February 1, 2020
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News Flashes…4:30
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Why we need exercise for our brain (best part of this article is the part about merging exercise with complexity)
- Vielight (Get 10% off when you use my link)
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Fructose isn’t poison, FYI – “the highest level of evidence from systematic review and meta-analysis does not support a direct causal relationship with cardiometabolic disease…fructose-containing sugars can lead to weight gain, increase in cardiometabolic risk factors and disease only if it provides the excess calories.”
Special Announcements…22:30
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Ben Greenfield's new book “Boundless” is now available! Click here to order your copy.
Check out Ben on Instagram for epic posts and photos about his morning, day and evening routines, recipes, and much more!
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Join Ben's Facebook page for conversations with listeners and even more useful information, posts, and support!
Here's where Ben is speaking and traveling around the world coming soon:
- February: Media tour of India! Feb 20 – 23, Bangalore; Feb 24 – 25, New Delhi; Feb 26 – 28, Mumbai. Visit the calendar for details!
- April 24 – 26: Paleo f(x) – Austin, TX. Join me and dozens of health and fitness experts to discover the latest breakthroughs in epigenetics, biohacking, Keto, AIP, nootropics, blood testing, strength conditioning, sleep, stress and much more. Try out delicious new foods, discover new workouts, and even try new gadgets in the biohacking lab. Register here.
- April 4 – 6, 2020: Wild Health Summit. An event at the Kentucky Castle designed for physicians to teach and promote genomics-based precision medicine. Open to general public too. Register here.
- April 24 – 26, 2020: Paleo f(x) – Austin, TX. Join me and dozens of health and fitness experts to discover the latest breakthroughs in epigenetics, biohacking, Keto, AIP, nootropics, blood testing, strength conditioning, sleep, stress and much more. Try out delicious new foods, discover new workouts, and even try new gadgets in the biohacking lab. Register here.
This podcast is brought to you by:
–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 BEN10.
–X3 Bar: Grow muscle 3x faster than you can with free weights! The X3 Bar will change the way you train forever. Get a $50 discount off your X3 bar when you use discount code BEN.
–Magic Spoon: A brand new company that has re-imagined 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.
–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.
Listener Q&A:
Top Air Pollution Tips…29:50
Anonymous asks: I'm wondering if you can give some recommendations for air purifiers and dehumidifiers in the home to create a healthier living environment in the home. Particularly for people who live in big cities. You can come home and literally wipe the city off your face here in London where I live. Any comments or recommendations for products you would use would be much appreciated.
In my response, I recommend:
How To Get Started With Biohacking…43:00
Avis asks: I've been listening to all the information you've been sharing. And while it's awesome, I find it a bit overwhelming at times. What advice would you give a novice like myself to get started on the journey to self-optimization?
In my response, I recommend:
- Fasting/Low Carb Mediterranean Diet/Breathe/Meditate/Walk
- JOOVV
- Vielight
- EarthRunners
- Earthies
- Clint Ober's Ultimate Longevity Earthing Products
- Negative Ion Generator
- Morozko Forge
- CoolFatBurner
- Clearlight Sauna
- Aquatru Trace Minerals
- Quinton Hypertonic Minerals
- Celtic Salt
- Aquatru Reverse Osmosis Water Filter
- Greenfield Naturals Carbon Block Water Filter
- Somavedic
- Biochemical Individuality by Roger Williams
- The Body Electric by Robert Becker
Can Infrared & Red Light Be Bad For You?…1:01:05
Ryan (a female voice) asks: Hi Ben. We recently purchased a Joovv device. And while my husband loves it, it's been giving me migraines since starting it. I'll use it for 2-3 minutes at a time. I started doing it every day, but I've quit since getting the migraines. I typically get a migraine once per month with my cycle, but it's much more frequent with the Joovv in our home. Any advice on what we can do would be appreciated.
In my response, I recommend:
VIP Text Club
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I mean… Sure, the studies show that it’s good and it might be… but those joov prices are super high tbh. Is there any cheaper way to experience it? Maybe getting a red lightbulb and keeping it lit in the room? Or it would not have as much of an impact? Also have you ever heard of this company found these lights could it be an alternative? https://redjuv.co/collections/red-light-therapy-devices
Thanks for all your good information Ben!
as you talk about the nasa study and plants filtering air: I may have some information there, as a gardener and also generaly deeply interested in that kind of stuff, I dug a little deeper in to all the research that has been done in this area. dont get me wrong, I am still deeply interested in plants for air purification, and there are ways to actually get some more out of that idea, but the research done is not very good.. nasa always sounds like: well that was NASA, so it must be true/good/spacy, and the best kind of research money can buy.. that is one reason it gets cited in a very misleading way, and no one ever seems to notice: it does sound like they found 12 plants that are especially good at filtering air: if you look for the actual study you find out, they only tested those 12 plants.. so, from all I know, I bet there are better ones, they just tested those because they grow easy and are hard to kill…. (my best guess would be moss, lichens, and algea. there are also plants that get sticky on the leaves from lice “poop”, and so dirt sticks there until it is washed of by rain). that is the first thing that is wrong. the second is: they do filter, and they do some other interesting things, actually a lot of other interesting things.. but the filtering effect is quite small… actually there is a way plants filter air much better, which is if the air is going through the soil… so there are lots of companies trying to sell you their start up things in this direction, about all of them citing the nasa study the typical wrong way.. most of them may actually work as good as your plants, or a little better, but most of them wont actually get the air through the earth the right way: which would be with some kind of pressure, not necessary much, but you would need some kind of pump, and not just a pot with a special form, that is supposed to do the job without pump.. the air also would have to go trough the earth, not alongside the outside of the earth.. THEN you would get a much much bigger effect. that is also happening in nature, there is always also gas exchange through the earth.. also the filtered out stuff can actually act as fertilizer – most of it.. the gas exchange in the soil is actually good for plants, they can also mitigate some problem things – if it is not a wind that dries everything out..
I happen to have my own idea to ad: if you know terra preta? which is a very rich dark good soil found in some places, that turned out to be man made (by so called primitives of course). it was made by adding fine ground charcoal and combining that with microorganisms, compost, soil, bacteria, lichen, algea.. something like that.. that is in of its self a kind of true wonder, because for one thing it binds co2 in to the ground for very a long time – for all the climate co2 fanatics, that is something that really makes a difference. also charcoal gives a kind of structure and home to life in the soil, it also keeps water and fertilizers, until they are needed. all together a much more wonderful thing then I described here, in my bad english, and in a hurry.. like in air filters, or water filters, or activated charcoal to swallow, charcoal can also filter and bind lots of things in to its pores… so having activated charcoal mixed in the earth, in a terra preta imitation way, and then having a slow stream of air go in the middle of the soil of a pot and diffuse out from there would be my invention (I believe this to be a brilliant idea, almost patent worthy, though I would of course perfer if such ideas where not even patentable).. but then, this is of course not nasa researched… :)
this topic is so crucial important, and this idea, though more complex then plant the 12 plants, is still so simple, and so powerful (there are also studies about how much more powerful roots in the soil do filter compared to leaves, only the combo with terra preta is my personal thing I would add..), it is actually really sad that there are no real studies, no simple cheap solutions for this kind of problem… instead we go to mars..
so many so fundamental problems are sooo unsolved.. but your podcast and life does a very good job in this direction..
Love,
David
hi ben, i live in india and am a big fan of your podcast/website (nearly choked on my tea when i heard you mention your visit here!!) But your calendar page shows no details when i click on any of the india events. would love to see you in delhi so do ask your team to update the details. cheers
6 cups of soy milk will trigger gynecomastia? What research is there to back that up? I’ve had at least that every day for decades. Many vegans I know have. Soy does not contain estrogen, in the sense that you are telling people. There is no biochemical similarity between phytoestrogens and mammalian estrogens. You are wrong and are misinforming people.
Hey Ben,
Rick here, just want to thank you for all the positive and helpful information you deliver. Sending you and your beautiful family love. I can’t put your new book down hands down one of the best books I’ve picked up.
Sending blessings
Hey Ben, I am listening to your podcast from India! I don’t know where you heard that profanity is banned in media… not true… anyway, love the podcast as always. I was wondering what exactly you are doing in Bangalore?
Hey Ben, love your work. I’m based in NZ and pre-ordered Boundless. No sign of it any time soon as Book Depository say they are having difficulty getting books from Supplier – is there anyone your end who can check it out and see if can get some traction? FOMO’s kicking in as everyone else has a headstart on me lol
My body got up and started to stretch out as you brought recognition to exercising while learning. Your information is well received while I squat and while I stand on my head! Thank you for sharing importance of foundational practises. As a young person interested in bio-hacking and living a full healthy life, I am looking forward to incorporating these techniques into my lifestyle.
I would be interested to hear more about sun light’s influence on our energy levels. I have been studying sun gazing for a few years. It’s evident that absorbing sun light, and a rainbow spectrum of light give me a boost of confidence and sense of infinite potential.
Boundless is our health go to book. Massive amounts of much needed information, and there is something for everyone. All humans need this information, not just the elite athletes! So don’t turn away from it, run towards it. Keep learning and stay Boundless.
Can you please release a detailed itinerary for India? I might join from Dubai :)
Fantastic podcast!!! Loved the tip on how to get started with breath work, meditation, walking- all very doable
Thanks so much!
Great podcast, I really enjoy the Q&A podcasts! I have been on the long road of detoxing after getting exposed to high levels of mold in my previous home. I get something beneficial and helpful out of almost everyone of The Ben Greenfield Podcast. Thanks again Ben, keep it up!
Great podcast. So much useful info that is also made easy to follow and use. #beboundless
Hi Ben,
Have enjoyed listening to you for years and am a Kion fan. A few points, including on the cited article on Impossible Burgers written by a veterinarian:
1) As commenters to his post noted (see bottom of cited page, please check them out folks), some of his claims – such as purported estrogen content and more – are debatable and come with no citations.
I’m still on the fence about the long-term health consequences of eating Impossible Burgers, but – and this is directed to Dr. Stanger – let’s be sure to ‘science’ claims. It’s bad practice as you know to make statements that don’t have a cited and reliable source (eg studies sponsored by beef companies should be viewed with skepticism and vv)..
2) This is not directed to you, Ben, but is a general comment to readers. ALL meat alternatives are not created equal. For example Beyond Meat burgers are made differently from Impossible’s . For example instead of using leghemoglobin to give the red color to their product as Impossible does, Beyond utilizes beet extracts I believe.
3.) Stanger makes a cheeky comment about how alt meat has X many ingredients and regular burgers have just one: beef.
To a non-scientist that may sound compelling, but it fails to recognize that any animal or vegetable product is full of components – amino acids, fatty acids, phytochemicals, etc. in other words, most anything we eat – natural or man-made is full of numerous chemicals.
That’s not to disregard that nature’s products are the gold standard to compare anything against. To me the jury is out on alt meat, and it’s smart to be thoughtful about how much of it to consume until we know more about it’s long term safety. I have tried Impossible and Beyond burgers and the taste is amazing. In Kai Ryssdal and Molly Woods “Make me Smart” podcast, Molly ran an unscientific blind taste test with her family and everyone picked the Impossible Burger as the all-beef burger. We have to hand it to ‘em that the feat of making an alt meat product that can’t be easily discerned is amazing.
More on this topic is welcomed as alt meat is a hot topic with a lot of startups and new alt meats (chicken, pork, fish) on the way, or already here!
Disclaimer: I am just a regular guy, who trains on a consistent basis (cycling-focused) and tries to look at claims with a discerning eye based partly on my long ago education in the biological sciences. Your efforts to help us live better through your insights and personal research into nutrition, training and recovery/sleep (and longevity) are much appreciated!
One of Ben’s best podcasts!