
May 6, 2019
Ben Greenfield: Mimicking Ancestral Living with Biohacking – Wise Traditions
Check out the Wise Traditions Episode Page & Show Notes
Key Takeaways
- We all need more sunlight
- At least get more near-infrared/infrared light (via something like an infrared sauna or a photobiomodulation panel)
- There are a ton of benefits associated with just walking around barefoot in the grass
- Drink more spring water
- You can find a spring near you here
- If you’re not close to a spring, try adding
hydrogen tablets to your water
- There are too many benefits of cold exposure not to throw it into your routine
Products Mentioned
- Supplements which can help minimize the effects of radiation exposure while traveling:
- Astaxanthin (some fish oils have it)
- A full-spectrum antioxidant
- A vitamin C powder like this one from American Nutriceuticals
- TianChi Chinese Adaptogenic Herb Complex
- Glutathione or any kind of sulfur-based supplement, like NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)
- These help ramp up your own antioxidant defenses
- Spirulina and cholerella (both are good for mitigating oxidative damage)
- Ketone salts or the HVMN etone ester
- These can activate pathways which limit inflammation
- If you don’t have access to high-quality, pasture-raised beef liver, consider supplementing with desiccated liver capsules
- Devices which mimic sunlight exposure:
- Joovv photobiomodulation panels (near-infrared and red light)
- A SaunaSpace near-infrared sauna or Clearlight infrared sauna
- ReTimer Light Therapy Glasses or the Valkee Human Charger (UVA and UVB light)
- Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) devices give off frequencies similar to those given off by the Earth
- There are PEMF mats you can sleep on
- If you don’t have access to spring water, consider adding hydrogen tablets to the water you’re drinking
- You can also buy a hydrogen water generator
Intro
- Host – Hilda Gore (@holistichilda)
- Ben Greenfield is a health and fitness blogger
- He hosts the Ben Greenfield Fitness Podcast
- Ben is the author of Beyond Training and The Low Carb Athlete
- For more Ben, check out the Podcast Notes from his appearance on The Joe Rogan Experience
Using Biohacking to Mimic Ancestral Living
- Humans need a good amount of near- and far-infrared light from the sun (as well as UVA + UVB spectrum light from the sun) – but the problem is, most of us spend all day indoors
- Biohacks:
- To compromise, use a photobiomodulation panel (like those form Joovv) which emit near-infrared and red light that simulate the spectrum you’d get from the sun
- You could also use an infrared-sauna (SaunaSpace or Clearlight are well-known brands)
- To get more ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) light, you can use ReTimer Light Therapy Glasses or the Valkee Human Charger (it’s an in-ear light therapy device)
- Both of these can be used to better regulate your circadian rhythm when you travel (in simple terms – using these devices mimics exposure to the sun)
- Real-life hack:
- Just get some damn sun
- Biohacks:
- Our ancestors probably walked outside barefoot a TON, constantly exposing themselves to the frequencies emitted by Earth
- Biohacks:
- To mimic this, the biohacking community developed earthing/grounding devices (pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) devices)
- These emit the same natural frequencies that the Earth gives off
- There are PEMF mats you can sleep on (like a BioBalance PEMF Mat)
- To mimic this, the biohacking community developed earthing/grounding devices (pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) devices)
- Real-life hack:
- Walk around barefoot in the grass
- Biohacks:
- Our ancestors probably drank a lot of spring water
- You can find natural springs close to you here
- Spring water is charged with hydrogen and tends to have a crystalline structure not seen with water from the tap
- Biohacks:
- You can buy a structured water generator or buy hydrogen tablets in your water
- You can also buy a hydrogen water generator
- People long ago were probably frequently exposed to changes in temperature
- Bioahacks:
- Using the sauna to mimic mid-day sun/heat exposure
- Using cryotherapy for cold exposure
- Bioahacks:
Supplements and Food
- If you don’t have access to high-quality, pasture-raised beef liver, consider supplementing with desiccated liver capsules
- For more on liver’s nutritional benefits, check out these Podcast Notes
- Ben only takes a probiotic when he travels
- When he’s home, he eats a ton of kimchi, sauerkraut, pickled ginger, and other fermented foods
Travel Biohacks
- When you travel in an airplane, you’re exposed to a ton of radiation – how can you mitigate your exposure?
- Keep the shutter closed on your airplane window
- Try not to use the plane’s Wi-Fi
- Supplements which can help minimize the effects of radiation:
- Astaxanthin (some fish oils have it)
- A full-spectrum antioxidant
- A vitamin C powder like this one from American Nutriceuticals
- TianChi Chinese Adaptogenic Herb Complex
- Glutathione or any kind of sulfur-based supplement, like NAC (N-Acetyl Cysteine)
- These help ramp up your own antioxidant defenses
- Cool Tech:
- There are scalar energy devices which emit a frequency that seems to be protective against EMF radiation, which you’re exposed to while traveling
- (like those from Blueshield – you can put them in your pocket or purse)
- There are scalar energy devices which emit a frequency that seems to be protective against EMF radiation, which you’re exposed to while traveling
- Other things Ben does while traveling:
- He almost never eats on planes
- If it’s a long-haul international flight – he’ll eat a small amount (like a handful of Macadamia nuts with beef jerky and spirulina/cholerella which are good for mitigating oxidative damage)
- He supplements with ketone salts or a ketone ester (this HVMN ketone ester has high praise from the podcast community)
- These can activate pathways that limit inflammation which can occur during travel
The End Game – Why does Ben do what he does?
- To increase his healthspan and lifespan
- “I just want to be around as long as I can to make the biggest impact on the planet”
- BUT – he draws a line
- He doesn’t fast as much as he probably should (he doesn’t enjoy it)
Ben’s Favorite Biohack
- “Not a day goes by that I’m not doing some form of cold exposure”
- There are a TON of benefits:
- Increased nitrous oxide production
- Increased heart rate variability and vagus nerve tone
- Increased stress resilience
- Conversion of white adipose tissue to brown fat
- Decreased inflammation
- Ben’s cold exposure routine consists of:
- Ice baths
- Hot/cold contrast showers (20 seconds of cold and 10 seconds hot for 10 rounds)
- Using the cold pool behind his house
- Cold exposure products:
- Cool Fat Burner makes ice packs/vests you can wear
- There are a TON of benefits:
Wrapping Up
- Check out Ben’s new book coming out in January 2020 titled SuperHumanRx
- Ben says it’s already 600 pages
- Ben’s parting advice:
- Get outside every day
- Lay down in your backyard with your shirt off (or at least walk barefoot)
- Drink pure, clean water from a spring (or use hydrogen water tablets + a structured water generator)
- Get more near-infrared/infrared light (via something like an infrared sauna or a photobiomodulation panel)
Random
- Ben coaches about 10 people full-time (mostly business executives and high-level athletes)
- Check out Ben’s Lifebook
- For background, check out this podcast
- “It’s kind of like me…in a book”
- “It’s everything I stand for and everything I believe in”
These notes were edited by RoRoPa Editing Services