September 18, 2020
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!
Study I’m Pondering: 8 Things That Make You Happy
I recently finished Randy Alcorn’s mindblowing book Heaven: A Comprehensive Guide to Everything the Bible Says About Our Eternal Home (Clear Answers to 44 Real Questions About the Afterlife, Angels, Resurrection, and the Kingdom of God)—and in the process, learned about Randy’s other popular book Happiness. Both books are excellent, but the latter turned me on to this 2006 Duke University Study On Happiness. The study, which focused on life factors that contribute to “peace of mind” identified eight factors that contribute greatly to emotional and mental stability. I found the results quite thought-provoking.
In no particular order of importance, the eight factors are:
- The absence of suspicion and resentment. Nursing a grudge was a major factor in unhappiness.
- Not living in the past. An unwholesome preoccupation with old mistakes and failures leads to depression.
- Not wasting time and energy fighting conditions you cannot change. Cooperate with life, instead of trying to run away from it.
- Force yourself to stay involved with the living world. Resist the temptation to withdraw and become reclusive during periods of emotional stress.
- Refuse to indulge in self-pity when life hands you a raw deal. Accept the fact that nobody gets through life without some sorrow and misfortune.
- Cultivate the old-fashioned virtues—love, humor, compassion, and loyalty.
- Do not expect too much of yourself. When there is too wide a gap between self-expectation and your ability to meet the goals you have set, feelings of inadequacy are inevitable.
- Find something bigger than yourself to believe in. Self-centered egotistical people score lowest on any test for measuring happiness.
What do you think? Would you add anything? Leave your thoughts in the comments section below, and keep this helpful infographic on hand or print it as a wall poster if you want to keep these happiness factors top of mind.
My Newest Nutrition-On-The-Go Infatuation: “Keto Bricks”
After pondering what kind of fuel (besides eating grilled meat back at camp after long days of hunting) I wanted to use to support my body for a recent week-long New Mexico elk hunt with tons of aerobic walking, hiking, and carrying, I decided to try an experiment. After hearing from several folks in the keto sector (most notably my friend Dominic D’ Agostino) about these newfangled nutrition bars called “Keto Bricks,” I decided I’d take the plunge and actually try to sustain myself purely on Keto Bricks and meat for my hunt.
I was blown away by the totally stable energy levels and satiating nature of this approach, along with really good gut stability. So what are Keto Bricks? Essentially, they are a high-calorie meal replacement “brick” (think of an energy bar you know of, then quadruple the size). They are 1,000 calories each, so obviously created for adventures and hefty activity days for which you want tons of calories but barely any carbohydrates (roughly 90g Fat, 30g Protein, and 14g TOTAL, not net, Carbs!.
The ingredient profile is impressive. Here are the ingredients of what I found to be my favorite flavor (Mocha):
Raw organic cacao butter, plant-based protein powder (pea protein isolate, organic brown rice protein concentrate, natural chocolate mocha flavor, cocoa, stevia leaf extract, gum blend (konjac gum, guar gum, and tara gum), organic sacha inchi, sea salt, monk fruit extract, and digest-all (a vegan enzyme blend)), MCT powder (MCT oil, acacia fiber), organic golden flaxseed meal, raw organic fermented cacao nibs, ground coffee beans, ancient sea salt.
Every other flavor was actually really, really tasty. Like…addictively flavorful—despite no allulose, erythritol, or any other potentially gut-bloating sweetener. Here are all the other flavors (Peanut Butter is also amazing, btw): Chocolate Malt, Coconut Cream, Cookies & Cream Crunch, Peanut Butter, and Toasted Almond Coconut.
Each brick is shelf-stable at room temperature. In fact, they are shelf-stable *above* room temperature, which is great for long hot hiking days. If you are an active person who needs massive amounts of keto calories for mountaineering, hiking, hunting, etc. I cannot recommend these highly enough. Obviously, I’m pretty stoked about this new discovery. You can get them here, and when you use code BEN you'll be automatically entered to win a free month of Keto Bricks.
Podcasts I Recorded This Week:
How To Become A Billionaire, The Brilliance Of “The Flywheel,” The Future Of Self-Quantification & Anti-Aging & Much More With Naveen Jain.
This episode was brought to you by Kion Colostrum (code BEN10), Joovv (Order today and receive my brand new book, Boundless as a free gift), Thrive Market (Receive a gift card worth up to $20 when you begin a new membership), and Butcher Box.
The Problem With Mineral Supplements, Why Minerals Don’t Get Absorbed, Why You Probably Have A Mineral Deficiency & What To Do About It.
This episode was brought to you by Kion Immune (code BEN10), Organifi Green Juice (code BENG20), Beekeeper's Naturals (code BEN), and Water and Wellness (code GREENFIELD).
Ben Greenfield's VIP Text Club: To receive exclusive texts from Ben Greenfield, text the word “FITNESS” to 411247 (within the U.S. only).
Articles I Published This Week:
My full article feed and all past archives of my articles are here if you want to check out past articles.
Special Announcements:
::: Save up to 8% On “Electric” Fermented Turmeric Tea :::
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Upcoming Events:
September 26-28: Brain Biohacking Summit, Lexington, KY & Online. Join me at the Kentucky Castle—along with super-special guests such as one of the godfathers of plant medicine, Jim Fadiman; top regenerative medicine doc, Dr. Matt Cook; decorated Crossfit champ, Julie Foucher; herbalist, medicine maker, and wildcrafter, Andrew Ozinskas; my own personal mentor (top secret, unnamed person I’ve been working with for two years); and more—for an unforgettable weekend filled with:
- Cold/hot thermogenesis training and use of sauna, cryotherapy unit, and ice bath at the castle…
- Wild food foraging and wild herb foraging in the forest followed by a scrumptious, mouth-watering post-foraging feast…
- Daily yoga, meditation, and gratitude sessions…
- Full breathwork session followed by an immersion in holotropic breathwork (a life-changing experience if you’ve never done it!)…
- And much, much more…
If you want to discover everything you’ll need for the rest of your life to optimize your cognitive function and upgrade your brain (and also get access to never-before-seen material on plant medicine, breathwork, and beyond) you won't want to miss this event.
You can click here to attend the event live (*seats are extremely limited!*) or you can register to attend online for full access to all talks. Whether you plan to attend in person or online, you can use code BEN to save 20%.
Featured Product: NEW! Kion Immune
My company Kion and I recently formulated and blended two of the most studied nutrients for immune health—Vitamin C and Zinc.
It may sound like a super simple formula, but these two nutrients are essential when it comes to proper immune system function, are safe for long-term use, science-backed, and very affordable.
We put your Vitamin C and Zinc in the perfect ratio so there’s no guesswork on dosage (I’ve been taking 2 caps each morning at home with my morning baking soda in water, then 6 caps when I travel). When taken regularly, Kion Immune can support a healthy immune system and promote proper function of immune cells.*
I’m obviously super excited about this new basic, but powerful, blend. Click here to take an important step in building a strong immune system, and use code BEN10 to save 10% on your first order. Combined with a healthy lifestyle, good sleep, and proper nutrition, Kion Immune can help you stay vibrant and healthy year-round!
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
This Week's Most Popular Instagram Post
https://www.instagram.com/p/CFIn6OyFV1w/
This Week's Most Popular Tweet:
Coffee only really “dehydrates” you if you exceed about 500mg (5 cups of coffee or so): https://t.co/GIzny23xNK and https://t.co/iGAlU1rZBW and https://t.co/uS6L9H0u7m
— Ben Greenfield (@bengreenfield) September 13, 2020
My Most Popular Facebook Post This Week:
https://www.facebook.com/BGFitness/posts/10159713968539179
Leave your comments and any news or discoveries that you think I missed below!
Cheers,
Ben
Was literally looking for something like this, the 8 factors of happiness.
I’ve been able to successfully implement a healthy lifestyle with everyday workout and high quality diet. However, what I’m now looking for is a healthy mind through positive thoughts and meditation. Looking forward to reading the book you mentioned.
Thanks Ben!
Thank you very much. I can imagine that I have benefited a lot after this post
Thanks for the round-up, especially the 8 happiness factors.
Loved the 8 Factors of Happiness, will have to read this book!