Most people don't get into trouble with desserts because of sugar.
They get into trouble because of context.

In this episode, Nate breaks down how he eats sweets, baked goods, and desserts without wrecking his energy, digestion, or body composition. This isn't rigid nutrition science or a fat loss "hack." It's a practical framework he follows about 70 percent of the time that works extremely well in the real world.

You'll learn why eating dessert in isolation is the biggest mistake people make, how insulin really works as a nutrient traffic signal, and why pairing carbs with protein leads to very different outcomes than pairing carbs with fat.

Using the green lights metaphor, Nate explains how carbs raise insulin, why insulin doesn't choose what gets stored, and how controlling what's already circulating in your body changes where those calories end up.

The episode also covers the best times to eat dessert, including post workout and pre workout scenarios, plus what to do in worst case situations when dessert is happening no matter what. Nate outlines simple pairing strategies that reduce damage, improve recovery, and keep food from turning into a stressor.

This episode is for anyone who wants to enjoy sweets without guilt, stop fearing carbs, and start eating like their body is a system instead of a morality test.

Key topics covered:

• Why dessert itself isn't the problem

• The green lights metaphor for insulin and nutrient storage

• Why carbs plus fat is the worst pairing

• Why carbs plus protein works better

• Best and worst times to eat sweets

• The 70 percent rule for sustainable eating

Carbs don't decide what gets stored.
They decide how fast things move.

If you want to get leaner and live longer check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com

Are you optimizing your diet and gym time but still feeling wired and foggy? Could the hidden culprit be mental inflammation shortening your health span without you even knowing it?

I talked with Dr. Shivani Gupta about mental inflammation. This stress keeps the nervous system in fight or flight. It ruins digestion, sleep, and clarity. We discussed her book, The Inflammation Code. She explains how Ayurvedic medicine offers solutions through rituals and breath work. We cover elemental design and the body types: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Dr. Gupta shares why news and social media inflame the mind. She provides tools like tea time and decompression points to build resilience. We explore the power of spices like turmeric for healing. Her approach focuses on physiology to change how the body manages stress and productivity for longevity.

Key Takeaways

• Mental inflammation is chronic emotional stress that creates low-grade inflammation and depletes your vitality, or OJUS.

• Self-care rituals like setting daily intentions and practicing breath work create a reservoir of peace.

• "Tea time is me time" acts as a physical trigger to shift the body into the parasympathetic nervous system for rest and digestion.

• Aligning with your circadian rhythm is essential; sleeping from 10 PM to 2 AM is the most important window for clearing inflammation.

• Elemental design identifies your specific body template (Vata, Pitta, or Kapha) to inform how you should manage your diet and energy.

• Consuming news and social media triggers a fear-based fight or flight state, contributing significantly to mental inflammation.

• For therapeutic benefits, use high volumes of spices (teaspoons, not sprinkles) like turmeric, ginger, and cumin in your cooking.

• When feeling sick, use the Kitchari protocol—a simple porridge that allows the gut to rest so the body can focus on healing.

• Dr. Shivani Gupta's Book: The Inflammation Code https://www.theinflammationcode.com/

• Elemental Design Quiz: https://shivanigreenliving.clickfunnels.com/quiz

• Dr. Shivani Gupta's Website: https://shivanigupta.com

• Fusionary Formulas Website: https://fusionaryformulas.com Use the code GETLEANER for 15% Off

Nate Palmer:

The founder of The Million Dollar Body and author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been coaching for over 15 years and has worked personally with over 1,000 clients.

• Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/
  
  

• Book: The Million Dollar Body Method
  
  

• Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean
  
  

Instagram: @_milliondollarbody

If you want to get leaner and live longer, go to Milliondollarbodylabs.com

A new 47-year longitudinal study is making the rounds with a scary takeaway: if you weren't fit in your 30s, you're basically out of luck later in life. That interpretation is wrong, incomplete, and lazy. In this episode, we break down what the study actually tracked, what it really tells us about human performance over time, and why fitness is better understood as a trajectory problem, not a deadline problem.

We talk about how aerobic capacity, strength, and power tend to peak earlier in life, why that early peak gives you margin later on, and where people misinterpret "decline" as "doom." We also zoom out and connect this research to other well established predictors of longevity and independence like grip strength, VO2 max, daily movement, and basic functional capacity.

If you've ever wondered whether starting later means it's pointless, or whether what you do now still matters, this episode puts that question to rest. The answer is not comforting, but it is empowering.

What the 47-year study actually measured and what it did not
Why fitness peaks earlier but remains modifiable for decades
How starting level and rate of decline matter more than age alone
Why grip strength, aerobic capacity, and movement volume predict longevity
The difference between locking in a baseline and locking in your fate
The real takeaway for people in their 30s, 40s, and beyond

You don't age out of fitness. You age into consequences. The goal isn't to stay young. The goal is to raise your floor and slow the slope.

If you want to get leaner and live longer check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com

Why do most people quit right before they achieve mastery, and how can you build leadership that lasts decades through small, unsexy reps every single day?

I talk with Jay Pages. He owns a gym in Arizona. He describes leaving his career as an officer of loans during a bubble burst to coach. We discuss leadership from the top down and the need for action over words. He explains the journey to a belt and how mastery starts after a decade of practice. We explore the use of games to build skills and how resistance improves learning. Jay shares how he puts his ego in check to learn from students. He explains how training helps him find peace in traffic. We talk about the bonds formed through sweat and the value of choosing a path of discipline.

Key Takeaways

• Leadership is built through daily, unsexy reps over decades, focusing on competence over just excitement.

• Culture starts at the top. To earn loyalty, a leader must show up for their people when it counts, regardless of their level or status.

• The Ecological Dynamics or Constraints Led Approach (CLA) focuses on learning through games and resistance rather than static drilling.

• Check your ego to remain a student. Growth stops when you believe you have nothing left to learn from others, including those with less experience.

• Jiu-Jitsu makes you comfortable with being uncomfortable, providing mental and spiritual strength that translates into patience in high-stress life situations.

• Choose your hard or it will be chosen for you. Disciplined training prepares you to handle life's daily frustrations with a smile.

• Jay Pages Jiu-Jitsu & MMA Website: https://jaypagesjjmma.com

• Jay Pages' Instagram: @jayjpages https://www.instagram.com/jayjpages

Nate Palmer:

The founder of The Million Dollar Body and author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been coaching for over 15 years and has worked personally with over 1,000 clients.

• Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/
  
  

• Book: The Million Dollar Body Method
  
  

• Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean
  
  

Instagram: @_milliondollarbody

If you want to get leaner and live longer check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com

Fitness is growing up.
The people getting leaner and staying healthy aren't doing extreme programs, chasing novelty, or training like competitors. They're building capacity, regulating stress, and removing friction.
In this episode, we break down the real fitness trends heading into 2026 based on research, behavior shifts, and what successful people are actually doing. No hype. No hacks. Just what works.

What You'll Learn in This Episode

• Why fitness is shifting from aesthetics to metabolic health
• How training volume and intensity are quietly coming down while results improve
• Why zone 2 cardio and strength training are becoming the foundation
• What nutrition habits are replacing extreme diets
• Why sleep is now the main fat loss lever
• How nervous system regulation is becoming a competitive advantage
• Why supplements are getting simpler instead of more complex
• How identity based habits are replacing challenge culture

If you want to get leaner and live longer check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com

Are you tired of chasing big fitness goals only to fail once the wedding or vacation is over? What if the secret to lasting success is found in being "boring"?

I talk with Donovan Owens about his "Life is Reps" philosophy. He retired from owning fitness businesses to focus on mastery and presence. We discuss how big gestures like extreme diets usually fail because identity remains the same. Donovan explains his mastery morning system which includes physical, mental, and spiritual wins before interacting with anyone. He shares why he quit caffeine and alcohol to find his own energy. We explore how small daily actions create peace rather than just hitting targets. He advocates for systems thinking where every action affects the whole machine.

Key Takeaways

● REPS stands for Repetitive Excellence Produces Success.

● True transformation requires an identity shift, not just a six-week challenge; if who you are hasn't changed, you will return to old habits.

● Mastery is an energy to embody every morning through a system of "quick wins".

● A "Mastery Morning" involves three pillars: a physical win (like a walk), a mental win (journaling or study), and a spiritual win (intentional silence).

● Building a "bored brain" is essential in an overstimulated world to help you get back to a state of presence and silence.

● Systems thinking means recognizing that every small action (or "rep") affects the entire machine of your life.

● "Stacking" one new behavior every two weeks leads to 26 new habits by the end of a year.

● The "planning trick" is when the excitement of planning replaces the actual work; the best time to start a new habit is "now" rather than waiting for Monday or New Year's.

● Life Is REPS Website: https://lifeisreps.com

Nate Palmer:

The founder of The Million Dollar Body and author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been coaching for over 15 years and has worked personally with over 1,000 clients.

● Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/

● Book: The Million Dollar Body Method

● Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean

● Instagram: @_milliondollarbody

This isn't a highlight reel.
It's an audit.

Instead of recapping guests or episodes, this end of year review distills the ideas that kept surfacing across the most listened to conversations of 2025.

Different topics.
Same underlying problems.

In this episode, we break down what actually mattered this year when it came to fat loss, energy, discipline, gut health, cravings, recovery, and long term health.

• Why energy dictates consistency more than willpower
• The real reason discipline feels restrictive for most people
• How chronic stress quietly drives belly fat and cravings
• Why most symptoms are downstream of ignored systems
• The hidden cost of comfort and constant stimulation
• Why identity shifts outperform goals every time
• How maintenance beats rescue when it comes to longevity
• What this year revealed about sustainable fat loss
• The difference between alignment and optimization
• What to carry forward and what to stop doing next year

Most people don't need more information.
They need fewer things working against them.

This episode is about removing friction, lowering noise, and building systems that make progress inevitable instead of fragile.

If you want to get leaner and live longer check out https://milliondollarbodylabs.com

Have you ever wondered if psychedelics could unlock better mental health, emotional intelligence, or a deeper connection with yourself and others?

I talk with Austin Mao, who is a licensed natural medicine facilitator and co-founder of Ceremonia, a legal psychedelic center in Denver, Colorado. Austin is the Program Director & Head Minister and has guided over 500 individuals. We discuss the purpose of using guided psilocybin and ayahuasca experiences to foster profound healing and personal growth. Austin explains that connection is the foundation for healing, pairing modern science (psychotherapy/neuroscience) with mindfulness and shamanic practices. He shares incredible stories, like how physical pain of 20 years disappeared after one ceremony. We explore how their structured retreats help individuals integrate lessons by building capacity to process experiences, avoiding resistance, and teaching the skill of presence.

Key Takeaways

• Transformation often occurs because people become accustomed to a lesser quality of living and do not realize the difference until it is shown to them.

• The process at Ceremonia focuses on connection as the foundation for healing.

• Many participants experience significant physical transformations alongside emotional and mental shifts; at least two out of ten people often have a life-changing physical transformation.

• The two key variables determining a psychedelic experience are dosage and the subjective feeling of safety/capacity.

• The most inconvenient truth about connection is that real connection comes from experiencing "now" (presence) and the impact you are having on someone else in the current moment, not from history or background.

• A simple tool for practicing presence is asking yourself: "What's it like to be me right now?".

• Website: https://www.ceremoniacircle.org

• Instagram: @ceremoniacircle https://www.instagram.com/ceremoniacircle

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ceremoniacircle

• YouTube: @ceremoniacircle https://www.youtube.com/@ceremoniacircle

• Upcoming Retreats Mentioned: Awaken Together (January 13-18); Heal with Ayahuasca (February 2-8); Weekend Retreat (March 6-8).

Nate Palmer:

The founder of The Million Dollar Body and author of "The Million Dollar Body Method", Nate has been coaching for over 15 years and has worked personally with over 1,000 clients.

• Website: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/
  
  

• Book: The Million Dollar Body Method
  
  

• Lean Energy Stack: https://milliondollarbodylabs.com/pages/lean
  
  

• Instagram: @_milliondollarbody