

The Zeco Recommendation Page

Before making any dietary changes, please consult a medical professional. 

Now, let’s discuss collagen.

Let me begin by explaining what it is.

Collagen is the most abundant protein in your body.

It’s the main component of connective tissues that make up several body parts, including tendons, ligaments, skin, and muscles.

Collagen has many important functions, including providing your skin with structure and strengthening your bones.

Now, we know that I am an advocate of whole foods over supplements. 

Here are some foods that contain collagen:

1. Fish
2. Eggs
3. Chicken
4. Citrus Fruits 
5. Berries 
6. Red & Yellow Vegetables 

Another reason why it is important to eat the rainbow.

Now, here are the benefits of collagen:

1. Improve skin health 
2. Relieve joint pain 
3. Prevent bone loss
4. Boost muscle mass
5. Promote heart health 
6. Improve guthealth 
7. So on & so forth

So, you can see the benefits of getting adequate collagen, especially from foods.

Now, there are individuals who can benefit from supplementing with collagen.

That is because most supplements are hydrolyzed, which means the collagen has been broken down to make it easier to absorb.

In many cases, it wont hurt, especially for vegans, vegetarians, lifters, athletes & those recovering from injuries.

Regarding taking collagen supplements the main thing I want to say is stop putting collagen in your coffee.

Collagen falls apart at temperatures above body temperature, turning it into plain gelatin, yes like jello.

At these higher temperatures like when added to hot coffee, collagen’s molecular structure melts, diminishing or even negating the desired health benefits.

Those who prefer a supplement should use a refrigerated, liquid collagen or collagen powder mixed into a cold beverage. 

Collagen peptides have already been melted and are therefore similar to other protein powders.

Given the lack of regulation, try to find one that has been third party tested.

Select a brand that provides your collagen of interest. If you’re looking for joint health, collagen type II is your best bet. If you’re looking for a skin or hair boost, collagen type I would likely work best.

And finally, make it part of your daily routine. The benefits wear off if you stop taking it.

There it is fam. Again, remember to access The Zeco Recommendation Page & crush the week fam.

The Zeco Recommendation Page

Ashley believes that we’ve been treating digestive upset and pain all wrong. To truly live free from digestive woes, we need to get to the root cause and heal from the inside out.

She has worked as a health coach and gut health specialist for 5 years and have seen women go from pain and confusion to vibrant and healthy. These life-changing shifts have the power to change perspective, making life oh so sweet once again.

She loves helping women find their digestive and hormonal rhythms. Using food as medicine, we focus on adding in healing, nourishing foods, and removing what causes inflammation and damage to the digestive system. Helping to create a connection to your body so you can slow down and listen to the signs and signals sent daily.

When women are living pain and confusion-free they’re able to focus on what really matters to them. What lights them up and brings them joy. Her goal is to move away from the ‘normal’ symptoms and test results mindset so that women can live extraordinary lives.

You can contact Ashley @

Phone: 204-451-5959

Website: www.quainttraditions.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ashleypharazynhealthcoach/

Instagram.com/quaint_traditions

Weight Training vs Cardio 

Welcome to another episode of The ZecoHealth Show, this is Weight Management Expert, Narado Zeco Powell 

In this weekend’s short, I will breakdown the possible benefits of weight training vs cardio

And at the end, I will give general recommendations for a program to promote lean muscle and fatloss 

Before I begin, I want to quickly remind everyone of The ZecoHealth Page, where I have placed all products I have ever recommended for weight & fatloss 

The Zeco Recommendation Page

Before making any dietary changes make sure to speak to medical professional & be mindful of allergies 

Now, let’s begin with the benefits of Cardio:

1. Improve your ability to break down carbs and use them for energy 
2. Improve cardiovascular health 
3. Improve your metabolism’s ability to burn bodyfat
4. Improve VO2 max
5. Improve heart rate 

And so on on so forth

So to those who bastardize cardio, you need to reconsider 

Now let’s discuss the possible benefits of weight training:

1. Increase lean muscle 
2. Improve response to inflammation 
3. Improve your body’s ability to burn fat
4. Increase strength 
5. Slow down the aging process 

And many others

So, yeah, they both have their place and can be super beneficial

In fact in my personal practice, I combine cardio & weight training 

Some benefits overlap, but it is important to understand that you need both to be optimal 

Now, let’s discuss a general guide that can help many individuals especially beginners on their journey 

1. Go for a brisk walk of jog around 3 times per week for about 30 minutes

That is really all you need. This is enough to train you muscles & large organs without putting undue stress 

In fact, often times excessive cardio keeps our cortisols levels high.

In this case, your body is under undue stress, which leads to hormonal imbalances, low energy, weight gain & more issues

2. Weight train around 5 times per week

Developing strength & lean muscle is important for fatloss, notice that I said fatloss,  not weightloss 

You can actually l gain weight because muscle weighs more than fat, but lose fat, fit in your clothes better, have more energy, etc

So in a weight training program, they can be short around 45 minutes

2 upper body, lower body & 1 full body

This will be beneficial for most because you are working your muscles groups constantly, and you are hitting your lower body at least 3 times. 

Your lower body are your largest muscle groups & they burn the most calories 

This may sound like a lot, but making these changes can really benefit you, especially when you combine them with a solid nutrition plan.

Remember to check out Lumen, the only breathalyzer on the market that reads your metabolism & gives your personalized nutrition guidance to train your metabolism to become flexible so you will burn the food you eat, instead of store them 

Use code zecohealth for 10% off their services.

Crush your weekend fam

In this week’s episode of the ZecoHealth Show, Jess Brain & I discuss habits to important brain health for optimal performance. The topics we discuss can improve mental clarity, decision making, memory, reduce blood pressure & more!

Jess Brain (yes, really!) is a Brain-Based Fitness Coach. She has worked in neuroscience research and brain health for over 10 years, researching the best methods to empower you to protect your brain and help you avoid cognitive decline.

She will work with you to find ways to improve your memory, focus and cognitive vitality. Her website is https://www.thebrainbar.com/

Welcome to another weekend short of The ZecoHealth Show 

This is Weight Management Expert, Narado Zeco Powell 

In this weekend’s short, I will explain how to get quality sleep 

We know by now that is a vital habit, if not the most vital habit for optimal weight management 

When I say quality sleep, I don’t just mean going to sleep & waking up, but going through proper cycles & getting deep sleep so you can recovery well so you wake up feeling amazing & ready to conquer the world 

Before I begin the episode, I want to remind you that I have launched The Zeco Recommendation Page with all products I have recommended for health, fitness & fatloss.

On at least half of these products, I have discount codes so you can save some money 

Before making any dietary changes please consult  a medical professional & be mindful of allergies 

Now, let’s get started

Getting quality sleep comes down to having an optimal circadian rhythm or circadian clock 

What is your circadian rhythm? 

Well, glad you asked

It is a natural cycle of physical, mental, and behavior changes that the body goes through in a 24-hour cycle.

This includes your hormones & neurotransmitters like cortisol & melotonin, which as we know play vital roles in getting quality sleep. 

We want our cortisol higher in the mornings & melotonin higher in the evenings

Let’s discuss how to do so:

1. Get morning sunlight ( especially redlight from the sun)

Our ancestors knew it was when the sun came up.

For most of us in the modern world, it is the opposite, we do not get morning sunlight, but we expose ourselves to bluelight at night from the tv, cell phones, bulbs in the house, etc

So, in the mornings, preferably before 8:am, get at least 15 minutes of sun. 

That early the sun is not hot and most people should be able to expose their eyes to the sun.

This tells your body is morning time which resets your circadian clock so you can work toward balancing these important hormones.

As a caveat, unless medically necessary, do not wear sunglasses, again unless medically necessary. 

Wearing sunglasses also blocks the blue light from the sun 

2. Try to get at least 15 minutes of sun every 2 hours

This keeps your circadian clock functioning optimally 

3. Do your cardio or high intensity trainings in the mornings 

Being super active in the evenings or nights raises your cortisol levels, impacting your circadian clock 

Weight training can be done in the evenings, I would still say at least 5 hours before bed, but that is unique to each person

You can play with that to see how it works for you

Now, your evening habits are vital 

4. When the sun goes down, limit your exposure to blue light

It would be ridiculous to ask most people to not watch tv or get on their phones, but here are some things you can do

Get a pair of bluelight blocking glasses 

You do not have to get expensive pairs that some biohackers get, I spend about 10 dollars for my pair from Amazon 

In fact, I have 2 pairs 1 for work to limit blue light from the computer sleep & the other that I put on when the sun goes down 

Then you can get some blue light blocking bulbs

I get mine from Amazon as well

The light in my bathroom is the only light I have on when the sun goes down

So, you may put them in other rooms, but I recommend any room that you usually turn on the light when the sun goes down

Turn on the bluelight blocking on your phone

Mine is set on a timer

It makes your screen bright orange 

For an extra measure

You can also have blue light blocking curtains in your bedroom & wear a sleep mask at night to put yourself in nightly bliss

5. Limit brain activity 

Limit conversations & habits that excite you at night

That is why I only watch cartoons or comedies at night so no horror, drama or action movies

I sometimes read at night as well to help me relax

I read on my tablet so I always have my bluelight blocking glasses on with the bluelight blocking filter on tablet, which again comes on automatically at night 

6. Most of us prefer to sleep in colder weather

If you can drop, the temperature in your home or sleep under a fan

I drop the temp to 68 degrees every night or 70 degrees with my ceiling fan on

7. Do not go the bed in intense fatburn

I always explain to my clients that our brain prefers glucose, especially for sleep

Do not fall for that nonsense that if you eat carbs at night you will get fat

I explained that in last weekend’s short on The Best Time To Eat Carbs 

Go back & listen to that episode to learn more

A little glucose can set you up for success 

Some ideas are honey with Apple Cider Vinegar, a complex carb like berries of your choice or a fruit 

Do not go crazy with it, you can play with your servings until you hit your sweet spot

As a caveat, limit, if not eliminate alcohol at night 

There is countless research on how alcohol impacts brain activity & sleep patterns 

8. Lastly, I put a link in the shownotes to my Amazon Page which has the blue light blocking & other products I recommend for quality sleep 

https://www.amazon.com/shop/zecohealth?listId=1JFMITM8MQUQ8&ref=inf_list_own_zecohealth

There you go fam

These habits can improve your, aid recovery, improvement energy, fatloss & more

Enjoy Your Weekend Fam!