June 28, 2019
Welcome to Ben Greenfield's Weekly Roundup and Cool New Discoveries!
Ben Greenfield's discoveries, from the latest news on the fronts of fitness, nutrition, health, wellness, biohacking and anti-aging research. I also recap my upcoming events and special announcements so you can keep up with giveaways, discounts and more!
New Discoveries Of The Week: Cool New Things I'm Trying, Books I'm Reading, And More!
– My Brand New Speaking Website
I'm constantly asked about how hiring me to speak works, and also about the logistics and details of having me come give a keynote, appear at a conference, or speak to a corporation or group – as well as what topics I can cover. Ask no more. Here is the brand new official “Ben Greenfield Speaking” page.
– Two Very Interesting Takeaways From My Continuous Blood Glucose Monitor Tracking
From my Dexcom G6 – A good example of hot and cold effects on blood sugar.
The spike before 9am is from the sauna, and the drop after is from a cold soak. I see this pattern repeatedly. As a matter of fact, someone recently interviewed me for a podcast about cheat meals, and I commented that in addition to high-intensity interval training and weight training, one of the best ways to plummet blood sugar levels postprandially is a cold shower or cold soak.
Just like a cup of coffee, heat exposure can temporarily elevate blood glucose, but it’s a pretty transient rise and a healthy, normal stress response. Anyways, I find this kind of self-quantification absolutely intriguing. Once I have gathered a full year’s worth of blood sugar data I will be writing a blog post about this.
Something you should always look for if you’re tracking your blood glucose.
Around 4:30, I ate a late lunch. It was a post-workout state and was about 12oz steak and a pile of sweet potato fries (In this case, my “workout” was a doubleheader obstacle course race, so the meal was definitely more carbohydrate intensive than usual). You’ll note that although the blood glucose notably rises after the meal it returned to baseline levels very soon afterward and even drops lower than what it was prior to the meal.
The number one metric I’m most concerned about when it comes to glycemic variability is how quickly my postprandial blood glucose returns to normal because that is the element that is most indicative of insulin sensitivity. As a matter of fact, that’s even more important to me than my fasting blood glucose levels. Many of you have asked me about the Dexcom G6 that I use to track this continuously throughout the day. Yes, I needed a physician prescription for this device. Any doctor will likely write you a prescription. But because I am not diabetic, my medical insurance did not pay for the device. This means that the total investment for me for a year’s worth of tracking is slightly over $3000. That is admittedly quite expensive for a form of self-quantification. However, I only plan to track for about a year because I figure that gives me enough insight to take actionable steps for the rest of my life assuming that my diet and lifestyle does not significantly change.
In addition, it is well worth it for me to pay that price if it means that I can avoid medical bills associated with diabetes and chronic disease for the rest of my life. It is my hope that in the future this type of blood glucose data will become far more affordable via some kind of device that can read blood glucose in another way, or simply a reduction in the cost of a device that is similarly accurate. I suppose the only way around this would be to figure out a way to “hack“ your way temporarily into a diabetic state so that you could get a physicians prescription along with the insurance to pay for it, but I couldn’t figure out a way to do that. ;-)
Podcasts I Recorded This Week:
This episode was brought to you by, Hyperice (code: BEN), Organifi Green Juice, Birdwell Beach Britches (code: BENG), and Kion.
This episode was brought to you by Joovv, Thrive Market, Birdwell Beach Britches (code: BENG), and Kion.
Articles Published By Me & Kion This Week:
– How To Hack The Heat: Ben Greenfield’s Top 5 Tips To Race, Compete & Exercise In Hot Weather.
– How To Brew Coffee Like A Pro: 7 Tips For Crafting The Perfect Cup
My full article feed and all past archives of my articles are here if you want to check out past articles.
Special Announcements:
::: The Most Powerful E-stim Device Known To Man I'm Using For Recovery :::
The NeuFit “NEUBIE” system takes a neurological approach to injury recovery and higher performance. By combining next-gen tech with protocols from physical therapy and functional neurology, NeuFit helps people tap into the power of their neurology.
For most people, that leads to improved function and a quicker recovery from an injury/surgery or reaching fitness goals faster than they ever thought possible. For a few, this work has even meant being able to get out of a wheelchair and walk again.
Practitioners all over the country are adding the technology into their medical, physical therapy, and fitness practices and Garrett is passionate about teaching NeuFit to them so that this work can impact as many lives as possible.
Listen to my podcast with Garrett, the founder and creator of NEUBIE to learn a whole lot more about neurology, chronic pain, and injury recovery; or discover the NEUBIE for yourself here.
::: Save 15% On Your First Purchase Of This Ketogenic Superdrink :::
Ample-K is a comprehensive meal in a bottle with real-food ingredients tailored to support a ketogenic lifestyle – with ketogenic macros, extra magnesium and potassium, MCTs, and plenty of fiber. I’ve been tossing it in a blender with a bunch of ice and bone broth for a quick, ice-cream-like smoothie with no carbs and a nutty, pleasant flavor. You can get Ample here with code: BEN for 15% off your first purchase.
::: Be The Author Of Your Best Life :::
You’re already committed to hacking your health – but what if you could take a similarly leading-edge approach to your personal growth… your happiness and success… and your sense of purpose and satisfaction in life? Lifebook Online was made for boundary-pushers like us. Lifebook is a life design system that empowers you with a personalized game plan for extraordinary success in 12 key dimensions of your life.
The Lifebook process begins by triggering a crucial paradigm shift in your mind, all through one key question: “Is my idea of success really my own? Or is it a projection forced on me by society and the limiting beliefs I’ve been conditioned with?”
Then, by taking you through 12 key areas of your life, Lifebook founders Jon and Missy Butcher guide you in creating your very own Lifebook: a deeply personal game plan for your absolute best life. See my personal Lifebook here, and check out my podcast with Lifebook founder Jon Butcher here.
Oh, and use this link to experience Lifebook Online for FREE – and create your best life with zero sacrifice or compromise.
Need Help Fully Optimizing Your Brain & Body?
I've studied the science, seen first-hand what works and what doesn't, and most importantly, know how to help you make lasting changes to become the best version of yourself – for good. I've also trained an entire army of Kion Coaches, and with our support, you'll no longer have to struggle to decipher conflicting health information, only to end up confused and unmotivated.
Are you looking to achieve peak physical performance? Trying to shed fat or gain lean muscle as fast as possible? Ready to tap into the most cutting-edge health, fitness and longevity protocols? Every day, I work with people just like you to help them achieve their goals with personalized health advice and one-of-a-kind nutrition and fitness plans. My schedule gets filled quickly, so be sure to book your one-on-one consultation with me today.
Work With One Of My Personally Trained Kion Coaches
Kion Coaches are certified in the same holistic approach I take to mind, body, and spiritual health. In addition to being trained by yours truly, these folks are qualified professionals, ranging from personal trainers to nutritionists, chiropractors, elite athletes, psychologists, medical doctors, and more. Just click here to view the full coach directory and to find the ideal coach for you and your unique goals!
Upcoming Events:
– June 23 – July 7, 2019: European Detox Retreat, Paracelsus al Ronc, Switzerland. At this 2019 liver detox and R&R retreat at the beautiful Swiss Mountain Clinic in the Italian quarter of Switzerland, you'll stay on-site and receive diagnostics and treatments from the best doctors of biological medicine to detox your liver and your soul. Here's the link to more info.
– August 3, 2019: Spartan Sprint at the LA Stadium, Los Angeles, California. It’s Rally Time, Los Angeles. The Big A. Angel Stadium. Whatever you call it, this place is legendary. Now, Spartan is headed to this historic ballpark for an epic Stadion course. Get ready to take on 3 miles and 20 obstacles through nearly every part of the stadium. Sign up here!
– September 12 – 15, 2019: RUNGA Immersion, Napa Valley, California. I attend this total mind-body reboot retreat each year with my wife, Jessa, to connect with a handful of friends and YOU can one of them! I would love if you could join me at this retreat. Click here for details on this incredible event!
– September 27 – 29, 2019: Spartan World Championships, Squaw Valley, California. Right beside Lake Tahoe, this epic venue was once host to the 1960 Olympic Winter Games. Join me there for the greatest obstacle course race in North Tahoe Lake, Olympic Village, CA. Sign up here!
Featured Product: Kion Coffee
After more than 2 years of hardcore coffee research, Kion Coffee was created to be crafted for health and is the only coffee that meets my strict standards for health benefits, purity, and freshness. Period.
Why? Other coffee companies are unwilling to do what my company, Kion, is doing to ensure these health-benefits—every decision made regarding this coffee formulation is based on health.
So what’s so special about Kion Coffee?
Kion Coffee is certified organic, is richer in antioxidants than any other coffee we tested, is rigidly tested for toxins, contains ZERO mold, is packaged using the highest industry standards, and much, much more. To read the complete list of Kion Coffee benefits, to understand the sourcing profile, the scientific roasting protocol, and freshness strategy, click here.
This Week's Most Popular Instagram Pic:
https://www.instagram.com/p/BzNCVE0AMEt/
This Week's Most Popular Tweet:
The dark side of #Tabata sets (and a potentially better alternative): https://t.co/4ej0Eks7wQ
— Ben Greenfield (@bengreenfield) June 24, 2019
My Most Popular Facebook Post This Week:
Leave your comments below – and any news or discoveries that you think I missed!
Cheers,
Ben
Thank you for sharing so much valuable information. By curation everything into one post, it’s make it much easier to digest your amazing insights. I found the studies on blood glucose to be very beneficial. Cheers!
Hi Ben, very interested to see your continuous blood glucose monitoring. Did you see the recent study that did something similar and found that even identical twins react differently to different foods? And, that the future in nutrition could be this very monitoring of reactivity to different foods to tailor are diet suited to the individual’s metabolism. Take a look here: https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-06/mcg-lsn060719.php
I like the information you posted about your experience with the blood glucose monitor.