The Optimal Body

Could it be a sprain or strain? DocJen & Dr. Dom differentiate sprains from strains, describing their experiences with strain in gymnastics and football respectively. They have into the pathophysiology of strain, explaining why or when they may happen, common systems, risk factors, and causes for strains. Finally, they list how strain grades are diagnosed and the four phases of healing for strains...

Movement and exercise is vital during pregnancy, but how informed do you feel? We’re bringing you this interview with Gina Conley to discuss lifting during pregnancy, as well as birthing positions. Gina explains her passion for pregnancy- specific exercise education as she felt uninformed during her pregnancy experiences. Then, she dives into the shifts that may occur between exercising in trimest...

It’s time to change it up. DocJen & Dr. Dom preach changing up your position for at least 30 seconds every 30 minutes or 1 minute every hour. With the best posture being your next position, they describe 10 different sitting positions and how they are optimal! Brentwood Home Bundle: Is sitting on the floor uncomfortable? We highlight elevating the seat to make these sitting positions more accessib...

Is a low fat diet the best diet for pregnancy? Does blood sugar have a generational impact? Lily Nichols, registered dietician and certified diabetes educator, debunks misconceptions surrounding diet and gestational diabetes throughout pregnancy. Diving into generational impact and the importance of maternal nutrition for the baby’s lifelong health, Lily explains the importance of blood sugar cont...

Could you be overtraining? Estimates conclude that up to 60% of competitive athletes overtrain at some point in their career, however, overtraining can affect anyone. DocJen and Dr. Dom dive into progressive overload and how it relates to overtraining and functional overreaching. They explain the symptoms related to overtraining and how it can affect anyone. Futhermore, they discuss how acute chro...

Could your feet be related to your low back pain? Ben, functional exercise specialist, briefly describes his journey through transitioning towards going barefoot. Explaining the biology simply and briefly, Ben explains how a barefoot shoe can help your back pain, who barefoot shoes are for, and the role of barefoot shoes in sport. He explains how long it may take for significant changes in foot fu...

Feeling tingling or numbness around the neck area? Been diagnosed with a herniation? DocJen & Dr. Dom dive into the different types of herniations, where it’s most prevalent around the neck, what symptoms correlate with the diagnosis, and contributing factors to the nerve-related symptoms. They explain nuances surrounding the herniation diagnosis, debunk myths about neck herniations and nerve-rela...

Can essential oils help digestion, detoxification, and recovery? We have Jodi Cohen, functional practitioner, author, and and founder of Vibrant Blue Oils, on to discuss the science and research behind essential oils. After Jodi unveils her journey through her passion for essential oil, she discusses how impactful essential oils can be on the vagus nerve, and therefore the rest, digest, and recove...

Got tingling hands? DocJen & Dr. Dom discuss the Cubital Tunnel diagnosis including the anatomy of what could be contributing to the tingling symptoms and potential causes. Furthermore, they present risk factors and the few tests that contribute to the nerve compression associated with the tingling sensation. Then, they dive into more optimal positioning for the elbow and how you can introduce act...

Is posture linked to your pain? We have Lara Heimann, founder of the LYT method and physical therapist, to discuss whether or not posture matters. Lara provides insight on how posture is multifaceted and how it relates to energy, mood, movement efficiency, biomechanics, and pain! Debunking myths around how posture is the cause of all pain, Lara briefly discusses the neurology surrounding pain. Fur...

Knee pain from running or jumping? Perhaps a knee tendonitis diagnosis? DocJen & Dr. Dom present current perspectives on understandings surrounding tendonitis and tendonopathy. As they describe the anatomy of the patella tendon, they dive into potential risk factors for tendonitis, stages of tendonopathy, and stages of rehabilitation for tendon re-modelling, Theu provide insight on whether or not...

Struggling with painful sex? Leaking issues? This podcast episode is for you! We have Dr. Sneha Gazi on to educate you and provide insight on how you can begin to take ownership of your health issues through simple steps. Using her approach that combines Eastern and western schools of thought to health, she speaks about how she navigates patient issues. With body awareness being a necessary first...

Got corns? DocJen & Dr. Dom have got you covered with everything you need to know about corns. They explain what corns , how they develop, and how they differ from calluses. Then, they describe the differences between the 5 types of corns and how your footwear could be contorting majorly to the development of corn in your feet! Finally, they touch base with movement and how movement biases could b...

Is Bison more nutritious than Beef? What labels should you look out for? We're re-discovering the meat industry, deciphering the nuances in labels and how you can get the most ethically and nutritious sourced meats. Sean dives into what brought him to the Bison business, explains what ruminants are, and why grass-fed is important. Furthermore, he unveils the truths about buying meat by the weight...

Whether marriage is around the corner or you're in a marriage currently, this podcast provides insight into relationships and maintaining an optimal relationship. Through examples, DocJen & Dr. Dom explore the topics of scheduling, awareness for your partner, communication, and goal-setting, and how these topics create harmony in a relationship!  Let's dive in! What You Will Learn In This PT Pearl...

Mindfulness vs meditation - what's the difference? Dr. Sharuna Shapiro unveils the science behind meditation and mindfulness. As she dives into her journey to finding truths within research on mindfulness, she discusses the beauty in patience, presence, and calmness that comes with meditation and how you can overcome "failing" at meditation. She uncovers how mindfulness can change your pain experi...

Is your child complaining of pain with a bump on the front of their knee? It could be Osgood Schlatter. DocJen & Dr. Dom explain what Osgood Schlatter is and how it is a progressive injury, classified as an overuse injury. They address the research and how physical therapy can be up to 90% effective when addressing Osgood Schlatter. They hone in on how you can modulate activity, which exercises yo...

Do you monitor your blood glucose level? We have Kara, registered dietician, and co-founder of NutriSense, on to discuss how blood glucose levels are a core marker of metabolic health. She dives into the health consequences of fluctuating blood glucose levels, and what levels to look fasted compared to post-meal. Furthermore, she expands on how blood glucose monitors are more beneficial than blood...

Are you constantly in pain? Fearing movement because of pain? DocJen & Dr. Dom get to the roots of what could be contributing to your pain. As they reflect on their pain points, they explain the pillars of pain perception and the concept of pain thresholds. Using carr analogies to explain the importance of recovery and downregulation, they discuss how integral language, psychology, and environment...

Can you run, do CrossFit, or lift during pregnancy? Prolapse or leaking preventing you from returning? We have Dr. Carrie on to debunk the common misconceptions around exercise & pregnancy. As she describes her journey to pelvic floor physical therapy and her current focuses, she relates to her patients having been through pelvic floor symptoms post-partum. She lists her step-by-step approach to r...

Got stress fractures? DocJen  & Dr. Dom explain what stress fractures are in the foot and what may have contributed to the onset of the fracture. They hone in on the importance of appropriately progressively overloading and getting real with where you are truly at. Then, they dive into how you can begin to address your stress fractures with 4 phases, explaining the importance of finding space in y...

Should you go Raw Vegan? Looking beyond just diet, Kristina takes you through the mental, physical and spiritual manifestations of the FullyRaw phenomena. As she walks us through her journey from her diabetes diagnosis to her transition to FullyRaw, to her co-op at university, and to her youtube channel, Kristina reflects upon her appreciation for the light the FullyRaw lifestyle brought her. In e...

Got a hunched back? Wanting to prevent the hump? DocJen & Dr. Dom get to the meat of excessive curvature of the upper back, and how it can lead to postural and muscular compensations, breathing dysfunction, as well as sensory deficits. With a focus on posture, they dive into the Upper Cross Syndrome and Lower cross Syndrome as concepts that may simplify muscular compensations that are typically as...

Should you track your blood glucose, even if you don’t have diabetes? Jessie Inchauspé brings us the truths surrounding sugar, carbohydrates and how blood sugar affects PCOS, mood, sleep, fatigue, cravings, and diabetes! As she stumbled upon the glucose monitor through her own journey of rediscovering her health after a diving accident, she shines light on the priority of blood glucose as a health...

Wondering why squats get all the hype? Unsure why squats are actually beneficial? Confused about the different types of squats? DocJen & Dr. Dom explore the squat realm, redefining the “perfect” squat form. Providing insight on the functional benefits of squats and how the squat serves a purpose through daily life, they touch base with how you can find YOUR squat stance and how you can use variati...