Best Life By You

10/30/2026

NEW "BEST LIFE BY YOU PODCAST" IS OUT NOW!

#69 | The Hardest Part of MMA Happens Before the Fight with Jonathan Piersma, and Julia Furlipa

Fighting in the cage is the easy part.

Jonathan Piersma explains why the training, weight cuts, and sacrifices before fight night are the real challenge.

In this episode of Best Life by You’s Athlete Corner, professional MMA fighter and Tapped Out Tavern co-owner Jonathan Piersma joins me to discuss his journey from college football to professional fighting and the commitment it takes to pursue a dream while running a business.

Jonathan shares why he walked away from the state trooper hiring process to pursue MMA, how he balances training with coaching and business ownership, and what it took to return to competition after ACL surgery. We also explore fight-night nerves, the financial realities of chasing a passion, and his goal of opening his own gym.

It’s an honest conversation about discipline, setbacks, freedom, and finding something worth working for.

Subscribe today on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Podcasts!

Fighting in the cage is the easy part. Jonathan Piersma explains ...

08/16/2026

Micronutrients may be small, but they play a HUGE role in how your body functions.

In this episode of Best Life By You, Julia Furlipa breaks down the world of vitamins, minerals, micronutrients, supplements, and whole-food nutrition to help you better understand what your body actually needs.

We talk constantly about protein, carbohydrates, fats, calories, and exercise, but micronutrients are working behind the scenes to support energy, recovery, brain function, healthy bones, muscle function, oxygen transport, and more.
In this episode, Julia breaks down:
🥦 What micronutrients actually are
⚡ Why micronutrients are like the “spark plugs” of your body
💊 Nutrition Facts vs. Supplement Facts
🍊 Water-soluble vs. fat-soluble vitamins
🪨 Vitamins vs. minerals
🌱 Getting micronutrients on a plant-based diet
🩸 Why iron is especially important for women and athletes
🍋 How vitamin C can help with plant-based iron intake
🔬 What bioavailability means and why absorption matters
🏷 What to look for on supplement labels
✅ Why third-party testing matters
🥗 Why whole foods should form the foundation of your nutrition

Julia also discusses how she approaches supplementation and why supplements should be used strategically to fill nutritional gaps rather than replace a nutrient-dense diet.

Whether you're plant-based, an athlete, trying to improve your nutrition, or simply overwhelmed by the vitamin and supplement aisle, this episode will help you better understand what those nutrients actually do.

Micronutrients may be small, but they play a HUGE role in how your ...

08/03/2026

Why parents of athletes need to take a step back...

#56 | Why Parents Need to Step Back: An NHL Agent’s Advice for Raising Successful Athletes

Best Life By You Podcast

What does it truly take for a young athlete to reach the next level and when does parental support become pressure?

In the debut episode of The Athlete Corner, Julia sits down with Matt Keator, President of WIN Hockey Agency, to discuss the mindset, discipline, mentorship, and personal development required to build a successful athletic career.

Drawing from decades of experience as an NHL scout, hockey agent, entrepreneur, and player-development mentor, Matt explains why every
athlete’s journey is different, how social media creates anxiety for players and parents, and why young athletes must eventually develop the internal motivation to master their craft for themselves, not for anyone else.

Matt also shares lessons from working with professional hockey players, including Blake Wheeler, Zdeno Chára, Adam Fox, and Chris
Kreider. He discusses the importance of learning how to handle adversity, building a trusted team of mentors, becoming an expert on your own mind and body, and committing to the process without comparing your timeline to someone else’s.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:
• Why parents may need to step back as young athletes mature
• How social media comparison affects athletic development
• Why every athlete needs an individualized roadmap
• The importance of journaling, reflection, and tracking progress
• How athletes can develop resilience through adversity
• Why personal development matters as much as physical talent
• The four qualities Matt believes lead to long-term success
• How to build a meaningful career or business from the ground up

Whether you are an athlete, parent, coach, entrepreneur, or someone pursuing an ambitious goal, this episode offers practical lessons for trusting your journey, mastering your craft, and building success without regret.

What does it truly take for a young athlete to reach the next level...

07/24/2026

Episode 55 on the "Best Life By You Podcast" is out NOW!

Stefan Lessie (host of I Choose Health) returns to Best Life by You for a raw, honest conversation about balancing fatherhood, podcasting, and personal training without burning out. Stefan and Julia dig into vision-setting, protecting your energy, affirming your own existence, and healing childhood insecurities so they don't pass down to the next generation.

We talk about why passion projects don't have to be profitable yet to be worth it, how to spot people and situations that drain your cup, and why talking to your inner child might be the most powerful mental health tool you have.

Stefan Lessie (host of I Choose Health) returns to Best Life by You...

06/23/2026

High-achieving people hire coaches for business, finance, and fitness. But most …….
still guess at nutrition.

That's the one area where guessing costs you the most.
Energy,
focus,
longevity.

Let's stop guessing. Link in bio.

06/21/2026

The goal isn't to look good for summer!

It's to still be sharp, strong, and present at 70 🙂

That's what elite nutrition coaching is really about.

Ready to invest in the long game?

Let's talk.

06/16/2026

Every week on Best Life By You,

I sit with people who've rebuilt
their health,
their habits,
and their lives.

Not with hacks. With honesty.

New episodes dropping on Friday.
Follow so you don't miss it.

06/14/2026

Your body has a target pH of 7.4. Most people are eating their way below it and
wondering why they're tired, inflamed, and sick.

Acidic choices don't just affect digestion.
They affect your
energy,
mood,
weight,
and disease risk.

This is what my book The 7+ Lifestyle is built around.

06/11/2026

Science-based doesn't mean complicated.

It means:
real food,
adequate protein,
blood sugar stability,
and sleep.

The fundamentals aren't boring but they're underrated!

06/09/2026

At 15, I watched my mom battle colon cancer. That became my WHY.

Now I help others build a life that fights disease before it starts;

through food,
habits,
and mindset.

Your WHY matters. Let's find it together.