Show notes
In this episode, Wade chats with two sisters, Lauren Sambataro and Renee Belz, who grew up in a health-driven family. Their dad was "the original biohacker" and a pioneer in holistic dentistry. Dr. Sambataro was one of the first dentists in the country to pivot his dental practice away from mercury fillings. His influence made a strong impression on Lauren and Renee. Although they like to point out that their upbringing was not too extreme - as kids, they still enjoyed mac-n-cheese and peanut butter sandwiches! But Dr. Sambataro taught his daughters how to be independent minded and question everything - a principle sorely needed in this day and age. Renee has quite a story: after years of dealing with many health issues - including a long battle with the Epstein-Barr virus - she became fed up with allopathic care and decided to go the functional medicine route to find the root causes of her chronic fatigue and brain fog. So she began doing her research. She has made a miraculous recovery, regaining her health, and is now on a mission to help others do the same. Renee became a certified nutritional consultant and a holistic life coach with a master's degree in Nutrition along her health education journey. Lauren is her athletic sister who works as a dancer on Broadway - her last show before the Covid lockdowns were Wicked. In the meantime, Lauren trains clients one-to-one in New York, offering virtual health coaching for anyone anywhere in the world. Her certifications include the CHEK Institute Exercise Coach, Holistic Lifestyle Coach, Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, Pre-Post/Natal Training, and Institute for Functional Health Coaching. The Biohacker Babes want you to discover how your unique body functions at its optimal level through their journeys to wellness. Come join their world of biohacking in this episode with our host Wade T. Lightheart serving as the tour guide. In this podcast, we cover: What it was like for these sisters to grow up in such an unconventional family Renee's incredible healing journey. (With Epstein-Barr syndrome on the rise, you don't want to miss this) The common issues Renee and Lauren are seeing with their clients What does the mindset of a successful biohacker look like? Using technology with intuition in their biohacking practice How to keep biohacking fun and interesting The interesting differences between the two sisters who grew up in the same household Some tech tools the babes like to use for biohacking How "the jab" is affecting Lauren's Broadway career How Lauren and Renee are moving forward in this "new normal" How their dad's questioning mindset made them tenacious biohackers At one point, Wade asks Lauren and Renee to unpack their "questioning mindset." How did it develop? They know their dad played a big part. But how did this passion for finding answers to their health issues (and not blindly accept conventional medicine) rub off on them? Lauren said, "I don't know. I think it probably leaked into the subconscious. When Renee had her burnout, I had my version of burnout - what they used to call adrenal fatigue. My cortisol was super low. Renee had mononucleosis which turned into Epstein-Barr and chronic fatigue." "When you get answers from your doctor like "you're fine. You're normal." That's not okay. That's unacceptable. You want to find out more. There are amazing resources available to us now." Renee unpacked her journey by saying, "My journey led to burnout. I ended up with chronic fatigue syndrome in my early twenties. My doctors were saying that my labs were normal. Just keep sleeping. You need to sleep more. I was sleeping 13 to 14 hours a night. I ended up with Epstein-Barr, virus, mercury toxicity, HPA axis...I just had to keep searching and putting my puzzle pieces together to figure out what I needed to do. So I started studying nutrition. I graduated with a degree in international business and got my "dream job" and hated it." "My dad then asked me, 'what is your Friday night essence?'" And that started the journey to becoming biohacker babes. A peek into Renee's online coaching practice. When Renee first began coaching people how to address their health issues using online tools like Zoom or Skype, she described how at first, she would put on nice clothes and try to look "professional" during an online coaching call. She also presented herself in a "dry and scientific" way. What is interesting is how Renee noticed her clients would mirror her. Their energy would match her energy. If she were serious, the client would be serious. Over time, she realized her clothing and hair worries were unproductive and unnecessary. She began letting herself be silly and brought humor into her coaching sessions. She would be sure to laugh during their talks, and sure enough, the clients then loosen up and laugh as well. Her decision to conduct coaching in a "joyous, positive, lighter way" instead of being so serious made a massive difference in her coaching business - for both her and her clients. You can feel the healing energy coming through your audio speakers while listening to this dynamic duo. The Biohacker Babes love helping people overcome the health challenges that conventional medicine casts away - "it's all in your head," they say. But Lauren and Renee are persistent forces of nature who do not settle for that. Tune in and hear what biohacking did for these two beautiful souls. Check out this episode - the path to feeling better is one tenacious health coach away! Episode Resources: Check out more of the Biohacker Babes Biohacker Babes Podcast on Apple Podcasts Biohacker Babes on Instagram Lauren & Renee on YouTube Biohacker Babes on Facebook Renee Belz's Personal Website Lauren Sambataro's Personal Website Renee Belz on Instagram Lauren Sambataro on Instagram