How to Optimize Your Brain-Body Function & Health

This episode I describe how the organs of the body influence the function and health of our brain and how our brain controls our bodily organs. The conscious awareness of this brain-body dialogue is called interoception. I describe how two factors- mechanical forces (e.g., pressure, pain, volume, etc.) and chemical factors (e.g., gut acidity, microbiome diversity, etc.) combine to influence our moods, control inflammation, immune system, recovery from injury and more. I explain how specific actions of our lungs, heart, spleen, and diaphragm, control our brain via the vagus nerve and other neural pathways. I describe 11 science-supported protocols for enhancing brain-body health and the logic behind them.

For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com.

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Timestamps

(00:00:00) Your Sense of Self: Interoception

(00:01:25) Protocol 1: Fermented Foods, Not Fiber, to Reduce Inflammation 

(00:03:45) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT

(00:08:22) Main Drivers of Feelings & Performance

(00:11:45) Brain-Body: A Mechanical & Chemical Dialogue 

(00:17:50) LDB (Lung-Diaphragm-Brain) Dialogue  

(00:21:00) Protocols 2, 3, 4: Control Heart Rate With Breathing

(00:29:08) Sensing Lung Pressure: Piezo Receptors

(00:30:54) Carbon Dioxide, From Air to Blood

(00:34:02) Protocol 5: Alert While Calm

(00:40:50) Baroreceptors: Hering-Breuer Reflex

(00:42:47) Gut Volume & The Desire to Open Your Mouth 

(00:48:18) Protocol 6: Enhancing Gut-To-Brain Communication, Fasting 

(00:51:50) Intestines, Fatty Acids, Amino Acids & Sugar

(00:57:00) Protocol 7: Reducing Sugar Cravings with Specific Amino Acid Nutrients 

(00:58:58) Gut Acidity (Is Good)

(01:02:20) Improving Nasal Microbiome 

(01:04:13) Inflammation & Microbiome: Fiber vs. Fermented 

(01:11:15) Protocol 8: Reducing Inflammation & Enhancing Brain Function w/Fermented Foods

(01:13:10) Leaking Guts, Auto-Immune function & Glutamine

(01:15:50) Gut Acidity: HCl (hydrochloric acid), Pepsin

(01:18:30) Probiotics & Brain Fog

(01:21:45) Nausea: Happens in Your Brain; Area Postrema

(01:28:25) Protocol 9: Reducing Nausea: Ginger, Peppermint, CBD, etc.

(01:30:40) Fever: Triggers and Control Knobs: OVLT

(01:37:00) Protocol 10: Cooling the Blood Properly

(01:38:53) Sensing Feelings, Vagus Nerve, Stress

(01:41:50) Mental Emotions Reflect Bodily Conditions

(01:45:00) Sensing Other People’s Emotions via the Body

(01:46:00) Protocol 11: Increasing Interoception, Sensing Heartbeat 

(01:50:40) Conclusions & Resources

Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac

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