Boundless Life

Strap yourselves in for a wild biohacking ride full of new biohacks—some of which I hadn't even heard of.

My guest on today's podcast is named Marc. That's it. That's the only information I'll release about his identity.

He started his career in investment banking and financing renewable energies and now arranges financing for various government projects—from hydro dams, to farms, to airports—and is now heavily immersed in the fields of biohacking and researching emerging health-enhancing technologies, primarily inspired by managing an incurable genetic defect in his kidneys. In this podcast, we delve into a host of new biohacking technologies you've probably never heard of, from NAD boosters, to stem cell enhancing protocols, to longevity and anti-aging molecules, and much more!

During this discussion, you'll discover: -How Marc got interested in these biohacks...8:03

• Doing due diligence for banking investments revealed a lot of flaws in technologies such as solar and wind power
• Became a trusted voice among his partners and investors due to his findings

-Biohack #1: How to change the gravitational pull inside your cells to speed up the healing process...11:38

• Marc was diagnosed w/ polycystic kidney disease (PKD)
  • Defective on PK-1 protein; cysts develop on the kidney
  • Standard medicine considers it incurable
• Began ketogenic diet (low glucose slows the growth of the cysts)
• Increase in klotho protein halts the disease
  • Changes the gravitational pull inside the cells, thus changing the time perspective in which they can heal (40 hrs of healing w/in a 24 hr timeframe)
• Immortalis probiotic
  • Very expensive: ~$2500/month
  • Extremely detail-oriented protocol
  • Use olive oil or yogurt as a precursor approx. 3-4 days before ingesting
• How the klotho protein is activated and suppressed
  • Psychological stress, inflammation, oxidative stress and depression mitigate its production
  • Angiotensin decreases klotho
  • Vitamin D, insulin, exercise (resistance training), cordyceps, ginseng extract, activated charcoal increase klotho
  • Vitamin D transport system activates immune system
  • Nagalase enzyme suppresses the immune system by suppressing immune cells
  • GcMAF mitigates damage done by nagalase

-Ways to protect from harmful 5G technology...32:15

• EMF doesn't actually attack human DNA; it attacks and changes the DNA of the gut microbiome, with an effect on the brain
• Immortalis probiotic can withstand 5G
• BluShield device
• Somavedic device
• 5G Bio Shield

-The skinny on V-cells...44:30

• V-cells are totipotent cells
• Different types of cells:
  • Totipotent cells can become any type of cell (the crème de la crème of stem cells)
  • Pluripotent can be a variety of different cells
  • Multipotent cells, less variety
  • Singular potent - only one type of cell
• Embryonic-like stem cells
  • "Non-activated"—dormant, body doesn't know what to do with them
• Device in the works to increase bioavailability of V-cells
  • High-frequency pulse laser
  • Very small margin of error for it to be efficacious
• BGF podcasts mentioned:
  • Dr. Matt Cook
  • Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz
• Increased exercise and caloric restriction will mobilize small v-cells

-A mostly unknown way to boost NAD levels...58:02

• Change the environment so that cells produce NAD sans precursors (such as nicotinamide riboside, NR)
• NAD increase of 242%
• NAD+ is used by the body, then converted into NR
  • This becomes downregulated w/ age
• Nuchido for boosting NAD

-A natural way to upregulate endothelial stem cells...1:03:55

• Stem Kine
• PEMF therapy
• Beta-glucans in mushrooms
• Seed Probiotic that Ben uses
• Dr. Neil Riordan

-Interesting biohacks related to water...1:07:42

• Water And Wellness magnesium tablets (code: GREENFIELD)
• Water And Wellness hydrogen water drinking tablets (code: GREENFIELD)
• Water And Wellness hydrogen bath tablets (code: GREENFIELD)
• Hydrogen is very dangerous; use it with caution when drinking hydrogen-enriched water

-A device that increases the mineral density of plants...1:18:03

• Ark Crystals
• Lab-grown
• Placed close to organism w/ water, allows water to come back to its original structure
• Pesticides are not necessary
• Water becomes 100% coherent
• Water and Wellness deuterium-depleted water

-And much more... Resources from this episode:

-Endocrine function and neurobiology of the longest-living rodent, the naked mole-rat

-The secreted Klotho protein restores phosphate retention and suppresses accelerated aging in Klotho mutant mice

-Immortalis (Klotho supporting probiotic)

-Theory Of Relativity Video by Dr. Marco Ruggiero from RAADFest

-5G Bio Shield

-Impact of EMF on the microbiome

-The BluShield device (code: BEN)

-Flula Borg's YouTube channel

-Book: The Human Photosynthesis

-Book: Boundless

-Nuchido for boosting NAD

-Water And Wellness hydrogen water drinking tablets (code: GREENFIELD)

-Water And Wellness hydrogen bath tablets (code: GREENFIELD)

-HBOT chamber Ben uses

-Ark Crystals

-Water And Wellness Deuterium Depleted Water (code: GREENFIELD)

-Dr. Halland Chen

- Dr. Neil Riordan

-BGF podcasts mentioned:

• Dr. Matt Cook
• Dr. Ahvie Herskowitz
• Tyler LeBaron
• Robert Slovak

Episode sponsors:

-Boundless: Click here to pre-order Ben Greenfield's new book "Boundless" now and to get in on the Boundless Sweepstakes!

-The Kion Fasting Challenge: The Challenge starts January 6th, it's completely FREE to join, and when you do you'll get a bunch of exclusive content including access to a Q&A by yours truly answering all your burning fasting questions. To join just go to getkion.com/fasting

-Seed Daily Synbiotic: A formulation of 24 unique strains, each of which included at their clinically verified dose, to deliver systemic benefits in the body. Save 15% off your order when you use discount code: BEN15

-kApex: kApex breaks down the fats you eat into fatty acids, which allows you to increase the fatty acid oxidation inside your mitochondria both in your muscle and liver. Get 20% off your order when you use coupon code: GREENFIELDKX

-Four Sigmatic: I’ve been using Four Sigmatic products for a while now and I’m impressed by the efficacies of their mushroom products. I use them. I like them. I support the mission! Receive 15% off your Four Sigmatic purchase when you use discount code: BENGREENFIELD

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for my secret podcast guest or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Your DNA alone is worthless.

So claim my guests on today's show, Dr. Matt Dawson and Dr. Mike Mallin of Wild Health, with locations in Versailles, KY, and Bend, OR.

I first interviewed these guys in the episode "How To Use Precision Medicine To Enhance Athletic Performance, Defy Aging, Balance Hormones, Fix The Heart & Much More." and now they're back to talk all things DNA and genetics.

Dr. Matt Dawson is a precision medicine physician in Lexington, KY, co-host of the Wild Health podcast and has been obsessed with performance optimization as long as he can remember. He received scholarships to play two sports in college even with “minimal talent” because of his voracious reading and implementation of any fitness or nutritional techniques that would give him an edge.

Dr. Dawson continued that obsession in medical school and, as a physician, he has won national awards for education, innovation, and leadership. He has lectured in over 20 countries and trained thousands of other physicians through live lecture, online education, two textbooks, and an educational app.

Dr. Dawson combines his training in genomics and functional medicine to give personalized, precise medical guidance. His obsession with performance optimization has morphed from initially athletic to now mental performance and longevity.

Whether it's a professional athlete or a grandparent optimizing their mental clarity and mobility to keep up with their grandkids, Dr. Dawson is passionate about helping everyone perform at their absolute peak.

Dr. Mike Mallin is a physician in Bend, OR who is obsessed with health performance and precision medicine and is co-founder of the Wild Health podcast. He completed medical school in South Carolina and trained in Emergency Medicine in Salt Lake City, UT where he competed in several ultramarathons and found his love for the mountains and performance.

Mike currently practices in Bend, OR and Lexington, KY in his precision medicine clinics. He is also co-founder of the Ultrasound Podcast, an educational podcast that has taught thousands of physicians all over the world how to use ultrasound, as well as Wild Health, his podcast focusing on health performance and longevity.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -Why DNA data in and of itself is insufficient...

• Epigenomics: Genomics taken in context of the whole person
• Get a sense of what a person's genes are transcribing via lab values
• Understand how lifestyle and habits can affect specific genes (ex. PGC1A)
• Needed a simplified means of interpreting genetic results
• Falsehoods have been noted in DNA reports
• A comprehensive analysis includes lifestyle, preferences, microbiome, etc.
• DNA reports will occasionally translate RSID's wrong
• Misreading data can lead to unhealthy lifestyle decisions

-What sets Drs. Dawson and Mallin's new software apart from other DNA software...

• Lifestyle and patient preferences factor heavily
• Microbiome data is important
• Looking for a more comprehensive picture of a patient than simple data
• Cholesterol levels, cardiovascular conditions, etc. are taken into account

-The results from the software thus far...

• "Whole picture" approach allows for more accurate diagnoses and appropriate recommendations
• Cardiovascular risk down  by over 50% in less than 6 months on average
• LP(a) decreases more than 2 years of statin treatment
• LDL-P down an average of 357 points per patient
• CRP down over 50% in patients who start off with it elevated
• Average HRV increase of 15 from genomic based training programs
• All mostly without pharmaceuticals

-How Matt and Mike test for aging, and their "gold standard" longevity protocol...

• Get the basics right first: sleep, environment, exercise, sunlight, etc.
• Personalized: genomics, preference based
• Get biological age first:
  • True Age Test
  • DNA Age Test
• Horvath Clock tests methylation in the body; telomere test results have been erratic
• Pulse press cycle is important
• MOTS-C
• Resveratrol
• NAD
• Article: Growth hormone, DHEA, and metformin reversed aging
• Use peptides w/ caution; opt for natural treatments first
• Exercise protocols used during anabolic phase of treatment
  • HIIT and endurance
  • Short interval
  • Longevity exercise programs
  • Fasting, sauna, intermittent fasting
• Dr. John Douillard's Colorado Cleanse
• Dr. Valter Longo's Prolon Kit

-NAD protocols used by Mike and Matt and Ben...

• A lot depends on patient preference
• Thorne ResveraCel
• Quercetin
• RG3 nasal spray
• Alive by Nature NMN and NAD intranasal spray

-Peptides used in the Wild Health practice...

• Semax for neuro-cognitive  strength
• Selank for anxiety
• Dihexa for neural optimization
• CJC-1295
• Ipamorelin
• Epithalon
• GHK
• Zinc Thymulin
• Tailor Made triple (zinc, copper and minoxidil)
• BPC 157 and Thymosin Beta 500 for injury recovery

-Goings on at the Kentucky Castle...

• Spa, float tank, cryotherapy, sauna on site
• Food and farming on site
  • Organic garden
  • Sheep and goats
  • Chickens
• April 7-9 conference
  • Ben will be speaking
  • Teach how to apply what's been discussed in this episode
  • Open to the public, but focused on physicians and practitioners

-How Mike and Matt practice what they preach on an individual level...

• Matt:
  • Intermittent fasting (work out later for bigger fasting window)
  • Sauna therapy (turned all the way up, kettlebell, BFR bands)
  • Sardines are an ideal food; greens, walnuts
  • Put an egg w/ cinnamon and lion's mane in coffee
• Mike:
  • Sprint Interval Training (SIT)
  • CGM (Dexcom G6)
  • Roast coffee at home
  •  

-And much more... Resources from this episode:

- Wild Health MD website

- DNA methylation age of human tissues and cell types

- Growth hormone, DHEA, and metformin reversed aging

- Boundless

- Dr. John Douillard's Colorado Cleanse

- Dr. Valter Longo's Prolon Kit

- Quicksilver Push Catch Liverdetox

- Weston A. Price diet

- Thorne Resveracel

- Tailor Made Compounding

- MiCacao cacao tea

Episode sponsors:

-Kion: My personal playground for new supplement formulations, Kion blends ancestral wisdom with modern science. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order when you use discount code: BGF10.

-Organifi Glow: A plant-based beverage that helps support the body’s natural ability to produce collagen, smooth fine lines and wrinkles, and protect the skin from sun exposure and toxins. Receive a 20% discount on your entire order when you use discount code: "BENG20"

-Beekeeper's Naturals: A wellness company specializing in innovative nutraceuticals made from healing hive compounds and plant-based ingredients. Get 15% off your order when you use discount code: BEN

-Vuori: Activewear and athletic clothing for ultimate performance. Vuori is built to move and sweat in, yet designed with a West Coast aesthetic that transitions effortlessly into everyday life. Receive 25% off your first order when you use discount code: “BENG25"

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Dr. Dawson, Dr. Mallin or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Let's face it: cortisol gets a bad rap these days.

"I have high cortisol",

"I have low cortisol",

"My cortisol it out-of-whack".

You've no doubt heard this all before or said it yourself. So in an effort to decode cortisol once and for all, I decided to feature a wildly popular previous guest of mine - the guy who personally helps me and my wife manage our own hormones and has helped countless listeners of mine with their own anti-aging and natural hormone management protocols.

His name is Dr. Craig Koniver.

Craig was a guest on the episode "How To Get Your Own Vitamin and NAD IVs, The Truth About Umbilical Stem Cells, Peptide Injections & Much More With Dr. Craig Koniver."

He has been practicing Performance Medicine for over 18 years and is the founder of Koniver Wellness in Charleston, South Carolina.

Not satisfied with the disease-based model of modern medicine, Dr. Koniver seeks to help his clients optimize their health and performance through time-tested, nutrient and science-driven protocols that are the cutting-edge of medicine. He is the founder and creator of the patent-pending FastVitaminIV® as well as re-engineering the NAD+ IV protocols, now called Brain Refuel™.

Dr. Koniver’s client list includes Navy SEALs, NFL players, PGA golfers, Hall of Fame NHL players, world-class professional athletes, Fortune 100 Executives, well-known celebrities and TV personalities.

In addition, Dr. Koniver offers a comprehensive training program of the Koniver Wellness Model to physician practices across the country.

In this episode, you'll discover: -Cortisol 101...5:32

• Hormone secreted by adrenal glands
• Not enough attention is given to cortisol in the medical field
• "Stress hormone" -- fight or flight response
  • It is secreted in response to any real or perceived threat or stressor
• We're hard-wired to have high cortisol in the am, and low in the evening
• Rhythm vs. volume is key
• Acute hormone; ex. being chased by a lion
  • Turns off pain recognition
  • Anti-inflammatory
• Catabolic hormone -- wear and tear
• We've changed cortisol from an acute to a chronic hormone
• Key takeaway: try to find meaningful ways to live w/ the sun's rhythm
• Lowest levels are at around 10 pm; allows anabolic hormones testosterone, growth hormone, and melatonin to elevate
• Most critical hours of sleep are 10 pm - 2 am
  • It takes melatonin 12 hours to reset
  • Later (or no) sun exposure means melatonin levels peak later, leading to loss of sleep quality

-How cortisol is secreted...13:37

• Perceived stressors (most often subtle in modern times)
• Primitive part of the mid-brain, above the spinal cord
• Reticular Activating System (RAS) triggers release of cortisol
• Signal sent to locus ceruleus (one of the most connected parts of the brain)
• Signal sent to hypothalamus...to pituitary, then to adrenal glands
• Norepinephrine and cortisol are "partners in crime"; released along w/ cortisol
• Pituitary responsible for all signaling molecules
• We stop releasing cortisol, and have surplus of norepinephrine
• We release an average of 35 g of cortisol per day
• Irregular sleep patterns (night shift workers) lead to chronic health problems later in life

-How cortisol imbalances affect our lives...20:12

• Our brains cannot differentiate between perceived and real stressors
• Visualizing a success (or a failure) will trigger cortisol secretion
• "I can't wait to wear that out fit" is much more effective than "I'm way too big..."
• RAS helps distinguish background and foreground in our world
• Buy a red truck, all of a sudden you see a bunch of red trucks on the roads
• What you put your attention is what you're going to get in your life

-How cortisol gets disrupted...25:40

• Humans are "super-adaptors"; we can tolerate stressors over a long period of time
• Modern tech can disconnect us from the sun, circadian rhythm and cortisol flow
  • We release cortisol at night when we look at TV, phones, etc. at night
• We tolerate stressors for years and decades, but it eventually catches up with us
  • It will eventually blunt the anabolic hormones (testosterone, growth hormone, melatonin)
• We lose sleep quality, take longer to heal injuries, workouts are more challenging, etc.
• Gold standard to test adrenal function: salivary cortisol test
  • Salivary is far less stressful than a blood draw (hence more accurate results)
• We rely on stimulants such as coffee and prescription drugs, rather than address the issue of disrupted cortisol flow

-Why cortisol is such a hot topic in modern society...37:40

• Acute stressor triggers cortisol
• Over time, cortisol has become a chronic hormone, rather than an acute hormone
  • We'll never be chased by a lion in the jungle
  • We trigger cortisol response w/ everyday stressors
  • Chipping away at cortisol release over time
  • We can't keep up w/ cortisol demands; lose cortisol reserve
• Major stressor (loss of job, death in the family, etc.) causes a breakdown when cortisol levels have been chronically disrupted
  • Cancer, autoimmune disease, etc. occur with this breakdown
  • Many fear cancer, other serious illnesses
  • Best way to prevent disease: take care of cortisol levels
• Be aware of indicators of low cortisol levels: poor sleep, longer than usual recovery times, etc.

-The key element regarding cortisol missed by conventional medicine practice...43:13

• Adrenal fatigue and insufficiency doesn't exist in conventional medicine
• Two extremes in conventional medicine: Cushings disease, and Addisons disease
  • Cushings: too much cortisol secretion
  • Addisons: not enough cortisol is produced
  • There's a gray area; it's not simply black and white
• As cortisol levels are disrupted, norepinephrine levels increase
  • Increased heart rate
  • Increased blood pressure
  • This feels like anxiety
  • Consider visiting a doctor knowledgeable in this as you may have lost control of the cortisol buffer
• Study in the Netherlands on men over 50 who ran marathons vs. men who didn't run marathons
  • Men who ran marathons suffered more heart attacks (due to overtraining)
  • Positive exercise can still be a stressor, releasing cortisol
• Recovery is key to being an elite athlete

-How cortisol interacts with other hormones in the body...49:30

• Hormones are like kids w/ differing personalities
  • Cortisol is the neighborhood bully
  • High insulin levels and cortisol lead to weight gain (cut carbs in the morning)
• Abnormal cortisol modulation affects thyroid levels deleteriously
  • Be aware of your adrenal status if you're on thyroid hormone replacement
• An imbalance of cortisol and testosterone inhibits muscle production
• Growth hormone depletion leads to brain fog, weight gain, etc.

-How to effectively modulate cortisol...56:52

• Tests:
  • Blood in the morning
  • Salivary cortisol test anytime
• Adrenal glands is like a factory producing hormones: cortisol is the goal, but we need to make the other hormones
  • Cortisol imbalances lead to depletion of other hormones
• Pregnenolone is made from cholesterol; low cholesterol levels affects cortisol production
• Number 1 risk factor for cancer for men is low testosterone; cortisol will help optimize health
• Having a cortisol reserve enables us to handle and tolerate stress, thus preventing cancer, autoimmune disease
• Behaviors to normalize cortisol levels (deliberate contemplative exercise)
  • Meditation, prayer, reading
  • Activate parasympathetic system, turn off sympathetic system
  • Meditation is not the only means of managing stress
• Adaptogenic herbs:
  • Licorice root (delays conversion of cortisol to cortisone)
  • Holy basil (sense of the divine in one's world)
  • Cordyceps powder (in coffee, shakes)
  • Rhodiola
  • Schisandra berry
• Critical nutrients:
  • Vitamin A
  • Vitamin C
  • Vitamin B5
  • Intravenous NAD+
• Peptides:
  • Hexarelin
  • Epithalon
  • Ipamorelin
  • GHRP 6 and GHRP 2
• Intranasal and intravenous stem cells
• Hydrocortisone replacement (don't surpass 35 mg per day)
• Phosphatidylserine
• Ashwagandha
• CBD

-Closing thoughts...1:14:42

• Good correlation between HRV and cortisol; collect morning and evening times
• Cortisol helps be your best cognitively
• If you're feeling tired, stressed and anxious, check your cortisol levels

-And much more... Resources from this episode:

–Click here to buy the IVs I get from Craig.

-30-minute patient phone call with Dr. Koniver to review health goals. At end of the call, Dr. Koniver will outline a strategic game plan for optimizing patient health and performance. Click here and use code: BEN for a 20% discount (brings $400 to $320)

-1-hour physician practitioner phone call with Dr. Koniver to discuss how to implement Performance Medicine into your practice. At end of the call, Dr. Koniver will outline specific steps to start. Click here and use code: BEN for 20% discount (brings $500 to $420)

-4 Day NAD IV Therapy (Brain Refuel Program). Patient flies to Dr. Koniver’s office in Charleston, South Carolina to receive the loading dose. Click here and use code: BEN for a 20% discount (brings $400 to $320)

-Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Program. 3 days of NAD IV Therapy followed by an umbilical cord stem cell infusion. Includes injectable peptides as well as select nutrients to aid in the absorption of stem cells. Click here and use code: BEN for a 20% discount (brings $8750 to $7000)

Episode sponsors:

-Boundless: Click here to pre-order Ben Greenfield's new book "Boundless" now and to get in on the Boundless Sweepstakes!

-The Kion Fasting Challenge: The Challenge starts January 6th, it's completely FREE to join, and when you do you'll get a bunch of exclusive content including access to a Q&A by yours truly answering all your burning fasting questions. To join just go to getkion.com/fasting

-JOOVV: After using the Joovv for close to 2 years, it's the only light therapy device I'd ever recommend. Give it a try: you won't be disappointed. Order using my link and receive a month's supply of Kion Berry Aminos absolutely free.

-Four Sigmatic: I’ve been using Four Sigmatic products for awhile now and I’m impressed by the efficacies of their mushroom products. I use them. I like them. I support the mission! Receive 15% off your Four Sigmatic purchase when you use discount code: BENGREENFIELD

Got a question for me or Craig related to cortisol, or anything else we talked about in today's show? Leave a comment below, and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As I age, observe great thinkers and philosophers, and continually seek wisdom, I've become increasingly convinced that caring for one's spirit is as important - no - more important than caring for one's body and brain. After all, long after our muscles have atrophied and skin has sagged, long after our brains have degraded and accumulated with plaque, long after our blood vessels and nerves have become clogged and weak and long after our relentless pursuit of fitness and longevity has become a vain effort, our spirits can be just as strong and bright as ever. Yet, sadly - especially among those immersed in physical culture, fitness and biohacking, it seems that the spirit is the most oft-ignored component of our human vessels, quite frequently shrunken and shriveled from a near complete neglect of the spiritual disciplines...

...disciplines such as meditation, gratitude, prayer, fasting, study, fellowship, celebration, charity and all those elements that most of us know are important but somehow shove to the side because, let's face it, life gets busy and it just seems far more practical and immediately useful to go hit the gym rather than sit cross-legged on the floor meditating breathing, spending an extra ten minutes in bed journaling, or prioritizing a family dinner. 

As I mention with increasing frequency the importance of the spiritual disciplines, I'm often ask how I personally incorporate these practices in my own life.

So, similar to how last week I shared with you the nitty-gritty details of my own nutrition supplementation program, in this podcast I'm going to delve into how I weave everything from yoga to breathwork to plant medicine into my own life. I in no way profess to be an expert in these matters, and although it is my goal over the next ten years to become as spiritually fit as I am physically fit, and to focus perhaps even more on the spiritual disciplines than I currently do on the physical disciplines, I hope that a few of the insights I've incorporated into my own life these past several years may serve you well in your own pursuit of spiritual greatness.

During this podcast, you'll discover: -Why value spiritual disciplines in the first place?...6:40

• Focusing only on physical health and wellness can be quite shallow
• Spiritual exercise/discipline is just as real and vital as physical
• Caring for our spirit is just as important, if not more so, than our body and brain
• Attachment exercise from Awareness by Anthony Di Mello
  • Think of something or someone to which you're attached
  • Say, "I really do not need you to be happy; I can be happy without you"
• Happiness is a state of non-illusion -- the absence of an illusion

-How Ben has educated himself on spiritual disciplines...13:00

• Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth by Richard Foster
• Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life by Donald S. Whitney
• Spiritual Disciplines Handbook by Adele A. Calhoun
• The Jesuits Guide to (Almost) Everything: A Spirituality for Real Life by James Martin, SJ
• Solitude: A Philosophical Encounter by Philip Koch
• Once a year practice of stoicism
  • 2-5 days of silence and solitude
  • No family, completely alone
  • Reading, journaling, fasting
  • Kion Fasting book

-Ben's morning spiritual disciplines...19:27

• Before getting out of bed, time w/ family, etc. read in bed (scriptures, aforementioned books) for 5-10 minutes
  • Study
  • Meditation
  • Prayer
• Enhancing meditation tips:
  • Eco Meditation from Mind to Matter by Dawson Church
  • Joe Dispenza's meditations from his book Becoming Supernatural
  • Dab a bit of Third Eye essential oil by Essential Oil Wizardry between the eyes
  • VieLight Gamma
  • Psilocybin micro dose
  • Stealing Fire by Steven Kotler (book)
• Spiritual disciplines can be "hacked" just like physical disciplines
• MiCacao tea w/ Kion Coffee
• Spend 10-15 minutes doing stretching and deep tissue work
  • The 5 Forgotten Tibetan Longevity exercises
  • BGF podcast w/ Stephen Cabral (and Cabral's show #1378)
  • Our Daily Bread
  • The Solid Joys Daily Devotional
  • Gabriel Fernandes YouTube channel
• Family gratitude practice
  • Christian Gratitude Journal
  • Sing a song together

-Ben's sauna practice...37:45

• Clearlight Sanctuary sauna
• Flow yoga w/ deep breathwork
• Drink a hot beverage beforehand (black pepper tea or coffee or green tea)
• Respire Essential Oil by Essential Oil Wizardry (sprinkled in the sauna before going in)
• Listening to something educational
  • Book: The Science of Enlightenment by Shinzen Young
• Prototype topical oil by ATP Science (enhances your ability to sweat)
• Finish w/ a cold plunge in a Morozko Forge ice bath followed by this prayer:
  • Our Father in heaven, I surrender all to you Turn me into the father and husband you would have for me to be Into a man who will fulfill your great commission And remove from me all judgment of others Grant me your heavenly wisdom Remove from me my worldly temptations Teach me to listen to your still, small voice in the silence And fill me with your peace, your love, and your joy. Amen

-How Ben manages stress during busy and intensive work days...44:45

• Brief pauses throughout the day for breath work
  • Box breathing (4 in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold)
  • Alternate nostril breathing
  • 4-8 breathing (4 in, 8 out over and over)
• 21 day Soma breath work course by The Renegade Pharmacist

-End of day spiritual practices...47:28

• Gather for family dinner (big factor for longevity in Blue Zones)
  • Meditation, activation of para-sympathetic nervous system ..."I'm aware of my body I'm smiling at my body I'm aware of my food I'm smiling at my food I'm aware of my company I'm smiling at my company"
  • Centering breaths
• Games for family dinners
  • Table Topics
  • The oatmeal: Unstable Unicorns, Bears vs. Babies, Exploding Kittens
  • Gubs
  • Quiddler
  • Boggle
• Finish up remaining business while family cleans up and gets ready for bed
  • You dwell on and dream about what you've dwelt on during the day
• Family bedtime
  • Sing together
  • App: Ultimate Guitar Tabs
  • Prayer together
  • Eye gazing
• Self-reflection journal (a la Ben Franklin amazon links...)

-Spiritual lovemaking...57:50

• True, tantric, spiritual sex is oft ignored in modern society
• Backjack chairs - chat for 5-15 minutes prior to lovemaking, sleep, etc.
• Couple's plant medicine therapy
• Holotropic breath work (Renegade Pharmacist offers this)
• Ben's massage setup
  • Blast body w/ Whole Tones by Michael Tyrrell
  • Ketamine and oxytocin intranasally, occasionally w/ THC
  • PEMF table by Pulse Centers

-Areas for improvement...1:09:00

• Participating in local charitable causes
• Share your gifts -- make your service enjoyable
• Strengthen connection w/ local church community

-And much more... Resources from this episode:

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

You may recall the amazing, eccentric, crazy cool Aaron Alexander if you listened to my episode "Exogenous Ketones, Deuterium-Depleted Water, Near Vs. Far Infrared, Scorpion Stings & More! A Special Episode Recorded Live In Panama"...

...well today Aaron's back. I recorded live with him at his pad in Southern California and after chilling in an ice bath, doing nitty-gritty breathwork and getting up to all the other crazy tom-foolery biohacks at Aaron's place, we recorded for you a nice little podcast, and even discussed Aaron's new book "The Align Method: 5 Movement Principles for a Stronger Body, Sharper Mind, and Stress-Proof Life", which shows readers how posture and body alignment are powerful tools for building strength, achieving peak performance, reducing pain, and approaching the world with a new sense of confidence, and teaches you how to optimize activities such as:

-Floor Sitting

-Hanging

-Hip-Hinging

-Walking

-Nose Breathing

-And much more...

Blending Eastern philosophy with Western mechanics, The Align Method outlines the necessary tools to leverage the power of your own senses and body language to feel more flexible and confident, and details exactly how to reshape your environment for enhanced creativity and longevity. So check out the book and...

In this discussion with Aaron, you'll discover... -What makes green tea special...4:58

• EGCG is the primary antioxidant
• Regularly consume schisandra for fertility potency
• Great Salt Lake trace minerals

-Natural biohacks that can be implemented for low or no cost...6:36

• Cold thermogenesis
  • Activates the parasympathetic nervous system
  • Nitric oxide release
  • Humming/chanting increases nitric oxide production
    • Activates the vagus nerve
    • Inducing stress resilience prior to the stress of the cold treatment
• Sunlight exposure
  • Metabolic flexibility is increased w/ sunlight exposure
  • Increased HRV and good vagal nerve tone
  • Vitamin D activation
  • Cellular resistance
• When to choose tech over nature
  • JOOVV lights can provide adequate infrared light in 10 minutes vs. 2 hours of sunlight
  • PEMF tables can shortcut what can be derived from nature
• Bottom line: Nature is preferable, but there’s nothing wrong with choosing better living through science

-Ben Greenfield’s morning meditation routine…15:37

• Ecomeditation designed by Dawson Church
  • Tapping
  • Gratitude - into the universe, and into the body
• Transcendental meditation (BGF podcast w/ Philip Land)
• Deep breathing in the morning
• Read devotional or scripture
• Gratitude journaling
• Exercise is moving meditation
  • Lead w/ prana
  • No music/podcasts in the ears
• Book: The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
• Book: The Power Of Your Breath by Anders Olsson 
• Breathe through the nose as much as possible
• BGF podcasts w/ Paul Chek
  • Why Humans Need Winter, How Too Much Christmas Is Dangerous, Rites Of Passage & More With Paul Chek.
  • Heavy Rock Lifting, Building Your Own “Water Charging” Station, Biomechanical Fixes, Plant Medicine Journeys & More With Paul Chek.
  • The 3 Key Steps To Intuitive Eating, Ego Dissolution, Raising & Educating Children In A Modern Era & More With Paul Chek.
• 3x3 routine: 3 minutes cardio, 3 minutes cold therapy and repeat

-Hunting zen and interdependence with our fellow man…21:43

• Innate instinct to provide, even with modern conveniences around us
• Book: A Paradise Built in Hell
• Interdependence is oft neglected
• C.S. Lewis: We’re all spirits in human bodies w/ capability to go one way or the other
• Skin to skin contact releases oxytocin; results in greater success in war, athletics, etc.
• Don't sacrifice interdependence for self-dependence (self-made man)
• Connections is the undying currency

-The two "mountains" in our lives...40:07

• Book: The Second Mountain: The Quest For a Moral Life
• Mountain 1: career, business, shelter, etc.
  • Circumstances bring us into the valley, and realize Mountain 2
• Mountain 2: we discover interdependence, community, connection, etc.
• Mountain 1 is oftentimes a prerequisite to Mountain 2
• No regrets about the past; using experience to scale Mountain 2 when we arrive there

-Practices that build indomitable connectedness in your family...46:00

• Eye-gazing:
  • Zero judgment zone
  • See different parts of the other each time
  • Deep connection reduces shame, increases vulnerability
  • Eye-gazing during sex increases intimacy w/ your partner
• "You're not raising your children, you're raising your grandchildren"
  • Traditions, practices at the dinner table, etc. are observed, learned and passed on to the next generation
  • Encourage children to participate in your exercise routine, even if on a limited basis
• 55/38/7 principle of communication:
  • 55% is based on body language
  • 38% is vocal tonality
  • 7% is the words we use
• Power of demonstration cannot be undervalued as a parent

-And much more... Resources mentioned in this episode:

- Book: The Align Method by Aaron Alexander

Episode sponsors:

-The Kion Fasting Challenge: The Challenge starts January 6th, it's completely FREE to join, and when you do you'll get a bunch of exclusive content including access to a Q&A by yours truly answering all your burning fasting questions. To join just go to getkion.com/fasting

-Beekeeper's Naturals: A wellness company specializing in innovative nutraceuticals made from healing hive compounds and plant-based ingredients. Get 15% off your order when you use discount code: BEN

-Policy Genius: Whether you’re an insurance expert or a newbie, Policygenius created a website that makes it easy for you to compare quotes, get advice, and get covered.

-Fresh Books: It’s cloud accounting software that basically does your invoicing for you and on top of that gets you paid 2x faster. Try it out for a free 30-day trial of FreshBooks right now. Go to Freshbooks.com/Ben and enter “The Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast” in the how did you hear about us section.

Got a question or comment for Aaron or me? Leave a comment below, and one of us will reply!

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Based on breakthrough new science in the field of hydration, the new book Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration debunks many popular myths about "getting enough water" and offers a revolutionary five-day jump start plan that shows how better hydration can reduce or eliminate ailments like chronic headaches, weight gain, gut pain, and even autoimmune conditions.

Chronic headaches...brain fog...fatigue...weight gain...insomnia...gut pain...autoimmune conditions. We may think these and other all-too-common modern maladies are due to gluten intake or too much sugar or too little exercise. But there is another missing piece to the health puzzle: Proper hydration.

Yes, even in this era of Poland Spring many of us are dehydrated due to moisture lacking diets, artificial environments, medications, and over-dependence on water as our only source of hydration. For this reason, that new diet or exercise plan may fail because our body doesn't have enough moisture to support it.

Quench presents a wellness routine that can reverse all of that, based on breakthrough new science in the field of hydration. You will be surprised to learn that drinking too much water can flush out vital nutrients and electrolytes. Here is where "gel water" comes in: the water from plants (like cucumber, berries, aloe), which our bodies are designed to truly absorb right down to the cellular level.

In fact, Ms. Bria's work as an anthropologist led her to the realization that desert people stay hydrated almost exclusively from what they eat, including gel plants like cactus.

Based on groundbreaking science from the University of Washington's Pollack Water Lab and other research, Quench offers a five-day jump start plan: hydrating meal plans and the heart of the program, smoothies and elixirs using the most hydrating and nutrient-packed plants.

Another unique feature of their approach is micro-movements-small, simple movements you can make a few times a day that will move water through your fascia, the connective tissue responsible for hydrating our bodies. You will experience more energy, focus, and better digestion within five days...then move onto the lifetime plan for continued improvements, even elimination of symptoms.

My guest on today's podcast, and the author of Quench - Dr. Dana Cohen - has been successfully practicing medicine here in New York City for 20 years utilizing a distinctive medical approach. Dr. Cohen has helped thousands of patients find relief after repeated unsuccessful attempts with other practitioners.

Dr. Cohen was board-certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in 1998. She is an advisor to the Board of Directors of the American College for the Advancement of Medicine (ACAM), the leading voice of Integrative Medicine for more than 1,500 MD, DO, ND, and master-level health-care providers.

She has been the program director for their conferences and gathered the leaders of functional and integrative medicine to give world-class symposiums. She received her MD from St. George’s University School of Medicine, and completed a three year internal medicine residency at Albany Medical Center.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -The background of Dana's book and why water isn't always the ideal way to hydrate...7:32

• Searched for innovative topic on which to devote substantial research
• Co-author approached regarding hydration techniques
  • "New phase" of water
  • Is it possible to hydrate via food?
• The 8 glasses a day myth
  • Comes from nowhere, similar to the food pyramid
  • Some say they drink little water and remain hydrated

-What is "gel" water, and how does it differ from "regular" water?...11:26

• Also known as "structured" water
• Slightly thicker, different chemical equation (H3O2)
• Desert plants have gel inside (thickened water)
• Gel water is found in waterfalls, and in nature in general
• It's the type of water found in our cells

-The best foods to eat which contain the gel water...14:41

• Chia seeds gel when exposed to water
• Cucumber seeds are gelatinous
• Lettuce
• Cauliflower
• Fruits
• Fiber mixed w/ water becomes undrinkable when left; becomes gel water

-How hydration (and dehydration) is measured via food intake...16:35

• There's no research on determining clinical dehydration (although we know when someone is truly dehydrated)
• The means of determining hydration levels via water consumption have not been applied to food as of yet

-How people who dwell in deserts hydrate...22:08

• Bedouins "front load" water consumption (first thing in the morning w/ electrolytes)
  • Robes they wear are quasi humidifying tents
  • Drink camel's milk, goat's bread
• Low-fat diet is counterproductive
• Ghee is very high in gel water

-Why chia is such a potent source of hydration...26:08

• Rich source of Omega 3 fatty acids, particularly linoleic acid
• Grinding chia seeds; creates more gel water when add water to it
• Perfect thing to add to smoothies
• Lectins in chia seeds: proceed w/ caution
• Tara Fix recipe:
  • 12 oz. water
  • 1 tsp ground chia seeds
  • 4 oz. kombucha
  • Pinch of rock salt
• Books by Christopher McDougall:
  • Natural Born Heroes
  • Born to Run

-Ancestral hydration tactics from history...32:54

• Nomadic cowboys in Uruguay consumed Yerba Mate
  • Has all vitamins and electrolytes necessary to sustain life
  • Dissolving plants in water delivers nutrients and hydration from the plants better than water alone
• Ancient pottery shows signs of gelatin from grains; evidence of eating lots of stews containing grains and vegetables
• Hasda people consumed Baoba fruit:
  • Blended flesh w/ water; full of fat, fiber and vitamins (an ancient smoothie)

-The link between fascia and hydration and why it's so important...39:30

• Fascia is the network of collagen that surrounds every cell and organ in our body (like the outer walls of the grapefruit holding in the fruit)
• "Living Fascia" video mentioned by Dr. Cohen
• Piezoelectricity: Motion that stretches tissue and generates electricity
• Study found that women who fidgeted less than other women had a 43% increase in all-cause mortality
• Small movements are better than nothing
• Dry skin brushing

-A recipe for "beauty water"...48:56

• Water mixed w/ simple ingredients: blueberries, pomegranates, lemon, etc.
• Adds electrolytes, structure to the water
• It's very possible to over hydrate; dispose of electrolytes before their efficacy can be applied to the body

-And much more... Resources from this episode:

- Quench: Beat Fatigue, Drop Weight, and Heal Your Body Through the New Science of Optimum Hydration

- BGF podcasts with Dr. Gerald Pollack

• Is All Water The Same?
• What In The Bleep Do We Actually Know About Water?

- Book: Cells, Gels & The Engines of Life by Dr. Gerald Pollack

- Study: A high-fiber diet does not protect against asymptomatic diverticulosis.

- Book: Born To Run by Christopher McDougall

- Book: Natural Born Heroes by Christopher McDougall

- Fascia video

Episode sponsors:

-Boundless: Click here to pre-order Ben Greenfield's new book "Boundless" now and to get in on the Boundless Sweepstakes! -Kion Serum: Use Kion Serum anywhere you’d like more vibrant, youthful skin and hair. Save 10% off your order when you use discount code: BGF10

-Organifi Gold: A new take on an ancient secret: Pain-soothing herbs, incredible antioxidants, and phytonutrients all in one delicious, soothing “Golden Milk” nighttime tea! Receive a 20% discount on your entire order when you use discount code: BENG20.

-Four Sigmatic: I’ve been using Four Sigmatic products for awhile now and I’m impressed by the efficacies of their mushroom products. I use them. I like them. I support the mission! Receive 15% off your Four Sigmatic purchase when you use discount code: BENGREENFIELD

-Native Deodorant: Safe, simple, effective products that people use in the bathroom everyday. Native creates products with trusted ingredients and trusted performance. Get 20% off your first purchase when you use discount code: BEN

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Dr. Dana Cohen or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

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I am often asked what supplements I take, why I take them and if we really need supplements anyway. After all, if you, like me, follow a healthy lifestyle, I'll wager you probably eat plenty of plants, prioritize sleep, hydrate with filtered water (or, dare I say at the risk of revealing my tinfoil hat, structured water) and expose yourself to the sun as much as possible.

So why even consider supplementation?

Let's begin with this: our modern, post-industrial, polluted, toxin-laden lifestyle demands more nutrients than food can provide.

That’s right. The chronic stressors of modern life—ranging from heavy metal and synthetic chemical exposure to sensory overload—have been proven to increase your body’s need for vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants to shuttle toxins through detox pathways and prevent the formation of DNA-damaging free radical. This means that even if you are eating clean, relatively nutrient-dense food, you are likely not getting the full array of nutrients from food that prior generations enjoyed. There are five factors that contribute to poor nutrient availability in most modern food.

Nutritionally Depleted Soil

Due to modern farming techniques and fertilizers, most soil is depleted of the vitamins, minerals and antioxidants found in conventionally grown crops (4). You may think that eating organic is the ultimate solution. While some research suggests that organically grown food contains more nutrients than non-organic food, other research has concluded that there is no significant difference in nutritional content between the two (5, 6).

In addition, for most of human history (and prehistory), our ancestors ate now-nearly-extinct, dense-cell-rich carbohydrates in the form of foods like wild tubers, which provided essential prebiotics so that probiotic bacteria could flourish (in contrast to the refined acellular grains and white rice that comprise modern carbohydrates) (7).In addition, the modern high intake of refined carbohydrates and processed foods creates significant blood sugar swings and glycemic variability that our ancestors did not encounter to as great an extent.

A glance at a coffee shop display case or hotel breakfast bar that features bagels, muffins and sugary cereals explains why many people need a snack a couple hours after breakfast to make it through the inevitable mid-morning blood sugar crash. Blood sugar imbalances lead to chronic inflammation and may be responsible for up to 80% of modern diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (8). This is a rollercoaster you definitely want to hop off.

Similarly, the meat, eggs and dairy products commonly found in grocery stores deliver fewer anti-inflammatory nutrients, such as omega-3 fatty acids, than those from wild or pastured animals (9). Most Western diet munchers also consume an imbalanced ratio of omega-6 fatty acids to omega-3 fatty acids, further exacerbating chronic inflammation (10, 11).

Age-Related Declines In Nutrient Absorption

Your ability to absorb nutrients from food decreases as you age (19). While growing children should absolutely be taking a multivitamin to support healthy tissue and bone formation, supplementation becomes equally important for older generations.

Many medications used to treat age-related diseases, such as acid reflux and hypertension, also interfere with proper nutrient absorption, further increasing the need to take supplements (16, 17). Then there are precious fat-soluble vitamins like vitamin D. While the recommendations for sufficient vitamin D levels are controversial, it is safe to say that many Americans, especially aging Americans who spend more and more time indoors, do not get enough vitamin D (18).

Even if we do our best to get sun exposure - whether it’s a morning walk or going outside for lunch - it is rare to get as much sunlight and vitamin D as our outdoor-dwelling ancestors did. Poor Food Handling Practices Modern harvesting, shipping, processing and storage techniques degrade the nutrient content of food (12). Plants grown with modern fertilizer can contain only 25% of the micronutrients of plants grown using more traditional farming methods, and nutrient content declines as they are shipped and sit on store shelves.

It makes sense that a fresh-picked apple is more nutritious than the apples you buy at the supermarket in winter, which were likely treated with 1-methylcyclopropene and could be up to 10 months old (according to an FDA spokesperson) (13, 14). And the preservatives used to maintain freshness could impede the bioavailability of the food’s nutrients and even increase your body’s need for more nutrients to process these synthetic additives (15).

Pesticides, Herbicides & Pollutants Pesticides, herbicides and chemicals found in the modern food supply are combined with low-quality water, environmental contaminants from elements like degraded plastic and airborne pollutants like carbon monoxide, lead and mercury. These synergistic factors vastly increase your need for extra vitamins, minerals and nutrients to combat the formation of free radicals and the attack on your metabolism and immune system.

Exercise

Are you an athlete or frequent exerciser? The amount of extra oxygen and energy used by active individuals requires far more than the nutritional RDA of the average population. Indeed, consuming only the stated RDA can actually limit your athletic performance. So if you engage in Crossfit WODs, Ironman triathlons, obstacle races or heavy weight-lifting, your nutritional requirements mean you need to take supplements. In addition to these five factors, there are scientifically demonstrated longevity benefits of caloric restriction (a concept you will discover more about in Chapter 25).

Given these benefits, it seems silly to argue that you could ignore calories and simply eat more food to obtain nutrients. This is another crucial area where supplements come in - they are a helpful boost for those of us wanting to consume enough nutrients to function well but also wanting to live longer using strategies such as intermittent fasting, alternate-day fasting and caloric restriction.

The assumption that previous generations didn’t take supplements is also not true. Ancient supplements include root, stem and leaf teas, medicinal powders ground by mortar and pestle and highly concentrated oil extracts (20, 21, 22). Just because these dietary supplements didn’t look like capsules and ridiculously-oversized tubs of powders doesn’t mean they weren’t supplements.

In addition, our ancestors certainly consumed dirt, which we now know contains a wide range of beneficial probiotics (23, 24). Perhaps even more compelling is the fact that animals, ranging from insects to chimps, self-medicate and supplement by consuming specific compounds (25). For example, when some caterpillars get infected by parasitic flies, they’ll eat poisonous plants to kill the invasive larvae.

Ants fight off microbes and bacteria by adding spruce resin to their nests. Several animal species consume mud to counteract stomach upset, and animals of all kinds use plant medicine as their own rough approximation of “supplements”. Ultimately, supplementation with vitamins, minerals and even nootropics and psychedelics is a natural, time-honored way to enhance the body and brain. In our modern era, while many would argue that your brain should work fine on its own, operating with flawless precision in the presence of clean food, pure water, sunshine and fresh air, I beg to differ and have benefited highly from a bit of ancestral wisdom combined with better living through science.

-Why would you want to take supplements in the first place?...9:48

• The post-industrial age creates a greater need for nutrition than previous generations
• Cell phones, air, water create toxicity for our systems
• Food that is farmed and produced does not contain the same level of nutrients as before
  • Soil is depleted of minerals, vitamins, antioxidants
  • No significant differences in organic produce in nutrient levels
• Ancestors ate nearly extinct foods: quinoa, tubers, cellular grains
• Modern food is acellular grains and white rice
• Abundance of refined carb and processed foods creates high blood sugar swings
• Meat, eggs and dairy products contain fewer Omega-3's and other anti-inflammatory nutrients
  • Imbalanced Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio (as high as 40:1)
• Modern fertilizers deplete food of nutrients
• Preservatives have deleterious effects (the age of "fresh" produce is a bit shocking)
  • Decreases bioavailability of nutrients and increases the body's need for nutrients
• Fat-soluble vitamins (Vitamin D) are deficient in most people
• Multiple examples of supplementation occurring in ancient generations
  • Root, stem, leaf teas
  • Powders extracted and compounded to aid the body's nutrient absorption
  • Ate dirt, which contains  high amounts of probiotics
  • Chimps and monkeys self-medicate by consuming specific plants (sometimes psychedelic compounds)

Ben's personal supplementation regimen -Basic daily nutrient and micronutrient repletion...20:16

• Key characteristics in a multivitamin: Vitamin D, Vitamin K1 and K2, Natural form of folate, Vitamin B12
• Recommend taking it with food
• Ancestral Supplements
• PaleoValley organ meats complex
• Thorne AM/PM Multi
• Almsbio Glutathione
• Calton Nutrition

-Energy...27:18

• Thorne Creatine (or any other creatine that has CreaPure in it)
• TianChi
• Qualia Mind
• Book: Roger Drummer on tian chi (title unknown)
• Dr. Daniel Amen book (title not mentioned)
• Psychedelics: LSC, psilocybin (microdose every few days, not used with TianChi or Qualia Mind)

-Fat Loss and blood sugar management...36:21

• Kion Lean
• Use before most carb-rich meal of the day
• Use with cold thermogenesis

-Recovery...38:27

• Not to be taken immediately after exercising (wait at least 2 hours)
• Kion Flex
  • BGF podcast 406 (on recovery)
• Kion Aminos
  • Essential amino acids, not simply branched chain aminos
  • 10-20 g pre- or post-workout
  • Muscle maintenance and recovery
  • Appetite suppression
• Superessentials Fish oil (other good brands are Nordic Naturals, Carlsons and Thorne)
  • 8 g per day (with breakfast)
  • 1:1 EPA to DHA ratio
  • Vitamin E
  • Contains Astaxanthin
  • Keep refrigerated

-Gut...44:48

• Kion Colostrum
• Masszymes for protein digestion
• Kapex for fat digestion
• Gluten Guardian for gluten digestion
• Ion*Biome
• SEED Probiotic
• Kion Oregano

-Sleep...54:51

• CBD
  • Thorne Hemp Oil
  • Elemental Health CBD
  • BioCBD
• Quicksilver Scientific Lipocalm
• Doc Parsley's Sleep Remedy
• MagSRT

-"Experimental Supplements"...59:47

• C60
  • BGF podcast w/ Ian Mitchell
• Peptides
  • BPC 157
  • Tesamorelin
  • International Peptide Society

Summary

So that's it! I trust this guide gave you ideas on how to enhance your health, performance, and recovery without needing to pop a dizzying array of pills.

I get lots of inquiries about other supplements like greens powders, l-carnitine, high-dose Vitamin B, beta-alanine, sleep supplements and so on. I highly recommend specifically tailoring your supplement protocol to meet your specific goals, and also to use the comments section below to ask me your other specific questions.

Ideally, you should choose supplements that address your own genetic results or blood biomarkers, and to learn more about personalizing nutrition and supplements to your genetics, listen to my recent podcast with Dr. Ben Lynch, author of "Dirty Genes", or read my article about customizing your diet to you.

So what do you think? Which supplements have you found to be personally useful? Do you still think supplements are a waste of time and money? Do you have questions about other supplements folks have recommended to you? Leave your questions, comments, and feedback in the comments section below!

Episode sponsors:

-Kion Colostrum: Nature’s “first food” that supports immunity, GI function, athletic recovery, and more. BGF listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order at Kion when you use discount code: BGF10

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Recently, my friend J.J. Virgin turned me onto Dr. William Li and his book “Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself” – a really great book that delves into the research-based healing powers of a variety of foods.

Over two decades, Dr. Li’s leadership in the field of angiogenesis and its clinical translation has brought to the world 30 paradigm-shifting treatments for cancer, vision loss, and wound healing. His vision, expertise, and global multidisciplinary networks are focused on conquering disease, and improving quality of life and the human condition through diet, lifestyle, and judicious use of medicines that optimize health throughout aging.

Dr. Li’s work engages the White House, the Clinton Global Initiative, National Institutes of Health, Fortune 500 companies, and leading universities and medical institutions across North and South America, Europe, Australia, and Asia. Dr. Li’s work has impacted more than 50 million people worldwide, and he is a TED Conference speaker.

In 2010, U2 lead singer Bono identified Dr. Li in The New York Times as “one of the top 10 with the potential for changing the world in the next 10 years.” Dr. Li received his undergraduate degree with honors from Harvard College, his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and his clinical training in Internal Medicine at the Massachusetts General Hospital, a teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School.

He has authored over 100 peer-reviewed scientific and clinical articles, book chapters, and abstracts, including publications in leading journals such as Science, Lancet, New England Journal of Medicine, and Nature Reviews.

Dr. Li has held faculty appointments at Harvard Medical School, Tufts University, and Dartmouth Medical School. He serves on the board of directors of the Angiogenesis Foundation, the American College of Wound Healing and Tissue Repair, and Wound Reach Foundation, as well as public and private companies focused on health and life sciences innovation.

A few of my big takeaways from his book included:

– Regarding stem cells: Some foods like dark chocolate, black tea, and beer can mobilize them and help us regenerate. Other foods, like purple potatoes, can kill deadly stem cells that spark cancer growth.

– We all have cancer growing in our body. Every single one of us, even you. Over time, however, some tiny nests of cancer can overwhelm the defense system and overcome antiangiogenic countermeasures by releasing huge amounts of the same growth factor signals involved in wound healing.

In lab experiments, once new blood vessels sprout into the small cluster of cancer cells, a tumor can grow exponentially, expanding up to sixteen thousand times in size in only two weeks after angiogenesis starts. – Even as little as thirty minutes of exposure to tobacco smoke exhaled by someone else is enough to stun your stem cells.

– Not surprisingly, air pollution is similarly damaging. Researchers have found that in people living in communities with major air pollution problems, exposure to fine particulate matter during pollution flares lowers the number of endothelial progenitor cells in their blood.

– Among the Malmo participants, researchers found that those with the highest levels of stem cell factor had a lower risk of heart failure by 50 percent, a lower risk of stroke by 34 percent, and a lower risk of death from any cause by 32 percent compared to those participants with the lowest levels of stem cell factor.

– During the cholera epidemic of 1892 in France, Metchnikoff mixed bacteria together in a petri dish and found that some bacteria could stimulate cholera growth, but to his surprise found that other bacteria hindered it. This led him to speculate whether swallowing some types of helpful bacteria might be useful for preventing deadly diseases.

He was also struck by the fact that some people lived to a ripe old age despite harsh rural conditions and poor hygiene associated with poverty. In Bulgaria, he noted, there were peasants in the Caucasus Mountains who lived beyond one hundred years. He observed that the oldest villagers were drinking fermented yogurt containing the bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus.

Metchnikoff suggested that one secret to longevity is consuming healthy bacteria.

– A study of 1,095 “ridiculously healthy people” who have no health issues or family history of serious disease across all age groups (from age three to more than one hundred years old) showed that a common denominator in both young and old is an almost identical microbiome.

– The scientists concluded that some healthy bacteria are resilient and can bounce back from a dietary insult, while others cannot. They called the persistent defect a “scar” left on the microbiome due to diet. Here’s where it gets interesting in this study. The microbiome scar became larger over generations when the researchers began breeding the mice and exposing each generation of mice to the high-fat, low-fiber Western-style diet.

With each generation, more and more of the original bacteria from the healthy human disappeared from their microbiome. By the fourth generation (great-grandchildren of the original), a sobering 72 percent of the microbes from the initial healthy mice were no longer detectable. Generations of eating the same unhealthy high-fat, low-fiber diet killed off healthy gut microbes permanently.

– But wound healing was only the beginning. In the lab, L. reuteri also reduced abdominal fat and obesity in mice, even if they ate a junk food diet of potato chips. L. reuteri can stimulate the growth of thick, shiny, healthy hair; improve skin tone; boost the immune system; and prevent the growth of tumors in the colon and in the breast.

And that’s not all. Experiments have shown that in male mice, L. reuteri in drinking water increases testicular size, testosterone production, and mating frequency. A truly fascinating finding was that L. reuteri stimulates the brain to release the hormone oxytocin, which is the social bonding neurochemical that is released from the brain during a hug or handshake, by close friendship, during kissing, breast feeding, and orgasm.

The depth of research conducted with this one bacteria is so impressive it led to an article in The New York Times called “Microbes, a Love Story.”

Needless to say, this is a probiotic worthy of taking because of the scientific evidence for its actions and potential benefits.

– Do you wear sunscreen every time you get on a flight? You should. A 2015 study by researchers from the University of California, San Francisco published in the journal JAMA Dermatology showed that pilots flying for just one hour at thirty thousand feet altitude receive the same amount of UV radiation through the cockpit window as they would from a twenty-minute session in a tanning salon.

– Solvents off-gassing from carpets, new cars, and chemicals in ordinary household products like nail polish remover, shampoo, and paint damage DNA, too. If you drive a car that uses gasoline, when you fill up the tank, you are breathing in fumes containing benzene, which damages DNA. It is wise to stand upwind of the vapor while you are at the gas station.

– Other epigenetic changes from exercise can block harmful genes. These are seen after swimming, sprinting, interval training, and high-intensity walking.

– A study by researchers at University of California, San Francisco showed that breastfeeding improved the length of telomeres in the child. In a group of 121 children, those who were exclusively breastfed when they were infants had longer telomeres by the time they were of preschool age (four to five years old) compared to children who were formula fed. This shows the durability of the telomere effect—that the benefits of breastfeeding remain years after a child is weaned and eating solid food. 

– Scientists from the University of Southern California showed that fasting cycles can be used to build a fresh immune system. Remarkably, they showed that fasting two to four days in a row forces the human body to go into a recycling mode, which gets rid of the older, worn-out immune cells. Then, when food is started again, it jump-starts the hematopoietic stem cells in your bone marrow to start regenerating fresh immune cells thus rebuilding the immune system.

– Soyfoods represent dozens of different kinds of foods made from soybeans, an ancient legume that originated in eastern China three thousand years ago. From fresh soy products, such as edamame, soymilk, and soy nuts, to soyfoods that are fermented, such as soy sauce, tofu, miso, natto, tempeh, and more, soy is encountered in many forms. Asian markets will often have fresh soybeans, but you can also often find them in the frozen section of the grocery store. Fresh tofu is versatile and is a common food in Asia.

In Western countries, the best sources to find tofu varieties are Asian markets. Look at the menu of a Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Thai, or Vietnamese restaurant, and you’ll find many soy offerings. Soy contains antiangiogenic bioactives known as isoflavones, specifically genistein, daidzein, equol, and glyceollins. Fermented soy products have higher concentrations of them.

– Research has revealed that chicken thighs and drumsticks are especially healthy choices. Dark chicken meat contains vitamin K2, or menaquinone, a naturally occurring fat-soluble vitamin.

– At the Angiogenesis Foundation, we began studying teas for their biological properties using lab testing systems originally designed to evaluate antiangiogenic cancer drugs. We found that tea extracts had really exceptionally potent angiogenesis inhibitory effects, ied comparable to that of drugs. What was interesting was that different varieties of tea exhibited different potencies.

We found Chinese jasmine tea to be more potent than Japanese sencha tea, and Earl Grey tea was even more potent than jasmine tea. The most remarkable finding was that when we crossed cultures and mixed sencha (Japanendese) with jasmine (Chinese) tea, the resulting tea blend had a synergistic effect on blood vessel growth that was more than twice as potent against angiogenesis than either one alone.

– At the Angiogenesis Foundation, we conducted research on the antiangiogenic activity of six different wines made by different grape varietals from the same winery (Vintage Wine Estates) and the same vintage, grown on the same terroir. Among the six, we identified the most potent antiangiogenic wines as Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, and Petit Verdot.

– At the end of the study, the researchers compared bloodwork from before and after the experiment. Amazingly, participants who drank the high-flavanol hot cocoa had twice as many stem cells in their circulation compared to the people who drank the low-flavanol cocoa.

– Scientists at the University of Montreal discovered that a diet rich in fish oil increases production of endothelial progenitor stem cells that can regenerate oxygen-deprived muscles.

– Squid ink, which actually usually comes from cuttlefish, contains bioactives that not only inhibit angiogenesis, but also can protect stem cells.

– Scientists at the University of Warsaw in Poland examined endothelial progenitor cells in the blood of healthy young individuals and found that exposing them to chokeberry extracts could protect the stem cells against stress. The exposure to chokeberry also improved the ability of the stem cells to migrate and participate in regenerating blood vessels.

– Zeaxanthin is a bioactive known as a carotenoid. It is a pigment that gives corn and saffron their yellow-orange color, but it’s also common in leafy green vegetables, like kale, mustard greens, spinach, watercress, collard greens, Swiss chard, and fiddleheads. The results of this study suggest that eating zeaxanthin-containing foods may help the performance of our stem cells for organ regeneration.

– The ellagic acid of the black raspberries activates stem cells.

– The leaves, stalks, and seeds of Chinese celery are all edible and contain a number of health-promoting bioactives, including a tongue twister: 3-n-butylphthalide (NBP). NBP is important because it was approved as a pharmaceutical drug in 2002 by regulatory agencies in China for doctors to use as a neuroprotective treatment in patients who have suffered a stroke. NBP, also found in supplements containing celery seed extract, improves brain circulation, lowers brain inflammation, grows nerves, and limits brain damage from stroke. Researchers from Soochow University in China studied how NBP helps patients recover from a stroke.

They recruited 170 individuals who had suffered an acute ischemic stroke, meaning a blood clot caused an interruption of blood flow and killed part of the brain.

– While these results are from a drug form of NBP, it shows that a bioactive present in Chinese celery has stem cell–activating properties that may help heal and regenerate organs after a medical catastrophe like a stroke.

– Green tea has many well researched health benefits, and now among them is activating the regenerative system. This has been studied in people who smoke. Cigarette smoking chemically scorches the blood vessel lining, which leads to increased risk of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease. Cigarette smoking is also damaging to stem cells, and reduces the number of circulating stem cells. People who smoke have 60 percent fewer stem cells in their bloodstream compared to nonsmokers—another reason not to smoke.

Researchers from Chonnam National University Hospital in Korea and the Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine in Japan examined the effects of drinking green tea on the stem cells of smokers. They enrolled twenty young men in their late twenties who had smoked for six years and gave them four cups of green tea to drink each day for two weeks (a total of 56 cups).

Their blood was drawn at the beginning and at the end of the study to count the number of circulating endothelial progenitor cells present. The results showed that drinking green tea increased the number of circulating stem cells by 43 percent over two weeks. The health of the smokers’ blood vessels was also improved by green tea over the study period. Their vascular dilation response was improved by 29 percent. In the lab, scientists have discovered that green tea and its catechins can stimulate regeneration of brain, muscle, bone, and nerves and can promote wound healing.

– They found that one strain of L. reuteri in a sourdough starter that had been handed down from one baker to another since 1970 had actually evolved to live and thrive in bread dough. To dominate in their new turf, some L. reuteri strains in the starter actually developed the ability to produce a natural antibiotic called reutericyclin that kills other harmful bacteria growing around it.

While the bacteria itself does not survive the high oven temperatures used for baking, scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology have shown that the benefits may not require live bacteria at all when it comes to L. reuteri. In the lab, scientists completely pulverized the bacteria so no live L. reuteri survived, but they found that substances coming from the particles of dead bacteria could create the same benefits as the live bacteria. This is a complete surprise, because it’s always been assumed that the benefits of gut bacteria require them to be alive.

– The Lion’s mane mushroom, renowned for its culinary and medicinal properties, was the subject of a study by scientists at Jiangnan University in China to test its effects on the microbiome. In the lab, they fed mice with severe gut inflammation the human equivalent of one tablespoon of Lion’s mane mushroom. The results showed that Lion’s mane could decrease the symptoms and the proteins associated with gut inflammation by as much as 40 percent. The mushroom increased the healthy bacteria Akkermansia while decreasing the harmful sulfur toxin-producing Desulfovibrio.

– In a study called the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), researchers documented coffee and caffeine consumption in 5,826 adults and showed that drinking more coffee was associated with longer telomeres.

– Tea drinking was associated with increased telomere length, but only in elderly men, not women. When the amount of tea consumed by men was analyzed, those who drank three or more cups of tea per day had longer telomeres compared to those who drank less than a third of a cup of tea. The difference in telomere length was equivalent to a calculated difference of five years of additional life between high-and low-level tea drinkers. No other food group was associated with any telomere lengthening in this elderly population. The study did not specifically ask which type of tea, but green tea and oolong tea are the most commonly consumed teas in China.

– At the end of six weeks of eating blueberries, the participants did a 2.5-hour treadmill run. First, researchers drew their blood before the run. Then, an hour before exercise, the blueberry eaters ate a larger than usual amount of blueberries (375 grams, or 2.7 cups worth of fresh blueberries). Immediately after the participants’ run, researchers took another blood sample. One hour later, blood was drawn one final time to see what happened to their immune cells and what the effect of eating blueberries was.

The blood samples were analyzed for different immune cells, including T cells, B cells, and natural killer (NK) cells. The results were eye opening. Blueberry eaters had almost double the number of NK cells before exercise compared to those who did not eat blueberries. Normally, NK cells would be expected to rapidly decline after intense exercise. But in the group that consumed blueberries, the NK cells remained elevated for at least one hour after exercise ceased. – Most cephalopods (squid, cuttlefish, octopus) squirt a black ink to escape predators.

This ink is collected by fishermen from a sac in the creature’s body and is a flavorsome delicacy used to make rice and pasta dishes in the seaside cuisine of the Mediterranean. Some famous dishes featuring the ink include Spain’s black rice (arroz negra), Venice’s risotto di nero di seppia, and black spaghetti known as pasta al nero. Lab research on the ink has shown it can have antioxidant, antiangiogenic, stem cell–protecting, and immune-enhancing effects. Squid ink can even protect the gut microbiome against

In my TED Talk, some of the biggest audience reactions came when I showed the results of a study where we did a head-to-head comparison of the potency of different foods versus drugs on angiogenesis. We examined four cancer drugs, seven other common medications (anti-inflammatory drugs, statins, a blood pressure medication, and an antibiotic), and sixteen dietary factors from foods associated with lowering the risk of various cancers.

Remarkably, fifteen of the dietary factors were more potent than one of the cancer drugs in the experiment we did.

As you can see, there's plenty to be gleaned from this book. So in today's podcast, I take a deep dive with author Dr. William Li on the nitty gritty details of how we truly can eat to beat disease.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -What Dr. Li means when he says that "we all have cancer"...8:53

• We need to be more aware of how an individual body responds to cancer, rather than the "weapon" used to fight it
• Microscopic cancers (genetic mutations) are bound to occur in our bodies, which contain over 39 trillion cells (like a factory makes a few mistakes when operating at full power)
• The body spots these errors and corrects them
• A study revealed that men, women of various ages had trace amounts of cancer in their bodies upon autopsy
• It takes just one mutation to not be killed off by the immune system to become problematic
• Angiogenesis: the physiological process through which new blood vessels form from pre-existing vessels, formed in the earlier stage of vasculogenesis.
• Difference between a harmless microscopic cancer and a harmful one is whether they can hijack blood vessels in order to feed themselves

-How drugs stack up versus a diet targeted at cancer prevention...16:33

• Cancer research isn't up to speed on how food affects microscopic cancers in us
• Many foods are equal to cancer to drugs in cutting off the blood supply; some are more powerful
• Soy extracts were particularly efficacious
  • Soy is oft misunderstood
  • Has a phytoestrogen
  • Soy estrogen side by side with chemical structure of human estrogen is completely different
  • It blocks estrogen against breast cancer
  • Study on 5000 women w/ breast cancer who ate more soy had lower risk of mortality and higher rates of remission
  • Fermentation destroys most of the anti-nutrients in soy
• The dose is the difference between the poison and the cure

-Microbiome and ingesting healthy bacteria for longevity...31:25

• It's not the food, it's how our body responds to the food
• Microbiome is more important than previously thought
• Elie Metchnikoff found that growing bacteria that contained cholera, some bacteria killed the cholera
• Human body contains over 39 trillion bacteria; more than there are cells
• Pomegranate juice contains ellagitannins, which prompt the colon to secrete mucus

-Biochemical individuality: why one food may be good for one and bad for another...42:47

• There's no "magic bullet"
• Ellagitannins are metabolized very differently from one person to another
• Lactobacillus reuteri 
  • Communicated from mother to child in utero
  • Boosts immune system
  • Speeds healing
  • Makes hair shinier
  • Shown to prevent tumors from growing
  • Can be taken as a supplement
• BGF Weekly Roundup features Dr. William Davis' reuteri yogurt recipe
• BGF podcast on Seed probiotic with Rajah Dhir

-Foods that can control the growth of cancer within us...50:24

• Berries - tartness is important
  • Blackberries
  • Blueberries
  • Chokeberries (aronia)
  • Indigenous, farmers markets are good resources
• Parsley has anti-angiogenic activity
  • Add to a smoothie
• Beverages:
  • Green tea (Chinese jasmine tea more powerful than Japanese)
  • Black tea has more power than green tea
  • All red wines are not created equal
  • BGF article on wine production: organic, biodynamic
  • BGF podcast with Todd White, founder of Dry Farm Wines
• Chocolate:
  • 80%+ dark
  • Anti-angiogenic
  • Kills lymphoma cells
  • Dutch chocolate had twice the anti-angiogenic as Swiss
  • MiCacao tea
• Dr. Cowan's Vegetable Powders
• Nose to tail diet
  • Collagen is found in the cartilage, not the meat
  • Collagen powder and peptides
  • Kettle and Fire bone broth

-And much more... Resources from this episode:

-Eat to Beat Disease: The New Science of How Your Body Can Heal Itself

-Dr. Li's TED Talk

-Good Bug, Bad Bug: Breaking through Microbial Stereotypes

-L Reuteri Ben uses: BioGaia Gastrus Chewable Tablets, Adult Probiotic Supplement for Stomach Discomfort, Constipation, Gas, Bloating, Regularity, Non-GMO, 30 Tablets

-How to make L. Reuteri yogurt

-SEED Probiotic

-Organic chokeberries/aronia berries

-Sencha (Japanese) tea

-Jasmine (Chinese) tea

-Organic, biodynamic wine (Dry Farm Wines)

-How To Microdose With Alcohol For A Better Brain & A Longer Life (& 3 Quick Hacks To Make Alcohol Healthier).

-The MiCacao tea Ben drinks

-Dr. Thomas Cowan's vegetable powders

-Collagen peptides (code: BEN will save you 15%)

-Kettle & Fire Bone Broth

- Tealyra glass teapot

- Omica Organics Liquid Stevia - Vanilla

Episode sponsors:

-The Forest: Ben Greenfield's new book is now released in both print and audio! This book makes an excellent Christmas gift for kids, and a great bedtime story for parents to read to their children. Order your copy at bengreenfieldbooks.com/theforest.

-Kion Aminos: Building blocks for muscle recovery, reduced cravings, better cognition, immunity, and more. Get 10% off your order of Kion Aminos, and everything at the Kion site when you use discount code "bgf10" at checkout.

-Pique Tea: Achieve your health goals easier and faster with Pique Tea. My mental clarity is through the roof and energy levels have never been better since I've been drinking Pique Tea. Get 15% off your entire order when you use code: GREENFIELD

-Thrive Market: Organic brands you love, for less. Your favorite organic food and products. Fast and free shipping to your doorstep. Receive a gift card up to $20 when you begin a new membership using my link.

-Fresh Books: It’s cloud accounting software that basically does your invoicing for you and on top of that gets you paid 2x faster. Try it out for a free 30-day trial of FreshBooks right now. Go to Freshbooks.com/Ben and enter "The Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast" in the how did you hear about us section.

-Policy Genius: Whether you’re an insurance expert or a newbie, Policygenius created a website that makes it easy for you to compare quotes, get advice, and get covered.

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Dr. Li or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

If you're into biohacking, or want to learn more about it, you'll be drooling over this episode, and everything you'll find in the shownotes below.

Luke Storey is a former Hollywood Celebrity Fashion Stylist, motivational speaker, kundalini yoga and meditation teacher, world-class biohacker, and host of The Life Stylist Podcast. He’s spent the past twenty-two years developing and refining the ultimate lifestyle, based on the most powerful principles of health and spirituality, while at the same time embracing the technology and modern conveniences of urban living.

Using himself as a human research lab, Luke has explored a broad and sometimes extreme variety of measures to obtain optimal health, performance, and well-being. From surviving being injected with poisonous Amazonian frog venom, to enduring weeks of neurofeedback meditation in an isolation chamber, Luke has scoured the earth for the most cutting edge as well as ancient technologies of healing and transformation.

Luke has tenaciously applied the results of his field research and used them to not only completely transform his own life but also the lives of thousands of fans and followers through his various media channels and speaking engagements.

As a transformational speaker and entrepreneur, Luke continues to share his strategies for healing and happiness through his innovative and highly effective Lifestyle Design teachings, his Youtube channel, and wildly popular podcast, The Life Stylist. Since 2008, Luke has also served as Founder at School of Style, the nation's most prominent fashion school for stylists.

This episode is a tour of Luke's home, and includes: The Kitchen -Foods and supplements...6:10

• Beef jerky
• Almonds
• Deuterium-depleted water (DDW)
  • BGF podcasts on DDW - Que Collins and Robert Slovak
• Salmon and sardines
• Grass fed beef
• Premade paleo meals (Model Meals)
• Ben's diet: organ meats, wild-caught fish, underground veggies (Northern European)
• Four Sigmatic Lion's Mane
• Psilocybin (source unnamed for legal purposes)
• BGF podcast w/ Dr. Ted Achacoso 
  • Troche w/ CBD, nicotine, caffeine, methylene blue (pharmaceutical grade)
• Limit ice baths to 10 minutes (affects blood glucose deleteriously)
  • Blood glucose monitor
• Visoluten peptides for the eyes
  • SKQ1 active ingredient
  • Visomitin eye drops
  • Reversed retinal damage and blindness in rodent models
  • Vishen Lakhiani has publicly experimented with it
• Oxytocin (feel-good trust hormone released with breast-feeding, physical contact, sex, etc.)
• Pink Cloud LSD (1 drop is 1/20 of a hit of acid, 5 mcg)
• Kion Lean
  • Assists w/ healthy blood sugar management
  • Good supplement w/ cold thermogenesis

-Peptides...31:45

• BPC 157
• Tailor Made Compounding
• BGF podcasts w/ Dr. Matt Cook
  • What You Didn’t Know About CBD & THC, Fixing Lyme Disease, The Full Body Blood Change Reboot, Peptides 101, Hyperthermia & Much More!
  • Killing Mold & Mycotoxins For Good, The Craziest IVs You Can Get For Energy, Fixing Knees & Back Without Surgery & Much More With Dr. Matt Cook.
• DSIP (Deep sleep inducing peptide)
• PT 141 (aphrodisiac)
  • Nitroglycerine cream

-Super foods...39:45

• Pine pollen (reproductive benefits)
• Paracetam (cognitive benefits)
  • Dyhexia
  • Cerebrolysin
• Modafanil
• Exogenous ketones:
  • Beta hydroxy butyrate

-Kion Coffee...47:30

• Ranks very high in "cupping" score
• Beans are hand-selected for symmetry (roasting quality)
• Organic beans (3% of beans in the world are organic)
• Nitrogen flushing packaging w/ roast date on the bag
• Coffee Gator
• Grind fresh right before you make it (oxidation)
• How to hack your own structured water
  • Live Spring Water (lower deuterium content)
  • Infrared light
  • Spiralizer

-Final thoughts...57:30

• Find what works for you
• Try just one or two things at a time; don't be overwhelmed with the volume of info shared in this show
• Get really good, clean water
• Focus on the best sleep possible
  • Light
  • Earthing and grounding
• Kratom for pain relief

Bedroom and Bathroom -Air quality...1:11:45

• Ozone to the brain via the ears
• Ozone bagging for limbs
• Book: The Ozone Miracle by Frank Shallenberger
• HEPA Air purifier (Austin Air)
• Molekule air filter
• EMF kill switch

-Spinal decompression...1:20:15

• Pristine Hydro water filter
• Saunders Lumbar Home Track
• Dr. Ho's decompression belt
• BioMat Pro
• Vielight
• Power Medic giga laser
• Joovv Go

-Sleep optimization...1:37:00

• Ooler sleep system
• Take a cold shower before bed when in a warm place w/ no AC
• Geo Vital shielding mat (clears geopathic stress zones)
• BGF podcast w/ building biologist Brian Hoyer
• GetLambs clothing (shields EMF)
• BGF podcast w/ Clint Ober and his website
• PEMF grounding mat

-The bathroom...1:45:30

• Pristine Hydro double filter
• Somavedic shower filter
• BluShield cube
• Somavedic

The Zen Den -Devices and gadgets...

• Joovv panel
• Biocharger
• NuCalm
• Dispenza Meditations
• Vital Reaction hydrogen inhaler
• Clearlight Sauna

-Homemade ice bath...

• Link to plans in BGF and Luke Storey's site
• Breath work in tandem w/ the ice bath
• Muscle tone and strength is not synonymous w/ vagal nerve tone

Resources from this episode:

-Book: Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton

Episode sponsors:

-Kion Coffee Lover's Bundle: What's better than Kion Coffee? Keeping it piping hot at home, in the office, or on-the-go in a stylish Kion Tumbler! BGF listeners receive a 10% discount when you use discount code: BGF10

-JOOVV: After using the Joovv for close to 2 years, it's the only light therapy device I'd ever recommend. Give it a try: you won't be disappointed. Order using my link and receive a month's supply of Kion Berry Aminos absolutely free.

-ButcherBox: Delivers healthy 100% grass-fed and finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage breed pork directly to your door on a monthly basis. All their products are humanely raised and NEVER given antibiotics or hormones. For 2 lbs of 100% grass-fed beef and 2 lbs of pure bacon for FREE, PLUS $20 off your first box go to ButcherBox.com/BEN OR enter promo code BEN20 at checkout.

-Harry's Razors: Try the shaving company that’s fixing shaving. Get a $13 value trial set that comes with everything you need for a close, comfortable shave when you go to harrys.com/greenfield

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Luke or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My guest on today's show is Sebastian Wasowski, who is the Co-Founder of Vasper Systems. I first interviewed Sebastian's father, and inventor of the Vasper, in the show "How To Get 2 Hours Of Exercise In Just 20 Minutes.", but plenty has happened since then...

...particularly the fact that I've been using the Vasper every morning for the past 3 months to experiment with just how good it actually is at building and maintaining fitness with a minimalist dose of exercise.

So what exactly is this thing? Vasper is a complete exercise system based on three scientifically proven principles: compression technology, cooling and interval training.

By combining all of these principles, the results are extraordinary. In 21-minutes, the Vasper enables you to get a complete workout. Utilizing compression, cooling, and interval training, the you are able to concentrate lactic acid and enhance growth hormone production.

The “cooldown” session, which involves laying on a cooling mat, enables you to workout again later in the day (should you like) or head straight into the office.

Vasper has a wide-range of use cases and users. The machine is used by medical professionals, people recovering from cardiac incidents, athletic teams, and the Special Forces.

During our discussion, you'll discover: -The story of the Vasper machine...8:45

• Sebastian's father invented it to address his own health needs; post-traumatic stress in the ankles
• Discovered research on blood flow restriction, intermittent cold exposure, interval training
• Prototype was popular among locals on Big Island of Hawaii
• Company formed in 2009; successful trial with San Jose Sharks hockey team

-The efficacy of the Vasper for performance implications...12:20

• Designed to stimulate body's production of anabolic hormones in lesser threshold of a normal workout
• Mimics physiology of much more intense workout
• In a controlled study, participants using the Vasper far outperformed counterparts not using it
• Far better for overall health than exogenously induced compounds such as steroids
• Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI)

-About the components of the machine...18:30

• Compression cuffs around the wrist
• How blood flow restriction occurs
• Pressure filled up via cold water rather than air in a blood pressure monitor
• Similar to Kaatsu devices
• The seat and foot pads are also cooled; enables user to be more powerful throughout the workout
• Positive metabolic response to the cold exposure
• Cooling mat is used post-workout to reset heart and respiratory rate to baseline
• Bare feet touch metal pads which are cooled by same cold water; lowers overall body temp
• You're able to ground with the earth via the machine; it's plugged in with a 3-prong plug

-About the exercise regimens programmed into the Vasper...35:15

• 30 are programmed into the machine
• They are customizable for each individual user
• New protocols added are accessed via software update

-Why each session on the Vasper is 21 minutes in length...36:40

• 21 minutes is optimal time to initiate max response from the endocrine system, without stimulating cortisol (stress response)
• Not recommended to go longer than 21 minutes, nor to do multiple sessions per day

-Whether the Vasper can be used in conjunction with strength training...40:10

• Can be used as a recovery tool on an off day
• Ben reports amazing results for active recovery after traveling, or working out the day prior

-The optimal time of day to use the Vasper...41:45

• The earlier the better for sleep quality
• Some report an increase in energy following the workout, harder time falling asleep

-People you may have heard of who use Vasper machines...43:15

• Tony Robbins
• Prince of Dubai
• San Jose Sharks
• San Francisco 49ers
• Miami Dolphins
• Major League baseball team reported huge increases in testosterone levels after use

-Where to use a Vasper if you can't afford one for your own home...44:20

• Vasper locations

-Use of other technology in conjunction with the Vasper...47:30

• LIVO2 mask
• Most users report a greater synergy with strength training when using the machine

-Research involving stem cells, TBI, and more with the Vasper...48:40

• Research page on Vasper's website
• Andrews Institute study found that a single session, HSC stem cells increased in the blood
• Dr. Robert Cantu reported TBI patients are able to exercise without aggravating symptoms

-And much more... Resources from this episode:

-Click here to get a Vasper for yourself or find a local Vasper training facility near you

-Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) -Research page on Vasper's website 

Episode sponsors:

-The Kion Daily Life Bundle: The ultimate Kion Bundle! Ben Greenfield and Team Kion’s go-to, everyday essentials. Includes Kion Coffee, Aminos, Lean, and the Clean Energy Bar. BGF listeners, receive a 10% discount off your order when you use discount code: BGF10

-JOOVV: After using the Joovv for close to 2 years, it's the only light therapy device I'd ever recommend. Give it a try: you won't be disappointed. Order using my link and receive a month's supply of Kion Berry Aminos absolutely free.

-Magic Spoon: A brand new company that has reimagined all your favorite childhood breakfast cereals. Low carb, keto-friendly, ZERO sugar, and tastes just like you remember. For free shipping on your order at Magic Spoon, use discount code: BENGREENFIELD

-Zip Recruiter: As your qualified candidates roll in, we make it easy to screen & rate them, allowing you to make the best hiring decisions for your business. Try it for free when you use my link.

Do you have questions, thoughts or feedback for Sebastian or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.