Episode 243: Shawn Stevenson — The 9 Rules Of Health To Make It To 99

Shawn Stevenson, host of The Model Health podcast said, “In the lab, they found anti-depressants in the New York City water system.”

Anti-depressants!

Ok, no problem. I’ll drink tap water. Save on therapy costs. In NYC everyone has to go to therapy. It’s a requirement. “This week my therapist said…”

“There’s also these other chemicals in water..” and he was about to list them for me.

“No no no,” I said. “Shhhh!” I put my hands on my ears. “I’m good. Don’t need to know more.”

Shawn is obsessed with health. Every week he interviews the best people in the world on health. He’s interviewed hundreds.

And now I get to ask him for this BEST advice. Don’t abuse what he tells you, James!

Shawn was 200lbs overweight. He could barely get from room to room before collapsing with exhaustion and pain.

He was diagnosed with an incurable spinal condition called degenerative disc disease.

His spine was deteriorating to nothing. The way an old person leans over and over until they collapse dead.

“You have the spine of an 80 year old,” the doctor told him.

“The doctors told me to wear a back brace. I kept getting worse. The doctors kept telling me nothing could be done. I was losing hope. Losing the will to live.”

So he chose himself. He CHOSE his health.

He studied every aspect of health. He created the #1 podcast on health, The Model Health Show.

He read everything he could. He changed his diet. His doctors told him don’t bother. He exercised. His doctors said it won’t help.

“You’re going to die of this.”

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When he came on my podcast, he looked like a man in perfect health. He was muscular, glowed with health, had energy. He was something maybe I will never say.

“I’m feeling great every day,” he told me.

And then he started dropping the most amazing health tips on me. I felt overwhelmed. Do I have the discipline to do all of this?

I’ve had many health experts on my podcast. If you don’t have physical health, it’s 1000 times harder to be a success.

The body feeds the mind and the heart. The body reduces stress. The body contains the basics for everything you want to do in life.

You are alive in your whole body. Not just your brain. Not just in your bank account. The entire body has to be nourished and loved.

For some strange reason he asked me to be on his show as well. I was really grateful he wanted to talk to me about how my own lifestyle improved my health.

But more importantly, he came on my show and I was able to drill HIM with questions.

Not that all doctors are bad. But I couldn’t believe some of the things Shawn had to tell me.

I list some of them on this infographic. I already thought I knew things about sleep, water, movement, exercise.

I thought I already knew things about how health worked. About how health led to success.

But he broke it down one step further.

I needed that. I now live by it (we actually recorded this podcast about two months ago) and the results have given me enough energy to create new opportunities in my life that I would not have been able to do before.

I have a formula now: 1% more health equals 100 more possible opportunities.

Shawn! I’m grateful you broke your stupid hip when you were 20 and got Spinal Degenerative Whatever and gained 5000 pounds.

I’m grateful the doctors told you you were going to rot and die. I’m so happy you collapsed, half dead, under the weight of your own bloated body.

I’m really happy you almost died.

Just don’t do it again.