Why it's important to question our beliefs & biases

In this podcast (episode #477) and blog, I talk to top podcast host and international bestselling author Shawn Stevenson about his incredible healing journey, the mind-brain-body connection, the importance of holistic approaches to medicine, and why it is always important to question what we believe. 

When Shawn was 20 years old he was diagnosed with degenerative disc disease, which many health professionals consider to be incurable. However, Shawn decided to not let this be the end of his story. Based on his grandmother’s belief in him, he put a plan together to change his lifestyle, including what he ate and how he exercised, and over the course of several months, he transformed his health. In fact, through his efforts, he could regenerate a significant amount of his spinal tissue, and his two herniated discs had retracted on their own! As Shawn notes, a medical label doesn’t have to define all of who we are or our whole story.  

Shawn knew so many people like him were struggling to find the answers to their problems. This is why he has made it his mission to reach and serve as many people as he can, which led to the creation of The Model Health Show—a podcast that reaches millions of listeners each year. 

As Shawn points out, we are walking around with one of the most powerful pharmacies in the universe: the human body. Our perception of ourselves and our world can transform our health—our mind and our thinking has a lot to do with how healthy we are.

This is why, when it comes to our wellbeing, it is good to be open to other avenues of healing, especially if traditional medicine is not working for us. Although modern advances in medicine have helped so many people, we do still have so much to learn. And, if we just focus on “we can’t”, we may miss the moments when we actually “can”, including changing the way we think, eat, and exercise to heal the mind and body. 

Even in allopathic medicine, we must consider the full person and the mind-brain-body connection. As Shawn notes, it’s more important to know what sort of person has a disease than what disease a person has. 

This includes questioning our own beliefs and biases and learning how they affect the way we understand health and wellbeing. One of the most important things we can ask ourselves is “What if we are wrong?” Regardless of how much we know or how many years we have studied, there is always room to learn and grow.  

For more on health, wellbeing and medicine, listen to my podcast with Shawn (episode #477) and check out his amazing work. If you enjoy listening to my podcast, please consider leaving a 5-star review and subscribing. And keep sharing episodes with friends and family and on social media. (Don’t forget to tag me so I can see your posts!).    

You can now also join me on Patreon for exclusive, ad-free content! Sign up for a membership level that suits you, and receive access to ad-free exclusive bonus podcasts!   

This podcast is sponsored by: 

NED’s Shuteye Chai. 70 million Americans have chronic sleep issues and 50% of Americans deal with sleep deprivation. You’ve probably dealt with this at some point in your life and I know how difficult it can be. One of my favorite brands, Ned, is here to help with their incredible new product, Shuteye Chai. It’s inspired by 5,000 years of ancient healing tradition and is Ned’s biggest product launch to date! It’s a Mellö Superblend Latte for Sleep that combines adaptogens, aminos, functional mushrooms, and magnesium – seriously the best ingredients out there – wrapped in a heavenly masala chai-inspired spiced body. Think cinnamon, clove, ginger–all that good stuff! It doesn’t just set you up for amazing sleep. Ingredients like chaga, reishi, and ashwagandha are deeply nourishing to your body, so you’re getting a ton of additional benefits. Discover how Shuteye Chai can revolutionize your sleep and get 15% off with code DRLEAF. Go to helloned.com/DRLEAF or enter code DRLEAF at checkout.  

Elo Health Smart Protein. Good quality protein is essential for mind, brain, and body health, but with so many options out there, it can be hard to know what protein to get! Enter Elo. Elo’s Smart Protein takes the guesswork out of finding the optimal protein blend for you, in the right amount, to help you recover faster and get more out of every workout. Each blend is hand-mixed for you and offers a combination of highly bioavailable protein and functional ingredients, depending on your activity data, health goals and dietary preferences. Unlike other personalized protein products, Elo Smart Protein draws data from your wearables and fitness apps to provide specific dosing recommendations after every workout. Take out the guesswork and get the right amount of protein after every workout. Go to elo.health and enter code DRLEAF for 50% off your first month.

Noom. Trends and fads come and go, especially when it comes to health and wellness. But eating well for your mind, brain and body is not a trend or fad—it is about creating a lifestyle that helps you achieve your goals and dreams and live your best life. Noom gets this. They use psychology—not trends—to help you make intentional and sustainable choices that are aligned with your values and goals. Whatever your reason is for wanting to make a change, Noom is ready to help. Their program uses psychology to help you learn how to make healthier choices every day so that you can break the cycle and change your habits for good. Stop chasing health trends and build sustainable, healthy habits with Noom’s psychology-based approach. Sign up for your trial today at Noom.com/DRLEAF. And check out Noom’s first-ever book, The Noom Mindset, a deep dive into the psychology of behavior change. Available to buy now wherever books are sold.  

Podcast Highlights 

0:45, 12:00 Shawn’s amazing health journey  

19:30 The power of changing your environment 

25:00 The importance of understanding the whole person & holistic approaches to healing  

33:00, 36:10 Why it’s important to question our beliefs & biases 

46:35 Why the way we study health needs to change  

Switch On Your Brain LLC. is providing this podcast as a public service. Reference to any specific viewpoint or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by our organization. The views expressed by guests are their own and their appearance on the program does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. If you have any questions about this disclaimer, please contact info@drleaf.com.  

This podcast and blog are for educational purposes only and are not intended as medical advice. We always encourage each person to make the decision that seems best for their situation with the guidance of a medical professional.  

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