Is addiction really your problem—or the way you learned to survive? In this raw conversation from Metabolic Health Day in Tucson, Mark Young sits down with Joe Polish (Genius Network, Genius Recovery) to unpack addiction as a connection disorder, why you can’t punish pain out of people, and what it actually takes to heal.

Joe shares decades of experience in addiction recovery, entrepreneurship, and relationships: from his own relapse after losing his father, to why shame keeps people stuck, to the 4 pillars he believes you need to get sober and stay sober: community, biochemistry, trauma work, and purpose.

This episode is for you if:

• You’ve tried to “white-knuckle” your way out of addiction and feel like you still can’t stop
• You’ve watched a parent or loved one drink or use themselves into an early grave
• You’re in 12-Step, recovery, or just sober-curious—but still feel disconnected or stuck
• You’re wondering how AI, social media, adult content, and modern life are reshaping addiction today

Nothing in this episode is medical advice. Always talk with your doctor or qualified professional before making changes to your health, medications, or recovery plan.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Joe says “addiction is a solution”—and why focusing only on the substance often misses the real problem
• The difference between first-stage recovery (sobriety) and second-stage recovery (healing the deeper wounds)
• How addiction thrives in shame, secrecy, and isolation (“your sick is your secrets”)
• Why Joe calls addiction a connection disorder—to self, others, and something bigger than you
• The role of biochemistry (nutrition, seed oils, gut health, dopamine, serotonin) in cravings and relapse
• How trauma—especially early childhood trauma—shows up later as addiction, even in high performers
• Why “less alcohol” doesn’t necessarily mean less addiction in a world of adult content, social media, and AI
• How service and helping others can become one of the most powerful tools in long-term recovery

Resources Mentioned

Genius Recovery – education, blogs, interviews, and resources on addiction & recovery

Visit: GeniusRecovery.org

Joe Polish – Genius Network & I Love Marketing – Author of What’s In It For Them? and The Miracle Morning for Addiction Recovery

We’re all just taking it one day at a time with our own struggles. Don’t do yours alone.

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Is Your Sunscreen Actually Toxic? Non-Nano Zinc, UVA/UVB & Endocrine Disruptors Explained

Most of us were told, “Just wear SPF 30 and you’re safe.” But what if the lotion you’re rubbing into your skin is loaded with endocrine-disrupting chemicals, potential benzene contamination, and ingredients that quietly shut down your body’s own sun-defense system?

In this episode of Performance Driven Living, Mark Young sits down with chemical engineer and Third Rock founder Dr. Guerry Grune to dismantle everything you think you know about sunscreen, SPF, tanning, and skin health.

If you’re a health-conscious parent, athlete, biohacker, or Floridian who lives outside, this conversation will completely change how you look at that bottle of sunscreen in your beach bag.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• The real difference between chemical sunscreens (like oxybenzone, avobenzone & friends) and mineral sunscreens (zinc oxide) — and why some widely used chemical filters are under fire for potential hormone-disrupting and environmental effects.
• The truth about tanning beds vs natural sunlight, what melanin actually does, and why controlled UV exposure can be a smart tool when you understand UVA vs UVB.
• Why your skin is a mirror of internal health, how endocrine disruptors can interfere with detox pathways, and why “garbage in, garbage out” applies to both your diet and your skincare.
• What the recent benzene contamination recalls in aerosol sunscreens revealed about the industry, quality control, and why “what’s on the label” is only half the story.

Why this matters now

“Clean” beauty, endocrine disruptors, and benzene in consumer products are all trending because people are finally asking harder questions about what goes on their skin.

This episode goes way beyond fear-mongering headlines. You’ll hear from a PhD chemical engineer who’s spent decades in materials science, patent work, and photobiology, breaking down:

• How FDA sunscreen rules actually work
• Why the market pushed nano-sized filters and “invisible” lotions
• And what a truly non-toxic, performance-driven sunscreen has to do differently

Erectile dysfunction is more than a bedroom issue—it’s often the first visible sign of systemic vascular trouble. In this fast-paced conversation, Dr. Nathan Bryan and Mark Young unpack how nitric oxide (NO) drives endothelial health, blood flow, and sexual function—and why PDE5 inhibitors (Viagra, Cialis) don’t work for many men unless the upstream NO pathway is working.

If you (or a partner) are dealing with ED, hypertension, or low energy, this episode explains the root cause model: restore endothelial function and nitric oxide bioavailability, then everything downstream—circulation, exercise capacity, sexual performance—has a chance to improve.

What you’ll learn

• Why ED often precedes cardiovascular disease by years (the “canary in the coal mine” effect).
• How the endothelium regulates vessel dilation and blood pressure—and how NO (the 1998 Nobel Prize molecule) keeps that system responsive.
• The exact NO → cGMP → smooth-muscle relaxation pathway (and why PDE5s need NO to work).
• Why a significant slice of men don’t respond to PDE5 drugs—and what that suggests about NO deficiency and endothelial dysfunction.
• Practical levers that influence NO biology (diet/lifestyle, oral microbiome choices, training)—and how to think about “root cause” vs. symptom-chasing.

If this episode opened your eyes to how important nitric oxide is, don’t stop here: Watch more from Dr. Nathan S. Bryan - https://www.youtube.com/@DrNathanSBryanNitricOxide Visit N101.com to explore their nitric-oxide –supporting products and educational resources - https://n1o1.com/

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