The Ready State Podcast

Welcome back to RECESS — our weekly break from the serious stuff to talk about what we’re learning, what’s making us laugh, and how we’re building more play into real life.

In this episode, we unpack why social connection may be the single biggest predictor of healthy aging and longevity, reflect on new pediatric guidelines pushing for more school recess, and talk about how adults desperately need more play too. We also dive into Rachel Entrekin’s mindset during her historic Cocodona 250 win, Kelly’s emotional experience eulogizing his mom, and the rise of “prom maxxing” — and why it gives us the ick.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy social connection may matter more than anything else for longevity
How play and movement create stronger communities and healthier adults
Why the American Academy of Pediatrics says recess is not optional
Rachel Entrekin’s powerful self-talk strategy during her record-setting ultramarathon
What Kate Courtney’s career shift teaches about identity and reinvention
Why “third places” like gyms, clubs, and community spaces matter so much
Juliet and Kelly’s thoughts on “prom maxxing” and modern parenting culture
What Kelly learned from giving the eulogy at his mother’s memorial
Key Highlights: (00:00) — Welcome back to RECESS
(00:40) — Kelly reflects on eulogizing his mom
(02:52) — Travel, burnout, and speaking at a longevity conference
(04:06) — Why adults need more play and movement
(05:43) — The Harvard Longitudinal Study and the importance of social connection
(06:18) — The “Six Points of Connection” and building real community
(10:15) — Kate Courtney, identity shifts, and elite performance
(12:33) — New school recess guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics
(15:23) — Why adults need recess too
(17:23) — Rachel Entrekin’s self-talk during her historic Cocodona 250 win
(21:01) — “Happy to be here” vs. competing to win; Tia Toomey's Champion's Mindset
(24:00) — Prom maxxing, parenting culture, and losing the plot
(29:02) — What we’re living for right now

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What if the biggest thing holding your health back isn’t what you’re doing, but how you’re thinking about it? Most of us have been trained to see the body in silos: diagnose the problem, treat the symptom, move on. But what if that model is missing the bigger picture?

In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Bland – widely recognized as the father of functional medicine – joins Juliet and Kelly Starrett to unpack a more complete, systems-based approach to health. From a simple (and surprisingly accessible) blood test that can reveal your inflammatory status, to the real role of inflammation as both a healing response and a hidden driver of chronic disease, this conversation challenges everything you thought you knew about “being healthy.”

Dr. Bland also shares the deeply personal story that reshaped his entire career and led him to question conventional medicine’s focus on downstream symptoms instead of root causes.
You’ll walk away understanding why everyday choices – like sugar intake, sleep, stress, and even your sense of self-agency – play a far bigger role in longevity than most people realize. Because at the end of the day, health is something you actively create.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy chronic inflammation is both a healing response and a hidden driver of disease
How a standard blood test (CBC) can reveal your body’s inflammatory state
The difference between treating symptoms vs. addressing root causes (upstream vs. downstream health)
Why your body is a system – and not a set of isolated problems to fix
How everyday habits like sugar intake, stress, and sleep quietly accelerate aging

Key Highlights: (0:00) Intro & Teaser Clips
(0:35) Introducing Dr. Jeffrey Bland, Father of Functional Medicine
(3:11) Dr. Bland Joins the Show / Earth Day Connection
(3:50) How Dr. Bland's Career Began in 1970
(7:33) What's Most Urgent for People to Understand About Health Today
(9:13) Systems Thinking vs. Siloed Medicine
(12:43) A Seismic Life Event That Changed Everything
(15:19) Finding Purpose After Tragedy — The Birth of a Mission
(17:35) Origins of the Term "Functional Medicine"
(19:03) Functional Medicine in The Lancet — 1874
(31:15) Understanding Good vs. Chronic Inflammation
(38:30) The Ibuprofen Epidemic in Youth Athletes
(39:59) The Functional Medicine Model: Antecedents, Triggers & Mediators
(42:47) Big Bold Health & Testing for Inflammaging
(43:33) The CBC with Differential — A $6 Test Everyone Already Has
(45:08) The SIRI Index — Calculating Your Inflammatory Status
(46:25) Immune Cells Renew Every 90–120 Days
(56:03) The 850-Person Clinical Trial on Food & Immune Health
(56:56) Tartary Buckwheat — A 3,500-Year-Old Immune Superfood
(1:02:57) The Healthcare System Isn't Working — A Seismic Change Is Coming
(1:08:13) Rapid Fire: Blue Zones & Eating a Rainbow of Polyphenols
(1:09:47) The #1 Lever for Aging Well — Starting With How You See Yourself
(1:10:56) Where to Find Dr. Jeff Bland & Closing Thoughts

Huge thanks to our sponsors, Kreatures of Habit, LMNT, and Momentous.

Welcome to the first episode of RECESS, a new, more personal series from us, Juliet and Kelly Starrett. In these shorter, looser conversations, we’re pulling back the curtain on what’s going on in our lives, what we’re learning, what’s making us laugh, and what we’re thinking about across health, movement, longevity, performance, parenting, and everything in between.

In this episode, we talk about Kelly’s experience coaching Cal Women’s Water Polo at the NCAA championship and what it’s like to compete at that level. We unpack the “bronze medal mindset” and some of the biggest lessons we’ve learned from elite sport. We also dive into the Dean Potter documentary and reflect on our own experiences in 90s extreme sports culture. Plus, we share why we’re concerned about nicotine being normalized in wellness and what stood out to us at the Stanford Healthy Aging Conference.

And of course, we get into some lighter moments—including Kelly’s definitely-not-a-cat-group: the Meowfia.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy we’re still debating whether Kelly is in a cat group
What Kelly learned from coaching at the NCAA championship
How we think about loss, silver medals, and the bronze medal mindset
Why the Dean Potter documentary hit close to home for us
Why we’re concerned about nicotine products in wellness culture
What stood out to us at the Stanford Healthy Aging Conference
How we’re processing our youngest daughter’s senior-year milestones
Key Highlights: 00:00 — Why we’re starting RECESS
01:17 — The Meowfia, taco cat, and the funny-off
03:15 — Bringing fun back into health and longevity
03:58 — Kelly’s reflections from the NCAA women’s water polo championship
09:03 — Losing gold, winning silver, and the bronze medal mindset
13:51 — Red Vines, fat-free diets, and 90s athlete nutrition
17:24 — Dean Potter, Dark Wizard, and extreme sports culture
22:45 — Nicotine pouches, health washing, and wellness influence
27:34 — Our biggest takeaways from Stanford Healthy Aging
29:02 — Strength training, creatine, isometrics, and old cat syndrome
32:28 — Parenting, graduation, and figuring out how to cook for two

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In this episode, David Epstein explores a powerful idea: constraints don’t limit us – they make us better.

Drawing from his book Inside the Box, he explains why too much freedom often leads to overwhelm, indecision, and worse outcomes. Whether it’s creativity, productivity, or everyday decisions, we perform better when we narrow the field and work within clear boundaries.

Through stories – from failed tech startups with too many ideas to elite performers who thrive under restrictions – he shows how constraints help us prioritize, think differently, and follow through. Even creativity, he argues, doesn’t come from endless freedom, but from being boxed in just enough to spark better solutions.

If you’ve ever felt stuck, scattered, or overloaded with choices, this episode offers a simple reframe: you don’t need more options – just better constraints.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeHow constraints improve creativity, focus, and performance
Why too much choice leads to overwhelm and worse decisions
Why creativity thrives with fewer options
How distractions are training your brain to lose focus
Why doing less often leads to better results

Key Highlights: (0:00) Intro – Constraints, Overwhelm, and Why This Matters
(3:37) Meet David Epstein
(6:19) From Range to Constraints
(8:18) The Dizziness of Freedom
(12:05) The Creativity Myth
(14:04) The Green Eggs and Ham Effect
(16:32) Constraints-Led Approach Skill Learning
(19:38) Futsal & Constraints in Sport
(21:16) The General Magic Story
(32:53) HARKing in Science
(51:51) Think Slow, Act Fast
(55:57) Creativity vs. Originality
(1:00:26) Constraints in Parenting
(1:10:19) Commitment Devices
(1:16:06) Make Your Commitments Visible
(1:16:52) Reclaiming Your Attention
(1:21:49) Book Recommendation & Closing

Huge thanks to our sponsors, LMNT, Momentous, Vitality, and Kreatures of Habit

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What happens when human biology collides with exponential technology? In this wide-ranging and deeply relevant conversation, Steven Kotler – NYT best-selling author and founder of the Flow Research Collective – joins The Ready State to unpack how AI, information overload, and rapid technological change are reshaping the way we think, work, and live.

Steven breaks down the growing mismatch between our ancient brains and today’s hyper-accelerated world – and why it’s leading to burnout, fractured attention, and loss of meaning. But this isn’t a doom-and-gloom conversation. Instead, he offers a powerful reframe: the future belongs to those who can harness flow, think creatively, and collaborate at scale.

From practical strategies for using AI without losing your cognitive edge… to why attention is your most valuable currency… to how group flow may be the key to solving humanity’s biggest challenges, this episode is both a wake-up call and a roadmap. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, distracted, or unsure how to keep up in today’s world, this conversation will change how you think about performance, purpose, and possibility.

What You'll Learn in This EpisodeWhy our brains are overwhelmed – and the hidden chain reaction leading to burnout and identity collapse
How AI can either enhance your thinking… or quietly erode your cognitive abilities
The role of flow state in boosting creativity, productivity, and long-term resilience
Why attention is the real battleground of the modern world – and how to train it
How “group flow” and cooperation at scale may be the key to thriving in the future

Key Highlights: (00:00) Intro & Teaser: The AI Attention Warning
(02:56) Meet Steven Kotler & We Are As Gods
(04:18) The World Is 286% Faster Than in 2012
(05:29) Global vs. Linear: How Our Brains Fell Behind
(11:59) Understanding Cognitive Load & Information Overload
(14:17) Exponential Leadership Syndrome Explained
(14:53) The Chain: Overload, Burnout, & Identity Collapse
(17:36) When Is AI Helping vs. Making Us Weaker?
(18:49) The Brain Predicts the Future to Save Calories
(23:54) Cognitive Offloading: The Real AI Problem
(26:00) Rule #1: Always Do Your Thinking First
(28:37) Interoception as the Antidote to AI Overuse
(38:35) What Is Flow State? The Full Breakdown
(39:07) Flow Makes You 500% More Productive
(40:48) Why AI Can't Do Lateral Thinking (But Humans Can)
(43:57) The Key To Maximum Creativity
(46:05) You Need Better Personal Filters – Here's Why
(51:48) The Human Attention Span Is Now 3 Seconds
(52:35) Match Your Screen Time with Meditation Time
(57:51) Challenge & Friction Are Features, Not Bugs
(58:40) The Challenge-Skills Balance and Flow Triggers
(1:02:24) Rethinking Work: Creation vs. Survival
(1:08:39) The Killer App of the 21st Century: Cooperate at Scale
(1:13:02) Master Group Flow to Thrive in the AI Age
(1:15:23) Infinite Shelf & Where to Find Steven Kotler

Huge thanks to our sponsors, LMNT, Momentous, Vitality, and Kreatures of Habit