Two Percent with Michael Easter

Episodet

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  #51: Creatine, Wearables, Carbs: What's Hype and What's Real | Brady Holmer 01.10.2026 51min

  Michael speaks with Brady Holmer, the exercise scientist and 2:24 marathoner behind the Substack Physiologically Speaking, about which fitness trends hold up. Brady explains why he stopped taking creatine, which numbers on your wearable to ignore, and why endurance athletes now eat the carbs of three Cokes an hour. They discuss: (00:00) Preview(00:35) Why Brady stopped taking creatine(03:26) Creatine is oversold for the brain(09:14) The wearable numbers to ignore(12:47) The problem with HRV(16:14) What wearables get right(18:49) Carb maxing: three Cokes an hour(24:56) What Lance Armstrong said about carbs(28:11) Race weight and eating enough(32:57) Why carb timing matters(36:33) Why Brady is eating less protein(38:57) Mile record or two-hour marathon?(41:35) The second running boom(45:58) More strength or more cardio?(48:15) Training with a newborn Subscribe to Brady's Substack, Physiologically Speaking: https://www.physiologicallyspeaking.comFind Brady: https://www.instagram.com/brady.j.holmer/ Sponsors:Lagoon: Go to lagoonsleep.com/TWOPCT and take the 60-second sleep quiz to find your perfect pillow. Use code TWOPCT for 15% off any pillow.MacroFactor: Download MacroFactor in the app store and use code TWOPCT for 14 days free.Vuori: Get 20% off your first purchase at vuori.com/TWOPCT. Exclusions apply. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #50: The Mormon Missionary Who Became a Real Housewife | Heather Gay 29.09.2026 1h

  Heather Gay, star of The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and author of Bad Mormon, tells Michael why she left the Mormon faith, what that decision cost, and how she rebuilt a sense of self and community. They also discussed her role on the show, and: (00:00) Preview(00:46) Why Heather left her faith(03:01) The choice that changed her life(05:35) Why she stayed Mormon for so long(11:15) The cost of trying to be perfect(15:52) Finding belonging after leaving a faith(22:00) Why most people live a double life(24:30) When reinvention works and when it fails(30:20) The stages of leaving a high-demand group(33:41) Finding a new community(38:36) Sales lessons from her Mormon mission(43:48) Choosing to be on Real Housewives despite pushback(50:10) Writing fiction: Eternal Glow(52:28) A Housewives rapid fire: takes on Jen, Lisa, and Meredith(57:47) Why the Real Housewives of Salt Lake City resonates Get Heather's book, Bad Mormon: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Bad-Mormon/Heather-Gay/9781982199548 Sponsors:MacroFactor: Try MacroFactor free for 14 days in the Apple or Android app store with code TWOPCT. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #49: Why We Should Stop Eating Lettuce | Tamar Haspel 24.09.2026 59min

  Michael speaks with Tamar Haspel, The Washington Post's Unearthed columnist and author of To Boldly Grow, about her case for why we should stop eating lettuce. Starting with the explosive diarrhea story behind her column, they examine lettuce's food-safety risks, the healthy reputation of salads, and how to eat well when nutrition advice conflicts. They discuss: (00:00) Preview(00:52) Lettuce and foodborne illness(05:11) Lettuce, water and food waste(09:07) The salad health halo(12:39) Lettuce backlash and staple crops(20:51) Potatoes, corn and other staples(26:34) What food policy can change(31:00) Restaurant portions and home cooking(33:46) Italy's meals versus American snacking(39:54) Dietary guidelines and protein(44:34) The case for diet soda(47:37) The blind egg taste test(51:20) Food dyes and food beliefs(55:42) Eating well with uncertain science Get Tamar's book, To Boldly Grow: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/688423/to-boldly-grow-by-tamar-haspel/Find Tamar: https://www.tamarhaspel.com Download MacroFactor in the Apple or Google app store. Get 14 days free with code TWOPCT. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #48: A Fox News Host’s Formula for Winning Arguments | Jessica Tarlov 22.09.2026 45min

  Michael speaks with Jessica Tarlov, co-host of The Five on Fox News and author of I Disagree, about how to argue without losing friends. Outnumbered four to one on the most-watched show in cable news, Jessica explains how she makes the truth safe to hear, why she argues with averages instead of anecdotes, and how to decide whether a disagreement is worth having. They discuss: (00:00) Preview(00:40) Her biggest conversion on The Five(05:08) Are we really more divided?(09:06) When one person breaks with the group(12:31) Making the truth safe to hear(16:51) Argue with averages, not anecdotes(21:26) Sowing a little doubt(24:36) Framing numbers and keeping it simple(33:27) Be sharp, not cruel(37:32) When to engage and when to let it go(42:38) How Americans start talking again Get Jessica's book, I Disagree: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/803493/i-disagree-by-jessica-tarlov/Find Jessica: https://www.instagram.com/jessicatarlov/ Download MacroFactor in the Apple or Google app store. Get 14 days free with code TWOPCT. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #47: Lessons from Singlehandedly Fighting Off a Terrorist Attack | Christian Craighead 17.09.2026 55min

  Michael speaks with Christian Craighead, a former SAS soldier and author of One Man In, about the afternoon he singlehandedly fought off a major terror attack in Nairobi and what it teaches about acting while afraid, leading people, and being ready before anything happens. They discuss: (00:00) Preview(00:38) Entering a terror attack with no backup(07:11) How a hard childhood shaped Christian's resolve(12:34) Why the top Special Forces operators look like accountants(23:20) Christian's moves against the terror attack(27:53) Why danger brings intense focus(33:57) How to lead in a crisis(43:34) The importance of clear instructions(46:44) Adapting and maintaining momentum under pressure(53:41) Taking responsibility in ordinary life This episode includes descriptions of childhood abuse, terrorism, injury and death. Get Christian's book, One Man In: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/One-Man-In/Christian-Craighead/9781982177331 Find Christian: https://theministryofdefence.com/pages/about Download MacroFactor in the Apple or Google app store. Get 14 days free with code TWOPCT. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #46: How to Learn Faster and Remember More | Jim Kwik 15.09.2026 1h 1min

  Michael speaks with Jim Kwik, brain coach and author of the new book Limitless Daily, about how to learn faster, remember more, and use AI to get smarter instead of dumber. They discuss: (00:00) Cold open(01:30) Jim's early learning struggles(05:32) The question that changed Jim's approach to learning(17:30) Problems with school systems and tech use(23:00) Using AI to get smarter, not dumber with the BUILD framework(29:56) Memory, boredom, and why you need room to think(32:44) Improving reading speed and comprehension(41:03) Choosing what is worth learning(47:51) Daily practice and morning habits(52:32) Rapid fire: brain supplements and cognitive performance(57:49) Books and Limitless Daily Get Jim's book, Limitless Daily: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761666/limitless-daily-by-jim-kwik/ Find Jim: https://jimkwik.com Download MacroFactor in the Apple or Google app store. Get 14 days free with code TWOPCT. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Host: Michael EasterExecutive Producer: Robbie HiserMusic: The Heater ManagerGraphics: Jackie Philips Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #45: Inside the North Tower on 9/11 | Chief Joseph Pfeifer 10.09.2026 54min

  Michael speaks with FDNY Chief Joseph Pfeifer, who led the first fire units into the North Tower on 9/11 and later gave the order to evacuate the towers. Chief Pfeifer later served as the FDNY Chief of Counterterrorism and Emergency preparedness, is a Senior Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School, and wrote Ordinary Heroes, which examines what 9/11 taught him about crisis leadership, resilience, and the ordinary acts of heroism. They discuss: (00:00) Introduction(02:36) Racing to the North Tower(09:20) Seeing His Brother in the Lobby(12:10) The Second Plane Hits(14:40) The South Tower Falls and the Evacuation Order(19:20) Surviving the North Tower Collapse(23:19) What Makes an Ordinary Hero(32:54) Three Principles for Crisis Leadership(36:57) Four Stages of Resilience(46:48) The Threats Communities Face Next This episode includes detailed discussion of the September 11 attacks, death, and trauma. Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #44: How to Recover From Trauma and Come Back Stronger | Elizabeth Smart 08.09.2026 56min

  Michael sits down with Elizabeth Smart, who was abducted at 14, survived nine months of captivity, and spent the decades after building her own path to recovery. She is the Founder of the Elizabeth Smart foundation and host of The Survivor Files with Elizabeth Smart, a true-crime podcast where she speaks with survivors of violent crimes about healing. Michael and Elizabeth discuss: (00:00) Cold open(07:28) The Science of Downward Comparison That Helped Her Survive(12:23) The Emotional Whiplash of Being Found(16:13) The First Time She Felt Safe(19:18) Why Traditional Therapy Did Not Fit(21:54) Refusing to Pretend It Never Happened(28:04) Reclaiming Her Body Through Bodybuilding(39:30) Sharing a Hidden Part of Her Life(44:22) Putting Survivors at the Center(47:03) Finding Reasons to Keep Going This episode includes detailed discussion of child abduction, sexual violence, and trauma. Read How To Be More Resilient: https://www.twopct.com/p/how-to-be-more-resilient Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #43: Avoiding Anxiety Makes it Stronger & Relationship Rules | Dr. John Delony 03.09.2026 1h 3min

  Michael speaks with Dr. John Delony, host of The Dr. John Delony Show and author of Building a Non-Anxious Life. They discuss: 00:00 Preview00:54 Mental Health and Relationship Lessons from Thousands of Callers09:09 Why The Problem People Describe is Never the Real Problem 12:45 What People Are Really Calling About25:51 Lessons from a Homicide Detective28:28 Why Punk Rock Teaches Stewardship32:09 What Dave Ramsey Taught John37:43 The Most Common Marriage Problems50:21 Building a Non-Anxious Life56:32 Why Doing Hard Things Helps This episode includes discussion of suicidal thoughts and addiction. Read The 6 Rules of a Tougher Mindset: https://www.twopct.com/p/the-6-rules-of-a-tougher-mindset Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #42: A Trial Lawyer’s Rules for Hard Conversations | Jefferson Fisher 01.09.2026 1h

  Michael sits down with trial lawyer Jefferson Fisher, author of The Next Conversation, on why hard conversations are some of the most uncomfortable things we do and how to handle them with strength. They discuss: 00:00 Preview01:41 The hardest conversation he's ever had05:30 What to do before having a hard conversation 14:57 Don't win the argument, understand it17:02 Let your breath be the first word24:16 Stop over-apologizing26:31 Five second rule of silence31:02 Why brevity wins: say it in three sentences44:50 Boundaries: lead with the no51:24 When someone's grieving, just do the thing54:05 Rapid fire: no is a complete sentence Read Do Hard Things: https://www.twopct.com/p/do-hard-things Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #41: Should You Take Peptides? A Doctor’s Evidence-Based Answer | Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum 27.08.2026 55min

  Michael speaks with physician and competitive powerlifter Dr. Jordan Feigenbaum about what peptides are, why they suddenly seem to promise everything, and what the human evidence actually shows. They discuss: 0:00 Preview0:45 Michael FaceTimes Foster Kamer about peptides8:28 What is a peptide?13:00 BPC-157 and the evidence problem19:40 Why pain relief doesn't prove peptides work24:19 Promising peptides and unknown risks35:29 Where people buy peptides39:15 The FDA's peptide debate43:38 Why peptides are suddenly everywhere49:16 Would Dr. Feigenbaum prescribe peptides? Read The 5 Supplements I Take: https://www.twopct.com/p/the-5-supplements-i-take Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #40: A Navy SEAL’s Case for Being Humble and Obsessed | Eric Frohardt 25.08.2026 45min

  Michael speaks with Eric Frohardt about his twelve years on SEAL Team 6 as a sniper and assaulter—and what you can learn from it. They discuss: 0:00 Preview0:39 How to stay calm under pressure6:09 How farm work built resilience9:17 The bet that started a SEAL career17:02 How adults can train courage19:45 Watching 9/11 from Guam22:20 From the SEAL Teams to DEVGRU26:13 Why preparation cannot guarantee the outcome30:56 Rebuilding after losing your identity43:21 Why adversity is a gift Read Misogi Guide: Updated: https://www.twopct.com/p/misogi-guide-updated Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #39: A Harvard Psychologist on Mindset and Not Following the Rules | Ellen Langer 20.08.2026 1h

  Michael speaks with Ellen Langer, the first woman tenured in Harvard’s psychology department and author of The Mindful Body, about how our thoughts and expectations shape aging, health, and performance. They discuss:0:00 Preview0:45 The experiment that changed how we see aging4:29 How beliefs change the body10:52 Placebo, nocebo, and imagined exercise12:16 Mindfulness without meditation17:31 Why certainty makes us mindless24:44 How context changes physical performance33:21 How rules and labels shape health43:15 Why chronic does not mean constant51:14 A better way to make hard decisions Read The Brain Glitch That Makes Modern Life Feel Miserable: https://www.twopct.com/p/why-your-mind-is-hardwired-to-find Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #38: How to Use AI, Kill Complacency, Think About Health, and More | Tyler Cowen 18.08.2026 52min

  Michael speaks with economist Tyler Cowen, author of The Complacent Class, about how AI is changing our lives and what still matters for health, happiness, and ambition. They discuss: 0:00 Preview0:48 Should we panic about the future?6:04 How AI makes you smarter or stupider7:36 Mental health, antidepressants, and young men16:26 Why America stopped taking risks19:33 The case for free-range kids21:47 What hard travel teaches about happiness28:45 Why exercise is a great investment36:29 Why initiative now beats intelligence45:05 What Tyler Cowen will never hand off to AI Tyler Cowen is a professor of economics at George Mason University, the economist behind MarginalRevolution.com, and the author of nearly 20 books, including The Complacent Class. He also hosts Conversations with Tyler. Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Joey Fischground. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/twopcthttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #37: How to Make Modern Work Less Miserable and What AI is Doing to the Workday | Cal Newport 13.08.2026 1h 18min

  Michael speaks with Cal Newport, a Georgetown computer scientist and author of Deep Work and Slow Productivity, about why modern work rewards busyness over valuable work and how to reclaim your focus. They discuss: 0:00 Preview0:42 Why modern work keeps us stressed3:23 How busyness replaced real productivity11:41 Why email and meetings destroy focus24:58 Do fewer things, finish them faster30:23 The three rules of Slow Productivity44:15 Productivity myths from Austen to Kerouac52:25 How Cal Newport schedules his work55:24 How to say no without burning a bridge1:09:15 How to use AI without weakening your thinking Go deeper: https://www.twopct.com/p/the-real-reason-your-job-is-draining Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Easter/100063709885769/https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #36: Lessons From The Most Dangerous Job: Hotshot Firefighting | River Selby 11.08.2026 30min

  Michael speaks with River Selby, author of Hotshot: A Life on Fire, about what seven years as a wildland firefighter taught them about grit, belonging, and why landscapes need fire. They discuss: 0:00 Preview0:44 Becoming a hotshot firefighter5:27 Proving they belonged on the crew6:09 Why a hard childhood made a hard job easier8:55 What 48-hour wildfire shifts are like15:46 What fighting wildfires feels like17:51 Why landscapes need fire19:51 How fire suppression made wildfires worse23:48 Leaving the fire crew24:32 River Selby's life after firefighting This episode includes discussion of childhood abuse, addiction, and suicide. Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. Visit Two Percent, the #1 health and wellness Substack newsletter: https://www.twopct.com Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Easter/100063709885769/https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #35: Why Meat Eaters Belong in the Animal Welfare Movement | Dan Shannon, Humane League CEO 06.08.2026 40min

  Michael speaks with Dan Shannon, who runs The Humane League and has been vegan for almost 30 years, about why meat eaters belong in the animal welfare movement and what actually improves animals’ lives. They discuss: 0:00 Preview0:51 Why meat eaters belong in animal welfare4:26 What life inside a battery cage is like13:03 Why personal guilt is the wrong strategy15:49 How animal welfare campaigns change corporations18:33 How to eat fewer animal products25:38 Which food labels actually mean something29:36 Why cage-free eggs cost more36:19 What 30 years of veganism taught Dan Shannon38:22 How consumers can pressure companies Read Protein Myths Part II: https://www.twopct.com/p/protein-myths-part-ii Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI: https://www.twopct.com I share similar insights around health and wellness here:https://substack.com/@michaeleaster Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Easter/100063709885769/https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #34: Why Our Medical System is Broken and How to Take Back Your Health | Dr. Lucy McBride 04.08.2026 53min

  Michael speaks with Dr. Lucy McBride, a Harvard-trained physician and author of Beyond the Prescription, about why modern medicine overlooks the whole patient and how to become the CEO of your own health. They discuss: 0:00 Preview0:52 Why patients feel dismissed5:13 Why healthcare focuses on damage control10:23 Why Dr. McBride left the system15:58 The question she asks every patient20:09 Where medicine ends and wellness begins26:44 How to become the CEO of your health38:46 What AI can and cannot do in the exam room44:39 How to prepare for a doctor's appointment48:19 Prenuvo scans, blood tests, and CGMs Read The Comfort Crisis in the Doctor’s Office: https://www.twopct.com/p/the-comfort-crisis-in-the-doctors Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Will Mayo. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI: https://www.twopct.com I share similar insights around health and wellness here:https://substack.com/@michaeleaster Follow Michael:https://twitter.com/Michael_Easterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://www.facebook.com/people/Michael-Easter/100063709885769/https://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #33: Are the Blue Zones Longevity Hotspots Fake? | Dr. Saul Newman 30.07.2026 51min

  The Blue Zones built an empire on one promise: copy how the world's oldest people live, and you can join them past 100. Saul Newman, a demographer at the University of Oxford, went looking for those long-lived people in the records. Most of them were not there. Michael sits down with Newman, author of Morbid: Debunking Modern Longevity Science, to walk through what he found. When Japan audited its citizens listed as over 100, 82 percent were already dead: more than 230,000 people alive only on paper, including Tokyo's oldest man, dead in his room for 30 years while the family collected his pension. Greece's audit caught centenarians drawing pensions from the graveyard. And America's Blue Zone, Loma Linda, was picked after a magazine editor asked its founder to find one; by his own admission, it came from a freeway turnoff on the drive to Las Vegas. Newman explains why age records break down exactly where longevity legends grow, how bad centenarian data quietly sets your pension and insurance rates, why Silicon Valley keeps buying immortality pitches as old as the first emperor of China, and what actually works if you want a longer, healthier life. Learn more at twopct.com Two Percent is hosted by Michael Easter. Today's episode was produced by Joey Fischground, Robbie Hiser, Dana Brawer and Julia Nutter. From Kaleidoscope, our executive producers are Mangesh Hattikudur and Kate Osborn and Julia Nutter. From iHeart, our executive producers are Katrina Norvell and Nikki Ettore. Our Head of Video is Maria Paz Mendez Hodes. Our editor is Ryan Mulhern. Our theme music is by the Heater Manager. GET A FREE GUIDE TO EXAMPLES OF MISOGI. GO TO https://www.twopct.com AND ENTER YOUR EMAIL. I share similar insights around health and wellness here:https://substack.com/@michaeleasterhttps://instagram.com/michael_easter/https://linkedin.com/in/michael-easter-b208848/https://facebook.com/easter.michaelhttps://tiktok.com/@michael_easter6https://x.com/Michael_Easter 00:00 Cold open01:24 Where the Blue Zones began03:00 A magazine article becomes an empire04:22 The nine behaviors07:59 Two bad papers drag Saul in10:04 Why errors explode with age11:28 Japan audits its centenarians12:39 Dead 30 years, still on the pension15:44 Greece checks the graveyard17:03 Loma Linda, found on a freeway exit19:02 Costa Rica's paid discovery20:59 The uncomfortable longevity answer23:34 Hate mail and the Kremlin26:46 The Blue Zones founder pushes back28:17 What bad data costs your pension30:39 The UN's garbage numbers32:42 The world's oldest man problem35:34 Silicon Valley's longevity grift39:28 The odds double every eight years42:22 What actually works45:30 Kick the charlatans out48:21 Making peace with 80 years50:22 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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  #32: Art is the Missing Pillar of Your Health | Daisy Fancourt & Jesse Albrecht 28.07.2026 1h 7min

  Most people can name four pillars of health: diet, exercise, sleep, and stress. Daisy Fancourt, the researcher behind a 146-page World Health Organization report on art and health and the author of Art Cure, argues there is a fifth: the arts. The evidence she lays out is striking. Regular arts engagement is linked to about half the risk of developing depression over ten years, slower biological aging as measured by epigenetic clocks (how fast your cells are aging), and a longer time free from dementia through what researchers call cognitive reserve (the brain's buffer against decline). In studies of surgery patients, recorded music reduced anxiety more effectively than anti-anxiety medication. And yet only 1 in 20 American adults did any art yesterday, compared to 57% who ate vegetables. Then ceramic artist Jesse Albrecht tests the thesis from the inside. An Army medic in Mosul in the early Iraq War, he came home to a reintegration briefing that amounted to one VHS tape, spent years making dark, angry work about war, and learned the hard way that, in his words, we become what we focus on. A 2020 inpatient PTSD program at a Montana VA hospital turned his life and his work toward recovery and beauty. The episode closes with where to begin, and both guests agree on the answer: you start by starting. *This episode contains descriptions of war violence and trauma and may not be suitable for children. 00:00 Cold open 00:41 Who is Daisy Fancourt? 02:01 Art is 40,000 years old, maybe older than language 03:34 The WHO report on art and health 05:54 The physical benefits: singing, dance, frailty 07:59 Reading and crafts slow biological aging 08:52 Art as the fifth pillar of health 10:57 Make it or consume it? 12:12 Kids, teens, and granny hobbies 16:35 Art in hospitals: music against medication 19:45 The HIV quilt and singing for lung health 21:34 Cognitive reserve and delaying dementia 22:57 Music and sleep 26:56 Only 1 in 20 adults did any art yesterday 29:34 What counts as art 31:35 The one pound to eleven pounds return 36:22 Who is Jesse Albrecht? 38:33 Mosul: this is bananas 43:59 Coming home to a VHS tape 46:03 Finding other veterans in the art world 50:43 Disillusionment and the dark decade 53:57 Two months at the VA: the 2020 turn 58:02 Is art healing? Jesse pushes back 61:57 How to start: start by starting 64:30 His one big quote about art 66:40 Outro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices