The EMPWR Podcast

I was diagnosed with ADHD at seven years old. I was put on medication and stayed on it for over twenty years. I changed medications more times than I can count, for ADHD, for anxiety, for depression, and I never really felt like I knew who I was without them. When I finally came off everything in my early 30s, I started building structure and discipline through fitness, nutrition, breathwork, and routine, and it changed my life. But there was always something underneath that I couldn't reach. So I let a brain specialist put a cap on my head and map my brain. What she found confirmed things I'd felt my entire life, and explained things I never understood.

Angie is the founder of Brain Code Centers and a neurofeedback specialist who has helped thousands of people rewire their brains without medication. She fractured her skull and suffered a traumatic brain injury in college, was told she might never go back to school, learned to walk again, and went on to get her master's in clinical mental health. In this episode she maps my brain live, maps Ian's brain, explains why 80% of people diagnosed with ADHD don't actually show the neurological pattern for it, breaks down what anxiety, depression, and trauma actually look like in brain waves, and tells me the one thing I've been missing in my entire wellness routine: a hardware reset for my brain.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Trailer/Intro

1:30 - What is neurofeedback and brain mapping

3:00 - How neurofeedback is different from therapy and counseling

5:30 - Angie's story: fractured skull, TBI, and learning to walk again

7:00 - What the brain is capable of: transformation and healing

8:00 - What conditions neurofeedback treats: anxiety, depression, OCD, ADHD

8:30 - ADHD in kids: the youngest she's ever worked with

9:30 - Why people are skeptical (and how a 10-question questionnaire gets you medication)

11:00 - How the brain map session works: in-person vs remote

16:00 - What happens during a brain map: eyes open, eyes closed, done

17:00 - How women's cycles affect brain wave patterns

18:00 - Brain markers for anxiety and depression: what she actually sees

18:30 - "80% of people with ADHD show no neurological pattern for it"

19:30 - How long neurofeedback takes and when you start noticing changes

21:00 - How it actually rewires your brain: operant conditioning explained

23:30 - Who is neurofeedback for (even if you feel fine)

24:30 - Brain health and longevity: Alzheimer's, dementia, and why plasticity matters

30:00 - My brain map results: the classic ADD pattern she found immediately

31:00 - What the ADD pattern means: theta waves, processing speed, and routine

34:00 - Sleep patterns, brain injury correlations, and sleep apnea

35:00 - Ian's brain map: hypervigilance and the Navy SEAL pattern

36:00 - My emotional brain vs. Ian's emotional shutdown: what she saw in both of us

37:00 - Why we choose the partners we choose, based on brain patterns

38:00 - How ADD fuels creativity but kills execution (and why I get paralyzed)

40:00 - I was on ADHD medication from age 7 to 31. Here's what it was really like.

41:00 - "If we have a hardware issue, a software update isn't going to cut it"

42:00 - Is neurofeedback permanent? Do you need maintenance sessions?

47:00 - Ian's brain: military, first responders, and PTSD patterns

49:00 - How Ian copes: working out as his outlet

50:00 - The question she's never been asked: empathy for addiction

51:00 - Addiction is an OCD pattern: why addicts are always addicted to something

52:00 - Can you see narcissism on a brain map? Born vs. made

54:00 - The transformation story: from unable to fly to boarding a plane to China

56:00 - Your brain is capable of change. You are not your diagnosis.

57:00 - What living with ADD has taught me about myself

58:00 - What empowerment means to Angie

59:00 - Where to find Brain Code Centers and how to start

Follow Angie / Brain Code Centers:

Instagram: @braincode.centers Website: https://braincodecenters.com Free consultations available - DM them on Instagram or visit the website.

Thank you to our sponsors:

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ELEVATE App by Sam | free 7 day trial: https://www.elevatebysam.com/

My Macro Guide: https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides

Running Programs: https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_ YouTube: @samantha_christine

#adhd #adhdwomen #adhdmedication #neurofeedback #brainmapping #brainhealth #brainwaves #mentalhealth #anxietyrelief #depression #adhddiagnosis #adhdinwomen #adhdawareness #adhdmom #braintraining #neuroplasticity #rewireyourbrain #ptsd #traumahealing #mentalhealthawareness #braincodenters #empwrpodcast #wellnesspodcast
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We talk red flags, exes, and why you should never settle for less! I sat down with Ian three days after his vasectomy reversal to answer the questions you've been sending in. This Q&A covers dating red flags, the non-negotiables I refused to break, co-parenting with our exes, blended family life, and what it actually takes to rebuild after divorce.

Three years ago we both said we didn't want a relationship. I also said I'd never date a military man. This is the honest version of how that turned out, plus the questions I get asked most: how you know when you've found your person, why you should never settle, when to walk away from red flags in the talking stage, and what I'd tell myself before any of it happened. We also get into the reversal itself, including why he got a vasectomy after his divorce, how we made the decision together, and the odds nobody tells you about.

Timestamps:

0:00 - The questions you sent in

1:40 - Three days post-op (and why he can't work out for a month)

5:00 - Three years ago we said we didn't want a relationship

5:24 - The conversation in Destin that changed everything

6:20 - Why both our shields were up

7:04 - What we're covering today

7:16 - Why Ian got a vasectomy after his divorce

8:06 - How we knew we were ready to try for a baby

9:47 - Getting help at home, and why we stopped feeling guilty

11:02 - How Ian feels about the house manager situation

14:57 - How soon we're trying (and the wedding day timing)

15:18 - Finding a specialist and what the reversal involved

16:13 - The odds nobody tells you about

17:29 - Do we want one baby or more?

17:35 - How the kids reacted

18:29 - What my last relationship taught me about what I needed

20:11 - What I had to fix in myself first

21:04 - How we handle disrespect: call it out, talk it out

22:10 - Has the spark faded? An honest answer

23:49 - Never stop dating each other

29:17 - Do we talk to each other's exes?

29:51 - Where our co-parenting relationships stand now

32:01 - Making sure every child feels equally loved

33:22 - Being a step-parent without replacing anyone

33:53 - The day she started calling me mom

35:32 - Do we discipline each other's kids the same way?

36:00 - Will a new baby make the kids feel left out?

37:26 - Building our own traditions around theirs

41:32 - How do you know when you've found your person?

41:49 - Advice for anyone dating in their 20s and 30s

43:15 - My top 10 non-negotiables (and the one I broke)

43:40 - Should you make the first move?

44:53 - The red flags to walk away from

45:04 - What we're most excited about

45:53 - Wedding update

46:27 - What we'd tell ourselves before the divorces

47:10 - The person who brings out your worst self

47:40 - Stand firm in your values

Thank you to our sponsors:

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within 14 days at ⁠https://cash.app/⁠ with code: FAMILY10

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Sam's LINKS:

ELEVATE App by Sam | free 7 day trial: ⁠https://www.elevatebysam.com/⁠

My Macro Guide: ⁠https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition⁠

Running Programs: ⁠https://samanthachristine.co/running-programs⁠

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_

YouTube: @samantha_christine

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How to actually understand what's happening inside your body, with Robby Wade, founder of Rythm Health. We cover the blood markers every woman should track, why your doctor's annual panel isn't enough, and the at-home test that takes less than five minutes from your bed.

Robby built Rythm Health after growing up watching his dad filter his own blood from a dialysis machine in their living room. He was afraid of needles, trained for Ironman, and realized that most people have no idea how to read or use their own blood work. We get into all of it: why only 12% of Americans are actually health literate, the iron deficiency chain reaction that's silently wrecking women's thyroid and hormones, what ApoB actually is and why it matters more than your LDL number, how cholesterol spikes in winter and could get you put on a statin you don't need, why 80% of your testosterone is made during sleep, the biomarkers he personally tracks for training and recovery, how estrogen loss in menopause triggers weight gain your body can't explain, and why your blood work is the only thing that doesn't lie about how you're really doing. I also tested my own blood live on camera.

Timestamps:

0:00 - Why blood work is the most powerful health tool nobody's using

1:30 - Robby's story: growing up with a dialysis machine in the living room

3:30 - How Rythm Health was born from Ironman training and an API discovery

4:00 - The biomarkers that changed everything for his own performance

5:00 - Iron deficiency in women: why your cycle is working against you

6:30 - 80% of your testosterone is made in your sleep

7:30 - Why blood work makes everything real (and why we overestimate everything)

8:00 - How Rythm works: live demo on camera

9:30 - "Learn yourself" — why only 12% of Americans are health literate

10:30 - How to use monthly testing without it feeling overwhelming

12:00 - The supplement trap: why most people waste money on the wrong ones

14:00 - How to actually know if your iron supplement is working

16:30 - Capillary vs. vein: is at-home testing as accurate as the lab?

18:00 - The most important biomarkers for women specifically

20:00 - Cholesterol explained: the truck and highway analogy

22:00 - ApoB: why this one marker matters more than your total LDL

25:00 - Why your cholesterol is higher in winter (and how that leads to unnecessary statins)

27:00 - Female biomarkers: hormones, thyroid, and the ecosystem between them

28:00 - New markers coming: B12, hemoglobin, fructosamine, uric acid

31:00 - MTHFR gene and why some women can't absorb B vitamins properly

33:00 - Why genetics are a compass, not a diagnosis

36:00 - Supplements: how to actually test what's working for YOUR body

38:00 - Diets don't work the same for everyone (and blood work proves it)

42:00 - Thyroid, metabolism, and why you can't lose weight no matter what you do

45:00 - Estrogen, menopause, and why your body puts on fat to survive

48:00 - Hormones throughout your cycle: why one test per year isn't enough

52:00 - Cortisol, stress, and what's actually happening to your body under pressure

55:00 - Real stories: the woman whose iron was dangerously low and her doctor missed it

58:00 - The man who was close to a stroke and found out through Rythm

1:00:00 - Why people are afraid of blood work (and how to get past it)

1:02:00 - Where to find Rythm Health and how to get started

1:02:48 - What empowerment means to Robby

Follow Robby / Rythm Health:

Instagram: @rythmhealthlab

Website: https://rythmhealth.com/

Get your own Rythm Health kit using Sam's link for an exclusive discount: Rythm Health

Thank you to our sponsors:

iRestore Face Mask: A cordless red light therapy face mask with 360 medical-grade LEDs and three wavelengths to target fine lines, pigmentation, blemishes, and pores. Just 10 minutes a few times a week. Use code: SAMCFIT at checkout for a discount: https://www.irestorelaser.com/

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Just Thrive Probiotic: A spore-based probiotic designed to survive stomach acid and reach the gut alive. Get a FREE 90-day supply of Digestive Bitters ($90 value) with your first 90-day probiotic subscription at https://justthrivehealth.com/SAMCFIT

Sam's LINKS:

ELEVATE App by Sam | free 7 day trial: https://www.elevatebysam.com/

My Macro Guide: https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides

Running Programs: https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_

YouTube: @samantha_christine

#bloodwork #bloodtest #biomarkers #athomebloodtest #femalehealth #womenshealth #irondeficiency #thyroidhealth #hormonehealth #cholesterol #apob #vitaminD #B12 #healthliteracy #empwrpodcast #wellnesspodcast #metabolichealth #perimenopause #menopause #holistichealth #fitnessjourney #womenover30 #labresults #knowyournumbers

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He grew up on ketchup sandwiches in a town with no stoplights, survived abuse, and nearly lost his mom to an overdose at 16. Now at 31, Matt Johnson has 1 million followers, has run across Texas twice, just finished his third Ironman, and is preparing to do seven full-distance triathlons in seven days to raise $300K for veterans. He looks like the fittest person you've ever seen, and he's one of the few willing to show you what's actually going on underneath. In this episode, Matt exposes the hypocrisy most of the fitness industry won't talk about: people chasing aesthetics while their blood work is screaming. Sky-high blood pressure, elevated heart and liver markers, chest pain after a warm-up jog, all happening inside a body that looks perfect on the outside. Blood work doesn't care how you look. It tells the truth when the mirror won't. This conversation covers everything from rock bottom to his biggest mission yet.

Timestamps:

0:00 - The health scare nobody saw coming

2:00 - How Matt accidentally became a content creator

4:00 - Coaching Jelly Roll & the Nelk Boys

6:00 - Growing up in extreme poverty in small-town Iowa

7:00 - Ketchup sandwiches & his mom working two jobs

8:45 - The abuse, being locked in a room for 10 hours

9:00 - His mom's overdose at 16 & needing to escape

11:00 - Hitting 1 million followers & buying his mom a car

12:30 - Transitioning out of the military & finding fitness

15:00 - His brother's tragedy & discovering David Goggins

17:00 - "We have the same story" — the book that changed everything

20:30 - Military discipline applied to fitness

24:00 - The marathon that changed his life & the coach who believed in him

26:00 - Maxing out a credit card to chase a dream: "I'll either die with this debt or figure it out"

27:30 - His mom giving him her only credit card with $10K

28:30 - First Ironman on a $1,000 bike from Mexico

30:00 - Eating 8,000 calories a day & 1,100 carbs on the bike

36:00 - Ironman vs. ultra training: which is harder?

37:00 - Running 150 miles a week to train for Texas

38:00 - The hardest part of triathlon training nobody talks about

42:00 - Project 7: seven triathlons in seven days for veterans

44:00 - "Any fit person can run 100 miles" — and how he proved it

48:00 - How he actually trains: only lifting once a week

55:00 - The health crisis: sky-high blood pressure, heart markers, & chest pain

58:00 - "A lot of influencers are unhealthy as shit and don't share that"

1:02:00 - Going sober by accident & why he's staying sober

1:06:00 - Starting counseling & why men don't talk about it

1:07:30 - Growing up a pathological liar & choosing radical honesty

1:10:00 - "I just never thought I couldn't" — the mindset behind it all

1:12:00 - Building a legacy for kids he doesn't have yet

1:14:00 - "What a blessing it is to suffer for other people"

1:16:30 - What empowerment means to Matt right now

Thank you to our sponsors:

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Sam's LINKS:

ELEVATE App by Sam | free 7 day trial: ⁠⁠https://www.elevatebysam.com/⁠

My Macro Guide: ⁠⁠⁠https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides⁠

Running Programs: ⁠⁠https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides⁠

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_

YouTube: @samantha_christine

Follow Matt:

Insta: @mattjohnson__

YouTube: Matt Johnson

#empwrpodcast #mattjohnson #bloodwork #fakefitness #fitbutunhealthy #fitnessindustry #fitnesshypocrisy #warningsigns #ironmantraining #ironmantriathlon #ultrarunning #runningtexas #enduranceathlete #overtraining #bloodworkresults #healthyvsfit #aestheticsvshealth #bodyaesthetics #davidgoggins #sobriety #soberlife #mentalhealth #mensmentalhealth #counseling #transparencymatters #militarytocivilian #veteranscharity #fitnessmotivation #fitnessjourney #womenover30 #wellnesspodcast #healthpodcast #podcast #realconversations #disciplineovermotivation #healthandfitness
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Dr. Cameron Chesnut is one of the most sought-after facial plastic surgeons in the world, and honestly, this is the episode I've been waiting eight months to record. He operates on ONE patient a day, says no to about 80% of the people who reach out to him, and looks at every single procedure as a metabolic event. We get into all of it: what he actually thinks about Botox (his answer surprised me!), why filler is basically a semi-permanent implant, the study where lip filler had migrated to the base of the nose in 49 out of 50 patients, why he refuses opioids and benzos in his OR, and the two "unsexy" things he says matter more than any treatment you could buy. I also asked him about my own Botox, my lip filler that migrated, and what I should be doing before my wedding in September. Plus a rapid fire round at the end that I did not expect to end on creatine.

Timestamps:

[1:32] - His mom the dietitian who was 40 years ahead of everyone

[4:37] - The red flags he saw in training

[7:39] - How little nutrition med school actually teaches (about 12 hours)

[10:19] - Why recovery deserves as much attention as the surgery itself

[12:24] - Pre-hab: how he lowers your inflammatory load before you ever arrive

[13:01] - The photo screening process (he says no to about 80%)

[14:48] - "I want a brow lift" - why the answer is usually something else

[17:48] - If you're in your 30s or 40s thinking about eyelid surgery, pause

[18:47] - Transformation vs. rejuvenation (this reframed everything for me)

[20:01] - "When I look in the mirror, I don't look how I feel"

[22:27] - The starter pack for your 20s and 30s

[23:34] - The non-negotiables: sleep, blood sugar, and his CGM

[26:09] - Microneedling and lasers: collagen vs. elastin

[28:01] - When a device promises you a facelift, run!

[30:26] - The biases that push people toward the wrong treatment

[32:12] - Botox: is it as toxic as people say? What it actually does

[34:00] - Facial expression as human communication (and how babies read your face)

[36:14] - When he DOES use Botox

[38:32] - My own Botox history and wanting to stretch my sessions

[39:47] - Do the patches and at-home rollers actually work?

[42:01] - Filler is a semi-permanent implant, not a temporary one

[43:02] - Migration, encapsulation, and the 20-year-old filler he removed

[45:24] - The study: filler at the base of the nose in 49 of 50 patients

[46:46] - PRF and PRP: the more natural route

[48:40] - Dark circles and what's actually causing them

[50:54] - Sculptra and biostimulators through a surgeon's eyes

[54:38] - Switching gears: does diet change how you age?

[55:38] - His anesthesia protocol: no opioids, no benzodiazepines

[58:16] - Why good sleep beats hyperbaric and red light combined

[1:02:16] - Does a collagen supplement actually do anything?

[1:03:18] - Red light therapy and my surgery on Friday

[1:05:08] - Stem cells and fat transfer explained

[1:10:10] - Before and afters, and why celebrities get such a bad rap

[1:13:05] - Social media, beauty trends, and buccal fat

[1:14:58] - RAPID FIRE

[1:17:44] - Why he's had female patients on creatine for 12 years

[1:19:17] - What does empowerment mean to you?

[1:20:52] - Where to find Dr. Chesnut and how to start the process

Follow Dr. Cameron Chesnut:

Instagram: @chesnut.md

Clinic 5C: https://clinic5c.com/

Thank you to our sponsors:

Jones Road Beauty: Get a FREE full-size mascara with your first purchase at https://jonesroadbeauty.com/ with code: EMPWR

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Remi Night Guards: Get up to 50% off custom-made night guards at https://www.remiclub.com/ with code: SAMCFIT

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Lola Blankets: Get 40% off select products at https://lolablankets.com/ with code: SAMCFIT

Sam's LINKS:

ELEVATE App by Sam | free 7 day trial: https://www.elevatebysam.com/

My Macro Guide: https://samanthachristine.co/nutrition-guides/

Running Programs: https://samanthachristine.co/running-guides/

Follow Sam:

Insta: @samcfit_

YouTube: @samantha_christine

#facialplasticsurgery #antiaging #botox #filler #fillermigration #sculptra #microneedling #skincare #collagen #regenerativemedicine #stemcells #fattransfer #redlighttherapy #ketones #creatine #bloodsugar #longevity #metabolichealth #functionalmedicine #agingracefully #empwrpodcast #womenshealth
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