SuperLife with Darin Olien

In this deeply personal and paradigm-shifting episode, Darin sits down with Justin McMillen, founder of Tree House Recovery and architect of one of the most innovative addiction treatment models in the country. What begins as a conversation about Midwestern roots and fatherhood quickly expands into genetics, evolutionary biology, trauma, tribal bonding, and the future of American healthcare.
Justin shares how addiction nearly ended his life — and how a miracle encounter with a former inmate sparked the creation of a radically different recovery model rooted in biology, psychology, and social bonding. From surf therapy to Seal-style team dynamics, Harvard collaborations to a federal endorsement from RFK Jr., this episode explores how addiction may not be weakness — but misdirected high performance.
And the implications go far beyond sobriety. This conversation reframes how we think about chronic disease, mental health, tribal polarization, loneliness, and what it means to be necessary in modern society.
 
 
What You'll Learn
00:00:00 – Welcome Justin McMillen: Midwest roots, swimming, and early athletic drive
00:03:07 – Modern abundance, gluttony, and why we're sicker than ever
00:07:11 – Darin's father, sobriety, relapse, and addiction as a symptom
00:12:12 – Justin's dark turning point: living in a garage and losing hope
00:14:21 – The prison miracle: how a former inmate sparked a recovery movement
00:17:03 – Buying the first houses and building community-based sober living
00:19:01 – Why traditional treatment fails: bio-psycho-social imbalance
00:22:10 – Creating a 28-dimension model of health and recovery
00:24:26 – Evolutionary biology and ancestral fitness as addiction medicine
00:26:08 – "Humans are built for bonding" — the social root of addiction
00:27:39 – The genetics of addiction: dopamine polymorphisms and dissatisfaction
00:30:22 – Harvard validation: Dr. John Ratey & Bessel van der Kolk collaboration
00:31:19 – The broken incentive structure in rehab and insurance
00:33:25 – Military partnerships and returning warfighters to operational fitness
00:35:00 – RFK Jr. endorsement and national recognition
00:35:50 – Behavioral health as the future of American medicine
00:39:41 – Peer interviews and tribal acceptance in recovery
00:41:54 – Surf therapy and Seal-inspired team bonding protocols
00:43:20 – The prefrontal cortex, limbic system, and strengthening resilience
00:45:48 – Why being "necessary" is biologically essential to survival
00:47:36 – Tribalism, politics, and our evolutionary need for opposition
00:50:28 – Loneliness in modern cities and the loss of 150-person tribes
00:53:25 – Rebuilding community: start with your neighborhood
00:58:19 – Algorithms, belief reinforcement, and digital tribalism
01:01:07 – Freedom, values, and America's founding psychological architecture
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Therasage: Go to www.therasage.com and use code DARIN at checkout for 15% off

Bite Toothpaste: Go to trybite.com/DARIN20 or use code DARIN20 for 20% off your first order.

Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order.

 
 
Join the SuperLife Community
Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns — beyond social media restrictions:
Weekly voice notes

Ingredient deep dives

Wellness challenges

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Community accountability

Extended episodes

Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
 
Find More from Justin McMillen
Website: treehouserecovery.com

Instagram: @treehouserecovery

Facebook: Tree House Recovery

YouTube: Tree House Recovery
 
 
Find More from Darin Olien:
Instagram: @darinolien

Podcast: SuperLife Podcast

Website: superlife.com

Book: Fatal Conveniences

 
 
 Key Takeaway
Addiction isn't weakness. It may be misdirected high performance in the wrong environment. We are wired for bonding, movement, purpose, and tribe. When those disappear, something else will take their place. If we want to solve addiction, and chronic disease, we don't just treat symptoms. We rebuild the tribe.

In this investigative solo deep dive, Darin exposes the ongoing PFAS contamination crisis, the "forever chemicals" found in drinking water, clothing, carpets, cookware, cosmetics, food packaging, and even firefighting foam. Sparked by a Frontline investigation into the carpet industry in Dalton, Georgia, this episode expands far beyond one region and reveals a global supply chain problem affecting nearly every American.
This episode is urgent.
With 99% of people showing measurable PFAS levels in their blood, this is not about fear. It's about sovereignty. It's about awareness. It's about eliminating silent accumulation and reclaiming control over your environment.
This is not luxury health.
This is foundational freedom.
 
 
In This Episode
What PFAS are and why they're called "forever chemicals"

The Dalton, Georgia carpet industry case and wastewater contamination

Internal corporate knowledge from 3M and DuPont decades ago

Why PFAS contamination is global, not regional

Everyday exposure: waterproof clothing, yoga pants, school uniforms, outdoor gear

Nonstick cookware and safer alternatives

Microwave popcorn bags and grease-resistant packaging

Cosmetics, mascara, and fluorinated compounds

Firefighting foam contamination at airports and military bases

Health impacts: immune suppression, thyroid disruption, cancer risk

Why water filtration is your first line of defense

Emerging detox strategies: fiber, blood donation, microbiome support

The role of regulation rollbacks and corporate accountability

Algae-based PFAS alternatives already entering the market

 
 
Chapters
00:00:00 – Welcome to SuperLife: sovereignty, health, and responsibility
00:00:33 – Sponsor: Truniagen NAD supplement
00:02:17 – Why this PFAS episode is urgent and investigative
00:03:07 – The Frontline documentary: Dalton, Georgia & carpet contamination
00:04:31 – What PFAS / PFOA actually do and why they were adopted
00:05:45 – "Miracle chemistry" without proper safety testing
00:06:07 – Persistence: PFAS do not break down in the environment
00:06:38 – Wastewater discharge & farmland contamination
00:07:50 – Dead livestock, contaminated groundwater & generational impact
00:08:23 – 3M, DuPont, internal documents & decades of corporate knowledge
00:08:52 – Long-chain vs short-chain PFAS replacements
00:09:20 – Clothing exposure: waterproof jackets, yoga pants, uniforms
00:10:24 – Cookware exposure & safer alternatives
00:10:57 – Cosmetics & Environmental Working Group resources
00:11:17 – Sponsor: Shakeology & seven layers of quality testing
00:13:03 – Lack of labeling transparency
00:13:20 – Firefighting foam & military base contamination
00:14:05 – Health risks: immune suppression, thyroid, cholesterol, cancer
00:14:35 – 99% of Americans have PFAS in their blood
00:15:01 – Erin Brockovich & environmental legal activism
00:15:33 – Personal action step #1: Reverse osmosis water filtration
00:16:04 – Testing well water & municipal pressure
00:16:28 – Personal action step #2: Eliminating household exposures
00:17:25 – Emerging research: oat beta glucan fiber
00:18:03 – Firefighter study: blood donation lowering PFAS levels
00:18:32 – Microbiome & mycelium detox research
00:18:56 – Moving beyond fear into empowered action
00:19:23 – Phasing out toxic clothing & upgrading environment gradually
00:20:15 – Stockholm Convention & global treaties
00:20:52 – EPA regulations & rollback frustrations
00:21:19 – Innovation outrunning safety
00:21:50 – Share this episode & create consumer pressure
00:22:28 – Clean water, clean soil, clean products as human rights
00:22:54 – Terem Labs & algae-based PFAS alternatives
00:23:27 – Building a safe home environment as first step
00:24:15 – Final call to action: demand transparency & push reform
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Shakeology: Get 15% off with code DARINO1BODI at Shakeology.com.

Truniagen: Go to www.truniagen.com and use code DARIN20 at checkout for 20% off

 
 
Join the SuperLife Community
Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns, beyond social media restrictions:
Weekly voice notes

Ingredient deep dives

Wellness challenges

Energy + consciousness tools

Community accountability

Extended episodes

Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
 
Find More from Darin Olien:
Instagram: @darinolien

Podcast: SuperLife Podcast

Website: superlife.com

Book: Fatal Conveniences

 
 
Key Takeaway
PFAS shows us what happens when innovation outruns safety. This is not about panic. It's about power. Clean water, clean soil, clean products; these are not luxuries. They are the foundation of sovereignty, freedom, and long-term health. Awareness is rising. Alternatives are emerging. Industry shifts when consumers shift. Make one change today. Then another. That's how we win.
 
 
Bibliography/Sources
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood / University of New England. (2022). Effect of Plasma and Blood Donations on Levels of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances in Firefighters in Australia: A Randomized Clinical Trial. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2791196
Boston University / University of Massachusetts Lowell. (2024). An oat fiber intervention for reducing PFAS body burden: A pilot study. (Published in Toxicology and Applied Pharmacology). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.taap.2024.117163
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. (2022). Guidance on PFAS Exposure, Testing, and Clinical Follow-Up. https://nap.nationalacademies.org/catalog/26156/guidance-on-pfas-exposure-testing-and-clinical-follow-up
Environmental Health Perspectives. (2021). Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substance Toxicity and Human Health Review: Current State of Knowledge and Strategies for Informing Future Research. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7906952/
New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) / IARC. (2024). Carcinogenicity of Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA) and Perfluorooctanesulfonic Acid (PFOS). https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2401611
FRONTLINE. (2024). Contaminated: The Carpet Industry's Toxic Legacy. (Investigative Documentary). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J_j66vAunXk
United States Environmental Protection Agency. (2024). Final PFAS National Primary Drinking Water Regulation. https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas

In this powerful and wide-ranging conversation, Darin sits down with Dr. Anthony Youn, known to millions as America's Holistic Plastic Surgeon, to unpack the real foundations of beauty, health, and longevity.
From the broken healthcare system and insurance handcuffs to the deep connection between gut health, skin, and self-esteem, Dr. Youn shares why surgery should always be the last step, not the first. This episode challenges everything we've been taught about aesthetics, medicine, and what it truly means to age well.
What You'll Learn
Why modern healthcare often prioritizes profit over patients — and how that affects both doctors and outcomes

Dr. Youn's "house analogy" for beauty: nutrition as the foundation, skincare and supplements as the structure, and surgery as the attic

How plastic surgery can be a catalyst for healthier habits, not just cosmetic change

The surprising link between the microbiome, fiber intake, and skin conditions like acne, eczema, and rosacea

Why fiber may be more important than protein, collagen, or even NAD+ for long-term health

How vanity can sometimes be leveraged as a gateway to better health choices

The emotional weight doctors carry as first responders — on planes, in ERs, and in everyday life

Why holistic medicine and traditional medicine must finally merge

Chapters
00:00:00 – Welcome to SuperLife and the mission of sovereignty, health, and longevity
00:00:32 – Sponsor: Fatty15 and the role of C15 in cellular health
00:04:13 – Introducing Dr. Anthony Youn, America's Holistic Plastic Surgeon
00:05:00 – The "house analogy" for beauty: nutrition, skincare, and surgery as the attic
00:06:40 – The convergence of plastic surgery, biohacking, and regenerative medicine
00:09:30 – Why surgery should never be the first option
00:11:30 – Insurance handcuffs and the reality of modern medical practice
00:14:30 – Dr. Youn's journey into medicine and plastic surgery
00:17:20 – How jaw reconstruction changed his life and career path
00:18:40 – The dark side of hospital systems and profit-driven care
00:22:10 – National healthcare, rationing, and personal responsibility
00:24:25 – Why education is the cornerstone of health reform
00:27:00 – Sponsor: Our Place and eliminating toxic cookware
00:29:45 – Using vanity as a tool to get patients to quit smoking
00:33:00 – The emotional toll of being a physician and first responder
00:36:15 – Medical emergencies on planes, in public, and the burden of duty
00:40:00 – When there's nothing you can do — and how doctors carry that weight
00:45:30 – Dr. Youn's skincare line, supplements, and why fiber is his next focus
00:48:00 – Fiber, the microbiome, and clear skin
00:49:50 – Bridging traditional medicine and alternative wellness
00:50:30 – Beef tallow, skincare myths, and what actually works
00:52:50 – Final reflections on health, service, and longevity
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors:
Our Place: Toxic-free, durable cookware that supports healthy cooking. Use code DARIN for 10% off at fromourplace.co/darin..

Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/DARIN and using code DARIN at checkout.ssssss

 
 
Join the SuperLife Patreon:
This is where Darin now shares the deeper work:
- weekly voice notes
- ingredient trackers
- wellness challenges
- extended conversations
- community accountability
- sovereignty practices
Join now for only $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
 
Connect with Darin Olien:
Website: darinolien.com

Instagram: @darinolien

Book: Fatal Conveniences

Platform & Products: superlife.com

 
 
Connect with Dr. Anthony Youn:
Get Dr. Youn's book: autojuvenation.com

Website: https://www.dryoun.com/ 

Instagram: @tonyyounmd

TikTok: @doctoryoun 

YouTube: @tonyyounmd

 
 
Key Takeaway:
"True beauty doesn't start in the mirror or the operating room — it starts in your gut, your habits, and the systems you build to support long-term health."

What if the most overlooked health intervention isn't a supplement… a biohack… or a protocol?
What if it's the structure you live inside?
In this deeply personal solo episode, Darin shares the seven-year journey of rebuilding after losing everything, and why this new home isn't just a house, it's a biological experiment in sovereignty. From fire resilience and toxic-free materials to grounding floors, EMF elimination, circadian lighting, and water independence, this episode breaks down the science and intention behind designing a "Fatal Convenience–Free" home.
This is about more than architecture. It's about reclaiming your environment as a health intervention.
In This Episode
Why over 90% of California wildfires start from human infrastructure — and how to build for fire resilience

The hidden toxins inside modern homes: formaldehyde, VOCs, flame retardants, particle board

Why indoor air is 2–5x more polluted than outdoor air (EPA data)

Why formaldehyde is a Group 1 carcinogen — and still used in building materials

Steel framing, magnesium oxide walls, and hempcrete exterior — and the science behind each

Water sovereignty: whole-house filtration, well water testing, pharmaceutical removal

Eliminating WiFi and RF exposure with fully hardwired infrastructure

Grounded copper-integrated flooring and the emerging science of earthing

Solar redundancy and energy independence

Circadian-aligned incandescent lighting to restore melatonin and sleep architecture

Biophilic design and using fallen oak trees from the fire for untreated interior finishes

Organic furniture free from PFAS, flame retardants, polyurethane foam

Why your home may be the most powerful nervous system regulator in your life



Chapters
00:00:00 – Welcome to SuperLife
00:00:33 – Plastic waste, fatal conveniences, and Bite toothpaste solution
00:02:48 – The solo episode: rebuilding after losing everything
00:03:30 – The most overlooked health intervention: your home
00:05:30 – Fire zones, ember exposure, and structural ignition science
00:07:00 – Steel framing and magnesium oxide walls explained
00:08:00 – Hempcrete and fire-resistant exterior systems
00:10:30 – Building biologists and probability management
00:13:40 – Indoor air pollution and EPA data
00:14:40 – Formaldehyde as a Group 1 carcinogen
00:15:30 – Eliminating composite woods and VOC sealants
00:16:45 – Mold-resistant building science
00:17:50 – EMF elimination, hardwired ethernet, no WiFi home
00:20:00 – Prefab SuperLife guest house concept
00:20:20 – Copper-integrated grounding floors
00:21:00 – The science of earthing and blood viscosity
00:22:10 – Water sovereignty and whole-house filtration
00:23:00 – Gray water and microbiological waste remediation
00:23:45 – Solar redundancy and energy independence
00:24:20 – Circadian lighting and melatonin suppression research
00:25:45 – Biophilic design and reclaimed oak interiors
00:27:00 – Organic furniture and eliminating endocrine disruptors
00:27:50 – Reinvention after loss: reducing biological stressors
00:29:00 – Architecture of biology and intention for the next chapter
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/DARIN and using code DARIN at checkout.

Our Place: Toxic-free, durable cookware that supports healthy cooking. Go to their website at fromourplace.com/darin and get 10% off sitewide in their largest sale of the year.

Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order.

 
 
Join the SuperLife Patreon:
This is where Darin now shares the deeper work:
- weekly voice notes
- ingredient trackers
- wellness challenges
- extended conversations
- community accountability
- sovereignty practices
Join now for only $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
 
Connect with Darin Olien:
Website: darinolien.com

Instagram: @darinolien

Book: Fatal Conveniences

Platform & Products: superlife.com

New Show: Roadmap to Happiness

 
 
Key Takeaway:
"Your home is either regulating your nervous system — or dysregulating it. The walls, the lighting, the water, the wiring, the materials, the air… they are all inputs into your biology. Health isn't just what you eat. It's what surrounds you. This isn't about perfection. It's about reducing the biological stress load — and building a life aligned with sovereignty, intention, and nature."

In this deeply reflective and expansive conversation, Darin sits down with poet, speaker, and consciousness explorer Adam Roa for a raw dialogue on creativity, stillness, identity, and the courage it takes to live from integrity instead of performance.
From viral art and the pressure of platforms to darkness retreats, emotional sovereignty, and redefining success, this episode explores what it really means to listen inwardly in a world addicted to noise. This is not a conversation about answers. It's a conversation about asking better questions and trusting the quiet moments where truth lives.
 
 
What You'll Learn in This Episode
How art and creativity act as accelerators for human consciousness

Why stepping back from visibility can be an act of integrity, not avoidance

The emotional cost of constant output and public expectation

What happens when identity dissolves and certainty disappears

Why stillness, darkness, and solitude reveal what discipline cannot

How to rebuild meaning when old belief systems fall apart

The difference between inspired expression and performative sharing

Why emotions are not obstacles — but the point of being human

 
 
Chapters
00:00 – Welcome to SuperLife and the mission of sovereignty and conscious living
01:00 – Sponsor break: Truniagen
02:18 – Introducing Adam Roa and his global impact through poetry
03:10 – Why art reaches places words alone cannot
04:28 – First impressions of Adam's viral poem and emotional resonance
06:05 – How "You Are What You've Been Looking For" reached 250M+ people
07:18 – Art as permission to feel — and why healing requires emotion
08:27 – Why personal transformation must include the emotional body
09:32 – Serendipity, readiness, and owning your inner authority
10:31 – Seeing yourself on the stage before the invitation arrives
11:35 – Limiting beliefs and the illusion of needing permission
12:26 – Offering your gift freely — and the moment everything changed
13:19 – Preparation meets opportunity: why readiness matters
14:21 – Acting when something feels wrong in the world
15:43 – Fear, courage, and why confidence is built — not bestowed
17:31 – Why manifestation happens through action, not just meditation
18:33 – Why fear disappearing is actually dangerous
19:48 – Fear as proof that you care — the opposite of apathy
21:02 – Creating new realities instead of fighting reactive systems
22:50 – Sponsor break: Fatty15 and cellular health
26:31 – Creativity in the age of AI — amplification vs. outsourcing
27:26 – Repressed trauma and uncovering the roots of the self
28:45 – Creativity as pattern recognition and personal evolution
30:30 – Depression, breakups, and art as a pressure release
31:41 – Plant medicine as a doorway to childhood revelations
33:07 – Ayahuasca vs. Iboga: radically different spiritual journeys
35:11 – Why facilitation and container safety are critical
37:44 – The risks of unsafe ceremonial spaces and faux shamans
40:57 – The importance of indigenous-focused healing perspectives
42:44 – Finding the "doors" within through meditation and breathwork
43:55 – Building meaningful work without becoming noise
46:03 – Overcoming survival instincts from a premature birth
48:08 – Following the desire for hope, possibility, and solutions
49:55 – Meditation, gamma states, and stream of consciousness
50:49 – Visualizing the higher self and the glowing library
51:37 – SuperLife Patreon: deeper conversations and community
53:30 – Five days in complete darkness: stripping identity away
55:23 – Hearing the whisper of God beneath the mental noise
57:39 – Why the voice of the omnipresent sounds like your own
59:20 – Returning to the modern world and electromagnetic signals
1:02:04 – Choosing silence and authenticity over performative posting
1:03:54 – Integrity, vulnerability, and the dangers of unsafe platforms
1:07:38 – Creating from truth rather than chasing algorithms
1:08:27 – Crazy Love: journal entries on the messy arc of relationships
1:10:18 – Self-revelation: finding yourself reflected in the art
1:12:18 – Breaking the 12-year loop and choosing new patterns
1:13:51 – The iterations of love and the cycle of constant change
1:16:30 – Authenticity vs. the "Guru" facade of social media
1:19:41 – Art as a time capsule for past consciousness
1:22:31 – Triggers as access points for personal healing
1:23:43 – Giving yourself permission to play and be "unproductive"
1:26:12 – Life as a soul scavenger hunt guided by curiosity
1:28:24 – Reaching the breaking point and shifting from push to magnetism
1:29:58 – Investigating deep pain and the process of rebirthing
1:31:38 – Designing a collective society with intention
1:33:10 – Closing poem: "Heaven" — the courage to feel all of life
1:35:45 – Gratitude for the miracle of the next breath
1:37:34 – Digging for the love of life and turning the page to heal
 
 
Thank You to Our Sponsors
Truniagen: Go to www.truniagen.com and use code DARIN20 at checkout for 20% off

Fatty15: Get an additional 15% off their 90-day subscription Starter Kit by going to fatty15.com/DARIN and using code DARIN at checkout.

 
 
Join the SuperLife Community
Get Darin's deeper wellness breakdowns — beyond social media restrictions:
Weekly voice notes

Ingredient deep dives

Wellness challenges

Energy + consciousness tools

Community accountability

Extended episodes

Join for $7.49/month → https://patreon.com/darinolien
 
 
Find More from Adam Roa
Website: adamroa.com

Instagram: @adam.roa

Book: Crazy Love

 
 
Find More from Darin Olien:
Instagram: @darinolien

Podcast: SuperLife Podcast

Website: superlife.com

Book: Fatal Conveniences

 
 
Key Takeaway:
"The most impactful thing you can do for the world is learn how to love life, all of it. Not by avoiding pain, but by having the courage to feel deeply, because contained within emotion is the very key that sets us free."