#1200 You Are Not Overstressed, You Are Under Recovered - The Fastest Way to Raise HRV with Justin Roethlingshoefer
What if the most important signal of your long term health, recovery, and resilience isn’t how hard you train, but how well your nervous system recovers? In this episode of the Metabolic Freedom Podcast, host Ben Azadi sits down with human performance expert Justin Roethlingshoefer for a deep, practical conversation on heart rate variability (HRV) and nervous system regulation. Justin explains why HRV is one of the most important metrics for long-term health, stress resilience, recovery, and longevity. Together, they explore how sleep, nutrition, exercise intensity, emotional stress, and daily lifestyle rhythms directly influence HRV, VO₂ max, and overall metabolic health. This episode delivers clear, actionable strategies to help listeners optimize recovery, reduce chronic stress, and build a body that feels safe enough to heal. Key Topics Covered What heart rate variability really measures and why it matters HRV as the nervous system’s early warning system The difference between heart rate and heart rate variability How chronic stress suppresses recovery and healing The relationship between HRV, VO₂ max, and longevity Why most people are under-recovered, not overstressed Zone 2 and Zone 5 training explained simply How late-night eating disrupts sleep and HRV Sleep quality, REM sleep, and detoxification Practical ways to raise HRV without overdoing biohacks Book Mentioned 📘 The Power of OwnershipRedeem Your Health, Live by Design, and Break the Relentless Pursuit of Normalhttps://www.amazon.com/Power-Ownership-Redeem-Relentless-Pursuit/dp/1394230028 Guest Information Justin RoethlingshoeferJustin is a human performance expert, data-driven health strategist, and longevity specialist with over two decades of experience working with elite athletes, executives, and high performers. He is a former NCAA and NHL performance coach and the founder of an evidence-based coaching system focused on nervous system optimization, recovery, and sustainable performance. Official Website👉 https://justinroethlingshoefer.com/ LinkedIn👉 https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-roethlingshoefer YouTube Channel👉 https://www.youtube.com/@justinroethlingshoefer Watch the Full Episode 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@BenAzadi Follow Ben Azadi 🌐 Website: https://www.benazadi.com📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebenazadi📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benazadi.coach💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benazadi🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benazadi 🔎 Find All Metabolic Freedom Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals
29 Dec 59min
#1199 Why You Wake Up at 2 AM Every Night and the Exact Biological Switch That Helps You Fall Back Asleep in Minutes Without Melatonin or Medication With Ben Azadi
Waking up between 2–3 AM is not insomnia or bad luck. It’s a biological response driven by low blood sugar and rising cortisol. In this episode, Ben Azadi explains why your body wakes you up alert and wired, and shares a simple, science-backed protocol to fall back asleep within minutes. What You’ll Learn: Why nighttime wakeups are caused by cortisol and blood sugar crashes The exact 4-step protocol to calm your nervous system and restore sleep How nasal breathing, humming, and vagus nerve activation reduce stress fast Why raw honey + sea salt stabilizes blood sugar without ruining fat loss How gratitude (“Vitamin G”) signals safety to the brain The role of liver health, circadian rhythm, and minerals in sleep quality How to prevent 2 AM wakeups long-term through lifestyle changes FREE GUIDE: Better Than Ozempic - https://bit.ly/3MPfc49 🔥CLICK For Your Complete 14 Day Fat Loss Plan (Reignite Your Body & Life) HERE - https://bit.ly/4qHHkFd 📚 🎁 Purchase Ben's new book Metabolic Freedom todayhttp://www.metabolicfreedombook.com ($997 Retail Value For FREE) 👉SomniFix: https://somnifix.com/?ref=3778298&utm_medium=affiliate&utm_source=goaffpro 👉Upgraded Formulas - Magnessium: https://upgradedformulas.com/BENAZADI 👉Raw Honey: https://amzn.to/4q5Hzdm 🔎 Find All Metabolic Freedom Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals
28 Dec 19min
#1198 They Turned Bread Into a Slow-Burn Toxin- How Modern Wheat Destroys Your Gut, Spikes Insulin, and Triggers Belly Fat (And What to Eat Instead) With Ben Azadi
Bread was once a true superfood that fueled ancient civilizations for thousands of years without causing obesity, diabetes, or widespread gut issues. Today’s bread, however, is a completely different product. In this episode, Ben explains how modern bread has been industrialized through hybridized wheat, chemical processing, seed oils, and rushed production methods that disrupt digestion, spike blood sugar, inflame the gut, and damage metabolic health. You’ll learn why gluten isn’t the real problem, how fermentation was stripped from modern bread, and how glyphosate sprayed on wheat impacts gut bacteria, immunity, and mitochondria. Ben also explains why inflammation, not just insulin spikes, is the root cause of belly fat and metabolic dysfunction. The episode breaks down whether sourdough is truly safe, how to choose better bread options if you eat it at all, and why many people feel better avoiding bread completely while healing their metabolism. Ben also shares practical strategies to reduce inflammation, improve blood sugar control, and take back control of your health through informed food choices. Key takeaway: Bread didn’t fail you. The system failed bread. When you respect food again, your metabolism responds. FREE GUIDE: 5 Vegetables You Must Avoid To Lose Weight & Belly Fat - https://bit.ly/4s7xA8F 🔥CLICK For Your Complete 14 Day Fat Loss Plan (Reignite Your Body & Life) HERE - https://bit.ly/4qHHkFd 📚 🎁 Purchase Ben's new book Metabolic Freedom today http://www.metabolicfreedombook.com ($997 Retail Value For FREE) 🔎 Find All Metabolic Freedom Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals
27 Dec 18min
#1197 The 1 Science-Backed Insulin Reset That Instantly Kills Cravings and Unlocks Rapid Fat Loss With Ben Azadi
In this episode, Ben Azadi reveals why cravings are not a willpower issue, but a hormonal and metabolic problem driven by insulin instability. Ben explains how insulin spikes shut off fat burning, trigger hunger hormones, increase stress, and fuel uncontrollable cravings, especially at night. He breaks down the science behind insulin, glucose crashes, ghrelin, cortisol, and dopamine-driven eating behaviors. You’ll learn a simple, science-backed protocol to stabilize insulin first, before calorie restriction, cardio, or fasting, so cravings drop naturally and fat loss becomes automatic. The episode outlines a practical 7-day reset that helps reduce inflammation, water retention, and stubborn belly fat while restoring metabolic control. Ben also answers common questions about carbs, coffee, artificial sweeteners, protein intake, exercise, fasting, and how to make results sustainable long term. This conversation reframes fat loss as a metabolic healing process, not a discipline battle, and shows how true metabolic freedom feels calm, empowering, and sustainable. FREE GUIDE: The World’s Easiest Breakfast Diet - https://bit.ly/49owEoR Purity Coffee: https://Puritycoffee.com/benazadi 🔥CLICK For Your Complete 14 Day Fat Loss Plan (Reignite Your Body & Life) HERE - https://bit.ly/4pL2MJ5 📚 🎁 Purchase Ben's new book Metabolic Freedom today http://www.metabolicfreedombook.com ($997 Retail Value For FREE) 🔎 Find All Metabolic Freedom Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals
26 Dec 19min
#1196 Never Eat These 7 “Healthy” Foods Again: The Hidden Kidney Killers Raising Blood Pressure, Inflammation, and Stone Risk With Ben Azadi
In this episode of the Metabolic Freedom Podcast, Ben Azadi reveals the 7 everyday foods and drinks that silently damage your kidneys, even when they are marketed as “healthy.” Ben shares his personal story of feeling bloated, inflamed, and exhausted while unknowingly harming his kidneys, and explains why kidney damage often goes undetected until it becomes permanent. You’ll learn: Why green smoothies, almonds, and juice cleanses can increase kidney stone risk How diet sodas and sugar-free drinks accelerate kidney decline The hidden danger of phosphate additives in processed “health” foods Why dirty protein powders harm kidneys more than protein itself How excess sodium from packaged foods and restaurants damages kidney filters Safer food and drink swaps to protect kidney health The role oxalates, artificial sweeteners, and poor-quality salt play in kidney stress Practical steps to start protecting your kidneys today Ben also shares free and low-cost metabolic reset resources designed to reduce inflammation, burn fat, and support long-term kidney and metabolic health. This episode is a must-listen if you’ve had kidney stones, struggle with inflammation, or feel “off” despite eating clean. FREE GUIDE: Lose 10 Pounds in 7 Days - https://bit.ly/3MQkr3B 🔥CLICK For Your Complete 14 Day Fat Loss Plan (Reignite Your Body & Life) HERE - https://bit.ly/4pL2MJ5 Upgraded Formulas Potassium: https://upgradedformulas.com/BENAZADI Redmond’s Re-Lyte Electrolytes: https://ketokampsalt.com use code AZADI📚 🎁 Purchase Ben's new book Metabolic Freedom today: http://www.metabolicfreedombook.com ($997 Retail Value For FREE) 🔎 Find All Metabolic Freedom Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals
25 Dec 19min
#1195 7 “Healthy” Foods That Are Secretly Destroying Your Liver, Blocking Fat Loss, and Keeping Belly Fat Stuck With Ben Azadi
In this episode of the Metabolic Freedom Podcast, Ben Azadi exposes the 7 “healthy” foods and ingredients silently destroying your liver and blocking fat loss. Ben explains why the liver is the control center of metabolism and how common foods like oat milk, plant-based protein bars, whole wheat bread, seed oils, fructose, and alcohol inflame the liver, stall fat burning, and drive stubborn belly fat. You’ll learn: Why liver inflammation shuts down fat loss even with clean eating How fructose and seed oils overload liver detox pathways The gut–liver connection and how leaky gut worsens fatty liver Simple food swaps that immediately support liver healing Ben also shares a 7-step liver reset protocol, including fasting, walking after meals, protein intake, ditching seed oils, and prioritizing sleep, plus answers common questions about oat milk, fruit, cheat days, and fatty liver testing. The episode wraps with practical liver-healing foods, real success stories, and access to free and low-cost resources designed to jumpstart fat loss and restore metabolic health. FREE GUIDE: 5 Vegetables You Must Avoid To Lose Weight & Belly Fat - https://bit.ly/4qosAe1 Events: https://benazadi.com/events Olive Oil: https://Benazadi.com/oliveoil 🔥CLICK For Your Complete 14 Day Fat Loss Plan (Reignite Your Body & Life) HERE - https://bit.ly/4pL2MJ5 📚 🎁 Purchase Ben's new book Metabolic Freedom today: http://www.metabolicfreedombook.com ($997 Retail Value For FREE) 🔎 Find All Metabolic Freedom Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals
24 Dec 20min
#1194 Why Fasting Keeps Failing You and the Hidden Metabolic Mistakes Sabotaging Fat Loss, Energy, and Healing With Ben Azadi
Fasting is one of the most powerful tools for fat loss, healing, and longevity, but it fails for many people because their metabolism is not prepared. In this episode, Ben Azadi explains why fasting feels miserable or unsustainable for most people and reveals the hidden metabolic mistakes that sabotage results before a fast even begins. You’ll learn why being a sugar burner instead of a fat burner makes fasting feel like torture, how stress and poor sleep block fat burning, and why nighttime eating can completely ruin your fast the next day. Ben also breaks down how inflammation, toxins stored in fat cells, low protein intake, and an all-or-nothing approach to fasting lead to crashes, cravings, and failure. This episode covers: Why fasting fails when metabolic flexibility is low The role of insulin, cortisol, and inflammation in fasting success How stress, sleep, and nighttime eating impact fat burning Why toxins can make fasting feel worse instead of better How to properly prepare your body before fasting The 7 foundational steps to make fasting easier and effective How to know when your body is truly ready to fast If fasting has ever felt like failure or suffering, this episode explains why it was not your fault and how fixing the foundation can completely change your results. FREE GUIDE: Better Than Ozempic - https://bit.ly/3Y6YZtv 🔥CLICK For Your Complete 14 Day Fat Loss Plan (Reignite Your Body & Life) HERE - https://bit.ly/4pL2MJ5 📚 🎁 Purchase Ben's new book Metabolic Freedom today http://www.metabolicfreedombook.com ($997 Retail Value For FREE) 🔎 Find All Metabolic Freedom Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals
23 Dec 20min
#1193 Everything You Know About Weightlifting Is Wrong – The Shocking Science of Faster Muscle & Fat Loss with Dr. John Jaquish
What if everything you thought about muscle building, fat loss, and strength training was backwards? In this episode of the Metabolic Freedom Podcast, host Ben Azadi sits down with Dr. John Jaquish, biomedical engineer, inventor, and author of Weight Lifting Is a Waste of Time, for a deep-dive conversation that challenges traditional fitness dogma. Dr. Jaquish explains why conventional weightlifting, bulking, and endless cardio are inefficient, unnecessary, and often counter-productive for real body recomposition. He shares the science behind variable resistance training, how high protein intake drives metabolism, why low carbohydrate thresholds matter, and how your body can build muscle and burn fat simultaneously without joint destruction or outdated exercise myths. Whether you lift weights regularly or you’ve ever felt stuck in your progress, this episode will flip your assumptions about muscle, fat loss, and strength gains — and give you a new framework to achieve both lean muscle and metabolic freedom. Key Topics Covered • Why body recomposition is possible at all fitness levels • How variable resistance training (like X3) outperforms traditional lifting • Why high protein consumption accelerates fat loss • The science behind low carbohydrate thresholds for muscle glycogen • Myths about how much protein the body can absorb • Why calories are a flawed measure for muscle growth • Essential amino acids, creatine, peptides — what works and when • How short, high-intensity training minimizes joint wear • Why traditional cardio rarely drives body recomposition Books Mentioned 📘 Weight Lifting Is a Waste of Timeby Dr. John Jaquishhttps://www.amazon.com/Weight-Lifting-Waste-Time-Cardio/dp/154450893X Products and Programs Mentioned 👉 X3 BarVariable resistance training system designed for big muscle gains and fat loss:https://benazadi.com/x3 💸 Coupon code: SAVE50 — $50 off the X3 Bar system Watch the Full Interview on YouTube 📺 https://www.youtube.com/@BenAzadi Follow Ben Azadi 🌐 Website: https://www.benazadi.com📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thebenazadi📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/benazadi.coach💼 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benazadi🎵 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@benazadi 🔎 Find All Metabolic Freedom Sponsorship Deals https://www.ketokamp.com/sponsorship-deals
22 Dec 1h
