When we think of climate change, it conjures images of industrial smokestacks and bumper to bumper traffic, all spewing toxic emissions into the environment. Perhaps we see a jet take off down the runway leaving billowing black exhaust in its trail. It’s not likely that we look below our feet at the soil and imagine that it could be one of the greatest makers or breakers in the challenge of turning the tides of climate change.  This week we’re speaking with Ananda Fitzsimmons, the president of the board of directors for Regeneration Canada. I’m this episode we discuss:  The mission of Regeneration Canada to educate and raise awareness about the importance of soil regeneration as a critical climate change solution.  Soil as being host to a vast community of microorganisms that are the primary creators of soil fertility.  Farming techniques that harm the microorganisms in the soil and significantly reduce soil fertility.  Tilling soil as a major contributor to releasing carbon back into the atmosphere and destroying the microorganisms in the soil.  The carbon footprint of agriculture.  The principles of regenerative agriculture.  The need to simplify labeling so consumers can know under what conditions their food was produced: regeneratively or in a degenerative manner?  Is the Canadian government doing enough to help farmers transition to regenerative farming? Farmers For Climate Solutions as an organization committed to lobbying the Canadian government to support farmers and regenerative agriculture.  The cycle of debris that settles on the earth surface and the importance of not filling debris into the soil.  How to make farming more profitable by transitioning to regenerative farming.  Large companies finding investing into regenerative farming as a means to build a more conscientious brand.  The emergence of certifications on labels to show that a product has been regeneratively produced.  Organic labels as not evidence of regenerative methods of growing.  The controversy around the use of Glyphosate on our crops in Canada.  The need for immediate action toward climate activism and change. This is not a time for slow change.  You can connect or support Regeneration Canada at:  https://regenerationcanada.org https://instagram.com/regencanada

Sean Chris Lewis

Climate change may be right under our feet. With Ananda Fitzsimmons

Erik Chevrier is an accomplished professor, researcher, and social activist. He’s a PhD candidate, specializing in subjects such as, food and culture, political economy of inequality, community and local activism, and food sustainability; to name a few.  In this episode we discuss:  the importance of our imagination and seeing what kind of future we want to create.  How we need to dispel myths in our beliefs of what we’ve been taught about the world. Such as, agriculture does not have to be mechanized and large industrial farms do not necessarily feed the world.  Our present agricultural methods are destroying our planet.  Erik explains the concept of “carbon sinks” and carbon extraction from the air.  How reconnecting with our food through gardening and cooking, helps us to build deeper awareness of our responsibility to our planet.  Small plot intensive farming and how we can produce a significant amount of food on a small piece of land.  Urban agriculture as a real model to produce food.  Building local communities through changing models of agriculture.  In order to solve our current crisis we need to look beyond our present “for profit” way of producing food. Prioritizing community over profit.  The consumer mentality and how to curtail the behaviour in a way that moves away from over consumption.  The myth that food is cheap. In actuality we have cheap food due to the poor work conditions and pay to migrant labourers. The true cost of food is far higher.  How our capitalist system is set up to require continuous consumption.  The need to change our politics and have citizens more involved in their local communities and catalyze change locally as a start.  Beliefs need to change but helping an individual to recognize that their beliefs need to be modified is no easy task.  When our beliefs are challenged we can sometimes become irrational in the defence of them.  Introducing people to ways of seeing different dietary practices in a less intimidating way.  Even though slow change in our industry practices seems like an accessible way forward, we must recognize that change actually needs to be done now and absolutely.  You can connect with Erik on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/erik.chevrier  

A planet for future generations with Professor Erik Chevrier

We live in a time where so many things are made to be complicated. From exercise and nutrition, to just simply rediscovering our primal connection to our environment. Non of this needs to be made complicated and it is all in fact, simple.  Taylor Thompson is a health and lifestyle coach. He’s a community builder and brings people together around the theme of teaching us to get more in touch with our natural movements, friendships, and introspection as our key practices for a meaningful life.  In this episode we discuss:  The beginnings of Taylor’s Instagram handle wildmanpt.  Taylor shares the story of his outdoor lifestyle in his younger years on the Island of Kawaii.  Community rebuilding from the Covid disruption.  Community as a cornerstone to rebuilding our health and wellness.  The importance of building a tribe of people who learn and grow together.  Strategies people can begin to implement in order to elevate their health consciousness.  The importance of journaling.  Gratitude as a way to set the stage for a great day.  Bioenergetics to address emotional trauma or just to simply to change our state of mind.  Taylor shares his past experience as a power lifter and injuries that he suffered during the sport.  The importance of finding a place to consistently get our workouts in no matter what time of year it may be or whether or not we have a gym.  Staying fit working out from home.  Seeing past the temptations in life and staying on track with our goals.  The importance of patience on the path to better health.  Taylor’s nutrition practice.  You can connect with Taylor on Instagram:  https://instagram.com/wildmanstrengthpt

Going inward to change our health consciousness with Taylor Thompson.

As we arrive to the middle of summer, the Covid disruption and quarantine seems so far away. We can’t help but think to the months ahead and hope that we don’t revisit the circumstances of early 2020. Whatever the future may hold, we as individuals can challenge ourselves to see our situation as an opportunity to change. As we look to industries and governments to take on the responsibility to adopt more sustainable practices, we as well must take on the challenge to change our lives.    Chase Tucker is an outdoor adventurer, YouTube movie creator, and ultra athlete. He shares his beliefs and practices during the Covid quarantine and lifestyle advise to help us to recapture our sense of adventure.   In this episode we discuss:  The importance of following up with people who show interest in our online brand. Structuring our online business in a way that allows us to be interactive with followers.  The second wave of Covid-19 in Spain. Chase shares how the quarantine impacted his training and preparation for ultra events.  We can continue to work on our conditioning with at home training. It may not be as motivating but we can remain fit while being in quarantine . Managing online business while taking extended days off to compete in events.  The importance of having big goals to keep us engaged in our objectives.  When we are people who chase goals, we can become better people and transmit that to others. The importance of mental toughness. Overcoming fear as the main block to our success.  Daily journaling as a method to work on self improvement.  The importance of devoting time to our personal development each day.  Making life decisions based on our values and not always be money motivated.  Discussion on Chases youtube video “When all this passes.” Link to video below in the show notes.   Chase offers advise on mindset shift, should we go into a second wave of quarantine this fall. Nutrition, longevity, and radicalized attitudes toward what we eat.     6 PRACTICAL WAYS TO BUILD MENTAL STRENGTH FOR THE MOUNTAINS https://basecamptraining.com.au/2020/01/30/mental-strength-for-the-mountains/   When all this passes what will be different? https://youtu.be/U16EJkQeC-s   Website: https://www.basecamptraining.com.au   YouTube: : https://www.youtube.com/c/ChaseMountains   Instagram:  https://instagram.com/chase_mountains?  

Big goals, mental toughness, and staying fit during Covid disruption. With ultra athlete Chase Tucker

Self reinvention never looks the way we imagine it to be. It often is required in times when we least expect it. If we can look past the stress of it and imagine something better for our lives, we can at least work in the direction for something new and maybe even better for ourselves.    As the Covid disruption continues to push us to adapt, many of us have found ourselves having to practice our physical fitness in unfamiliar ways. Coach Anissa Marcanio is a fitness and health coach,    In this episode we discuss: Online entrepreneurship in the fitness industry.  The importance of reflecting our most sincere self online.  The challenge for personal trainers to find their place in the online training world.  Defining what “making it” means in our business.  Instagram influencer content vs true exercise instruction content.  Learning to be aware of our body and how it moves naturally.  Natural outdoor body movements vs the movements performed in a gym.  Women and learning to lift weights and not fearing weight bearing exercises.  Building our own “second wave” through transforming our health and fitness.  Are you self caring or self avoiding?   You can connect with Anissa on Instagram:    https://instagram.com/anissa.mek?

Redefining our fitness business and self reinvention with Anissa Marcanio

As society slowly returns to activity, there is no denying that our conversations among one another have changed. Covid-19 has awakened us and brought to light fragilities in our current system. Though we have demonstrated our ability to transform many of the ways in which we conduct business, we see more clearly the elements of society that we must work harder on. One of the most pressing issues that demands our attention is the significantly large portion of the population that is not in good health.  Remote indigenous populations are among those who suffer most from health inequality. It is imperative that we acknowledge that these populations represent the failure of our system to foster diversity and support communities far from urban centres. Indigenous people live closest to the natural environment and therefore are most impacted by the deterioration of our ecosystem and poor government polocies. Diversity is our only safeguard for the future of our planet and should we fail to recognize the urgency to reestablish the health of these remote communities, we risk failing our planet.  This weeks guest is Dr. Bernard Reid. He is a family care practitioner in North Eastern Canada. He shares his learning experience and insights into working with these unique remote communities.  In this episode we discuss:  The Waskaganish region in Northern Quebec where Bernard practices as a doctor in family medicine.  Waskaganish is a very rural region that poses very unique challenges to practice medicine.  Bernard describes the diverse medical conditions that present daily in his clinic.  Urban settings verses rural settings and how they differ in a family medical practice.  Bernard acknowledges the challenges of being thrust into this rural setting and dealing with such a variety of medical conditions after only 2 years internship.  We discuss the incredibly steep learning curve in the first year of a medical practice.  Bernard’s passion for the unique challenges that come with practicing family medicine in a remote region.  The unique challenges the region had to face with Covid-19.  The health status of the indigenous people in the James Bay region.  The rates of chronic diseases among indigenous people. Very high rates of obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and coronary heart disease.  The major challenges of health inequality.  Our imperative to respect and embrace cultural diversity as an absolute requirement to safeguard our planets future.  The systematic destruction by Western practices to destroy the indigenous way of life.  The root cause of many of our cultural problems is the disregard for the indigenous people through colonial practices.   

Saving cultural diversity and restoring health in indigenous populations. With Dr. Bernard Reid

As covid sent the vast majority of our population into sequestration, many of us found ourselves taking the time to see the world through different lenses. Many of the fragilities of our systems were and still are being revealed. This novel corona virus is convincingly demonstrating that there are large portions of our population who’s health are needlessly in serious jeopardy. It doesn’t take much inquiry to understand that inequality is a major driver for poor physical and mental health.  Health inequality is a serious local and global problem that must get resolved. We need to come to a place of agreement where we acknowledge that though we may never see a perfect world of equality, we must make it that every individual is at least provided the tools and opportunity to pursue personal health and well being.  Coach Kristal Lollis is a health and wellness coach and cofounder of Tribe Fitness in Salem North Carolina. In this episode we discuss: The challenges of urban food deserts. How poverty and deep inequality creates an environment that makes practicing a healthy lifestyle almost impossible.  The issues around people not having resources to practice health and fitness.  When we don’t have healthy role models in our lives it makes it more unlikely that we will be healthy.  Scarcity is overwhelming on an individual and makes it very difficult to put their focus on additional priorities, such as fitness and healthy eating.  Communities where all of the local population live with scarce resources, are highly likely to suffer with lifestyle related illness. You can connect with Kristal on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/coachmekris/  

Health inequality and the need to change the current paradigm. With coach Kristal Lollis

As we move through the Covid19 disruption are witnessing the fragilities of our current system. Beyond the fragilities of our unsustainable business models is the systemic racism and inequality that just might be the greatest cause of many of our global problems.  Our history is scarred with racism and the unjust treatment of billions of people who are at the mercy of a system that has been built to serve the needs of the few at the expense of the many. We are now at a turning point that has been brought to climax through the murder of George Floyd. He is one man but is representative of the history of the abuse of black people and minorities.  This podcast is my attempt to contribute in the way I hope to best serve the movement of “black lives matter.”  Like myself, Jean Hamilton has never spoken on this issue in public and my hope is that this will bring forward an authentic unscripted representation of how everyday citizens are navigating these times of upheaval. I’m sure that together he and I will find our best voice to do our share to keep this movement not only alive but to help society as a whole to find that space where all citizens can be given  a fair hand in this incredible life. I’m this episode we discuss:  This is not an issue of whites vs blacks.  This is a call to action for all of us to come out and fight this illness we call racism.  Biases in law enforcement and the frequency of false arrests of black citizens.  Institutional racism that is known but not changed.  The importance of the individuals in society to make personal change in their lives.  Our schools are not teaching our children about the truth of our history. The slaughtering of the native people, slavery, and the atrosities of colonization; needs to be taught.  If we don’t see how we are biased in our own views, we won’t recognize the work we need to do on ourselves. Being attentive to our racist vocabulary.  Using our words to empower people. You can connect with Jean Hamilton on instagram https://www.instagram.com/jhamilton_22/  

These are not the times to be silent. Black lives matter, with Jean Hamilton Philippe

During these times of sequestration, many of us have found ourselves in contemplation about our health, fitness, and what we would like to change in our lives. With a deep sense that the world is changing and certainly our hopes that the world will in fact change, we don’t want to miss this opportunity to challenge ourselves to change with it.  This is our 3rd part of our conversation with coaches Julia Balit and Nathan Zentner. We go deep in this discussion and explore the very controversial questions of the individual taking accountability for their personal well being.  In this episode we discuss:  let’s take action on our health today and not wait for something to go wrong before we start.  When we wait to make changes in our health practices, we have to take more drastic measures to improve our wellbeing.  Being fit and healthy takes effort and energy.  We acknowledge that there are some people living in scarcity and practicing health and fitness is almost impossible for them due to lack of resources.  We look at reasons people claim as to why they don’t exercise.  Why we should not be so quick to claim to be a specific body type. Adhering to principals of fitness will approximate everyone to a fitter body.  We acknowledge that being underweight and overweight are equally unhealthy.  Body shaming should never be a reason to have someone exercise.  The importance of mentally laying the foundation for better health. Start with the mind and the fitness will follow.  Creating clear, attainable, but challenging goals.  We also need a very big goal that challenges our behaviour over the long term.  You can connect with Julia on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliabalit/ You can connect with Nathan on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zentnernathan/      

Elevating the individual’s health consciousness . With coaches Julia Balit and Nathan Zentner.

Every individual and industry is at a fork in the road. Our lives have been disrupted with very little notice. These are the covid19 lockdown podcast editions. These are the stories of people, sharing their experience & vision of how we can emerge better.  There is a subtle yet clear shift happening in our world. We all feel that the mistakes that have been made in relation to our planet, can somehow be revisited now and made right. Almost as though we can hit a reset button. It is overwhelming to think on such a large scale to bring about the changes that we all feel must be made to heal ourselves and our planet. Before we can heal our earth, we must reconnect and heal ourselves. Much of our healing must be done though our connection to our food and nutrition. The methods by which we produce food is presently broken. Our methods of farming are unsustainable and the health of our population is at risk due to chemical farming and depleted nutrients in our soils. The good news is that we can change this, and there are people like Erik Chevrier, who are inspiring many people to reconnect with their food and health.  There is a new food revolution taking place, bringing food production locally, and maybe even in our own backyard.  Erik Chevrier is an accomplished professor, researcher, and social activist. He’s a PhD candidate, specializing in subjects such as, food and culture, political economy of inequality, community and local activism, and food sustainability; to name a few.    In this episode we discuss:  The health benefits of natural whole food and how gardening benefits our physical and mental health. Collective gardens as a means to build communities.  The myth that we need huge farms and large industries to feed the population. Much of the world is fed by small farms.  Lack of biodiversity in our farming practices puts our food supply at risk.  I ask Erik why biodiversity is so important.  Agroecology as a cornerstone to sustainable farming practices to free us from GMO’s and chemical farming. Many large companies such as Cargill are major contributors to deforestation in order to make way for crops to feed livestock.  The food industry can seem so big that we become lost in how to take charge of our relationship with food.  Erik gives us ideas of how to get started with building a better  relationship with food.  We explore the topics of community sponsored agriculture, and supporting our local food networks.  You can connect with Erik on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/erik.chevrier or visit his website: https://www.erikchevrier.ca    

Discovering our health through gardening, quality food, and community engagement . With Erik Chevrier

Every individual and industry is at a fork in the road. Our lives have been disrupted with very little notice. These are the covid19 lockdown podcast editions. These are the stories of people, sharing their experience & vision of how we can emerge better.  This is part 2 of our discussion with fitness coaches, Julia Balit and Nathan Zentner.  In this episode we discuss:  This fit/sick curve. This is a theory that proposes that, our fitness will inevitably help us to shorten sickness times and withstand illness better than those who are not fit.  The importance of maximizing our fitness in current times.  When we don’t know where to start in our health journey, the best thing to do is to start taking control of the things in our life that we have some control over.  How to keep our mindset focused on goal attainment.  Action is what builds our motivation. We need to get into action to get motivated.  Will power and how to harness it to get into action.  To just get moving and the endorphins kick in quickly to keep us moving.  Motivation through accountability partners.  Having a huge goal is the best way to keep us focused on success.  Work hard, be patient, and consistency will come.  To have the taste of a win is critical to elevating our belief that we are capable of winning.  The importance of personal development.  You can connect with Nathan on instagram https://www.instagram.com/zentnernathan/ You can connect with Julia on instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliabalit/  

Personal trainers discussing how to better emerge from the crisis. Part 2 with Julia Balit and Nathan Zentner

Every individual and industry is at a fork in the road. Our lives have been disrupted with very little notice. These are the covid19 lockdown podcast editions. These are the stories of people, sharing their experience & vision of how we can emerge better.  Personal trainers and the fitness industry at large have all been disrupted due to the covid19 pandemic. Professional and personal reinvention is without a doubt one of our present challenges.  This is part one of our discussion with Strength and fitness coaches, Julia Balit and Nathan Zentner.  In this episode we discuss:  Our personal discoveries we have made about ourselves.  Our initial reaction to the disruption in the fitness industry.  Julia and Nathan share how they  launched their online personal training work.  How they used their time to take on projects that they previously kept putting aside.  Self reinvention is not very obvious and comes with its own frustrations.  The worry of missing out on opportunity as a source of stress.  Nathan shares his moment of frustration and discouragement, and his decision to get back on track with his nutrition and mindset.  Emotional eating is something we all have to deal with. Our discipline will inevitably determine our health outcomes.  You can connect with Julia on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliabalit/ You can connect with Nathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zentnernathan/    

Personal trainers discussing their challenges during quarantine. Part 1 with Julia Balit & Nathan Zentner

Every individual and industry is at a fork in the road. Our lives have been disrupted with very little notice. These are the covid19 lockdown podcast editions. These are the stories of people, sharing their experience & vision of how we can emerge better.  Personal trainers and strength coaches are having to reinvent how they coach their clients and athletes online. This week we are talking to strength and conditioning specialist, Dean Hollingworth.  In this episode we discuss:  How Dean is maintaining his own fitness and health during the lockdown.  He shares, how with very limited home equipment, Dean has managed to keep his fitness up. Using exercise bands and body weight exercises.  Practicing exercises with a slower tempo to compensate for lack of equipment. The bright side of not having heavy weights to train with has given people a chance to repair their body from all of the heavy lifting.  There is no reason that we can not stay very fit, exercising at home with very little or no equipment.  We talk about the cancellation of all sporting events.  Athletes dealing with limited training equipment during quarantine and maintaining competition level fitness.  How does an athlete stay motivated when there’s no event to work up to.  Tips for all of us to apply in our daily lives to keep some form of healthy routine.  You can connect with Dean on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/deanmtl/      

Staying fit and maintaining peak form during quarantine, with strength coach Dean Hollingworth

With the rise of the new corona virus, the worlds industries have shut down and populations around the world have found themselves in self quarantine. The fitness industry professionals are among  many who find themselves reinventing and how they provide their services.  Haskel Garmaise, is a personal trainer and health coach who is among the many fitness professionals who are meeting the challenge of self reinvention, face on.  In this episode we discuss: The challenges of performing personal training online. Managing to work from home in quarantine with little privacy.  When we reinvent ourselves we need to reach out to our family and allow them to support us.  The importance of being ready for changes in our industry and not expecting business as usual to stay the same.  No matter what our age may be, we have to evolve and embrace change.  Relationships and the importance of deeper connections with clients in order to understand their needs. The importance of having a healthy body which is the foundation to a healthy mind and spirit. Eating and boredom. Especially during quarantine.  Tips on staying healthy during quarantine. Tips for personal trainers on how to work with clients online.  Don’t give into the uncertainty. Push yourself to make the changes necessary to reinvent yourself.  You can connect with Haskel on instagram https://www.instagram.com/spiderhask/  

Fitness professionals and self reinvention during the covid19 quarantine. With personal trainer, Haskel Garmaise.

There are statistics that indicate that only 8% of people will succeed with their New Years resolutions. Whether this leads some to believe that making resolutions is a waste of time, I am personally more concerned with helping those who have fallen, to get back up and get back on track.  No one can deny that change is difficult and the frustrations that we encounter along the way can easily nudge us back into our old habits. My goal with forked podcast is to share the stories of everyday people and how they overcome their personal challenges. My hope is that listeners may find a story that inspires them and enables them to stay the course in discovering their personal potential.  In this weeks episode, I’ve included excerpts of recent past episodes, highlighting some solutions to the most common reasons we fall short of goals and resolutions.  In this episode we discuss: That nagging feeling that we are behind and too late in the game to realize our goals.    Don’t wait for things to be perfect to go out and give it your best shot.    Being true with ourselves and admitting if we just aren’t willing to give certain things up in order to reach our new goals.   Focusing on todays wins and being committed in the present.    Depression as a major cause to break away from our goals.    What can we do to ease the destructive force of depression.   When we look back at the startup of successful people, we see that it took time to find success. Patience with determination and commitment will bring its rewards. For the full podcast With Natalia Feldman, scroll to July 19, 2019. For the full podcast with Julia Balit, scroll to January 20, 2020. For the full podcast with Nathan Zentner, scroll to November 17, 2019. For the full podcast with Dean Hollingworth, scroll to December 1, 2019.

Why We May Be Failing To Attain Our Goals. A mashup episode with coaches Julia Balit, Dean Hollingworth, Nathan Zentner, and Natalia Feldman.

Forks in the road of life are inevitable. The decisions we make and the direction we follow, can enable us to find our greatness. When you get forked, just keep going and never give up.

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Sean Chris Lewis

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