September 26, 2020

Abel James is a New York Times Best Selling Author, musician, and online creator. He’s the host of the award-winning Fat-Burning Man Show—rated as Apple’s #1 Health Podcast in eight countries with over 50 million downloads and 2,000+ 5-star reviews.

A “Coach to the coaches,” Abel has worked with thousands of people across the world to optimize performance, mindset, health, and longevity. He is named one of the 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness by Greatist and has been featured in various documentaries, ABC TV, Entertainment Tonight, People, WIRED, South by Southwest, and more.

Abel’s hit podcast is named as one of the “Top 3 Health & Fitness Podcasts of All Time” by Huffington Post and has won 4 awards in independent media, including “People’s Choice” in Health & Fitness at the Podcast Awards. Also a recording artist, multi-instrumentalist, and voice actor, Abel has won several awards including “Outstanding Achievement in Songwriting” in R&B by The Great American Song Contest.

Hailing from the middle of nowhere in New Hampshire, Abel enjoys playing guitar and piano, writing, reading, sketching, running, hiking, and discovering delicious foods with family and friends. He lives with his wife, Alyson, and a rambunctious yellow lab in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado. His new book of irreverent poetry, Designer Babies Still Get Scabies, a #1 International Best Seller in Humor, is available now.

During our discussion, you'll discover:

-E-sports vs. traditional physical sports…7:20

• Abel married a professional e-gamer
• “Doping” is increasingly an issue with e-gamers; Modafinil, psychedelics, LSD, etc.
• Chess players tested for performance-enhancing drugs (PEDs)
• E-sports are beginning to supplant physical sports in popularity
• Virtual reality (VR) has been used by physical athletes for a long time
• Peter Diamandis' A360 event
• Andrew Huberman lab at Stanford using VR to cure fear
• HTC Vive Pro VR device with the 6 degrees of freedom room scale
• Neil Strauss introduced Ben to a dinosaur game
• Oculus VR device
• Psychedelics & Virtual Reality
• Abel's VR Tour of his brother's farm in upstate New York

-The importance of self-censorship in the art we put into the world…21:00

• Abel began writing poetry as a kid
• Share what's on your mind in a constructive way (don't turn people off for no reason)
• A controversial message presented as art (poetry, music, painting, etc.) will be received differently
• Constructive use of pent-up energy within us (Are you willing to die on this hill?)
• Book: Designer Babies Still Get Scabies

-What triggered Abel into writing his poetry book…28:00

• Absence of leadership on the political and social spectrum
• “Reality” TV isn't all that real
  • My diet is better than yours
• Big reason why podcasting is such a popular medium; open and transparent, no manipulation of reality
• Biohacking conferences increasingly stressful due to celebrity status and huge crowds
• Took time to unplug, focus more on spiritual work

-Abel's spiritual disciplines…38:45

• Don't affiliate with a specific denomination
• Western and Eastern influences
• Trees clearly manipulated by humans; medicine trees from ages past
  • Book: Native American Prayer Trees of Colorado – symbolism in trees from indigenous tribes in the American Southwest
• Symbolism and meaning is at the core of the practice
• Books about symbolism
  • Book: US Games Medicine Cards & Book
  • Book: The Book of Runes
  • Book: Signs and Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings
• Understand the history of the place you live, going back thousands of years
• Earliest evidence for humans in the Americas

-Reconciling great achievements with the flawed persons who achieved them…44:15

• History is not binary
• Learn from history, both what to do and what not to do
• Our education is self-selective
• Incumbent on us to discover the truth on our own
• Every institution uses symbology; understanding the symbology makes it far more interesting

-Censorship and achieving high rankings on the big search engines…48:35

• Abel's business was hit hard after being removed from Google top rankings
• Did it the right way to bring in organic traffic; now have to pay Facebook, Google, etc. for the top rankings
• DuckDuckGo
• Qwant
• Brave browser
• Internet is currently highly centralized
• Alt tech is building a decentralized internet

-Abel's current diet…55:45

• BGF podcast on The Wild Diet
• Book: The Wild Diet
• Eating less is a big win; makes metabolism more efficient
• Intermittent fasting
• Natural fats
• Pay attention to proteins
• More open-minded toward supplements
  • Vitamin D
  • Vitamin C + Zinc
  • Collagen
  • Magnesium
• Nose to tail
• Cod liver oil

-The Wild approach to eating…1:02:50

• Use all-natural ingredients, especially in cookies
• Difference in family dinner vs. grabbing a pizza from the store
• Moment of sharing, creation, gratitude
• Realize the importance of each other; eat with a more relaxed mindset

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

Resources from this episode: 

– Abel James:

• Fat Burning Man Show
• Designer Babies Still Get Scabies
• The Wild Diet
• BGF podcast on The Wild Diet
• VR Tour of his brother's farm in upstate New York
• VR Tour of Yellowstone
• VR Tour of the beyond strange American Stonehenge
• Improv Music Video for VR demo

– Books:

• Native American Prayer Trees of Colorado
• US Games Medicine Cards & Book
• The Power of Myth
• The Book of Runes
• Signs and Symbols: An Illustrated Guide to Their Origins and Meanings
• The I Ching or Book of Changes: A Guide to Life's Turning Points 
• Wabi-Sabi for Artists, Designers, Poets & Philosophers

– Supplements:

• Vitamin D
• Vitamin C + Zinc
• Collagen
• Magnesium
• Cod Liver Oil

– Other resources:

• Ben's Udemy Course: The Complete Guide To Activating High Performance
• HTC Vive Pro VR device
• Oculus VR device
• Peter Diamandis' A360 event
• Andrew Huberman's VR fear lab at Stanford
• Article: Psychedelics & Virtual Reality
• Article: Earliest evidence for humans in the Americas
• TV show: My Diet Is Better Than Yours
• DuckDuckGo
• Qwant
• Brave browser

Episode sponsors:

–Kion Immune: Kion Immune is a blend of two of the most-studied, clinically-proven nutrients for immune health: Vitamin C and Zinc. It may sound simple, but the truth is these two nutrients are essential when it comes to the immune system functioning properly. BGF listeners, receive a 10% discount off your order when you use discount code BEN10.

-Beekeeper's Naturals: A wellness company specializing in innovative nutraceuticals made from healing hive compounds and plant-based ingredients. Get 15% off your order when you use discount code BEN.

–Butcher Box: Delivers healthy 100% grass-fed and finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage breed pork directly to your door on a monthly basis. All their products are humanely raised and NEVER given antibiotics or hormones. 

–Vuori: Activewear and athletic clothing for ultimate performance. Vuori is built to move and sweat in, yet designed with a West Coast aesthetic that transitions effortlessly into everyday life. Receive 25% off your first order when you use discount code BEN2020.

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