In July of 2020, Netflix released Down to Earth with Zac Efron. The eight-episode documentary follows the actor on a trip of a lifetime to learn more about our world, different cultures, and how to make a bigger impact for a safer environment. Right next to Efron is health guru Darin Olien. Darin and Zac are two big names in their respective fields and they come together as one for the greater good of humanity.
While everyone watching Down to Earth is familiar with Zac, others are just being introduced to Olien. The 49-year-old made a splash with viewers and today, we're taking a look at 10 things to know about the impressive health nut.
He's An Author
It's mentioned in the documentary's introduction that Olien is the author of a book called SuperLife. Published in 2017, Olien goes through specific "life forces" to foresee if a person has what it takes to live a healthier, more natural lifestyle.
To live as clean as Darin does, he helps out by adding recipes and tips for living similarly to him. If you're a fan of the documentary, odds are you'd be a fan of SuperLife.
You Can Listen To His Podcast
In case you can't get enough of Darin after watching Down to Earth and reading SuperLife, he also has a podcast that he produces once a week: The Darin Olien Show. Every week, Darin interviews a different person to have an open and honest conversation about lifechanging topics.
Of course, no matter who is on the podcast, the conversation always goes back to saving the environment and what we can do to make a change. He's had guests like Brandon Jenner, Rich Roll, and Lauren Monroe on board. Fans can subscribe on Spotify, iTunes, Google Play, and more.
He Created His Own Snack That You Can Buy Online
On Down to Earth, Darin is fascinated by various seeds, fruits, and vegetables. He sheds so much light on the beauty of plants and how they can help the body in more ways than one. He reminds fans that we are what we eat and we should eat for our health. To assist with his message, he created his own line of snacks called Barùkas.
Defined as the "healthiest nuts in the world," Barùkas Nuts have the highest amount of fiber compared to other nuts, a ton of antioxidants, few calories, and a good amount of protein. Olien also sells Barùkas Nuts travel packs, trail mix, and ones coated in sea salt!
Download His App!
A documentary with Zac Efron, a book, a podcast, his own snacks... Is there anything Olien can't do? On top of it all, he has his own app called 121 Tribe.
121 Tribe launched this year and is focused around–you guessed it—health. With the app, users can learn new plant-based recipes, fun facts about plants and produce exercise, and even a thing called "habit tracking." For 21 days, Oliet sets users up to succeed, and is there every step of the way. New users can try the app with a free trial run.
Go Green With Darin
GREENPATH is a technology company that's trying to make a healthy impact on Earth. Through their advanced knowledge, the company is creating different technologies to assist with green-living and sustainability. If GREENPATH sounds like something Darin would be behind, you'd be correct.
Darin is a partner in GREENPATH as a CMO. With his background in nutrition and his desire to make the world a better place, he's the perfect fit for this technology company.
He Took Up Veganism As A Challenge
In the first episode of Down to Earth, viewers learn that Darin is a vegan. He and Efron talk about protein intake throughout the series since it's such a phenomenon in the American diet. Olien reminds Efron that North Americans over-consume protein because it's what they're told, but we don't need as much as we think.
According to Men's Health, Olien went vegan as a personal challenge to himself. He wanted to see if he was capable of being strong and able to workout as he was without the amount of protein he was getting from meat. Well, his challenge worked and he's been vegan ever since.
He Was Married To An Actress
At the end of Down to Earth, Olien is frantic as he learns that California's wildfires were out of control and going directly towards his house. While he was traveling with Zac, he got the news that his house had burned down. The producers played a voicemail from Darin's ex-wife expressing her sorrow for him and his home.
As it turns out, Olien was married to Scrubs and Happy Endings star, Eliza Coupe. The couple married in New Zealand in 2014 but they divorced four years later.
Zac Heard Of Olin On A Podcast
Darin Olien and Zac Efron come from two different worlds. Olien is nearly 50 while Efron is 32. Efron is a mainstream actor while Olien is a health nut. With these large differences stacked between them, how did the two strangers become best friends?
According to Radio Times, Efron was listening to Rich Roll’s podcast when he had Olien on as a guest. Efron loved Olien's point of view and the two met for lunch and instantly clicked. After combining both of their star powers, the two connected for this epic eight-part docu-series.
He Lives In A Yurt
In the eighth episode of Down to Earth, Darin finds out his beautiful home near Los Angelas burnt down in 2018 due to the Woolsey wildfires. Darin was in tears thinking about his home, his loved ones, and how the fires were a sign that the Earth was struggling.
Since then, fans wanted to know where Darin ended up after his home burnt down. Thanks to Instagram, it looks like he now lives in a yurt created by Pacific Yurts. With his dog Chaga, the two are now safe and sound in their new relaxed setting.
He Teamed Up With Beachbody Workouts
For anyone who loves doing at-home fitness routines and looks for easy fitness apps, they've definitely come across Beachbody workouts. And as it turns out, Olien has his hand in the Beachbody workout as well.
To help those doing the Beachbody workouts, the company created a line of shakes called Shakeology. And Darin Olien had a huge hand in this as he's one of the original formulators of the shakes!