How Foods & Nutrients Control Our Moods
This episode explains the brain-body connections that allow the specific foods we eat to control our moods and motivation. I discuss the vagus nerve and its role in dopamine and serotonin release in the brain. I review Omega-3 fatty acids and the key role of the gut microbiome in supporting (or hindering) our mental and emotional states. Many actionable tools are reviewed and discussed related to fasting, ketogenic and plant-based diets, probiotics, fermented foods, fish oils, artificial sweeteners, specific supplements that promote dopamine and serotonin, and some remarkable behavioral (and belief) effects. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:05:00 Emotions: Aligning Mind & Body 00:06:41 Nutrients, Neurochemicals and Mood 00:08:39 Primitive Expressions and Actions 00:12:30 The Vagus Nerve: Truth, Fiction, Function 00:15:45 “Vagus Stimulation”: A Terrible Concept 00:16:35 Polyvagal Theory 00:18:27 Vagus Senses Many Things, & Moves Our Organs 00:19:35 Sugar Sensing Without Perception of Sweetness 00:23:00 Eating-Induced Anxiety 00:27:30 We Eat Until Our Brain Perceives “Amino Acid Threshold” 00:29:45 Reward Prediction Error: Buildup, Letdown and Wanting More 00:32:01 L-Tyrosine, Dopamine, Motivation, Mood, & Movement 00:34:04 Supplementing L-Tyrosine, Drugs of Abuse, Wellbutrin 00:38:29 Serotonin: Gut, Brain, Satiety and Prozac 00:43:38 Eating to Promote Dopamine (Daytime) & Serotonin (Night Time) 00:44:30 Supplementing Serotonin: Sleep, & Caution About Sleep Disruptions 00:46:40 Examine.com An Amazing Cost-Free Resource with Links to Science Papers 00:48:05 Mucuna Pruriens: The Dopamine Bean with a Serotonin Outer Shell 00:51:00 Emotional Context and Book Recommendation: “How Emotions Are Made” 00:54:55 Exercise: Powerful Mood Enhancer, But Lacks Specificity 00:56:45 Omega-3: Omega-6 Ratios, Fish Oil and Alleviating Depression 01:01:00 Fish Oil as Antidepressant 01:02:40 EPAs May Improve Mood via Heart Rate Variability: Gut-Heart-Brain 01:07:24 Alternatives to Fish Oil to Obtain Sufficient Omega-3/EPAs 01:09:05 L-Carnitine for Mood, Sperm and Ovary Quality, Autism, Fibromyalgia, Migraine 01:16:29 Gut-Microbiome: Myths, Truths & the Tubes Within Us 01:21:55 Probiotics, Brain Fog, Autism, Fermentation 01:25:20 Artificial Sweeteners & the Gut Microbiome: NOT All Bad; It Depends! 01:28:00 Ketogenic, Vegan, & Processed Food Effects, Individual Differences 01:33:20 Fasting-Based Depletion of Our Microbiome 01:35:20 How Mindset Effects Our Responses to Foods: Amazing (Ghrelin) Effects! 01:38:30 How Mindset Controls Our Metabolism 01:41:03 Closing Comments, Thanks, Support & Resources Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 Mars 20211h 40min
Master Stress: Tools for Managing Stress & Anxiety
This episode explains what stress is, and how it recruits our brain and body to react in specific ways. I describe the three main types of stress, and how two of them actually enhance the function of our immune system making us less vulnerable to infections. I review tools that allow us to control our stress in real-time, as well as tools to prevent long-term stress, burnout and stress-induced illness and anxiety. As always, we cover behavioral tools and supplements that can assist or hinder stress control. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman More Huberman Lab Huberman Lab Premium: https://go.hubermanlab.com/premium Huberman Lab Shop: https://go.hubermanlab.com/merch Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:04:41 Emotions: A Logical Framework of Brain-Body Loops 00:10:29 Stress: The (Falsely Narrow) Animal Attack Narrative 00:14:31 The Stress RESPONSE: Generic, Channels blood, Biases Action 00:21:08 Tools to Actually Control Stress: Reduce Alertness or Increase Calm 00:24:15 The Fastest Way to Reduce Stress In Real Time: “Respiratory Sinus Arrhythmia” 00:29:45 The Fastlane to Calm 00:34:53 Important Notes About Heart Rate Deceleration: Vaso-vagal Lag 00:36:50 Cyclic Sighing For Calm and Sleep Induction 00:37:57 Nasal Breathing For Cosmetic, Immune and Performance Enhancement 00:38:46 Two Breathing Centers In The Brain 00:39:45 Breathing For Speaking Clearly 00:40:39 The 3 Types of Stress: Short, Medium and Long-Term 00:42:10 Positive Effects of Short-Term Stress: Immunity and Focus 00:45:32 Adrenalin (Epinephrine) Deploys Killer Immune Cells 00:46:40 Cyclic Deep Breathing IS Stress: Wim Hof, Tummo & Super-Oxygenation 00:50:58 Inflammation Is Useful and Good, In the Short Term 00:52:02 Procrastination and Self-Manufactured Nootropics 00:53:00 Relaxation Can Cause Illness 00:54:30 Immune Activation Protocol 00:55:20 Medium Term Stress: A Clear Definition 00:56:07 Stress Threshold 00:57:10 Stress Inoculation Tools: Separating Mind & Body, On Purpose 00:59:50 Use Vision to Calm the Mind When the Body Is Agitated 01:02:36 Beyond NSDR 01:04:36 Long Term Stress: Definition, Measurement, Cardiovascular Risks 01:06:30 Tools for Dealing With Long Term Stress 01:08:20 The Oxytocin Myth 01:09:15 Serotonin: Satiety, Safety 01:12:00 Delight and Flexibility 01:13:30 Chemical Irritants We Make But Can Control: Tackykinin 01:15:40 Impactful Gratitude 01:16:25 Non-Prescription Chemical Compounds For Additional Anti-Stress Support 01:18:04 Melatonin: Cautionary Note About Adrenal Suppression 01:19:15 Adrenal Burnout Is A Myth… But Why You Need to Know About It Anyway 01:21:10 L-Theanine For Stress Reduction and Task Completion Anxiety 01:23:00 Beware Taurine and Energy Drinks With Taurine 01:23:30 Ashwagandha: Can Powerfully Lower Anxiety And Cortisol 01:25:50 Examine.com Is An Amazing Free Resource 01:26:20 How This All Relates to Emotions: State Versus Demand = Valence 01:32:00 Modulating Reactivity, Mindfulness, & Functionality With Objective Tools 01:34:00 Next Steps 01:35:40 Topic Suggestions, Subscriptions and Reviews Please 01:37:40 Additional Resources, Synthesis Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
8 Mars 20211h 35min
Control Pain & Heal Faster With Your Brain
In this episode, I describe the science of how and why pain arises in the body and brain, and how we can actively control our experience of pain. I discuss inflammation, stress, acupuncture, limb damage and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI). I review protocols that leverage the lymphatic and nervous system to accelerate pain relief and healing in a variety of situations. Other topics discussed include how heat versus cold impacts neurons and wounds, red-light, sunlight, stem cells and more. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction/Avenues for Support 00:00:31 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:04:58 Deliberate Unlearning 00:06:43 Pain, Injury and Regeneration 00:09:17 A System of Touch (Somatosensation) 00:11:42 Pain and Injury are Dissociable 00:15:19 Objective versus Subjective Control of Experience 00:16:15 Plasticity of Perception 00:16:41 Lack of Pain Is Self-Destructive; So Is Excessive Pain 00:18:42 Homoculous, Ratonculous, Dogunculus 00:19:05 “Sensitivity” explained 00:21:30 Inflammation 00:22:24 Phantom Limb Pain 00:24:00 Top-down Relief of Pain by Vision 00:26:41 From Deaf to Hearing Sounds 00:28:10 Pain Is In The Mind & Body 00:29:44 Recovering Movement Faster After Injury 00:35:00 Don’t Over Compensate 00:37:34 Concussion, TBI & Brain Ageing 00:40:49 The Brain’s Sewage Treatment System: Glymphatic Clearance 00:43:05 Body Position & Angle During Sleep 00:44:30 Types of Exercise For Restoring & Maintaining Brain Health 00:47:33 Ambulance Cells in The Brain 00:49:20 True Pain Control by Belief and Context 00:51:45 Romantic Love and Pain 00:55:05 Dopaminergic Control of Pain 00:57:15 Acupuncture: Rigorous Scientific Assessment 01:07:32 Vagus Activation and Autonomic Control of Pain 01:08:30 Inflammation, Turmeric, Lead and DHT 01:11:40 Adrenalin: Wim Hof, Tummo, “Super-Oxygenation” Breathing 01:14:53 Protocols For Accelerating Tissue Repair & Managing Pain 01:17:55 Ice Is Not Always Nice (For Pain and Injury): Sludging, Fascia, Etc. 01:22:02 Chronic and/or Whole Body Pain; Red-Light Therapy, Sunlight 01:26:10 Glymphatics and Sleep 01:26:29 Stem Cells, Platelet Rich Plasma (PRP): Shams, Shoulds and Should Nots 01:31:38 Young Blood: Actual Science 01:35:44 Synthesis, Support & Resources Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 Mars 20211h 35min
Optimize Your Learning & Creativity With Science-Based Tools
In this episode, I describe how to access focused learning bouts, creative states, and the underlying neural circuitry involved. I frame this in the context of our daily 24-hour cycle in order to make it practical, clear and precise about timing. I review the role of fasting, meal timing and specific types of nutrients for promoting certain states of mind. I also review various other tools and biological factors that directly or indirectly gate brain function and that we can control. I answer commonly asked questions about the science of psychedelics, binaural beats, and visualization. Thank you for your interest in science! Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:30 Sponsors: AG1 & LMNT 00:04:53 The Daily (Learning) Routine 00:07:13 Plasticity Is NOT the Goal 00:09:26 No Obligation To Change 00:09:59 Practical Plasticity Language 00:13:37 Pillars of Neuroplasticity 00:15:16 My Daily Routine: Chronotype Management 00:17:20 Plasticity of the Wake-Sleep Circuit: Morning Light 00:19:09 Delay Caffeine! 00:21:19 Light, Black Coffee, Hydrate 00:22:57 High Alertness, Linear Tasks/Learning 00:25:12 Background Music/Noise: Yay or Nay? 00:26:52 “GO” versus “NO-GO”: The Basal Ganglia & Dopamine 00:28:37 Leveraging GO, NO-GO 00:30:08 Non-Specific Action 00:32:06 Clear, Calm, Focused: The GO, NO-GO Sweet Spot 00:33:48 When Very Alert, Work In Silence; When Tired, Include Background Noise 00:35:28 Temperaments Vary: And So Should This 00:36:01 The 3 Hour-Long Post Waking Block 00:36:20 Early Morning Exercise and GO Networks 00:38:05 Fasting, Ketogenic Diets, & Food Volume 00:39:41 Sodium/Electrolytes 00:40:57 Avoiding Hot Lunch, Food Pre-Occupation 00:42:01 Post Lunch Low/No Cognitive Load 00:42:56 Hydration, NSDR, Nap 00:44:54 Creativity Work 00:46:26 Creativity Is A Two-Part Phenomenon 00:51:15 Psychedelics 00:58:20 Afternoon Light As Insurance 01:00:26 Evening Nutrition 01:01:21 Repacking Glycogen: Hormonal Factors 01:04:11 Pre-Sleep Anxiety: Normal and Easy To Solve 01:07:08 The Power of Objective Tools 01:08:14 Visualization 01:11:34 Mini-Synthesis 01:13:31 Resetting Your Clock 01:15:55 Don’t Trust the Mind Now 01:16:59 Two, (Maybe 3) Optimization Bouts Per Day 01:18:33 Organizational Logic 01:20:22 Wim Hof Breathing, Binaural Beats, Ice Baths, Etc. 01:24:42 Variation Among People, and Dogs 01:25:49 Accurate Versus Exhaustive 01:27:57 Familiar and New Ways To Support Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
22 Feb 20211h 27min
How to Learn Faster by Using Failures, Movement & Balance
In this episode, I discuss how we can use specific types of behavior to change our brain, both for sake of learning the movements themselves and for allowing us to learn non-movement-based information as well. I describe the key role that errors play in triggering our brains to change and how the vestibular (balance) system can activate and amplify neuroplasticity. As always, I cover science and science-based practical tools. Thank you in advance for your questions and for your interest in science! For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:29 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:06:20 Nerves and Muscles 00:12:00 Exercise alone won’t change your brain 00:12:58 Behavior will change your brain 00:13:30 Remembering the wrong things 00:15:00 Behavior as the gate to plasticity 00:15:45 Types of Plasticity 00:17:32 Errors Not Flow Trigger Plasticity 00:21:30 Mechanisms of Plasticity 00:22:30 What to learn when you are young 00:23:50 Alignment of your brain maps: neuron sandwiches 00:26:00 Wearing Prisms On Your Face 00:29:10 The KEY Trigger Plasticity 00:32:20 Frustration Is the Feeling to Follow (Further into Learning) 00:33:10 Incremental Learning 00:35:30 Huberman Free Throws 00:38:50 Failure Specificity Triggers Specific Plastic Changes 00:40:20 Triggering Rapid, Massive Plasticity Made Possible 00:43:25 Addiction 00:45:25 An Example of Ultradian-Incremental Learning 00:49:42 Bad Events 00:51:55 Surprise! 00:52:00 Making Dopamine Work For You (Not The Other Way Around) 00:53:20 HOW to release dopamine 00:55:00 (Mental) Performance Enhancing Drugs 00:56:00 Timing Your Learning 00:57:36 (Chem)Trails of Neuroplasticity 00:58:57 The Three Key Levers To Accelerate Plasticity 00:59:15 Limbic Friction: Finding Clear, Calm and Focused 01:04:25 The First Question To Ask Yourself Before Learning 01:05:00 Balance 01:07:45 Cerebellum 01:10:00 Flow States Are Not The Path To Learning 01:11:18 Novelty and Instability Are Key 01:14:55 How to Arrive At Learning 01:15:45 The Other Reason Kids Learn Faster Than Adults 01:19:25 Learning French and Other Things Faster 01:22:00 Yoga versus Science 01:32:00 Closing Remarks Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
15 Feb 20211h 25min
How to Focus to Change Your Brain
This episode introduces neuroplasticity—which is how our brain and nervous system learn and acquire new capabilities. I describe the differences between childhood and adult neuroplasticity, the chemicals involved and how anyone can increase their rate and depth of learning by leveraging the science of focus. I describe specific tools for increasing focus and learning. The next two episodes will cover the ideal protocols for specific types of learning and how to make learning new information more reflexive. For the full show notes, visit hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Momentous: https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Introduction (00:00:32) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT, Waking Up (00:03:50) Plasticity: What Is it, & What Is It For? (00:06:30) Babies and Potato Bugs (00:08:00) Customizing Your Brain (00:08:50) Hard-Wired Versus Plastic Brains (00:10:25) Everything Changes At 25 (00:12:29) Costello and Your Hearing (00:13:10) The New Neuron Myth (00:14:10) Anosmia: Losing Smell (00:15:13) Neuronal Birthdays Near Our Death Day (00:16:45) Circumstances for Brain Change (00:17:21) Brain Space (00:18:30) No Nose, Eyes, Or Ears (00:19:30) Enhanced Hearing and Touch In The Blind (00:20:20) Brain Maps of The Body Plan (00:21:00) The Kennard Principle (Margaret Kennard) (00:21:36) Maps of Meaning (00:23:00) Awareness Cues Brain Change (00:25:20) The Chemistry of Change (00:26:15) A Giant Lie In The Universe 00:27:10) Fathers of Neuroplasticity/Critical Periods 00:29:30) Competition Is The Route to Plasticity 00:32:30) Correcting The Errors of History 00:33:29) Adult Brain Change: Bumps and Beeps (00:36:25) What It Takes to Learn (00:38:15) Adrenalin and Alertness (00:40:18) The Acetylcholine Spotlight (00:42:26) The Chemical Trio For Massive Brain Change (00:44:10) Ways To Change Your Brain (00:46:16) Love, Hate, & Shame: all the same chemical (00:47:30) The Dopamine Trap (00:49:40) Nicotine for Focus (00:52:30) Sprinting (00:53:30) How to Focus (00:55:22) Adderall: Use & Abuse (00:56:40) Seeing Your Way To Mental Focus (01:02:59) Blinking (01:05:30) And Ear Toward Learning (01:06:14) The Best Listeners In The World (01:07:20) Agitation is Key (01:07:40) ADHD & ADD: Attention Deficit (Hyperactivity) Disorder (01:12:00) Ultra(dian) Focus (01:13:30) When Real Change Occurs (01:16:20) How Much Learning Is Enough? (01:16:50) Learning In (Optic) Flow/Mind Drift (01:18:16) Synthesis/Summary (01:25:15) Learning With Repetition, Forming Habits As always, thank you for your interest in science! Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac Disclaimer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
8 Feb 20211h 27min
Understand and Use Dreams to Learn and Forget
This episode is all about the two major kinds of dreams and the sorts of learning and unlearning they are used for. I discuss REM-associated dreams that control emotional learning and their similarity to various trauma treatments such as ketamine and EMDR. I also discuss Non-REM dreams and their role in motor learning and learning of detailed, non-emotionally-laden information. I relate this to science-backed tools for accessing more of the types of sleep and learning people may want. Other topics are listed in the time stamps below. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:30 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:03:00 The Dream Mask 00:06:00 Cycling Sleep 00:08:10 Chemical Cocktails of Sleep 00:13:00 Motor Learning 00:16:30 High Performance with Less Sleep 00:17:45 Rapid Eye Movement Sleep 00:20:30 Paralysis & Hallucinations 00:23:35 Nightmares 00:24:45 When REM & Waking Collide 00:25:00 Sleeping While Awake 00:26:45 Alien Abductions 00:29:00 Irritability 00:30:00 Sleep to Delete 00:32:25 Creating Meaning 00:34:10 Adults Acting Like Children 00:36:20 Trauma & REM 00:37:15 EMDR 00:39:10 Demo 00:44:25 Ketamine / PCP 00:45:45 Soup, Explosions, & NMDA 00:48:55 Self Therapy 00:50:30 Note About Hormones 00:51:40 Measuring REM / SWS 00:53:15 Sleep Consistency 00:56:00 Bed Wetting 00:58:00 Serotonin 00:59:00 Increasing SWS 00:59:50 Lucidity 01:02:15 Booze / Weed 01:03:50 Scripting Dreams 01:04:35 Theory of Mind 01:07:55 Synthesis 01:10:00 Intermittent Sleep Deprivation 01:11:10 Snoring Disclaimer 01:11:40 New Topic 01:15:50 Corrections 01:17:25 Closing Remarks Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
1 Feb 20211h 16min
How to Defeat Jet Lag, Shift Work & Sleeplessness
In this episode, I discuss a simple and reliable measurement called your "temperature minimum" that you can use to rapidly adjust to new time zones when traveling and to offset the bad effects of nocturnal shift work. I also discuss tools for adjusting sleep and waking rhythms in babies, teens, new parents and the elderly. Read the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1: https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Waking Up: https://www.wakingup.com/huberman Timestamps 00:00:00 Introduction 00:00:30 Sponsors: AG1, LMNT & Waking Up 00:04:15 The bedrock of sleep-rest cycles 00:07:05 Night owls and morning larks 00:08:22 “The perfect schedule” 00:11:04 The 100K Lux per morning goal 00:15:15 Keeping your biological clock set 00:16:15 Reset your cortisol 00:21:22 Jet Lag, death and lifespan 00:23:00 Going East versus West 00:28:45 The key to clock control 00:31:01 Your Temperature Minimum 00:36:30 Temperature and Exercise 00:41:20 Eating 00:42:50 Go West 00:44:15 Pineal myths and realities 00:51:13 The Heat-Cold Paradox 00:53:45 Staying on track 00:55:30 Nightshades 00:57:00 Emergency resets 00:57:30 Psychosis by light 00:58:05 Shift work 01:02:40 The Temperature-Light Rule 01:04:20 Up all night: watch the sunrise? 01:06:45 Error correction is good 01:08:20 NSDR protocols/implementation 01:10:44 The frog skin in your eye (not a joke) 01:16:39 Why stress turns your hair white 01:17:24 Ovaries or testes? 01:18:25 Babies and bright light 01:21:40 Polyphasic sleep 01:25:25 Ultradian cycles in children 01:27:38 Teens and puberty 01:29:50 Light before waking for better sleep 01:31:20 Older people and circadian rhythms 01:33:48 Sleepy Supplements 01:42:00 Red Pills & Acupuncture 01:43:50 Highlights 01:48:30 Feedback and Support Disclaimer & Disclosures Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
25 Jan 20211h 49min
