From Green Tea To Psilocybin: The Routines, Diet, Lifestyle, Supplements & Sage Advice From One Of The Top Natural Medicine Docs On The Face Of The Planet – The Dr. Andrew Weil Podcast.

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Andrew Weil, M.D., is a world-renowned leader and pioneer in the field of integrative medicine.

Combining a Harvard education and a lifetime of practicing natural and preventive medicine, Dr. Weil is the founder and director of the Andrew Weil Center for Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he also serves as a Clinical Professor of Medicine and Professor of Public Health as well as the Lovell-Jones Professor of Integrative Rheumatology.

He is a best-selling author of 15 books on healthy living, including:

Oxford University Press is currently producing the Weil Integrative Medicine Library, a series of volumes for clinicians in various medical specialties, including…

More volumes are in progress.

Dr. Weil also serves as the editorial director of drweil.com, the leading online resource for healthy living based on the philosophy of integrative medicine, and pens the popular Dr. Andrew Weil’s Self Healing monthly newsletter as well as a regular column in Prevention magazine. He is the founder and Chairman of the Weil Foundation, and the founder and co-Chairman of Healthy Lifestyle Brands. He is also a founder and partner of the growing group of True Food Kitchen restaurants. In 2017, he joined Seabourn and The Onboard Spa by Steiner in their “Spa and Wellness with Dr. Andrew Weil” mindful-living program, offered on all of its cruise ships.

During our discussion, you'll hear: 

-Dr. Weil's morning routine…6:30

  • Wake up between 4-4:30
  • Sitting meditation
    • Breathing exercises (4-7-8 breathing)
    • Sit for 15 minutes
  • Breakfast: Sauteed tempeh (Dr. Weil is a pescatarian)
  • Matcha green tea
  • Tend to the garden

-Dr. Weil and I discussing the health of our dogs…9:40

  • Dr. Weil owns two Rhodesian Ridgebacks
  • Ben's Rhodesian ridgeback recently passed away
  • What's causing cancer in dogs? Environment, food, etc.
  • Rapamycin has been correlated with longevity for dogs
    • Dr. Weil gives it to his dogs every day for 10 weeks

-The breathwork Dr. Weil prefers and why…13:12

  • Comes from ancient India; passed on as oral tradition
  • By using voluntary system to breathe, it influences the involuntary system of breathing
  • 4-7-8 breathing
    • Inhale 4 counts, hold 7 counts, exhale 8 counts
    • Do minimum twice daily
    • You're changing your brain's chemistry; exercise with caution
    • Dr. Weil's resting heart rate is 38-42
    • Heart rate slows, HRV increases in response to the exhale

-Why Dr. Weil thinks matcha green tea is the bee's knees…17:30

  • He owns Matcha Kari (Use discount code: GREEN15 and get a 15% discount on any order)
  • First found it in 1959 when he was 17 in Japan
  • Two things stood out:
    • Bamboo whisk
    • Vibrant color green
  • The matcha found in N. America is of inferior quality
  • Differences between matcha and green tea:
    • Matcha is finely powdered, made from tea plants shaded for 3 weeks
    • Produce higher quantities of chlorophylls and antioxidants
    • L-theanine modifies the effect of caffeine (alert relaxation)
    • You consume the entire leaf which is powdered up
  • Why some people's stomachs don't agree with matcha:
    • Perhaps inferior quality
    • More sensitive to tannins?
  • The best way to prepare matcha:
    • Put the powder through a sifter or it will form lumps
    • Keep it in the freezer once opened
    • Don't need a traditional whisk
    • Can be used for cooking, sprinkling, etc.

-Supplements and medications Dr. Weil likes to use…24:00

-Dr. Weil's interest in the use of psychedelics…32:00

-Dr. Weil's history with and thoughts on the cannabisindustry…41:30

  • At first, felt nothing
  • The highs were full of hilarity, eating, conviviality
  • Began to be an introspective high, useful for creativity as a writer and meditation
  • Then it began to make him groggy and sluggish
  • Doesn't use it at all these days (due to body change, not the make up cannabis)
  • Cannabis is a very complex source of compounds
  • They are the “dog” of the plant world in that they have co-evolved with human interaction
  • “We've been very stupid in our interactions with cannabis”
  • Concerns about neurotransmitter imbalances associated with cannabis?
    • You can't take them frequently enough to be concerned about it

-Dr. Weil's thoughts on self-quantification and biohacking…48:30

-How Dr. Weil “coexists” in the natural medicine and mainstream medicine worlds…52:10

  • The greater potential of a treatment to cause harm, the more stringent the standards of evidence
  • Study in allopathic medicine developed into “integrative” medicine (along with his corresponding library)
  • Center of Excellence in College of Medicine at University of Arizona

-“Best practices” Dr. Weil recommends to his patients…56:00

  • Learn the basics of nutrition: avoid processed and manufactured foods
  • Be physically active throughout your life
  • Get good rest and adequate sleep
  • Learn and practice means of neutralizing forces on your mind and body
  • Spend time outdoors
  • Enjoy your life and have strong social connections

-Evening routines and habits Dr. Weil engages in…58:35

  • Disconnect from devices in the afternoon
  • Swim, work in the garden
  • Cook with friends
  • Read, walk in the forest, watch a movie
  • In bed by 9 pm; do a 4-7-8 breath
  • Take melatonin before sleeping (2.5 mg sublingual tablet)

-And much more.

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

Resources from this episode:

Towards natural mimetics of metformin and rapamycin

Matcha.com (code: GREEN15 and get a 15% discount on any order)

Almsbio Glutathione with CoQ10 Ben mentioned (code: BENGREENFIELD10)

– FourSigmatic 10 Mushroom Blend (use code: BENGREENFIELD for 15% off)

My podcast with Barrie Tan about Vitamin E and tocopherols vs. tocotrienols

Megafood multivitamin

How To Get Your Own Vitamin and NAD IVs, The Truth About Umbilical Stem Cells, Peptide Injections & Much More With Dr. Craig Koniver.

– Book: From Chocolate to Morphine: Everything You Need to Know About Mind-Altering Drugs

– Book: The Harvard Psychedelic Club

– Book: The Natural Mind

1P-LSD

Live02 system Ben uses with his bike

The NuCalm Ben uses for vagal nerve stimulation

Episode sponsors:

Kion: My personal playground for new supplement formulations, Kion blends ancestral wisdom with modern science. Ben Greenfield Fitness listeners receive a 10% discount off your entire order when you use discount code: BGF10.

Thrive Market: Organic brands you love, for less. Your favorite organic food and products. Fast and free shipping to your doorstep. Receive 25% off your order when you use my link!

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

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10 thoughts on “From Green Tea To Psilocybin: The Routines, Diet, Lifestyle, Supplements & Sage Advice From One Of The Top Natural Medicine Docs On The Face Of The Planet – The Dr. Andrew Weil Podcast.

  1. brandy says:

    I just wanted to say we have had a few ridgebacks and they are the BEST in my opinion. Just love them so much.

  2. Darin Vos says:

    Great episode! I am interested in ordering some 1P LSD. A quick Google search brought up a few sites. Do you have a preferred site to order 1P LSD from?

  3. Shurik says:

    Re: hallucinogens causing physiological changes

    When I was 16 or 17, I was on a ~2 week long binge on 2,5dimethoxy4chloroamphetamine and at one point, after staying awake playing video games all night, I went out back for a cigarette (benson & hedges ultra light, not my regular) and picked a crab-apple off a tree in my backyard. Before this moment, I ate apples all my life pretty frequently. But upon biting into that crab apple, my body somehow erupted in a slight allergic reaction, where my throat closed up, I couldn’t swallow, and my gums started to itch something bad. Since that moment, almost all apples continue to make my gums itch (American apples more-so than Japanese, strangely enough). Any ideas how I could traumatize my body to reverse the process? I love apples haha xD

  4. kem says:

    “Chocolate to Morphine” has been on my shelf (re-read a few times) since 1983. Great book. I have just read “How to Change Your Mind”, Pollan, an excellent book. It all makes me long for the sixties when Blotter was ten dollars for a hundred hit sheet and 4 way windowpane was 25 cents. And it as all 100% pure. Not quite as old as Andy… but I did have a wonderful summer fling with one of his wives (long before she knew him). Too much information… but a great interview, thanks.

  5. Sue Asher says:

    Hi Ben, I was interested to learn your wife feels nauseous if she drinks green tea! I have tried so many times and I end up vomiting. This is only if I drink it on an empty stomach, once I have eaten something then I can drink it no worries so perhaps your wife should try that!
    Thanks for a GREAT podcast.

  6. Ashley says:

    Any thoughts on a high quality green tea for enema instead of coffee?

  7. Rich says:

    Hi Ben,

    Is there a fast way to make Matcha without going through the full process? What would be the downside of just adding hot water if possible?

    Thanks,

    Rich

    1. Dr. Weil explained that you can use either hot or cold water. There's even matcha you can use for cooking.

  8. Really enjoy listening to Dr. Weil on your podcast. I have included theanine into my diet by capsule and it does help me sleep better. Have been drinking more decaf for the reason you explained. I love your podcasts Ben. I also love that I can listen to them over and over again. You have some of the most interesting and influential people I know and who I don’t know as well. Thank you for your service to the public :)

    1. Boadachia NLN says:

      Noreen took the words right out of my mouth. Thank you!!!

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