Alexander Russell, Jess Moore, Ben Greenfield, Lana Kerr, and Dr. Kamakshi Zeidler

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
The following is a paid program. Woor's airing of this
program constitutes neither an endorsement of the products offered or
the ideas expressed.

Speaker 2 (00:08):
Welcome to a Moment of Zen. Time to sit back
and relax. As model, actress, mentor and super mom, Zen
SAMs takes you on a sexy and wild ride, covering
the latest in film, fashion, pop culture, cryptocurrency, fintech, cannabis,
and entertainment from the millennial mom's perspective. Here's your host,

(00:28):
Zen SAMs.

Speaker 3 (00:29):
Welcome back, beautiful New York Tri State area and beyond.
You're listening to a Moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten. Woar the voice of New York iHeartRadio.
I'm your host, Zen SAMs. We have such an incredible
line up ahead and tonight, we're looking at some of
the cultural shifts redefining how we socialize, travel, age, and
even care for one another. First up, we're continuing our

(00:51):
Hydration with Heart series, brought to you by One Sponted Coconut.
I'm joined by Alex Russell. He's the founder of Kianu.
We're talking from happy hour to healthy Hour and why
America's drinking culture is being rewritten as more Americans rethink
the relationship with alcohol. Could an ancient Pacific Island beverage
become part of the next generation of social drinking. Then

(01:15):
we're traveling the world a little differently with a lifestyle
edit brought to you by Melia Hotels International. Joining me
is Jess Moore. She's a photographer, a videographer, and a
content creator behind Ozzy Sedona. Our topic is the rise
of pet first travel. This is your guide to traveling
the world with your dog. Because pet friendly may no

(01:37):
longer be enough. Today's travelers increasingly want destinations, hotels, and
experiences designed with their four legged family members in mind. Later,
we're going to be going beyond the Signal, brought to
you by Lee La Quantum Technologies with one of the
most recognizable voices in biohacking and human performance, Ben Greenfield.
He's a longevity expert, a human performance coach, entrepreneur, and

(02:00):
New York Times bestselling author. As we're asking a provocative question,
the longevity lie. Can you actually reprogram the human body
from exercise and nutrition to sleep recovery? Biohacking and emerging
longevity technologies, we're examining whether we can truly influence how
we age or whether the wellness industry is promising something

(02:22):
biology simply can't deliver. And finally, in the Going Deep
podcast speaker series with host Ladaker, in tonight's lineup, she's
going to sit down with doctor Kamakshi Zeidler. They're covering
the science of care, medicine, motherhood, and meaning. Stay tuned,
you're listening to a Moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten WR the voice of New york iHeartRadio.

(02:44):
We'll be right back after this.

Speaker 2 (02:46):
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Speaker 2 (03:18):
Tune into a Moment of Zen Saturday nights from nine
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of New York.

Speaker 3 (03:24):
Welcome back, beautiful New York, tri State Area and beyond.
You're listening to a moment of Zen right here on
seven ten WR the Voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm
your host, Zen Sam's welcome back to the Hydration with
Heart series, brought to you by One Spawned Coconut. Today
we're looking beyond what we're drinking to hydrate and asking
a much bigger question, what are we drinking to socialize,

(03:47):
unwind and connect? Because America's relationship with alcohol appears to
be changing. Our headliner today is the new buzz is
Cava coming for alcohol's crown And our topic well from
Happy Hour to Healthy Hour. We're going to explore why
America's drinking culture is being rewritten. Here's the number that

(04:07):
got my attention. Gallops twenty twenty five survey found that
only fifty four percent of American adults said they drink alcohol.
That's the lowest level Gallup has recorded in nearly ninety
years of tracking, and even more telling, a record fifty
three percent of Americans said they believe moderate drinking is
bad for your health, but Here's where the story gets interesting.

(04:29):
Americans may not necessarily want to give up the experience
of having a drink. They still want the ritual, the
social connection, the beautiful glass in their hand, and perhaps
even that feeling of unwinding. So what takes alcohol's place?
Our guest today believes one answer could be a beverage
that's actually thousands of years old. Alex Russell is a

(04:49):
New York based entrepreneur and the founder of Kanu. It's
a company working to bring Kaba, a traditional beverage of
the Pacific Islands, to the modern American consumer now. Before
entering the beverage world, Alex worked in consumer and retail
m and A at Lazard, and today he's combining that
business background with years spent researching and documenting kava culture

(05:12):
through his educational media platform, Nothing Special Presents Now Alex,
Welcome to a Moment of Zen and to the Hydration
with Heart series Superstar.

Speaker 5 (05:21):
Thank you for having me excited to be here.

Speaker 3 (05:23):
So I want to talk about the great American drinking reset,
because that's what we're in. Is America actually breaking up
with alcohol? Is the question? So I want to start
with the cultural shift because the numbers are pretty remarkable, right.
That Gallup poll that I mentioned says America is drinking less.
The drinking has fallen to a historic low, and among

(05:45):
people who do drink, average reported consumption dropped to about
two point eight alcoholic drinks per week. That's the lowest
Gallop has recorded since it began tracking that measure in
nineteen ninety six. And there's another fascinating statistic alex the
NIQ found that ninety two percent of buyers of non
alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits also buy alcohol. So this

(06:08):
doesn't look like America is simply becoming sober. It looks
more like America is becoming selectively sober, choosing when alcohol
is worth it and when it isn't. So what do
you think we're actually witnessing here? Are Americans falling out
of love with alcohol itself? Or are they falling out
of love with the hangovers, the glories and trade offs,
but still want everything culturally and socially that comes with

(06:29):
having a drink. And where does kava enter that equation?

Speaker 2 (06:33):
Yeah?

Speaker 5 (06:33):
Exactly. I mean, look, alcohol is a timeless beverage because
it unlocks so many great things socialization, It makes you relax,
helps you unwind, but I think people just don't want
to pay the tax the next day. People care more
and more about their health and wellness more than they
ever have, so I think they want to enjoy what
alcohol delivers, but they're not willing to put up with

(06:55):
the negative side effects. So I think people are experimenting
or searching. You've heard terms like sober curiosity come up
throughout the past few years, and frankly, there just haven't
been a lot of great alternatives. So people, I think
they want to drink lass. You see that in some
of the Gallop data. They recognize that alcohol is unhealthy,
but they're also still drinking alcohol. Like you said, over
ninety percent of people who buy on alcoholic products still

(07:16):
buy alcohol. So we think if you actually deliver that
alternative that provides as amazing effects of alcohol the ritual, right,
then people are more likely to actually give up alcohol
at least for certain occasions or alcohol is not as great. So, look,
alcohol is always going to be great at midnight at
the club. You know you're going to a big sports event,
a wedding, sure, but alcohol is really suboptimal for a

(07:39):
lot of other occasions where you just want to relax,
and unwind after work, you're watching the game. Sunday afternoon
at home, you want to chill, kind of get together
with your buddies Thursday night. Tava, we think, really is
the best drink for that instead of alcohol.

Speaker 3 (07:53):
That's such an important distinction because maybe the disruption isn't
about eliminating happy hour at all. It's about reinventing what
we put in the glass and what feels. Very aligned
with what we're seeing across the beverage industry, consumers are
becoming much more intentional about what they drink and why.
So you're one hundred percent right now, what exactly are

(08:14):
we drinking and what do you feel? Let's talk about
kava cava one oh one. So for the person listening
who's saying, zen, I know coconut water, I know mocktails,
I know CBD. What on earth is kava? So let's
explain it.

Speaker 5 (08:29):
Right, Absolutely, Kava is the timeless beverage of the Pacific Islands, right.
So it is from the roots of the kava plant
and it's brewed into the kava beverage. It's not alcoholic, right,
but you drink it for the feeling. So the kava
lactomes or the act of the compounds in caaba, and
they deliver this feeling of social relaxation, social zen. We
even like to say, or you feel loose yet lucid.

(08:51):
It's up to the scribe, right, how do you describe
a feeling coffee or alcohol or marijuana. But generally you're
right relaxed in social and in the present. But you're
clear thinking, you're not intoxicated, you're not drunk, you're not hot.
So it's this very wonderful feeling where you're content, calm, grounded, rooted,
we like to say.

Speaker 6 (09:10):
Rooted.

Speaker 5 (09:11):
Caava is literally from the roots of the plant, and
it roots you, It centers you, it grounds you. Basically
think of it as the benefits of alcohol, though without
the negative side effects. We love to say that kava
is both clinically backed with studies like some of the
ones you're citing, but also culturally backed. It's not the
synthetic thing made it a lot recently. Kava is natural,
it's timeless, it's culturally backed. That's what we love about cabba.

(09:33):
We're not inventing some new thing. We're not trying to
extract something crazy from a plant and put it in
a beverage. That's never been done before. We're just bringing
something that's already incredible and introducing it to the American
mainstream in a way that's ever been done, in a
nice way. Right, There's Caaba available, but no one's really
brought a tasty, efficacious, well branded, consistent product to market.

(09:56):
And that's why we've spent years working on Kava to
really bring that incredible Pacific CoV experience to the States.

Speaker 3 (10:02):
Yeah, and that's where I think this category gets interesting. Right,
A mocktail replaces the drink, but you're arguing kava potentially
replaces part of the experience and ritual people associate with drinking.
I mean that's a very different proposition.

Speaker 2 (10:17):
Yeah.

Speaker 5 (10:17):
And that's the thing is we're not saying never drink alcohol.
It's just and consumers are also thinking the same. Look,
alcohol is amazing, Unfortunately the science is clear it's really
bad for us. So just drink on fewer occasions and
then Friday night maybe you had that glass of wine
or beer after work. Kava we think is a lot better.

Speaker 3 (10:35):
So now I want to talk about can Kava crossover?
So the billion dollars sober curious opportunity, Right, let's put
your investor hat on, and let's put it back on,
because there is serious money moving into this behavioral shift.
The NIQ reported nine hundred and twenty five million dollars
in US off premise sales of non alcoholic beer, wine,

(10:56):
and spirits in its twenty twenty five analysis. That's up
about twenty five percent year over year, and more recent
reporting citing Nielsen data, says US sales have since surpassed
the one billion billion dollar mark. But cava isn't simply
non alcoholic beer or zero proof spirit. Kianu says its
mission is to bring high quality kava directly from farmers

(11:19):
in Vanuat to two consumers and make an unfamiliar product
approachable enough for American audience. That's a great statement. So, Alex,
what has historically prevented kava from becoming mainstream in America?
Is it tastes?

Speaker 6 (11:34):
Is it?

Speaker 3 (11:35):
Education, preparation, distribution, misconceptions are all in the above. And
what are you doing differently with Kianu that you believe
can finally move kava from a niche community into America's refrigerators, bars,
restaurants in our social lives.

Speaker 5 (11:49):
Yeah, I mean that was some of the first questions
like out from investors. You know, why is if kava
is so amazing, why is it not big? And one
easy way to break it down is look at the
supplier side and the consumer side. Right, So in the
Pacific Islands, only recently has caba been a high enough
quality and enough quantity to really scale outside of the Pacific.
You know, it's a lot easier to make coffee or

(12:11):
tea global, it's easy to transport, it's lighter, you can
be dried. It comes from places that are more accessible
to global markets. But with kaba, you're dealing with roots
of a plant that need to be frozen or refrigerated
to ensure quality, dealing with remote islands, and there just
wasn't enough kaba. But now there is enough kaba, and
there is a technology and supply chain to get it

(12:33):
to the States in high quality form. Then obviously on
the consumer side, you really have demand for something like
kava and the way you didn't before, right where people
are actively searching for these alternatives, So startups right new products.
That's at about timing. So I think we're timing bringing
caaba to a mass consumer really well. But you ultimately
have to make a product worth demanding. The analog is

(12:55):
non alcoholic beer, which you mentioned. Not alcoholic beer have
been around the seventies, but the products are always pretty
low quality. The liquid didn't taste that great, the branding
wasn't so great, and then a couple of brands, like
say Athletic Brewing came around and really made it appealing.
It's I think consummer products are like a Rubik's cube
where everything has to align to click to really earn
that consumer trust and adoption. That's where we're going for.

(13:18):
It's not the initial taste or trial of our strengths,
but the ritualization where you have Keanu, you really fall
in love with it and then have it one or two,
maybe three times weekly. And to do that you have
to make it taste good, look good, well branded, well packaged.
The messaging has to be clear. With kava, there's so
many variables, right, it's this new thing, it's from these
remote islands. It makes your mouth lumb. What are the effects?

Speaker 7 (13:40):
Right?

Speaker 5 (13:40):
So we've worked for so long on Kava across all elements,
the supply chain, the processing, the branding, to make it
as easy as possible to fall in love with it
and get it quickly that first cob experience is huge,
and we think we deliver the best possible cob experience
for those new to kava.

Speaker 3 (13:57):
Well, we are at the end of our date. Alex,
thank you so much much for joining me tonight and
for giving us a fascinating look at a beverage that's
ancient in its roots but potentially very modern in its opportunity.

Speaker 5 (14:08):
Thanks so much for having me.

Speaker 3 (14:09):
Now you could learn more about Kianu and sign up
for its drops and availability at drink Kanu dot com.
You can sign up for the waitlist and for a
deeper educational dive into caviculture history and the people behind it.
You can also visit Nothing Special Presents dot com. Follow
Alex on the Gram at am Russell fourteen, and definitely

(14:31):
follow Keianu at Drink Kiano. And of course there's been
another installment of Hydration with Heart brought to you. Buy
once Upon a Coconut premium coconut water with a Purpose,
with ten percent of profits going to charity. Because what's
in our glass is changing, and increasingly consumers want that
glass to reflect not just what tastes good, but how

(14:51):
they want to live. You're listening to a moment of
Zen right here on seven to ten WR, the voice
of ruric iHeartRadio. We'll be right back after this.

Speaker 1 (14:59):
A moment of ze and is brought to you by
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Speaker 3 (15:25):
Welcome back, beautiful New York Tri State Area and beyond.
You're listening to a Moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten WR, the voice of New York iHeartRadio.
I'm your host, Zenzam's Welcome back to the Lifestyle Edit,
brought to you by Melia Hotels International, where we're exploring
the people, destinations and lifestyle trends changing the way modern
families see the world. And today we're talking about one

(15:48):
particular member of the family who doesn't book the flight,
doesn't pay for the hotel and definitely doesn't pack their
own suitcase, Yet increasingly may determine where the entire family goes.
Are pets our headliner today, no dog, no deal. Are
pets becoming the new power travelers? Because we're moving beyond
simply pet friendly travel, We're entering the era of pet

(16:11):
first travel. A national twenty twenty six survey found forty
three percent of pet owners prefer bringing their pets when
they travel, rising to forty seven percent among gen Z
pet owners. Even more interestingly, sixty five percent say their
pet is likely to influence their travel decisions, while forty
five percent say they've changed, limited, or even canceled travel

(16:34):
because they couldn't find suitable pet accommodations. Now, interestingly, the
younger generation the gen Z pet owners, that last figure
jumps to fifty seven percent. So whether the hospitality industry
realizes it or not, the dog may officially have a
vote in the family vacation. And I recently experienced this firsthand.
I just traveled internationally to Greece with my dog Elvis,

(16:56):
and I can tell you traveling overseas with your pet
is absolutely possible, but it requires an entirely different level
of preparation. I have to navigate his veterinary documentation, health certificates,
USDA requirements and endorsement, airline requirements, and the timing of
everything before we ever even boarded that flight. So today
we're going to do more than talk about beautiful destinations.

(17:17):
We're going to create a practical pet travel playbook. How
do you travel internationally with your dog? What paperwork do
you need? How early should you start? What should you
ask the airline? How do you identify a truly pet
friendly hotel? And once you arrive, what separates a property
that simply allows your dog from one that actually welcomes
your dog. And that's where our partner for the lifestyle Edit,

(17:40):
Melia Hotels International, becomes particularly relevant. Melia travelers can already
find pet friendly options across a range of destinations from
Spain and the Canary Islands to France and Germany, with
individual properties offering different programs, amenities and conditions for four
legged travelers. Now this brings me to just more. Jess

(18:00):
is a Canadian photographer, a videographer and content creator, best
known for documenting life and travel with her Australian shepherd,
Sodona through cinematic storytelling, practical travel advice, and some unforgettable
viral selfies. Jess inspires people around the world to create
extraordinary memories with their dogs. Jess and Sdona don't just
photograph the pet travel lifestyle, they live it. Jess Moore,

(18:24):
Welcome to the show, Superstar. Hello, so excited to have
you on. I know that you're piping in all the
way from Italy.

Speaker 7 (18:30):
Yes, yeah, we're on Lake Homer right now, in a
little town called Minaujio.

Speaker 3 (18:33):
I hope I pronounce that right. Well, wherever you are
sounds fabulous. Let's talk about the pet first revolution. So
who's actually choosing the vacation is the question. I want
to start with the headliner. No dog, no deal. So
sixty four percent of pet owners surveyed say their pet
is likely to influence their travel choices. Right, I went
down those statistics. Forty five percent have changed, limited or

(18:57):
canceled travel because suitable pet accommodation weren't available. You and
I were just talking about this backstage. That's real consumer behavior.
So for decades, hospitality brands have designed family travel around
pets and children, but the modern definition of family has expanded.
So Jess how much does Sedona actually determine where you go,

(19:18):
which hotels you book, and what you do when you arrive.
And are dogs becoming genuine decision makers in the modern
family vacation. What are your thoughts?

Speaker 7 (19:26):
Absolutely, I think pets are definitely becoming more of a
decision maker. In reality, you have like three choices. You
have a friend look after your pet, you bored them,
or you take them with you. And most of my
friends my family want to take our pets with them,
so we're choosing the ladder. I'd say definitely she influences
how I travel more than where I travel, because already
I'm looking for places that have good outdoor activities where

(19:48):
I can do.

Speaker 3 (19:48):
Things with her.

Speaker 7 (19:50):
And when it comes to hotels, there's definitely a huge
difference between when they tolerate a pet versus when they're
actually welcoming them like a guest. And I found that
if I'm looking at the marketing of a website for
their for the hotels, if they don't have any photos
of dogs and they say that they allow them, that
secretly means that they probably don't want it, like they
don't actually want the dogs there. So I always look

(20:12):
to make sure that they have photos of dogs on
their social media and their website, and that's usually like
a big green flag.

Speaker 3 (20:17):
Oh yeah, that's a great point. Yeah, definitely. The website
is a telltale sign, and so is their social media
Instagram page, because you can discover a lot through a page, right, sure.
So the International Pet Travel Playbook, so before you book
the flight, So let's make this really useful for our listeners,
because this is the part I just experienced personally with Elvis.
You just experienced it with Sedona. So when I took

(20:39):
him to Greece, there were layers the veterinarian, the health certificate,
USDA paperwork and endorsement, microchip and rabies documentation, airline requirements,
destination country requirements, and then the timing. Yeah, and the timing.
So USDA makes something very clear that every traveler should understand.

(20:59):
The destination country determines its own animal entry requirements. So
depending on your destination, you may need to work with
a USD accredited veterinarian, obtain an international health certificate, and
have the certificate endorsed by Usdaight, So, Jess, give us
your international pet travel checklist. If someone listening today says

(21:19):
I'm taking my dog to Europe. What should they do
from the moment they choose the destination until they're standing
at the airport.

Speaker 7 (21:27):
Definitely, it can't be too impulsive. There has to be
a lot of pre planning going into that, so start early.

Speaker 3 (21:32):
For sure.

Speaker 7 (21:33):
It's pretty generic for most international travel, but every country
does have like their own requirements for entry, but definitely
is going to be the vaccinations. They have to have
a RAV shot, microchip has to be active, make sure
your information on your microchip is right, make sure it's updated,
and then a health certificate to the USD requirements are

(21:53):
very important, and that's when you have to have timing
associated with that, so you can get that only ten days.
Well for our trip to Europe, I'm not sure if
it's different for other countries, but you need ten day
window to get this health certificate, and if it doesn't arrive,
technically you're not allowed to leave on your flight, so
that's super important. It's just a generic health testing and
then they write down all the information. Just make sure

(22:14):
everything's up to date with your dog, and then thankfully
there are services that can help you with this. So
for our recent trip to Europe, we flew with Tuskenhound
Air and I couldn't recommend them enough because I get
really nervous doing paperwork and my worst fear is like
getting somewhere and then being like no, no, no, you
actually can't entry because there's no entry allowed because you
haven't done this form, this form, in this form. So
there's our services that you can go about with it.

Speaker 3 (22:35):
So I highly recommend getting.

Speaker 7 (22:37):
A service to help you if you're nervous about the paperwork,
but you can't do it yourself as well.

Speaker 3 (22:41):
Now airport to a rival, So is your dog actually
ready for this? Now we've handled the paperwork, but paperwork
gets the dog across the border. It doesn't necessarily make
the experience comfortable for the dog. Long flights, airport terminals,
unfamiliar sounds, carriers, security, bathrooms, and disruptive routines can all

(23:02):
be very stressful, especially for the four legged little guys.
And this is where responsible pet travel has to come
before instagrammable pet travel. So how do you how do
you prepare Sedona physically and emotionally for a major travel day?
Give us your practical carry on checklists, food, water, exercise,
bathroom planning, carriers, comfort items and anything people commonly forget

(23:23):
and are there certain dogs or certain trips where you
would actually tell an owner this time your pet may
be happier staying home.

Speaker 8 (23:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (23:32):
The biggest thing is being honest with yourself about how
your dog is going to react in these situations, and
that could be based on their temperament if they get
anxious in certain environments. Like be very honest with you
because it's going to save you a lot of hassle
in the long run. For example, like I wouldn't bring
Sedona to Turks and Kekos when we go in the
wintertime because I know she has her winter coat. Taking
her over there, it's gonna be she's going to struggle

(23:53):
in the heat way too much. And she can't just
be shaved like a regular non double coated dog and
uh taken to conser iteration, what are the other dogs
like in countries and cities like that? Because I know
that they have a lot of unvaccinated dogs. I would
never put her in a situation where if anything happened
like that's not looking good and you're not coming home
if your dog gets infected by something. So those are

(24:15):
some serious things to consider when you are traveling and
for the preparation that goes towards it. stoneA is a
fantastic travel Thank you. That made my job very easy
when planning. But typically we'll just have like a big
exercise day the day before and then limit water and
food before jumping in the car, and then for airline practices,
we do the standard don't feed or drink four hours before,

(24:37):
lots of potty breaks in between, and then they're ready
to go.

Speaker 3 (24:41):
Now, you mentioned something earlier. You said you flew with
Tusk and Hound Air and this allowed you to not
have to put her in cargo, because I'm sure that's
very stressful. Talk to me about that experience.

Speaker 7 (24:53):
Yes, yeah, So we were looking for different options to
travel with Sedona. So originally I thought the only way
to get a large dog who's not a service dog
to a different country was cargo hold. And I know
there's circulation that, oh, some airlines are starting to open
them up, but like when you look at the requirements,
they're not there yet. They might be soon, but they're
not there yet. So I was looking for different services.

(25:14):
So I found Tuscanhound Air and I got a bit
nervous because I was like eleven dogs on a flight.
I think our flight also had two cats on it.
Then you have your people. I was like, how's this
flight gonna go? But I am so happy that I
did it. It was like the easiest flight I've ever
had in my life. And not to mention like going
through customs, the pre boarding and the getting to Italy

(25:34):
was the easiest experience of my life. It was no stress.
She slept pretty much the whole time. They had my
dinner ready, they had her dinner ready. No, they had everything,
and then they had like little dental sticks in the morning,
so that when she wakes up it's like she's brushing
her teeth.

Speaker 3 (25:48):
Oh yeah, No, they really thought it all out.

Speaker 7 (25:51):
I would definitely recommend checking them out if you are
going to do international travel.

Speaker 3 (25:55):
Now let's say we've landed. This is where choosing the
right hotel becomes incredibly important, and I want our listeners
to know that when they're planning their next getaway. Melia
Hotels International has pet friendly options across a number of
destinations and brands worth exploring. So for example, Melia, Colone,
Grand Melia and Seville currently offers a pet program allowing

(26:17):
up to two dogs per room with no weight limit
and special amenities then you have inside Alicante Portamadies also
advertises up to two dogs per room without weight restrictions,
along with welcoming details. So there are pet friendly Melia
options right. You got Zaragoza, Barcelona, Paris, Desh just among

(26:39):
a few of the destinations. So my advice to our
listeners is, when you're planning the trip visit Melia, explore
the destination you're interested in and look specifically for that
property's pet friendly offering. Don't assume every property is identical.
Check the conditions, any applicable fee, and exactly what is
included before booking, because pet friendly, to Jess's point, isn't

(27:00):
one universal standard. So just as an experienced pet traveler
who's familiar with Melia and their properties, what are the
five things you investigate before booking a hotel? What separates
a hotel that simply allows dogs from one that makes
you in Sidona genuinely feel welcome?

Speaker 7 (27:19):
Yeah, So typically I start with what's the pet feet,
what's the pet weight? Because a lot of times the
threshold will be like thirty pounds, which means that any
dog above that isn't technically allowed and sit on this
forty pounds so it's kind of that awkward in between
where she could maybe passes a little bit smaller, but
she is bigger, but definitely checking where they're allowed on

(27:39):
the property. So sometimes if they do say dog friendly,
they'll be like, oh, just in your room, And like
half the time you bring them into the lobby and
they're like, oh, like that, we don't really want you here,
and you're like, well, this isn't really pet friendly then,
just because I could lock them in the room and
they can stay there, like I want, I want to
be checking if they're allowed in the in the restaurants
or the patios, if there's an outside feel for them
to like walk around or do their business. If you're

(28:01):
going above and beyond, do they have a dog menu?
Do they have like a dog park? Because we stay
in at the melliaut Orlando Celebrations. We've gone there the
last three years and that is one of my favorite
hotels I think I've ever been for dog reasons and myself.

Speaker 1 (28:17):
She's absolutely everywhere.

Speaker 7 (28:18):
They have a dog park outside, they have Pooh bags
everywhere if I forgot one up in the room or something.
They have a doggy welcome kit, And my most important
thing is like when you are walking into the hotel,
like the first thing I want them to be doing
is being like, oh, here she is, and like they're
treating Sadona just like she's a guest. I'm a guest
as well. It's like they're just as excited that she's

(28:40):
coming in there. And also when you see like the
treats on the side of the desk, you know it's
a good sign because it gets her all excited seeing
the people and it just the little things add up
and it makes it a very, very incredible experience.

Speaker 3 (28:52):
You could follow Jess and Sdona's adventures directly on their website,
Azzi Sedona dot com, or check them out on on Instagram, TikTok,
Facebook and YouTube at Ozzy dot Sedona. That's at Aussie
dot sed o Na. This has been the Lifestyle Edit
brought to you by Melia Hotels International. Right here on

(29:13):
a Moment of Zen. We'll be right back after this.

Speaker 2 (29:15):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Melia
Hotels International. From Melorca to the World. Our story began
over six decades ago and continues across some of the
most sought after destinations on Earth. From luxury hotels that
blend Mediterranean character with European prestige to destination designed all
inclusive resorts celebrating local culture through immersive experiences. This is

(29:39):
what we offer our guests, This is who we are.
We are Melia Discover more at Melia dot com.

Speaker 3 (29:45):
Welcome back, beautiful New York Tri state area and beyond.
You're listening to a moment of Zen right here on
seven to ten. Woar the voice of New York iHeartRadio.
I'm your host, Zen SAMs. It's time to go beyond
the signal brought to you by Lela Quantum Technologies, where
we explore the forces, the tech and emerging science shaping

(30:05):
how we think, feel, perform, and ultimately heal. And today
we're tackling an industry that has exploded from a wellness
trend into a cultural obsession longevity, cold plunges, peptides, continuous
glucose monitors, red light supplements, biological age tests, sleep trackers,

(30:26):
mitochondrial optimization. I mean, we're measuring practically everything in an
effort to slow down one thing. None of us has
ever been able to stop aging, but maybe we've been
asking the wrong question. A brand new twenty twenty six
Health Longevity Insights report serving one thousand Americans found that
seventy five percent would rather focus on living better than

(30:47):
simply living longer, while sixty eight percent believe longevity should
be about aging well, not staying young. And while only
twelve percent say they're actively biohacking, get this, eighty percent
say they'd be willing to try emerging longevity trends if
they're backed by evidence. So perhaps the future isn't about
cheating death. Maybe it's about changing the way our bodies

(31:09):
experience aging in the first place. Well, my guest has
spent more than two decades trying to answer those very
questions on his own body. Ben Greenfield is our returning contributor.
He's a longevity and biohacking expert, human performance coach, entrepreneur,
and New York Times bestselling author of seventeen books, including
Boundless and Beyond Training. He holds degrees in sports science

(31:32):
and exercise physiology. He's completed thirteen Ironman triathlons. He was
named America's Top personal Trainer by NSCA and today hosts
the Boundless Life podcast. While working at the intersection of
human performance and longevity and fitness and nutrition and mind
body optimization. Welcome to the show Superstar. Yo.

Speaker 6 (31:52):
Yeah, I think everything you listed in that introduction I
did this morning.

Speaker 3 (31:56):
One thousand percent. Follow I follow your twenty four hour
stories and I can verify you did all of it.

Speaker 8 (32:01):
Yeah.

Speaker 3 (32:02):
Yeah, So Ben, let's start with the longevity lie. What
are we getting wrong? What are we getting wrong about longevity?
Are we chasing an unrealistic promise of stopping aging when
the real goal should be extending health span? And more importantly,
how much control do we actually have over how well
our bodies age?

Speaker 5 (32:19):
Well?

Speaker 6 (32:19):
You're asking the question about is it how many years
in your life or life in your years?

Speaker 3 (32:23):
Yeah?

Speaker 6 (32:23):
I would argue that you can strike a balance between
the two. You can certainly put a lot of life
in your ear your years through you know, big macs
and loud rock concerts and plenty of cigarettes and a
lot of stimulants and four cups of coffee every morning
before seven am, and you probably won't be around that long.

(32:43):
You probably will not be feeling that well by the
time you're about fifty or sixty years old. As far
as a lot of the chronic diseases like obesity and diabetes,
high blood pressure, et cetera. At the same time, you
can also engage in a pretty selfish, obsessed, and narcissistic
pursuit of living as long as possible by spending most

(33:05):
of your day like in a hyperbaric chamber and cold
and hungry and libido less inside a you know, cryout
therapy chamber and doing every blood test known to humankind
and a four to six hour elaborate morning routine and
not much life, right, not much family, social life relationships,

(33:25):
even elements of things like faith, community, and family that
I think are just as important for happiness and fulfillment.
So you could live a long time and not be happy.
I mean, that's kind of the definition of like Golam
and Lord of the Rings, Right, he's certainly old, but
he's not necessarily feeling that good about himself, and he's
you know, not certainly doing the world must have a favor.

(33:47):
I think that the lens through which we need to
look at this is how can I equip myself to
be as meaningful and impactful with whatever purpose God has
put me on this world to achieve without being too
selfish about the way I go about taking care of
myself and understanding that The goal is not to grasp
at straws and live as long as humanly possible. The
goal is to take care of yourself so that you're

(34:08):
able to live as fully as possible.

Speaker 3 (34:11):
Yeah yeah, on tree person. Right now, the question is
can we actually reprogram the human body? So, now let's
get to the word reprogram. You use it a lot,
I use it a lot. This is where longevity science
gets really interesting, because scientists can now measure age associated
changes in DNA methylation through what we commonly call epigenetic clocks. Right,

(34:31):
and in twenty twenty five researchers just last year they
published in Nature Aging. They used the Crisp bar guided
epigenetic edition on specific age associated sites and human cells,
and they observed broader changes across the epigenetic aging network.
But and this is critical, that does not mean scientists
have proven that we can reverse human aging. Even the

(34:54):
researchers acknowledge that we're still trying to understand whether some
epigenetic changes actually contribut to aging or are simply markers
of it. So, Ben, when we say reprogram the human body,
what can we realistically reprogram today? I mean, can exercise, sleep, nutrition,
everything that we just talked about stress regulation, light exposure,
and environmental inputs actually alter our biological trajectory. Or are

(35:19):
we sometimes confusing improvements in biomarkers with reversing aging itself.

Speaker 6 (35:24):
Yeah, you just touched on something important. Like you know,
I've done, for example, gene therapy and Tijuana, Mexico, amongst
a handful of other experiments that I've done on my body,
And the goal of that was to reduce scarcopenia, right,
which is the muscle loss that naturally occurs as we age.
It worked in terms of me not changing my calorie intake,

(35:45):
my weightlifting protocol, and gaining around ten pounds of muscle
in about three months. However, there is no evidence that
that meaningfully contributes to let's say, something like life extension.
I think that you could definitely make a case that
something like that would contribute to functional capacity with age.
It's just like the research is too young to know
if something like that is actually going to cause people

(36:08):
to live longer. When you look at a lot of
the peptides that people are using now, some of those
actually do regulate, either upregulate or downregulate or modulate in
some way certain genetic aging pathways and there are some
that seem to suggest in things like rodent models, for example,
that you might somehow decrease the rate at which mitochondria age,

(36:31):
and that might decrease the rate at which the overall
organism ages. And there's kind of like evidence, but not strong,
robust human clinical evidence that that might be the case. However,
if we go beyond something like gene therapy or peptides
or supplements or medications or other factors that we might
consider to be from the biohacking or the pharmaceutical world,

(36:54):
and we look at Harvard's longest lived study on longevity
or longest running study on longevity over eighty years, they
found a meaningful impact on not only longevity, but also
quality of life and happiness and fulfillment in people who
had the highest quality of love and relationships in their life.
And that is a long term study. And if you

(37:17):
go back and you look at the work of someone
like Bruce Lipton and the biology of belief or even
some of the things that are taught in the Proverbs
and the Bible or other spiritual texts, the idea of
your emotions, your mood, and the people that you're around
directly impacting your biology and now being shown to impact
your longevity does suggest that we can reprogram ourselves. But

(37:39):
perhaps the thing that's most proven to do it isn't
the sexy stuff that everybody's talking about. It's coming full
circle to what we were talking about earlier. You know, family, faith,
community relationships, etc. There are certain things that kind of
fall in the soft middle. We know that cardiovascular exercise,
grip strength, walking, speed, fresh air, sunshine, things along those

(38:00):
lines seem to contribute to both quality of life and
also some amount of life extension. But you know, a
lot of the hardcore biohacking and pharmaceutical stuff has yet
to be proven out in humans.

Speaker 3 (38:13):
Yeah, and that's such an important line to draw because
to your point, optimizing the way of fifty year old
body functions is scientifically very different from claiming you've somehow
turned that body back into a three year old one.

Speaker 6 (38:25):
Right, right exactly.

Speaker 3 (38:27):
Now you've experimented ben with more biohacks than almost anyone. Okay,
So if tomorrow I took away your gadgets and your
advanced therapies and your giant supplement cabinet, what are the
three or four non negotiables you'd keep because the evidence
tells us they deliver the biggest return on health spam.

Speaker 6 (38:44):
If we were just going to say the things I
might do when I get up in the morning, I
would say top three would be lifting heavy objects right
for grip strength, for muscle maintenance, for bone density, for
a lot of the things that help each remain functional
when you age. Number two would be sunshine, just because
of the vast amounts of benefits that red light, infrared light,

(39:05):
full spectrum light exposure can do for your circadian rhythm,
for your mitochondria, host of other benefits. Great new book
out about that by Rowan Jacobson called In Defense of Sunlight.
I just interviewed all my podcast Sunlight is Good for
You in moderation. And then the last one be thermal stress,
meaning subjecting myself to some element of heat and some

(39:26):
element of cold on a daily basis to induce cellular resilience,
to detox, to get the metabolic effect, etc. So if
you lift heavy stuff, get out in the sun and
get yourself uncomfortably hot and uncomfortably cold at least a
few times a week.

Speaker 3 (39:42):
I love that, Ben, because we've overcomplicated wellness. Now let's
go beyond the signal, because longevity isn't happening inside a vacuum.
So the WHO, the World Health Organization, actually defines healthy
aging as an interaction between our intrinsic physical and mental
capacity and the environment around. And our modern environment is

(40:02):
radically different from the one human biology evolved within, right
artificial light screens, Wi Fi, constant connectivity, altered sleep patterns,
and chronic physiological stimulations. So you've personally explored this area extensively,
and you've experimented with leela Quantum Tech's Infinity block. Now,

(40:23):
lela Q currently reports fifty nine plus studies, including forty
eight plus plus EBO controlled studies exploring areas within ATP
production and cellular recovery HRV and environmental stressors. Those are
liloq's reported research figures rather than established medical consensus, but
they give us something measurable to discuss. So, Ben, what

(40:45):
initially convinced you that our invisible environment was something worth biohacking?
And specifically, what did you personally experience or measure with
leelaque that made you say, Okay, there's enough here that
I want to keep exploring this.

Speaker 6 (40:59):
Yeah, I quantum block over there, you can't see it
what I'm wearing the necklace.

Speaker 3 (41:04):
Say look me too, the capsule right there.

Speaker 6 (41:07):
I noticed an increase in HRV and sleep quality. Primarily
I have the small car block in my Tesla because
that's a high EMF environment. And despite me being skeptical
about a necklace that somehow emits invisible energy or a
block or a device in my electrical car that also
does that, I had like three pretty hard conversations with

(41:29):
their scientists at Leila on my podcast, you know, like
I recorded them, and they took a deep dive into
the double blinded science that they've actually conducted, specifically on
cell phone usage, right on the effects that smartphone radio
frequencies have on brainwave signals and HRV. And like I said,

(41:50):
I was skeptical, but I can't argue with their results,
and I can't argue with my N equals one results,
and they're definitely not going to hurt you. And I
think that considering a lot of what Leela does in
the quantum energy realm, even includes things like free trials,
et cetera. You know, it's one of those things where

(42:11):
I think it's worth trying. And I certainly notice the
difference and if you look at their website, like the
studies are pretty compelling. Quantum energy is weird, Like it's
something that we have not even going to tap into.
You know, Quantum computing is purported to be the way
of the future when it comes to computing power, but
it's really been understudied in science, and I think we're

(42:32):
going to learn more and more about its effects on
biology going forward. And Leela's kind of pioneering a lot
of that.

Speaker 3 (42:38):
That was Ben Greenfield in Your Times, best selling author,
longevity and biohacking expert and host of the Boundless Life podcast.
You can learn more about Ben and explore his books,
his podcast, his articles, and coaching at Ben Greenfieldlife dot com.
And you can follow him on social media at Ben
Greenfield Fitness. And of course, you can learn more about
the technology and research behind Leela quan Tech at Leela

(43:01):
q dot com. This has been Beyond the Signals series
brought to you by Leela que. You're listening to a
Moment of Zen right here on seven ten war the
Voice of New York iHeartRadio.

Speaker 8 (43:11):
We'll be right back after this.

Speaker 2 (43:12):
A Moment of Zen is brought to you by Leila
Quantum tech. Today's wireless screenfield world leaves many people feeling
depleted and stressed. Leila quantum Tech science backed technology supports
energy performance and well being while helping mitigate harmful EMF effects.
Trusted by world class athletes, biohackers, and functional medicine practitioners,
Leila quantum Tech helps people unlock their potential through science

(43:35):
and frequency. Discover what's possible for your energy, focus and wellbeing.
Go to leelaq dot com and use code amox for
ten percent off.

Speaker 3 (43:44):
Welcome back, beautiful New York Tri State area and beyond.
You're listening to a moment of Zen right here on
seven ten War, the voice of New York iHeartRadio. I'm
your host, Zenzams. I'm going to pass the mic to
our Going Deep host Lineaker for an exclusive conversation with
doctor com Makshi Zeidler. Lay that take it away.

Speaker 1 (44:02):
I have the pleasure and honor of having doctor Camachchi
Zeidler with us today on the Going Deep podcast. She's
an amazing surgeon, Word certified plastic surgeon, and she's with
us here today. Welcome doctor z Thank you.

Speaker 9 (44:16):
I Sacha do honor to be here with you. Get
to sit down and go a little deeper.

Speaker 1 (44:19):
Well, a little deeper, yes, And today what we're going
to talk about is what caring for others cost the body,
whether you're patients or for you. And I know you're
in private practice, yes, because even in the system when
you're not in private practice. I had a friend of
mine who she saw eighteen patients, eighteen patients, she delivered

(44:40):
three babies in one day.

Speaker 8 (44:43):
Yeah, it's a lot in one day, but it's typical.

Speaker 9 (44:47):
I mean it's typical as a physician when you have
a part of your practice that's clinic based, Like you
have to see patients in surgery, we have to do consultations,
you know, let people know what they're getting themselves into.
We have to do preops and prepare them for surgery.
It's the surgery, but then there's all the aftercare that's
also important. And so yeah, I mean a clinic day

(45:08):
can be twenty patients, sometimes thirty patients and maintaining that
high personal touch.

Speaker 8 (45:14):
It's not something that is.

Speaker 9 (45:16):
Easy to do as a physician, even when you really
want to and are dedicated to.

Speaker 1 (45:20):
Yeah, because you kind of because it's your practice, you
can decide on how you want to operate. So even
with what's going on in medicine, what belief zones right,
what causes harm? What belief in medicine zones right to you?
And what causes harm?

Speaker 9 (45:35):
Hmmm, belief in medicine. I mean, I think the thing
that unites us as physicians is some sort of caring
to improve the life of a patient, you know, and
aesthetics we're really looking at creating confidence, Like we're not
really about making people beautiful. We're really helping people to
feel confident in their own bodies, in their own skin.

(45:56):
And so sometimes it can be very little things, sometimes
it can be very very big things. But even outside
of aesthetics, I think this universal desire to you know,
help another human being somehow be better, it really aligns.
And that's what's wonderful about medicine. I mean, that's what
drives people to still want to go into medicine and

(46:17):
you know, sacrifice the best years of their life to
learn and to hone skills. And that's the thing that
motivates us to push through you know, paperwork, things that
sometimes are really not fun parts of the job. And
I think that dovetails a little bit into the harm
because sometimes when the systems aren't set up well, there

(46:38):
can be burned out. I mean there's a reason why
I was not as drawn towards staying in academics. Sometimes
there's different challenges in private practice, but the maintenance of
the business, you know, taking care of the team, like
it takes a lot of work.

Speaker 8 (46:53):
I mean, you found it run a business.

Speaker 9 (46:54):
You understand that there's a lot of operational pieces that
need to happen.

Speaker 8 (46:58):
So when those things.

Speaker 9 (46:59):
Are not work and they put extra weight on the physician.
I know when I have you know, leases and orders
it need to get in, and when I didn't have
you know, a rad business team and partner to help
me with all of those things, those things would take
away my joy, my ability to really be empathetic and
in the moment with each patient, giving them that little

(47:21):
extra sparkle that I have to get.

Speaker 8 (47:22):
Them through, you know, something significant in life.

Speaker 9 (47:25):
So it's it's both the beauty and the difficulty in
this in these specialties.

Speaker 1 (47:31):
Because it's not just as you said, it's not just
about being in front of the patient. There's so many
behind that they've seen things, the operational parts of running
a business, because really it's a business.

Speaker 8 (47:41):
It is my business and.

Speaker 1 (47:42):
Your product or your service is the product you know
that you're pushing through the practice. So if you don't
have a lot of that, and for people in solo
practices without a lot of that support, I can imagine
how much more challenging it is for them.

Speaker 8 (47:57):
Always it.

Speaker 1 (47:58):
I mean you, as a physician, you do spend the
time with your patients. You do, I know this about
you care about your patience and you're a great surgeon
and you have a great business behind you. How does
that affect you and your body?

Speaker 8 (48:10):
Yeah?

Speaker 9 (48:11):
Well, funny you should ask because I was doing some
LiPo suction the other day and felt like I was
about to throw out my back, which I did do once,
And so I think the surgery side of things is
physically demanding in some ways. I joke, I'm like, oh,
I'm like a construction worker at times, like doing liposuction,
and what the power assists we have in some ways
is like holding them in a jackhammer, and so there

(48:32):
is wear and tear on the body.

Speaker 8 (48:34):
I think that the.

Speaker 9 (48:36):
Ability to take care of yourself definitely allows you to
be more present for patients. So if my body is
not hurting, I can, you know, feel more comfortable in
surgery and really focus on the results and not be
distracted by my own discomfort. You know, same thing seeing patients.
If the weight of running the business and all that
stress isn't, you know, taking away my joy, then I

(48:58):
can really be there. So, you know, to your point
of taking care of yourself, it's really important.

Speaker 8 (49:05):
And then how you do that.

Speaker 9 (49:06):
I think that I've certainly over the past couple of decades,
have adapted some strategies that build in a lot of
you know, control, so that I mean, what are some
of those strategies.

Speaker 8 (49:16):
Yeah, well it's interesting, and I tell people in the
industry this.

Speaker 9 (49:19):
Is like you you always think of that important business
meeting that you've scheduled that you've wanted to set up
for a long time, that can't be moved. You know,
someone calls, hey, can you meet it? Such as no, Like,
I have this meeting that is very important. And so
I had a shift in thinking. Some of this came
around COVID, you know, and my son asked me. He's like, well,

(49:40):
you know, I want you to take me to school more.
And I'd be like, well, I have to work. He's like,
but aren't you the boss. I'm like, well kind of
He's like, just can you just change it? And so
it got me thinking and so I started to schedule,
like my role as a mother, time with my son
is like, oh, this is a meeting with my CEO.

Speaker 8 (49:59):
I planned we like for the.

Speaker 9 (50:01):
Year, plan we put in the vacations, even like day
to day things, We're going to do this activity, that activity,
and so stuff always comes up, you know, patients need things,
the business needs things. But when I have that, you know,
that meeting that's been scheduled with my life CEO, like
I don't cancel it, and I don't miss it, and
I don't change it. And so that's helped me have
a lot of control over you know, my time with

(50:22):
him and feeling that I have certain very high touch
points always you know, as a mom as that's a
side of me, and that's carried on to like my
own wellness too. So like same thing with exercise classes.
It's like, Okay, maybe do I feel guilty, Sorry I
can't meet I have pilates. You know, it gives me
a sense of control to just say, yeah, like I
have a meeting that you know, it's it's been on

(50:43):
the books for a while.

Speaker 8 (50:44):
Can't move it.

Speaker 9 (50:45):
But let's do this so that I can feel really
comfortable protecting my own wellness.

Speaker 1 (50:50):
Well, thank you so much, CAZy, thank you all for listening,
and we want to thank doctor Z for being with
us today.

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Speaker 3 (51:29):
Well that's a wrap, my dear friends. We are at
the end of our date. It's been a pleasure of
being your host tonight right here on seven to ten
WR the voice of New york iHeartRadio. Thank you for
tuning in to a Moment of Zen. As always, you
can find us directly on our website a Moment of
Zen dot com for live listening links and episode downloads
in your city. And also remember that we're live on

(51:52):
Traverse TV Sundays at one pm Eastern YouTube Sundays at
two pm Eastern, and all episodes of A Moment of
Zen are available on your home TV streaming platform. You
could head directly to mx dot yourhometv dot com. Thank
you for listening to us. It's been a pleasure of
being your host, and thanks again to all of our partners, sponsors,
and advertisers that continue to make the show possible. We'll

(52:13):
be back next week, and remember, happiness is the only
thing that multiplies when you share it.