Episode #154: Everything You Need To Know About How A Plant Based Diet Affects Your Performance.

bengreenfieldfitness.com/drivenbydoug I first met today's podcast guest at a private conference where he was teaching long range rifle shooting combined with meditation? Sound a bit weird and intriguing? I thought so.     It turns out that my guest on today's show - Dr. Doug Brackman - has studied and worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs, pro-athletes, inventors, adventurers, and Navy SEALs and found that certain people are born with a drive often seen in these types of people. It's in their DNA - research has shown that certain genes can manifest resilient and highly focused people who can also be impulsive and easily distracted. While these traits enabled our ancient ancestors to survive, if you have these traits today, it can create havoc in your life. You may be diagnosed with ADHD, ADD, or OCD.     But what the world tells you is a disability or disorder may actually be your greatest gift. Using his experience teaching the highly driven how to master their gift, Doug provides the insight and tools you need to master yours. He teaches you how to:     - Stop self-sabotage forever - End shame and doubt - Find your wolf pack - Use meditation to put yourself on the right path     I just finished his new book Driven: Understanding and Harnessing the Genetic Gifts Shared by Entrepreneurs, Navy SEALs, Pro Athletes (& Maybe You) and was absolutely glued to the pages, so I just had to have Doug on the show.     After achieving a dual PhD in 2002, Dr. Doug struck out to research the components of powerful thought and action, culminating in a very successful practice of helping driven “hunters” focus their gifts on a daily basis.  Dr. Doug has used and integrated approach of meditation, bio-hacking, and applied real world counseling to help thousands of people. He has been naturally drawn to the driven (often ADD/ADHD spectrum) business owner/entrepreneur, and for the last 10 years has worked exclusively with these amazing clients. Dr. Doug is a twenty plus year meditation practitioner and continuous student of the rapid advances in science explaining the benefits of specific types of meditation. He describes himself as a functional MRI geek and student of all spiritual practices and religions. During our discussion, you'll discover: -How Doug went from a dual PhD to teaching meditation while shooting rifles...6:50         -What it means to be "Driven"...10:45         -How to determine if you're genetically predetermined to be Driven...20:00         -A poly peptide that relates to Driven people...25:05       -How the brain of a Driven person is used differently than that of others...         -Why there's "never enough" for Driven people...         -Practical solutions for Driven people to function in society...         -The only thing that will truly help a Driven person...         -The type of meditation best-suited for Driven people...         -The breath work Doug teaches to Driven people...         -Plant medicine protocols that may be useful for Driven people...       -How to learn more about Doug's work...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

11 Helmi 20211h 7min

bengreenfieldfitness.com/levels As I've mentioned many times before on podcasts, I've been using something called a "Continuous Glucose Monitor" (CGM) at various intervals throughout my life for about 4 years or so.     Considering that, as I write about here, I consider glycemic variability (which is exactly what these CGM's track) and inflammation (which is a bit more difficult to measure as it typically requires a visit to a lab) to be my top two key biomarkers for health and longevity, my use of a CGM has given me some very valuable data on how my body responds to certain foods, supplements, exercises, lifestyle practices, and even emotions. But how does a CGM work, exactly?  What does the really tiny "filamentous" needle actually measure? How do you get yours to "stick" for long periods of time, or in water?  How does the phone gather data from the sensor, and is EMF a concern? Does the sensor have to be calibrated to a blood glucose reading due to the fact it is recording interstitial fluid vs. blood?  Is this type of thing, from an insurance standpoint, that is only available to diabetics?  What do you do about activities that cause high glucose excursions, such as exercise/sauna/coffee etc., which wind up decreasing the metabolic score when, long-term, those are all glucose stabilizing/insulin sensitizing activities? Are there certain supplements or herbs that do the best job controlling blood glucose?     I explore these questions and many others in this podcast with Josh Clemente. Josh is a rocket scientist and worked at SpaceX for 6 years, managing the team that designed the life support systems in their space shuttles. Overtime, he started to notice extreme levels of fatigue and experienced volatile spikes and crashes of energy throughout his day. For someone that worked out consistently and followed the guidelines for what he believed to be healthy practices, it didn’t seem to add up. After experimenting with glucose monitoring, he realized that he was pre-diabetic, borderlining on fully-blown diabetic, and that the foods he was eating were having a significant impact on his performance. It was this discovery and struggle to derive actionable insights from his glucose monitoring that led him to start Levels.   Today at Levels Health, Josh and his team are revolutionizing the way people think about their metabolic health. And why is metabolic health so important? Before Levels, an average person had no way of understanding how efficiently or inefficiently their body was producing energy. Levels enables you, using a new CGM system, to access and understand this information in real-time, so you can start making better diet and lifestyle choices to avoid those energy peaks and valleys. During our discussion, you'll discover: -How Josh became a rocket scientist...8:50         -How Josh became interested in blood glucose management...32:05         -How a CGM works, what it measures, and how it compares to a blood glucose stick...19:33         -How the Levels app calibrates w/ the CGM's on the market...24:00         -Gold standard location for placement of the GCM on the body...30:45         -How to keep the CGM on your body for long periods of time...31:00         -How to obtain a CGM without faking you have diabetes...37:50         -If it's necessary to wear a CGM in perpetuity...39:15         -What is a "metabolic score?"...45:15         -What is an "activity response"...56:15         -How to keep blood glucose stable throughout the day and beyond...1:01:00         -Glucose disposal agents that may be outside the norm...1:06:45       -Josh's personal practices to stabilize his glucose levels...1:11:45      See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

6 Helmi 20211h 16min

I'll admit that I've never been a fan of the "juicing" and "cold-pressed juice" trend.     Most of these popular juices are full of oodles of sugar that basically mainline fructose into your bloodstream with very little of the actual fiber and water you'd find in whole fruit.     Most are extremely overpriced compared to what you could make at home, yet what you can make at home creates a huge mess and cleanup situation (anybody else ever tried to clean a juicer daily and had to deal with all the pulp and waste all over the kitchen counter?).     Furthermore, the actual source of most of the produce used in the juices is subpar fruit and vegetables grown in degraded, mineral-depleted soil and/or contains GMO ingredients, pesticides, herbicides and other additives - and if they *don't* have preservatives they go bad super quickly in your fridge, hence destroying all your hard-earned juice.     In the past, my solution for this has been to use a good organic vegetable juice powder, such as the one made by my friends at OrganifiSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

4 Helmi 202157min

In this special episode of the podcast, recorded live at Ben's house in Spokane, Washington, Ra Optics founder and light/circadian rhythm expert Matt Maruca interviews Ben Greenfield. Ben takes you along his 8 year brick-and-mortar journey in the world of fitness and why he eventually switched into writing, speaking, consulting, and podcasting. He discusses his experiences since starting the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast 12 years ago to what the world of podcasting offers now.     Matt and Ben talk about ancestral health and Ben shares whether he sees their small footprint making its way to the mainstream route anytime soon. Ben expresses why he recently began managing his daily information consumption through a quality over quantity perspective. Finally, Matt and Ben dive into the idea of finding true fulfillment through spirituality.     You'll hear about Ben’s experiments with the magical butter machine and ketamine, the light diet in its spiritual form, how Ben created a name for himself in the fitness world and his podcasting journey over the last 12 years, whether this small ancestral health footprint go mainstream, what fascinates Ben most about natural living, how we make the most impact on this planet, why outsourcing eliminates information overwhelm and the perspective of quality over quantity, spirituality through the lens of the hero’s journey and much more.     In my conversation with Matt, you'll discover: -How Ben began the interview with Matt on a truly high note...07:15         -The light diet in its spiritual form...12:40     -Who is Ben Greenfield?...14:15         -Ben's podcasting and immersive journalist path over the last 12 years...27:45         -Will this small ancestral health footprint go mainstream?...32:30         -What Ben thinks is the most fascinating part of "natural living"...40:50         -How to know where to put your focus in a world of information overload...47:15         -Why Ben is a Christian...1:09:45         -Where to start your holistic path...1:26:50         -And much more...See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

30 Tammi 20211h 32min

bengreenfieldfitness.com/anahata2   In the podcast episode "Magic Chocolate, Holotropic Breathwork, Grounding, Earthing, Vortexes, Crystals & More With Shamangelic Healer Anahata Ananda.", I introduced you to my friend Anahata Ananda. Recently, I returned to Anahata's hometown of Sedona, along with my Kion Co-Founder, CEO and business partner Angelo Keely, to undergo a transformative breath work session, during which both Angelo and I had some deep business insights and a profound physiological experience very similar to what one might experience from plant medicine or psychedelics!       Founder of Sedona’s Shamangelic Healing, Anahata Ananda blends the compassion and tenderness of an Angel and the wisdom and strength of a Shaman to guide profound journeys of core healing and spiritual awakening. As a Certified High-Performance Coach, Shamanic Healer and Soul Guide, Anahata has guided thousands of individuals through life shifts, helping them to heal core wounds, release their fears, open their hearts and reclaim their power. She is the host of the internationally acclaimed Shamangelic Healing Podcast which is designed as a platform for sharing deep authentic conversations and resources to address REAL LIFE issues. In Sedona, Arizona, Anahata offers in-person sessions, ceremonies and retreats as well as, coaching, online courses and virtual workshops.     During this discussion, you'll discover: -Ben's paradigm shift in his message since he and Anahata last spoke on the podcast...6:45         -Why Sedona is special...10:35         -An overview of Anahata's work and services...14:50       -Inside the healing room...19:11         -Pairing sound healing with breath work...27:15         -How Ben's business is mirroring his own spiritual journey...37:15         -Plant medicines contrasted with breath work...47:45         -The interplay between food and breath work that can enhance or detract from the experience...1:01:15         -Benefits derived, and sacrifices needed to achieve them from Ben's paradigm shift over the last several years...1:09:10       -How to connect with Anahata and/or visit in Sedona...1:13:30See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

28 Tammi 20211h 14min

In the past, I've discussed the link between respiration and body fat in articles such as "The 2 Best Ways To Burn Fat Fast (Without Destroying Your Hormones Or Metabolism)" and on the podcast "16 Reasons You’re Not Burning Fat (& How To Lose Weight The Right Way)." But my friend and former podcast guest Adam Wenguer recently introduced me to a guy who has thoroughly studied the link between breath and fat loss, and he has some very interesting insights on the matter as well as some potent fat loss tips you may find quite handy. His name is David Morin. David is a German-born American fitness trainer, model, corporate wellness speaker, and entrepreneur. An accredited strength and conditioning trainer and coach with 16 years of experience, David's clients include everyone from folks in the U.S. Special Forces to NBA stars like Allen Iverson. His skill set continues to evolve through various modalities rooted in movement, martial arts, Chi Kung, mediation, biofeedback, free-weight training, HIIT, and advanced biohacking techniques. He has appeared on more than 30 fitness magazine covers, including Muscle & Fitness, FitnessRX, Men’s Health, and Ironman magazine. For over 10 years and in 15 countries, David has been featured over 100 times as an editorial contributor and instructional fitness model for print media. Not to mention, he has hosted a number of successful fitness product infomercials. David joined “A-list celebrity” Rebel Wilson for a six-page editorial inside Glamour Magazine recently and can be found in advertisements on the internet and in print and billboards around the world representing his supplement partner Dymatize. David can also be seen in the documentary The Perfect Physique as well as working on director Micheal Bay's film “Pain & Gain” with The Rock and Mark Wahlberg. As a father of four who likes to stay active, David took matters into his own hands to create an effective, efficient at-home training regime called Lynx Fitness. As a corporate wellness speaker for clients such as Bank United and Post Holdings, David covers nutritional topics, practical guides to better health, DNA-test-specific nutrient selection, and behavioral pattern course correction towards higher productivity and health. Finally, David created FLO2 essential oils for "sniffing" pre-workout, and I have to admit, since David sent me some after this podcast and I began to use them, they are now my preferred alternative to full-on "smelling salts" for hard workouts. I recommend you try them for yourself. You can click here to get FLO2, and use code BENFLO to save 25%.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

23 Tammi 20211h 18min

bengreenfieldfitness.com/peakbrainpodcast Special Announcement: In the beginning of this episode, I describe how I got COVID and what I did about it. Enjoy!       Back in 2017, I visited the Peak Brain Institute in Los Angeles, California for a special type of advanced brain scan and brain mapping system called a quantified electroencephalography, or “QEEG”, and I was shocked at what they discovered in my brain.     Dr. Andrew Hill, my guest on today's show, oversaw the entire mapping protocol. Dr. Hill, a UCLA trained cognitive neuroscientist, lecturer, discovered what he described as some pretty severe patterns of excess stressful beta waves, excess theta waves, and excess delta waves in my brain.     What's that mean, exactly? Basically, it suggests that I had some history of concussions and traumatic brain injury (which I indeed have had, in everything from football to mountain biking to kickboxing), as well as built-up deficits of attention, increased distractibility, limited sleep potential and less-than-optimal cognitive performance from life, travel, toxins, head injuries and beyond.     Two months after the scan, I hopped on a plane back to LA, and ventured back into the Peak Brain Institute for three days of intensive training to fix my brain, returning to Spokane with a briefcase packed with a laptop, electrodes, conducting gel, and everything I needed to use neurofeedback to fix my brain. The next three months I trained for 30 minutes every other day using a style of neurofeedback I can best describe as “meditation on steroids”. Mostly, my protocol involved flying a spaceship with my mind. Each time my brain subconsciously shifted into brainwave patterns considered to be unfavorable, the spaceship would stop flying and the music generated by the neurofeedback software would fade away, very much like a cognitive “slap on the wrist”.     So how exactly does neurofeedback work? Technically, it’s a non-invasive form of what is known in the medical industry as “central nervous system biofeedback”. It trains the brain to develop new resources by encouraging certain areas to raise or lower the amplitude and ratios of particular brainwaves. To a very large extent, and unlike peripheral biofeedback such as practicing a physical exercise like a handstand, neurofeedback is an entirely non-voluntary process in which you are shaping the brain giving the brain feedback only when it’s doing certain things. Professional clinicians report that about 90% of users notice a significant positive impact from this style of training, and it can be used for everything from decreasing anxiety and stress to inducing faster sleep onset to even resetting tolerance to marijuana and alcohol.     Neurofeedback training simply involves the placement of electrodes on the scalp, which produces a signal then picked up by an EEG amplifier. These signals are fed into software that then sends back to the user some form of visual and/or auditory “feedback” or reward. This reward stimulus is given when the brain produces desired brainwave changes in amplitude or frequency.     Unlike many books and magazines would have you to believe, this type of protocol is slightly risky, and not just something you download a free neurofeedback app to do. Neurofeedback is a powerful tool and every brain is different, so the single most crucial aspect of neurofeedback training is selecting the proper protocol. Although the QEEG provides crucial information about one person’s brain, the training plan itself needs to be adaptive and iterative, based upon how someone responds to the training, which is why it's important to have the entire testing and training process overseen by a neurofeedback practitioner. Heck, when I did my three months of training with the Peak Brain Institute, Dr. Hill and I were text and email buddies nearly every day.     Neurofeedback can produce side effects, although they are generally minor and short lasting – and also informative to a neurofeedback practitioner. If you get adverse effects, protocols can be adjusted to steer the brain in a different direction. But if you are training yourself with no supervision and no sense of what’s actually happening in your brain, you can easily produce negative side effects and if you keep doing it you can cause these negative effects to become permanent. So proceed with caution, but with the understanding that neurofeedback is one of the more powerful pieces of headgear that can be used to enhance or change your brain.       During our discussion, you'll discover: -A brief overview of the Peak Brain Institute...8:36       -Why a home device isn't enough for optimal brain performance...11:18       -How close we are to a "god cap" that can track brain waves without gel, electrodes, etc...25:35       -How the Peak Brain Institute tracks individual's brain waves virtually...35:45       -How diet affects a person's neurofeedback...42:40       -Nootropics or smart drugs that promote neurofeedback...1:01:45See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

21 Tammi 20211h 17min

Even though it's pretty rare I scroll through many feeds on Instagram or elsewhere, I recently began following an interesting Instagram account. Titled "Ergogenic Health", it intrigued me with some very interesting content I hadn't seen before, including: -A commonly known special fruit that enhances the effects of psychedelics... -A simple free activity you can do anytime to lower cortisol by over 21%... -How the way you brush your teeth may actually reduce intelligence... -A very unique form of vitamin B1 called Thiamine tetrahydrofurfuryl disulfide (TTFD) that increases exercise performance, motivation, mood and overall energy... -How capsicum from peppers may lead to anxiety in some people... -The little known "younger sister" of curcumin... -And much more! So recently, I was able to connect with the guy who runs that Instagram channel, along with a host of other intriguing, well-informed, and outside-the-box websites, along with a podcast. His name is Lucas Aoun, and he graciously agreed to take a nerdy deep dive into biohacking with me on this podcast episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

16 Tammi 202158min