The Energy Blueprint Podcast By Ari Whitten

In this episode, I am speaking with Dr. James Chestnut who is a doctor of chiropractic. He holds a bachelor of Physical Education and a Master of Science in Exercise Physiology specializing in neuromuscular adaptation. He holds a postgraduate certification in evidence-based chiropractic and lifestyle protocols. He has authored five books including his latest book Live Right for Your Species Type. In this part, we talk about the common misconceptions about the impact of nutrition and lifestyle on health and why it is much better than common drug treatment for long-term health.

In this episode, Dr. Mike T. Nelson pulls back the curtain on some common keto myths, including how it’s connected to fat loss, athletic performance, and even ancestral eating patterns. You might be surprised to learn that smart athletes will do anything to win—except go keto. In this myth-busting conversation, you'll discover why the high-fat-eating Inuit peoples probably weren't in ketosis, how keto can slash your power output by up to 8%, and why metabolic flexibility—not extreme diets—is the real key to optimal health. After 20-plus years in the field, Dr. Nelson shares his unfiltered take on everything from exogenous ketones to the carbohydrate hypothesis of obesity, delivering the nuanced truth that diet influencers won't tell you.  

Your mitochondria and responses to stress are more connected than you think.  In this episode, Dr. Scott Sherr is back to tell us about why 94% of US adults have mitochondrial dysfunction and how chronic stress and inflammation deplete GABA, your brain's primary calming neurotransmitter. We also discuss why methylene blue has exploded from an obscure mitochondrial enhancer to a controversial biohacking trend, how GABA deficiency masquerades as anxiety and depression, and why healing requires shifting from sympathetic dominance to parasympathetic activation. Dr. Sherr shares his 20 years of clinical experience, demonstrating that within 30 seconds to 2 minutes, he can determine if someone can heal; it all comes down to the state of their nervous system.  

We've created a culture that fears adversity, but what if that's the wrong approach?  In this episode, Dr. Keesha Ewers explains why post-traumatic growth, not comfort, creates robust mitochondrial health and resilient humans.  Her personal journey from autoimmune disease to vibrant health will inspire your own transformation and help you understand the mind-mitochondria connection. This episode was initially released in Jan 2024  

In this episode, I’m speaking with Steven Sashen, who founded minimalist shoe company Xero Shoes with his wife Lena Phoenix in 2009. His philosophy? Modern footwear is actively hurting you.  In this discussion (which was so fun and informative thanks to Steven’s lighthearted approach to his work), we explore what the shoe industry has been hiding about arch support, cushioning, and elevated heels, all while knowing these features actually increase injury rates. Steven's company exists because he wants to change people’s lives, and after 16 years of challenging the footwear industry's biggest myths, he's revealing how traditional shoes weaken your feet, destabilize your balance, and even contribute to falls that kill older adults. Get ready to rethink everything you thought you knew about what to put on your feet. This conversation could literally save you from decades of unnecessary pain, injury, and disability.  

After 25 years of being "Superman on the outside but a train wreck on the inside," John A. Mollenhauer has discovered the missing piece between high achievement and sustainable health.  John is an entrepreneur who started his first gym at 19 and worked with Tony Robbins in his 20s—he learned the hard way that our culture rewards the very behaviors that lead to burnout. In this episode, John reveals how he developed the Performance Lifestyle framework after checking himself into a hospital from complete exhaustion. His method isn't about work-life balance—it's about knowing what to do, why, how, and when at the right intensity for sustainable results in both health and achievement. This conversation offers a practical pathway to break free from the hidden lifestyle challenges keeping you stuck in the energy-debt cycle.  

I’m back again for my fourth conversation with Dr. Mark Cronshaw, an expert in the world of photobiomodulation (PBM), aka red light therapy. You know that when I have multiple conversations with a guest, I highly value their knowledge and want to go deeper with what they have to share. If you want to get VERY technical and go deep with the topic of PBM, this episode is for you, and I recommend you listen to the prior 3 episodes we’ve recorded together.  In this conversation, Dr. Cronshaw presents what he calls his "philosophy of care" for using photobiomodulation to enhance healing, manage pain, and prevent injury. His approach focuses on a few fundamental questions:  Are you treating surface or deep tissues?  Are you seeking to stimulate healing/tissue repair or provide pain relief?  His multi-dimensional approach explains why different devices produce different results, enabling more strategic use of both professional and at-home light therapy tools.  

In this episode, I’m back for a third installment of my conversation with Dr. Mark Cronshaw, one of the world’s foremost photobiomodulation (PBM) experts...what most people commonly refer to as red light therapy. He’s particularly one of the top experts when it comes to dosimetry (the details of how to properly “dose” light therapy). Have you invested in red light therapy but feel confused by contradicting information?  You're certainly not alone. In this conversation, Dr. Cronshaw challenges conventional wisdom about photobiomodulation with some insights that surprised even me! I deeply appreciate his highly informed and logical, yet relaxed, approach to this complex topic. WARNING: My conversations with Dr. Cronshaw are NOT a simple or practical how-to guide of “go buy this device and use it this way.” This podcast series intends to go deep into the scientific, technical, and theoretical nuances of PBM science. So it’s NOT for everyone. These podcasts are for people who want to nerd out on PBM science. So p

In this episode of The Energy Blueprint podcast, I’m speaking with Dr. Melissa Sonners, host of the Be Inspired Mama podcast and creator of a movement that's transforming how women approach self-care.  After battling Lyme disease and mold toxicity while juggling motherhood, a chiropractic practice, and the pressure to "do it all," Dr. Sonners discovered that traditional self-care wasn't the answer—it was self-CONNECTION. Her practical approach helps busy women transform their relationship with themselves without adding more to their overflowing plates.  This conversation is essential for any woman feeling overwhelmed by life's demands.  

In this episode, I’m speaking with Nadine Artemis, author of Renegade Beauty and Holistic Dental Care. But most personally impactful to me is that she’s the woman behind Living Libations, an obsessively natural skincare line that has been creating and promoting pure products for over 30 years. My family and I really love and frequently use her products.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Julie Matthews, a Certified Nutrition Consultant and published researcher specializing in personalized nutrition for complex neurological conditions, particularly autism spectrum disorder and ADHD.

In this episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Scott Sherr, a board-certified internal medicine physician certified to practice Health Optimization Medicine (HOMe) and a specialist in Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

In this episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Sean Drake, a highly accomplished chiropractor with a fascinating career and life. His work now focuses on helping athletes, but don’t stop reading just because you’re not a high-level athlete. The beauty of Dr. Drake’s strategies is that they apply to everyone. I actually love what he says in the interview…”Everybody’s an athlete. If you have a body, you’re an athlete.” At the core of his approach is that modulating the nervous system holds the key to unlocking extraordinary performance and healing.  

In this episode, I’m back for the second part of my conversation with Dr. Mark Cronshaw, a highly respected expert in photobiomodulation (PBM), more commonly known as red light therapy.  The same warning applies to this episode as part 1! Again, this conversation is not a simple “how to” practical guide to photobiomodulation. It’s a continuation of going very deep into the scientific, technical, and even theoretical nuances of PBM based on Dr. Cronshaw’s vast research and clinical understanding of the topic.  Be prepared for lots of nerdy PBM science, along with a few practical pearls as our discussion unfolds. Please listen to part 1 if you haven’t already, and leave any questions you have in the comments on YouTube…we’ll do our best to answer questions in future episodes.  

In this episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Mark Cronshaw, a highly respected expert in the field of photobiomodulation (PBM) – what most people commonly think of as red light therapy.  This is the first of many podcasts with Dr. Cronshaw, who is one of the most brilliant and knowledgeable experts I’ve had the pleasure of connecting with on this topic. Our conversation goes deep into the science of photobiomodulation—there are some practical pearls that Dr. Cronshaw discusses, but be prepared for deep, nuanced, and technical scientific discussion about light therapy. WARNING: Please be aware that this conversation with Dr. Cronshaw is NOT just a simple practical how-to guide of “go buy this device and use it this way.” This is a podcast series that intends to go deep into the scientific, technical, and theoretical nuances of PBM science. So it’s NOT for everyone. If you just want a simple practical how-to guide, we will eventually get there, but there are several hours of geeky technical science stuff before we ge

In this episode, I’m speaking with Miriam Rahav, M.D., a triple-board certified physician in the fields of internal medicine, hospice, and palliative care, along with extensive training in functional medicine. During this conversation, Dr. Rahav and I catch up for the first time since the height of the COVID pandemic, when she and her team bravely worked on the front lines supporting patients.  We then shift to the primary focus of this episode: neural therapy. Dr. Rahav makes neural therapy easy to understand and gives us some interesting and practical stories of her clinical use of the technique.  If you’ve had a difficult time finding answers for your symptoms, I highly recommend you listen to this episode—neural therapy might be the solution you’ve been searching for.  

In this episode, I’m speaking with Dr. Mike T. Nelson, a self-described research fanatic who has more than two decades of experience studying and obsessing over how the human body works. Dr. Mike has a Ph.D. in exercise physiology, a master’s degree in mechanical engineering, and is an associate professor at the Carrick Institute and a university instructor at Rocky Mountain University.  He’s also the creator of the Flex Diet and Physiologic Flexibility Certifications, has published research in both physiology and engineering scientific journals, and has even been asked to share his techniques with top military agencies. Today, Dr. Mike and I go deep into the research and practical applications of heart rate variability. HRV has gained popularity as a performance metric, but after listening to our conversation, you’ll have a much broader understanding of HRV, how to apply it to your life (whether you’re athletic or not), and ways to improve your HRV score.  

In this episode, I’m back with Victoria LaFont, co-host of the Influenced to Death podcast. Be sure to listen to part 1 of our conversation if you haven’t already. In each episode of Influenced to Death, Victoria and her co-host, Hannah Wright, draw on their graduate-level education in nutrition and functional medicine. But they’re very upfront about their own biases and dive deep into the research to provide a more balanced view on controversial topics, particularly ones that have been portrayed in a one-sided way. Today, Victoria and I discuss specific topics they’ve covered, such as The Medical Medium, seed oils, the carnivore diet, the ketogenic diet, and, believe it or not, breatharianism!  I hope you enjoy the second part of our discussion! Be sure to follow Influenced to Death to get more insight into all the topics they cover.  

In this episode, I’m speaking with Victoria LaFont, co-host of the Influenced to Death podcast, owner of The LaFont Agency, and someone I’ve been working with for a few years now and consider a friend and trusted peer. It might seem strange that I’m recording a two-part podcast about another podcast, but the reason is very clear in my mind: There are many highly controversial topics in health science, and many experts cherry-pick and distort the evidence.  Influenced to Death is a podcast specifically about taking on these controversial topics and trying to systematically bring greater clarity to them, in a balanced, evidence-based way. Plus, it does so in a way that’s entertaining and actually fun to listen to. I know you’ll enjoy my conversation with Victoria, and I highly encourage you to listen to Influenced to Death, as well, to get a new perspective on some of the most controversial topics in natural health and functional medicine.  

In this episode, I’m speaking with Vincent Pedre, MD, known as America’s gut doctor. We explore what the latest research and his extensive clinical experience can teach us about fixing gut problems.