October 1, 2014
Click for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Oct 1, 2014 Podcast: Ben's Ultimate Guide To Stretching, Should You Stop Taking Supplements Before A Blood Test, Can Coffee Raise Cholesterol, How To Reset Your Sleep Cycle, and an excerpt of “How To Fix Insomnia” from Chapter 10 of Ben Greenfield's Beyond Training book.
Have a podcast question for Ben? Click the tab on the right, use the Contact button on the app, click Ask a Podcast Question at the bottom of this page, Skype “pacificfit” or use the “Ask Ben” form… but be prepared to wait – we prioritize audio questions over text questions.
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News Flashes:
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- Good reason to use those cool little sunrise alarm clocks.
- Here’s a good reason to consider only having “red light waves” in your bedroom/master bathroom
- Curious about this new PQQ supplement everybody is talking about? Here’s the synopsis.
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Special Announcements:
Visit BenGreenfieldFitness.com/aded – to get Yuri Elkaim's new All Day Energy Diet cookbook for free (with recipes like hemp balls, natural gatorade and green cappuccino)! This week you get free videos all week long from Yuri, including “The Worn-Out Weight Gain Connection”, “How to Kill Cravings” and “How to Make Healthy Eating Stick”.
October 8-13: Ben will be speaking at the Ironman Sports Medicine conference in October during Ironman Hawaii. He will be presenting on nutrition myths and alternative methods of fueling Ironman (and Brock will be there too).
Go ask your burning Obstacle Racing questions at ObstacleDominator.com for the brand new Obstacle Dominator podcast.
January 30th – 31st, 2015 – Talise Fitness and Jumeirah Emirates Towers, proudly invite you to take part in an exclusive two day seminar held by the renowned nutrition and fitness expert, best selling author, coach, speaker, ex-bodybuilder and Ironman triathlete, Ben Greenfield.
Grab this Official Ben Greenfield Fitness Gear package that comes with a tech shirt, a beanie and a water bottle.
And of course, this week's top iTunes review – gets some BG Fitness swag straight from Ben – leave your review for a chance to win some!
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Listener Q&A:
As compiled, deciphered, edited and sometimes read by Brock Skywalker Armstrong, the Podcast Sidekick and Audio Ninja.
Ben's Ultimate Guide To Stretching
Brandon asks: He wants to know all about stretching. He hears that some people advocate fast stretching, with quick pulses for a neurological effect. Some like stretching for a long period of time to really get to the deep fascia. Which is best and when should you use them?
–Stretching Your Boundaries – Flexibility Training for Extreme Calisthenic Strength
Should You Stop Taking Supplements Before A Blood Test?
Brayden asks: He wants to get a complete view of his naturally occurring blood nutrient levels. How long should he wait after he has stopped taking a supplement (Vitamin D) to get his blood tested?
Can Coffee Raise Cholesterol?
Nathan asks: He has heard that the cafestol content in brewed coffee can effect cholesterol levels in a negative fashion. Is there more in arabic vs. robusta beans? Is this issue limited by using a filter? Is this even an issue or is it just another symptom of people misunderstanding of cholesterol?
How To Reset Your Sleep Cycle
Will asks: He has always been a night owl and finds it hard to wake up early. He usually goes to bed at 2am and wakes up at 10am. When he is forced to wake up early he experiences muscle fatigue, absentmindedness, GI issues, and far from optimal functioning. He has tried going to bed early using all kinds of techniques and nothing helps. He just lays there in bed awake. This is an issue with ultra races. The first part of the race is terrible but the back half (when he would normally be awake) he picks up the pace and kills it.
–Morning blue light box exposure
-Evening red light and blue blocking glasses (see GreenfieldFitnessSystems for light solutions)
— This podcast finished with an excerpt of “How To Fix Insomnia” from Chapter 10 of Ben Greenfield's Beyond Training book, click here to go Premium and get access to each audio chapter as it is released! —
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Ask Your Question
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Ben,
How long should you use the blue light? You mentioned 20 minutes in the morning, but is 5 minutes in the shower enough to wake the body up?
Can you sit under it for long periods as in the light in my office for several hours?
Most research uses 15-30 minutes, but even 5-10 minutes of sunlight or blue light exposure seems to make a big difference for me! I've never seen periods longer than 30 minutes actually researched, so I can't say for sure!
Ben,
You mentioned in this podcast about some downside of drinking coffee with high intake of saturated fat – mainly elevated LDL. I joined the bulletproof coffee camp 5 months ago and have experienced the benefits it claims to have. Although I understand the benefits of MCT Oil and saturated fat, I never quite understand how "missing with coffee" turns on the magic. Would love to hear you discuss this topic with Dave Asprey. That might be a great podcast for you to consider :)
You should check out my notes from the first ever Bulletproof Biohacking conference – https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/2013/01/my-pe…