The Longevity & Lifestyle Podcast

Ready to upgrade your health, energy, and longevity? Download my free 10 Life & Longevity Hacks Playbook and start living smarter, stronger, and longer → https://longevity-and-lifestyle.com/freebie

Can trauma become a source of strength, purpose, and growth?
In this episode of The Longevity & Lifestyle Podcast, Claudia speaks with Dr. Edith Shiro, licensed clinical psychologist, trauma specialist, co-founder of the Trauma and Resilience Center, and author of The Unexpected Gift of Trauma.
Dr. Shiro has spent decades studying trauma, PTSD, resilience, and post-traumatic growth. Her work is also shaped by her family history as the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors and Syrian refugees, and by supporting people through 9/11, the Surfside building collapse, war, migration, and other collective traumas.
Together, they explore why trauma is not only about what happens to us, but how it can reshape our beliefs, relationships, nervous system, and sense of self.
Dr. Shiro explains why healing begins with radical acceptance, why trauma can live in the body, and why being heard, validated, and connected to others can be such an important part of recovery.
They also explore post-traumatic growth and how pain can eventually become a source of purpose, compassion, resilience, and service to others.
IN THIS EPISODE
• What trauma really is
• Big T vs small T trauma
• Intergenerational and collective trauma
• Why trauma can live in the body
• How unresolved trauma affects relationships
• Radical acceptance and emotional healing
• Turning pain into purpose
• Post-traumatic growth
• Gratitude and nervous-system regulation
• Psychedelics and PTSD
• Why human connection matters for longevity
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
02:03 How trauma became Dr. Shiro’s life’s work
03:58 Why some people grow after trauma
06:12 Why trauma lives in the body
08:42 Why trauma is relational
12:35 Radical acceptance and healing
14:53 Why we avoid painful emotions
17:06 What actually counts as trauma?
19:57 Big T, small T & intergenerational trauma
21:33 How the body carries unresolved trauma
25:04 How unresolved trauma shapes our reactions
26:32 What is post-traumatic growth?
29:10 Turning pain into purpose
29:33 How your wound can become your superpower
31:00 Claudia shares her childhood trauma
34:02 Reframing childhood beliefs
38:19 The power of gratitude
41:32 Psychedelics and trauma healing
44:33 Dr. Shiro’s book and work
46:21 Mental health as a daily practice
ABOUT DR. EDITH SHIRO
Dr. Edith Shiro is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in trauma, PTSD, resilience, and post-traumatic growth. She is the author of The Unexpected Gift of Trauma: The Path to Post-Traumatic Growth.
#EdithShiro #TraumaHealing #PostTraumaticGrowth #MentalHealth #Resilience #PTSD #Longevity

Ready to upgrade your health, energy, and longevity? Download my free 10 Life & Longevity Hacks Playbook → https://longevity-and-lifestyle.com/freebie
This episode is brought to you by:
Axolt, a daily brain drink with 46 carefully selected ingredients, no caffeine or stimulants, and formulated with input from neurologists and brain health researchers: https://axoltbrain.com/claudia
Get 20% off through the link above
Why is sugar so hard to resist, even when you know it is not helping your health?
Claudia speaks with Sander Brus, scientist, entrepreneur, and founder of NoSu Health, about the biology behind cravings and how to change your relationship with sugar.
After COVID temporarily took away his sense of taste, Sander stopped reaching for Coca-Cola, changed his eating habits, and lost 15 kilograms. This sparked his exploration of taste receptors, dopamine, and food reward.
They discuss how ultra-processed foods keep us coming back, why willpower alone often fails, and how glucose swings, GLP-1 medications, and satiety influence appetite.
Sander also explains NoSu Health and Gymnema sylvestre, the “sugar destroyer,” which can temporarily reduce sweet taste. Plus, discover how at-home diagnostics and AI-powered retinal imaging could support earlier detection of health risks.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Sugar cravings, dopamine, and the “bliss point”
• Blood sugar, insulin sensitivity, and GLP-1s
• Gymnema sylvestre and sweet taste receptors
• Practical ways to reduce sugar
• At-home diagnostics and AI retinal scans
• Prevention, behavior change, and enjoying life
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:29 Surfing, dopamine, and big-wave risk
04:47 Claudia’s father’s stroke recovery
09:45 How losing taste changed Sander’s relationship with food
10:30 The “bliss point” and engineered food reward
12:55 How appearance and texture change how much we eat
14:22 Why sugar is so hard to resist
15:00 Dopamine and the brain’s reward pathway
15:55 Big Tobacco and Big Food
17:00 Why willpower is not enough
19:14 GLP-1s and addictive behavior
20:25 Why ultra-processed food is so difficult to resist
22:29 Why sugary breakfasts can trigger more cravings
23:19 The glucose rollercoaster
25:28 How quitting sugar changed Sander’s body
26:26 The story behind NoSu Health
27:00 Blocking sweet taste receptors
28:49 Reducing glucose spikes and crashes
29:32 Gymnema sylvestre and metabolic health
31:08 Where to start if you want to reduce sugar
31:56 How taste buds can reset
32:39 Different ways to use NoSu
35:55 Rewiring the reward response to sugar
37:20 Is sugar really as addictive as cocaine?
38:35 The science behind Gymnema sylvestre
40:00 Sugar hiding under different names
40:30 NoSu’s ongoing research
42:17 Can NoSu complement GLP-1 medications?
43:43 Sander’s other health-tech companies
44:19 The future of at-home diagnostics
47:14 Using the retina to assess cardiovascular health
48:42 Retina scans vs CT calcium scoring
50:38 Why early detection matters
53:08 AI, health technology, and behavior change
55:45 Where to follow Sander
56:31 Sander’s final longevity advice
ABOUT SANDER BRUS
Sander Brus is a Dutch scientist and entrepreneur working across metabolic health, diagnostics, sustainability, and AI. He founded NoSu Health and AUCAS Diagnostics and works with IRO on AI-powered retinal imaging for cardiovascular risk assessment.
#SanderBrus #SugarCravings #MetabolicHealth #Dopamine #UltraProcessedFood #BloodSugar #Longevity #HealthyAging

Ready to upgrade your health, energy, and longevity? Download my free 10 Life & Longevity Hacks Playbook and start living smarter, stronger, and longer → https://longevity-and-lifestyle.com/freebie
This episode is brought to you by:
BioLongevity Labs, science-led supplements supporting mitochondrial function, gut resilience, recovery, and eye health, with transparent ingredients and third-party testing: https://BioLongevitySupplements.com
Get 20% off with code CLAUDIA20.
Axolt, a daily brain drink with 46 carefully selected ingredients, no caffeine or stimulants, and formulated with input from neurologists and brain health researchers: https://axoltbrain.com/claudia
Get 20% off through the link above
What if your future self stopped feeling like a stranger and became someone you could talk to, learn from, and feel responsible for?
Claudia speaks with Gazal Vakili, founder and CEO of Future Self, an AI-powered personal transformation platform that helps people connect with who they want to become.
With more than 15 years of experience across clinical research, biotech, digital health, virtual reality, cognitive science, and AI-enabled health technologies, Gazal explores how our beliefs and identity influence today's choices.
Discover how AI voice cloning, personalized meditations, visualization, and daily micro-actions can help bring your future identity into the present. Together, Claudia and Gazal explore purpose, intuition, self-worth, and learning to listen to yourself.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Imposter syndrome, identity, and the power of belief
• Silent meditation, intuition, and self-awareness
• Why we treat our future selves like strangers
• The psychology of future-self continuity
• Creating an emotionally meaningful future vision
• AI voice cloning and future-self conversations
• Personalized meditations and daily micro-actions
• Why worthiness cannot come from achievement
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
04:33 Gazal’s journey into Future Self
05:27 Imposter syndrome
06:00 The placebo effect and belief
07:38 Identity and expectations
08:24 Childhood and self-belief
09:17 Reprogramming identity
11:34 The Future Self mission
12:36 Voice cloning and inner wisdom
14:21 Silent meditation
15:28 Sitting with your thoughts
17:27 Intuition vs the monkey mind
18:08 Observing your thoughts
18:58 Journaling for answers
21:08 Your future self as a stranger
23:38 Future-self continuity
24:56 Connecting with your future identity
26:50 Why identity is not fixed
27:24 How beliefs filter reality
29:16 Creating a bold future vision
30:24 Making your future feel real
31:00 Talking to your future self
32:50 Daily guidance and micro-actions
34:05 Multi-sensory visualization
35:31 Meditations in your own voice
36:29 Weekly future-self check-ins
38:03 Gazal’s transformation
39:08 An emotional future-self encounter
40:38 Becoming an entrepreneur
41:45 Gazal’s daily practice
44:09 Questioning your identity
45:17 Listening to yourself
45:56 What’s next for Future Self
46:58 Gazal’s final message
LEARN MORE ABOUT FUTURE SELF
Website: https://www.future-self.ai/
Join the waitlist for updates on beta access and future availability.
#GazalVakili #FutureSelf #AI #Identity #Mindset #Visualization #HumanPotential #PersonalGrowth #LongevityPodcast

Ready to upgrade your health, energy, and longevity? Download my free 10 Life & Longevity Hacks Playbook → https://longevity-and-lifestyle.com/freebie
Join Claudia at Eudēmonia in West Palm Beach this November! Get 10% off eligible Standard and Enhanced badges with code LONGEVITYANDLIFESTYLE → https://eudemonia.net/longevityandlifestyle
What’s the point of living to 100 if you’re not truly enjoying your life?
In this special episode of The Longevity & Lifestyle Podcast, Claudia welcomes Sean Hoess, Founder and CEO of Eudēmonia, to explore why longevity is about more than living longer.
From corporate law to co-founding Wanderlust and creating Eudēmonia, Sean shares his journey and the importance of purpose, community, fulfillment, and evidence-based wellness.
They discuss the evolution of wellness, the power of human connection, navigating health information, self-experimentation, and what makes Eudēmonia a unique gathering for the longevity community.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Sean’s journey from corporate law to Wanderlust and Eudēmonia
• Why purpose and fulfillment are essential to longevity
• The evolution of evidence-based wellness
• How community and connection influence well-being
• Why failure and experimentation support growth
• Navigating health information and scientific integrity
• Peptides, self-experimentation, and safety
• What makes Eudēmonia different and what’s new this November
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
01:13 Sean’s journey into entrepreneurship
05:24 Building Wanderlust and lessons learned
11:40 The inspiration behind Eudēmonia
13:15 Living well versus living longer
15:13 The evolution of wellness
17:48 Bridging wellness communities
20:55 Encouraging respectful debate
22:42 Why purpose matters for longevity
25:58 Finding purpose through experimentation
30:55 What makes Eudēmonia different
33:22 Scientific integrity and commercial influence
38:13 Peptides and self-experimentation
44:01 What’s new at Eudēmonia
46:15 Sean’s final message on purpose
ABOUT SEAN HOESS
Sean Hoess is the Founder and CEO of Eudēmonia and co-founder of Wanderlust. His work brings together longevity science, fitness, mindfulness, and community to help people make informed health decisions and live more fulfilling lives.
COME JOIN US AT EUDĒMONIA
Join Claudia in West Palm Beach this November and enjoy 10% off eligible Standard and Enhanced badges with code LONGEVITYANDLIFESTYLE.
https://eudemonia.net/longevityandlifestyle
#SeanHoess #Eudemonia #Longevity #Wellness #Purpose #Biohacking #HealthyAging #LongevityPodcast

Ready to upgrade your health, energy, and longevity? Download my free 10 Life & Longevity Hacks Playbook → https://longevity-and-lifestyle.com/freebie
This episode is brought to you by:
BioLongevity Labs, science-led supplements supporting mitochondrial function, gut resilience, recovery, and eye health, with transparent ingredients and third-party testing: https://BioLongevitySupplements.com
Get 20% off with code CLAUDIA20.
Axolt, a daily brain drink with 46 carefully selected ingredients, no caffeine or stimulants, formulated with input from neurologists and brain health researchers: https://axoltbrain.com/claudia
Get 20% off automatically through the link above. No code needed.
What if brain health depends on the entire infrastructure that keeps neurons alive, fueled, and protected?
Claudia speaks with Martin Valovsky, co-founder of Axolt Brain, about the overlooked systems supporting long-term brain health, from glial cells and astrocytes to blood flow, the blood-brain barrier, the glymphatic system, and mitochondria.
They explore how brain damage can accumulate silently, how APOE4 influences risk, and why daily habits matter before symptoms appear.
Martin shares his experience with double-copy APOE4, why he stopped drinking alcohol, his concerns about sugar, and why he prioritizes movement. They also discuss Axolt’s formulation, polyphenols, bioavailability, and ingredient safety.
IN THIS EPISODE
• Glial cells, astrocytes, and the brain’s support systems
• The blood-brain barrier and glymphatic clearance
• Sleep, mitochondria, and brain energy
• APOE4 and Martin’s personal journey
• Movement, alcohol, sugar, and daily habits
• Polyphenols, bioavailability, and Axolt’s formulation
• Supplement safety and when to consult your doctor
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Introduction
03:54 Why brain health matters
04:29 Brain health as an infrastructure problem
05:30 Blood-brain barrier and brain protection
06:30 The glymphatic system and brain cleaning
07:49 Why glial cells matter
08:55 Astrocytes: the brain’s “IT system”
10:00 Oligodendrocytes and brain signaling
11:37 Mitochondria and brain energy
12:13 How much control do we have over brain aging?
12:36 APOE4 and Martin’s personal motivation
14:26 Axolt Brain partner message
16:08 The fundamentals of brain longevity
16:23 Why Martin stopped drinking alcohol
17:00 Why he considers sugar a major culprit
17:30 Why movement comes first
18:30 Polyphenols and brain health
19:47 Building the Axolt formula
20:08 Three years of formulation work
21:00 Safety and ingredient selection
22:00 Bioavailability and the blood-brain barrier
23:30 Spearmint, memory, and brain nutrition
24:18 What users report
25:27 Who should speak to their doctor
25:50 Peptides and brain health
27:11 Martin’s final message
ABOUT MARTIN VALOVSKY
Martin Valovsky is the co-founder of Axolt Brain, a daily brain nutrition company focused on long-term cognitive performance and brain health.
After more than a decade in the high-pressure defense industry, Martin and his co-founder experienced burnout, brain fog, and poor sleep. This led them to explore the brain’s nutritional needs and develop Axolt with neurologists, researchers, and scientific advisors.
#MartinValovsky #AxoltBrain #BrainHealth #Longevity #CognitiveHealth #APOE4 #GlymphaticSystem #HealthyAging #LongevityPodcast