Boundless Life

Every so often, I get together with my fellow fitness-freak podcasting friends – the good fellas from the MindPump studios – and we take a rather rough around the edges, occasionally drug or alcohol infused, definitely entertaining and edgy foray into longevity to life to religion to parenting to biohacking and beyond.

These always turn out to be incredibly popular podcast episodes, and this latest one - the fifth in our series - is just as crazy as all my other Mindpump podcasts including:

1. The Mysterious Kuwait Muscle-Building Phenomenon, The Too-Much-Protein Myth, Anabolic Triggering Sessions & More With The MindPump Podcast Crew.
2. The Mysterious Micro-Workouts, Turning On Your Butt, Overdosing With Melatonin & More With The MindPump Guys
3. Six-Egg Breakfasts, Ketosis For Bodybuilders, Resetting Weed Tolerance, Kratom Experimentation & Much More With The Mindpump Guys!
4. The Official Edgy, Explicit & Epic Podcast With Me & The MindPump Crew: Longevity, Religion, Parenting, Biohacking, The Joe Rogan Debates, Snake Oil, Pseudoscience & Beyond.

The hosts of Mindpump claim to “pull back the curtain on the mythology, snake oil and pseudo-science that pervades the fitness industry and present science-backed solutions that result in increased muscular development and performance while simultaneously emphasizing health.” These guys are, in no particular order of importance: 

Sal DiStefano (follow on Instagram) was 14 years old when he touched his first weight and from that moment he was hooked. Growing up asthmatic, frequently sick and painfully skinny, Sal saw weightlifting as a way to change his body and his self-image. In the beginning, Sal’s body responded quickly to his training but then his gains slowed and then stopped altogether. Not one to give up easily, he began reading every muscle building publication he could get his hands on to find ways to bust through his plateau. He read Arnold’s Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding, Mentzer’s Heavy Duty, Kubrick’s Dinosaur Training, and every muscle magazine he could find; Weider’s Muscle and Fitness, Flex, Iron Man and even Muscle Media 2000. Each time he read about a new technique or methodology he would test it out in the gym. At age 18 his passion for the art and science of resistance training was so consuming that he decided to make it his profession and become a personal trainer. By 19 he was managing health clubs and by 22 he owned his own gym. After 17 years as a personal trainer he has dedicated himself to bringing science and truth to the fitness industry.   

Adam Schafer (follow on Instagram) is a IFBB men’s physique Pro and fitness expert. Adam made his entrance into the fitness world 14 years ago and has continued to send shock waves throughout the community ever since. He is a man of many talents who wears many hats. He is first and foremost a certified fitness expert who has an insatiable desire to help people in need of major lifestyle changes and daily accountable motivation. He is also incredibly driven entrepreneur and business minded individual with a vision that continually challenges his colleagues and peers to think bigger and achieve more.      

 Justin Andrews (follow on Instagram) has an incredible passion to disrupt the personal training industry and create ground breaking programs and tools that fitness professionals and clients alike can benefit from. The fitness industry in general needs a massive face lift to speak more to the generation growing up with a more advanced technology tool kit. Justin’s approach is to create programs that utilize technology as it advances and cut through the millions of options people face everyday when seeking specific information relating to their fitness needs. The great thing about where we are today is how easy it is to access information, the bad part about accessing all this information is how much misinformation is out there to weed through. As a health and fitness professional with a proven track record here in the heart of the Silicon Valley, Justin Andrews will keep working tirelessly to keep people educated and connected to quality personal trainers long into the future.    

Doug Egge (follow on Instagram) received his first gym membership as a gift from his dad when he was 16 years old. Rocky III had just come out and he was determined to build a body like Stallone. It never happened.

Despite following the advice of muscle magazines and busting his butt in the gym, Doug saw minimal gains over the next 30 years. Then he was introduced to Sal Di Stefano by his chiropractor who recommended he work with Sal to eliminate muscle imbalances that were causing lower back issues.

Sal’s unique approach, often 180 degrees different from what Doug had read in books and magazines, produced more results in a matter of months than he had experienced in the 30 years prior. Doug with an extensive marketing and media production background, recognized Sal’s unique gift and perspective was missing from the fitness world and suggested that they should join forces.

Doug and Sal have since produced life-altering programs such as the No BS 6-Pack Formula and MAPS Anabolic. Doug is very pleased to have the opportunity to work with Adam and Justin as Producer of MindPump.  

• Ben's wild pesto recipe (jo jo can you find?)

• Ben's kids are immersed in nature
• Have a 2x/month podcast (video) with sponsors and everything
• Document everything in case the state audits their education
• Book: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century
• We need free-thinking, resilient, adaptive workers
• A free-thinker can invest in productive activities if and when AI replaces their jobs
• Story boarding - prep for what the kids were going to learn
• There are no rules in the Greenfield home - educate about the consequences of their decisions
• The adults must provide the example
• Biggest challenge: Doing standardized tests
• Jiu jitsu, camps, clinics, etc. provide socialization
• They'll go on a rite of passage when they're 13

• Plant medicine
• See yourself in a different light
• Embrace greatness, or something different if you're ego is active
• Eye gazing with ones mate
• See each other as spirits, not bodies

• Double-edged sword: incredibly powerful and dangerous
• Of no use without personal discipline and a personal mission
• Big $$$ to be made in the future
• Connection between these and open relationships?
• Do you want short-term pleasure or long-term legacy?
• Nootropics can build a spiritual connection between two people

• Everything was put on the planet by our Creator for a specific purpose
• Anything can be used for good or evil
• Puritanical version of Christianity may be at odds with plant medicine

• Nose to tail diet (Carnivore diet)
• BGF podcast w/ Paul Saladino on the Carnivore Diet
• Lost a lot at the Swiss Clinic retreat
• Over 5,000 calories per day
• Ben prefers to be bigger (feels good, better libido, etc.)
• The more meat on your bones, the better
• BGF podcast "The Dark Side of Fasting" w/ Dr. Mercola
• Autophagy mimicking stack Ben takes at night:
  • Quercetin
  • Chamomile
  • Pau d'arco
  • Garcinia
  • Glycine
• Less inflammation while on the carnivore diet

• Game Changers documentary
• Pushing a plant-based agenda; demonized the consumption of animal products
• Lots of sleight of hand, misinformation
• It's disingenuous to say one diet is superior for everyone
• What did your ancestors eat, what are you genetically predisposed to eat?
• Use blood, urine, stool testing to determine which supplementation is appropriate

• Foods that are not good for you physiologically may be good for you psychologically
• Ex. Bad relationships are worse than smoking
• Comfort foods can balance the psyche
• Slippery slope on psychological effects
• Opportunity for entrepreneurs to create a healthy version of the comfort foods
• Choose your battles: strict adherence to a diet vs. family bonding

• Live a long life, but a high quality life
• We're put on the Earth for a purpose; the more we can take care of our bodies, the greater impact we can make
• Historical evidence of men living hundreds of years
• Exponential wisdom that can build up over time
• What Ben has learned from his many guests who specialize in anti-aging:
  • Blue Zone concepts
  • The use of NAD (increase mitochondrial health)
  • Peptides (epitalon, MOTS-C)
  • Taylor Made Compounding
  • BGF podcast w/ Dr. William Seeds on peptides
  • Book: Life Span by Dr. David Sinclair
• 6 variables for mitochondrial health
  • Earthing and grounding
    • Book: Earthing by Clint Ober (listen to the BGF podcast with Clint here)
  • Light: UVA, red light, sunlight
  • Heat
  • Cold
  • Water
  • Minerals

-The MAPS training plans designed by the MindPump crew for fat loss, muscle gain, mobility, sports performance and more.

-Book: 21 Lessons for the 21st Century

-Autophagy mimicking stack Ben takes at night:

• Quercetin
• Chamomile
• Pau d'arco
• Garcinia
• Glycine

-BGF podcast w/ Paul Saladino on the Carnivore Diet

-BGF podcast "The Dark Side of Fasting" w/ Dr. Mercola

-Game Changers documentary

-BGF podcast w/ Dr. William Seeds on peptides

-Book: Life Span by Dr. David Sinclair

-Book: Earthing by Clint Ober

-BGF podcast w/ Clint Ober

-Kion Coffee: Carefully selected and roasted for taste, purity, high antioxidants and health. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order when you use discount code: BGF10.

-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 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

-Felix Gray Glasses: Don’t go another day looking at screens without the help of some Felix Grays. Visit Felix Gray's site and get free shipping and 30 days of risk-free returns or exchanges.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

See, the last time I was in Malibu, myself, music producer Rick Rubin and today's guest - Matt Maruca of RA Optics - spent plenty of time geeking out on all things light.

I've known Matt for two years now, and consider him to be one of the world's leading authorities on what is called "photobiomodulation" - or the use of specific wavelengths of light therapy to cause some very beneficial health effects, and also a guy who knows more about blue-light blocking glasses and limiting the harmful effects of artificial light than just about anyone I know.

Today's episode is a special two-parter.

The first section is yours truly filling you in on how sunlight makes you skinny and blue light makes you fat.

The second part is a special solosode from Matt, in which he fills you in on the some little-known aspects of how to use light and how to block light in a way that will affect your energy, sleep, mitochondrial health, and much more, including history of the use of sunlight for health, why the sun and skin cancer isn’t black and white, lots of research on how light affects human biology and the benefits of sunlight, how artificial light affects the body and much more.

Just to give you a "taste" of what you're about to hear: after preparing this episode, I asked Matt: "can you point me to a post or research on "best time of day to cheat if you are going to cheat" based on circadian rhythm/sun exposure? You alluded to it in the audio." He replied:

"I think it would be morning/mid-day. One of the factors leading me to say this is Ayurveda which I imagine you're familiar with. An Ayurvedic doctor I started working with explained this to me in their terms.

Basically, in the middle of the day as the sun is stronger, the metabolism is more active. They call this energy "pitta", or fire. So, we can burn through stuff pretty well. This is why they generally suggest eating "heavier" food in the middle of the day for lunch.

And, it's a no brainer to me to fast through dinner because then the body can completely burn through everything you've consumed.

As for the Western Research, Satchin Panda from the Salk Institute leads the way. I recommend watching his TED talk where he explains their experiments on mice.

They basically found that mice eating healthy food when their metabolism is turning off had way more problems than mice eating unhealthy food when their engines are running full force. Because they are nocturnal the times are reversed for them relative to us. So for us the best time would be late morning to mid-day. To me, when eating this way I wouldn't even consider it a cheat because the body can move through stuff so well.

If you are comparing to someone who is usually eating a "healthy" dinner at 7 or 8 PM, I am 100% convinced that it would be healthier to "cheat" every day in the middle of the day and fast through dinner then to do what that person is doing. Based on the research, there really is no such thing as "healthy food" after 5 PM or within 4 hours of sleep.

• Deleterious effects of artificial light have been well researched
  • Recent studies show artificial light linked to breast cancer and sleep disorders
  • Exposure to artificial bright light at night suppresses melatonin secretion and increases sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep)
• LED's are replacing fluorescent bulbs (for better efficiency)
• LED's cause retinal damage, cell death in eye tissue
• Dimming, color changing features make things worse (flicker)
• Flicker can cause irreversible damage to the retina
• Oxidative stress damage
• Photobiology: The study of the effects of ultraviolet, visible and infrared radiation on living organisms.
• Book: The Influence of the Blue Ray of Sunlight
• Red light used to treat smallpox in 1903
• Phototherapy becomes therapeutic intervention
• Book: Light Therapeutics by John Harvey Kellogg
• Light affects metabolism
  • mTOR in the summer; AMPK in the winter
• Being careful with light exposure allows you to strike a proper balance  between anabolism and catabolism

• Use healthy light bulbs
  • Color rendering index (CRI)
  • Look for a CRI of 97 or higher in LED bulbs
  • Lower than 3000 color temperature (kelvin)
  • Avoid incandescents coated in white
• Get as much morning sunlight as possible
  • Morning fasted walk in the sunshine
  • Eat a diet rich in fatty acids (Vitamin A and D)
• Block blue light as much as possible at night
  • 400-485 nanometer wavelength
  • RA Optics
• Avoid artificial light (night and morning)
  • Simulate sunlight as much as possible (infrared)
  • Only use red light in the evening
  • Candles (fragrance free, bees wax)
  • Hidden smartphone red screen trick
• Use Iris Tech on all your monitors
• Use anti-glare computer monitor
  • Eizo monitor (Ben uses the Flex Scan)
• Use Light Dims while traveling
  • Bright light on the skin can affect the circadian rhythm
• Install a Drift Box on your TV
• Don't overuse sunglasses
• Use photobiomodulation as much as possible
  • Vie Light
  • JOOVV

• At age 14, didn't feel good in general; had acne issues
• Changed diet to Paleo
• Previous common health issues fixed themselves (thought they were genetic)
• Influences: Ben Greenfield, Mark Sisson, Chris Kresser
• Discovered epigenetics
• Wandered from diet to diet with no real positive results to show for it
• Discovered cold thermogenesis
• Dr. Douglas Wallace linked dysfunctional mitochondria to chronic disease
• Focused on the fuel rather than the engine as the cause of his illnesses
• Explains why some people thrive on certain diets and others don't
• Mitochondrial dysfunction is the problem; light is the solution

• Several civilizations have studied the efficacy of light on human health
• Egyptian Pharaoh was excluded from the annals of history because he believed in the power of light to enlighten his people
• Hippocrates prescribed sunbathing often
• Ancient Greek athletes used heliotherapy in their training
• Christophe Hufeland, pioneer in macrobiotics, wrote of the deleterious effects of a lack of light on the body and spirit
• 90% of kids had some sign of Rickets Disease during Industrial Revolution (lack of Vitamin D)
• In 1903, Niels Finsen discovers UV light from sun kills TB of the skin (wins Nobel Prize for Medicine)
• Auguste Rollier opens heliotherapy clinic in Swiss Alps in 1903
• These discoveries create a "sun craze" - high in enthusiasm, low in knowledge
• The modern indoor lifestyle causes our body to crave sunlight; however, the skin has not adapted for the level of sunlight we crave, hence the problems we see today

• 1980 study found the incidence of malignant melanoma is much higher among office workers; lowest risk was sunbathers
• Can cause mutations in culture of animal cells
• From 1957-80, no change in ozone levels in Norway; yet rate of malignant melanoma raised among men
• Skin cancer rates have skyrocketed since 1900; yet most people work indoors
• 2016 study showed that avoiding the sun is worse than smoking
• You can develop a tolerance for sunlight with "solar callouses"
• Know when your body is warning you

• Benefits of ultraviolet light
  • Activates synthesis of Vitamin D
  • Lowers blood pressure (release of nitric oxide)
  • Increases efficiency of the heart
  • Improves EKG readings and reduces cholesterol
• Avoidance of the sun is a form of malnutrition
• You can never mimic ultraviolet light
• Light is our life source; cells are designed to attract and capture light
• Organisms emit UV light for up to 18 hours after dying (soul leaving the body after death)

• Circadian rhythm
• "Circadian" comes from two Latin words: circa (approximately) dias (one day)
• Jesus spoke of the eyes as an indicator of our overall health, physical and spiritual
• Eyes use a disproportionate amount of energy relative to its weight and size
• Light coming into the eyes regulates the hypothalamus, which regulates the autonomic nervous system
• 1953 study showed a circadian rhythm in every living creature
• Blue light blocking glasses need to block only light that reaches the inner retina, not all light
• The Circadian Code by Dr. Satchin Panda
• BGF podcast w/ Dr. Panda
• If we're ingesting even healthy substances when our engine needs to be shutting down, we're shooting ourselves in the foot
• Melatonin optimizes our body, repairs mitochondrial DNA
  • We need darkness after sunset to secrete melatonin properly
  • Blue Light Has a Dark Side (Harvard Health)
• Artificial light:
  • Created to extend work hours
  • Contain tremendous amounts of blue light
  • Harms our circadian rhythm

• Sleep (and wake) with the sun
  • Doing otherwise disrupts the circadian rhythm
  • Avoid artificial light, sleep as close to dusk as possible
  • Replace bulbs w/ red bulbs
  • Blue free bulbs
  • Vintage Edison incandescent light bulbs
  • Sleeping after 10 pm can be harmful to the nervous system
  • Avoid screens after dark
  • Iris Tech
  • RA Optics blue light blocking glasses (Use code BEN10 for 10% off)
• Rise with the sun and bathe in the morning light
  • Go to sleep early enough to rise with the sun
  • Set an alarm for 30 minutes before sunrise for 7 days
  • Avoid exposure to artificial light
  • Practice sun gazing
  • One hour walk outside can affect seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
  • Sunglasses are disruptive
  • Pink skin isn't a bad thing
• Live outdoors during the day
• Consume fatty seafood
  • Good for the eyes and the brain
• Consume clean spring water
  • Allows us to hold light better; much better than municipal or city water
  • The Fourth Phase of Water by Gerald Pollack
• Bathe in cold water
  • Cools our surfaces, allows us to assimilate with the light
  • BGF podcast on cold thermogenesis w/ Dr. Jack Kruse
• Avoid manmade electromagnetic radiation
  • Airplane mode
  • Use ethernet cable rather than wifi
  • Avoid bluetooth devices
  • Defender Pad
  • Cornet ED88T EMF/RF detector
• Cultivate your inner light
  • The light is who you are (your soul)

Resources from this episode:

-RA Optics (Matt Maruca's blue light blocking glasses company. Use code BEN10 for 10% off)

-Ben's new book at BoundlessBook.com - which has a whole chapter on light and other hidden environmental variables that affect your health

-Article: Sunlight Makes You Skinny & Blue Light Makes You Fat: 11 Ways To Biohack Light To Optimize Your Body & Brain.

-Uvex blue light blocking glasses

-True Dark glasses

-Felix Gray glasses

-Iris Tech

-Light Dims

-Eizo Flex Scan monitor

-Drift Box

-Vie Light

-JOOVV

-The Circadian Code by Dr. Satchin Panda

-BGF podcast w/ Dr. Panda

-Blue Light Has a Dark Side (Harvard Health)

-BGF podcast w/ Jack Kruse

-Blue free bulbs

-Vintage Edison incandescent light bulbs

-The Fourth Phase of Water by Gerald Pollack

-BGF podcast on cold thermogenesis w/ Dr. Jack Kruse

-Defender Pad

-Cornet ED88T EMF/RF detector

-Ben's newest book: Pre-order Ben's new book Boundless or receive updates on its release via email

-Kion Coffee: Carefully selected and roasted for taste, purity, high antioxidants and health. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire 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 nice bonus gift with your order!

-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: "ben25"

-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

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=wrP78K1objc

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Gary Greenfield is...

...my father...

...a leading expert in the field of water filtration...

...and a deep well of knowledge I've relied upon for the past 37 years of my life.

He's also, obviously, responsible for my very existence.

During this episode, you're going to discover more about the man who made me who I am, along with how structured water works, the best way to filter your water, why you should quit caring so much about what other people think about your health habits, and much, much more.

• Started in Miami
• Father and uncle were successful entrepreneurs in the motivational speaking industry
• His father invested time in his children
• Athletic, but no interest in competitive sports
• Brother was killed in gang fight at age 17 (turning point for him)
• Began oceanography studies and excelled at it
• 3 years after brother's death, moved to Idaho for a fresh start (age 20)

• Was intrigued by the phrase "God's country" on a brochure for Idaho
• Went to spirituality conventions; left feeling empty at each booth
• "We yearn for God because God created us"
• Met a community of Christians his age once moving to Idaho
• Became volunteer fireman in Moscow, ID
• Became full-time fireman in Lewiston, ID (where Ben was born)
• Ben shows similarities in physical genetics between him and his father

• Three words: Efficiency, effectiveness, economy (didn't see this working for the local government)
• Began ambulance service (non-emergency transport) and it grew fairly rapidly
• Ran into resistance and opposition when he tried to expand into emergency services
• Vast majority of funding came from medicaid and medicare (more bureaucracy)
• After growing tired of dealing with government bureaucracy, Gary founded a coffee shop

• He and his wife had discussed having a coffee shop as a hobby
• Enlisted his children to help out with running the business
• Ran the coffee shop 1997-2007
• Was the first exposure to the nutrition/water filtration world (but still on standard American diet)

• In 2005, met a girl who's mom was cured of cancer on raw food diet (watershed moment)
• Book: The Dietary Cure For Acne by Loren Cordain
• Raw food, general nutrition, essential oils, oregano
• Kion Oregano Oil

• Viktor Schauberger
• Water & Water Filtration: Everything You Need To Know About Water Filters, Alkaline Water, Structured Water, Hydrogen-Rich Water, Deuterium-Depleted Water & Much More
• Discovered the story of a man who used EMF to cure his daughter of an incurable disease
• Native vs. non-native EMF
• My interview with Dr. Gerald Pollack
• My interview with Dr. Thomas Cowan on water and how the heart is not a pump
• Energetic vs. physical actions
• Book: The Body Electric by Robert Becker
• Water "stores" energy and releases it onto plants, animals, people, etc.
• The body is a battery: If you want to be healthy, sunlight, minerals, water, grounding, exposure to proper frequencies of energy are the keys to health
• Want to develop water that can store as much energy as possible
• Three things energy in the water does: clean, feed, protect
• Structured water affects chlorinated water positively
• Water that goes through a filter is already dead
• Harmonizer cartridge: Native EMF stick
• Biblical account of creation:
  • Begins with hydrogen
  • Then God creates light
• It all comes back to love, creation
• Structured water is the most natural state in which we can find water

- Greenfield Naturals Water Filters & Harmonizers we discuss on show (use code BEN15 for 15% off)

- Zig Ziglar

- Book: Blue Mind by Wallace J. Nichols

- Kion Oregano

- Book: The Dietary Cure For Acne by Loren Cordain

- Viktor Schauberger

- Podcast on Water & Water Filtration: Everything You Need To Know About Water Filters, Alkaline Water, Structured Water, Hydrogen-Rich Water, Deuterium-Depleted Water & Much More!

- Essential Oil Wizardry

- My interview with Dr. Gerald Pollack

- My interview with Dr. Thomas Cowan on water and how the heart is not a pump

- Book: The Body Electric by Robert Becker

- Video: Virgil Klunder on Gratitude

-Kion Clean Energy Bars: Satisfying, nutrient-dense, real-food energy bars with a delicious chocolate coconut flavor! Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire Kion 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.

-Thrive Market: Organic brands you love, for less. Your favorite organic food and products. Fast and free shipping to your doorstep. Receive 25% off your order when you use my link!

-Felix Gray Glasses: Don’t go another day looking at screens without the help of some Felix Grays. Visit Felix Gray's site and get free shipping and 30 days of risk-free returns or exchanges.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"Probiotic Enemas, Digestive Enzyme Myths, Breathing 10 Kilograms of Oxygen, Low-Protein Diets & More!..."

Then appeared again in...

..."How I’ve Been Able To Gorge On Delicious Gluten-Filled Foods Without Feeling Like I Swallowed A Pair Of Motor-Powered Scissors Tearing Up My Intestines."...

They are Matt Gallant and Wade Lightheart.

Matt Gallant is an entrepreneur, a poker champion, an ex-rock guitarist, a serial entrepreneur (who's built 13 companies in the last 20 years) strength and conditioning coach with a degree in kinesiology, the CEO and co-founder of a company called BiOptimizers.

Wade T. Lightheart, host of the AWESOME Health Podcast, 3-time All Natural National Bodybuilding Champion, advisor to the American Anti-Cancer Institute and Cofounder of BiOptimizers.

He is also the author of several books including the best-selling books, “Staying Alive in a Toxic World” and “The Wealthy Backpacker.”

This episode is for you if you you ever experience digestive issues when you eat high fat meals...such as constipation, diarrhea or a meal just sitting in your stomach...

...or if your intense exercise or peak athletic performance has taken a dip since you switched over to lower carbs... ...or if you want to experience a new level of energy, mental clarity and focus without relying on stimulants...

Matt and Wade have cracked the code on solving the major metabolic deficiencies that block you from thriving on keto. 

They've actually turned hundreds of people onto keto over the last couple of decades. Unfortunately, most struggled with three core metabolic issues — which Matt and Wade never knew how to fix until recently. They began doing hundreds of hours of research and testing on the different nutrients that could help solve these challenges.

It wasn’t easy... it took them pouring through a TON of studies (which we talk about in today's episode)... massive amounts of real-world testing... until they ultimately discovered the perfect combination of nutrients for optimizing fat digestion, energy metabolism, and fat loss enhancement.

They're thrilled to finally reveal solution that solves all of these problems—in just 7 seconds... and gives you a new level of energy that rivals coffee. Smooth consistent bowel movements and fat loss on a low-carb or keto diet are now possible.

These results are made possible by a solution we talk about in today's show - a solution that takes just 7 seconds to open the lid of a bottle, pour the capsules in your hand and throw them in your mouth.

• Wade's 3 day water fast
  • Maintained regular workouts
  • Rebounder in the morning, weights in the afternoon
  • Last day, go for a long walk, then into steam room to force the body to convert fat into water
• How Mark prepared for the call:
  • Microdosed vyvanse
  • Lucy gum (nicotine)
• Ben:
  • Blood draw
  • Peptide stack
  • Grounding and earthing mats (BGF podcast with Clint Ober)
• The International Peptide Society

• 7 keys to biologically optimize your diet:
  • Sustainability
  • Lifestyle
  • Genetics
  • Allergies
  • Gut biome
  • Biofeedback
  • Goals
• 3 categories:
  • Aesthetic goals
  • Performance
  • Health (anti-aging)
• Geography of ones ancestors influences the proper diet for us

• AMY1A (amylase)
• LCT, MCM6 (lactase)
• FUT, SHBG (fiber, dietary, B12)
• FLAD1 (biosynthesize omega 3 and 6 from polyunsaturated fatty acids)
• BCML1 (polymorphisms)

• CPT1A - arctic mutation for fatty oxidation
• FAD 1, FAD2
• ADRB2 (saturated fats)
• APOE2 (satiation)
• FTO3 (body fat)
• LPL
• APOC3
• PPAR Alpha (coastal adaptation)

• Didn't do well on a plant-based ketogenic diet, but does well overall on a plant-based diet
• Does great on a high carb diet
• "Don't discount lifestyle and environment and place all the weight  on genetics"
• ATP Science podcast on how gut flora affects carb sensitivities
• Book: Wired To Eat by Robb Wolf

• 7 keto DHEA raises metabolism by ~5%
• Increases 3 different enzymes in the liver
• Activates PPAR Alpha
• Even if you don't need it for its nutrigenomics benefits, people love the simple energy boost

• Click here to get Kapex (or go to Kenergize.com/greenfield) to automatically get 20% off any package of kApex with coupon code GREENFIELDKX
• Ultimate Longevity grounding/earthing mats and patches
• Longevity blood testing panel (for men or for women) Ben did the morning of the podcast
• Ben's podcast on peptide stacks with Dr. William Seeds
• LUCY Nicotine gum Matt was chewing during show (use BEN10 for a $10 off the $60 subscription)
• ATP Science podcast on how gut flora affects carb sensitivities
• Book: Wired To Eat by Robb Wolf
• LGD-4033 Ligandrol
• The International Peptide Society
• BGF podcast with Clint Ober

-Kion Lean: Support for normal blood sugar levels and healthy energy metabolism, even after large, carb-rich meals. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order when you use discount code: BGF10.

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I recently read the book Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever! (and my twin boys also watched the accompanying documentary "Earthing").

Although I already knew about the importance of having an intimate connection with the planet we live upon, this book blew my mind when it comes to identifying one of the best solutions for chronic inflammation, better sleep, enhanced deep sleep and much more. Since reading it, I've been traveling everywhere with my grounding mat, wearing my Earth runners every day, and my boys have barely even touched their shoes.

In the book, author Clint Ober introduces the planet's powerful, amazing, and overlooked natural healing energy and how people anywhere can readily connect to it. This never-before-told story, filled with fascinating research and real-life testimonials chronicles a discovery with the potential to create of global health revolution.

So obviously, I had to the get Clint on the show! Clint Ober is the innovator behind the Grounding Movement & CEO of Earth FX Inc., a research and development company located in Palm Springs, California.

A series of seemingly unrelated synchronistic events dating back to his early childhood led to a groundbreaking discovery that’s being recognized as the Greatest Health Discovery of all time. Grounding has now become a massive international movement - causing people to shed their shoes and reconnect electrically to the surface of the Earth.

Clint first learned about grounding when installing Cable TV systems in Billings, Montana in the early 1960s. A decade later, he formed Telecrafter Corporation and built it into the largest provider of cable installation services in the United States. This company specialized in proper grounding of cable installations for safety and TV signal stability.

In the 1980s, he turned his attention to the developing computer industry and partnered with McGraw-Hill to distribute live digital news services, via cable, to PCs. This led to the development of the first cable modem and an increased awareness of the need for proper system grounding. Following a health challenge in 1995, he retired and embarked on a personal journey looking for a higher purpose in life.

During his travels, he noticed people wearing plastic and rubber soled shoes that insulate the body from earth. He wondered if no longer being naturally grounded could affect us. The question led to an experiment that suggested grounding alone reduced chronic pain and improved sleep. Thereafter, he developed a working hypothesis: Grounding the human body to the Earth normalizes the functioning of all of the body’s systems ​—​ the body utilizes the earth’s electrical potential and free electrons to maintain its internal electrical stability, normalizing all of its self-regulating and self-healing systems. Over the past twenty years, he has supported over 20 research studies* that collectively demonstrate that grounding reduces inflammation and promotes normal functioning of all body systems.

• Clint grew up in rural Montana; childhood friends were Native Americans
• "If the pasture is pristine, the cows will be healthy"
• Grew up with a prevention mentality: look at the cause, not the syumptoms
• Spent 30 years in the communications industry
• Near-death experience involving a infected liver after a root canal
  • "The next time I die, I wanted my life to be worth more"
  • "Be the opposite charge"
  • "Status quo is the enemy"

• While living in Sedona, AZ experienced problems with computer crashing; identified static electricity as the problem
• Intuitive question: Are modern shoes preventing us from grounding with the earth?
• Began testing the charge in the earth with a volt meter
• Grounded himself to the earth via metal tape;
  • Static reading on his body went to zero
  • Slept the night without moving (was typically in a lot of pain)
  • Friends reported reduced pain, lowered arthritis

• There was very little research on how grounding with the earth reduces pain and improves sleep
• Two doctoral students at UCLA helped him design the study
  • 60 participants: 30 grounded, 30 ungrounded
  • Positive results on the participants who were grounded
  • Similar results among those exposed to EMF and not exposed to EMF
• An anesthesiologist in San Diego was willing to help with the research; he was interested in saliva cortisol levels in patients
  • Cortisol levels went from erratic to synchronized after grounding
  • At 4 am, cortisol spikes until 6 am
  • Everyone's cortisol went up beginning at 4 am (with no other environmental cues)

• Dr. Stephen Sinatra
  • "When you're reducing pain, you're reducing inflammation"
• Led to a different understanding of inflammation
  • Inflammation is caused from neutrophils: encapsulates damaged cell and releases reactive oxygen
  • Reactive: short on electrons
• We're no longer naturally grounded with the Earth since the advent of plastic-soled shoes in the 1960's
• When you stand barefoot on the ground, the Earth is negative 20-50 millivolts
• The Earth has negative ions from lightning, the sun
  • Noon is the high point for the sun exciting the electrons on the earth
  • Imbalance in charge beginning 2 pm (constant lightning)
  • You'll feel the effects of lightning from far away locales
  • The air feels amazing after a thunderstorm because of negative charge in the atmosphere
• If the body has a negative surface charge, you can't have charge in a grounded object
• Clint and Dr. Sinatra's study had the following results (via grounding):
  • Reduced rouleaux formation in blood cells
  • Increased negative surface charge of red blood cells by factor of 2.7
• Face and skin color turns pink after being grounded for 20-30 minutes

• One of the healing methods for the kidney in ancient Chinese medicine is grounding with the earth
• Our ancestors didn't need to know about grounding; they were barefoot or wore conductive footwear

• Concrete, grass and dirt are ideal; asphalt is not
• Rocks are good conductors
• Salt water is the optimal way to ground; fresh water speeds up the process but is not itself conductive (unless it contains minerals)
• Spring water has a natural amount of minerals
• If you can feel the tree and it feels cool, it's grounding; bark inhibits the grounding process
• Earthrunners grounding sandals
• Pluggz grounding shoes
• Earthling grounding strap
• Diabetes is inflammation-related; you can be grounded and have diabetes

• Homes built before the 1960's were not grounded; there was no need for it at the time
• Remodels of older homes don't necessarily have grounding, even though new outlets are installed

• "Ours is an accidental business"
• Mass production has compromised the quality and efficacy of the mats
• Clint maintains his products are the best on the market; although he wishes more would get in the business
• The patches are an athletes best friend

-Click here to visit Clint's website (Ultimate Longevity) to get FREE* 2-day shipping (as long as the order is over $99) and a FREE* copy of the Earthing paperback book by Clint Ober (included with every Ground Therapy Sleep Mat purchase) and 3 bonus videos available online for immediate streaming or download (access link provided on order confirmation page)!

- Clint's book "Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever!"

- Root Cause movie

- Earthrunners grounding sandals

- Pluggz grounding shoes

- Earthling grounding strap

-Note from Ben:

"I didn't even have time, today, to delve deeply into ALL of the over 20 peer-reviewed research studies that have been conducted on grounding, but I do want to at least give you a comprehensive list of the vast results that have been seen in the research, so far - impressive results have been seen when it comes to inflammation, pain, stiffness, circulation, blood pressure, blood viscosity, HRV, vagal tone, cortisol, stress, anxiety, depression, tiredness, fatigue, energy, mood, blood glucose, immunity, sleep, thyroid function, metabolism, serum electrolytes, wound healing, athletic performance and recovery, and more. There have also been anecdotal reports of improvements in autism, Parkinson’s, MS, PTSD, autoimmune conditions, and pet health, just to name a few. But I'm going to put all that below! Enjoy!"

• Quick View: Grounding Research Results
• Initial Grounding Experiment Conducted by Clint Ober: Improved Sleep And Reduced Pain

1. Medical Thermography Case Studies: Clinical Earthing Application in 20 Case studies
2. Electrical Grounding Improves Vagal Tone In Preterm Infants
3. Emotional Stress, Heart Rate Variability, Grounding, And Improved Autonomic Tone: Clinical Applications
4. Effectiveness of Grounded Sleeping on Recovery After Intensive Eccentric Muscle Loading
5. Pilot Study on the Effect of Grounding on Delayed-Onset Muscle Soreness
6. The Biologic Effects of Grounding the Human Body During Sleep as Measured by Cortisol Levels and Subjective Reporting of Sleep, Pain, and Stress
7. Earthing (Grounding) the Human Body Reduces Blood Viscosity—a Major Factor in Cardiovascular Disease
8. Earthing the Human Body Influences Physiologic Processes
9. The Effect of Grounding the Human Body on Mood
10. Effects Of Grounding (Earthing) On Bodyworkers' Pain And Overall Quality O Life: A Randomized Controlled Trial
11. Changes in Pulse Rate, Respiratory Rate, Blood Oxygenation, Perfusion Index, Skin Conductance, and Their Variability Induced During and After Grounding Human Subjects for 40 Minutes
12. Differences in Blood Urea and Creatinine Concentrations in Earthed and Unearthed Subjects during Cycling Exercise and Recovery
13. Grounding After Moderate Eccentric Contractions Reduces Muscle Damage
14. Effects of Grounding (Earthing) on Massage Therapists: An Exploratory Study
15. The Neuromodulative Role of Earthing
16. One-Hour Contact with the Earth’s Surface (Grounding) Improves Inflammation and Blood Flow — A Randomized, Double-Blind, Pilot Study
17. Grounding the Human Body during Yoga Exercise with a Grounded Yoga Mat Reduces Blood Viscosity
18. Grounding the Human Body Improves Facial Blood Flow Regulation: Results of a Randomized, Placebo Controlled Pilot Study
19. The Effect Of Earthing On Human Physiology - Part 1
20. The Effect Of Earthing On Human Physiology - Part 2

-Click here to get updates on Ben's new book: Boundless or pre-order it on Amazon!

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Have a podcast question for Ben? Click the button at the bottom of the page (or go to SpeakPipe), or use the Contact button in the free Ben Greenfield Fitness app.

• It is true that poor record keeping has probably inflated the actual number of centenarians in these so-called “Blue Zones”,but I still think there’s plenty of ancestral wisdom and practices to be derived from many of these places.
  • Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
• Natural alternatives to metformin - a new study
  • Superfuel: Ketogenic Keys to Unlock the Secrets of Good Fats, Bad Fats, and Great Health by James Dinicolantonio and Joe Mercola
• Training 1x/week just as good as 2x/week for muscle strength and size BUT note that in study they were using push/pull routine with EIGHT freaking sets…so these were tough workouts.
• Eating meat is NOT destroying the planet…and here’s two good reasons why:
  • Eating meat affects the environment, but cows are not killing the climate (The Conversation) and
  • Is grass-fed beef really better for the environment? (NPR)
    • BGF Podcast w/ Paul Saladino
    • The Savory Institute
    • Robb Wolf
    • Books by Joel Salatin
• Plant milks are worse for the planet than animal milk...

- Click here to follow Ben on Instagram for epic posts and photos about his morning, day and evening routines, recipes and much more.

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- Click here to get updates on Ben's new book: Boundless or pre-order it on Amazon!

- View Ben’s Calendar Here - Spartan World Championships - 26~29 September 2019

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-NetSuite: With NetSuite, you save TIME, MONEY, and UNNEEDED HEADACHES by managing sales, finance and accounting, orders, and HR instantly- right from your desktop or phone. Click my link and download the free guide: “Seven Key Strategies to Grow your Profits”.

Kevin asks: Hi Ben, I like to eat a lot of tendons, cartilage, bone marrow and what not, as I know you like to. But I wonder if that's as effective a way of getting the nutrients as making a bone broth in the pressure cooker for 2-3 hours.

John asks: After being introduced to a high fat, low carb and intermittent fasting diet several years ago, I found it was easy to maintain an ideal body weight. Most of my body is pretty lean (160-170 pounds) but when I measure my stomach using a caliper, it seems to come in around 15%. I've always heard that belly fat is one of the last places men lose fat, but I'd rather not drop to 145 pounds just to see abs. There seems to be a community of people online who think you can spot-reduce fat. Do you think that's possible, and if so, what techniques would you recommend?

Mark asks: A good friend of mine just got into a really serious car accident. She's been told she has some minor brain damage that's going to be permanent as well as some spinal injuries. I was thinking about some of the interviews you've had with Rhonda Patrick and other experts, and I knew there was some nutritional advice you gave regarding brain injuries. Can you give a brief summary of what you would advise for a recovery program for my friend?

- This week's top iTunes review - gets some BG Fitness swag straight from Ben - click here to leave your review for a chance to win some!

Prior to asking your question, do a search in the upper right-hand corner of this website for the keywords associated with your question. Many of the questions we receive have already been answered here at Ben Greenfield Fitness!

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..a baby needs 30g of fat per day to support brain development, hormone regulation and build the immune system?

Yet, sadly, nearly all modern baby food doesn't even come close to touching this daily requirement and furthermore, is chock full of preservatives, added sugars, non-organic, GMO ingredients and other toxins and additives that harm a baby's muscular and skeletal growth, cognitive development, immune system and much more.

So I was incredibly pleased when I discovered a baby food I could finally get behind. As a father, nutritionist and health consultant, I can tell you with confidence that Serenity Kids baby food, designed and formulated by my guests on today's show - Joe and Serenity Carr - is, bar none, the only packaged baby food I would ever recommend any parent feed to their precious child.

As a matter of fact, this stuff is so dangerously tasty that I suspect you as a parent may become addicted to it too. It is wonderfully refreshing to finally see a company doing things right when it comes to perfectly portioned ingredients tailored to the exact needs of a growing human being.

I can't recommend this stuff highly enough. Serenity Carr, co-founder and CEO of Serenity Kids Baby Food, is on a mission to promote wellness starting with the first bite.

Formerly employed in tech and logistics, Serenity left her job to pursue her passion of health coaching where she helped clients achieve their personal health goals. Having healed her digestive issues through a lifestyle diet change, Serenity is transforming the baby food industry by developing innovative nutrient dense products because every bite counts.

Joe Carr, founder and President of Serenity Kids Baby Food, is a certified life coach and educator devoted to social justice activism.

An autism activist and proponent of the Paleo diet, Joe works with other autistic adults and youth to help them harness their gifts and genuinely believes that food is medicine. He is also active with the ManKind Project helping men develop power with compassion. As President of Serenity Kids, Joe oversees day to day operations and leads sales that will transform the baby food industry.

• Serenity:
  • "The paleo diet turned my life around."
  • Suffered major stomach and digestion problems as a child due to intolerances to conventional foods
  • Over the counter meds stopped working in her 20's; sought stronger meds via prescription
  • The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf
  • Books by Mark Sisson
  • The Dietary Cure for Acne by Loren Cordain
• Joe:
  • Undiagnosed autism as a child (mislabeled "obnoxious")
  • Discovered a gift as a performing artist (acting, singing, etc.)
  • Became involved in social justice causes; became vegan/vegetarian
  • Focused his altruistic efforts toward children after college
  • Met Serenity; introduced to the Paleo diet which helped with many of the social anxieties that had become normal

• They attended Paleo FX in 2016 and realized there were no products specifically for babies
• Serenity began an intensive immersion into the Paleo diet
• Joe was involved in a startup that was leading to serious burnout
• The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss opened eyes to creating a product vs. a service
• Tested and researched their offerings based on the preferences of their friends' children

• The USDA recommends 30g of fat per day, no sugars, etc.
• What they found in grocery stores was the opposite of what even the government was recommending
• Organic baby foods had on average 9g of sugar per pouch
• The food is not satiating; it is addictive because of all the sugar
• Less than 4% of foods had meat; there were no source disclosures
• Mixed with grains (chicken and rice); zero fat
• "Flavor window": what kids eat as babies affects their preferences later in life
• The Weston A. Price Foundation
• The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby and Child Care

• Desire to support family farms because of their sustainability as well as a personal connection on Joe's end
• Taylor and Katie of Epic Bars were helpful and supportive
• Discovered farm co-op's sharing the division of labor involved with the business of farming
• Grass-fed and pasture-raised beef is far superior to conventionally raised beef

• Babies have an innate sense of what their body needs; at times it doesn't need as much protein while still needing the fat

• No preservatives added
• Puree made shelf-stable by canning process;
• Pressure and heat does not harm fat, protein, minerals, amino acids
• Veggies begin to lose their vitamin content when they're picked
• Frozen veggies have more vitamin content than fresh
• More vitamins are preserved by pressure cooking than boiling

• Environmental concerns with pouches vs. being competitive with other baby food makers who use them
• They realized that plastics are better for the environment than jars and cans
• Pouches are BPA free; no detectable toxins
• Shelf-life is 18 months, although it's technically infinite

• Many adults use it for its convenience, or due to medical issues
• The age at which parents wean their babies off the product varies widely
• Baby-led weaning: allowing the baby to tell the parents when they're ready to move to whole foods

-Click here for 15% off any of the variety packs from the My Serenity Kids website

-Nourishing Traditions book of  baby and child care, and my podcast about it

-The Paleo Solution by Robb Wolf

-Books by Mark Sisson

-The Dietary Cure for Acne by Loren Cordain

-The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss

-The Weston A. Price Foundation

-Epic Bars

-Kion Clean Energy Bars: Satisfying, nutrient-dense, real-food energy bars with a delicious chocolate coconut flavor! Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire Kion order when you use discount code: BGF10.

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-Away Travel: Away creates thoughtful products designed to change how you see the world, so all you have to think about is where you’re headed next. Getting Away means getting more out of every trip to come. BGF listeners receive $20 off a suitcase when you use my link and use discount code: BEN at checkout.

-Birdwell Beach Britches: Quality is our Gimmick isn’t just our slogan, it’s a commitment we honor with every stitch we sew. 100% money back guarantee. Get 10% off your order, PLUS free shipping on any order over $99 when you use discount code: BENG.

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Its widely studied benefits include stress reduction, better sleep, enhanced focus, elevated mood, improved regulation of emotions, and so much more.

When practiced consistently and with intention, meditation has the unique ability to positively transform the way you think, behave, and interact with the world around you.

But unfortunately, in the words of Tim Ferris, “meditation has a branding problem.”

Many of us view meditation as some woo-woo practice that’s exclusively used by ultra-spiritual gurus and self-important business executives.

We tend to imagine it as sitting cross-legged on a pristine mountain top, eyes closed, thinking about nothing, totally blissed out: A mental image that’s equal parts alienating and unrealistic.

What’s worse, the standard advice for beginners to “sit still and stop thinking” simply does not work.

It’s vague, it’s confusing, and it leaves people feeling frustrated and ready to quit before their practice starts paying off.

More than 380 peer-reviewed research studies on the TM technique have been published in over 160 scientific journals. These studies were conducted at many US and international universities and research centers, including Harvard Medical School, Stanford Medical School, Yale Medical School, and UCLA Medical School...and they have shown irrefutable evidence that TM reduces insomnia, stress, anxiety, depression, blood pressure, cholesterol, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis/stroke, free radicals, blood sugar, diabetes, pain, along with higher levels of brain functioning, longevity, sleep quality and much more.

Philip has been practicing TM for the past 40 years.

But he's no woo-woo, robe-clad, Eastern mysticist. 

He's an unassuming, straight-talking, God-fearing, gun-totin' redneck living in northern Idaho. (When he's not teaching TM, you can find him walking his dog or taking selfies with Colonel Sanders.)

Philip has taught TM all over the globe, working with celebrities and high profile politicians. He's also worked in medicine, computed tomography, radiation technology, craniosacral therapy, hunting instruction, shooting, wilderness survival, and much more.

• Was born and raised in Memphis, TN
• Heard of TM while attending Memphis State Univ.
  • In retrospect, Philip believes he was "searching for something"
  • Internal happiness was missing

• Clint Eastwood (42+ years)
• Jerry Seinfeld
• Ellen DeGeneres
• Katy Perry
• Oprah Winfrey
• Ray Dalio (Author of Principles)
• Department of Defense gave $2 million grant to study TM to reduce PTSD

• "A simple, effortless mental technique that can be done anywhere"
• Creating white noise inside your head
• TM does not have a monopoly on the ability to "transcend" where the mind settles to a quieter and quieter level of awareness
• You transcend where you are physically, and take yourself to another place mentally

• No religious belief is required; it's a mental technique
• You don't need to believe it will even work
• TM was argued before German Supreme Court; they ruled it is not a religion
• Teachers are sworn to secrecy to protect the integrity of TM; you can't learn certain parts of it in a weekend then teach it to others
• These techniques are 5000-6000 years old
• Traditional way of teaching:
  • Teacher performs a brief ceremony which reminds him or her to maintain the integrity of the knowledge
  • Performed in Sanskrit

• The field of pure consciousness is our core, our essence
• Many mantras that are used for each individual
• 3 things that make TM work:
  • Mantra
  • Sound (life supporting, no meaning assigned)
  • The nature of the mind and life is to go to greater fields of happiness, joy and intelligence
• Within each of us is a field of perfect order, joy, intelligence, etc.
• Color fasting cloth analogy
  • Conscious mind becomes saturated in the perfect field of order
  • Mind settles, body settles and vice versa
• The vagus nerve plays an integral role in the mind/body relationship

• Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition (Dr. Fred Travis)
• Practitioners of TM with minimal sleep (4-5 hrs) performed similarly to non-practicers with 8-9 hrs.
  • (TM is not a suitable replacement for sleep)
• TM has been shown to stimulate dreams

• TM is natural, whereas some biohacks are "forced" on us
• TM is portable; you don't need to carry any devices anywhere
• A large number of prisoners practice TM

• A proper mantra puts up no boundaries on the mind, thus enabling it to transcend its normal environment
• They are time-tested for thousands of years
• There is no "one size fits all"
• The importance of one's individual mantra cannot be overstated
• The mantra is just a small part of the totality of TM

• Biological age can be younger than the chronological age
• Decreases the rate by which telomeres shorten
• "Breath suspension" is a state of deep rest for the body

• $960, one time, lifetime fee for the course (discounts for college and high school students)
• Financial assistance is available if necessary
• No one will be turned away, although you'll need to pay something
• What is "free" anyways?

-TM.org 

-Book: Principles by Ray Dalio

-Book: Money by Tony Robbins

-Center for Brain, Consciousness and Cognition (Dr. Fred Travis)

-Kion Clean Energy Bars: Satisfying, nutrient-dense, real-food energy bars with a delicious chocolate coconut flavor! Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire Kion order when you use discount code: BGF10.

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-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.

-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.

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For the third time, I've joined Paul Chek at his home hidden away in the hilly backcountry of San Diego, California to interview him. And this time we take a deep deep dive into topics such as intuitive eating, consciousness, ego dissolution, education models such as Waldorf and unschooling and much more!

Paul is an internationally-renowned expert in the fields of corrective and high-performance exercise kinesiology. For over twenty-five years, his unique, holistic approach to treatment and education has changed the lives of countless people worldwide – many of his clients, his students and their clients.

By treating the body as a whole system and finding the root cause of a problem, Paul has been successful where traditional approaches have consistently failed. Paul is the founder of the C.H.E.K (Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology) Institute, based in California, USA and the P~P~S Success Mastery Coaching Program.

He is a sought-after presenter and has consulted for organizations such as the Chicago Bulls, Australia’s Canberra Raiders, New Zealand’s Auckland Blues, the US Air Force Academy and other elite organizations. He has produced over 60 DVDs and 17 advanced-level home study courses designed for the fitness and clinical professional. He is a strong believer in the essential role provided by practical training and has developed four Advanced Level Training programs to provide hands-on instruction for the exercise and health industries.

Paul's CHEK Exercise Coach program introduces fitness and exercise professionals to an integrated approach to conditioning; the C.H.E.K Practitioner Program is a two to four year advanced level program teaching corrective exercise and high-performance conditioning; the Golf Performance Series focuses on functional conditioning for golfers; the Optimal Health and Fitness Through Practical Nutrition and Holistic Lifestyle Coaching Program contains three levels and shows how to reach optimal health from the inside out.

Thousands of people worldwide have been trained in one or more of these challenging and elite level certification programs. Paul has also accrued three US patents for posture calibrating, hydrotherapy and equipment inventions, and has also designed several pieces of functional exercise equipment.

• Paul and his wife at one time worked 18+ hrs a day; espresso was an effective way to stay engaged and productive
• Caregiver archetype
• Studying functional medicine, Paul found people who had blood sugar issues had coffee on an empty stomach
  • Inflammation, hormone regulation issues
  • Logic doesn't work to get people to kick a bad habit
  • People have a deep emotional connection to coffee
• Came across some time release vitamins; saw word "chelated" on the bottle
• Saw a connection between chelation and coffee to help with above mentioned issues
• Began using organic butter, nut butters, yak butter tea
• Laird Hamilton was a fan out of the gate
• Encouraged people to put something in their coffee and eat a bit of food first thing in the morning

• Difference between intuition and instinct:
  • Intuition is asking the totality of yourself a question and waiting for the answer
  • Only "God" can give you the soul; the soul is "God" in you
• Ken Wilburn is known to be able to "stop" his brain (see video)
• Book: Destructive Emotions by Dalai Lama
• Scientifically speaking, "God" can only be defined as "zero"
• Book: Stalking the Wild Pendulum by Itzak Bentov
• Book: The Physics of Angels
• "What we call spirits and angels is the flow of information and energy that is anthropomorphized" (human interpretation)
• Eternity, not infinity, is the zero point that we call "God"
• Intuitive eating: One empties their soul, then asks if a particular food is what they should eat that day. They'll receive the answer according to the energy they feel, positive or negative
• "Human beings will continue to invent technologies outside themselves until they've either destroyed the planet or they've come to the realization that everything they've created outside of themselves is a copy of a technology that exists within themselves." --Rudolf Steiner

• DNA is not a bunch of information like a computer; it's an antenna system that's tapping into morphogenic fields
• The Michelson-Morley Experiment (proved that the aether does exist)
• YouTube video explaining Gregg Braden's "phantom DNA" experiment
• Book: The Mystic Spiral by Jill Purce
• YouTube: String Theory Explained - What is the True Nature of Reality?
• Article on Whirling Dervishes (re: Paul's experience seeing photons in the sun)
• Book: Ancient Mysteries, Modern Visions by Phil Callahan
• YouTube series: The Dirt Facts by Paul Chek

• Ego dissolution often occurs when people are in a deep crisis
  • It cannot occur when we are constrained by religious or cultural standards
  • Book: The Second Mountain by David Brooks
  • Book: Falling Upward by Richard Rohr
• Books by Viktor Schauberger
• Book: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
• Set aside preconceived notions, and allow your soul to speak to your body
• YouTube video: The Hunza Diet
• A British medical officer found that the Hunza people were regular smokers and drinkers with no apparent ill effect on their longevity
• The psyche is more powerful than physiology
• 3-step process on learning to be guided at 3 levels:
  • Diet logging
  • Muscle testing (duck bill muscle testing)
    • The body will not support a lie
    • Addictions and unbelief inhibit honest biological feedback
  • Listening to the soul
• The biggest challenge to soul connection is a connection of the ego
• You have to have legitimate spiritual courage
• Supplements muffle the signals of the soul

• Ground children into the realities of the real world (meet halfway on buying toys)
• Book: Parenting With Love and Logic
• Education system designed to support the agricultural and industrial revolutions
• BGF Podcast on Unschooling
• Book: The Kingdom of Childhood: Introductory Talks on Waldorf Education
• Steiner invented biodynamic farming, which has proven to be superior to other methods of farming
• Minimum screen time, maximum engagement with the world and creative stimulants at a young age
• We have a choice on how to raise our children: either allow screens and teachers or we can be proactive and use those as tools while retaining our role as primary educators

-Podcast: Why Humans Need Winter, How Too Much Christmas Is Dangerous, Rites Of Passage & More With Paul Chek.

-Podcast: Heavy Rock Lifting, Building Your Own “Water Charging” Station, Biomechanical Fixes, Plant Medicine Journeys & More With Paul Chek.

-All of Paul Chek's books

-Chek Institute

-Book: Destructive Emotions by Dalai Lama

-Book: Stalking the Wild Pendulum by Itzak Bentov

-Book: The Physics of Angels

-The Michelson-Morley Experiment

-YouTube video explaining Gregg Braden's "phantom DNA" experiment

-Book: The Mystic Spiral by Jill Purce

-YouTube: String Theory Explained - What is the True Nature of Reality?

-Article on Whirling Dervishes

-Book: Ancient Mysteries, Modern Visions by Phil Callahan

-YouTube series: The Dirt Facts by Paul Chek

-Book: The Second Mountain by David Brooks

-Book: Falling Upward by Richard Rohr

-Books by Viktor Schauberger

-Book: Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl

-YouTube video: The Hunza Diet

-Book: Parenting With Love and Logic

-BGF Podcast on Unschooling

-Book: The Kingdom of Childhood: Introductory Talks on Waldorf Education

-Kion Meditation Guide: Jumpstart your personalized meditation practice with 40+ pages of knowledge and guided meditations from experts!

-WHOOP: The performance tool that is changing the way people track their fitness and optimize their training. Save $30 off your order when you use discount code: GREENFIELD

-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

-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

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