Hi, I’m Zach

I help people reset stress, restore energy, and build a healthier relationship with their body and mind

I help people reset stress, restore energy, and build a

healthier relationship with their body and mind

My Story

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been someone who pushes hard.

In sports, in work, in life… I’ve always had this drive to go further, to get better, and to see what I was capable of. I was also deeply interested in health and performance, not just for myself, but for the people around me. I loved getting friends to train with me, to eat better, to feel stronger and more alive in their bodies.

But when it came time to choose what to study in college, I took a different path.

Even though health and wellness were what really lit me up, I chose mechanical engineering. Part of it was practical. Part of it was wanting to impress, teachers, friends, family. I wanted something that felt serious, respected, and that would give me a clear, high-paying career path after graduation.

So I went all in.

College became a mix of intense academics, competitive lacrosse, and a very active social life. I was studying long hours, training hard, and also partying just as hard. The mentality was simple: work hard, play hard. Push through. Keep going.

Eventually, my body sent me a warning.

healthier relationship with their body and mind

While studying for final exams, I had a full-blown panic attack. When I went to the campus doctor, she explained that I was burning the candle at both ends and pushing myself far past what my nervous system could handle. If I didn’t slow down, she told me, it would lead to much bigger problems down the line.

I took it seriously… but not seriously enough.

Years later, in my career and while running my own consultancy, I hit a much deeper wall. My energy was constantly low. My stress and anxiety were high. Even though I was “successful” on paper, inside I felt exhausted, wired, and unstable.

And I was trying to solve it the wrong way.

When I felt tired, I leaned on caffeine and nicotine. When I felt overwhelmed, I used alcohol or other substances to try to shut my mind off.

When I needed to feel in control, I trained harder, intense lifting, long runs, more pushing.

From the outside, it looked disciplined. Inside, my nervous system and energy were on a roller coaster.

Eventually, everything started to unravel. I lost the relationship I was in. My work suffered. I came dangerously close to losing the contracts that were supporting my business. And for the first time, I couldn’t just “push through” it.

That was the moment I realized something had to change.

Not just my habits, but the way I understood my body, my stress, and my energy at a fundamental level.

So I put my health first. I started studying deeply. I sought out mentors. And I committed to learning how the nervous system, metabolism, and mind actually work together… instead of constantly fighting against them.

That decision changed the direction of my life, and it’s the foundation of everything I do today.

Why the Approach

is Different

Mechanism

That’s what led me into biomechanics, neurobiology, nervous system regulation, and practices like Qigong, tai chi, yoga, breathwork, and meditation, as well as ancient traditions like Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda.

Over time, I realized something most people miss: stress, energy, mood, and health aren’t separate problems. They’re all governed by the same systems inside your body.

When you learn how to regulate your nervous system, fuel your metabolism properly, and move in ways that restore instead of deplete, everything changes.

Environment

Insight

Environment

I also noticed something else while traveling & living through places like Brazil, Colombia, Japan, Indonesia, Canada, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Mexico, and more: my body felt different depending on where I was.

In some environments, stress melted away. Sleep improved. Energy stabilized. In others, even “good habits” couldn’t overcome the constant tension.

That’s what eventually brought me to Cabarete, in the Dominican Republic and why I built Mind Body Upgrade around both environment and daily practice.

What I do Now

Today, I work with people who feel stuck in a body that no longer matches their ambition or lifestyle, professionals, executives, and everyday people who want more energy, better sleep, and a calmer nervous system.

Some people work with me online. Others come to retreats. But the goal is always the same: help you feel good in your body again and know how to maintain it for life.

Today, I work with people who feel stuck in a body that no longer matches their ambition or lifestyle, professionals, executives, and everyday people who want more energy, better sleep, and a calmer nervous system.

Some people work with me online. Others come to retreats. But the goal is always the same: help you feel good in your body again and know how to maintain it for life.

If you’re curious whether this could help you, you can explore the coaching and retreat options here: