Growth Island

Growth Island

Growth Island is a podcast about how to become and be the best version of yourself. The focus is on strategies, tools, and blueprints for a meaningful life. I interview high performers and experts within nutrition, meditation, exercise, relationships, business, general health and lifes bigger mysteries. More info at www.growthisland.com

Episodes

August 13, 2025 57 mins

In this episode, world-renowned sleep scientist Dr. Daniel Gartenberg reveals the surprising truths behind sleep tracking, the real science of deep sleep, and how common mistakes are silently wrecking your recovery, and the future tech of sleep.

Dr. Daniel Gartenberg is a sleep scientist and the founder and CEO of SleepSpace, where he develops innovative solutions to improve sleep quality and health. He is also the Senior Sleep Heal...

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What made Steve Jobs such a powerful communicator? Tune into this episode of Growth Island w/ Forbes-featured communication expert/bestselling author Nancy Duarte to find out, and more how translating numbers into narratives help you win in business. In this talk, Nancy Duarte discusses the mechanics of making great presentations, the secrets to a powerful speech, and how to communicate better with your team and stakeholders. Drawi...
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Can going to saunas four times a week save you from a severe heart attack? Researchers says YES. In this video, we discuss the history and health benefits of saunas with Lassi A Liikkanen, author of the Amazon bestseller "The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design". Lassi is also a renowned expert in the construction of saunas and takes us through Finland’s history and present state of sauna development and innovation. If you're inter...
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Are you curious about psychedelics and drugs? Let’s hear what the experts have to say. In today’s episode of Growth Island, Professor Wayne Hall discusses his research into psychedelics, their potential benefits and harms, and how they might be used to help people struggling with addiction. He also comments on recent developments in the field of psychedelic research, including the increasing popularity of micro dosing. Wayne Hal...
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Did you know that Omega-3 fatty acids are essential nutrients that have health benefits for both mind and body? Tune into today’s episode of Growth Island for amazing unknown facts about whether olive oils are bad for you, and much more. In this interview, Udo Erasmus, author of "Fats That Heal, Fats That Kill" and "The Omega Diet," discusses the benefits of consuming omega fats, the healthy diet he recommends, and more. In this e...
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Can you stop trauma from happening? No, sometimes it is unavoidable but what we can do is weaken and rewire the damage that it has done using your minds capacity to heal, Dr. Caroline Leaf is my guest on Growth Island this week. Dr. Caroline Leaf is a communication pathologist and cognitive neuroscientist with a Masters and PhD in Communication Pathology and a BSc in Logopedics, specializing in cognitive and metacognitive n...
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Soon women will be able to reproduce on their own. This statement may scare some of you or may be comforting to know, but it’s all thanks to the power of stem cells. I have with me an esteemed guest Dr. Alessandro Prigion on the show this week. Dr. Alessandro Prigion is a professor of Pediatric Metabolic Medicine at the Medical Faculty of Heinrich Heine University in Dusseldorf, Germany and Editor-in-Chief of the journal St...
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Ever been told to trust your intuition? What if I told you that there is actually science backing it. Helané Wahbeh is the Director of Research at the Institute of Noetic Sciences and an associate assistant professor at Oregon Health & Science University's Department of Neurology. Her National Institutes of Health-funded VET-MIND study looked into the mechanisms of meditation for combat veterans with PTSD. Healing stress and trau...
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Is your air clean? Well, it depends on where you live and your personal environment. Patrick L. Kinney is here to shed some light on the topic. Patrick joined the School of Public Health faculty in January 2017 as the inaugural Beverly Brown Professor of Urban Health. He was trained as an air pollution epidemiologist at Harvard School of Public Health, and went to Boston University after two decades at the Columbia University...
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Friendships, like all relationships, take time and effort. But it does more for your life than most of the health hacks you can think of; to shine more light on the subject, I have Lydia Denworth on the show. Lydia Denworth is a science journalist based in Brooklyn, New York. She is a contributing editor at Scientific American, and the author of the book ‘Friendship: The Evolution, Biology, and Extraordinary Power of Life’s Fu...
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How do people manage to live a long, healthy and meaningful life for 100+ years? Is it possible for humans to decelerate, or even reverse aging? And most importantly, can seaweed really help you look and feel younger inside out? Sigh, so less is known and talked about the science and academia behind aging research. The guest for this week’s episode of Growth Island is Dr. Vera Gorbunova, a prominent name in biology and anti-agin...
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Does being a perfectionist stop you from connecting with your emotional side? Or does it stem from unresolved trauma? Well it depends on what type of perfectionism you are referring to, YES there are different types of perfectionists. This week's guest on Growth Island is an author, blogger, professor, Clinical Psychologist and has her own podcast. Dr. Margaret Rutherford holds a PhD. in Clinical Psychology, is a Adjunct Pr...
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Is your relationship or sex life going stale? Would you like to bring back the flare and spice things up with your significant other? Well, I’m sure we all need help every once in a while to keep the fire burning in a relationship, because relationships take time and effort, but it’s always worth it. This weeks guest on the Growth Island is a leading expert when it comes to sex and relationships. Dr. Laura Berman is a leadi...
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Do you want to get a tan without being in the sun or a tanning bed? Well I certainly do, Dr. Heather Smith-Fernandez, my guest on this episode, talks about all the amazing things peptides can do. Dr. Heather is fully trained and certified in Bioidentical Hormone Replacement, advanced biocellular aesthetics, Integrative medicine, and preventative health. In 2016, she opened the Regenerative Institute of Medicine and is the Foun...
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Does our memory grow weaker as we grow older? Is it inevitable that we forget more and mo- NOPE! That’s one of many misconceptions we debunk in today’s talk with Nelson Dellis! He is a five-time USA Memory Champion and Grandmaster of Memory. He is also one of the co-founders of Memory League and runs the nonprofit Climb 4 Memory. Safe to say, his passwords probably look like this - s6Kw4UmVgnC;>}c#5C Jokes aside, I wanted to lea...
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As the Russo-Ukrainian war continues, Ukraine has used lethal ‘Punisher drones’ to return fire. Sounds absolutely terrifying, right? What role do these drones play in shaping our future? In this unusual but important episode, I talk to retired Marine Corps Lieutenant Colonel, Wayne Phelps. He has commanded units at every level from Platoon to Squadron and was the commanding officer of the Marine Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Squadron Th...
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How important are your personal values when it comes to making business decisions? Well turns out they are really important, if your personal values don’t align with your business values you probably won't have the same level of interest in it anymore. My guest this week is Nikki Trott. She is an entrepreneur who was featured in Thrive Global’s “Top Thriving Female Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2021”, she is the founder of Conscious A...
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What do you do when you get a migraine? I take an alternating hot and cold shower, that's what works for me. Turns out that is one of the natural ways of soothing our nerves when we have a migraine. In this week's episode on the Growth Island we have a n expert on the topic. Dr. Stephen D. Silberstein MD, a neurologist and headache specialist, he is the Professor of Neurology and Director, Headache Center at Thomas Jefferson Unive...
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What do you look for when you go grocery shopping? I usually try to get foods that have the least amount of packaging and are the most fresh, that is usually the fruits and vegetables. This week's guest on Growth Island talks about how our nutrition and diets are a product of marketing and lobbying, more importantly he talks about what you as the consumer can do about it. Dr. Barry M. Popkin is a Distinguished Professor of nutrit...
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Can you sense the energy when people walk into a room? Like when someone walks in and everything becomes cheerful or someone else walks in and suddenly it's all gloomy. Well this week's guest sheds light on energy and what you can do about it, Whitney Freya is an author of 4 books with the latest being ‘30 Days to Unstoppable. She runs her own creative coaching center and has a plethora of online courses one could take to get in t...
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