The Gabby Reece Show

In this episode, I talk with Anders Corbett, microbiome researcher and founder of Craft Microbiome, about how the bacteria living inside us may be influencing far more than we realize — from performance and recovery to cognition, mood, and long-term health.

Anders’ journey into microbiome science started at Harvard Medical School, where he sequenced his own microbiome as a former elite rower. What he discovered sparked a much bigger question: do elite athletes carry different microbial patterns than the rest of us?

That curiosity led him to study Olympic athletes, UFC fighters, NBA players, endurance competitors, and high-performing executives — identifying how certain bacterial strains correlate with inflammation control, lactate metabolism, testosterone signaling, VO₂ capacity, and stress resilience.

In this conversation, we explore the rapidly evolving science of the microbiome and human performance, including:

• How the microbiome shifts before and after elite competition
• Inflammation-reducing bacteria found in endurance athletes
• Growth-hormone–associated strains identified in sprinters
• Gut changes after concussive and non-concussive hits
• The gut-brain axis and its impact on mood and decision-making
• How bacteria influence dopamine and serotonin production
• Microbiome changes that tend to happen around 40 and again around 60
• Epigenetics and how microbes may turn genes on or off
• Why sunlight, soil exposure, and environment matter for microbial health
• How stress reshapes bacterial populations in the gut
• The future of performance-focused probiotic formulations

We also talk about something many of us overlook: how modern life — sterile environments, limited food diversity, chronic stress, antibiotics, travel, and poor sleep — may be reducing microbial diversity and resilience.

Anders shares practical ways to begin supporting your microbiome even if you’re not a professional athlete — including simple shifts that may improve sleep, digestion, recovery, focus, and energy.

This conversation bridges cutting-edge science with something more timeless: the idea that our bodies are ecosystems. And it raises a deeper question worth considering:

Who’s really in charge — you or your gut?

CONNECT WITH ANDERS

Craft Microbiome
https://craftmicrobiome.com

(Custom microbiome sequencing and consultations available)

CONNECT WITH ME

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@GabbyReece

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In this episode, I sit down with Ariel Lorre to talk about something that I think a lot of people quietly wrestle with — how you rebuild your life when you realize the path you’re on isn’t working.

Ariel shares her story of addiction, recovery, and what it actually takes to change—not just externally, but internally.

From the outside, she had what most people would consider a stable, even ideal upbringing. But internally, she felt disconnected, uncomfortable in her own skin, and constantly searching for something to quiet that noise.

What started as a way to feel more at ease eventually turned into a decade-long struggle with addiction.

We talk about:

Why addiction doesn’t always look the way people expect
The role sensitivity plays in both struggle and healing
How alcohol and drugs can become a form of self-regulation
What it actually takes to get sober—and why timing matters
The “gift of desperation” and hitting a true turning point
Rebuilding trust with yourself and others
The concept of living amends and earning your way forward through action
How to begin discovering who you are when everything familiar is stripped away
The difference between self-improvement and control
Navigating beauty, aging, and identity in a world that constantly tells you to fix yourself

Ariel also shares how meditation, curiosity, and learning to sit with herself became foundational in her recovery—and how that process continues to evolve.

This conversation is really about identity, honesty, and permission.

Permission to change.
Permission to not have it all figured out.
And permission to become someone new.

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See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, I talk with Jiaming Ju, a practitioner of Chinese medicine and a health economist whose work sits at the intersection of traditional medicine, modern health challenges, and the pressures of high-performance living.

Jiaming works with a wide range of patients — from Olympic athletes and artists to CEOs and young women navigating hormonal health. What she sees in her practice is something we don’t talk about enough: the hidden cost of performance.

From the outside, many of these people look like the healthiest in the room. They’re disciplined, driven, and successful. But internally, many of them are struggling with hormonal disruption, autoimmune issues, digestive problems, chronic stress, and burnout.

In our conversation, we explore some of the patterns Jiaming sees again and again in her patients, and how Chinese medicine approaches health differently than the symptom-based model most of us are used to.

Instead of looking at isolated diagnoses, Chinese medicine asks a bigger question: what patterns are happening in the body as a whole?

Together we talk about:

• Why elite athletes — especially female athletes — often struggle with hormonal disruption
• The psychological pressure that comes with high performance and identity
• The rise of autoimmune diseases and thyroid disorders
• Why digestion and gut health are often at the center of chronic illness
• The emotional patterns that can show up in physical symptoms
• ADHD and how Chinese medicine interprets attention, energy, and focus
• The connection between eating disorders and hormonal health
• Fertility challenges and the growing reliance on IVF
• How stress and modern life may be pushing many bodies out of balance
• The relationship between emotional suppression and physical illness
• Skin health, beauty, and what they may reveal about internal health

We also talk about something that doesn’t get enough space in medical conversations: how people make decisions when facing serious diagnoses.

Jiaming shares why she encourages patients to slow down when possible, ask deeper questions, and consider the broader picture of their health before rushing into fear-based decisions.

This conversation is ultimately about something bigger than any single diagnosis. It’s about how we live, how we handle pressure, and how we listen — or don’t listen — to the signals our bodies are constantly sending us.

For me, it was a reminder that health is rarely about one thing. It’s about the system we’re living in — physically, emotionally, and culturally.

CONNECT WITH JIAMING

Website
https://khealth.com

Instagram
@byjiamingju

Blood Tonic formula
Available through her website

CONNECT WITH ME

Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece

YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@GabbyReece

If you enjoyed this conversation, please subscribe, rate, and share the episode with someone who might benefit from it.

Your support helps us keep these conversations going.

Produced by Dear Media

The Gabby Reece Show is produced by Dear Media.

Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode, I'm joined by best-selling author, kenote speaker, and presence expert, Light Watkins to discuss living more in the moment, releasing attachment to conventional goal setting, and defining success as presence and gratitude rather than comfort or material markers. Drawing from his book The Year You Transform and a yearlong program of seven-day challenges, he explains the “tortoise approach” to personal growth: small, consistent actions that fit real life, build self-trust, and reduce nervous-system strain. We explore choosing manageable discomfort, designing environments to avoid self-sabotage, and how radical accountability can provide ultimate motivation for self improvement to help you accomplish your goals.

Chapters:
00:00 Accountability Check Hack
00:17 Nomad Life Update
01:45 Gratitude for Presence
04:46 Success vs Comfort Trap
06:29 Choose Small Discomforts
09:14 Tortoise Approach Basics
11:06 Habit Stacking Pushups
13:09 Why Seven Days Works
15:26 Discipline Blind Spots
20:01 Outside Advice and Validation
23:01 Sponsor Break Timeline
25:21 No Complaining Challenge
27:48 Complaints to Compliments
29:23 Curiosity Over Conflict
29:49 Meditation For Busy Minds
31:11 Mind As An Ally
33:58 Pro Attitude Mindset
36:56 Spiritual Warrior Lessons
37:46 Sponsor Manuka Honey
39:59 Redefining Success
43:11 Parenting By Example
44:14 Whats My Homework
49:03 Trusting Quiet Presence
53:45 Seagull Momentum Metaphor
55:13 Closing Reflections
--
Connect with Light Watkins:
Website: https://www.lightwatkins.com/
YouTube: ⁨@LightWatkins⁩
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightwatkins
Latest book: https://theyearyoutransform.com/

Connect with Gabby Reece:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gabbyreeceofficial
Website: https://gabriellereece.com
--
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Episode Sponsors:

Visit timeline.com/GABBY to up to 39% off your Mitopure® Gummies.

Head to MANUKORA.com/GABBYREECE to save up to 31% plus $25 worth of free gifts with the Starter Kit, which comes with an MGO 850+ Manuka Honey jar, 5 honey travel sticks, a wooden spoon, and a guidebook!

Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

What if your metabolism, cravings, immune system — even your hormones — are being shaped by your gut?

In this episode of The Gabby Reece Show, Gabby sits down with microbiome scientist and Pendulum co-founder Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe to break down the real science behind gut health — beyond the buzzwords.

From premature birth and early antibiotic exposure to GLP-1, estrogen, cravings, and perimenopause, this conversation connects the dots between your microbiome and nearly every major system in your body.

If you’ve ever thought:

“Why am I gaining weight when nothing changed?”

“Why am I suddenly sensitive to foods?”

“Is this just aging… or something else?”

“Are GLP-1 drugs the only option?”

This episode will shift how you think about your body.

In This Episode, We Cover:

Why the microbiome is connected to all 11 organ systems

How early antibiotic use may affect long-term metabolic health

The truth about GLP-1 — and how your body produces it naturally

Why Akkermansia is considered a “keystone strain”

Gut health and perimenopause: what’s really happening

Estrogen, menopause, and emerging microbiome research

Why cravings may not be about willpower

How stress, aging, and travel deplete your gut

Fecal microbiome transplants — what they are and why they matter

How to rebuild a resilient gut (without extremes or shame)

Key Takeaway

The goal isn’t perfection.
It’s resilience.

A strong, diverse microbiome helps your body handle stress, hormonal shifts, aging, and even dietary slip-ups. And unlike your genetics — your gut can change.

Start with food.
Use tools wisely.
Pay attention to your body.

Connect with Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe

Website: https://pendulumlife.com

Instagram: @pendulumlife
Dr. Cutcliffe on Instagram: @drcolleencutcliffe

Connect with Gabby

Website: https://gabbyreece.com

Instagram: @gabbyreece https://www.instagram.com/gabbyreece

YouTube: The Gabby Reece Show https://www.youtube.com/@GabbyReece

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Please note that this episode may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products and services. Individuals on the show may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to in this episode.

Produced by Dear Media.
See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.