Roland Pankewich welcomes fitness expert Justin Dees to explore the intersection of sports performance and health. Justin shares insights from his 30-year career, emphasizing the importance of foundational health in fitness. They discuss the pitfalls of neglecting digestive health and cardiovascular wellness, the dangers of misinformation, and the impact of lifestyle choices on fitness goals. Practical strategies, from balanced nutrition to stress management techniques, are highlighted to help listeners optimize their health and fitness journey. Justin’s passion for helping others and Roland’s expertise combine for an enlightening discussion.

Justin Dees is a renowned personal trainer, strength coach, and exercise physiologist with over 30 years of experience in the fitness industry. His career has been profoundly influenced by personal experiences and a desire to help others achieve optimal health and performance. Starting as an athlete himself, Dees pursued a formal education in exercise physiology at Arizona State University, which led to pivotal roles working with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and Apex Fitness. Throughout his career, Justin has worked with professional and Olympic athletes, acquiring a deep understanding of both the fitness and bodybuilding realms. Justin is passionate about bridging health and performance, educating his clients on the foundational aspects of fitness, nutrition, and wellness.

In this enlightening episode of “Following Your Gut,” Roland Pankewich invites his long-time friend and world-class fitness expert, Justin Dees, to share his insights from three decades in the industry. Broadcasting from Las Vegas, Roland and Justin delve into the intersecting worlds of health and sports performance, examining how foundational health concepts can often be overlooked in the pursuit of athletic excellence. Justin recounts his personal inspiration for entering the fitness field, emphasizing the lasting impact his grandfather’s health struggles had on his career trajectory.

The conversation steers towards the common pitfalls that many fitness enthusiasts encounter. Justin articulates how the allure of quick fixes and performance enhancers—such as steroids and fad diets—can overshadow the essential health fundamentals like digestion, sleep, and cardiovascular wellness. With engaging anecdotes and a straightforward approach, the duo discusses how a lack of foundational knowledge can lead to health issues ranging from digestive disorders to chronic inflammation and even severe injuries. They underscore the importance of balanced nutrition and the need for a well-rounded lifestyle approach to fitness, enriched by advanced supplement strategies.

Key Takeaways:

• The importance of foundational health: Dig into the critical role that proper digestion, hydration, and sleep play in achieving lasting fitness success.

• Avoiding quick fixes: Why the pursuit of rapid gains through supplements or steroids can often lead to severe health setbacks.

• Nutrition’s role in fitness: The significance of a balanced diet rich in fiber, protein, and whole foods for overall well-being and prevention of diseases like colon cancer.

• Effective stress management: Techniques such as gratitude exercises and proper sleep hygiene can drastically impact stress levels and athletic performance.

• Intelligent supplementation: A smart approach to probiotics, digestive enzymes, and essential vitamins can support an athlete’s health and optimize performance outcomes.

“The microbiome of our digestive tract is like the soil of our body."

Roland Pankewich welcomes Dr. Jeffrey Marrongelle to explore the shortcomings of modern medicine and the promise of biological approaches. Drawing on Dr. Marrongelle’s pioneering work in homotoxicology and biological medicine, they unravel enzyme therapy, electromagnetic stress, and the crucial role of foundational physiology. The discussion delves into systemic enzymes’ impact on health, the interplay of minerals and enzymes, and tackling modern toxins. Discover how Dr. Marrongelle’s realignment towards fundamental physiology and personalized health monitoring promises new pathways for health restoration and chronic condition management.

Key Takeaways:

Biological Medicine Focus: Dr. Marrongelle emphasizes an approach that steps away from traditional medicine to find the root causes of illnesses and restore the body’s natural healing mechanisms.

Role of Enzymes: Systemic and digestive enzymes play a crucial role in maintaining health and balancing the body, especially as we age.

Environmental Impacts on Health: Persistent organic pollutants and electromagnetic stress significantly impact biological systems, requiring innovative management techniques.

Comprehensive Patient Care: Dr. Marrongelle’s practice is grounded in understanding foundational physiology rather than adhering to a disease-centered model.

Lifetime Commitment: Highlighting his lifelong dedication, Dr. Marrongelle aims to preserve and share extensive medical knowledge for future generations, promoting healthier living through the American Institute of Biophysics.

About the Guest: Dr. Jeffrey L. Marrongelle, D.C., CCN

Dr. Jeffrey L. Marrongelle is a Doctor of Chiropractic, a Certified Clinical Nutritionist, and a graduate of the inaugural class in Integrative Medicine at Capitol University. For more than three decades, he has integrated chiropractic care with advanced nutritional and homotoxicology-based therapies to support whole-body health and recovery.

As the founder and director of the BioEnergiMed Metabolic Institute, Dr. Marrongelle specializes in assessing autonomic function using state-of-the-art diagnostic technologies. His approach combines Heart Rate Variability (HRV), plethysmography, and bioimpedance body composition analysis with conventional medical evaluation. Over the past 15 years, he has built one of the world’s largest clinical HRV databases, with more than 40,000 test results.

A significant focus of Dr. Marrongelle’s work is non-narcotic pain management, inflammation reduction, and enhanced wound healing. His clinical toolbox includes Low-Level Laser Therapy, PEMF, biofeedback-driven electrical stimulation, and targeted nutrition strategies—offering patients effective, science-based solutions to support healing and long-term wellness.

“The microbiome of our digestive tract is like the soil of our body."

In this enlightening episode of the “Following Your Gut” podcast, host Roland Pankewich sits down with Jeff Thurston, an expert in the world of probiotics and microbiome research. They delve deep into the parallels between soil ecosystems and the human gut — insights that could revolutionize the way we understand nutrition and health. Thurston revisits the initial conversations with his business partner and founder, Randy Porubcan, where they found common ground in agriculture, marking the inception of their successful venture. He shares compelling connections between how plants absorb nutrients and how humans might better harness food’s full nutritional potential.

Throughout the discussion, emphasis is placed on the significant role of minerals in human health, identifying deficiencies as pivotal to long-term wellness. Thurston articulates a holistic perspective, advocating that the imbalances within modern agriculture mirror those inhibiting human gut health. By drawing on regenerative agricultural principles, he suggests a path forward not just for better crops, but for a healthier microbiome. The episode culminates in actionable advice on how individuals can optimize their gut health through the balanced consumption of enzymes, probiotics, and fiber, while maintaining a diversified diet.

Key Takeaways:

Interconnected Ecosystems: Both the soil and the human gut rely on microbial interactions to enhance nutrient absorption and ensure health and productivity.

Mineral Deficiency as an Epidemic: Understanding and addressing widespread deficiencies in essential minerals can have profound ramifications for both human health and agricultural productivity.

Regenerative Practices: Transitioning to regenerative agriculture can vastly improve the nutritional profile of crops, paralleling efforts to restore gut health.

Role of Fiber and Probiotics: Diversity in diet and fiber intake is crucial for promoting a thriving microbiome, which in turn, supports overall health and nutrient uptake.

Proactive Health: Embracing sustainable, integrative approaches can lay the foundation for future generations, honoring the philosophy of considering the impact seven generations forward.

Notable Quotes:

• “The greater diversity of the food fiber that you eat, the greater the diversity of the microbes are going to be in your colon.”

• “We are not regulated by our total resources as much as we are limited by our scarcest resource.”

• “If you feed the good guys the food that they need, the bad guys don’t stand a chance.”

• “Health habits, knowledge, and understanding are part of what needs to be passed on.”

• “You have to do what we need to do to put ourselves in the best position to take what food we are getting and getting the most out of it.”

“The microbiome of our digestive tract is like the soil of our body."