December 14, 2018

Welcome to Ben Greenfield's Weekly Roundup and Cool New Discoveries!

Ben Greenfield's discoveries from the latest news from 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!

– Kauai Farmacy

Background

On my last trip to Kauai (my favorite island in Hawaii), I had the pleasure to visit “Kauai Organic Farmacy“. In 2007, shortly after their first child was born, my friends Doug and Genna started making tea from the leaf of the Noni tree – a traditional Polynesian medicinal plant that grows on the Hawaiian islands. With regular consumption of the tea, they began to experience changes in their bodies; extra weight dropped off, concentration improved, immunity increased and stress reduced to create an overall heightened sense of wellbeing. Excited and inspired by this natural healing transformation, they dove into other healing herbal plant medicine from a local garden after their second child was born. In 2010, they acquired four acres of lush horse pasture on a river bend in Kilauea on the North shore of Kauai, and began growing medicinal plants. These herbal gardens slowly and organically grew and transformed into their Kauai Farmacy bio-diverse herbal farm; now home to over 60 medicinal herbal plants.

How I ‘Came to Believe':

I knew their place was special when Laird Hamilton brought me over to show me their organic turmeric roots (which we chomped on like carrots) and their luscious cacao fruits (which we sliced open and munched on like candy), and Doug explained to me how they use no pesticides or chemicals, and they feed their plants teas brewed from the gardens and composted manure.

After eating a homemade meal comprised of goodies grown in the fields, I picked up a couple things that blew me away. For example: the Comfrey Salve.

Doug explained to me, the Comfrey plant is renown by the ancients as “knit-bone” or “warrior plant”  because it's known to rejuvenate bones, muscles, and ligaments. Their Comfrey Salve has a silky-smooth texture that naturally absorbs into the skin (or the “third lung” as it is referred to in Chinese medicine). By supporting the body's natural defense system, areas of inflammation and discomfort may ease, the breath may calm, and the body may achieve greater balance and performance. You can apply the salve liberally to wounds, bruises, sprains, breaks, scrapes and other areas of injury, or to the body's entirety for optimal performance. Comfrey is known for its compound allantoin, a cell regenerator. They also have a comfrey hydrosol. Hydrosols or ‘spirit waters' are made by steam distilling fresh, fragrant plant matter. The plant's phytochemicals and cellular water are extracted and then condensed down into liquid form. An essential oil mixed with water is not the same as it does not contain the water soluble compounds that hydrosols capture. Problem is, most manufacturers will remove the essential oil from the hydrosol to be sold separately. Kauai Farmacy does not do this. The distilled oils remain in their hydrosol, and their comfrey “knit-bone” is an  herbal spray that helps lubricate joints, restore skin, hydrate muscles, circulate blood, detox organs, and knit-bones.

Another of my favorites is their Endurance Powder.  Crafted with the intent to enhance libido (life force), stamina, and to stimulate the digestive system; this herbal powder is loaded with bio active minerals, making it great for circulation as well as calming the nervous system. Ashwagandha, an herb esteemed very highly in the Ayuverdic tradition, means to give one the stamina of a stallion in Sanskrit. Try it to boost your endurance, stimulate your senses, and invigorate your life. With superherbs like Moringa, bringing a complete protein into the mix and Bele Spinach adding bio-available iron, Endurance Powder is a super alkalizing and nourishing herbal blend. This chai-flavored, protein-powder is Kauai Farmacy's most well-rounded Superfood Spice. Endurance is ideal in smoothies, brewed as a tea, eaten pinch by pinch and makes an exquisite culinary companion ingredient in both sweet and savory dishes.

If you're ever in Kauai, you must visit the farm, but in the meantime, you can order their products by clicking here. Code GREENFIELD15 will automatically save you 15% on anything (and I definitely recommend grabbing the Comfrey Salve and the Endurance Powder).

– Book: The Laws of Human Nature

I've always been a fan of the secrets of reading people, knowing if they're lying, understanding non-verbal communication, reading people's hidden cues, eye signals, hands signals and more, and this new book by Robert Greene, which I'm now halfway through, is blowing my mind. Robert Greene is a master at distilling ancient wisdom and philosophy into easy-to-understand texts for seekers of power, understanding and human mastery. In this book, he turns to the most important subject of all – understanding people's drives and motivations, even when they are unconscious of them themselves. Knowing why people do what they do is the most important tool we can possess, without which our other talents can only take us so far. Drawing from the ideas and examples of Pericles, Queen Elizabeth I, Martin Luther King Jr, and many others, Greene teaches how to detach ourselves from our own emotions and master self-control, how to develop the empathy that leads to insight, how to look behind people's masks, and how to resist conformity to develop your singular sense of purpose. Whether at work, in relationships, or in shaping the world around you, The Laws of Human Nature offers brilliant tactics for success, self-improvement, and self-defense. You can get it on Amazon here. Although it isn't one of those books I can read “in a day”, I cannot recommend it highly enough.

Podcasts I Recorded This Week: