Dr. Jade Teta | How To Be A "Next Level Human"

Someone once described me as a mix of jock, science nerd, nature boy & philosopher. It makes sense, I suppose.

I was a personal trainer for 25 years. I still produce video-based workouts that are used by hundreds of thousands worldwide. It's kind of crazy to think about that number. I have been lucky to find a publisher who can produce and market great products.

I have a biochemistry degree and am a practitioner of naturopathic medicine. Although, my friends give me a hard time for never referring to myself as "Doctor." I always found it too formal, but I have grown past the need for accolades. Depending on who you ask, some don't consider me a physician. Given my specialty in natural medicine, I have been called everything from "quack" to "witch doctor." Believe it or not, I take that as a compliment. The choice to go into alternative medicine was conscious and deliberate.

My medical specialty is naturopathic medicine, a subset of medicine. Think of your family doctor, but instead of using drugs and surgery first and knowing little to nothing about diet and exercise, I use drugs second, and I am an expert in nutrition, exercise, and supplements.

My specialty is "integrative endocrinology." It's the study of hormones & metabolism. The integrative part means that I integrate both conventional and alternative methods. Most of my career has been helping the most difficult metabolic cases lose weight.

I have a license in California & Washington State and can prescribe all drugs except Schedule I & II. I am not opposed to pharmaceuticals and do use them; I prefer to lean on lifestyle change and natural approaches first. I only prescribe drugs if necessary. There is a time and a place for both.

I am also a psychology geek and student of philosophy (my favorites are stoicism and Taoism). I am currently working on my PhD in transpersonal and integral psychology. My area of research is focused on human connection, meaning, and fulfillment.

What else can I tell you? I have more life coaching certifications than I can count, and I did extra shifts in couples counseling in school (I am fascinated by romance and read research on the topic regularly). I also went through an affair and a divorce. I betrayed (my wife) and was betrayed (by the person I fell in love with).

It was the best and worst experience of my life. Have you ever had an experience where you were so hurt, disappointed, and embarrassed by your behavior that you hit rock bottom and became a new person? Yeah, that's what happened to me. This is why I write, blog, and podcast on relationships and romance.

I feel I have learned and earned this expertise. I have both the intellectual knowledge and first-hand experience of loss from both sides.

I am a voracious reader of anything related to self-development. My two favorite things are working out and reading. Some people like beers and ballgames, which are great, but I prefer books and barbells.

Finally, I am an author. In my field of medicine, we have a principle called Docere. It means "doctor as teacher." That's what I spend most of my time doing now: teaching through writing. I write books and create online educational products on metabolism, fitness, and personal development. I teach in three distinct areas: "mind, muscle, and metabolism."