SuperLife with Darin Olien

• Catharine Arnston: The Power of Algae – The World's Most Nutrient-Dense Superfood

  In this powerhouse episode, Darin sits down with Catharine Arnston, founder and CEO of ENERGYbits, to explore one of the planet's oldest and most potent foods — algae. From spirulina's superoxide dismutase to chlorella's detoxifying chlorophyll, Catharine breaks down the science of why these tiny organisms hold the key to longevity, energy, detox, and cellular repair. This episode dives deep into the microbiology of health, uncovering how microalgae could solve both human nutrition and planetary sustainability — and why spirulina may truly be "the food of the future."     What You'll Learn in This Episode [00:00] Welcome and intro — algae near the ocean, Darin's long relationship with chlorella and spirulina [00:01:28] The origins of ENERGYbits and Catharine's passion for transparent, toxin-free sourcing [00:03:19] Why algae isn't just another supplement — it's a whole food category of its own [00:04:07] Nutrient density per calorie — the power of bioavailable vitamins, minerals, and proteins [00:05:02] Understanding macroalgae vs. microalgae — why spirulina and chlorella are the real heroes [00:06:15] Why growing algae in freshwater matters — avoiding ocean toxins and micro-contaminants [00:08:06] The global algae revolution — how sustainable "photo bioreactors" may feed the planet [00:10:30] Quality control in algae production — how ENERGYbits preserves nutrient integrity [00:11:18] Spirulina as offense and chlorella as defense — the ultimate nutrition playbook [00:12:58] Why spirulina fuels performance and chlorella drives recovery [00:13:43] Why "food first" is the future of health — and how over-supplementation misses the mark [00:14:25] Algae's 99% absorption rate vs. supplements' 5–10% — the "orchestra" analogy [00:15:06] Phycocyanin — the blue pigment powerhouse behind spirulina's antioxidant strength [00:17:14] Real food vs. isolates — why nature's nutrient matrix always wins [00:18:18] The UN's endorsement: why spirulina could solve world hunger [00:19:13] Bioavailable plant protein — 64% complete protein by weight [00:21:14] How algae creates and saves energy — digestion efficiency and cellular fuel [00:22:02] The chlorophyll connection — nature's blood builder and detoxifier [00:23:32] Why chlorella is a daily detox essential — heavy metals, toxins, and PM2.5 [00:24:43] Chlorella as your daily "internal shower" — detoxing in a toxic world [00:26:59] The antioxidant that saves your mitochondria — superoxide dismutase (SOD) [00:28:32] How SOD prevents inflammation, disease, and aging — and why we lose it after 40 [00:30:46] Why spirulina is nature's richest source of active SOD [00:32:29] Preserving enzymes — why low-temperature processing is everything [00:33:53] Algae's healing power — stories from Hippocrates and Gerson Institutes [00:35:01] The missing human operating manual — how to truly fuel your cells [00:36:07] The symptom isn't the problem — it's the signal your body's sending [00:37:12] Catharine's origin story — how her sister's breast cancer changed her life forever [00:38:32] Discovering alkalinity — Otto Warburg's cancer research and pH balance [00:40:28] The goldfish analogy — why your body's environment determines your health [00:41:32] How feeding fish algae solved oceanic "dead zones" — the alkalinity connection [00:42:22] Disease as slow imbalance — how poor food slowly drains vitality [00:43:06] Why cellular energy equals cellular wealth — mitochondria as your body's power grid [00:44:36] How chronic disease spirals begin — free radicals, mitochondria, and collapse [00:46:11] The alkaline rescue — how algae restores blood charge and vitality [00:48:23] Real food as communication — how nutrients talk to your cells [00:49:25] The mitochondria-light analogy — why spirulina "turns the lights back on" [00:50:51] Mitochondrial health and mental health — the "Brain Energy" connection [00:52:14] Aging naturally vs. declining unnecessarily — how nutrient density extends life [00:52:58] Spirulina puts nutrients in, chlorella pulls toxins out — the perfect pair [00:53:18] Catharine's 15-year algae experiment — her personal health story [00:54:22] Building ENERGYbits from scratch — Shark Tank, $50k, and unstoppable grit [00:55:07] The "Mother Nature" philosophy — how simplicity and consistency heal [00:56:13] Living in alignment — yoga, sleep, sunlight, and algae as core habits [00:57:09] Listening to intuition — following the whisper of your soul, not the ego's noise [00:59:23] The feather touch of purpose — when you follow your calling, life unfolds [01:00:36] Hitting rock bottom to rise higher — the unseen power of persistence [01:02:22] When helping others heals yourself — Catharine's message of divine reciprocity [01:03:00] Closing reflections — Mother Nature as the ultimate mentor   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Pique Tea: Go to www.piquelife.com/darin to get 20% off all products for life and a free starter kit. Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order.     Join the SuperLife Patreon: This is where Darin now shares the deeper work: - weekly voice notes - ingredient trackers - wellness challenges - extended conversations - community accountability - sovereignty practices Join now for only  $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien     Connect with Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com     Find More From Catharine Arnston: Buy Algae at Energy Bits: energybits.com Instagram: @catharinearnston Website catharinearnston.com     Key Takeaway "You didn't get sick overnight — and you won't heal overnight. But you can. The recipe is simple: give your body the ingredients Mother Nature designed — sunlight, sleep, breath, movement, and algae. Algae isn't a supplement. It's food. It's your body's operator manual in disguise."  

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• Wellness Trends: Longevity, Sleep, Diets, and Morning Routines

  In this solo episode, Darin takes a grounded and research-backed look at some of the most popular wellness trends circulating today — from creatine and cold plunging to plant-based eating, morning routines, healthspan vs. lifespan, and what it actually means to build long-term vitality. Instead of hype, Darin focuses on common sense, context, and listening to your body. This one is all about clarity, discernment, and sovereignty over your wellness path.     What You'll Learn 00:00 — Welcome to SuperLife + intention of the show 00:32 — Sponsor: Mana Vitality + why real minerals matter 02:23 — Darin's shift away from social media + why he built the Patreon community 03:35 — The purpose of this episode: not to preach, but to provoke reflection 04:07 — Why creatine is more than a gym supplement 05:50 — Creatine's cellular energy role (ATP regeneration explained simply) 07:45 — Creatine for brain performance + neuroprotective support 09:09 — Who benefits most: athletes, women, older adults 10:55 — Safe dosing, cycling, hydration, and kidney myth clarification 12:22 — Longevity vs. healthspan — and why we should care more about how we live 15:50 — The research behind lifestyle, mortality, and meaningful aging 17:50 — Your set point is not your potential: feeling "fine" is not the goal 19:10 — Community, joy, purpose, emotional expression & biological longevity 20:04 — "Good genes are nice — but joy is better." 21:01 — Sleep is not hackable — it's rhythm-based physiology 22:07 — Light exposure, circadian biology, temperature, and nighttime stimulation 23:11 — Darin's grounding nightly wind-down routine 24:07 — Patreon invitation: deeper conversations + decentralized wellness community 25:13 — The carnivore diet — what the science says and what it doesn't 26:01 — Why eliminating plants is metabolically expensive and microbiome-damaging 27:12 — The Blue Zones don't eat like carnivores — and that matters 28:05 — You can get all essential amino acids from plants 29:43 — Cold exposure benefits, risks, timing, and overstimulation 31:57 — Why cold plunging after workouts may reduce gains 33:20 — Dose, duration, nervous system load — "more" is not better 33:44 — Morning routines as spiritual alignment practice, not productivity trend 35:12 — The deeper gift of sitting with yourself 35:39 — Closing: health is common-sense discipline + inner listening     Thank You to Our Sponsors: Our Place: Toxic-free, durable cookware that supports healthy cooking. Use code DARIN for 10% off at fromourplace.com. Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order.     Join the SuperLife Patreon: This is where Darin now shares the deeper work: - weekly voice notes - ingredient trackers - wellness challenges - extended conversations - community accountability - sovereignty practices Join now for only $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien     Connect with Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com     Key Takeaway "Good genes are nice — but joy is better. Your lifestyle, your community, your purpose, your sleep, your alignment — these shape your healthspan more than anything else."

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• Halloween Special: Facing the Ghosts Within – Transforming Trauma into Healing

  This Halloween, Darin turns the spotlight from ghosts and goblins to the real ones that haunt us — the memories, wounds, and traumas stored deep within our bodies and minds. In this cinematic special, he revisits some of the most powerful guests from past SuperLife episodes — Lori Woodley, Kyle Nicolaides, Dr. Aimee Apigian, Jules Schroeder, Maya Raichoora, Dr. Max Butterfield, Dr. Jess Stavale, Dani Fontaine, and Josh Macin — weaving together a spellbinding journey through emotional alchemy, mind-body science, and spiritual restoration. From the fascia to the endocannabinoid system, from visualization to detoxification, Darin explores how healing trauma is not about running from darkness but transmuting it into light. This episode is a hauntingly beautiful reminder that acknowledging our pain can become the path to our deepest purpose.     What You'll Learn in This Episode [00:00] Welcome to SuperLife — igniting possibilities for a better, sovereign world [00:00:32] Sponsor: EnergyBits — the most concentrated whole-food nutrition on Earth [00:01:51] Happy Halloween — Darin introduces the real "ghosts" we carry within us [00:02:11] What trauma really is and why it's stored in the body, not just the mind [00:03:29] The science behind stored trauma — how fascia, endocannabinoids, and cells hold the score [00:04:14] Why facing trauma is the path to freedom — transmuting pain into purpose [00:04:50] Revisiting powerful past guests with new insight and wisdom [00:05:09] The integration principle — why real healing must unite mind, body, and biology [00:05:36] Practical techniques you can use today: breathwork, somatic release, visualization [00:05:58] How art and creativity can release stored trauma and regulate emotions [00:06:35] Facing our ghosts: turning pain into our most heroic journey [00:07:04] Guest highlight – Lori Woodley: "Crossing Backwards" and breaking free from autopilot [00:08:24] The exercise that reveals how easily we live on autopilot — and how to disrupt it [00:09:30] Two steps forward: how small, conscious actions shift your entire life [00:11:29] Learning to ask for what you truly need — the root of emotional intelligence [00:12:51] Guest highlight – Kyle Nicolaides: Finding purpose through depression [00:13:12] Depression as initiation — the "dead decade" that led to divine reconnection [00:16:01] Realizing depression isn't the enemy — it's a sacred messenger [00:17:05] The power of reframing suffering as wisdom waiting to be revealed [00:17:30] Guest highlight – Dr. Aimee Apigian: Trauma, biology, and building inner safety [00:18:10] The three layers of trauma repair: mind, body, and biology [00:19:30] Taking responsibility for your healing — no one can regulate you but you [00:20:21] Trauma bonds and projections — how unhealed pain shapes relationships [00:21:15] Guest highlight – Jules Schroeder: Start with the breath [00:21:44] The "Perfect Breath" — 4 seconds in, 6 seconds out through the nose [00:22:27] How 7.5 hours of mindful breathing can reprogram your nervous system [00:23:36] Removing stress before adding more — foundational calm before growth [00:24:07] Sponsor: Our Place Cookware — eliminating toxins from your kitchen [00:27:00] Guest highlight – Maya Raichoora: Visualization as a rewiring tool for trauma [00:27:54] Five visualization techniques: outcome, process, creative, negative, explorative [00:29:18] The neuroscience of imagery — how your body reacts to imagined experience [00:31:38] Lemon exercise — proving your mind and body are one [00:33:13] Using visualization for emotional resilience, performance, and healing [00:34:33] Explorative visualization — channeling creativity like Einstein or Disney [00:35:41] Guest highlight – Dr. Max Butterfield: Emotional regulation and relationships [00:36:10] The Gottman principles — why contempt destroys relationships [00:37:15] Why emotional regulation matters more than compatibility [00:38:02] The modern self-regulation crisis — how disconnection fuels chaos [00:39:01] Guest highlight – Dr. Jess Stavale: Fascia — the body's emotional network [00:39:55] How fascia stores trauma and connects all bodily systems [00:40:45] The fascia as a quantum interface between body and emotion [00:41:33] How to integrate physical and emotional therapy for release [00:43:12] Patreon segment — building sovereignty and community through conscious living [00:44:21] Guest highlight – Dani Fontaine: The endocannabinoid system explained [00:44:45] The ECS as the body's "master balance system" — how it keeps all others aligned [00:45:31] Understanding energy, vibration, and homeostasis [00:46:43] Why overstimulation blocks healing and how to recalibrate [00:47:25] Sound, light, and frequency as inputs for cellular communication [00:48:16] Guest highlight – Josh Macin: Parasites, detox, and terrain theory [00:49:00] The biological link between toxicity, trauma, and emotion [00:50:12] How acidity and chemicals create disease and disconnect [00:52:17] Parasites and the metaphysical mirror — cleansing darkness from within [00:54:27] Annual detox protocols — why cleansing is essential for clarity [00:55:36] Closing reflections — integrating body, mind, and spirit for full release [00:57:20] Darin's final message: healing is sacred, not spooky — the path back to your SuperLife     Thank You to Our Sponsors: Our Place: Toxic-free, durable cookware that supports healthy cooking. Use code DARIN for 10% off at fromourplace.com. EnergyBits: Get 20% off your entire order by going to https://energybits.com/ and using code DARIN at checkout.   SuperLife Patreon Join the SuperLife Patreon: deeper conversations, extended interviews, wellness challenges, and community connection. https://patreon.com/darinolien/     Connect with Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com     Key Takeaway "Acknowledging the ghosts within isn't a horror story — it's a homecoming. Trauma isn't here to punish you, it's here to teach you. When you meet it with breath, awareness, and compassion, you stop running from the dark and begin to walk in your light."

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• Plant Protein, Part 2: The Truth About Where Your Protein Comes From

  In this follow-up to his deep dive on protein, Darin exposes the other side of the protein story: where your food comes from, what's really in it, and how the system itself affects your health, the planet, and the animals. From factory farm contamination to antibiotic resistance, industry lobbying, and why plants still win on every level — Darin breaks down the research, ethics, and environmental data so you can make conscious choices that fuel a truly SuperLife.     What You'll Learn [00:00] Welcome + sponsor message: plastic waste, conscious products, and Bite Toothpaste [02:47] Introduction — the real protein conversation continues [03:00] The source of your food matters more than macros [03:10] Contamination, ethics, and the reality of factory farming [03:30] Stewardship vs. dominion — a call for responsibility [04:01] EPA data: confined animal operations and environmental chaos [05:00] Foodborne illness: salmonella, E. coli, and what contamination really means [05:57] Antibiotics, resistance, and hormones in animal agriculture [06:42] Persistent pollutants (PFOAs) showing up in food and milk [07:10] How animal feed (soy and corn) drives ecological damage [07:57] USDA marketing boards + industry lobbying against plant alternatives [08:38] Darin's 17 years vegan — data and lived experience [09:00] The numbers: amino acids, LDL, fat swaps, and longevity [09:47] Common plant-based protein myths answered [12:59] Patreon message — upgrade your operating system and join the tribe [14:03] The cancer connection: processed and red meat research [14:47] Iron, B12, and what vegans actually need to know [15:37] Soy, testosterone, and thyroid myths debunked [16:08] Protein quality: why mixing plant foods covers all bases [16:31] Feeling better on moderate meat? Understanding the trade-offs [17:18] Substitution data: even small swaps improve health outcomes [17:57] Processed vs. ultra-processed: why Beyond Meat isn't the enemy [18:09] Environmental impact: why beef's footprint dwarfs plant protein [19:05] Food miles myth — what you eat matters more than distance [19:29] Cost and accessibility: the cheapest protein sources are plants [20:08] Contamination and antibiotic resistance rising annually [21:03] Anti-nutrients and the myth of plant dangers [21:47] Real-world evidence: fiber, polyphenols, and legume-based longevity [22:00] Final recap — all essential amino acids come from plants [22:17] Strongest evidence: plant protein wins ethically, environmentally, and scientifically     Thank You to Our Sponsors: SuperLife Patreon: Go towww.patreon.com/DarinOlien and sign up to start changing your life today Bite Toothpaste: Go to trybite.com/DARIN20 or use code DARIN20 for 20% off your first order.     Connect with Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com     Key Takeaway "All plants contain all essential amino acids. The more you swap red meat for plants, the longer, stronger, and cleaner your life becomes."  

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• Dani Fontaine: The Secret System in Your Body That Controls Everything (ECS Explained)

  In this mind-expanding episode, Darin sits down with Dani Fontaine — researcher, practitioner, and expert on the human body's forgotten communication system: the endocannabinoid system. They unravel how this network regulates everything from mood and sleep to pain and consciousness — and why it was deliberately scrubbed from mainstream medical education. Dani reveals how cannabinoids, light, sound, and nature all communicate with our body's receptor fields — shaping the way we feel, heal, and perceive the world. Together they explore the profound spiritual and scientific implications of this hidden system, and how it connects us back to balance, nature, and truth.     What You'll Learn 00:00:00 - Welcome to the SuperLife Podcast 00:00:32 - Sponsor: Energy Bits 00:01:52 - Introducing Guest Danny Fontaine: Cannabis Pioneer and Plant Medicine Healer 00:04:54 - Deep Dive: What is the Endocannabinoid System (ECS)? 00:06:30 - ECS: The Homeostasis and Retrograde Signaling System 00:09:20 - ECS as a Receptive System for Subtle Energies and Environment 00:10:23 - Endocannabinoid System Toning (X-Tone) 00:12:58 - When the ECS Gets Worn and Depleted 00:16:34 - ECS Receptors on Every Cell, Fascia, and Neural Makeup 00:19:14 - How the ECS Breaks Down: The Impact of False Light 00:22:11 - The ECS and Non-Photon Rich Food 00:23:40 - Modulating the ECS Through the Six Senses (Touch and Breath) 00:24:38 - Mitochondria and ECS Receptors (MTK, CB1) 00:25:14 - Endogenous ECS and the Need for Proper Nutrients 00:27:11 - Cannabis as our Phyto Twin: The Plant Factor 00:27:57 - THC and the Suppression of Anandamide (Bliss Molecule) 00:31:44 - Sponsor: Fatty 15 00:35:25 - The Vast Amount of ECS Research & Medical Suppression 00:38:27 - Cannabinoids, Pain, and Individual Assessment 00:40:29 - Modulating ECS with Nature: Terpenes like Pinene 00:42:51 - Olfactory System as the Most Sophisticated Input 00:47:03 - ECS as the "Microscope Moment" for Health 00:48:23 - Pinene, CB1, and TRP Receptors in Pain Management 00:50:39 - The ECS, Collagen, and Hyaluronic Acid Fluctuation 00:51:44 - Working with the ECS for Faster Results (Cancer and Genetic Mutations) 00:55:06 - Sponsor: SuperLife Patreon 00:56:39 - Measuring the ECS with Bio-Field Technology 00:57:29 - The Danger of THC Stacking and Immunosuppression 00:59:30 - Overwhelmed Cells and Fake Inputs 01:00:12 - Hemp as a Homeostasis Plant for the Planet (Soil Remediation/Carbon) 01:02:06 - ECS Strength in Animals vs. Humans 01:04:08 - Why Cannabis and Hemp Were Suppressed 01:07:07 - The Historical Use of Cannabis in Medicine 01:08:12 - Hemp's Nutritional Profile (Amino Acids and Omegas) 01:09:37 - Ayahuasca, Receptor Overexpression, and Looping 01:13:33 - Importance of ECS Knowledge and Application 01:14:58 - Exercise, Anandamide, and ECS Toning 01:15:22 - Cold Plunge and Shocking the ECS and Hormones 01:17:16 - Takeaways: Light, Movement, Sound, and Breath 01:21:41 - ECS: The Main Signaling and Communication System 01:23:28 - Final Thoughts: ECS as the Conduit to Self and Spirit     Thank You to Our Sponsors: Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/DARIN and using code DARIN at checkout. EnergyBits: Get 20% off your entire order by going to https://energybits.com/ and using code DARIN at checkout.     Find More from Dani Fontaine Instagram: @danifontaine Website: danifontaine.com Products: Try Dani's Nature Root     Connect with Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com     Key Takeaway "Your endocannabinoid system isn't just a biology lesson — it's a bridge between your body and the universe. When you feed it light, breath, and truth, you remember what balance actually feels like."

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