April 8, 2020

How To Optimize Your Day | Ben Greenfield on Modern Wisdom with Chris Williamson

Check out the Modern Wisdom Episode Page & Show Notes

Key Takeaways

• Use blue-light blocking glasses about 1.5-2 hours before bed to make waking up easier
  • Podcast Notes Trusted Blue Light Blocking Glasses
• Ben Greenfield’s go-to supplements for sleep are magnesium, glycine with gelatin, and 100 mg of CBD
  • Podcast Notes Trusted CBD: Use promo code “PODCASTVIBES” for 15% off at checkout

• Some ideas to incorporate from Ben’s routine:
  • Gratitude journal: write one thing you feel grateful for, one person you can help, and anything you dreamed about 
  • Schedule deep work in the morning. Take breaks regularly for short exercises
  • Schedule reactive work (e.g, replying emails) in the evening

• Instead of listening to white noise, Ben recommends pink noise because it enhances your sleep
• Ben uses a 4-7-8 breath count to lull himself to sleep (4 seconds in, 7 seconds hold, 8 seconds release)
• Ben’s office gear: standing desk, Salli chair, FluidStance board, grounding mat (these mats provide a mild anti-inflammatory effect), treadmill, and golf balls (for deep tissue foot therapy) 

Intro

• Ben Greenfield (@bengreenfield) is the host of the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast (Podcast Notes) and author of the new book, Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging
• Host: Chris Williamson (@ChrisWillx)

Books Mentioned

• To learn about the healing properties of Vitamin C and baking soda, Ben recommends reading Forbidden Healing by Capt. T. C. Randall
• Check out Ben’s newest book, Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging
• Ben recommends the book, EMF*D: 5G, Wi-Fi & Cell Phones: Hidden Harms and How to Protect Yourself by Joseph Mercola to learn about the hidden danger in EMF, wi-fi, and cell phones

Ben’s Morning Routine

• Ben sleeps on a ChiliPad and wakes up around 6am–most days he wakes up naturally, but other times he’ll use a sunrise alarm clock to wake up  (Use code PODCASTNOTES25 for 25% Off a ChiliPad or PODCASTNOTES15 for 15% off an OOLER the newer version)
  • The first thing Ben does after getting up is write in his gratitude journal–he writes down one thing he’s grateful for, one person he could help, and anything he dreamed about  
    • After that, Ben uses a copper tongue scraper to clean out the bacteria in his mouth and performs oil pulling with coconut and essential oils
• Ben wears blue-light blocking glasses in the morning to make waking up easier
  • He also drinks a mason jar of water containing  hydrogen tablets, a pinch of Celtic salt, Quinton, Vitamin C, and baking soda  
    • To learn about the healing properties of Vitamin C and baking soda, Ben recommends reading Forbidden Healing by Capt. T. C. Randall
      • After that, Ben has organic black coffee or cacao tea with chaga–this combination helps prime the body for red-light therapy
        • As the water is boiling for his coffee/tea, Ben spends a 10-15 minutes doing deep tissue work with a foam roller or lacrosse ball 
• After his deep tissue work, Ben will do some breath work or hang from an inversion table for 15 minutes
  • He’ll then flip on his Jove red-light therapy device for 20 minutes and spend about 30 minutes going reading research articles
    • Ben’s office gear: standing desk, Salli chair, FluidStance board, grounding mat (these mats provide a mild anti-inflammatory effect), treadmill, and golf balls (for deep tissue foot therapy) 
      • After getting some work done, he’ll go for a 20-30 minute walk in the sunshine or sauna session 
        • Later in the day, Ben will make a smoothie with ice, stevia or monk fruit, bone broth or coconut milk, two scoops of greens, collagen, a bit of lemon juice, and half an avocado

Ben’s Afternoon Routine

• From 10am to 2-3pm, Ben tries to get 4-5 hours of deep work in a day 
  • This includes writing articles, shooting content, talking with clients, or advisory calls for businesses
    • He’ll take a break every 30 or 60 minutes to do some pull-ups, kettlebell swings, or jump on a trampoline
• For lunch, Ben will eat lots of greens with some coldwater fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel), nuts, avocado, and bone broth
  • Ben saves all of his carbs for the evening
    • After lunch, Ben takes a 20-45 minutes nap–he uses a Mindfold sleep mask

Ben’s Evening Routine

• Ben does most of his reactive work in the evening (emails, social media, etc.)
  • From 5:30-6:30 pm, he’ll do some form of physical exercise, usually weight-training or high-intensity interval training
    • From 7:30-9pm it’s solely family time
• Ben prefers to use incandescent light bulbs in his house because they simulate almost the same natural spectrum you get from sunlight
  • He uses red incandescent light bulbs in his bedroom, bathroom, and the kids room so that there isn’t any blue light and it doesn’t disrupt your circadian rhythm
• Ben uses ethernet cables so he doesn’t have any wifi or Bluetooth signals 
  • Ben prefers to use wired headphones or AirPods or other Bluetooth headphones
  • Motorized treadmills provide huge amounts of EMF so Ben recommends getting a manual one  
    • Ben recommends the book, EMF*D: 5G, Wi-Fi & Cell Phones: Hidden Harms and How to Protect Yourself by Joseph Mercola to learn about the hidden danger in EMF, wi-fi, and cell phones
• At night, Ben may take some sirtuin, ketones, blueberry powder or cacao
  • He’ll also make gelatin with coconut milk, stevia, and some prebiotic fiber 
• Ben puts on his blue-light blocking glasses about 1.5-2 hours before bed
  • His go-to supplements for sleep are magnesium, glycine with gelatin, and 100 mg of CBD
  • Podcast Notes Trusted CBD: Use the code “PODCASTVIBES” for 15% off at checkout
• Ben sleeps on a gravity blanket and a ChiliPad, and uses a Mindfold sleep mask and foam earplugs
  • Instead of listening to white noise, Ben recommends pink noise because it enhances your sleep
    • Ben uses a 4-7-8 breath count to lull himself to sleep (4 seconds in, 7 seconds hold, 8 seconds release)