December 21, 2023

Michael Chandler is not just a force to be reckoned with in the octagon; he's a living embodiment of peak performance, resilience, and an unyielding pursuit of excellence.

Chandler's venture into the world of mixed martial arts began in 2009, setting the stage for a career that would redefine the standards of the sport.

It wasn't long before his prowess caught the attention of the MMA world, especially during his tenure with Bellator MMA from 2010 to 2020. During this period, he not only claimed the Bellator Lightweight Championship three times but also emerged victorious in the Bellator Season Four Lightweight Tournament, solidifying his status as a dominant force in the lightweight division.

In 2020, Chandler made a pivotal transition to the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), where he continued to showcase his unparalleled skills. As of July 17, 2023, he stands proudly at #5 in the UFC lightweight rankings, a testament to his unwavering commitment to excellence. His next fight will be against Conor McGregor, the Two-Division UFC World Champion and Former Cage Warriors Featherweight and Lightweight Champion. Currently, Chandler is also a coach on ESPN's weekly MMA/UFC show, The Ultimate Fighter.

Beyond the realm of professional fighting, Chandler's life is a harmonious blend of family, love, and unshakeable determination. In 2013, he began dating Brie Willett after emailing for almost two years. Subsequently, they got married in 2014. Their family expanded in 2017 with the adoption of their son, Hap, and in April 2022, they welcomed their second adoptive son, Ace, into the world.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-Michael Chandler…05:51

• American professional mixed martial artist
• 3-time Bellator lightweight champion
• No. 5 in the UFC lightweight rankings
• Adopted 2 boys
• Ben and Michael connected when Ben and Jessa were thinking of adopting
• Michael’s childhood compared to his sons’ childhoods
• Ben’s sons and their routine and competitiveness
• The use of digital media

-Exposing kids to cold…13:15

• The Paleo Manifesto: Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health by John Durant
• Ben read it before his sons were born
• Our ancestors exposed their children to cold and snow
• Time limit and temperature for children
• Ben has taken his sons to the sauna since they were 4 (but very carefully)
• Cold plunge — from 30 seconds to 4 minutes for kids
• Ben's article on breathwork, sauna, and cold plunge routine for his sons:
  • “How To Blast You (And Your Child’s!) Physical, Mental, & Spiritual Resilience Through The Roof With Breathwork.”
• Michael never liked the cold water; it never gets easier for the most part
  • Doing it no matter what — Chandlers do hard things
• Greenfield Family mission statement

• Ben’s secret weapon for being able to withstand the cold
  • Higher dose niacin or niacinamide
  • L-Arginine or L-Citrulline
  • NADRegen (use code BEN15 to save)
• Podcast with Dr. Amie Hornaman
  • “What Doctors Won’t Tell You About Your Thyroid, Little-Known Hacks To Improve Thyroid Function, The Best Thyroid Supplements & Much More With Dr. Amie Hornaman.”
• The thyroid hormone helps generate heat and increase metabolism
• Thyroid Fixxr (use code BEN20 to save 20%) — T2 thyroid hormone
• Grains of paradise spice instead of pepper
  • Similar action to T2

-The use of supplements and the world of anti-doping…21:45

• Michael has a fear of supplements because of the anti-doping tests
  • Being accused of dabbling in performance-enhancing drugs because of the way he looks
• There is a list of banned substances
• Iron Clad 
• NSF-certified supplements Ben uses
  • Thorne
  • Kion — supplements are made in NSF-certified facilities
• WADA
• Tracking app on the phone, and he can be tested anytime, 24/7
• Global DRO
  • Type a supplement and find out if they are allowed
• Has a direct line to Jeff Novitzky and a lady named Donna for questions
  • They work for the UFC in conjunction with USADA

-The supplements Michael takes…26:41

• Everything needs to be NSF-certified
• Thorne supplements are certified
  • Still, some are not approved for use
• Michael works with OIAM Performance — packs of supplements
• Michael's OIAM Performance Official Packs
• Elysium Health
  • Signal
  • Format
  • Matter
  • Basis
• Ben uses NAD and Creatine for sleep deprivation
• NAD:
  • IonLayer NAD patches (use code BEN to save $100 off your first order)
  • BiostackLabs NAD Regen (use code BEN15 to save)
  • Qualia NAD+ (use code BGF to save 15%)
  • IV NAD
    • Controversy over whether that much is actually necessary
  • Ben takes SAMe or Trimethylglycine with NAD

-Stacking supplements…29:14

• Chris Masterjohn on Substack
  • Good source of information on various supplements and stacking
• Podcast with Chris Masterjohn, PhD:
  • “How To Test Your​ ​Nutritional​ ​Status & How To Know Which Supplements To Take: The​ ​Ultimate​ ​Cheat​ ​Sheet.”
• Examine.com
• Selfdecode.com
  • How your unique genetics would interplay with certain supplements
  • DNA test (use code BEN to save 10%)

-How Michael protects his head and combats the risk of Alzheimer’s…31:05

• Always extremely hydrated
• 24-hour fast
• Omega-3, turmeric, and curcumin
• Being active and working out
• Cold therapy, sauna, and hyperbaric
• Concerned about Alzheimer's and dementia
• The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline by Dale Bredesen
• Breaking Alzheimer’s: A 15-Year Crusade to Expose the Cause and Deliver the Cure by Dr. Dayan Goodenowe
• Dr. Daniel Amen — practical lifestyle advice
• Ketone Esters and Ketone IQ by HVMN
• Podcast with Latt Mansor of HVMN:
  • “Everything You Need To Know About Ketones & Ketosis With Dr. Latt Mansor of H.V.M.N.”
• Ben adds Ketone IQ to his:
  • Lunch-time bone broth
  • Evening sparkling water
  • Morning smoothie 
• Very protective for neuroinflammation
• Intracranial intranasal red light therapy — “Applications of Intranasal Low Intensity Laser Therapy in Sports Medicine”
• Podcast with Dr. Lew Lim:
  • “How To Use Low-Level Light Therapy and Intranasal Light Therapy For Athletic Performance, Cognitive Enhancement & More.”
• VieLight
• Neuronic helmet for tPBM (transcranial photobiomodulation) (use code BENG100 to save $100)
• Methylene blue with red light or hyperbaric combination is amazing for the brain
• Methylene blue:
  • MitoZen
  • Troscriptions Methylene Blue troches (use code BEN to save 10%)
  • BioBlue (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Chrissie Wellington and Ironman
• Fish oil
• The importance of choline for brain injuries
  • Egg yolks
  • Walnuts
  • Phosphatidylcholine

-Michael’s diet…48:03

• Doesn’t follow any specific diet
• Eats lean meats and a little bit of vegetables
• Low carbs — just vegetables, no bread or pasta
• U.S. Wellness Meats organ meats 
• Ben's raw liver smoothie recipe:
  • Vanilla whey protein
  • Cacao
  • Bone broth
  • Frozen raw liver
  • Cinnamon
  • Stevia (use code GREENFIELD to save 10%)
• Heart and Soil by Paul Saladino
• Liver King
• Ancestral Supplements liver capsules (code BEN10 for 10% discount auto-applied at checkout)
• Ancient Nutrition

-Low-carb diet and insomnia…54:17

• Taking melatonin
• Ben used to use Valium to sleep after Ironman training
  • Lots of sugar and caffeine
• Now, there are lots of non-pharmaceutical things
• Pulsetto vagus nerve stimulator
• Apollo wearable
• Hapbee Pillow
  • Produces magnetic stimulation that mimics melatonin
• Vibrant Blue Essential Oils
• Ultimate Longevity grounding mat
• Eight Sleep mattress 
  • Last time Ben checked, Wi-Fi can't be disabled
• Chilipad (use code BEN to save 10%)
• BedJet (use code BEN50 to save $50 off the US BedJet 3)
  • Temperature can be used as an alarm clock
• Sunrise alarm clock
• Hapbee can also be used as an alarm clock
• Ra Optics blue light-blocking glasses
• Joovv red light panels
• Podcast with Matt Maruca:
  • “Ben Accidentally Gets A Bit High On Ketamine & Talks About His Journey Of Biohacking, Ancestral Health, Spirituality, Fitness & Much More With Light Expert Matt Maruca.”
• True Dark
• Podcasts with Dr. Leland Stillman:
  • “The ‘Monster Mash' Muscle-Building Tactic, Live Like A Polar Bear, Decoding Vitamin C, Melatonin, Iodine, Magnesium & More With Dr. Leland Stillman.”
  • “Light As Medicine, Metabolic Typing, COVID Controversies, Polar Bear Fitness, Healing Yourself With Laughter & More With Dr. Leland Stillman.”
• Dr. Leland Stillman

-Michael’s fight season…1:06:59

• Upcoming fight with Connor — delayed after Connor suffered a serious leg injury
• He is coming back next year
• Michael got 12 months of being with his family
• Focusing on other business ventures outside of just fighting
• Hiatus Tequila

-And much more…

Upcoming Events:

• Unlock Longevity: February 24, 2024

Join me in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, February 24, 2024, for the Unlock Longevity event where I'll be presenting on “The 5 Elements in Your Environment That Will Make or Break Your Health.” Check out more by going to bengreenfieldlife.com/unlock-longevity (use code Greenfield10 for $10 off your ticket).

• Keep up on Ben's LIVE appearances by following bengreenfieldfitness.com/calendar!

Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.

Resources from this episode:

– Michael Chandler:

• OIAM Performance Official Packs

– Podcasts And Articles:

• “What Doctors Won’t Tell You About Your Thyroid, Little-Known Hacks To Improve Thyroid Function, The Best Thyroid Supplements & Much More With Dr. Amie Hornaman.”
• “How To Test Your​ ​Nutritional​ ​Status & How To Know Which Supplements To Take: The​ ​Ultimate​ ​Cheat​ ​Sheet.”
• “Everything You Need To Know About Ketones & Ketosis With Dr. Latt Mansor of H.V.M.N.”
• “How To Use Low-Level Light Therapy and Intranasal Light Therapy For Athletic Performance, Cognitive Enhancement & More.”
• “Ben Accidentally Gets A Bit High On Ketamine & Talks About His Journey Of Biohacking, Ancestral Health, Spirituality, Fitness & Much More With Light Expert Matt Maruca.”
• “The ‘Monster Mash' Muscle-Building Tactic, Live Like A Polar Bear, Decoding Vitamin C, Melatonin, Iodine, Magnesium & More With Dr. Leland Stillman.”
• “Light As Medicine, Metabolic Typing, COVID Controversies, Polar Bear Fitness, Healing Yourself With Laughter & More With Dr. Leland Stillman.”
• “How To Blast You (And Your Child’s!) Physical, Mental, & Spiritual Resilience Through The Roof With Breathwork.”

– Books:

• The Paleo Manifesto: Ancient Wisdom for Lifelong Health by John Durant
• The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline by Dale Bredesen
• Breaking Alzheimer’s: A 15-Year Crusade to Expose the Cause and Deliver the Cure by Dr. Dayan Goodenowe

– Other Resources:

• Hiatus Tequila
• Niacin 
• Niacinamide
• Arginine
• Citrulline
• NADRegen (use code BEN15 to save)
• Thyroid Fixxr
• Grains of Paradise 
• Thorne
• Kion
• Iron Clad
• OIAM Performance
• Elysium Health
• IonLayer NAD Patches (use code BEN to save $100 off your first order)
• Biostack Labs NADRegen
• Qualia NAD+ (use code BGF to save 15%)
• IV NAD
• Creatine
• SAMe
• Trimethylglycine
• Ketone IQ
• Bone Broth
• Sparkling Water
• MitoZen
• Troscriptions Methylene Blue Troches (use code BEN to save 10%)
• BioBlue (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Choline 
• Phosphatidylcholine
• Vanilla Whey Protein (Kion Clean Protein)
• Cacao
• Raw Liver
• Cinnamon
• Stevia (use code GREENFIELD to save 10%)
• Heart and Soil 
• Liver King
• Ancestral Supplements Liver capsules (code BEN10 for 10% discount auto-applied at checkout)
• Ancient Nutrition
• Melatonin
• U.S. Wellness Meats Organ Meats (use code BEN to save)
• Sauna 
• Morozko Forge 
• VieLight
• Neuronic (use code BENG100 to save $100)
• Joovv 
• HBOT 
• Pulsetto Vagus Nerve Stimulator
• Apollo 
• Hapbee Pillow
• Vibrant Blue Essential Oils
• Ultimate Longevity 
• Eight Sleep
• Chilipad (use code BEN to save 10%)
• BedJet (use code BEN50 to save $50 off the US BedJet 3)
• Sunrise Alarm Clocks
• Ra Optics
• True Dark
• Examine.com
• Selfdecode.com
• SelDecode DNA test (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Dr. Leland Stillman
• Chris Masterjohn
• Chrissie Wellington

Episode Sponsors:

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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Michael Chandler or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!