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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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

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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

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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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