In this episode, I’m joined by Dr. Sharon Bergquist, a physician, scientist, and author of The Stress Paradox, to reframe how we think about stress. We often hear that stress is harmful, something to eliminate or avoid. But Sharon’s research turns that idea on its head. As it turns out, not only is some stress good for us, it’s essential for health, resilience, and longevity.
We explore how specific, manageable doses of “good stress” like exercise, heat, cold, fasting, and even certain plant chemicals activate the body’s innate repair mechanisms at the cellular level. We also discuss the idea of “eustress” versus “distress,” how psychological challenges can build physical resilience, and why recovery is just as important as the stressor itself.
What We Cover:
- Why not all stress is bad, and how “good stress” helps us adapt
- The cellular science of resilience and regeneration
- Five core categories of good stress: what they are and how to use them
- The critical role of recovery (and how to get it right)
- How exercise, fasting, and plant compounds trigger longevity pathways
- Thermal stress: What the science says about saunas and cold exposure
- Why living in alignment with your values might be the ultimate form of health
Dr. Bergquist brings a powerful, hopeful message: our bodies are wired to grow from challenge. The key is learning how to dose and direct stress in ways that build us up not burn us out.
You can learn more about Dr. Sharon Bergquist on her website and find her new book The Stress Paradox here. To connect with her on social media, follow her on LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.
Share this episode with someone who’d benefit from rethinking their relationship with stress.
- Overview of the Stress Paradox (00:00)
- Good Stress vs. Bad Stress: What’s the Difference? (01:55)
- Understanding Stress: Eustress, Distress & Sustress (04:04)
- How Stress Changes Your Body’s Baseline Permanently? (09:20)
- Why Discomfort Is Required for Long-Term Health (11:38)
- What Is Hormesis and How It Regenerates Your Body (17:00)
- 7 Repair Systems Activated by Good Stress (17:42)
- Recovery Matters: The Missing Piece in Stress Resilience (23:44)
- The Blood Markers That Show If Your Stress Routine Is Working (29:23)
- The Best Type of Stress for Improving Metabolic Health (33:59)
- Do Good Stressors Slow Aging (35:18)
- What Is Psychological Stress and Can It Be Good for You? (41:00)
- The 5 Good Stressors That Boost Resilience and Longevity (45:55)
- The Science Behind Phytochemicals and Stress Adaptation (46:22)
- What Are Phytochemicals? Nature’s Defence Compounds (54:55)
- Intermittent Fasting Explained: Finding Your Goldilocks Zone (01:00:42)
- Combining Fasting with Exercise: Best Practices for Balance (01:10:38)
- High-Intensity Training and Mitochondrial Health Benefits (01:15:18)
- Heat and Cold Therapy: Saunas, Ice Baths and Hormetic Effects (01:28:02)
- Psychological Stress and Cellular Health: The Mind-Body Link (01:36:32)
- Final Takeaways: Building a Resilient, Healthier You (01:43:24)
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More about Dr Sharon Bergquist
Sharon Horesh Bergquist, MD, is an award-winning physician, innovative healthcare leader, and visionary researcher renowned for spearheading a science-based approach to applying lifestyle as medicine. She has helped lead numerous clinical trials, including the Emory Healthy Aging Study and the NIH-funded Emory Healthy Brain Study. Dr. Bergquist is widely published in peer-reviewed journals and has contributed to over 200 news segments, including Good Morning America, CNN, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, and NPR. She hosts The Whole Health Cure podcast, and her popular TED-Ed video on how stress affects the body has been viewed over eight million times. She received her Bachelor of Science in molecular biophysics and biochemistry from Yale College and medical degree from Harvard Medical School. She completed her residency in internal medicine at Harvard’s Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
