Longevity Through Stress: Unlocking Your Body’s Survival Pathways | Dr. Sharon Horesh Bergquist

The Proof with Simon Hill

Dr. Sharon Bergquist joins me to explore a powerful reframe: stress isn’t always bad. In fact, certain types of stress, when dosed right, are essential for building resilience and longevity.

We talk about “eustress,” hormesis, and how everyday tools like exercise, fasting, and even hot or cold exposure can activate the body’s repair systems at the cellular level.

Sharon explains why recovery is just as critical as the stressor itself, and how aligning your lifestyle with your values may be one of the most impactful health moves of all.

• Overview of the Stress Paradox (00:00)
• Good Stress vs. Bad Stress: What’s the Difference? (01:55)
• Understanding Stress: Eustress, Distress & Sustress (04:04)
• How Stress Changes Your Body’s Baseline Permanently? (09:20)
• Why Discomfort Is Required for Long-Term Health (11:38)
• What Is Hormesis and How It Regenerates Your Body (17:00)
• 7 Repair Systems Activated by Good Stress (17:42)
• Recovery Matters: The Missing Piece in Stress Resilience (23:44)
• The Blood Markers That Show If Your Stress Routine Is Working (29:23)
• The Best Type of Stress for Improving Metabolic Health (33:59)
• Do Good Stressors Slow Aging (35:18)
• What Is Psychological Stress and Can It Be Good for You? (41:00)
• The 5 Good Stressors That Boost Resilience and Longevity (45:55)
• The Science Behind Phytochemicals and Stress Adaptation (46:22)
• What Are Phytochemicals? Nature’s Defence Compounds (54:55)
• Intermittent Fasting Explained: Finding Your Goldilocks Zone (01:00:42)
• Combining Fasting with Exercise: Best Practices for Balance (01:10:38)
• High-Intensity Training and Mitochondrial Health Benefits (01:15:18)
• Heat and Cold Therapy: Saunas, Ice Baths and Hormetic Effects (01:28:02)
• Psychological Stress and Cellular Health: The Mind-Body Link (01:36:32)
• Final Takeaways: Building a Resilient, Healthier You (01:43:24)

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by stress or tried to avoid it entirely, this conversation offers a new, empowering perspective.

Share this episode with someone who’d benefit from rethinking their relationship with stress.

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Simon Hill, MSc, BSc (Hons)

• Creator of theproof.com

• Host of The Proof with Simon Hill

• Author of The Proof is in the Plants

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