Posture is one of the simplest — and most overlooked — strategies for protecting energy, reducing pain, and supporting how our bodies function every day. In this practical, science-grounded episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores why posture is not about appearance or etiquette, but about efficiency — working with gravity instead of against it.

Blending research, clinical insight, and real-life stories, Dr. Bazilian explains how posture quietly influences low back pain, circulation, breathing, digestion, headaches, productivity, and confidence. From global data on musculoskeletal pain to the ripple effects of alignment on energy and focus, posture becomes a surprisingly powerful health investment hiding in plain sight.

You’ll experience a posture-focused mindful minute inspired by Tai Chi traditions, learn three simple posture prompts you can use anywhere, and walk away with practical tools to “stand up to gravity” — literally and figuratively — across your 1,000 waking minutes.

WE DISCUSS:

(0:00) Welcome and why posture shapes how we function, not just how we look

(1:29) Calling all slouchers: posture as a daily health strategy

(8:13) The hidden cost of slouching and why small adjustments pay off

(8:28) Low back pain, global disability, and posture as one of the most modifiable factors

(12:28) Circulation, digestion, headaches, and the ripple effects of alignment

(16:50) A Mindful Minute: the “silk thread” visualization and upright breathing reset

(20:16) Three posture prompts: straighten-up cues, back-pocket stance, and “holding teacups”

(29:11) Standing up to gravity and optimizing your energy across the day

Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes

Visit my website: wendybazilian.com

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Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop.

Rate & Review the show. Your feedback helps others find the podcast.

Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting with me on social media.

Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge thank you to our amazing collaborators including our production and marketing teams and Gabriela Escalante in particular. To the ultra-talented Beza for my theme music, my lifelong friend and artist Pearl Preis Photography and Design, to Danielle Ballantyne, Jen Nguyen, Joanna Powell, and of course, my family and everyone working tirelessly behind the scenes.

The information shared in this podcast is for educational purposes only and should not be considered individual medical or health advice. Always consult with your trusted healthcare provider before making any changes to your diet, exercise, or medical treatment.

January brings a flood of wellness trends. This episode cuts through the noise, highlighting the patterns that actually work—so you can invest your time, energy, and attention where it counts this year.

The start of the year amplifies wellness noise. New diets. New devices. New promises competing for your time, energy, and attention.—but discernment matters more than ever. This episode offers a smarter way to start the year, focusing on the patterns that truly support how we eat, live, and connect.

In this episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian takes a different approach to “trends.” Instead of chasing fleeting fads, she reframes today’s wellness moment as a set of larger patterns shaping how we eat, move, and live—and how we decide what’s actually worth our effort.

Dr. Bazilian introduces three powerful shifts guiding health right now: efficiency, enhancement, and connection. Together, these patterns help make life simpler, more nourishing, and more sustainable—without adding pressure, rigidity, or noise.

From the quiet renaissance happening in the freezer aisle, to purposeful portions in an era of changing appetites, to the growing return to analog hobbies and shared movement, this episode is about discernment over distraction. It’s about building systems that work with your life—not against it.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by wellness trends, this conversation will help you step back, reset, and decide what truly fits your reality—and your 1,000 waking minutes each day.

(00:00) Why wellness trends feel exhausting—and how to view them differently

(02:20) From fads to patterns: choosing discernment over distraction

(04:16) The three major shifts shaping health right now: efficiency, enhancement, and connection

(11:25) The “freezer renaissance” and why frozen foods deserve a second look

(14:09) Purposeful portions in an era of changing appetites and GLP-1 medications

(15:44) Why protecting muscle mass matters more than ever

(23:40) Intentional additions instead of restriction

(26:01) Why fiber has become the “new protein”

(29:59) The fat reset: adding the right fats for nutrient absorption and synergy

(38:07) Why connection determines whether health habits last

(40:15) The rise of analog hobbies and non-digital restoration

(43:29) Community fitness, accountability, and shared movement

Before trying the next trend, pause and ask:

Does this make life easier—or harder?

Does it fit my reality right now?

The most powerful health shifts aren’t louder. They’re quieter, more intentional, and built to last.

Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes

Visit my website: wendybazilian.com

Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

Dry January, dopamine detoxes, and how short breaks can be powerful and productive.

What if the most effective way to change a habit isn’t to push harder — but to pause, briefly and on purpose?

In this thoughtful and science-backed episode of 1,000 Waking Minutes, Dr. Wendy Bazilian explores the power of intentional pauses as a tool for restoring energy, focus, and clarity. Using a pause from alcohol — such as Dry January — as a familiar example, she reframes short-term resets not as deprivation, but as opportunities to notice patterns, interrupt autopilot behaviors, and decide what actually feels worth carrying forward.

Drawing on neuroscience, psychology, hydration science, and real-world experience — including her years at the Golden Door spa — Dr. Bazilian explains how small, purposeful breaks can recalibrate the brain, strengthen decision-making, improve hydration and sleep, and restore a sense of vigor. This episode also gently busts myths around “dopamine detoxes,” highlighting why behavior change is more about awareness than willpower.

You’ll experience a guided mindful minute to practice pausing in real time, along with practical strategies to refine rituals, hydrate more effectively, navigate social situations with confidence, and stack pauses for greater benefit — all within the framework of your 1,000 waking minutes.

This episode is an invitation to press pause not to stop life, but to return to it more present, intentional, and energized.

FROM THE EPISODE

“Sometimes it’s not about what we pour into the glass… it’s about what we pour into our moments.”

(0:00) Welcome — why this episode is about pausing with intention, not pushing harder

(1:27) Why January naturally invites pauses, resets, and reflection

(3:49) A real-world example from Golden Door: what happens when alcohol is removed — and what replaces it

(8:15) Why pushing harder isn’t always the answer — and how pausing can restore energy and focus

(12:37) The neuroscience of habit loops and how pauses interrupt autopilot behavior

(16:49) Hydration, functional hydration, and why replacing alcohol with fluids affects brain performance

(20:17) Digital pauses, screen time research, and improved sleep and well-being

(24:36) A Mindful Minute and practical strategies for taking a pause without losing ritual or joy

(26:45) Reframing pauses as experiments — and choosing how we spend our waking minutes more intentionally

Follow me on Instagram: @1000WakingMinutes

Visit my website: wendybazilian.com

Email me topics you want covered on the podcast: 1KWM@wendybazilian.com

If you’re enjoying 1,000 Waking Minutes, help us grow!

Subscribe to get new episodes as soon as they drop.

Rate & Review the show. Your feedback helps others find the podcast.

Comment & Join the conversation! Share your thoughts or questions by visiting wendybazilian.com or connecting with me on social media.

Thank you for tuning in to 1,000 Waking Minutes and being part of this journey–together. A huge