Mind Body Health & Politics

At age 9, Michael Ostrolenk looked at his overweight, chain-smoking psychiatrist and asked his mother: "He can't help himself. How's he gonna help me?" Then he walked out and never looked back.Now 54, Michael completes 50-mile rucks with weighted vests and trains Navy SEALs through SEALFIT and Unbeatable Mind Academy. After 43 years in martial arts and decades as a performance coach, he's identified why 72% of Americans are failing at health—and it's not about willpower.In this conversation, Michael reveals:Why willpower is a terrible strategy for changeThe "via negativa" approach that makes failure impossibleHis 4-pillar system (physiological, psychological, social, environmental)Why he gets blood work every 3-6 months (and what markers matter)The pull-up bar trick that transformed his client's military fitness testHow removing M&Ms matters more than resisting themThe connection between circadian biology and mental healthWhy "normalizing pathological behaviors" is destroying our healthPlus: The surprisin