May 15, 2021

On a recent trip to L.A., I had a chance to sit down with my friends Max Lugavere and Crosby Tailor for an absolute geekfest jam-packed with our top tools, tactics, tips, and nutrition/training/life/spiritual/relationship “hacks” of late (including biohacking sex!) recorded as sort of a roundtable, each of us going one at a time, with plenty o' “rabbit holing” as we talk through all of our latest self-optimization strategies.

So who are these guys?

Crosby Tailor is a represented fashion model and graduated college football athlete turned biohacker and sugar-free dessert chef. Crosby believes that everyone is different, and therefore, not just one diet or lifestyle will work for the majority. Crosby has tried every diet fad from going vegan, the body ecology diet, hardcore paleo, and the alkaline diet, as well as super high fat ketogenic, and never felt completely balanced or satisfied, but there were things he absolutely loved from each lifestyle. So he decided to take bits of information that upgraded his life, from each of his favorite wellness mentors like Dave Asprey, Mark Sisson, David Wolfe, Charles Poliquin, Dr. Axe, and Dr. D'Adamo, among many more, and specifically “Tailor” his lifestyle with what resonated best to increase his overall vibration and quality of living. Crosby realized that no plan will ever be perfect, and that it's about playing the best hand possible from the cards we were given, accepting what is, and celebrating differences.

This would have never been possible if Crosby didn’t learn to intuit what he needed, explore the proper research, and embark upon a trial and error period of learning what worked for him and what didn’t, in order to further the positive development of his mind, body, and soul. Crosby is not a doctor, nor is he here to make certain health claims, but rather he seeks to share information that he has gathered over time, that might help you make your own best decisions for self-improvement.

Crosby is also the creator of Crosby’s Cookies' “Eat Dessert Burn Fat,” a sugar-, gluten-, and grain-free dessert company born from a labor of love. He hacked the dessert world and has come up with hundreds of healthy recipes for cookies, cupcakes, donuts, pancakes, cinnamon rolls, ice creams, and chocolates! Every recipe is boosted with superfoods and beneficial ingredients that serve a purpose for your health. Crosby hopes to take you back to the inherent pleasures that abounded before refined sugar took over.

Max Lugavere is a filmmaker, health and science journalist, and the author of the New York Times bestseller Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life, published in 8 languages around the globe. He is also the host of the #1 iTunes health podcast The Genius Life.

Max appears regularly on the Dr. Oz Show, the Rachael Ray Show, and The Doctors. He has contributed to Medscape, Vice, Fast Company, CNN, and the Daily Beast, has been featured on NBC Nightly News, The Today Show, and in The New York Times and People magazine. He is an internationally sought-after speaker and has given talks at South by Southwest, TEDx, the New York Academy of Sciences, the Biohacker Summit in Stockholm, Sweden, and many others.

From 2005-2011, Max was a journalist for Al Gore’s Current TV. He lives in New York City and Los Angeles. I have also podcasted with Max in the past on the following episodes:

• The Great Bread Debate, Detoxing With Food, Dangers Of MDMA (& What To Do About It), High Protein Myths & Much More With Max Lugavere.
• Why A High-Fat, Ketogenic Diet Chock Full Of Saturated Fat, Coconut Oil & Butter Could Be Destroying Your Brain (& What To Do About It).

During this discussion, you'll discover:

-Why farting in public has been unfairly stigmatized…05:30

• “Metabolically flexible” cookies
  • Sweetened by organic maple syrup and honey powder
  • Gluten-, grain-, and nut-free
  • Base is coconut flour/cassava flour mix
  • Collagen
  • Organic grass-fed butter and pastured eggs
• US Wellness Meats (use code BEN to save 15%)
• BGF podcasts with Paul Saladino:
  • The Toxicity Of Plants, Carnivore For Athletes, Does Meat Cause Acidity, The “Game Changers” Debate & Much More With Dr. Paul Saladino.
  • The Truth About The Carnivore Diet: Everything You Need To Know About Dangers, Benefits, Mistakes & Hacks For Eating Only Meat.
  • Carnivore Diet, Cleaning Out Your Colon, Eating Brains, Hunting Zebras & Much More With Paul Saladino.
• Farting is a sign of a healthy microbiome
• New probiotics = increased gas
• Viome Complete Microbiome and Metabolic Testing
• MitoLife

-How Omega-3s affect gut health…14:45

• Peroxidation can occur when taking too many Omega-3s
• Weigh benefits vs. risk
• Kion Omegas
• The Giant Fish Oil Episode: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Omega 3 Fatty Acids, EPA, DHA, Dosing, Sourcing & Much More!, with Bill and Kristina Harris.
• Make sure you're getting the highest quality fish oil you can

-Nutrition habits that Max, Crosby, and Ben implement daily…18:40

• Boxing training
• FightCamp
• The Benefits Of Fasted Exercise, Busting the Myth of the Pre and Post Workout Meal, Who Shouldn’t Fast & Much More!
• Circadian data suggest workouts later in the day are more coordinated
• Sunlight in the morning reduces cortisol
  • Sunlight Makes You Skinny & Blue Light Makes You Fat: 11 Ways To Biohack Light To Optimize Your Body & Brain.
• The Man Who Is Curing Blindness And Alzheimer's, Growing New Brain Cells & Elegantly Fabricating Some Of The Most Powerful Nootropics Known To Humankind, with Andrew Huberman.
• Ketones
• Kion Aminos
• Most information out there is based on bodybuilders in their mid-20s, not relevant to most people
• Pre-workout fueling before high-intensity training
• Four Sigmatic Lions Mane
• Vitargo
• Don't be dogmatic about your workouts, base them on your lifestyle
• Benefits from BFR Bands (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
• Vasper Machines
• Kaatsu Bands (use code BEN to save 5%)
• BGF podcasts on BFR
  • 1 Cheap & Easy Underground Training Method For Growth Hormone Release, 5 Biohacks to Increase Strength in 60 Seconds, 7 Exercises for the Eyes to Radically Enhance Stamina & Speed, with Kusha Karvandi.
  • The Official KAATSU Episode: Everything You Need To Know About How To Use Blood Flow Restriction For Muscle Gain, Injury Recovery, Testosterone, Growth Hormone & Much More!, with John Doolittle and Steven Munatones.
• The Hormone-Boosting Minimalist Exercise Machine That Burns A Staggering Amount Of Calories In Just 21 Minutes, with Sebastian Wasowski.
• BGF podcast on Heart Health:
  • The Best Way To Test How Healthy Your Heart Is: Ben Greenfield Undergoes A Complete Advanced Cardiac Evaluation & Reports The Surprising Results!, with Dr. Ram Dandillaya.
• Implementing Vitamin E (use code BEN15 to save 15%), polyunsaturated fats, protein, and clean carbs

-How to identify calorie-dense vs. calorie-sparse foods…32:00

• How to keep satiated while keeping calorie count low
  • Akasha Superfoods Sea Moss Gel (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
  • Organic pumpkin puree
• Volume eating is something we all should do

-Biohacking sex…39:05

• Recapture the Rapture by Jamie Wheal
  • Recapture the Rapture: Biohacking Sex, Tantric Breathwork, Plant Medicines For Orgasmic Enhancement & Much More!, with Jamie Wheal.
• Burning calories with lovemaking
• Sex is one of the few activities that can range from low intensity to high intensity
• How Ben biohacks for sex
  • Biohacking Sex: The Best Tips, Tricks, Supplements & Food To Optimize Libido, Desire & Arousal, with Susan Bratton.

-Peptides that Ben, Max, and Crosby use…42:15

• BPC 157
• TB 500
• GHK-CU
• Peptides may start becoming less available to the public

-Go-to technology biohacks…44:35

• Joovv
• Red incandescent light bulb helps set your circadian rhythm and enhance sleep
• Entire body has photoreceptors; blue light blocking glasses are not enough
• Nasal strips (increases nitric oxide, oxygenates blood, improves recovery)
• The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick McKeown
  • Maximize Oxygen Utilization Efficiency, Simulate High Altitude Training, Get The Cardiovascular Capacity of a Navy SEAL & More With “The Oxygen Advantage” Author Patrick McKeown.
• Buteyko breathing
• Breathe Right strips
• Mouth taping
• Brown noise vs. white noise vs. pink noise
• Sleep Stream app
• Ray Peat
• Pregnenalone, Progesterone and DHEA supplementation
• CosmoBeauty

-Technology devices that stimulate different brainwave states…55:35

• Apollo wearable
  • A Whole New Way To Deal With Stress, Trauma & PTSD In Just Seconds: The First Clinically Validated Wearable That Helps You De-Stress, Focus, Sleep, Stay Energized & Remain Calm, with Dr. David Rabin.
• Hapbee: magnetic frequency stimulation
  • A New, Drug-Free Biohack To Finely Tune Your Emotions, Sleep, Relaxation, Energy, Focus, Calm & More: The Hapbee With Scott Donnell.
• Infopathy device
  • How To Turn A Glass Of Water Into A Pharmaceutical, Supplement, Remedy & “Information Carrier” Using The Science Of Infopathy, with Anton Fedorenko.
• Somavedic (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Faraday Canopy
• Faraday Paint
• BGF podcasts with Luke Storey
  • Two Nerdy Biohackers Reveal Their Secrets To Spiritual Health, Life Optimization, Plant Medicines, Rites Of Passage, Mental Models & Much More! 
  • A Crazy Biohacking Adventure With Luke Storey & Ben Greenfield: Smart Drugs, Sleep Hacking, Infrared Light, Cold Pools & Beyond!
• BGF Podcasts with Brian Hoyer, EMF Building Biologist
  • Hunting Down EMF In Your Office, Bedroom, Gym & Beyond: Is Your Home’s “Dirty Electricity” Wrecking Your Sleep, Your Recovery, Your Health & More? The Official Ben Greenfield & Brian Hoyer Low-EMF Home How-To.
  • The Intriguing Science Of Building Biology (Along With A Complete Analysis & Surprising Results From Ben Greenfield’s So-Called “Biohacked Home”).

-How Crosby and Max nurture the communities in their hometowns during COVID…1:06:15

• Bonding over food (diet agnostic)
• Community gatherings at home
• Praying and gratitude expression before a meal
• Crosby: playing volleyball for fun, health, and community building
• The idea that we may be building our immune systems by exposing ourselves to one another during the pandemic

-How panic porn degrades the immune system…1:12:45

• News and media may be making us more prone to infections (panic point = increased stress hormone)
• Crosby and Max are not “news-obsessed”
• Ben feels its important to return back to a localized community
• We're all suffering silently

-Healthy and unhealthy ways to unpack our baggage…1:15:30

• Normalize interpersonal talk therapy
• Plant medicine as spiritual therapy (ayahuasca and mushrooms)
• Being open to new opportunities and lifestyle changes
• Being willing to take more risk to learn/experience something new
• Awareness by Anthony De Mello
• Letting Go by David Hawkins
• The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer
• Trust that God will provide
• Infusing more energy and positivity into the day
• The 5 Tibetan Rites by Carolinda Witt and Peter Kelder
• t5t.com
• Ben's doing 21 reps each of the Tibetan Rites

-And much more…

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

Resources from this episode:

– Crosby Tailor:

• Crosby’s Cookies': “Eat Dessert Burn Fat”

– Max Lugavere:

• The Genius Life Podcast
• Genius Foods: Become Smarter, Happier, and More Productive While Protecting Your Brain for Life
• The Great Bread Debate, Detoxing With Food, Dangers Of MDMA (& What To Do About It), High Protein Myths & Much More With Max Lugavere.
• Why A High-Fat, Ketogenic Diet Chock Full Of Saturated Fat, Coconut Oil & Butter Could Be Destroying Your Brain (& What To Do About It).

– Podcasts And Articles:

• The Toxicity Of Plants, Carnivore For Athletes, Does Meat Cause Acidity, The “Game Changers” Debate & Much More With Dr. Paul Saladino.
• The Truth About The Carnivore Diet: Everything You Need To Know About Dangers, Benefits, Mistakes & Hacks For Eating Only Meat.
• Carnivore Diet, Cleaning Out Your Colon, Eating Brains, Hunting Zebras & Much More With Paul Saladino.
• The Giant Fish Oil Episode: Everything You’ve Ever Wanted To Know About Omega 3 Fatty Acids, EPA, DHA, Dosing, Sourcing & Much More!, with Bill and Kristina Harris.
• The Man Who Is Curing Blindness And Alzheimer's, Growing New Brain Cells & Elegantly Fabricating Some Of The Most Powerful Nootropics Known To Humankind, with Andrew Huberman
• 1 Cheap & Easy Underground Training Method For Growth Hormone Release, 5 Biohacks to Increase Strength in 60 Seconds, 7 Exercises for the Eyes to Radically Enhance Stamina & Speed, with Kusha Karvandi.
• The Official KAATSU Episode: Everything You Need To Know About How To Use Blood Flow Restriction For Muscle Gain, Injury Recovery, Testosterone, Growth Hormone & Much More!, with John Doolittle and Steven Munatones.
• The Hormone-Boosting Minimalist Exercise Machine That Burns A Staggering Amount Of Calories In Just 21 Minutes, with Sebastian Wasowski.
• The Best Way To Test How Healthy Your Heart Is: Ben Greenfield Undergoes A Complete Advanced Cardiac Evaluation & Reports The Surprising Results!, with Dr. Ram Dandillaya.
• Recapture the Rapture: Biohacking Sex, Tantric Breathwork, Plant Medicines For Orgasmic Enhancement & Much More!, with Jamie Wheal.
• Biohacking Sex: The Best Tips, Tricks, Supplements & Food To Optimize Libido, Desire & Arousal, with Susan Bratton.
• Maximize Oxygen Utilization Efficiency, Simulate High Altitude Training, Get The Cardiovascular Capacity of a Navy SEAL & More With “The Oxygen Advantage” Author Patrick McKeown.
• A Whole New Way To Deal With Stress, Trauma & PTSD In Just Seconds: The First Clinically Validated Wearable That Helps You De-Stress, Focus, Sleep, Stay Energized & Remain Calm, with Dr. David Rabin.
• A New, Drug-Free Biohack To Finely Tune Your Emotions, Sleep, Relaxation, Energy, Focus, Calm & More: The Hapbee With Scott Donnell.
• How To Turn A Glass Of Water Into A Pharmaceutical, Supplement, Remedy & “Information Carrier” Using The Science Of Infopathy, with Anton Fedorenko.
• Two Nerdy Biohackers Reveal Their Secrets To Spiritual Health, Life Optimization, Plant Medicines, Rites Of Passage, Mental Models & Much More! 
• A Crazy Biohacking Adventure With Luke Storey & Ben Greenfield: Smart Drugs, Sleep Hacking, Infrared Light, Cold Pools & Beyond!
• Hunting Down EMF In Your Office, Bedroom, Gym & Beyond: Is Your Home’s “Dirty Electricity” Wrecking Your Sleep, Your Recovery, Your Health & More? The Official Ben Greenfield & Brian Hoyer Low-EMF Home How-To.
• The Intriguing Science Of Building Biology (Along With A Complete Analysis & Surprising Results From Ben Greenfield’s So-Called “Biohacked Home”).
• Sunlight Makes You Skinny & Blue Light Makes You Fat: 11 Ways To Biohack Light To Optimize Your Body & Brain.
• How To Use BPC-157: A Complete Dummies Guide To Healing The Body Like Wolverine.
• How To Build New Blood Vessels, Regenerate Muscle Tissue Fibers, Increase New Cell Growth & More With Something Called “TB-500”.
• The Ultimate Breathwork Ninja Guide: How To Banish Stress & Kiss High Cortisol Goodbye.
• The Most Important Muscle You Own (& Exactly How To Train It).

– Books:

• Recapture the Rapture By Jamie Wheal
• The Oxygen Advantage By Patrick McKeown
• Awareness By Anthony De Mello
• Letting Go By David Hawkins
• The Surrender Experiment By Michael A. Singer
• The 5 Tibetan Rites By Carolinda Witt And Peter Kelder

– Gear And Tests:

• BFR Bands (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
• Vasper Machine
• Kaatsu Bands (use code BEN to save 5%)
• Joovv
• Red Incandescent Light Bulb
• Blue Light Blocking Glasses
• Nasal Strips
• Breath Right Strips
• Mouth Tape
• Sleep Stream App
• Apollo Neuro
• Hapbee
• Infopathy
• Somavedic (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Faraday Canopy
• Faraday Paint
• Viome Complete Microbiome and Metabolic Testing

– Food And Supplements:

• Organic Maple Syrup
• Honey Powder
• Coconut Flour
• Cassava Flour
• Collagen
• Organic Grass-Fed Butter
• US Wellness Meats (use code BEN to save 15%)
• Kion Omegas
• Ketones
• Kion Aminos
• Seed Synbiotics
• Vitamin E (use code BEN15 to save 15%)
• Four Sigmatic Lions Mane
• Vitargo
• Akasha Superfoods Sea Moss Gel (use code BEN10 to save 10%)
• Organic Pumpkin Puree
• MitoLife

– Other Resources:

• Ray Peat
• FightCamp
• Colors Of Noise
• Progesterone Pregnenolone & DHEA – Three Youth-Associated Hormones
• GHK-CU
• CosmoBeauty
• Gas And The Microbiome
• Circadian Rhythms in Exercise Performance: Implications for Hormonal and Muscular Adaptation
• Pre-Exercise Nutrition: The Role Of Macronutrients, Modified Starches And Supplements On Metabolism And Endurance Performance

Episode sponsors:

–Kion Creatine: Fuel your performance, energy, and strength with Kion Creatine, made with 100% Creapure®. You can grab your own Kion Creatine now at getkion.com and save 10% off your order with discount code BEN10.

–Organifi Gold: A new take on an ancient secret: Pain-soothing herbs, incredible antioxidants, and phytonutrients all in one delicious, soothing “Golden Milk” nighttime tea! Receive a 20% discount on your entire order when you use discount code BENG20.

-Four Sigmatic: I’ve been using Four Sigmatic products for a while now and I’m impressed by the efficacies of their mushroom products. I use them. I like them. I support the mission! Receive 10% off your Four Sigmatic purchase when you use discount code BENGREENFIELD.

–Paleo Valley Beef Sticks: 100% grass-fed AND grass-finished. Keto friendly and higher levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Receive a 15% discount off your order when you go to paleovalley.com/ben.

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