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In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, breathing expert Patrick McKeown joins Kelly and Juliet Starrett for a mind-expanding conversation about something you do 20,000 times a day but probably haven’t thought deeply about: your breath. From asthma and anxiety to sleep quality, athletic performance, focus, and recovery, Patrick explains why the way you breathe may be quietly shaping nearly every aspect of your health.

The conversation dives into the surprising science of CO2 tolerance, why most people are chronically over-breathing, and how simple shifts – like nasal breathing, breath holds, and slowing your exhales – can dramatically change your nervous system and performance. Patrick also breaks down why women experience breathing and sleep differently than men, how poor breathing affects kids’ development and behavior, and why many sleep disorders may be going undiagnosed.

Most importantly, this episode is packed with practical tools you can start using immediately – whether you’re trying to sleep better, feel calmer, improve endurance, or simply function better under stress.

• Why most people are chronically over-breathing and how it impacts stress, sleep, and performance
• How nasal breathing and CO2 tolerance can improve endurance, recovery, and focus
• The surprising connection between breathing patterns, anxiety, panic attacks, and nervous system regulation
• Why women experience sleep-disordered breathing differently than men, especially during menopause
• How mouth breathing in children may affect sleep, behavior, facial development, and long-term health

(0:00) Intro: Men vs. Women in Breathing & Sleep

(0:22) Patrick McKeown: Breathing Expert & Founder of Oxygen Advantage

(2:46) Kelly's History with Asthma & Breathing

(10:39) Exercise-Induced Asthma & Hyperventilation

(15:32) The BOLT Score Explained

(17:00) The Science of CO2 & Oxygen Delivery

(23:59) Kipchoge’s Closed-Mouth Marathon

(28:01) Women’s Breathing, Hormones & Sleep

(32:21) Why Women Get Misdiagnosed in Sleep Studies

(34:46) The Hidden Sleep Disorder Affecting Women

(38:07) Breathing Practices for Brain Health

(44:31) Dysfunctional Breathing & Mental Health

(46:05) Panic Attacks, CO2 & the Paper Bag

(1:04:38) Falling Asleep Faster with Breathwork

(1:12:54) Breathing Warmups for Athletes

(1:20:51) Mouth Breathing & Facial Development

(1:33:43) Children, Sleep & ADHD

(1:44:55) Breath Holds, Altitude & Hematocrit

(1:54:09) Infinite Shelf & Glymphatic Breathing

Huge thanks to our sponsors, LMNT and Momentous.

Welcome back to RECESS — our weekly break from the serious stuff to talk about what we’re learning, what’s making us laugh, and how we’re building more play into real life.

In this episode, we unpack why social connection may be the single biggest predictor of healthy aging and longevity, reflect on new pediatric guidelines pushing for more school recess, and talk about how adults desperately need more play too. We also dive into Rachel Entrekin’s mindset during her historic Cocodona 250 win, Kelly’s emotional experience eulogizing his mom, and the rise of “prom maxxing” — and why it gives us the ick.

• Why social connection may matter more than anything else for longevity
• How play and movement create stronger communities and healthier adults
• Why the American Academy of Pediatrics says recess is not optional
• Rachel Entrekin’s powerful self-talk strategy during her record-setting ultramarathon
• What Kate Courtney’s career shift teaches about identity and reinvention
• Why “third places” like gyms, clubs, and community spaces matter so much
• Juliet and Kelly’s thoughts on “prom maxxing” and modern parenting culture
• What Kelly learned from giving the eulogy at his mother’s memorial

(00:00) — Welcome back to RECESS

(00:40) — Kelly reflects on eulogizing his mom

(02:52) — Travel, burnout, and speaking at a longevity conference

(04:06) — Why adults need more play and movement

(05:43) — The Harvard Longitudinal Study and the importance of social connection

(06:18) — The “Six Points of Connection” and building real community

(10:15) — Kate Courtney, identity shifts, and elite performance

(12:33) — New school recess guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics

(15:23) — Why adults need recess too

(17:23) — Rachel Entrekin’s self-talk during her historic Cocodona 250 win

(21:01) — “Happy to be here” vs. competing to win; Tia Toomey's Champion's Mindset

(24:00) — Prom maxxing, parenting culture, and losing the plot

(29:02) — What we’re living for right now

View This Week's Show Notes

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What if the biggest thing holding your health back isn’t what you’re doing, but how you’re thinking about it? Most of us have been trained to see the body in silos: diagnose the problem, treat the symptom, move on. But what if that model is missing the bigger picture?

In this episode of The Ready State Podcast, Dr. Jeffrey Bland – widely recognized as the father of functional medicine – joins Juliet and Kelly Starrett to unpack a more complete, systems-based approach to health. From a simple (and surprisingly accessible) blood test that can reveal your inflammatory status, to the real role of inflammation as both a healing response and a hidden driver of chronic disease, this conversation challenges everything you thought you knew about “being healthy.”

Dr. Bland also shares the deeply personal story that reshaped his entire career and led him to question conventional medicine’s focus on downstream symptoms instead of root causes.

You’ll walk away understanding why everyday choices – like sugar intake, sleep, stress, and even your sense of self-agency – play a far bigger role in longevity than most people realize. Because at the end of the day, health is something you actively create.

• Why chronic inflammation is both a healing response and a hidden driver of disease
• How a standard blood test (CBC) can reveal your body’s inflammatory state
• The difference between treating symptoms vs. addressing root causes (upstream vs. downstream health)
• Why your body is a system – and not a set of isolated problems to fix
• How everyday habits like sugar intake, stress, and sleep quietly accelerate aging

(0:00) Intro & Teaser Clips

(0:35) Introducing Dr. Jeffrey Bland, Father of Functional Medicine

(3:11) Dr. Bland Joins the Show / Earth Day Connection

(3:50) How Dr. Bland's Career Began in 1970

(7:33) What's Most Urgent for People to Understand About Health Today

(9:13) Systems Thinking vs. Siloed Medicine

(12:43) A Seismic Life Event That Changed Everything

(15:19) Finding Purpose After Tragedy — The Birth of a Mission

(17:35) Origins of the Term "Functional Medicine"

(19:03) Functional Medicine in The Lancet — 1874

(31:15) Understanding Good vs. Chronic Inflammation

(38:30) The Ibuprofen Epidemic in Youth Athletes

(39:59) The Functional Medicine Model: Antecedents, Triggers & Mediators

(42:47) Big Bold Health & Testing for Inflammaging

(43:33) The CBC with Differential — A $6 Test Everyone Already Has

(45:08) The SIRI Index — Calculating Your Inflammatory Status

(46:25) Immune Cells Renew Every 90–120 Days

(56:03) The 850-Person Clinical Trial on Food & Immune Health

(56:56) Tartary Buckwheat — A 3,500-Year-Old Immune Superfood

(1:02:57) The Healthcare System Isn't Working — A Seismic Change Is Coming

(1:08:13) Rapid Fire: Blue Zones & Eating a Rainbow of Polyphenols

(1:09:47) The #1 Lever for Aging Well — Starting With How You See Yourself

(1:10:56) Where to Find Dr. Jeff Bland & Closing Thoughts

Huge thanks to our sponsors, Kreatures of Habit, LMNT, and Momentous.