Mike D Gives Something in NYC 5/5 & Morgan’s Deep in Her Long COVID Detox

Summary

The Bobby Bones Show: Best Bits with Morgan & Mike D

Episode Title: Mike D Gives Something in NYC 5/5 & Morgan’s Deep in Her Long COVID Detox
Date: August 30, 2025
Podcast Host: Premiere Networks
Main Voices: Morgan, Mike D

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Episode Overview

This “Best Bits” episode of The Bobby Bones Show features Morgan and Mike D recapping Mike’s energetic vacation to New York City—his favorite place in the world—and delving into Morgan’s dramatic health journey as she battles long COVID. The duo touch on travel, lifestyle changes, the social and cultural vibes of NYC, diffusing social anxiety, friendship as an adult, and the intense challenges of dietary detox. With honest and relatable banter, the conversation highlights memorable Broadway moments, food epiphanies, coping strategies, and personal growth.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Mike D’s New York City Adventure

Love for NYC

• Mike deems NYC “the city of cities,” sharing how it always felt larger than life—“As a kid, New York City seemed like it didn’t exist. It only existed in movies.” (03:23)
• The feeling of importance and purpose the city imparts:

  "Whenever I’m in New York City, I feel like I’m important. Everybody there feels like they have a purpose." — Mike D (03:56)

Broadway Debut: ‘Wicked’

• Mike’s first Broadway show was Wicked. He draws parallels to his love of movies and practical effects:

  “It was almost taking that to a whole other extreme because everything that you see is somebody operating it. There’s no special effects… It all happens in that moment.” — Mike D (04:29)

• Rated it an emphatic 5 out of 5:

  “There’s nothing I would change about the experience… I think I gotta give it a five out of five because… I got oddly emotional for no reason. And it was just—that’s just singing.” — Mike D (06:39)

NYC Vacation Vibes

• Mike and wife Kelsey skipped rigid planning, keeping busy with walking, food, and spontaneous plans—finding it more relaxing than lazing poolside.

  “We put in so many steps, walking. And I think that allowed me to disconnect more than it would going to, like, a beach.” — Mike D (07:29)

Public Transit Praise

• Both hosts lament the lack of comprehensive subways in the US outside of NYC:

  “Ever since I rode them in New York… I’m so jealous that they get to commute that way.” — Morgan (10:15)

Top 3 NYC Moments (12:18)

1. Wicked (Broadway)
2. Midtown Comics:
   • “My favorite comic book store in the entire world… you walk in, there’s a big Superman statue… you can find like anything there.” — Mike D (14:14)
3. Baseball Games: Yankees (iconic but “corporate vibes”) vs. Mets at Citi Field (“more passionate fans,” better food).
   • “The vibe at Citi Field was just so much better... I found vegan nachos. You can’t find that anywhere at a sporting event!” — Mike D (12:41, 13:25)

Running in Central Park

• Mike describes the invigorating environment:

  “It feels like you’re running a marathon… you see so many people there who look like friggin athletes… and it’s cool to see that many people doing things outdoors, in a city where there is no outdoors.” — Mike D (24:15)

2. Navigating Social Anxieties & Adult Friendship

Run Club Reluctance

• Mike admits to “lurking in the shadows” of local running groups:

  “I am so comfortable in not saying anything that it makes other people very uncomfortable…” — Mike D (28:04)

• Morgan challenges him to step outside his comfort zone:

  “You deserve to have people in your life that are not work related or your wife… it’s a necessity for every human being.” — Morgan (30:12)

Mike’s Social Self-Talk

• Reflects on introversion, failed second dates, and applying ‘bad data’ to new situations. Morgan reframes the narrative:

  “You had a second date that turned into your wife… you’re just more who you always wanted to be. And that means you’re more confident, you’re more secure about who you are.” — Morgan (35:18)

• The duo stress the importance of “the journey” and seizing present opportunities, not getting trapped in past or future regrets.

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3. Morgan’s Deep Long COVID Detox

Radical Health Overhaul

• Morgan describes the intense routine aimed at beating long COVID symptoms:

  • No dairy, no gluten, no alcohol, vegetarian/as close to vegan as possible (44:11)
  • Adding salt to water for hydration (44:34)
  • Daily sauna mat sessions & red light therapy (45:05)
  • Extended fasting: 24-36 hours each week for two months (45:23)
  • Heavy supplement regimen, including one to recover her sense of smell (46:11)

• Life impact:

  “My lung capacity sucks. I can’t run… My brain fog is horrible. It’s like you’re basically talking to Dory some days...” — Morgan (46:11)

• Quitting sugar causes withdrawal symptoms:

  “It's like your body, like… took something out of my body and it doesn’t like it. It’s like an addict would.” — Morgan (50:49)

Food and Healing Insights

• Both discuss how shifting away from processed foods changes cravings and perceptions:

  • “Now I find things really sweet that aren’t that sweet at all.” — Mike D (51:04)
  • “When you kind of take out all the additives… your body resets to what whole foods taste like.” — Morgan (51:14)

• Mike shares his journey to health, losing weight “by myself,” and how it brought unexpected challenges and revelations.

  “It’s weird achieving something you’ve been trying to achieve your entire life, and once you have it and you realize it’s not everything, it’s hard.” — Mike D (58:41)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I feel like everybody there has a purpose. Everything feels meaningful.” — Mike D on NYC (03:56)
• “I got oddly emotional for no reason. And it was just—that's just singing.” — Mike D on Wicked (06:39)
• “I started with like the best one… now my expectations are really high.” — Mike D on Broadway (05:41)
• “You deserve to have friendship. Because you’re a great guy, Mike. The only thing stopping you from having friends is you.” — Morgan (31:15)
• “Nobody has it figured out. Not a single person on this earth has figured out anything. We're just all fumbling our way through, trying to hope for the best…” — Morgan (61:32)
• “You’re never going to achieve that top level for you, so you kind of have to enjoy it and then just focus on you.” — Mike D (61:32)
• “It's actually supposed to be [positive]. And we just mess ourselves up a little bit, you know, so you've got to reframe it in a different way.” — Morgan (38:03)

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Essential Timestamps

• 03:07 – Mike’s love for NYC and the “city of cities” concept
• 04:29 – 07:10 – First Broadway experience & Wicked review
• 08:20 – 10:48 – On staying busy vs. chilling on vacation; NYC’s public transit praise
• 12:18 – 17:04 – Mike’s Top 3 NYC moments: Citi Field, Midtown Comics, Wicked
• 24:15 – 26:05 – Running in Central Park and being energized by the environment
• 26:13 – 38:23 – Social anxiety, trying to join a run club, struggles with small talk/adult friendships
• 44:00 – 56:30 – Morgan details her COVID detox, fasting, and nutritional reset
• 58:41 – 60:32 – Mike on personal transformation, health, and the myth of “fixing everything”
• 61:32 – 62:16 – Final thoughts: nobody has it figured out, living in the present, encouragement to keep trying new things

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Conclusion

This episode offers a candid, often touching, and sometimes funny exploration of the energy one can draw from adventure, self-improvement, and choosing growth—whether by walking NYC or tackling health challenges head-on. The warmth and self-deprecating humor of both hosts make their stories of self-discovery feel both relatable and inspiring, especially as they encourage listeners (and each other) to seek genuine connection and embrace the discomfort that comes with doing hard things.

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Listen to Mike D’s Movie Podcast: Mondays for spoiler-free reviews
Follow @BobbyBonesShow and @webgirlmorgan for more content

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For Fans Of: Honest chats about travel, health journeys, introversion, NYC, Broadway, and personal growth.

Transcript

[Morgan]

This is an I heart podcast. Hi, it's Honey German. And I'm back with season two of my podcast, Gracias.

[Mike]

Come again.

[Morgan]

We got you. When it comes to the latest in music and entertainment with interviews with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition.

[Mike]

No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned like over 25 years.

[Morgan]

Oh, wow, that's a real G talk right there. Oh, yeah, we'll talk about all that's viral and trending with a little bit of Cheeseman and a whole lot of laughs. And of course, the great Bibras you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Gracias. Come Again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, I'm Jenica Lopez, and in the new season of the Over Comfort podcast, I'm even more honest, more vulnerable and more real than ever. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself and my time? Join me for conversations about healing and growth, all from one of my favorite space, the kitchen. Listen to the new season of the Overcomer podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcast. The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast. Season four is here and we're locked in. That means more juicy cheesement, terrible love advice, evil spells to cast on your ex.

[Mike]

No, no, we're not doing that this season.

[Morgan]

Oh, well, this season we're leveling up. Each episode will feature a special bestie.

[Mike]

And you're not gonna wanna miss it.

[Morgan]

My name is Curly and I' get in here. Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're looking for another heavy podcast about trauma, the saying it this is for the ones who had to survive and still show up as brilliant, loud, soft and whole. The Unwanted Sorority is where black women, femmes and gender expansive survivors of sexual violence rewrite the rules on healing, support and what happens after. And I'm your host and co president of this organization, Dr. Leah Tritate. Listen to the Unwanted Sorority. New episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. From tips for healthy living to the latest medical breakthroughs, WebMD's Health Discovered podcast keeps you up to date on today's most important health issues through in depth conversations with experts from across the healthcare community. WebMD reveals how today's health news will impact your life tomorrow.

[Mike]

It's not that people don't know that exercise is healthy.

[Morgan]

It's just that people don't know why it's healthy.

[Mike]

And we're struggling to try to help people help themselves and each other.

[Morgan]

Listen to WebMD Health discovered on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Mike]

The Best Bits of the Week with.

[Morgan]

Morgan, Part 1 Behind the Scenes with a member of the show. It's another Best Bits weekend, and Mike D joins me. What's up, Mike D?

[Mike]

Hey, what's going on?

[Morgan]

Thanks for being here. We got all kinds of things to talk about, but the first being that when you were on vacation, y' all went to New York City. Yeah, I want to hear all about it.

[Mike]

I think it's my favorite city in the whole world because it is the city. Like you. You can love cities and go visit other cities, but New York City is like the mecca. It's the city of cities.

[Morgan]

Okay, and why is it to you, though, the city of cities? Because I feel like everybody has a different, different reason for that.

[Mike]

For me, as a kid, New York City seemed like it didn't exist. It only existed in movies. And I never envisioned myself even going to New York City. And the first time I ever went was because of this job in, like, 2017, maybe. I was probably 26 years old, and I was like, I got to go see Times Square. And I remember walking into Times Square and having this euphoric feeling of like. Like, I've made it, even though I haven't made it. It just felt in that moment, like even though I was surrounded by advertisements, which is really all Times Square is.

[Morgan]

Isn't that funny?

[Mike]

Yeah. It just felt like going to an amusement park as a kid. It was like all those feelings of whenever I'm in New York City, I feel like I'm important. And I feel like everybody there has a purpose. No matter if they're working at a bodega, if they're working in Broadway, everybody there feels like they have a purpose. Everything feels meaningful. So I just love going there.

[Morgan]

That's a really good point. Even you just saying that. I'm like, you know, now I feel like I kind of should go live in New York City for a moment, just to have my moment. And you guys saw Wicked on Broadway?

[Mike]

Yeah. I'd never been to Broadway before. Never seen any kind of musical at that level. And it completely changed me because I love the movie. And I think when it comes to what I like about movies are ones that use practical effects because I think it looks better, it ages better. And this was almost taking that to a whole other extreme because everything that you see is somebody operating it. It's a real life prop. There's no special effects. It all happens in that moment. All the actors have to be perfectly on pitch. They have to nail their lines. It's just crazy to see something so well orchestrated also be so just like perfectly on every mark because they can make mistakes. Like, I forget that I'm watching real life people because it feels so precise. It feels like I'm still watching the movie, but they're actually there doing it live.

[Morgan]

Are you about to become theater Mike instead of movie Mike?

[Mike]

That would be hard for me. And it's also like, I feel like I watched the best one. Like, I started with the best one.

[Morgan]

So then it's like they're still Hamilton.

[Mike]

Yeah, there are still. There's some I want to see. It's just.

[Morgan]

You did start with the Mecca.

[Mike]

Yeah, I started with like the best one. So I feel like it's gonna. Not that there, there could be better ones, but I feel like my expectations now are really high. Yeah, but I do wanna see more now that I've experienced it, because much like movies, like, you're not gonna forget that experience.

[Morgan]

Okay, so what would be your rating of Wicked, the musical I would get?

[Mike]

While I've only seen one, it's okay.

[Morgan]

But it's the best one I've seen that experience.

[Mike]

There's nothing I would change about the experience. The theater we saw it in was like a bigger theater with comfy seats. So I was worried about that because some of them are like older theaters and you're in like really small seats next to somebody. But it was comfortable. The performance was amazing. Now that I know what happens in the second part, it's kind of like it spoiled the second movie for me. That's why I didn't want to watch it initially. But I was like, ah, people have been seeing this play for a very long time. Like, you're just going to have that spoiled.

[Morgan]

But it's no different than somebody reading a book and watching it.

[Mike]

Yeah, that's what. That's what I compared it to. I was like, yeah, if you read the book going into a movie now I kind of know what to expect. But it does have me more excited to see part two. I think I got to give it a five out of five because there is a moment when it's in the first movie, whenever Cynthia Revo sings that big line that everybody was doing, like, I felt that in my gut, seeing that live, like, I got oddly emotional for no reason. And it was just. That's just singing.

[Morgan]

Yeah, very much so. I can't believe you gave it a five out of five. Have you ever given anything a five out of five?

[Mike]

But I feel like that's something I'm going to remember forever. And since it does have already the historic value of it's been around for a long time. It's well renowned. There's a movie about it. I think that's. That's as high as you can get.

[Morgan]

All right, well, there you have it. 5 out of 5. Go see the musical. What else did you guys do while you were in New York?

[Mike]

We see. We kind of figured out that we like vacations where we kind of don't have a plan, but do have a plan and are just moving the entire time. Because our last vacation, it was a lot of downtime and chill time, which I think we needed at that time of just to break away, not think about things. But I ended up thinking about things like I. Because when you're hanging out by a pool, you're still on your phone. You're still kind of connected with social media. So what we like about New York is we are doing things the entire time, pretty much walking. Like, we put in so many steps, walking. And I think that allowed me to disconnect more than it would going to, like, a beach or going to somewhere where you're supposed to, quote, unquote, relax. Like, that is more relaxing to me. And I think it's because I do have, like, an overactive brain where I'm just constantly going.

[Morgan]

You have to do other things to distract you from the original.

[Mike]

It's kind of like having, like, you have idle hands. You have to have a fidget spinner so you have some kind of control over your body. So I think that was kind of the in between for me, because it wasn't a relaxing vacation, which I think you can probably attest to that. Like, when you go do a bunch of stuff and go to a bunch of places, it's not relaxing in the sense of, like, you come back well rested, but you do so much that it feels worth it.

[Morgan]

Yeah, I come back recharged from those because I have, like, a new sense of adventure is really where the recharging for me happens. Like, there are people who'll go to a beach and like, oh, man. Well, I just needed all that relaxing. I'M like, no, I need you to, like, reinvigorate me. Because right now I feel like there is no purpose to my life. And when I go on an adventure, like you going and walking around New York City, I feel like I get like, that click again to be like, okay, this is what makes life worth living kind of thing. Not saying that. It's like, you know, life isn't living.

[Mike]

That's kind of how I felt. Yeah.

[Morgan]

But it's very much like this click where I'm like, okay, this is what makes it all worth it. This is what I try and do and spend my time for.

[Mike]

Yeah. It's like, if I didn't have to work a job and earn money and keep a home, like, this is what I would be doing. Like, this would be all the fun things. Because you forget about all that.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Mike]

You're like, I'm just going. I'm, like, going to figure out what. What I'm going to eat, where I'm going to get coffee, what the next meal is going to be, what the next plan is going to be. And then you don't think about normal stuff like paying bills and, oh, yeah, mowing your lawn.

[Morgan]

Gosh. That's why I also always think about Europeans. Because whenever I've been over there, they always just are so relaxed and they don't really worry about the paycheck to paycheck. You know, they just get to live their life like that all the time. I'm like, dang, what's that?

[Mike]

Like, speaking of Europeans, they have it down with the transportation because, like, in New York, we took the train and it's just so much easier. It's so much faster because we took like an Uber from the airport to our hotel, and it's like an hour, about the same distance in a train. It took like 12 minutes.

[Morgan]

I know. I wish we had subway stations and subways all over the country. Like, ever since I've ever. I did. I wrote them in New York. Heck, I even rode a train from Boston to New York City. And I was like, that was cool. I could go to another city on a train. Or when we were in Paris, when we were in Barcelona, we were always doing everything by sign Subway. And I'm so jealous that they get a commute that way.

[Mike]

It's awesome because you get in, you don't think about it, then you just end up. I mean it. And sometimes it takes a little bit longer than it would if you drive, but it's just so much easier.

[Morgan]

Oh, yeah. And you don't have to worry about parking. You just get a pass and you're always on it. You can go anywhere and anywhere that you'd ever want to go because you have access to it. I wish. Yeah, I wish they did that more in other places. What other places in the US have a subway system?

[Mike]

New York is the only one I can think of. I know they just built, like, a new train that's starting to operate between some cities that haven't had one. Like, California just got one that goes to LAX for the first time ever. And everybody's like, welcome to 2010.

[Morgan]

Right. Like, so crazy. LA is the other big city. And why doesn't LA have a subway system? Yeah, I think Chicago has a tramway. I don't know if I have a subway.

[Mike]

I've seen trains in Chicago. I've taken a train to a White Sox game.

[Morgan]

Okay. So I know there's some. But. Yeah, isn't that wild? Yeah, I'm with you. And maybe it's because we don't live it every day. And the people who do are like, this is disgusting. I don't know why you do this, but every time I see a subway, I'm like, we're taking the subway. I'll figure it out. It's kind of confusing. The first time I was ever on a subway was in New York City, and I was very much like, how does this offer.

[Mike]

Yeah. We had to ask a guy like, hey, how do we get to this straight? Because it is confusing. They're all just name weird things. And you're like, oh, you got to go to this one to get to that one and then go here.

[Morgan]

Yeah, you have to be at the right entry point to get to where you want to go. Which also didn't know. Try doing that in a different language.

[Mike]

Yeah, that was very.

[Morgan]

That was very interesting for us. I was just, like, following us on the map, hoping we made it to our right destination. That's so fun. Okay, top three moments of your New York trip.

[Mike]

So we went to. I'll put the two baseball games at number three. We went to a Yankees game at Yankee Stadium and a Mets game at Citi Field. Of those two, Citi Field was so much better.

[Morgan]

Really?

[Mike]

Like, the Yankee Stadium was more iconic. Like, walking up to it felt like, oh, this is cool. But once you're actually in there is a little bit, like, underwhelming.

[Morgan]

Interesting.

[Mike]

It felt very, like, corporate and like, okay, you're like the best team in baseball as far as, like, how historic you are. But the vibes in there just weren't right. Like, the fan base wasn't there. We didn't have that much fun at the Yankees game. Even though the actual game we saw was better there. The vibe at Citi Field was just so much better. It was easier to get to. We just took a train, shoots you out right by the stadium. You walk up, and there's just more of that environment. I think it's because their fans are probably just a little bit more passionate. The overall just atmosphere there was better, and the food was better. I found vegan nachos. You can't find that anywhere at a. At a sporting event. They had all kinds of food, which apparently there's, like, some chef who operates all their, like, food business, and you can find, like, anything there.

[Morgan]

That's cool. See, the food changes the game, especially when you have dietary restrictions. When you can find a place who really has thought of everything, it does put it above other places for that.

[Mike]

Reason, because we got there, like, an hour before the game started, just so we'd have time to eat. And sometimes I, like, I struggle to find stuff at a. At a sporting event, but there was so much to choose from, and it was really good.

[Morgan]

Where is Citi? Feel that. What's city?

[Mike]

It's like. Can't remember it now, but it's kind of out by the airport.

[Morgan]

Okay. LaGuardia.

[Mike]

Yeah, it's out, by that way. I forget.

[Morgan]

I know they have multiple airports. I don't know if that's the right one. That's the only one that I can think of off the top of my head, but. Okay, well, that's cool. That's number three.

[Mike]

That's three. So we checked off two more baseball fields in our journey to go to all 30. So I think we've. We've been to six now.

[Morgan]

Okay.

[Mike]

Six is still strong at number two. I would have to say Midtown Comics, which is my favorite comic book store in the entire world. Because you walk in there and it just feels like, man, this is where, like, all these superheroes live in my mind, because they're all, like, based in New York City. You walk in, there's, like, a big Superman statue. It's a really historic place. Like, a lot of Marvel actors will go there for, like, signings whenever their movies come out. Like, Anthony Mackie was there earlier this year. So for me, I just like going in thinking, like, man, somebody could show up and be here.

[Morgan]

That is true.

[Mike]

But they have a bunch of, like, cool new comics, and they have, like, old, old, like, historic comics that are like $10,000, like the first appearance of certain characters.

[Morgan]

Did you buy an expensive comic while you're there?

[Mike]

No, the one I wanted was like the first ever X Men. And yeah, I think it was like $10,000. So I'm like, I'm good on that.

[Morgan]

That's brutal. But did you buy any at least.

[Mike]

I got some new comics and then I just kind of walked around. They have like, it's like a two story place. So like downstairs is all comics and then upstairs is all collectibles. So that's my favorite place to go. Just because it's, it's cool. It's in New York City. And if ever I need a comic that I can't find here, I'll order it from their website just to know that it comes from them.

[Morgan]

Does your wife Kelsey have any interest in any of that stuff with you?

[Mike]

She likes how much I like it and she helps me pick out comics. She'll be like, oh, do you have this one? And I'll be like, no, I don't and I'll get that one. So she likes helping me look for things and tries to find things that she knows I like. And I think that part makes it fun.

[Morgan]

Oh yeah, that's sweet.

[Mike]

And like with the collectibles too, she'll find things and be like, hey, look, look at this. Spider Man. This is cool. I'm like, that actually is cool.

[Morgan]

I like that she knows your interest in what you're looking for.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

So that helps. Speaking of, were you jealous about lunchboxing Spider Man?

[Mike]

The craziest thing is, whenever I first saw them filming, like, my head immediately went to, oh, they're filming in New York City. We're about to go to New York City. And then I realized it was in another country. And then seeing his footage, like, that's all I was watching that week. Like, my feed was just all these Spider man angles. And to know that he was there. I know and saw Tom Holland, or at least Tom Holland's brother, stunt double in there. Like, that was crazy.

[Morgan]

That's how I felt too. I mean, I don't you have the deeper connection to Spider man, which I did see you post one time, your Spider man tattoo. It's super cool. I was freaking out just for the Marvel aspect, because to be near a major Marvel movie filming would have been insane.

[Mike]

I mean, that's a historic thing to witness because just all the shots from that filming look amazing and I want to know how. I can't wait to see how that fits into the Story. And now I know, like, Lunchbox was there witnessing that.

[Morgan]

I know. I knew both of us were geeking out of that footage. Like, of all people that you got to see it.

[Mike]

Really.

[Morgan]

So funny. Okay. And then number one spot.

[Mike]

Number one was Wicked. That was just the. Out of all the days, that was, like, the only event we had planned for that day. And I'm glad we did it that way just because it all kind of led up to that moment. It was perfect. And I think out of everything we did on this trip, that will be the one thing I probably remember the most.

[Morgan]

Will you be going back for more musicals?

[Mike]

Yes. I made a list. Like, I want to go see the Book of Mormon, which is from the south park guys.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Mike]

And I want to go see something that's probably Hamilton.

[Morgan]

I feel like you have to see Hamilton. That's another, like, up there. But Book of Mormon is one I've heard of a lot, too.

[Mike]

That's pretty funny. And then my wife has seen Hamilton, and she's also seen Not Jersey Boys, the Outsiders, which is based on the book.

[Morgan]

Oh, you could also go see Lion King.

[Mike]

That one. Yeah, I would like to see that.

[Morgan]

Moulin Rouge would be a good one.

[Mike]

There's also the Harry Potter, the Cursed Child.

[Morgan]

Oh, my gosh. You could have seen what's his name, the actor, because he was.

[Mike]

Was he on it?

[Morgan]

Plays the. Dang it. My brain is not working right now in this moment. What's the bad kid in Harry Potter?

[Mike]

Draco Malfoy.

[Morgan]

Yes. That actor. He was in the Broadway musical, and he was there.

[Mike]

Harry Felton.

[Morgan]

Yes. Thank you. My brain was not going there.

[Mike]

I had to get there.

[Morgan]

It was not operating. He was there doing the musical, I think when you guys were there.

[Mike]

Maybe. Yeah, I know that musical is, like four hours plus maybe.

[Morgan]

But it'd be so cool because you like Harry Potter, too, don't you?

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

Yeah, that would be awesome. But I don't know that he's doing it full time. I think he was just doing it as a special guest appearance for a couple months, and then he was done. So I don't know. Maybe he'll go back.

[Mike]

So those are all. Yeah, those are all on my list.

[Morgan]

You got a lot now. Now, not just baseball fields, but now. How many Broadwell musicals can you guys see? Okay, we're gonna take a quick break. We'll be right back. The U.S. open is here and on my podcast, Good game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players from rising stars to legends chasing history. The predictions will we see a first time winner and the pressure. Billie Jean King says pressure is a privilege, you know, plus the stories and events off the court. And of course the Honey deuces, the signature cocktail of the U.S. open. The U.S. open has gotten to be a very fancy, wonderfully experiential sporting event. I mean, listen, the whole aim is to be accessible and inclusive for all tennis fans. Whether you play tennis or not. Tennis is full of compelling stories of late. Have you heard about icon Venus Williams, recent wild card bids? Or the young Canadian Victoria Mboko making a name for herself? How about Naomi Osaka getting back to form? To hear this and more, listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment. On the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

[Mike]

I don't write songs. God writes songs. I take dictation. I didn't even know you've been a pastor for over 10 years. I think culture is any space that you live in that develops you. On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy winning producer, pastor and music executive to talk about the beats, the business and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R and B and hip hop. This is like watching Michael Jackson talk about Thriller before it happened. Was there a particular moment where you.

[Morgan]

Realized just how instrumental music culture was.

[Mike]

To shaping all of our global ecosystem? I was 8 years old and the Motown 25 Special came on and all the great Motown artists, Marvin, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Diana Ross, from Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson. We get into the soul of the music and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture Raises us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this.

[Morgan]

Attention passengers, the pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone to land this plane. Think you could do it?

[Mike]

It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this.

[Morgan]

Until this, pull that, turn this.

[Mike]

It's just I can do my eyes closed. I'm Manny. I'm Noah, this is Devin.

[Morgan]

And on our new show no Such.

[Mike]

Thing, we get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise, lack the expertise they need to recognize that they Lack expertise. And then as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what? Oh, that's the Runway.

[Morgan]

I'm looking at this thing. See?

[Mike]

Listen to no such thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Morgan]

Welcome to Pretty Private with Ebony, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebonae, and every Tuesday, I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that would challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all. Childhood trauma, addiction, abuse, incarceration, grief, mental health struggles, and more. And found the strength to make it to the other side. My dad was shot and killed in his house. Yes, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant, but he wasn't shot on street corner. He wasn't shot in the middle of a drug deal. He was shot in his house, unarmed. Pretty Private isn't just a podcast. It's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect podcast network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Hola, it's honey German. And my podcast, Gracias, Come Again is back. This season, we're going even deeper into the world of music and entertainment with raw and honest conversations with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition?

[Mike]

No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned in, like, over 25 years.

[Morgan]

Oh, wow. That's a real G talk right there.

[Mike]

Oh, yeah.

[Morgan]

We've got some of the biggest actors, musicians, content creators, and culture shifters sharing their real stories of failure and success. You were destined to be a star. We talk all about what's viral and trending with a little bit of chisme, a lot of laughs, and those amazing vivras you've come to expect. And of course, we'll explore deeper topics dealing with identity struggles and all the issues affecting our Latin community.

[Mike]

You feel like you get a little whitewashed because you have to do the code switching.

[Morgan]

I won't say whitewashed, because at the end of the day, you know, I'm me.

[Mike]

Yeah. But the whole pretending and co, you know, takes a toll on you.

[Morgan]

Listen to the new season of Grass has come again as part of Michael Tura Podcast Network on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. All right, anything else to note of your vacation before we start talking about.

[Mike]

Some other stuff, I just love New York. I came back exhausted. Like I was physically exhausted because while we were there it never really hit me. I just like I went for a run, a couple runs in Central park, which I also love because every time you go to Central park to run, it feels like you're running a marathon because you see so many people there who look like friggin athletes. Like they're dudes, like in groups with like the short, short runner shorts that you're like, dude, I know that guy is logging like 60 to 70 miles a week. And there's just that atmosphere of even though it's not an official race, it feels like it. And it's cool to see that many people doing things outdoors in a city where there is no outdoors. Like it literally goes from all city and then there's this giant park and then all these people like bike riding with their dogs. It just, it feels so alive and like I don't even, like those runs don't even register with me as far as like I don't even get tired because I'm just taking it in the entire time.

[Morgan]

You have a lot of things to look at.

[Mike]

Yeah, it's crazy.

[Morgan]

Keeps your mind active. You know it's funny, when I was you were talking about how many steps you guys walked. I was looking at my watch. After we were in Universal and Disney, we walked 47 miles in four days.

[Mike]

That's crazy.

[Morgan]

That's how much like we walked. Did you ever. Do you ever look at your after you're like, no, I know I had a long day.

[Mike]

I don't look at the mile equivalent, but I know we were hitting like 45,000 miles. I mean 45,000. 45 steps. Step. 45,000 miles. No.

[Morgan]

You know, superhuman. You're Spider man now that's crazy. Isn't that wild that in a normal day that's what people normally do? Yeah, in places like that. But then we're like here and I.

[Mike]

Barely hit like 2000 steps those 10k here.

[Morgan]

Speaking of running and run club, do you know what I'm going to ask you? Did you join a rub club? Have you made rub club?

[Mike]

That is a different club. We don't want to join club.

[Morgan]

Have you joined a run club or have you made a new friend? Anything update in that space?

[Mike]

No. I've been lurking in the shadows still of the run group. I can't even say run group now. I was making sure I wasn't going to say rub club of the run group. I would been looking to join, but no, I have not.

[Morgan]

Why are you still lurking in the shadows?

[Mike]

I don't know.

[Morgan]

But you got to give me something more than, I don't know.

[Mike]

The club that I look at that I. They're called, like, we're not really runners. And I feel like I'd feel the best in that one because it's people who just like, I don't even consider myself a runner. Like, I know runners. Like, runners who are like really good and fast and they're, they probably did track in high school and like, are more competitive at it. I never really feel like I'm a runner just because I don't feel like I have that same mindset. Like, like I'm not that fast. But I, I identify more with the people who do it more as like a recreational thing and more for like a mental health thing.

[Morgan]

I get that.

[Mike]

That's kind of where I, I'm at now. Like, I don't do it to be the fastest or the best or to compete, even though I do get quietly competitive with people who don't realize I'm competing with them on the trailer.

[Morgan]

That's a different competitive aspect.

[Mike]

Yeah, but the run club, I look at that. They're called like, we're not really runners because they're like, hey, we just do this for fun. We're not competitive here. Some people walk, some people run slower. And the thing that keeps me from going, which is probably the thing I need to push myself on, is like before and after they start, they have like one on ones where you just like talk to somebody. And I'm like, I can't do that, Mike.

[Morgan]

That's how you make a friend.

[Mike]

I know, but they literally, like, they all get in lines and then you're standing across from somebody and I guess, I don't know, you do some exercise or something.

[Morgan]

Yeah. At least that takes out the awkwardness of like forcing a conversation there. You just are like, okay, this is what they do. And you're standing there, hey, how's it going? I think that's less awkward than you having to force a one on one with somebody.

[Mike]

Yeah, but that just, that sounds like torture to me because I'm so bad at like, like, I don't think people realize how hard it is for me to speak to someone I don't know and to not be inside my head in a form like small talk. Like, like small talk I cannot do because I am so comfortable in not saying anything that it makes other people very uncomfortable because I could Say two things and be like, all right, I'm good. Like, I don't need to move this conversation along. I don't need to respond to anything. It's hard for me to follow up in normal, like, interactions with people. I guess I'm in that sense, very matter of fact. And like, that's it. All right, cool. I'm out here. And even I hate myself for it. Like, I'll run to people here in this building at like, in like the kitchen. And like, I try to be friendly and I got nothing here, man.

[Morgan]

I don't think you should hate yourself for it. I do think you have people who are more skilled at just randomly talking to strangers. I don't think there's anything wrong with that. But I do think in order for you to make the friend that you would like to make, you are going to have to push yourself out of that comfort zone.

[Mike]

Yeah, I know. I need, like, I know I need to do.

[Morgan]

You could just say to that friend, be like, listen, I really hate small talk, but I'm trying to make some friends and I'm trying to do bad, and maybe that's going to break an iceberg. Maybe the other person is like, you know what? Me too. And you guys can start talking about something else, but you'll never know unless you try that.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

And you could do this one time, Mike, and you could hate it and be like, I'm never going back. And you know what? But at least you did it.

[Mike]

It's true.

[Morgan]

You know, what's the worst that. What's the worst thing that could happen of you going to one of these was the worst thing that could happen.

[Mike]

In my head, I go, I get paired up with somebody, I have nothing. I mean, I guess I'll have one thing in common with them, which is the easy part, but that I'd kind of be like a dud.

[Morgan]

Okay, but how are you ever gonna work on those skills unless you're a dud at one point?

[Mike]

That's true. I guess I've also just gotten so comfortable in, like, not interacting with people that I'm like, do I still need it at this point?

[Morgan]

Yes, you do. Every person not only needs friendship, but they deserve friendship. You deserve to have people in your life that are not work related or your wife. That is a. That is a natural human need. And yes, you do need it. Because especially as you get older, what's really interesting as. As like talking especially to a lot of the. The seniors. You lose a lot of friends over time. And one thing that people crave the most is connection. And as you get older and life happens and you lose. Maybe you lose your partner, maybe you lose your kids, Any number of things that could happen. And God forbid it ever does. You never want it to. But you need to have multiple different community connections so that you don't ever have to feel that moment of loneliness. You always feel like you have somebody or something, and the only way to do that is creating them. So, yes, you need them. It's a necessity for every human being. And you also, because you just deserve to have friendship. Because you're a great guy, Mike. Like, you deserve to have friends. The only thing stopping you from having friends is you.

[Mike]

It's true.

[Morgan]

So, yes, you need it, and I think you can do it. I think you just have to one day go and not think twice about it and just say, you know what the worst that happens is? I'm a dud. And that's okay. I can live with that. Can you live with that? I feel like you could.

[Mike]

I mean, I already kind of live with it, so maybe.

[Morgan]

Yeah, you'd be like, okay, well, I didn't do that great there. But maybe it might spark you because. Because of how determined you are and you're a hard worker, I feel like you'd be like, okay, how can I do better next time? I feel like that spark will be lit under you if that happens. But I don't think that's what's gonna happen. I really don't. Especially because most of the people that do go to those things are trying to make friends. So you're gonna try and create a conversation. You're gonna try and pull out all the stops that you pull. This is what happens at those kind of events. I've been to them.

[Mike]

Yeah. I'm gonna be like, what kind of running shoes do you have?

[Morgan]

That's fine. Be like, those are cool. Where'd you get those? And it might, like, spark a conversation about a collection of shoes. You'd be like, I have a special edition Spider Man. And then you guys start talking about spider man. Maybe find somebody else who loves spider man.

[Mike]

I am going to the re release of Spider Man 2. That's my, like, man. Could I find a friend here?

[Morgan]

You could, but you have to talk to them. You can always find a friend in any scenario, but you have to be willing to talk to him. That's something that every. Also, mind you, most people are afraid of that. That's not just a you thing.

[Mike]

Yeah. Because for me, I mean, it's not like, a recent development. This has been me my entire life. That, like, that is, like, the one thing I envy of people of, like, being able to go into a situation where they don't know anybody. Like, go to a party and, like, have, like, an instant connection with people to where, like, hey, you guys want to hang out tomorrow? Like, I've never had that. And I was like, dang, I envy those people because I have people in my life who are like that, probably more so family. But, like, Eddie is somebody who could just go to a party where he knows nobody and make friends with three people.

[Morgan]

But you could be. You have the choice to do that. And also, most people don't have instant connections. I will tell you, like, most people will say they're gonna hang out the next day. They never do. That happens a lot. So the instant connection thing is kind. It's very rare. That part is very rare. But you could easily go and make a new friend that if you're intentional, you could see again. But it's all about the intention. And most people will go, especially. I can only say this about Eddie because I can say it about myself. I'm the same way. Like, I'll go and meet people, be like, yeah, yeah, we should get together. You just say it, because that just. It feels right. It feels natural. And not of, like, any ill will. I'd love to see him again. I just. Am I probably going to put the effort to seeing a stranger again? Probably not. But every so often, there's that one moment where it clicks. You're like, yes, I'm gonna make the point to see this person again. And that might happen for you.

[Mike]

Do you see why dating was so hard for me?

[Morgan]

Yes, but you also did it. Do you think about that?

[Mike]

Like, that's how I think about how I was more ambitious in my. In my mid-20s. And, like, when I really. Because I didn't really even start dating till I was. I mean, I lost weight probably when I was 25. That's when I really started. I never dated before that. I was just more ambitious into, like, I'm only gonna get better at this if I go on more dates. But up until I met my wife, like, I had no second dates ever. Ever. So this is telling you my track history of, like, this. That was also me practicing and trying hard and not forming connections with people.

[Morgan]

Okay, so it's like, I get it. This is.

[Mike]

I'm also, like, not coming from, like, I know. I don't. I haven't made any advancements lately. To try to make friends. But I'm also using my data when I was dating how hard it was just to go on a second date with somebody like that is. I'm applying that information to what I would do now. And I've only gotten weirder and more isolated.

[Morgan]

Okay, how about we reframe this? Because you're missing a key part of that information because you did put yourself out to date. You met your wife. You would not be married today with an amazing wife if you didn't decide to put yourself out there. Okay, key information that you're leaving out of the equation. When you're thinking about all these, like, non second dates. You had a second date that turned into your wife. Also, you're trying to convince yourself that, like, the worst thing is going to happen and you're more into who you are than you've ever been. So when you say weirder and you have all these other things, you're just more who you always wanted to be. And that means you're more confident, you're more secure about who you are. Am I wrong in that you know who you are?

[Mike]

My wife says since I've gotten my new tooth that I've gotten a little too confident.

[Morgan]

Confidence is good. Arrogance is bad. I don't know the situation here, but confidence is good. But you're now more confident than ever. And that means you're gonna be easier to make friends because you know who you are and you know what you're looking for in a friend. I think you've only put the bad data into this conversation with yourself.

[Mike]

It's true. I'm a man of data, though.

[Morgan]

Okay, well, there's other data that you're leaving out that's good data. So I'm trying to help you remember there's multiple data. I get you because I love data too. I love looking at things and be like, well, this is the information that I've received. This is what I've experienced. But even I had to do that after a crap ton of bad relationships. Heck, the fact that I could believe that there was even another good guy out there was, like, didn't exist.

[Mike]

Good point.

[Morgan]

But I still kept trying, you know, because like, okay, well, there's a little bit of data that proves otherwise. And I really had to hang on to that good data to be like this little sliver of hope. To be like, no, this is what makes it worth it. Just like we were talking about with going to cities. This is what makes it worth it. Just saying, the good data, the good data you gotta, you gotta bring in the good data to start one and you gotta like hold onto it with a vengeance. That, like, that good data is what's worth it. I think you can do this, Mike. I have no doubt that you can.

[Mike]

Yeah, I mean, obviously I have my doubt, but I think I can do it too.

[Morgan]

I know. See, but you just. Listen, my boyfriend does this to me every time when I go to work. He's like, you can do hard things. I'm like, nah, I really don't feel that way today. And he'll be like, yes, you can. This is gonna be a good day. You, you, you got hard things, but it's gonna be great. And you, you have to change. I have a lot of negative self talk that I'm trying to rewrite the narrative on, which is something that you have to do too.

[Mike]

You mean self talk can be positive?

[Morgan]

It's actually supposed to be. And we're just mess ourselves up a little bit, you know, so you gotta reframe it in a different way. And I think you'll be able to at least take the first step. And if you never do it again, fine. But at least you can say that you did it and you tried. How often in life do you look back and be like, I wish I did this?

[Mike]

Yeah, a lot.

[Morgan]

Okay, stop. Stop looking back on your life and wishing you did it. This is our monthly bimonthly time where I encourage Mike to do this. One of these times he's going to come back on and be like, I did it. And I'm going to hold out hope for that.

[Mike]

Yeah, one day.

[Morgan]

See, I'm holding on to the sliver. This is what we do. Okay, we're going to take a quick break. We'll be right back. The U.S. open is here and on my podcast, Good Game with Sarah Spain. I'm breaking down the players from rising stars to legends chasing history. The predictions, will we see a first time winner? And the pressure. Billie Jean King says pressure is a privilege. You know, plus the stories and events off the court and of course, course, the honey deuces, the signature cocktail of the U.S. open. The U.S. open has gotten to be a very fancy, wonderfully experiential sporting event. I mean, listen, the whole aim is to be accessible and inclusive for all tennis fans, whether you play tennis or not. Tennis is full of compelling stories of late. Have you heard about icon Venus Williams recent wildcard bids? Or the young Canadian Victoria Mboko making a name for herself? How about Naomi Osaka getting back to form to hear this and more. Listen to Good Game with Sarah Spain, an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue Sports and Entertainment on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. Presented by Capital One, founding partner of iHeart Women's Sports.

[Mike]

I don't write songs. God writes songs. I take dictation. I didn't even know you've been a pastor for over 10 years. I think culture is any space that you live in that develops you. On a recent episode of Culture Raises Us podcast, I sat down with Warren Campbell, Grammy winning producer, pastor and music executive to talk about the beats, the business and the legacy behind some of the biggest names in gospel, R and B and hip hop. This is like watching Michael Jackson talk about Thriller before it happened. Was there a particular moment where you realized just how instrumental music culture was to shaping all of our global ecosystem? I was 8 years old and the Motown 25 Special came on and all the great Motown artists, Marvin, Stevie Wonder, Temptations, Diana Ross, from Mary Mary to Jennifer Hudson. We get into the soul of the music and the purpose that drives it. Listen to Culture Raises us on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Morgan]

Welcome to Pretty Private with ebony, the podcast where silence is broken and stories are set free. I'm Ebony and every Tuesday I'll be sharing all new anonymous stories that would challenge your perceptions and give you new insight on the people around you. On Pretty Private, we'll explore the untold experiences of women of color who faced it all. Childhood trauma, addiction, abuse, incarceration, grief, mental health struggles and more. And found the strength to make it to the other side. My dad was shot and killed in his house. Yes, he was a drug dealer. Yes, he was a confidential informant. But he wasn't shot on a street corner. He wasn't shot in the middle of a drug deal. He was shot in his house, unarmed. Pretty Private isn't just a podcast, it's your personal guide for turning storylines into lifelines. Every Tuesday, make sure you listen to Pretty Private from the Black Effect podcast network. Tune in on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.

[Mike]

Imagine that you're on an airplane and all of a sudden you hear this.

[Morgan]

Attention passengers. The pilot is having an emergency and we need someone, anyone to land this plane. Think you could do it?

[Mike]

It turns out that nearly 50% of men think that they could land the plane with the help of air traffic control. And they're saying like, okay, pull this until this. Pull that.

[Morgan]

Turn this.

[Mike]

It's just I do my eyes closed. I'm Manny. I'm Noah. This is Devin. And on our new show, no Such Thing, we get to the bottom of questions like these. Join us as we talk to the leading expert on overconfidence. Those who lack expertise lack the expertise. They need to recognize that they lack expertise. And then as we try the whole thing out for real. Wait, what? Oh, that's the Runway.

[Morgan]

I'm looking at this thing.

[Mike]

See? Listen to no Such thing on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Morgan]

Hey, sis, what if I could promise you you never had to listen to a condescending finance bro tell you how to manage your money again?

[Mike]

Welcome to Brown Ambition.

[Morgan]

This is the hard part. When you pay down those credit cards, if you haven't gotten to the bottom of why you were racking up credit or turning to credit cards, you may just recreate the same problem. A year from now when you do feel like you are bleeding from these high interest rates, I would start shopping for a debt consolidation loan, starting with your local credit union. Shopping around online, looking for some online lenders because they tend to have fewer fees and be more affordable. Listen, I am not here to judge. It is so expensive in these streets. I 100% can see how in just a few months you can have this much credit card debt. And it weighs on you. It's really easy to just like stick your head in the sand. It's nice and dark in the sand. Even if it's scary, it's not going to go away just because you're avoiding it. And in fact, it may get even worse. For more judgment, free money advice, listen to Brown ambition on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. You want to talk about, like, going into a complete hole and just not socializing and stuff? Mike, that's what I'm doing right now.

[Mike]

How so?

[Morgan]

Well, I started like the official detox cleanse to hopefully get rid of my long Covid. But if it's changed my life a.

[Mike]

Lot, what's the first step in that?

[Morgan]

Well, my whole diet had to change, so no longer eating dairy gluten free was. I'm. I was already kind of doing. So. No, no dairy, no gluten. I'm not drinking any alcohol. This is going to go on for probably about two months.

[Mike]

Oh, yeah, two months.

[Morgan]

Yeah. Strong, strong change happening here. And I'm still vegetarian, so basically vegan.

[Mike]

So I would say we're pretty close. I eat gluten, but all the other things I don't do.

[Morgan]

Yeah. So there's that. And then now in all of my waters, I have to put salt in my waters because I really need to.

[Mike]

Make sure I'm hydrating just normal table salt.

[Morgan]

Or like, I put sea salt because it makes me feel like, you know, I don't know, like it's a little bit prettier. You know what I'm talking about? The little, like, flaky sea salt. Yeah. That's what I put into it because it helps with hydration when your body's going through a of changes. I have to do a sauna mat once a day. So I have to lay in this mat and, like, sweat my whole body off for 15 minutes. I have to do red light therapy every day, which is like holding a red light. And I wear the funky. You know that you've probably seen them. You've probably never been in one. But a tanning bed where you had to wear the tanning goggles. I have to wear, like, little goggles when I do my red light. So I like to sit there and I look like a little alien doing my red light. I have to do extended fast. So once a week. I can't eat for 24 to 36.

[Mike]

Hours once a week for two months.

[Morgan]

Yep. For now. Unless my body. I pick Thursdays. That's like my day because it tends to be my busiest for work. So I'm like, well, if I can keep myself busy most of that time.

[Mike]

You don't think about eating.

[Morgan]

Except now that, like, I'm intentionally doing a fast, now all I want to do is eat. So it's a struggle, but it's. It's supposed to be this thing where your body, after 24 hours, your body goes into a autophagy, which your heels. Your heels. I literally can't talk to that. Your cells start to heal themselves. And if you're eating all the time and you never give it a break, your body never has a chance to, like, heal. And that's the hope. And I'm taking a bunch of supplements that are detox and a supplement to help get my smell back. There's all kinds of things.

[Mike]

It's a lot to put in and take out of your body.

[Morgan]

Yeah, there's a lot happening. But it's like. And we prepare today, like, I am doing it with a woman named Cara Clark. She had been on my Take this personally podcast, and she was like, I can help you. Like, I know that you're I can tell you're struggling and like, I got you. And so I finally got to a point where I was like, I have to do this. Like, I didn't want to do Vertigo again. Like, I hope in my life I never have to go through Vertigo again. That would be amazing. Even when we were at like Disney and Universal, I kept being like, when's it going to happen going on all these rides? Is Vertigo going to hit again? Because heck, you could get it folding laundry, let alone on a frickin ride like that. And I want to be able to smell again. It's been really cool not having to smell bad things, but like, I'd like to smell good things again. That would be cool. And my lung capacity sucks. I can't run, you know, I can't do a lot of things that I used to be able to do. My brain fog is horrible. It's like you're basically talking to Dory. Some days I'm like, I have no idea what you said five minutes ago. And that never used to be me. So all of those things, I finally reached a point where I was like, I. I have to do this. And it's a significant lifestyle change.

[Mike]

Does you not being able to smell affect how you taste things? Do you taste things less?

[Morgan]

No, not less. But there'll be random moments where something tastes like soap, like everything's normal. And then I'll just be eating something. I'm like, this tastes like cleaning solution. And I'll have like my boyfriend or somebody who's with me try it. And they'll be like, yeah, definitely doesn't taste like soap. That's normal. And I'm like, cool. So there's definitely things and I can't pinpoint what ingredient causes that because cilantro does. But that's always been a thing for my life. So I don't know if we just like really amplified that cilantro gene and made other things taste like soap. So very few and far between. But it'll hit me randomly so I can eat mostly normal. And I don't know if that's like my memory remembering foods that I've had, you know, I don't know. But I try new things and it doesn't do it. So it's weird. There's definitely like neurotransmitters in like my. You know how you have all the bunch of like little. What are they in your. I told you my brain not working. You have a bunch of like little sensors in your nose. I'm trying to Think of what they're called.

[Mike]

Things.

[Morgan]

Smell things. Smell sensors, receptors, whatever, all the things. But it literally feels like they're dead. Like I can't feel anything in my nose. It's like nothing exists. Like you could take off my nose and I probably wouldn't know. So that would be cool to feel my nose again and just know that it exists and it's working operationally. So all of that. And. Yeah, and also like, you know, my animals are going through it, so I literally have like. I'm like, I don't exist to the world. I go to work and I go home and I have to do all my stuff and I go to bed at like 8pm I mean, that's.

[Mike]

Yeah, that's a lot of stuff to do.

[Morgan]

That's where I'm at in my life right now.

[Mike]

Mike, it's like your entire body got out of alignment, literally. And it's just like been screwed up. Like when you're trying to like wobble something back into place and the only.

[Morgan]

Way to reset it one is like majorly a lot of nutrition, which is like the nutrition change and then also just doing other things to assist your body to quicker, like drain. Essentially the COVID that's still remaining in my body that's wreaking havoc on my whole system. That's where I'm at right now.

[Mike]

Mike, when you get sick now, does it hit you worse than it did before?

[Morgan]

Yeah, and it happens more often. Like, I never used to get sick. I would be completely fine. But now it's like I always have allergies or I always have sniffles or I always have a cough. It's like I'm never fully getting better. It. You know, when you get sick and you wake up one day, you're like, oh, it's finally gone. I can finally feel this. This is. Everything's gone. Yeah, I don't ever get to feel it.

[Mike]

So your bottom line has kind of changed as far as like your threshold, literally and that. Like 100%. Oh my gosh, 80%.

[Morgan]

Oh, yeah. I'm more like 60 probably. And I just was functioning and so just sluggish and everything just felt off. So it sucks though. Like yesterday we had a tailgate party at work and I used to be able to eat cookies and brownies and I had to leave. I was like, I can't be in here because I don't have self control quite yet. I'm still like working through. I also feel like I'm coming off of. You know when you eat sugar so much. And you come off of that. It's like your body doesn't know how to react. I feel like I'm kind of in this. Like, I took something out of my body and it doesn't like, it kind of like.

[Mike]

Like an attic would kind of reading themselves off of something.

[Morgan]

Oh, my gosh. Yeah.

[Mike]

I remember that when I stopped eating sugar, where it was, it felt like my body was, like, craving it and, like, kind of lacking in that because that was like, all I giving my body. And it's like, hey, where's the. Where's the sugar we normally get?

[Morgan]

Yeah. When you just, like, dead. Stop it. It's like your body, like.

[Mike]

And it's weird how your body adjusts to it because now I find things really sweet that aren't that sweet at all. Like, I'll have some fruit. I'm like, man, that is so sweet. But it's probably bland to most people.

[Morgan]

No, but you know what? So Cara had told me this. This was so interesting. She's like, when you reset your body nutrition wise, like, when you kind of take out all the additives and take out all the sugar and all these processed stuff, your body resets to what whole foods taste like. And you like whole foods? Because I was describing to her, like, I would try a whole food meal sometimes. Most of the time I was really balanced with food, so I was still eating a lot of whole foods. And I'd go out to eat on the weekends or something, but there would be times where I'd put together, like, a whole foods meal and I would literally, like, throw it back up because I was like, I, that tastes horrible. I don't like that. And she was like, your body is craving processed stuff because it's been taught, like, that's what you're supposed to eat, when in reality, like, that bland food is what is gonna actually taste better when this is all over. I'm like, that's wild.

[Mike]

Yeah. I mean, I think I am the opposite of the way I was probably 10 years ago, because, like, 10 years ago, like, all I would eat was fast food and my body would just crave it. I would eat it and I'd feel better after that. Now I think it's kind of the complete opposite where, like, if I don't have a vegetable in, like a day or so, my body's like, hey, what's going on here? And I like, I don't even put fast food in my radar anymore. I don't really miss it. I also don't really miss sugar. Like, I'd say the only thing I miss is, like, a greasy, like, cheeseburger. Like, that's the only thing that ever sounds good to me. Like, how you were saying with, like, the cookies here, like, I never really crave sweets. And for me, it'd be like, oh, man, if I went back to eating meat, I'd want, like, a cheeseburger. I want, like, some chicken tenders and, like, a pizza.

[Morgan]

Do you ever think about. Because obviously, vegan has helped you in the journey that you've been on, but do you ever think about going back to eating meat? Because meat isn't the worst of things.

[Mike]

Yeah, like, my wife really wants me to just so we can make more meals together where we have. I don't think I'd ever probably go. Like, I was never big on red meat except for, like, fajitas, but I would think I would go back to, like, eating chicken and eggs, which I. I mean, I ate a lot of and I liked. So I think the deal I made with her is, like, whenever we have kids, like, I'll definitely go back just because it's gonna be hard to be a vegan and your kids want, like, chicken nuggets, and they go out to places where it's like, yeah, I probably can't stick to veganism into being a parent.

[Morgan]

But you. Your body doesn't have a, like, turn. You just have done vegan because it's made you feel a lot better.

[Mike]

Yeah, I feel a lot better. Like you were saying earlier, like, I don't. I don't get sick. Like, I rarely get sick. The only time I really get sick is, like, at the end of the year. And that's more of, like, all right, done with this year. My body can shut down from all the stress type thing.

[Morgan]

Yeah.

[Mike]

But I used to get sick a lot. Like, I would. I would eat. I feel bad, and I wouldn't think, like, why. Why do I feel bad? Like, oh, it's because what I was putting in my body that I felt bad, and my stomach hurt all the time, and I don't really have that anymore. And I don't know if it's just my diet or, like, the fact that I do stay active. But, like, I'm like, I don't really want to mess up with my balance here because I. I just feel better. Like, overall, I just have energy, and I see a lot of people who are my age, like, all the memes of, like, once you get 30, all your things start creaking and you start, like, breaking down. Like, I. I don't feel that right now. And I'm like, I'm not fighting it, but I don't feel that. And if it's attributed to my diet and, like, my lifestyle, I don't want to really change it.

[Morgan]

That's very much what she was saying, too, was like, once you feel this way and once you feel how good you feel, it will be harder for you to want to consume anything else because you're just gonna want the things that make you feel good. And that's crazy that, like, a reset like that can just make you go back after years of just this wrong diet and all these wrong things. It's crazy to me how much that's such a factor in stuff. And I know that's also different because, you know, back in the 1980s and 90s, I don't think they were having those same issues. Whatever's different now is obviously contributed to a lot of what's in our food and stuff, but it's crazy that our food is impacting us that much.

[Mike]

I mean. Yeah. When I even think about, like, other things, about, like, my physical. Like, I used to have, like, really bad acne whenever I did eat like that. And as soon as I started drinking more water, I think it did wonders for my skin, like, just having more just water in my. My everyday life. I think that changed a lot, too. Not even just the foods I was eating, but just reintroducing that and stop drinking soda.

[Morgan]

Yeah. See, so you get it, you know, all the things that I'm. Not all of them, but, you know, a lot of the stuff that I'm experiencing.

[Mike]

Yeah. The only thing I can't imagine is not eating for a day. Yeah, that's hard. And I don't even want to bring up how hard that would be for me. Because you're going through it right now.

[Morgan]

I know. And I'm, like, thinking of trying to get through to the 36 mark and see if I could do that. I think I could if I'm busy.

[Mike]

Enough, because I think that's something that maybe some people don't think about me, but I eat a lot. Like, I do. Like, whenever I do my long runs on Sundays, I am a bottomless pit that day. But the stuff I'm putting in my body is just stuff to fuel me. Like, that's kind of how I see food is. Like, I see it as energy. I see it as things that are going to keep me going. So, like, I'll eat a lot, and.

[Morgan]

I want to get to that Point. I want to be where you are because I'm such a foodie, and I want to stay a foodie. That will. I don't know that that will ever change because I love trying new restaurants and stuff, but I at least want to have the tools to know what's happening when I'm consuming something. And I don't feel like I've ever quite had that. I, like, I've known it. And you kind of have these inclinations and you feel your body and making changes, but I don't know that I had all the right tools and resources to truly be like, oh, this is what that's doing to my body. I mean, she walked me through the whole. Like, the whole body and how each one works in your liver and your kidney and all these different things. And I'm like, what? Why didn't they teach me that in school? I could have used a lot of this information for my life.

[Mike]

Yeah, I wish I would have known that, like, 10 years ago, because I. I went off, like, a few things on the Internet, but there wasn't as much information as there is now. There wasn't as many, like, experts on TikTok that I could go and, like, get actual advice from them, because whenever I did lose all that weight and then I started going to the doctor, they were like, you lost how much by yourself? And they had to run all these tests on me just to make sure there wasn't something wrong with my body that attributed to me losing that much weight in a year.

[Morgan]

Oh. Because, you know, what does it mean? Have you ever read a girl lose weight by herself or something? Have you seen those? You probably have. It's probably not in your 45.

[Mike]

I don't think I get that algorithm.

[Morgan]

It's always. It's like a meme of, like, you know, people make fun of somebody for doing something, or they, like, can't believe they do it, and they're like, well, you know, gosh, forbid a girl work out.

[Mike]

I don't know.

[Morgan]

But that's the. That's what made me think of that. But isn't that crazy that you had that experience where you're like, no, I literally just started eating healthy and they wouldn't believe you.

[Mike]

Yeah, they thought I had, like, some weird issue or maybe some illness that I was unaware of that attributed to that. Oh, I was like, I don't think so, but you can check it out.

[Morgan]

Even more admirable that you did all that, too, without some many resources, and that you're just like, you know, What? I just need to make this change also, that you were in your 20s and you made that decision. I feel like that's something that a lot of people make when they're 50 or 60, and it's almost like, well, there's a lot of damage that's been done, and you try and rewrite it, and you can if you really put in the work and the effort. But that's just crazy. Mike, I'm, you know, always impressed by your.

[Mike]

Your story, but that was. I mean, yeah, that was kind of the trajectory of my whole life of, like, I made that decision to get healthy and lose weight, and then once I lost it, there was this weird realization of I thought it would fix everything, and it did it because I was like, well, my teeth are still kind of messed up. And that led me to that journey. And then it was like, okay, I'm fixing my teeth now. I've been alone for, like, 20s, whatever, years at this point. Now I got to move and try to find somebody. So it's weird achieving something you've been trying to achieve your entire life, and once you have it and you realize it's not everything, it's hard, like getting your dream job or, you know, getting to your dream city. Sometimes it's weird to get there and you realize this would be different. I thought. I thought this would fix all my problems.

[Morgan]

There is very much a dream aspect to that where you think that if you could just do this or you could just do that, everything will be okay. And I think that's where a lot of people get caught up, living in more future moments of like, well, I just got to get to this, or I just got to do this, or, I wish I would have done this. Like, past or future, when you have to force yourself to be in the present, be like, no, I have to be happy. Like, you should have been happy for how much you did for yourself and your health that a lot of people don't do. And you took that step, and that was a really cool thing. And then be like, you know, okay, cool. Yeah, now I'm ready to find somebody, and you start doing it. Instead, it became this. Well, dang, I didn't think that this would not fix everything. This should have fixed everything. That's hard. I think a lot of people get stuck in that trap of that living in past or future moments rather than just that present moment and accepting it for what it is and how awesome it is.

[Mike]

I think it's also helped me not envy other people, because sometimes I would I get jealous of people, which I don't really do anymore, of, like, see, like somebody who gets an opportunity. Like, man, if I just could have been given that opportunity or if my dad just happened to be the head of this company, like, I would be so much more set in life. And I think it's made me not compare myself to others as much because I think, like, everybody else is kind of doing the same thing, and they probably all feel the same way and feel like they're falling behind. Like, I don't have to envy where anybody else is. It's not really going to change where I am. So I think me feeling that of, like, achieving something that I've been trying to achieve my entire life and then feeling kind of like I'm not quite there yet, it made me think, like, oh, nobody has it figured out and nobody probably feels great at where they are. Even seeing somebody like. Like a jelly roll, like, headline a stadium, he's probably still like, man, that was cool. But I want to headline a stadium in another country. Like, you're never going to achieve, like, that top level for you, so you kind of have to enjoy it and then just focus on you.

[Morgan]

Yeah. And that you said the key thing. Nobody has it figured out. Not a single person on this earth has figured out anything. We're just all fumbling our way through, trying to hope for the best, and that's all we can do. That's what life is. Right. You have to enjoy the journey. Because if you keep trying to chase the journey, soon enough you're going to be 95 years old wishing you enjoyed the journey a little bit more. And nobody wants that. So that's a good place for us to end on. Look at you, Mike.

[Mike]

Yeah.

[Morgan]

See, you can talk to people. I believe in this. And I believe next time you come on, you will have joined a run club or at least gone and tried. That's my hope.

[Mike]

I can at least try.

[Morgan]

You can try. See you don't be 95 wishing you did it differently.

[Mike]

Right.

[Morgan]

That's where we. We're ending us on. Thanks for being here and thanks for hanging out. Mike. Tell the people where they can find you. Hear you.

[Mike]

You can hear my podcast movie Mike's movie podcast. New episodes every single Monday. Spoiler free movie reviews. I talk about new movies I'm excited about coming out, which I just talked about a movie that I feel like you would never watch. It's a horror movie from the perspective of a dog.

[Morgan]

No, no, I saw that. I saw previous. I refuse.

[Mike]

I refuse I was like, there's no way Morgan could see this because everybody's speculating what happens to the dog at the end of the movie. I'm like, no, this is. This is not you.

[Morgan]

I wouldn't even make it five minutes into that.

[Mike]

The dog is so cute.

[Morgan]

Of course it's cute. And you know what? I'll see it online. So just. You can. After we get off, Mike, you can tell me what happens. I won't watch it. But, yeah, go check it out. His podcast is awesome, especially if you want to check out movies and things that are happening. But also, you just can hear Mike talk more.

[Mike]

So, yeah, people say I don't talk an hour a week movies.

[Morgan]

And go subscribe to the show's YouTube page @Bobby Boneshow. All right, everybody, have a good weekend. Bye.

[Mike]

Bye. That's the best bits of the week with Morgan. Thanks for listening. Be sure to check out the other two parts this weekend. Go follow the show on all social platforms Obby Bones show. And follow webgirlmorgan to submit your listener questions for next week's episode.

[Morgan]

The Super Secret Bestie Club podcast season.

[Mike]

Four is here and we're locked in.

[Morgan]

That means more juicy cheesement, terrible love advice, evil spells to cast on your ex.

[Mike]

No, no, we're not doing that this season.

[Morgan]

Oh, well, this season we're leveling up. Each episode will feature a special, special.

[Mike]

Bestie, and you're not going to want to miss it.

[Morgan]

My name is Curly. And I'm Maya.

[Mike]

Get in here.

[Morgan]

Listen to the Super Secret Bestie Club on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. If you're looking for another heavy podcast about trauma, the saying it this is for the ones who had to survive and still show up as brilliant. Loud, soft, and whole. The Unwanted Sorority is where black women, femmes and gender expansive survivors of sexual violence rewrite the rules on healing, support, and what happens after. And I'm your host and co president of this organization, Dr. Leetra Tate. Listen to the Unwanted Sorority new episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Hi, I'm Jenica Lopez, and in the new season of the Over Comfort podcast, I'm even more honest, more vulnerable, and more real than ever. Am I ready to enter this new part of my life? Like, am I ready to be in a relationship? Am I ready to have kids and to really just devote myself my time? Join me for conversations about healing and growth, all from one of my favorite spaces, the kitchen Listen to the new season of the Overcomer podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. Hi, it's Honey German and I'm back with season two of my podcast. Gracias.

[Mike]

Come again.

[Morgan]

We got you. When it comes to the latest in music and entertainment, with interviews with some of your favorite Latin artists and celebrities. You didn't have to audition.

[Mike]

No, I didn't audition. I haven't auditioned like over 25 years.

[Morgan]

Oh, wow.

[Mike]

That's a real G talk right there.

[Morgan]

Oh, yeah, we'll talk about all that's viral and trending with a little bit of Cheeseman and a whole lot of laughs. And of course, the great bibdas you've come to expect. Listen to the new season of Dashes. Come again on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. From tips for healthy living to the latest medical breakthroughs, WebMD's Health Discovered podcast keeps you up to date on today's most important issues. Through in depth conversations with experts from across the healthcare community, WebMD reveals how today's health news will impact your life tomorrow.

[Mike]

It's not that people don't know that exercise is healthy, it's just that people.

[Morgan]

Don'T know why it's healthy.

[Mike]

And we're struggling to try to help people help themselves and each other.

[Morgan]

Listen to WebMD Health discovered on the iHeartRadio app or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an iHeart podcast.