January 23, 2020

I recently spoke at The Assemblage in New York City as part of my Boundless book launch tour. (See my calendar for more upcoming Boundless events in Los Angeles, and click here to purchase Boundless, which just launched this week and is already a Number 1 Amazon Bestseller in several categories!)

Anyways…during my talk, I revealed my top tips, tricks, and biohacks for optimizing mind, body, and spirit—including everything from neurotransmitters to the blood-brain barrier to fat loss/muscle gain tips, a 20 minute Q&A, and much more—recorded it, and packaged it all together for today's podcast.

In this episode, you'll discover:

-The moment Ben Greenfield realized he was living a truly boundless life…6:45

• Began as a bodybuilder, eventually sought a more holistic approach to health and fitness
• Wrote Beyond Training for athletes who may be asking the same questions he grappled with
• Boundless is a comprehensive guide to live the ultimate life – boundless energy, vitality, quality of life
• Seek out natural “biohacks” before man-made tech
• Boundless body, mind, spirit, and environment
• The Kion logo represents the Body, Mind, Spirit elements
• Being “boundless” means a joyful, adventurous, fulfilling life, a managed stress load, quality time w/ family

-How to have healthy neurotransmitters…18:15

• Proper stimulation (watch caffeine intake)
• N-acetylcysteine (NAC) to repair damaged neurons in the brain
• Four building blocks (2 for neurotransmitters, 2 for myelin sheaths):
  • Vitamin B complex
  • Amino Acids
  • DHA
  • Oleic acid

-Tips for a dynamic blood-brain barrier…21:27

• Balanced exercise
• Fish oil
• Saturated fat can be problematic
• Vagal nerve stimulation
• Coffee and tea is good in small doses
• Zona blood pressure device (use code ZONABEN to save $50)

-How breathwork will improve your life…24:32

• 4-8 breathing (4 in, 8 out) 3 minutes sleep latency
• Alternating nostril breathing (cover left nostril and breathe in through your right nostril, then cover right nostril and exhale through your left nostril, in through left, out through right, repeat)
• Box breathing (4 in, 4 hold, 4 out, 4 hold)
• Holotropic breathing
• BGF podcast w/ The Renegade Pharmacist
• Hyperbaric therapy followed by breathwork

-Smart drugs and nootropics…30:53

• Ben's not big on deprenyl, Adderall, modafinil
• L-theanine
• Nicotine gum (mix w/ methylene blue)
• Slique Youngliving essential oil gum
• Microdose CBD
• Peptides
  • Dihexa
  • Semax
• Apps
  • n-back
  • Brain.fm
• 40 Years of Zen
• Peak Brain Institute
  • Neurofeedback

-How to choose the diet that's right for you…35:16

• Book: Biochemical Individuality by Roger Williams
• Book: Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
• Religious practices encourage fasting and caloric restriction
• Intermittent fasting
• Social element is important

-Proper food preparation…38:19

• Pay attention to histamines
• Strategene
• Sardines, anchovies, mackerel are staples in the Greenfield home
• Glycemic variability and inflammation are two important metrics to track for longevity
• Dexcom G6
• Cold thermogenesis is great for blood sugar regulation

-Cleaning your gut…41:50

• 3-day stool panel
• Food allergy panel (Cyrex)
• Colostrum, L Glutamine, Bone broth
• Lignite (Dr. Zach Bush)
• Have a constant mindset of detoxing
• Activate parasympathetic nervous system before consuming food
• Pay attention to ancestral food prep methods

-What telomere lengths have to do with the size of your muscles…45:48

• Article: Telomerase Activity Coevolves With Body Mass, Not Lifespan
• Powerful, explosive movements are particularly efficacious
• Bigger's not better
• Ben's preferred workout:
  • Super slow training 1x/week
  • Blood flow restriction training

-The routine Ben does to stay lean throughout the year…49:15

• Wake up in an intermittent fasted state
• ~16 hours for men, ~12 hours for women
• Consume a small amount of caffeine (1-2 cups of coffee)
• 20 minutes fasted aerobic cardio

-Biohacking tools Ben uses…51:10

• Kaatsu bands
• Vasper machine
• LiveO2

-Recovery tools and tactics…52:41

• “I'm a bigger fan of biohacking for recovery than for performance”
• A recovery stack Ben likes:
  • Topical transdermal magnesium
  • MarcPro
  • Ice pack on top of it
• Mid-day nap
  • NuCalm device
  • Brain.fm
  • Norma Tec recovery boots
  • Gravity blanket
  • Neck Nest
  • Biomat

-How to optimize your symmetry and beauty…57:37

• Nasal breathing during hard exercise for facial symmetry and structure
• OptiO2
• Oil pulling
• Eldoa training

-Boosting your immune system…1:00:23

• Zinc acetate lozenges
• Colostrum
• Oregano
• Chaga coffee
• Turmeric (via Kion Flex)

-3 tips to eliminate non-native EMF from your environment…1:02:16

• Take a calcium channel blocker
• Eat foods containing NAD and sirtuins
  • Poultry
  • Milk
  • Yeast
  • Fish like sardines and salmon
  • Whole grains
• Ketone salts and ketone esters to active NrF2
• Filtering light
  • Blue light blockers
  • Iristech on monitors
  • Light blocking tape or stickers
• Ra Optics blue light blocking glasses (use for an hour in the morning too)

-The best nutrients for hormones and fertility…1:04:47

• Creatine
• Magnesium
• Boron
• Zinc
• DHEA
• Vitamin D
• Nitroglycerine cream

-The importance of having a life's purpose and expressing gratitude…1:06:28

-Audience Q&A w/ Ben…1:12:06

-And much more…

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

Resources mentioned in this episode:

– Link to my presentation

– Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging

– BGF podcasts:

• Niraj Naik – The Renegade Pharmacist
• Dr. Ted Achacoso
• Drs. Matt Dawson and Mike Mallin of Wild Health
• Sebastian Wasowski of the Vasper Machine
• Dr. Peter Martone, inventor of the Neck Nest
• 32 Natural Ways to Increase Testosterone

– Beyond Training by Ben Greenfield

– Zona blood pressure device (use code ZONABEN to save $50)

– Fisher Wallace Circadia (cranial electrical stimulation device)

– NuCalm device (discount applied at checkout, 65% off the first month of any new monthly subscription)

– Soma breath course from Niraj Naik (the Renegade Pharmacist)

– International Peptide Society

– Book: Biochemical Individuality by Roger Williams

– 40 Years of Zen

– Peak Brain Institute

– Kaatsu bands

– LiveO2

– Strategene

– Vasper machine

– OptiO2

– Dexcom G6

– Ra Optics blue light blocking glasses

– Ketone salts and ketone esters

Episode sponsors:

–Kion Coffee: Carefully selected and roasted for taste, purity, high antioxidants and health. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners, receive a 10% discount off your entire order when you use discount code: BGF10.

–Organifi Green Juice: Now you can get all your healthy superfoods in one glass…with No Shopping, No Blending, No Juicing, and No Cleanup. Get a 20% discount on your entire order when you use discount code: BENG20

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Got a question for me about today's podcast? Drop a question in the comments below, and I'll reply!