{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Next Level Healing","title":"Why 93% of Chronic Diseases Are Preventable: Fitness Expert Reveals the Ultimate Exercise-Health Connection","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2795,"description":"This podcast episode of Next Level Healing features Dr. Tara Perry speaking with fitness industry expert Kevin Steel, PhD, about the transformative benefits of exercise for brain health, anti-aging, and overall well-being.\nKevin Steel brings decades of experience in health and fitness, having completed multiple Ironman competitions and holding a PhD in exercise physiology with a subspecialty in nutrition. He spent his career working with everyone from corporate executives to athletes, eventually becoming director of education research and member services for the world's largest health club company. \nThe conversation centers on Steel's assertion that exercise is like a miracle drug - \"if science could put it inside a pill, people would be lined up around the block, willing to pay anything to get it\". He emphasizes that only 7% of chronic diseases are genetic, meaning 93% are lifestyle-related and preventable. \nKey benefits of exercise discussed include:\nBrain Health: Regular exercise regenerates neurons and expands gray and white matter in the brain [13:52]. It stimulates brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which acts like \"fertilizer for your brain\" [15:32]. Exercise can reduce amyloid plaques associated with Alzheimer's and dementia [13:52].\nMental Health: Steel references Dr. John Ratey's book \"Spark,\" which demonstrated that exercise therapy can achieve the same or better results than pharmaceutical drugs for treating anxiety, depression, and stress [21:12] [21:38].\nPhysical Health: Exercise improves cardiovascular function, blood pressure, insulin sensitivity, and can even reverse type 2 diabetes when combined with healthy eating [18:58] [16:32] [18:01].\nChildren's Health: A study in Naperville, Illinois showed that structured exercise programs eliminated ADHD symptoms in children, allowed them to go off medications like Ritalin, and dramatically improved academic test scores [23:05] [23:34] [23:44].\nSteel advocates for a whole food, plant-based diet,...","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/9xMz9HpJXGH4dd0ntTlc530OzNpo0NJVZfIGz8mWb5I/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS82ODgz/MjQ0ZTkwMTEzY2Ri/NjlkZjYyZjEyODEy/ZjU0NC5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}