Nourish Balance Thrive

Sleep, nutrition, and metabolism expert Greg Potter, PhD, is back on the podcast today with a new twist on help for those interested in sleep. Greg is an international public speaker, science writer, consultant and coach, focusing on working with individuals and organisations to adopt easy and long-lasting lifestyle modifications that add years and quality to life. His work has appeared in dozens of worldwide media sources, including Reuters, TIME, and The Washington Post, and he frequently contributes to prominent websites, blogs, and podcasts. On today's podcast, Greg joins Chris to discuss the use of psychedelic drugs for improved sleep and mental health. Greg talks about the types of psychedelics currently being researched, including psilocybin, LSD, and MDMA, their mechanisms of action, and their potential roles in improving sleep and health. He shares some of the most interesting results from the clinical literature, including therapeutic effects for treatment-resistant depression and the impact of these substances when combined with meditation or psychotherapy.  Here's the outline of this episode with Greg Potter: [00:05:28] What are psychedelics? [00:06:33] Main types of psychedelics. [00:09:37] Uses of psychedelics. [00:12:01] Minidosing and microdosing. [00:13:09] Psilocybin use as a spiritually significant event; Study:  Griffiths, Roland R., et al. "Psilocybin occasioned mystical-type experiences: immediate and persisting dose-related effects." Psychopharmacology 218 (2011): 649-665. [00:14:14] Mystical experiences. [00:16:00] Mechanisms of action. [00:20:01] Greg's experience with psychedelics. [00:30:27] Integration work. [00:32:47] Entourage effects. [00:37:18] Chris's experiences with psychedelics. [00:41:22] Relaxing priors; Carhart-Harris and K. Friston; Study: Carhart-Harris, Robin L., and Karl J. Friston. "REBUS and the anarchic brain: toward a unified model of the brain action of psychedelics." Pharmacological reviews 71.3 (2019): 316-344. [00:41:45] Karl Friston's Free Energy Principle; Paper: Friston, Karl. "The free-energy principle: a unified brain theory?." Nature reviews neuroscience 11.2 (2010): 127-138. [00:43:47] Psychedelics and sleep architecture. [00:49:51] Psilocybin and sleep; Study: Dudysová, Daniela, et al. "The effects of daytime psilocybin administration on sleep: implications for antidepressant action." Frontiers in pharmacology 11 (2020): 602590. [00:51:58] Ayahuasca and sleep; Study: Barbanoj, Manel J., et al. "Daytime Ayahuasca administration modulates REM and slow-wave sleep in healthy volunteers." Psychopharmacology 196 (2008): 315-326. [00:54:34] REM sleep and dreaming. [00:58:42] Hobson's Activation-Synthesis Hypothesis. [00:59:38] Lucid dreaming. [01:00:02] Book: When Brains Dream: Understanding the Science and Mystery of Our Dreaming Minds, by Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold. [01:00:04] Videos: TedX talk - Sleep, Memory and Dreams: Fitting the Pieces Together and other videos. [01:03:41] Fear Extinction. [01:05:32] Podcast: From Magic to Mindfulness: The Evolution of an Entrepreneur, with Jason Connell. [01:07:33] Combining LSD and MDMA; Study: Schmid, Yasmin, et al. "Acute subjective effects in LSD-and MDMA-assisted psychotherapy." Journal of Psychopharmacology 35.4 (2021): 362-374. [01:08:31] Psychedelics as adjunct to other interventions. [01:09:16] Review: Payne, Jake E., Richard Chambers, and Paul Liknaitzky. "Combining psychedelic and mindfulness interventions: Synergies to inform clinical practice." ACS Pharmacology & Translational Science 4.2 (2021): 416-423. [01:09:57] Psilocybin combined with other spiritual practices; Study: Griffiths, Roland R., et al. "Psilocybin-occasioned mystical-type experience in combination with meditation and other spiritual practices produces enduring positive changes in psychological functioning and in trait measures of prosocial attitudes and behaviors." Journal of Psychopharmacology 32.1 (2018): 49-69. [01:12:01] Psilocybin with expert meditators; Study: Smigielski, Lukasz, et al. "Characterization and prediction of acute and sustained response to psychedelic psilocybin in a mindfulness group retreat." Scientific reports 9.1 (2019): 1-13. [01:13:25] Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). [01:14:59] Podcast: Microdosing Psychedelics and the Placebo Effect, with Balázs Szigeti. [01:20:08] Psilocybin without psychotherapy for treatment-resistant depression; Study: Goodwin, Guy M., et al. "Single-dose psilocybin for a treatment-resistant episode of major depression." New England Journal of Medicine 387.18 (2022): 1637-1648. [01:21:58] Drug harms; Review: Nutt, David J., Leslie A. King, and Lawrence D. Phillips. "Drug harms in the UK: a multicriteria decision analysis." The Lancet 376.9752 (2010): 1558-1565. [01:23:41] Potential contamination; Fentanyl. [01:25:29] Find Greg online: gregpotterphd.com; Instagram.

We're continuing the conversation this week with Greg Potter, PhD., but with a plot twist. We've had Greg on the podcast many times discussing all facets of sleep and circadian biology, but today the topic is low back pain.  Greg has had personal experience with this problem since the age of 12 and has devoted extensive time and effort to researching and trying various treatment methods to find relief for himself and his coaching clients. He's quick to admit he's not an expert in low back pain, but it's clear he's well-versed on the topic. Greg thoroughly examines low back pain in this podcast, including causes, treatments, and scientifically-validated approaches for relieving chronic discomfort. He discusses time-tested treatments and cutting-edge options, including therapies, exercises, and supplements. He also recalls the book that started his healing journey and the best ways to give your back a break during daily movement and activities. Here's the outline of this episode with Greg Potter:  [00:00:10] Health Optimisation Summit. [00:00:44] Podcasts: How to Use Time-Restricted Eating to Reverse Disease and Optimize Health, with Satchin Panda, PhD; Kale vs Cow: The Case for Better Meat, with Diana Rodgers, RD. [00:01:53] Stuart McGill on HumanOS podcast: How to Avoid or Improve Back Pain Podcast with Stuart McGill [00:02:14] Greg on STEM-talk Podcast: Episode 136: Greg Potter Talks About Circadian Biology and the Importance of Sleep. [00:02:31] Greg's history with back pain. [00:03:07] Book: Low Back Disorders: Evidence-Based Prevention and Rehabilitation Third Edition, by Stuart McGill. [00:07:05] Chronic back pain: prevalence and costs to society. [00:09:42] Causes and types of lower back pain. [00:18:53] Sports that increase risk of back pain. [00:21:11] Physical Therapist Zac Cupples; Podcasts: Movement Analysis and Breathing Strategies for Pain Relief and Improved Performance and Airway Dentistry: What to Do When You Don't Breathe Right At Night. [00:22:18] Podcasts with Mike T. Nelson: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and Ben House: 1, 2. [00:22:18] Prevalence of spinal stenosis without symptoms; Review: Deer, Timothy, et al. "A review of lumbar spinal stenosis with intermittent neurogenic claudication: disease and diagnosis." Pain medicine 20.Supplement_2 (2019): S32-S44.​ [00:23:29] Spinal degeneration with no symptoms, by age; Study: Brinjikji, Waleed, et al. "Systematic literature review of imaging features of spinal degeneration in asymptomatic populations." American journal of neuroradiology 36.4 (2015): 811-816. [00:24:02] Nociplastic (nonspecific) pain. [00:26:29] Psychological causes for pain. [00:27:34] Lorimer Moseley on YouTube. [00:28:51] Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Zach Moore; Podcasts featuring Zach: Overcoming Adversity and Strength Coaching and Health Fundamentals: Movement and Exercise. [00:33:36] Rates of low back pain in traditional cultures and early human species. [00:37:13] 2015 study: Plomp, Kimberly A., et al. "The ancestral shape hypothesis: an evolutionary explanation for the occurrence of intervertebral disc herniation in humans." BMC evolutionary biology 15.1 (2015): 1-10. [00:38:53] Difficulties in assessing and treating back pain. [00:43:51] Stuart McGill; Backfit Pro. [00:44:47] Abel Romero; Podcast: How to Avoid Chronic Pain, Improve Mobility and Feel 100% Confident in Your Lifting. [00:46:11] Spine hygiene (i.e., how to give your lower back a break); moving well and often. [00:50:53] Building spine stability. [00:51:56] Stuart McGill's Big 3 Exercises. [00:54:14] Bracing your spine when lifting things. [01:02:06] Bracing with breath: Valsalva maneuver. [01:03:22] Treatments that intervene with pain at the brain level. [01:05:58] Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) vs Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for low back pain; Study: Cherkin, Daniel C., et al. "Effect of mindfulness-based stress reduction vs cognitive behavioral therapy or usual care on back pain and functional limitations in adults with chronic low back pain: a randomized clinical trial." Jama 315.12 (2016): 1240-1249. [01:06:17] Effects from MBSR are not sustained long term; Meta-analysis: Anheyer, Dennis, et al. "Mindfulness-based stress reduction for treating low back pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis." Annals of Internal Medicine 166.11 (2017): 799-807. [01:07:18] The Mindfulness App. [01:07:36] Russ Harris; Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). [01:08:06] Pain Reprocessing Therapy; Study: Ashar, Yoni K., et al. "Effect of pain reprocessing therapy vs placebo and usual care for patients with chronic back pain: a randomized clinical trial." JAMA psychiatry 79.1 (2022): 13-23. [01:10:48] Relationship between low back pain and sleep problems. [01:11:38] Insomnia comes before back pain; Study: Agmon, Maayan, and Galit Armon. "Increased insomnia symptoms predict the onset of back pain among employed adults." PLoS One 9.8 (2014): e103591. [01:12:02] Treating insomnia can help with pain; Transdiagnostic sleep and circadian approach, Allison Harvey and Daniel Buysse. [01:12:29] Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBTI); Podcast with Ashley Mason: How to Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. [01:13:18] Mattresses, pillows, and sleep positions for sleep quality and musculoskeletal support. [01:19:04] Nutritional considerations for pain. [01:20:24] Intramuscular vitamin B12 for back pain; Study: Rooijakkers, Johanna M. "Intramuscular Vitamin B12 Injections for Treating Chronic Low Back Pain." (2014). [01:20:57] Effects of weight loss interventions on low back pain; Systematic review: Chen, Lu Hsi, et al. "The effectiveness of weight loss programs for low back pain: a systematic review." BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 23.1 (2022): 1-14. [01:22:27] Impact of supplements on different kinds of back pain. [01:22:42] UC-II collagen, hydrolyzed collagen, ginger. [01:25:10] Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) - Levagen. [01:26:06] Meta-analyses on effects of PEA for pain reduction: Einaudi, Via Luigi, and Giustino Varrassi. "Palmitoylethanolamide, a special food for medical purposes, in the treatment of chronic pain: a pooled data meta-analysis." Pain Physician 19 (2016): 11-24 and Artukoglu, Bekir Berker, et al. "Efficacy of palmitoylethanolamide for pain: a meta-analysis." Pain Physician 20.5 (2017): 353-362. [01:26:49] Protein, creatine monohydrate, vitamin D3, glucosamine sulfate. [01:27:34] Glucosamine may not be effective; Study: Wilkens, Philip, et al. "Effect of glucosamine on pain-related disability in patients with chronic low back pain and degenerative lumbar osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial." Jama 304.1 (2010): 45-52.  [01:27:47] Glucosamine + chondroitin + msm, low efficacy for pain reduction; systematic review: Stuber, Kent, Sandy Sajko, and Kevyn Kristmanson. "Efficacy of glucosamine, chondroitin, and methylsulfonylmethane for spinal degenerative joint disease and degenerative disc disease: a systematic review." The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association 55.1 (2011): 47. [01:28:21] Glucosamine is associated with fewer cardiovascular events and less mortality; Study: Ma, Hao, et al. "Association of habitual glucosamine use with risk of cardiovascular disease: prospective study in UK Biobank." bmj 365 (2019). [01:28:35] Glucosamine is associated with reduced all-cause mortality: King, Dana E., and Jun Xiang. "Glucosamine/chondroitin and mortality in a US NHANES cohort." The Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine 33.6 (2020): 842-847. [01:28:59] Malcolm Kendrick; Book: The Clot Thickens: The enduring mystery of heart disease; Podcasts with Dr. Kendrick: 1, 2, 3. [01:31:23] Work with Greg: gregpotterphd.com. @gregpotterphd on social media. [01:32:28] Simon Marshall; Podcast describing SEEDS approach: Nudge Tactics for Performance and Health. [01:33:00] Kanban board; Trello.

With us this week is Extreme Human Performance Specialist Mike T Nelson, PhD. Mike has spent 13+ years working with clients, focusing on how to properly condition the body to burn fat and become stronger, more flexible, and healthier. He's been called in to share his techniques with top government agencies, universities and colleges, fitness organizations and fanatics. The strategies he's developed and the results Mike generates for his clients have been featured in international magazines, in scientific publications, and on websites across the globe. Today Mike joins Megan Hall to talk about the power and practicality of using metabolic flexibility to achieve exceptional body composition, health, and performance. Mike talks about the surprising psychological factors that go into designing a personalized diet and the system he's developed that works with the freedom-craving, flexible nature of your typical human. His system is called the Flex Diet, and it combines the science of metabolic flexibility with the autonomy of choose-your-own-adventure interventions to keep clients motivated, consistent, and inspired to take on their next challenge. If you're a trainer or health practitioner who values flexibility, Mike is running a rare special offer this week on his Flex Diet Certification Course. Here's the outline of this episode with Mike T Nelson: [00:00:35] Previous podcasts featuring Dr. Mike T. Nelson: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. [00:01:03] The psychology of behavior change: Why an intervention might look good on paper but not work in real life. [00:08:21] The Flex Diet: What it is, how it came about.  [00:13:12] Problems with relying on fat for fuel. [00:16:38] Fuel used during exercise; Studies: 1. Goedecke, Julia H., et al. "Determinants of the variability in respiratory exchange ratio at rest and during exercise in trained athletes." American Journal of Physiology-Endocrinology And Metabolism 279.6 (2000): E1325-E1334. 2. Helge, J. W., et al. "Interrelationships between muscle fibre type, substrate oxidation and body fat." International journal of obesity 23.9 (1999): 986-991. 3. Nelson MT, Biltz GR, Dengel DR. Repeatability of Respiratory Exchange Ratio Time Series Analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Sep;29(9):2550-8 [00:18:21] Ketogenic diets and fasting. [00:19:39] Book: Eat Stop Eat: Intermittent Fasting for Health and Weight Loss, by Brad Pilon. [00:21:31] How to know if you're metabolically flexible. [00:23:09] Lumen CO2 sensor. [00:28:56] Tips for fasting with different end goals. [00:30:02] Protein synthesis study: Horstman, Astrid MH, et al. "The muscle protein synthetic response to whey protein ingestion is greater in middle-aged women compared with men." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 104.4 (2019): 994-1004. [00:34:14] Using HRV to assess stress; Who shouldn't fast. [00:35:18] Psychological benefits for fasting. [00:37:35] Differences between men and women regarding metabolic flexibility. [00:42:54] Dr. Ben House; Podcasts with Ben: How to Manage Testosterone and Estrogen in Athletes, and Ben House, PhD on Strength Training: a Discussion at the Flō Retreat Center in Costa Rica. [00:43:58] How many carbs? How much fat? [00:46:24] Overfeeding and changes in Nonexercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT); Study: Levine, James A., Norman L. Eberhardt, and Michael D. Jensen. "Role of nonexercise activity thermogenesis in resistance to fat gain in humans." Science 283.5399 (1999): 212-214. [00:47:50] Enroll in the Flex Diet Certification Course.

Good nutrition is essential for optimal health, performance and quality of life. Unfortunately, the standard American diet is deficient in many essential nutrients, and at the same time is loaded with toxic ingredients known to cause serious health problems. Making matters worse, doctors rarely test for nutrient deficiencies, which are often at the root of their patients' complaints. The end result is a population marked by difficulties attaining or maintaining a state of good health and optimal performance. Today we're rounding out our Health Fundamentals Series with a fourth instalment, this time on the topic of nutrition. NBT coaches Megan Hall and Zach Moore discuss why what you eat deserves your time and attention, and the best practical strategies to ensure you're getting the nutrition you need from your diet. They talk about the best foods to consume, how many meals to eat and the best time of the day to eat them, and how to avoid the most common nutritional deficiencies. They also discuss the best way to get started so you don't get overwhelmed and quit before seeing the benefits of a good diet. Here's the outline of this episode with Megan Hall and Zach Moore: For all the details, be sure to follow along with Megan's Outline for this podcast. [00:00:09] First 3 Health Fundamentals Podcasts: 1, 2, 3. [00:01:27] Why we should care about what we eat. [00:03:15] Top dietary interventions to focus on. [00:05:37] Optimal protein intake. [00:08:25] Protein leverage hypothesis. [00:12:30] Plant-based vs. animal-based protein sources. [00:15:37] Collagen peptides vs. whey protein supplementation for muscle protein synthesis; Study: Oikawa, Sara Y., et al. "Whey protein but not collagen peptides stimulate acute and longer-term muscle protein synthesis with and without resistance exercise in healthy older women: a randomized controlled trial." The American journal of clinical nutrition 111.3 (2020): 708-718. [00:16:52] Branch Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs). [00:17:26] Avoiding junk/processed acellular carbohydrates and industrial seed oils. [00:19:27] Focusing on nutrient density; common nutrient deficiencies (calcium, choline, vitamin A, k2, zinc, magnesium, iodine). [00:26:34] Tolerating organ meats. [00:28:16] Organ meat blended with ground beef; Nose to Tail, Force of Nature, US Wellness Meats. [00:31:48] Environmental Working Group (EWG)'s Dirty Dozen. [00:32:03] Meal number and timing. [00:32:54] Time restricted eating (limited eating window). [00:34:08] One meal a day (OMAD). [00:40:36] Personalizing a diet for you. [00:40:51] Macronutrients. [00:44:10] Fiber; soluble vs. insoluble fiber. [00:45:24] Polyphenols. [00:46:12] Elimination diets. [00:50:42] Troubleshooting. [00:50:52] Digestive distress, during or after meals. [00:51:38] Improving body composition. [00:54:06] Managing sugar cravings. [00:55:06] Gretchen Rubin; Article: When Facing a Strong Temptation, Are You an “Abstainer” Like Me, or a “Moderator?” [00:55:52] Addressing under-eating; Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S). [01:00:50] Getting started making dietary changes. [01:02:49] Nourishbalancethrive.com; Book a free 15-minute starter session.

Back on the podcast, today is sleep, nutrition, and metabolism expert, Greg Potter, PhD. Through his academic research, public speaking, consulting and writing, Greg empowers people to make simple and sustainable lifestyle changes that add years to their lives and life to their years. His work has been featured in dozens of international media outlets, including Reuters, TIME, and The Washington Post, and he regularly contributes to popular websites, blogs, and podcasts. In this podcast, Greg is talking about light, including the importance of getting out in the sun and also modern problems with artificial light. He discusses the impact of light on the circadian system along with up-to-date recommendations related to light hygiene. We discuss practical tips for reducing light at night (not all of which involve putting away your device), and why not getting the right kind of light might be keeping you from achieving your body composition goals. Here's the outline of this episode with Greg Potter:  [00:02:14] Wellics Corporate Wellness Software. [00:06:49] The importance of light. [00:08:30] The introduction of electric light. [00:09:55] myLuxRecorder (Satchin Panda's app, no longer available); Podcast: How to Use Time-Restricted Eating to Reverse Disease and Optimize Health, with Satchin Panda. [00:10:37] How light influences the circadian system. [00:15:34] Consensus paper with recommendations related to light hygiene; Study: Brown, Timothy M., et al. "Recommendations for daytime, evening, and nighttime indoor light exposure to best support physiology, sleep, and wakefulness in healthy adults." PLoS biology 20.3 (2022): e3001571. [00:19:13] Practical tips for reducing light at night. [00:22:44] Increasing prevalence of myopia. [00:23:46] Podcast: Getting Stronger, with Todd Becker. [00:26:01] Vitamin D synthesis; Podcast: The Pleiotropic Effects of Sunlight, with Megan Hall. [00:26:15] Effects of light on mood and cognition. [00:27:24] Effect of light exposure patterns on cognitive performance; Study: Grant, Leilah K., et al. "Daytime exposure to short wavelength-enriched light improves cognitive performance in sleep-restricted college-aged adults." Frontiers in neurology (2021): 197. [00:28:14] Effects of light on metabolic health. [00:28:20] Dan Pardi podcast featuring Peter Light: Sunlight And Fat Metabolism: A New Discovery. [00:28:52] Effect of bright and dim light on metabolism (Netherlands); Study: Harmsen, Jan-Frieder, et al. "The influence of bright and dim light on substrate metabolism, energy expenditure and thermoregulation in insulin-resistant individuals depends on time of day." Diabetologia 65.4 (2022): 721-732. [00:30:53] Effects of light on skin and immune function. [00:31:57] Highlights #15 (topics: Sun avoidance & exposure, increasing testosterone, Robert Sapolsky). [00:35:14] Skyglow. [00:36:48] Light at night and endocrine disruption. [00:37:45] Light at night and quality/duration of sleep. [00:38:19] Blue light in the evening interferes with sleep homeostasis; Study: Cajochen, Christian, et al. "Evidence that homeostatic sleep regulation depends on ambient lighting conditions during wakefulness." Clocks & Sleep 1.4 (2019): 517-531. [00:38:53] Effects of light at night on sympathetic nervous system/cortisol; Study: Rahman, Shadab A., et al. "Characterizing the temporal dynamics of melatonin and cortisol changes in response to nocturnal light exposure." Scientific reports 9.1 (2019): 1-12. [00:39:26] Effects of light at night on heart rate, HRV, insulin resistance; Study: Mason, Ivy C., et al. "Light exposure during sleep impairs cardiometabolic function." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119.12 (2022): e2113290119. [00:41:34] Effects of moon phases on sleep; Study: Casiraghi, Leandro, et al. "Moonstruck sleep: Synchronization of human sleep with the moon cycle under field conditions." Science advances 7.5 (2021): eabe0465. [00:45:40] Effects of individual sensitivity to light; Study: Phillips, Andrew JK, et al. "High sensitivity and interindividual variability in the response of the human circadian system to evening light." Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116.24 (2019): 12019-12024. [00:47:55] Camping and melatonin synthesis across seasons; Study: Stothard, Ellen R., et al. "Circadian entrainment to the natural light-dark cycle across seasons and the weekend." Current Biology 27.4 (2017): 508-513. [00:48:40] Seasonal changes in thyroid hormones (meta-analysis): Kuzmenko, N. V., et al. "Seasonal variations in levels of human thyroid-stimulating hormone and thyroid hormones: a meta-analysis." Chronobiology International 38.3 (2021): 301-317. [00:53:24] Effect of location in the world; Podcast: Morning Larks and Night Owls: the Biology of Chronotypes, with Greg Potter, PhD. [00:54:30] Daylight Savings Time transition and  traffic accidents in the US; Study: Fritz, Josef, et al. "A chronobiological evaluation of the acute effects of daylight saving time on traffic accident risk." Current biology 30.4 (2020): 729-735. [00:56:08] Effects of Daylight Savings Time on cardiac events. [00:56:48] Daylight Savings Time and cyberloafing; Study: Wagner, David T., et al. "Lost sleep and cyberloafing: Evidence from the laboratory and a daylight saving time quasi-experiment." Journal of Applied psychology 97.5 (2012): 1068.  [00:57:26] Circadian clock disrupted by Daylight Savings Time; Study: Kantermann, Thomas, et al. "The human circadian clock's seasonal adjustment is disrupted by daylight saving time." Current Biology 17.22 (2007): 1996-2000.  [01:00:44] Implications of permanent daylight savings time. [01:03:37] Effects of light at night in animals; Study: Sanders, Dirk, et al. "A meta-analysis of biological impacts of artificial light at night." Nature Ecology & Evolution 5.1 (2021): 74-81. [01:09:14] Minimizing the impact of light at night on wildlife. [01:13:50] Human-centric lighting at hospitals; Study: Giménez, Marina C., et al. "Patient room lighting influences on sleep, appraisal and mood in hospitalized people." Journal of sleep research 26.2 (2017): 236-246. [01:14:51] Babies in a neonatal unit did better with light/dark cycle; Study: Vásquez-Ruiz, Samuel, et al. "A light/dark cycle in the NICU accelerates body weight gain and shortens time to discharge in preterm infants." Early human development 90.9 (2014): 535-540. [01:17:59] Effects of light at night on plants; Study: Ffrench-Constant, Richard H., et al. "Light pollution is associated with earlier tree budburst across the United Kingdom." Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 283.1833 (2016): 20160813. [01:18:50] Maturation of soybeans shifted with  artificial light at night; Study: Palmer, Matthew, et al. Roadway lighting's impact on altering soybean growth. No. FHWA-ICT-17-010. 2017. [01:19:44] How to optimise your light environment. [01:19:54] Incandescent vs compact fluorescent bulbs. [01:21:58] LED lights. [01:25:33] Light-emitting devices with screens; metamerism. [01:26:20] Using metamerism to regulate impact of digital devices; Study: Allen, Annette E., et al. "Exploiting metamerism to regulate the impact of a visual display on alertness and melatonin suppression independent of visual appearance." Sleep 41.8 (2018): zsy100. [01:26:51] Software that reduces your exposure to short wavelengths: Nightshift (iPhone), Night Light/Blue Light Filter (Android), f.lux. [01:27:23] Apps to prevent short-wavelength light emissions do help; Study: Gringras, Paul, et al. "Bigger, brighter, bluer-better? Current light-emitting devices–adverse sleep properties and preventative strategies." Frontiers in public health 3 (2015): 233. [01:27:31] Blue-light blocking app did not improve sleep; Study: Smidt, Alec M., et al. "Effects of Automated Diurnal Variation in Electronic Screen Temperature on Sleep Quality in Young Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial." Behavioral Sleep Medicine (2021): 1-17. [01:28:31] Blue-blockers. [01:31:31] Recommendations for shift workers. Greg's paper on this topic: Potter, Gregory DM, and Thomas R. Wood. "The future of shift work: Circadian biology meets personalised medicine and behavioural science." Frontiers in Nutrition 7 (2020): 116. [01:33:34] Jet lag: Jet Lag Rooster. [01:37:27] Find Greg on Instagram, TikTok; gregpotterphd.com [01:37:56] Book: When Brains Dream: Understanding the Science and Mystery of Our Dreaming Minds, by Antonio Zadra. [01:38:08] Book: The Beginning of Infinity: Explanations That Transform the World, by David Deutsch. [01:38:32] Book: The Precipice by Toby Ord.

Back on the podcast today is Steven Wright, the man behind Healthy Gut, a cutting-edge supplement line devoted to helping those suffering with persistent GI problems. After being diagnosed with IBS by several doctors, Steven found relief from his own gut health problems by following the Specific Carbohydrate Diet, and then spent years coaching others to do the same. His goal continues to be providing solutions for effective digestion, nutrient absorption, and microbiome balance. Today Steven is talking about targeting the gut for the purpose of optimising immune health. He discusses what to look for in a probiotic supplement, and explains how paraprobiotics are now being used to improve gut function. He describes some of the specific probiotic strains that have been found to modulate immune response, soothe rashes and improve exercise performance - and where you can find them. Steven also offers some of his best tips for supporting immune health and managing stress with nutrition. Here's the outline of this episode with Steven Wright: [00:00:07] Steve's previous NBT podcast: How to Stop Suffering and Restore Your Gut to Health. [00:00:26] How Steven connected supporting the immune system through the gut. [00:03:25] 5 different immune misfires (scroll down page). [00:06:05] Innate vs. adaptive immune system. [00:09:02] Leaky gut and its role in autoimmunity. [00:09:45] Alessio Fassano, MD; Study: Fasano, Alessio, and Terez Shea-Donohue. "Mechanisms of disease: the role of intestinal barrier function in the pathogenesis of gastrointestinal autoimmune diseases." Nature clinical practice Gastroenterology & hepatology 2.9 (2005): 416-422. [00:16:06] Histamine intolerance and Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS). [00:18:19] Effect of butyrate on mast cells. [00:20:34] Paraprobiotics (heat-killed probiotics) vs. typical probiotics. [00:25:09] Importance of probiotic strain and concentration. [00:27:26] Probiotics found in HoloImmune; Lactococcus lactis JCM 5805 (Immuse ®, also called LC-Plasma in the literature). [00:30:31] Lactobacillus plantarum L-137 (Immuno-LP20 ®). [00:31:50] Lactobacillus acidophilus strain L-92. [00:34:49] 1-year study on LP20: Nakai, Hiroko, et al. "Safety and efficacy of using heat-killed Lactobacillus plantarum L-137: High-dose and long-term use effects on immune-related safety and intestinal bacterial flora." Journal of Immunotoxicology 18.1 (2021): 127-135. [00:34:49] Immuse ® - studied at 250mg; Study: Kato, Yukiko, et al. "Safety evaluation of excessive intake of Lactococcus lactis Subsp. lactis JCM 5805: A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial." Food and Nutrition Sciences 9.04 (2018): 403. [00:37:07] Beta glucans for boosting Secretory IgA (SIgA). [00:41:20] Best interventions for gut and immune health. [00:45:20] Tips for optimizing nutritional status: Track your food, get a continuous glucose monitor, monitor vitamin D status. [00:45:30] Managing stress with nutritional and gut support. [00:48:06] Boosting butyrate: Tributyrin and L. rhamnosus GG. [00:48:43] HealthyGut.com - new customers use coupon code NOURISH15 to save $15.

The beneficial role of physical movement and exercise in daily life is one of the few things we can all agree on. Extensive research points to movement as essential for living a long and healthy life. It helps keep our bodies strong, flexible, and mobile and helps maintain cognitive health as we age. So what kind of exercise should you be doing and how much should you train? If you have limited time and energy, what type of movement should be prioritized? Today for the third instalment of our Health Fundamentals series, Coach Megan Hall is talking with NBT Head of Strength and Conditioning Zach Moore about movement and exercise. They discuss why it's important for you to be moving regularly, and describe ways to increase movement throughout your day. Zach stresses the importance of strength training: why it should be the foundation of your workout and the 3 simple movements you can use to get started. They also discuss recovery, balance, flexibility, and mobility. To get all the details and studies supporting the information in this podcast, be sure to follow along with Megan's outline for this episode. Here's the outline of this episode with Megan Hall and Zach Moore: [00:00:21] Health Fundamentals Series Part 1: Health Fundamentals: How to Get Great Sleep and Part 2: Health Fundamentals: Stress and Hormesis. [00:01:01] Non-exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT). [00:02:36] How to increase NEAT throughout the day. [00:08:11] Strength training - why it's important. [00:10:47] How to start strength training. [00:13:40] How much and how often to train. [00:16:40] Compound vs isolation movements. [00:18:39] Strength training for endurance athletes. [00:20:41] Straight bar vs. hex/trap bar for deadlifts. [00:22:41] Rest periods during resistance exercise. [00:24:43] Endurance exercise and why it's important. [00:25:56] How much endurance exercise is enough for health effects. [00:28:09] Zach's recommendations for prioritizing movement types. [00:29:04] How to measure effort during cardio; The MAF Method. [00:36:01] Recreational/team sports. [00:36:34] Recovery. [00:36:59] Delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and active recovery. [00:41:26] Interference effect, and how to minimize it. [00:46:10] Balance, flexibility, and mobility - why they're important. [00:47:44] Resistance training is mobility training. [00:50:01] Structural limitations. [00:54:29] Summing up. [00:58:10] NBT website, Set up a free 15-min call with one of our coaches.

Like most critical aspects of health, stress can be a double-edged sword. It's necessary for physical and emotional growth, and we all know that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. However, too much stress can do far more damage than even a poor diet or a sedentary lifestyle. The trick seems to be embracing the right kinds of stress in the right doses, and under those conditions, it can be a catalyst for improved strength and resilience. ​Today for the second instalment of our Health Fundamental series, NBT coaches Megan Hall and Clay Higgins are examining stress and hormesis. They talk about simple biomarkers to help you measure your current allostatic load and then they discuss simple, practical things anyone can do to better manage emotional stress. They also discuss how to use hormesis - intentional and measured amounts of stressors like temperature, exercise, diet, and breathing, to boost your body's functioning while becoming better adapted and stronger. To get all the details and studies supporting the information in this podcast, be sure to follow along with Megan's outline for this episode. Here's the outline of this episode with Megan Hall and Clay Higgins: [00:01:23] Defining stress: allostatic load, eustress, distress. [00:05:06] Dealing with negative stressors. [00:05:20] Sympathetic vs. parasympathetic. [00:05:49] Measuring allostatic load: Heart rate variability, resting heart rate, and other biomarkers. [00:06:41] Podcast: How to Know if You're Stressed, with Jason Moore. [00:07:26] Mike T. Nelson, PhD. [00:09:54] Simon Marshall, PhD.; Stress Audit (list of your problem-based and emotion-based coping strategies) - Podcast: How to Manage Stress. [00:11:16] Panoramic vision/optic flow as the basis for EMDR therapy; Podcast: How to Develop Coping Resilience and Mental Toughness. [00:13:05] Physiological sigh. [00:13:31] Spending time in nature; forest bathing (Shinrin-yoku). [00:14:35] Movement and exercise. [00:18:00] Breathwork; Podcast with James Nestor: How to Fix Your Breathing to Improve Your Health; Book: https://amzn.to/39wccpN. [00:19:55] Soma Breathwork; Podcast: How to Use SOMA Breathwork to Relieve Stress and Improve Your Health and Performance, with Nigel McHollan and Kara Lynn Kelly. [00:21:41] Nasal breathing vs. mouth breathing; inhale vs. exhale duration. [00:22:01] Circadian rhythm entrainment; DUTCH test; Doing a daily audit. [00:24:30] Q1 interventions (Quadrant 1 from the 4-Quadrant Model). [00:27:20] Podcast: Health Fundamentals: How to Get Great Sleep. [00:28:51] Previous podcasts on sleep: Why Sleep Is Critical for Immune Health (2/12/21); Better Sleep for Athletes (1/3/20); How to Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (12/13/19); What to Do When You Can't Sleep (11/22/19); Sleep To Win: How Navy SEALs and Other High Performers Stay on Top (10/25/19); Morning Larks and Night Owls: the Biology of Chronotypes (1/27/19); Why Your Diet Isn't Working: Sleep and Circadian Rhythm (9/3/18); How to Entrain Your Circadian Rhythm for Perfect Sleep and Metabolic Health (7/4/18); How to Get Perfect Sleep with Dr. Kirk Parsley, MD (4/15/16). [00:29:14] Simon Marshall's traffic light system; Podcast: How to Stay Consistent (Minute 11:00). [00:30:02] Community and social connection; Feeling lonely is associated with depression, anxiety, hopelessness, fatigue, poor life satisfaction. Finding a club, altruism. [00:33:06] Podcasts on community: The Compassion Project: The Power of Hope and Human Kindness (4/9/21), The Community Cure: Transforming Health Outcomes Together (11/13/20), Building Compassionate Communities to Improve Public Health (1/10/19). [00:33:26] Hormesis; Paper: Calabrese, Edward J., and Mark P. Mattson. "How does hormesis impact biology, toxicology, and medicine?." NPJ aging and mechanisms of disease 3.1 (2017): 1-8. [00:35:54] Review papers on Hormesis - find them in Megan's outline for this episode. [00:36:10] Temperature: extreme heat and cold. [00:37:16] Clay's DIY sauna. [00:38:50] Ben Lynch article on sauna: Sauna Benefits & How-To Guide, by Dr. Ben Lynch. [00:41:23] Exercise. [00:42:05] Lactate can improve cellular defense mechanisms; Study: Lactate and pyruvate promote oxidative stress resistance through hormetic ROS signaling. [00:42:50] Food as a hormetic stressor: manipulating macros. [00:44:46] Fasting and calorie restriction. [00:45:28] Fruit and vegetable compounds that stimulate detoxification; NRF2 stimulated by sulforaphane and resveratrol. [00:46:30] Hygiene hypothesis. [00:47:26] Oxygen stress; Altitude/hypoxia, LiveO2. [00:48:13] Getting a hormetic response from lower-intensity exercise; Study: Balestra, Costantino, et al. "Hypoxic and hyperoxic breathing as a complement to low-intensity physical exercise programs: A proof-of-principle study." International journal of molecular sciences 22.17 (2021): 9600. [00:49:06] Wim Hof Method. [00:50:15] Where to start. [00:50:43] Simon Marshall's podcasts on habit formation: Nudge Tactics for Performance and Health, How to Get Motivated. [00:53:22] More is not better - hormesis can have a cost. [00:55:14] Article: Defining Hormesis, by Calabrese and Baldwin.

We've decided to do a series of episodes on the fundamentals of good health - each containing the best practical information we've come across for improving the quality of your life and achieving your goals. We're focusing on the most commonly asked-about areas, such as stress and hormesis, movement and exercise, and diet and nutrition. Today we're kicking it off with a discussion about one of the most important, often the most frustrating, and easily the most overlooked pillar of health: sleep. On this podcast, Megan Hall and Clay Higgins draw from their years of combined health coaching experience to bring you their best advice for getting great sleep. They explain why you should care about the quality of your nighttime routine, and they discuss the impact of light, food and exercise on your ability to sleep well. They also share their opinions on supplements and technology designed to enhance sleep and talk about some of the more common behaviours that can lead to insomnia. Be sure to follow along with Megan's outline to get the most out of this episode. Here's the outline of this episode with Megan Hall and Clay Higgins: [00:01:30] Why we should care about sleep. [00:02:36] Quality vs quantity of sleep. [00:02:49] Mike T. Nelson's podcast: Why telling your clients to sleep more is horrible advice. [00:05:23] Circadian rhythm. [00:09:12] Strategies for reducing caffeine intake. [00:13:35] Daytime; chrononutrition and meal timing. [00:14:23] Higher and longer postprandial triglyceride elevation with the same high fat meal at night compared to during the daytime. Study: Sopowski, M. J., et al. "Postprandial triacylglycerol responses in simulated night and day shift: gender differences." Journal of Biological Rhythms 16.3 (2001): 272-276. [00:14:33] Better glucose sensitivity in the AM and during the day compared to at night; Study: Johnston, Jonathan D. "Physiological responses to food intake throughout the day." Nutrition research reviews 27.1 (2014): 107-118. [00:14:58] NBT Podcast with Bill Lagakos: Why You Should Eat Breakfast (and Other Secrets of Circadian Biology). [00:16:13] NBT Podcast with Ted Naiman: Protein vs. Energy for Improved Body Composition and Healthspan. [00:18:40] Book: Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear. [00:19:43] Consistency in meal timing. [00:24:14] Timing of exercise. [00:27:13] Cognitive work; Brain activity during the day may increase the need for sleep at night; Study: Reichert, Sabine, Oriol Pavón Arocas, and Jason Rihel. "The neuropeptide galanin is required for homeostatic rebound sleep following increased neuronal activity." Neuron 104.2 (2019): 370-384. [00:27:52] Bright light during the daytime hours makes you resilient to light-induced melatonin suppression at night; Study: Kozaki, Tomoaki, et al. "Effects of day-time exposure to different light intensities on light-induced melatonin suppression at night." Journal of physiological anthropology 34.1 (2015): 1-5. [00:30:12] Evening/nighttime strategies and solutions. [00:30:23] An early dinner is ideal; take a walk after. [00:31:43] Alcohol as disruptive to sleep. [00:34:34] Avoiding stress. [00:34:45] Dim/orange lights; Philips hue light bulbs; Blue blocking glasses. [00:37:40] f.lux and Iris. [00:38:32] Evening routines. T-WE tea, Cougar Tranquilizer. [00:39:53] Glycine; Chris Masterjohn on Why You Need Glycine. [00:44:22] Bedroom environment: temperature, darkness, quiet. [00:46:16] Eight Sleep. [00:49:44] Mouth taping; NBT Podcast with James Nester: How to Fix Your Breathing to Improve Your Health [00:54:12] Greg Potter's articles on sleep onset insomnia and sleep maintenance insomnia. [00:54:28] NBT Podcast with Ashley Mason: How to Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia. [00:54:37] Go camping to retrain the circadian clock; Study: Wright Jr, Kenneth P., et al. "Entrainment of the human circadian clock to the natural light-dark cycle." Current Biology 23.16 (2013): 1554-1558. [00:56:33] Schedule a free 15-min call with Megan or Clay.

Jason Moore is the founder of Elite HRV and Spren, companies offering deep insight into health, stress, and recovery using the technology of heart rate variability (HRV) and other biometrics. For the last decade, his products have focused on helping consumers measure physiological adaptation by essentially providing a snapshot of the autonomic nervous system, accessible within a simple phone app. There's no doubt his work has contributed to the enormous popularity of HRV as one of the most comprehensive noninvasive biomarkers available. On this podcast, Jason discusses the latest advances in HRV technology and the many ways it is being used to assess and improve outcomes. He talks about the current applications of this metric, including endurance and strength training, and - more recently - cognitive performance. He also offers us a glimpse into the latest developments and devices now making it easier than ever to measure the status of your nervous system. Here's the outline of this episode with Jason Moore: [00:00:12] Jason's last appearance on the NBT podcast: Jason Moore of EliteHRV. [00:00:40] Video: Stress and Heart Rate Variability — Jason Moore, B.A. (AHS14). [00:01:26] Heart Rate Variability (HRV): What it is and why we should care. [00:05:08] Potential applications of HRV for endurance training, strength training, and cognitive performance. [00:07:41] Elite HRV app. [00:08:01] Oura Ring; WHOOP. [00:10:27] New technology: using cameras to detect HRV. [00:15:20] Accuracy and advantages of camera technology vs. chest strap for HRV. [00:18:02] Computer vision - mapping the face in 3D space. [00:22:59] Book: Livewired: The Inside Story of the Ever-Changing Brain, by David Eagleman (who also wrote Incognito). [00:30:01] Using HRV as a biomarker to guide for endurance and strength training. [00:42:27] Spren.com: partnering with companies to bring HRV technology to other platforms and coaches. [00:48:49] Integrating HRV for other purposes. [00:55:19] Find Jason on LinkedIn, Twitter. [00:55:48] Get access to our forum when you support NBT on Patreon. [00:55:58] Mike T. Nelson.

Suffering from IBS for 6 years was a wake-up call for Angela Privin. Her gut issues were an internal cry for help, forcing her to identify what wasn't working on both a physical and subconscious level. After solving her own digestive issues naturally, Angela became a digestive health coach and a trained hypnotherapist. She now works with clients around the globe, combining hypnotherapy with nutrition, supplementation and testing to dramatically improve client results. ​On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall interviews Angela about the impact hypnotherapy can have when added to the functional medicine mix. Angela explains how being told, “It's all in your head” by a doctor may be more accurate than we realize, and how thoughts, emotions, and traumas from the past can shape our current reality - including our health. She also describes the hypnotherapy process, and how you can break out of the stress loop that's keeping you from reaching your goals. Here's the outline of this episode with Angela Privin: [00:00:29] Angela's background and health challenges. [00:02:09] Diagnosed with Hashimoto's. [00:03:44] Trying hypnosis. [00:05:35] Symptoms "all in your head" and the impact of emotions on the body. [00:08:10] Conscious vs. subconscious mind. [00:10:48] Imagination vs. reality from the perspective of the subconscious mind. [00:14:54] Formation and physiology of the subconscious. [00:16:40] Neuroplasticity and rewiring the brain. [00:18:01] Debunking myths about hypnosis. [00:19:53] Thoughts driving inflammation. [00:22:29] The placebo effect and its impact on health. [00:26:03] Book: Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body, by Jo Marchant. [00:26:58] Breaking out of the stress loop. [00:30:23] Decades-old stress is impacting your health. [00:31:49] The hypnosis process. [00:33:46] Resistance to hypnosis; suggestibility. [00:40:13] Hypnosis vs. physical interventions. [00:41:38] Finding a hypnosis practitioner. Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT). [00:45:35] Limbic retraining programs (e.g., DNRS). [00:48:09] Work with Angela at DIYhealth.

Steven Wright is an engineer and the Founder and CEO of Healthy Gut, a company that offers hope for those suffering with digestive pain, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, gas, and other GI ailments. Fueled by his own lifelong health problems, Steven coached, researched, and biohacked his way to a better understand of what's needed for sustained gut health. After years of coaching others and reverse-engineering his own symptoms, he now offers results-oriented solutions for better GI health. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director and Coach Megan Hall interviews Steven about some of the critical factors needed to nurture a healthy gut, including a healthy microbiome, proper digestion, and efficient nutrient absorption. Steve discusses all of the above, as well as the key processes involved with strengthening the gut lining, soothing histamine reactions, and reducing painful and embarrassing symptoms.  Here's the outline of this episode with Steven Wright: [00:00:21] Steven's background and interest in gut health. [00:03:28] Jordan Reasoner. [00:05:42] Specific Carbohydrate Diet. [00:07:20] Book: Management Of Celiac Disease, by Dr. Sidney V. Haas. [00:08:05] Book: Breaking the Vicious Cycle, by Elaine Gottschall. [00:13:01] GI environmental factors. [00:15:58] Butyrate: what it is and why it's important. [00:18:39] Causes of low butyrate. [00:21:04] Polyphenols that encourage the growth of important microbes. [00:22:11] Symptoms that indicate low butyrate; benefits of supplementation. [00:24:15] Butyrate supplements: sodium butyrate, tributyrin; Tributyrin-X. [00:28:08] Butyrate increases non-REM sleep; Study: Szentirmai, Éva, et al. "Butyrate, a metabolite of intestinal bacteria, enhances sleep." Scientific reports 9.1 (2019): 1-9. [00:30:43] Book: The Wahls Protocol: A Radical New Way to Treat All Chronic Autoimmune Conditions Using Paleo Principles. [00:31:44] Resistant starch: sources and conflicting reactions. [00:33:59] Digestive enzymes: what they are, why they're important. [00:37:07] Effects of stress; conditions needed for enzymes to be effective. [00:38:07] Signs you might need a digestive enzyme. [00:41:53] HoloZyme. [00:45:06] Systemic enzyme therapy. [00:46:41] Stomach acid; why it's important. [00:49:18] Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) and stomach acid. [00:52:54] HCL Guard: Betaine HCl, pepsin, intrinsic factor, deglycyrrhizinated liquorice (DGL) and ginger. [00:57:55] Timing HCL in relation to meals. [00:59:45] HCL challenge test - how to check for low stomach acid. [01:02:11] Triaging your gut issues and prioritizing interventions. [01:04:30] The transition from coaching to creating supplements. [01:08:31] Discount code and link: https://healthygut.com/nourish15 for $15 off and free shipping through the end of the month.

Today, we're talking about diarrhoea. An unconventional podcast topic, for sure - but also an extremely important one. Diarrhoea affects almost everyone at some point. It's one of the most common symptoms that something in our gut is not right. In most cases it's transitory and we move on - but what do you do if it doesn't just go away? We've touched on this topic before while talking about The Athlete's Gut, but today we're taking a closer look at this all-too-common issue. On today's podcast, NBT Scientific Director and Coach Megan Hall is with me to talk about diarrhoea: the different types, the many causes, and how to fix it when it occurs. She talks about how diarrhoea is both a cause and consequence of gut (and sometimes systemic) pathologies and describes ten different things that may be perpetuating the problem. Most importantly, Megan offers specifics on what you can do to identify and treat your ongoing gut problem. Be sure to follow along with Megan's excellent and detailed outline for this episode. Here's the outline of this episode with Megan Hall: [00:01:37] Diarrhoea: why we should care. [00:02:06] Bristol Stool Chart. [00:02:54] Megan's outline for this podcast. [00:03:15] Three general categories: watery, fatty, and inflammatory. [00:04:53] Causes of diarrhoea. [00:05:00] Food triggers. [00:08:45] Tommy Wood's Highlights #2. [00:10:37] Bile acid malabsorption. [00:13:08] Genova GI Effects test. [00:14:23] Histamine; Podcast: Understanding Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments. [00:16:22] Stress. [00:18:19] Do Simon Marshall's stress audit; Podcast: How to Manage Stress. [00:18:25] Caffeine. [00:20:18] Prostaglandins. [00:21:19] Exercise. Podcast: The Athlete's Gut: Why Things Go Wrong and What to Do About It. [00:25:45] Female Hormone Fluctuations. [00:27:38] Microbial dysbiosis or pathogens. [00:28:37] Video: Rewilding the gut - Lucy Mailing (AHS21). [00:28:59] Malcolm Kendrick; Podcasts: 1, 2, 3. [00:30:30] IBD, Croh's, Colitis, Celiac Disease, Diverticulitis. [00:31:11] How to fix the problem. [00:31:16] Remove food triggers. [00:34:13] Balance fiber types. [00:35:43] Lucy and Tommy's paper on the metabolic flexibility of the gut: Sholl, Jonathan, Lucy J. Mailing, and Thomas R. Wood. "Reframing Nutritional Microbiota Studies To Reflect an Inherent Metabolic Flexibility of the Human Gut: a Narrative Review Focusing on High-Fat Diets." Mbio 12.2 (2021): e00579-21. [00:35:58] Address stress. [00:39:02] Watch caffeine intake. [00:39:19] Prostaglandin inhibitors. [00:40:16] Address microbial dysbiosis or pathogens. [00:40:52] Supporting gut barrier function and integrity; butyrate: Tributyrin and ProButyrate. [00:42:18] Bile acid sequestrants; GI Detox. [00:43:33] Probiotics. [00:44:52] Pomegranate husk/peel: Dr. Mercola's pomegranate peel tablets. [00:46:47] Serum derived bovine immunoglobulins (SBIs). [00:48:44] Support estrogen detoxification. [00:49:14] Loperamide/Imodium. [00:51:38] 4 quadrant model. [00:55:09] Schedule a free 15-minute call with Megan or Clay.

Marty Kendall is an engineer who seeks to optimise nutrition using a data-driven approach. His interest in nutrition began eighteen years ago in an effort to help his wife Monica gain better control of her Type 1 Diabetes.  But since then he has worked to develop a systematised approach to nutrition tailored for a wide range of goals. Marty has been sharing his learnings at OptimisingNutrition.com and has developed the Nutrient Optimiser and Data-Driven Fasting to guide people on their journey of nutritional optimisation. On this podcast, we're talking about optimising nutrition and data-driven fasting, two areas of focus that Marty has found to lead to impressive clinical outcomes like fat loss, reduced hunger, and improved metabolic health. Marty has actually managed to engineer and game-ify the building of a healthier lifestyle! Experience it for yourself with one of his upcoming 30-day challenges, including the Data-Driven Macros Challenge, and the Data-Driven Fasting Challenge, both beginning in January 2022. You can also learn more today with the many free tools on Marty's website. Here's the outline of this episode with Marty Kendall: [00:00:18] Optimising Nutrition blog; Optimising Nutrition Facebook page and Facebook group. [00:02:04] Robb Wolf; Jimmy Moore. [00:04:22] Initial interest in optimising nutrient density. [00:04:46] Jason Fung; Study: Holt, S. H., J. C. Miller, and Peter Petocz. "An insulin index of foods: the insulin demand generated by 1000-kJ portions of common foods." The American journal of clinical nutrition 66.5 (1997): 1264-1276. [00:05:55] Video: Mat Lalonde Nutrient Density: Sticking to the Essentials AHS12. [00:07:34] Nutrient specific satiety. [00:10:00] The power of potassium. [00:11:28] Analysis showing strong satiety response to foods containing potassium, calcium, and sodium. [00:13:18] Herman Pontzer; Podcast: How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy. [00:13:43] B9, B1, B3 associated with a satiety response; problems with fortified foods. [00:15:26] Nutrient Optimiser software; Cronometer. [00:23:06] How the Nutrient Optimiser works. [00:25:29] Podcast: Why You're Probably Not Eating Enough Protein (How to Know for Sure). [00:27:39] Ted Naiman; Podcast: Protein vs. Energy for Improved Body Composition and Healthspan. [00:29:47] Data Driven Fasting. [00:29:56] Hunger training using blood glucose monitoring; Study: Jospe, M. R., et al. "Adherence to hunger training using blood glucose monitoring: a feasibility study." Nutrition & Metabolism 12.1 (2015): 1-10. [00:33:49] Eric Helms; Podcasts: The Nutrition and Science of Natural Bodybuilding and Diet and Lifting Q&A with Natural Bodybuilder, Eric Helms. [00:41:33] Data-Driven Macros Course (starts January 2022). [00:42:24] Malcolm Kendrick podcasts: 1, 2, 3. [00:46:52] Iron overload. [00:51:25] Elite HRV. [00:53:47] Nutrientoptimiser.com; optimisingnutrition.com; Data Driven Fasting. [00:54:11] Optimising Nutrition Podcast.

Probably the most rewarding part of running NBT is getting on the phone with someone who has been working with us for six or 12 months. I recently had a check-in call like this with our client, speech pathologist Lisa Walker. Lisa reached out to us back in March for help with getting her health on track. Six months in, she was excited to report that many of her decades-long symptoms have resolved, she's lost weight, and she now has the energy to do the things she wants to do. On this podcast, Lisa and I discuss her recovery from chronic illness, which included years of struggle with digestive problems, headaches, back pain and fatigue. While working with NBT Coach Clay Higgins, Lisa adopted a diet that works for her without counting calories or macros, and she's implemented lifestyle changes that have vastly improved her sleep and quality of life. Lisa isn't an elite athlete - she's just someone who was willing to roll up her sleeves and make some changes in return for a life she can be excited about. Here's the outline of this episode with Lisa Walker: [00:00:26] Lisa's background and health journey before NBT. [00:06:31] But I'm not an athlete! [00:07:16] Starting with NBT. [00:09:49] Diet changes over the years. [00:13:36] Whole30. [00:16:05] Visbiome probiotic. [00:17:35] Headaches - gone. [00:20:00] Body composition changes. [00:21:11] Energy in food can vary by up to 50% depending on the processing; Study: Barr, SadieB, and JonathanC Wright. "Postprandial energy expenditure in whole-food and processed-food meals: implications for daily energy expenditure." Food & nutrition research 54.1 (2010): 5144. [00:24:17] Managing stress. [00:26:03] Sleep: before and after. [00:27:11] Sleep as a keystone behavior; Podcast: How to Use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia, with Ashley Mason, PhD. [00:27:41] Greg Potter's articles on optimising sleep: 1. Having trouble sleeping? A primer on insomnia and how to sleep better 2. Sleep-maintenance insomnia: how to sleep through the night 3. Sleep-onset insomnia: how to get to sleep fast.  [00:29:56] Movement. [00:30:53] Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training.  Podcasts: Blood Flow Restriction Training for Improved S, trength, Performance, and Healthspan, Blood Flow Restriction Q&A with Jim Stray-Gundersen, and Blood Flow Restriction Training: Science and Application.

For men, testosterone is important for mood, bone health, erectile function, libido, strength and muscle mass and is also associated with lower levels of inflammatory markers, better insulin sensitivity, and metabolic health. It also may even have some vasodilatory effects, and higher testosterone levels are also associated with better health outcomes in general and lower cardiovascular, cancer, and all-cause mortality. Unfortunately, It looks like testosterone levels in the population are dropping, although more isn't necessarily better. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall and I are talking about testosterone: why we should care about it, how to test for it, and how to support healthy levels of this hormone. Megan discusses signs and symptoms of low testosterone and seven different lifestyle changes you can make to support optimal levels - before you even consider taking a supplement. We also talk about hormone replacement therapy, who might benefit, and some of the downsides to this strategy. For all the references and a detailed roadmap of everything we discuss, be sure to follow along with Megan's outline for this podcast.  Here's the outline of this episode with Megan Hall: [00:00:24] Testosterone: Why you should care. [00:01:49] Megan's outline for this podcast. [00:02:46] Optimal reference range for Testosterone. [00:03:51] Symptoms of low testosterone. [00:04:25] Testing for testosterone. [00:07:02] High testosterone is associated with violent crime. Study: Dabbs Jr, James M., et al. "Testosterone, crime, and misbehavior among 692 male prison inmates." Personality and individual Differences 18.5 (1995): 627-633. [00:07:32] Book: Behave: The Biology of Humans at Our Best and Worst, by Robert Sapolsky. [00:08:22] The testosterone suppression system. [00:08:35] Book: The WEIRDest People in the World, by Joseph Henrich. [00:10:13] Book: Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy. [00:12:02] Testosterone physiology; troubleshooting by testing LS and FSH. [00:14:38] Varicocele - the enlargement of veins within the testicles - common amongst athletes. [00:16:31] Sex Hormone Binding Globulin (SHBG) [00:19:44] How to support testosterone levels. [00:20:41] 4-Quadrant Model; Josh Turknett's AHS talk: How To Win At Angry Birds: The Ancestral Therapeutic Paradigm - AHS19. [00:20:55] Josh Turknett on the NBT podcast: How to Win at Angry Birds: The Ancestral Paradigm for a Therapeutic Revolution [00:21:11] Sleep; Greg Potter on the podcast talking about sleep: Why Sleep Is Critical for Immune Health, How to Entrain Your Circadian Rhythm for Perfect Sleep and Metabolic Health, Better Sleep for Athletes, and What to Do When You Can't Sleep. [00:21:33] Sleep deprivation decreases testosterone; Study: Leproult, Rachel, and Eve Van Cauter. "Effect of 1 week of sleep restriction on testosterone levels in young healthy men." Jama 305.21 (2011): 2173-2174 and Gonzalez-Santos, M. R., et al. "Sleep deprivation and adaptive hormonal responses of healthy men." Archives of andrology 22.3 (1989): 203-207. [00:22:26] Greg Potter's articles on sleep: 1. Having trouble sleeping? A primer on insomnia and how to sleep better 2. Sleep-maintenance insomnia: how to sleep through the night 3. Sleep-onset insomnia: how to get to sleep fast.  [00:22:37] Stress; Chronic stress in particular, more so than acute stress. [00:24:54] Podcast: How to Manage Stress, with Simon Marshall, PhD. [00:25:09] Eating sufficient calories. [00:26:13] Podcast with Herman Pontzer: How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy. [00:27:57] Nutrient deficiencies: zinc, magnesium, vitamin D. [00:29:30] Cholesterol and dietary fat. [00:30:51] Exercise. [00:33:32] Within day energy availability can negatively impact the testosterone:cortisol ratio; Study: Torstveit, Monica Klungland, et al. "Within-day energy deficiency and metabolic perturbation in male endurance athletes." International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism 28.4 (2018): 419-427. [00:34:59] Testosterone suppression - a dysfunction or a normal adaptation to training? Study: Sansone, Andrea, et al. "Sport, doping and male fertility." Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology 16.1 (2018): 1-12. [00:37:02] Book: Move Your DNA: Restore Your Health Through Natural Movement, by Katy Bowman. [00:39:00] Environmental toxins: estrogens, cigarette smoking and alcohol. [00:40:16] Herbs and supplements to consider. [00:43:40] Pituitary tumours, TBI and concussion. [00:44:36] Testosterone Replacement Therapy. [00:48:59] Join our group program to get a blood test, bloodsmart.ai report, and 4 group coaching sessions.

If you've followed the NBT podcast for a while you probably heard Dr. Malcolm Kendrick talking about the tenuous connection between cholesterol levels and cardiovascular disease. Malcolm has published with The International Network of Cholesterol Skeptics on this topic, including a recent review paper entitled LDL-C does not cause cardiovascular disease. In the paper, they include both total cholesterol and LDL-C in their discussions, and if you look at epidemiological data, I think they make a good point. For instance, total cholesterol had almost no effect on mortality in the HUNT-2 study in Norway, and higher levels were associated with lower mortality risk in women. Or the ESCARVAL-RISK study, where higher LDL-C is associated with lower all-cause mortality until it's well above 200 mg/dl. Or the In-Chianti study, where people over 64 had the lowest mortality rates if they had an LDL-C greater than 130mg/dl. The question then becomes, if not cholesterol, then what? To answer that we must resist monomania and acknowledge the very notion of causation in a complex system is suspicious. Ask not what but how. Malcolm argues in his new book The Clot Thickens that if you maintain metabolic health, manage stress, and mind your endothelial function, cholesterol levels become largely irrelevant. Simple enough, but as you'll discover in this interview, the devil is in the details. Here's the outline of this episode with Malcolm Kendrick: [00:00:24] Previous NBT podcasts with Malcolm Kendrick: Why Cholesterol Levels Have No Effect on Cardiovascular Disease (And Things to Think About Instead) and A Statin Nation: Damaging Millions in a Brave New Post-health World. [00:00:42] Book: The Clot Thickens: The enduring mystery of heart disease, by Malcolm Kendrick. [00:03:04] 5-part series with lipidologist Thomas Dayspring (Part 1, 2, 3, 4, 5);  2-hour interview with Ron Krauss on The Drive Podcast. [00:04:23] Book: Braunwald's Heart Disease: A Textbook of Cardiovascular Medicine. [00:06:12] LDL Cholesterol - challenging mainstream thought. [00:17:16] Fatty streaks never become atherosclerotic plaques; Review: Velican, C., M. Anghelescu, and D. Velican. "Preliminary study on the natural history of cerebral atherosclerosis." Medicine interne 19.2 (1981): 137-145. [00:18:54] Genetic influences; familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and high clotting factors; Case study of patient with untreated FH but no presence of atherosclerosis: Johnson, Kipp W., Joel T. Dudley, and Jason R. Bobe. "A 72-year-old patient with longstanding, untreated familial hypercholesterolemia but no coronary artery calcification: a case report." Cureus 10.4 (2018). [00:21:22] Clotting factors more important than high LDL; Paper: Ravnskov, Uffe, et al. "Inborn coagulation factors are more important cardiovascular risk factors than high LDL-cholesterol in familial hypercholesterolemia." Medical hypotheses 121 (2018): 60-63. [00:25:03] UK Biobank Study: Mora, Samia, Seth S. Martin, and Salim S. Virani. "Cholesterol Insights and Controversies From the UK Biobank Study: Three Take-Home Messages for the Busy Clinician." (2019): 553-555. [00:25:51] Machine learning used to predict cardiovascular disease; Study: Weng, Stephen F., et al. "Can machine-learning improve cardiovascular risk prediction using routine clinical data?." PloS one 12.4 (2017): e0174944. [00:30:54] FOURIER PCSK9-inhibitor study: More deaths in the treatment group; Study: Sabatine, Marc S., et al. "Evolocumab and clinical outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease." New England Journal of Medicine 376.18 (2017): 1713-1722. [00:31:26] Evolocumab also reduces Lp(a); Study: O'Donoghue, Michelle L., et al. "Lipoprotein (a), PCSK9 inhibition, and cardiovascular risk: insights from the FOURIER trial." Circulation 139.12 (2019): 1483-1492. [00:34:02] APOA-1 Milano and HDL cholesterol. [00:38:45] Lp(a) and Vitamin C, plasminogen and clotting. [00:47:02] Rudolf Virchow, the father of the cholesterol hypothesis. [00:48:42] So what causes CVD? [00:49:53] Biomechanical stress; High blood pressure. [00:52:16] Endothelial and glycocalyx damage. [01:02:19] Steroids, immunosuppressants. [01:03:52] Avastin (bevacizumab) increases the risk of CVD; Study: Totzeck, Matthias, Raluca Ileana Mincu, and Tienush Rassaf. "Cardiovascular adverse events in patients with cancer treated with bevacizumab: a meta‐analysis of more than 20 000 patients." Journal of the American Heart Association 6.8 (2017): e006278. [01:06:07] Clotting disorders. [01:10:41] Sickle cell anemia - 50,000% increased risk of CVD. [01:11:36] Case study of 14-year old boy: Study: Elsharawy, M. A., and K. M. Moghazy. "Peripheral arterial lesions in patient with sickle cell disease." EJVES Extra 14.2 (2007): 15-18. [01:13:25] Air pollution, smoking, lead. [01:15:57] Biggest risk factors for CVD. [01:20:09] Supplements that strengthen the glycocalyx; Chondroitin Sulfate. [01:22:12] Malcolm's blog.

Each month for the past year we've offered our bloodsmart.ai group program. It's an opportunity to use machine learning to predict—from a pretty simple blood test—what is likely happening inside your body (and what might be going wrong) along with expert feedback on the results from NBT Scientific Director and Coach, Megan Hall and me. The program has been very popular, not to mention a lot of fun, and people are going through more than once to measure their ongoing progress. On this podcast, Megan provides detailed feedback on the bloodsmart.ai report belonging to NBT Coach Clay Higgins. What you'll hear is very similar to what goes on during our group coaching sessions. It's a review of exactly what's going well and where there's opportunity for improvement - along with specific steps to take right now to improve overall health, based on the data, symptoms, and personal history. If you'd like to participate in a group program please email NBT support for details and be sure to let us know where in the world you live so we can tailor our response to your needs. Here's the outline of this episode with Megan Hall and Clay Higgins: [00:00:33] Clay's combined bloodsmart.ai report. [00:05:13] Overall wellness score and PhenoAge. [00:07:30] Marker Detail View Page. [00:08:12] NutriSense continuous glucose monitoring. [00:12:03] Calculated red blood cell survival and HbA1C. [00:13:52] Eight Sleep. [00:16:33] Uric acid. [00:25:10] Potential oxidative stress: N. Acetyl Cysteine (NAC) may help. [00:26:58] Calcium a bit low; consider following up with a blood parathyroid test and/or supplement with magnesium. [00:32:56] HDL Cholesterol a little high and what that might mean. [00:34:26] Red blood cell indices and low oxygen deliverability suggest possible nutrient deficiencies. [00:35:53] Digestive enzymes: Thorne Biogest or Betaine HCl. [00:38:05] HomocysteX Plus. [00:40:33] Reticulocyte production index and RDW. [00:43:44] Low neutrophils (neutropenia) could suggest low copper level. [00:46:36] Nose to Tail. [00:48:00] Bloodsmart.ai forecasts. [00:48:32] Environmental toxin exposure; Quicksilver Blood Metals Testing. [00:51:53] Supporting detoxification: sauna, binders, supporting detox pathways. [00:53:45] Mitigating toxins in the environment. Skin Deep app; Think Dirty Shop Clean app. [00:55:59] Forecasted iodine deficiency; sea vegetables are a good source. [00:57:06] Forecasted issues with immune system/gut. [00:58:28] Designs for Health GI Revive. [00:59:35] Lucy Mailing, PhD; Lucy on previous NBT podcasts: 1, 2, 3. [01:01:49] Homocysteine forecasted to be high - B vitamins are important, as well as glycine, creatine. [01:01:50] Join our bloodsmart.ai group program to get Megan's feedback on your blood chemistry.  In the US, click here to get started. $198 includes blood testing, a bloodsmart.ai report, and access to 4 group coaching sessions with Megan. (Note: Residents of NY, NJ, RI and those living outside the US - pricing and availability varies. Please contact us for assistance.)

The vaginal microbiome is often mentioned in passing - sort of as an afterthought - usually when we're really talking about the gut microbiome. We've decided to give the vaginal microbiome centre stage today, and with good reason - it's a huge factor when it comes to the quality of a woman's life and health, and has implications for fertility, pregnancy and childbirth, and risks associated with sexually transmitted infections.  On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director and Coach Megan Hall and I are discussing the vaginal microbiome: what it is, how to assess for problems, and how to maintain a state of good health. Megan talks about the effects of vaginal dysbiosis on pregnancy and fertility, and how to create the best possible outcome for childbirth. She explains what causes disruption to the vaginal microbiome in the first place, and how ancestral health principles can keep you on track. She also outlines how to rebalance the vaginal microbiome when there's dysbiosis, along with practical steps to take before resorting to antibiotics and antifungals. Here's the outline of this interview with Megan Hall: [00:02:30] Why care about the vaginal microbiota? [00:03:55] Megan's outline for this podcast. [00:04:50] What is the vaginal microbiome (VM)? [00:05:52] 5 core vaginal microbiome community state types (CSTs). [00:07:40] Why lactobacilli are beneficial. [00:10:52] Lucy Mailing, PhD; Podcasts: 1, 2, 3. [00:12:06] Diagnoses associated with vaginal dysbiosis. [00:13:47] Direct to consumer VM testing. [00:15:48] Changes throughout a woman's lifespan. [00:18:02] Podcast: You Are Not Broken: A Modern Approach to Women's Sexual Health and Desire, with Kelly Casperson, MD. [00:18:38] Common vaginal microbiome dysbiosis pathologies: Bacterial Vaginosis (BV), Vulvovaginal Candidiasis (VVC), and Group B Strep (GBS). [00:26:16] Pregnancy: protection from preterm labor, preeclampsia, and infertility. [00:29:44] Studies on the effects of the microbiota and success with infertility treatment: 1. Moreno, Inmaculada, et al. "Evidence that the endometrial microbiota has an effect on implantation success or failure." American journal of obstetrics and gynecology 215.6 (2016): 684-703. and 2. Moore, Donald E., et al. "Bacteria in the transfer catheter tip influence the live-birth rate after in vitro fertilization." Fertility and sterility 74.6 (2000): 1118-1124. [00:31:06] NBT Podcasts with Dr. Malcolm Kendrick: 1, 2. [00:32:15] Causes of disruption to the vaginal microbiome: menses, gut dysbiosis, diet, smoking, contraceptives, antibiotics, general hygiene, stress, tampons, lubricants, hygiene products. [00:35:49] Women who eat a vegetarian diet have higher vaginal microbial diversity (which is unfavorable); Study: Song, Stephanie D., et al. "Daily vaginal microbiota fluctuations associated with natural hormonal cycle, contraceptives, diet, and exercise." Msphere 5.4 (2020): e00593-20. [00:37:05] Compounds from cigarette smoke can be found in cervical mucus; Study: Prokopczyk, Bogdan, et al. "Identification of tobacco-specific carcinogen in the cervical mucus of smokers and nonsmokers." Journal of the National Cancer Institute 89.12 (1997): 868-873. [00:37:24] Microbial composition of man's penis can predict BV incidence in female sex partner: Study: Mehta, Supriya D., et al. "The Microbiome Composition of a Man's Penis Predicts Incident Bacterial Vaginosis in His Female Sex Partner With High Accuracy." Frontiers in cellular and infection microbiology 10 (2020): 433. [00:38:53] Maternal stress alters proteins related to vaginal immunity and abundance of lactobacilli; Study: Jašarević, Eldin, et al. "Alterations in the vaginal microbiome by maternal stress are associated with metabolic reprogramming of the offspring gut and brain." Endocrinology 156.9 (2015): 3265-3276. [00:39:34] Maternal vaginal microbiome mediates responses to prenatal stress; Study: Jašarević, Eldin, et al. "The maternal vaginal microbiome partially mediates the effects of prenatal stress on offspring gut and hypothalamus." Nature neuroscience 21.8 (2018): 1061-1071. [00:42:44] Summarizing lifestyle practices that most affect the vaginal microbiome. [00:43:07] The BBC More or Less Podcast: Has the number of periods a woman has in her lifetime quadrupled?  [00:43:49] Best options for contraceptives; Fertility Awareness Method. Podcast: The Truth About Fertility and the Fertility Awareness Method, with Torea Rodriguez. [00:45:08] Personal hygiene products - be wary. [00:46:49] Podcast: How to Manage Stress, with Simon Marshall, PhD. [00:47:22] How to rebalance the vaginal ecosystem (before resorting to antibiotics and antifungals). [00:48:19] Vaginal pH test strips. [00:48:33] Probiotics: Jarrow Fem-Dophilus has two good strains. [00:52:34] Intervaginal vitamin C can help treat BV; Study: Petersen, E. Eiko, and Paola Magnani. "Efficacy and safety of Vitamin C vaginal tablets in the treatment of non-specific vaginitis: A randomised, double blind, placebo-controlled study." European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology 117.1 (2004): 70-75. [00:52:46] Medical grade honey, thyme and garlic. [00:55:13] The next frontier in VM study. [00:57:02] Seeding with fecal microbiota transplantation in C-section infants; Study: Korpela, Katri, et al. "Maternal fecal microbiota transplantation in cesarean-born infants rapidly restores normal gut microbial development: a proof-of-concept study." Cell 183.2 (2020): 324-334. [00:58:30] Microbiome-based biologic drug being studied (L crispatus probiotic); Study: Lagenaur, Laurel A., et al. "Connecting the dots: Translating the vaginal microbiome into a drug." The Journal of Infectious Diseases 223.Supplement_3 (2021): S296-S306. [01:00:09] 4-quadrant model.

One of the best things about doing this podcast for the past seven years has been how our guests have shaped nearly every aspect of my life and the lives of my family. Over the years my wife Julie and I have built an ancestral lifestyle we believe to be most conducive to health, connection, and longevity, largely influenced by the brilliant guests we've interviewed right here. The process has been nothing short of an adventure, and it continues to unfold. On this podcast, I'm joined by my wife, food scientist Julie Kelly to talk about how we've taken everything we've learned about health, wellness, and ancestral living to create a home life that truly supports and sustains our family. We talk about how we eat, prepare meals, and educate our kids and changes we've made over the years. Julie shares the immense value she's derived from a very specific type of psychotherapy, and we discuss how our practice of managing stress has evolved. We also give an update on our adventures in cohousing, and the number one factor that we've learned will make or break cohousing relationships. Here's the outline of this interview with Julie Kelly: ​​[00:00:17] Ayla is 6 months old; the birth experience. [00:02:21] Podcasts with Lily Nichols, RDN: How to Optimise Nutrition for Pregnancy and Real Food for Gestational Diabetes with Lily Nichols. [00:03:13] How our eating has evolved over time. [00:04:04] Podcast: How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy, with Herman Pontzer, PhD. [00:04:22] Meal prep and shopping. Our eBook: What We Eat. [00:07:14] Justin Sonnenberg. [00:07:37] Lucy Mailing, PhD; Podcasts: 1. How to Optimise Your Gut Microbiome, 2. Microbiome Myths and Misconceptions, 3. Rewilding the Gut: Restoring Ancestral Diversity to the Microbiome. [00:09:17] Simon Marshall's Stress Audit; Podcast: How to Manage Stress. [00:11:31] Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP); Podcast: Healing and Transformation with Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), with Jason Connell. Learn more about working with Jason. [00:16:27] Book: It's Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self, by Hilary Jacobs Hendel. [00:18:33] Forest School. [00:21:58] Book: Free to Learn: Why Unleashing the Instinct to Play Will Make Our Children Happier, More Self-Reliant, and Better Students for Life, by Peter Gray; Podcast: Free to Learn: Unleashing the Instinct to Play, with Peter Gray, PhD. [00:22:36] Books: The Gardener and the Carpenter: What the New Science of Child Development Tells Us About the Relationship Between Parents and Children, and The Scientist In The Crib: Minds, Brains, And How Children Learn, by Alison Gopnik, PhD. [00:24:54] Book: Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein. [00:25:00] Cohousing; Podcast: Contemplating Cohousing: A Paradigm for Modern Day Tribal Living. [00:25:07] Book: Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy. [00:26:13] Article: The Nuclear Family Was a Mistake, by David Brooks. [00:26:25] Podcast: The Postmenopausal Longevity Paradox and the Evolutionary Advantage of Our Grandmothering Life History, with Kristin Hawkes, PhD. [00:29:54] Our experience with Workaway.info.  [00:38:38] Our Workaway profile.

Dr Gabriel Niles, MD has travelled many roads in his search for the ideal model of healing and flourishing. Prior to his training as a Medical Doctor at USC School of Medicine, he studied Traditional Chinese Medicine in Shanghai, China. He has organized and led multiple Circle of Healers retreats with the American Medical Student Association as a medical student, seeking to integrate the wisdom of healing traditions with modern medical science. In recent years, Dr Niles has been integrating the insights and benefits of Functional Medicine into his medical practice while remaining committed to keeping medical care affordable for his patients.  For this podcast, I caught up with Gabe after the Ancestral Health Symposium in Los Angeles to discuss his integration of Functional Medicine into a mainstream bill-to-insurance medical practice. We talk about areas where his approach differs from that of other family physicians, including his favouring of lifestyle changes over-reliance on pharmaceuticals. He also explains why he has continued working within the conventional medical system, despite rejecting the big-pharma controlled dis-ease model of medical “care”. Here's the outline of this interview with Gabriel Niles: [00:00:27] Gabriel's background and interest in medicine and health. [00:02:33] Evan Hirsch, MD; Podcast: How to Fix Your Fatigue. [00:03:01] Institute for Functional Medicine's AFMCP Training. [00:03:15] Studying Chinese medicine. [00:09:58] Service in the US Navy. [00:13:30] Dr. Kirk Parsley; Podcasts: 1. How to Get Perfect Sleep with Dr. Kirk Parsley, MD; 2. Sleep To Win: How Navy SEALs and Other High Performers Stay on Top. [00:14:27] Saying no to Big Pharma; The problem with statins. [00:17:14] Ancestral Health Symposium. [00:20:20] James Nestor; Book: Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art; Podcast: How to Fix Your Breathing to Improve Your Health. [00:21:06] Todd Becker; Podcast: Getting Stronger; AHS Talk: Desirable Difficulties: Using Hormesis to Learn More Effectively - Todd Becker (AHS21). [00:23:20] Mickey Trescott; Podcast: Autoimmune recovery with Mickey Trescott. [00:26:22] Book: The End of Alzheimer's, by Dale Bredesen. [00:28:41] Medical problems faced by knowledge workers. [00:31:13] International Society for Environmentally Acquired Illness (ISEAI). [00:34:37] Books: It Starts with Food and The Whole30, by Melissa Hartwig Urban and Dallas Hartwig. [00:36:39] Paul Saladino: The Carnivore Code; Podcast: Fundamental Health Podcast. [00:40:23] Book: Natural Causes by Barbara Ehrenreich. [00:42:56] Why Gabriel continues to bill insurance. [00:44:34] Podcast: The Community Cure: Transforming Health Outcomes Together, with James Maskell. Book: The Community Cure. [00:45:31] Evan Hirsch's Virtual MD course. [00:47:48] Work with Gabriel Niles in Los Angeles, CA.

Evan Hirsch, MD, is a world-renowned fatigue expert and the Founder & CEO of the International Center for Fatigue. Through his best-selling book, podcast, and online programs, he has helped thousands of people around the world boost their energy naturally, and is on a mission to help a million more. He has been featured widely on television, podcasts, and summits. On this podcast, Evan discusses the many different causes of fatigue and his 4-step process for treating it. He shares details about his Fix Your Fatigue program, which has identified 10 different causes of fatigue - and Evan notes that everyone has multiple causes. To complicate things further, everyone has different multiple causes, so no one treatment works for everyone. Evan shares resources for identifying the causes of your fatigue and simple steps you can take to improve your energy levels today. Here's the outline of this interview with Evan Hirsch: [00:00:20] Gabriel Niles, MD introduced us at the Ancestral Health Symposium. [00:00:41] How Evan became interested in medicine and fatigue. [00:02:28] Book: Fix Your Fatigue: The four step process to resolving chronic fatigue, achieving abundant energy and reclaiming your life!, by Evan H. Hirsch MD. [00:04:29] Viruses that can be transmitted that can end up triggering fatigue. [00:06:21] How to know if you have an abnormal level of fatigue. [00:08:16] Book: This Is Your Mind on Plants, by Michael Pollan. [00:08:41] Surviving on caffeine. [00:09:48] Different levels of fatigue (levels based on treatment needed). [00:11:22] Toxicities that we're exposed to that need to be removed to alleviate fatigue. [00:11:54] 4-Quadrant Model. [00:12:58] Best diets for fixing fatigue. [00:14:14] Mike T. Nelson; Course: Flex Diet Foundations. [00:14:53] 4-step process: 1. assess causes 2. replace deficiencies 3. opening detox pathways 4. remove toxicities. [00:17:19] Adrenals, mitochondria, thyroid - the "Big 3" factors that help restore energy. [00:21:42] "Detox"; Herbal products + external therapies. [00:24:42] Mold exposure and toxicity. [00:28:51] Article: Your building might be making you sick. Joe Allen can help., by Colleen Walsh. [00:30:12] Great Plains Urine MycoTOX Profile to evaluate for mold exposure/toxicity. [00:31:16] Environmental Relative Moldiness Index (ERMI) test - evaluates mold in the environment. Find a professional. [00:31:46] What to do if you have mold exposure: binders, supplements to remove toxins. [00:32:54] Heavy Metals and infections. [00:33:37] COVID long-haulers or post-acute syndromes. [00:35:24] Using symptoms to diagnose conditions. [00:36:01] Bartonella quiz on the www.FixYourFatigue.com website. [00:37:49] Podcast: How to Prevent and Heal Lyme and Its Co-Infections, with Sunjya Schweig, MD. [00:38:13] Herbal antimicrobials vs antibiotics. [00:38:33] Results page of Evan's website. [00:42:30] Book: Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body by Jo Marchant. [00:47:18] Electromagnetic Fields; Previous podcasts on EMF: Electromagnetic Fields (EMFs): The Controversy, the Science, and How to Protect Yourself, with Joseph Mercola, DO; EMFs: Why You Should Care and What to Do, with Nick Pineault. [00:51:52] Safe Sleeve cases and other ways to mitigate EMFs. [00:52:41] LessEMF.com. [00:54:05] How to know if your fatigue can be helped. [00:55:38] Find Evan at www.FixYourFatigue.com; Facebook group; Schedule a free discovery call.

Jim Stray-Gundersen, MD is a world-renowned expert in Sports Medicine, Exercise Physiology and Training for Sport Performance. Drawing from his lifetime of experience with elite level athletes and clinical populations, Jim developed and co-founded the B Strong Training System using Blood Flow Restriction (BFR). The system works by applying cuffs to the arms and legs to temporarily restrict venous return without occluding arterial inflow. Put simply, blood flow restriction prompts an outsize response from the brain to speed up the normal process of repairing and rebuilding damaged tissue with lighter weight and a reduced risk of injury compared to traditional weight lifting. Jim predicts the B Strong Training System will change how the world gains the benefits of exercise, improving longevity and quality of life. On this podcast, Jim discusses the important difference between the B Strong system and other BFR devices on the market, and answers questions about application and safety when training with blood flow restriction. He talks about how athletes and like-minded people are using BFR and shares some common user errors and ways to avoid them. Jim also describes his new professional training course available to anyone interested in learning more about the theory and application of BFR. Or - even better - for the next 14 days you can get the B Strong BFR Training System for 20% off using the code Kelly20.  Here's the outline of this interview with Jim Stray-Gundersen: [00:00:10] Jim's previous appearance on the NBT podcast: Blood Flow Restriction Training for Improved Strength, Performance, and Healthspan. [00:00:28] B Strong Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training system. [00:00:41] Dr. Steven Patterson; Podcast: Blood Flow Restriction Training: Science and Application. [00:01:08] Blood flow restriction: elastic vs. rigid devices. [00:05:04] Study: Patterson, Stephen D., et al. "Blood flow restriction exercise: considerations of methodology, application, and safety." Frontiers in physiology 10 (2019): 533. [00:05:09] Johnny Owens, founder of Owens Recovery Science. [00:09:19] Question regarding the potential for endothelial damage; Study: Credeur, Daniel P., Brandon C. Hollis, and Michael A. Welsch. "Effects of handgrip training with venous restriction on brachial artery vasodilation." Medicine and science in sports and exercise 42.7 (2010): 1296. [00:13:10] Olympic athletes using BFR training: Sifan Hassan (Netherlands), Galen Rupp (USA), Kate Grace (USA), Mikaela Shiffrin (USA). [00:14:52] How athletes are using the BFR system. [00:17:24] B Strong BFR training course for both BFR users and professionals. [00:21:37] Common errors and things to avoid with BFR. [00:25:17] Delayed onset muscle soreness. [00:27:38] Frequency of workouts and habit building. [00:31:40] Get the B Strong system using the 20% off discount code Kelly20, good for 2 weeks after podcast airs.

Ben Greenfield is a human performance consultant, speaker, and New York Times bestselling author of 13 books, including the popular titles “Beyond Training”, “Boundless” and “Fit Soul”. Former collegiate tennis, water polo, and volleyball player, bodybuilder, 13-time Ironman triathlete, and professional obstacle course racer, Ben has been voted by the NSCA as America's top Personal Trainer and by Greatist as one of the top 100 Most Influential People In Health And Fitness. In 2014, my NBT co-founder and medical doctor Jamie Kendall-Weed and I appeared on the Ben Greenfield podcast, and to this day people tell me that's how they learned about Nourish Balance Thrive.  ​For this podcast, Ben and I met up on the UCLA campus during the Ancestral Health Symposium in August to walk and talk about the harmful effects of loneliness and the importance of social connection. Ben shares some of the innovative ways he's increased connection with others, despite being a self-proclaimed introvert. We talk about some of the downsides of social isolation and the best reasons for opening yourself up to the “messiness” of others.  Here's the outline of this interview with Ben Greenfield: [00:01:48] Previous podcasts with Ben Greenfield featuring Christopher Kelly: Why Is My Cortisol High Even Though I'm Doing Everything Right? Hidden Causes Of High Cortisol, The DUTCH Test & More!, The Little-Known Test That Tells You Everything You Need To Know About Your Metabolism, and 7 Signs Your Cortisol And Adrenals Are Broken. [00:03:21] James Nestor; Podcast: How to Fix Your Breathing to Improve Your Health. [00:03:27] Diana Rodgers; Podcast: Kale vs Cow: The Case for Better Meat. [00:03:50] All the 2021 AHS videos are on YouTube. [00:06:52] Book: Loneliness: Human Nature and the Need for Social Connection, by John T. Cacioppo. [00:07:01] Book: Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers: The Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping (Third Edition), by Robert M. Sapolsky. [00:09:56] Book: The Martian, by Andy Weir. [00:11:47] Introversion. [00:12:00] Book: The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous, by Joseph Henrich. [00:12:25] Recent podcast with Lucy Mailing, PhD: Rewilding the Gut: Restoring Ancestral Diversity to the Microbiome. [00:13:53] Book: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, by Susan Cain [00:18:21] Loneliness is as bad for you as smoking; Study: ​​Dyal, Stephanie R., and Thomas W. Valente. "A systematic review of loneliness and smoking: small effects, big implications." Substance use & misuse 50.13 (2015): 1697-1716. [00:18:49] Loneliness vs. social isolation. [00:25:20] Book: Never Eat Alone, Expanded and Updated: And Other Secrets to Success, One Relationship at a Time, by Keith Ferrazzi. [00:26:39] Mastermind Talks, created by Jayson Gaignard. [00:27:34] Ben's dinner parties. [00:33:04] Julian Abel, MD; Book: The Compassion Project: A case for hope and humankindness from the town that beat loneliness; Julian's Podcast: Survival of the Kindest.  Listen to Julian's most recent interview on the NBT Podcast. [00:35:40] Opening yourself up to the messiness of other people. [00:38:38] Ben's article on the dopaminergic response while experiencing pain or pleasure with others. [00:39:40] Book: Friendship in the age of loneliness: An Optimist's Guide to Connection, by Adam Smiley Poswolsky. [00:40:40] Contacts+. [00:42:26] Community events; Realm Church Management Software. [00:48:23] Ben's expanded spiritual practice. [00:52:34] Books by Jamie Wheal: Stealing Fire and Recapture the Rapture. [00:53:13] Book: The Immortality Key: The Secret History of the Religion with No Name, by Brian C. Muraresku. [01:01:59] Church and the monogamous nuclear family. [01:11:05] Eye gazing. [01:14:44] See Ben's show notes for this recording. [01:15:52] Join the NBT Elite Performance Club Forum by supporting NBT on Patreon.

Throughout 2021 we've had hundreds of people try out our bloodsmart.ai software within the format of our monthly group program. We've met clients from all walks of life – some athletes, some not – but most want the same things: to feel better now and to preserve healthspan later. Over the years – and especially more recently after racing was cancelled – my own goals have also shifted from athletic performance, instead landing on what needs to be done to maximise healthspan – that is the period of life spent in good health, free from the chronic diseases and disabilities of ageing. Talking each week to others with the same goals has become a highlight of my work week... On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director and coach Megan Hall and I are discussing my latest blood chemistry results and bloodsmart.ai report. I was pleased with my results a couple of years ago when my Overall Wellness Score reached a perfect 100. This time around, however, there's room for improvement, and Megan offers her usual excellent advice. If you'd like to get a blood test + a bloodsmart.ai report along with a series of group coaching sessions with Megan and me, we can arrange that for you. The coaching sessions take on a format much like this podcast, with individual reports reviewed and advice for a path forward described in detail. Be sure to follow along with this episode with Megan's detailed outline. Here's the outline of this interview with Megan Hall: [00:00:25] Podcasts featuring Brianna Stubbs, PhD: 1, 2, 3, 4. [00:02:29] Christopher Kelly's combined bloodsmart.ai report.  [00:02:58] Overall Wellness Score; Horne paper: Anderson, Jeffrey L., et al. "Usefulness of a complete blood count-derived risk score to predict incident mortality in patients with suspected cardiovascular disease." The American journal of cardiology 99.2 (2007): 169-174. [00:03:25] Health Assessment Questionnaire. [00:04:36] Why to get a blood test when you're feeling good. [00:12:21] Wellness Score and PhenoAge; Podcast: How to Measure Your Biological Age, with Megan Hall. [00:13:54] Individual input markers. [00:14:42] Podcasts: Why You're Probably Not Eating Enough Protein (How to Know for Sure), with Megan Hall; Protein vs. Energy for Improved Body Composition and Healthspan, with Ted Naiman, MD; Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease and How to Fight It, with Ben Bikman, PhD. [00:15:55] Protein requirements: 1.6g protein per Kg of body weight. [00:17:12] Rhonda Patrick's podcast with Ashley Mason: Dr. Ashley Mason On Drug-Free Approaches For Treating Depression, Insomnia, And Overeating | Found My Fitness With Dr. Rhonda Patrick. [00:19:44] Podcast: Blood Chemistry in Athletes, with Tommy Wood, MD, PhD. [00:21:02] Thorne Multi-Vitamin Elite. [00:21:54] Supplements Megan is most likely to take: Magnesium and creatine (with Creapure). [00:24:45] Iron panel and blood donation; DIY therapeutic phlebotomy. [00:27:17] Podcast on iron overload:  Iron overload and the impact it can have on performance and health, with Dr. Tommy Wood; “Bronze Diabetes” paper: ROOT, HOWARD F. "Insulin resistance and bronze diabetes." New England Journal of Medicine 201.5 (1929): 201-206. [00:28:46] Protein:Energy (PE) Ratio; Book: The PE Diet: Leverage your biology to achieve optimal health, by Ted Naiman. [00:38:04] Podcast: How to Go Faster and Feel More Energetic By Addressing Anaemia and Increasing Oxygen Deliverability. [00:43:25] Zinc deficiency makes RBC membranes more fragile; Study: O'Dell, Boyd L., Jimmy D. Browning, and Philip G. Reeves. "Zinc deficiency increases the osmotic fragility of rat erythrocytes." The Journal of nutrition 117.11 (1987): 1883-1889. [00:45:06] bloodsmart.ai forecasts. [00:45:45] Previous podcast talking about bloodsmart.ai and forecasts: You Literally Bled for That Data. Now What? and How to Use Biomedical Testing to Find Problems Inside Your Body. [00:50:28] Lead and toxic metals overload. [00:51:23] The negative impacts of lead on both nervous and renal systems are obvious at a blood lead concentration of 2 μg/dL; Study: Shefa, Syeda T., and Paul Héroux. "Both physiology and epidemiology support zero tolerable blood lead levels." Toxicology letters 280 (2017): 232-237. [00:53:19] Supporting detoxification. [00:55:00] Iodine and sea vegetables; Maine Coast granulated sea vegetables. [00:57:29] Summarizing action items. [00:58:01] Eat more food!  RED-S; Podcast: How to Identify and Treat Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), with Nicky Keay. [01:02:08] Vitamin D; Chris Masterjohn's Presentation on COVID-19 at AHS and article on Vitamin D and COVID-19: The Current State of the Evidence. [01:04:55] Megan's outline for this podcast  [01:05:11] Join a bloodsmart.ai group program to get a blood test, bloodsmart.ai report, and group coaching sessions with Megan Hall.

At the 2021 Ancestral Health Symposium (AHS) in Los Angeles last month I was able to catch up with microbiome researcher and writer Lucy Mailing, PhD. This year Lucy presented on the topic of Rewilding the Gut, noting the detrimental effects of our modern environment, diet, and lifestyle on the gut microbiome. Lucy has been on the podcast twice before, talking about optimising the gut microbiome and debunking microbiome myths and misconceptions. Lucy's research and writings are truly cutting-edge and have consistently shaped our recommendations and approach to gut health with our clients.  ​On this podcast, Lucy shares some of the concepts she outlined during her AHS Talk, including the specific aspects of modern living that interfere with microbiome diversity and establishing a basis for chronic disease.  She talks about the hygiene hypothesis, including the need for early childhood exposure to microbes, and some of the best ways to support a healthy gut ecosystem. Here's the outline of this interview with Lucy Mailing: [00:00:32] Video: Rewilding the gut - Lucy Mailing (AHS21). [00:02:27] Book: ”Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character, by Richard P. Feynman. [00:03:25] Environmental mismatches. [00:04:35] Book: Missing Microbes: How the Overuse of Antibiotics Is Fueling Our Modern Plagues, by Martin J. Blaser MD. [00:05:03] Effects of diet on the microbiome; Study: Smits, Samuel A., et al. "Individualized responses of gut microbiota to dietary intervention modeled in humanized mice." Msystems 1.5 (2016): e00098-16. [00:05:29] The Hadza people of Tanzania. [00:06:53] Herman Pontzer, PhD; Paper: Pontzer, Herman, Brian M. Wood, and David A. Raichlen. "Hunter‐gatherers as models in public health." Obesity Reviews 19 (2018): 24-35; Podcast: How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy. [00:07:37] Jeff D. Leach, microbiome researcher. [00:07:55] Article: I spent three days as a hunter-gatherer to see if it would improve my gut health, by Tim Spector. [00:09:47] Rewilding. [00:12:11] Video: What are the ethical implications of anti-meat dietary policies? - Diana Rodgers (AHS21); Podcast: Kale vs Cow: The Case for Better Meat. [00:12:10] Allan Savory on desertification. [00:13:06] Keystone predator species; Blastocystis hominis. [00:13:55] Blastocystis associated with distinct microbiome ecological patterns; Study: Nieves-Ramírez, M. E., et al. "Asymptomatic intestinal colonization with protist Blastocystis is strongly associated with distinct microbiome ecological patterns." Msystems 3.3 (2018): e00007-18. [00:15:04] Lucy's previous appearances on the NBT podcast: How to Optimise Your Gut Microbiome, and Microbiome Myths and Misconceptions. [00:17:05] Article: The oxygen-gut dysbiosis connection, by Lucy Mailing, PhD. [00:18:33] 4-Quadrant Model. [00:20:13] Podcast: The Serengeti Rules: The Quest to Discover How Life Works and Why It Matters, with James Estes, PhD. [00:20:55] C-Sections and the microbiome. [00:22:41] Mom-to-baby fecal transplant; Study: Korpela, Katri, et al. "Maternal fecal microbiota transplantation in cesarean-born infants rapidly restores normal gut microbial development: a proof-of-concept study." Cell 183.2 (2020): 324-334. [00:25:22] Are we over-sanitizing? [00:28:33] Benefits of exposure to animals. [00:29:09] Podcast: The Dog as the Ultimate Health Upgrade (an Introduction for Pre-Contemplators), with Toréa Rodriguez. [00:31:30] Rewilding the nervous system. [00:34:37] Secure attachment; Podcast: Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy, with Jessica Fern. [00:37:41] Dr. Julian Abel; Podcasts: 1. Building Compassionate Communities to Improve Public Health, 2. Maintaining Social Connection in the Era of COVID-19, and 3. The Compassion Project: The Power of Hope and Human Kindness. [00:40:12] Eating for a healthy microbiome. [00:40:32] Metabolic flexibility of the gut; Study: Sholl, Jonathan, Lucy J. Mailing, and Thomas R. Wood. "Reframing Nutritional Microbiota Studies To Reflect an Inherent Metabolic Flexibility of the Human Gut: a Narrative Review Focusing on High-Fat Diets." Mbio 12.2 (2021): e00579-21. [00:41:21] Jason Hawrelak's new course: Functional Gastrointestinal Testing: A Critical Review; Podcast: How to Use Probiotics to Improve Your Health. [00:44:06] NBT Podcasts with Ben Bikman, PhD and Ted Naiman, MD. [00:45:51] Find Lucy at lucymailing.com; Patreon, consultation.

Joshua Fields Millburn is one half of the popular simple living duo known as The Minimalists. He and his best friend and fellow Minimalist Ryan Nicodemus have helped over 20 million people live more meaningful lives with less through their website, books, podcast, and Netflix films. The Minimalists have been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, Forbes, TIME, ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, BBC, and NPR. Joshua has previously been an NBT client, and I'm fortunate enough to call him a friend. On this podcast, Joshua and I talk about minimalism, consumerism, values, and healing.  Joshua explains how minimalism is not simply about getting rid of material possessions (though that can play a role), but rather it's a process of getting to the root of life's lingering discontent - digging out from under the stuff, the debt, the stress and the loneliness and regaining control of your life. He describes some of the main points of his new book, Love People Use Things, and shares some of the most important lessons he's learned along his Minimalist journey. Here's the outline of this interview with Joshua Fields Millburn: [00:00:13] Paul Saladino. [00:01:29] Mimetic Desires; Podcast: Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. [00:02:09] Book: Love People, Use Things: Because the Opposite Never Works, by Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus. [00:02:51] Enneagram. [00:03:03] Ian Cron; Book: The Road Back to You: An Enneagram Journey to Self-Discovery, Podcast: Typology. [00:05:51] Consumerism. [00:08:03] Book: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, HER Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed, by Lori Gottlieb. [00:08:28] Lori Gottlieb on The Minimalists Podcast. [00:14:21] Books by Chris Ryan: Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships and Civilized to Death: The Price of Progress. [00:17:50] Four types of values. [00:19:13] Book: Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life, by Luke Burgis; thick vs. thin desires. [00:19:45] Luke Burgis on The Minimalist Podcast. [00:20:46] Erwin McManus, lead pastor at Mosaic; Hear him on The Minimalists Podcast. [00:22:40] Minimalism and what that term means. [00:24:36] Podcast: Healing Trauma with MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy, with Dan Engle. [00:26:00] The spontaneous combustion rule. [00:26:33] Chris Kelly on The Minimalists Podcast #138: Healthproblems. [00:30:39] The Minimalists: Less is Now Movie (trailer). [00:33:01] Podcast: Protein vs. Energy for Improved Body Composition and Healthspan. [00:33:46] The Minimalists Love People, Use Things Tour. [00:34:52] Spartanism (compulsive decluttering); Minimalists podcasts on hoarding and compulsive decluttering. [00:37:05] Minimalist diets and Joshua's story of regaining his health. [00:38:54] Minimalists Podcast episode #184: Minimalist Diets. [00:43:25] Documentary: The Sensitives. [00:46:22] Pain management solution: grounding.  [00:47:09] 4-Quadrant Model. [00:47:57] Book: Earthing: The Most Important Health Discovery Ever! (Second Edition), by Clinton Ober, Stephen T. Sinatra, et al. [00:48:37] Documentaries by Clint Ober. The Ground Therapy Universal Mat. [00:51:41] Elixinol CBD. [00:56:51] Book: The Brave Athlete: Calm the F*ck Down and Rise to the Occasion, by Simon Marshall, PhD. [01:00:18] Lyme disease coinfections; Sunjya Schweig, MD; Podcast: How to Prevent and Heal Lyme and Its Co-Infections. [01:03:03] Testosterone replacement therapy. [01:08:32] Book: The WEIRDest People in the World: How the West Became Psychologically Peculiar and Particularly Prosperous, by Joseph Henrich. [01:10:43] Personality traits; Introversion/Extraversion. [01:20:50] Podcast: Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy, with Jessica Fern. [01:25:30] Homelessness, mental health, and intellect. [01:27:55] Overrated virtues. [01:31:24] Podcast: Healing and Transformation with Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), with Jason Connell. [01:29:27] Problems with empathy. [01:33:39] Jealousy. [01:40:01] Object A; Peter Rollins. [01:45:52] theminimalists.com.

Family physician Deborah Gordon, MD is the founder and Medical Director of the Northwest Memory Center in Ashland, Oregon. Her decades-long practice has revolved around healthy and adoptable lifestyle choices that impact the development of health problems, with a more recent focus on choices that affect cognitive health and neurodegenerative disease. Deborah has been on the podcast before to talk about autoimmunity, and she's with me today to discuss her new study, currently in the peer review process, in which potential contributors to cognitive decline are identified and targeted therapeutically. ​On this podcast, Deborah discusses the potential for using a precision medicine approach to Alzheimer's disease and mild cognitive impairment. Inspired by the work of physician and author Dr Dale Bredesen, Deborah has been working with patients to identify and treat root causes, including environmental exposures and infections, while promoting many of the lifestyle changes we talk about all the time on this podcast.  The results are astounding, and call into question the current standard of care for Alzheimer's.  Here's the outline of this interview with Deborah Gordon: [00:01:10] Deborah's previous appearance on the podcast: How to Fix Autoimmunity in the over 50s. [00:01:23] Deborah's interest in cognitive decline. [00:01:38] Dale Bredesen, MD; The Buck Institute for Research on Aging. [00:02:56] Tommy Wood, MD; Video: Systems Analysis and Multiple Sclerosis – Physicians for Ancestral health Symposium, 2015. [00:03:31] Anne Hathaway, MD; Podcast: The Critical Role of Oestradiol for Women's Cognition. [00:03:45] Dr. Bredesen's study: Bredesen, Dale E. "Reversal of cognitive decline: a novel therapeutic program." Aging (Albany NY) 6.9 (2014): 707. [00:05:54] Dr. Gordon's new paper: Toups, Kat, et al. "Precision Medicine Approach to Alzheimer's Disease: Successful Proof-of-Concept Trial." medRxiv (2021). [00:06:07] Cognitive decline. [00:07:20] Alz.org. [00:10:53] Objective measures of cognition. [00:11:51] Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA). [00:13:47] CNS Vital Signs; Lumosity, Brain-HQ. [00:19:09] The conventional standard of care for cognitive impairment. [00:21:10] Medications for Alzheimer's. [00:27:27] IntellxxDNA. [00:29:20] Josh Turknett, MD; Josh on the NBT podcast: 1, 2, 3, 4. [00:33:58] 4-Quadrant Model. [00:41:24] Podcast: The Postmenopausal Longevity Paradox and the Evolutionary Advantage of Our Grandmothering Life History, with Kristen Hawkes, PhD. [00:45:00] Toxic exposures and infections; mold remediation. [00:48:45] Dr. Lyn Patrick, ND. [01:01:53] Dr. Bredesen's site: Apollo Health. [01:03:49] Facebook: Dale Bredesen and The Official Bredesen Protocol Support Group. [01:04:11] Dr. Bredesen's books: 1. The End of Alzheimer's: The First Program to Prevent and Reverse Cognitive Decline 2. The End of Alzheimer's Program: The First Protocol to Enhance Cognition and Reverse Decline at Any Age 3. The First Survivors of Alzheimer's: How Patients Recovered Life and Hope in Their Own Words. [01:05:22] Where to find Deborah: Drdeborahmd.com; Northwest Wellness & Memory Center; Facebook.

Benjamin Bikman, PhD is an internationally renowned scientist and pathophysiology professor at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Currently, his professional focus is to better understand the origins and consequences of metabolic disorders, including obesity and diabetes, with a particular emphasis on the role of insulin. He frequently publishes his research in peer-reviewed journals and presents at international science and public meetings. ​On this podcast, Ben talks with NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall about insulin resistance: what causes it, how it develops in the body, and the downstream effects of this all-too-common condition. Ben discusses the role of insulin as a regulator of human metabolism and its relevance in the development of most chronic diseases. He also offers a simple and effective prescription for optimal metabolic health and healthy ageing.  Here's the outline of this interview with Benjamin Bikman: [00:00:00] Ben's previous (2017) appearance on the NBT Podcast: Ketones, Insulin and the Physiology of Fat Cells. [00:00:42] Ben's background and his study of metabolism. [00:02:27] Ben's lab at BYU. [00:03:05] Insulin resistance, defined. [00:05:19] Causes of insulin resistance. [00:06:15] Problems with measuring insulin resistance. [00:10:24] Effects of diet, inflammation and stress on creating insulin resistance. [00:14:18] How insulin resistance develops in the body. [00:20:31] Fat hypertrophy vs hyperplasia. [00:22:24] The Athlete's Paradox. [00:24:22] Insulin resistance at the level of the brain; Alzheimer's as Type 3 Diabetes. [00:28:25] Brain fog; Stephen Cunnane, PhD., Research Center on Aging, Universite de Sherbrooke. [00:28:53] Young women with PCOS exhibit brain hypometabolism and insulin resistance; Study: Castellano, Christian-Alexandre, et al. "Regional brain glucose hypometabolism in young women with polycystic ovary syndrome: possible link to mild insulin resistance." PLoS One 10.12 (2015): e0144116. [00:29:41] Pathological vs physiological insulin resistance. [00:33:14] Just 50g of carbohydrate the night before improves outcomes on oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT); Study: Klein, Klara R., et al. "Carbohydrate intake prior to oral glucose tolerance testing." Journal of the Endocrine Society 5.5 (2021): bvab049. [00:38:20] Problems with the focus on calories in nutrition research. [00:43:09] Video: Dr. Benjamin Bikman - 'Insulin vs. Glucagon: The relevance of dietary protein'. [00:46:55] Book: Why We Get Sick: The Hidden Epidemic at the Root of Most Chronic Disease and How to Fight It. [00:51:22] Study: Walton, Chase M., et al. "Ketones Elicit Distinct Alterations in Adipose Mitochondrial Bioenergetics." International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21.17 (2020): 6255. [00:51:52] Untreated diabetes and metabolic rate; A Study of Metabolism in Severe Diabetes, by Francis G. Benedict and Elliott P. Joslin. [00:52:26] Insulin significantly reduces energy expenditure; Study: Nair, K. S., D. Halliday, and J. S. Garrow. "Increased energy expenditure in poorly controlled type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients." Diabetologia 27.1 (1984): 13-16. [00:54:42] Ketogenic diet and lifespan; Megan's study: Roberts, Megan N., et al. "A ketogenic diet extends longevity and healthspan in adult mice." Cell metabolism 26.3 (2017): 539-546. [00:55:56] Effects of β-Hydroxybutyrate on skeletal muscle mitochondria; Study: Parker, Brian A., et al. "β-Hydroxybutyrate elicits favorable mitochondrial changes in skeletal muscle." International journal of molecular sciences 19.8 (2018): 2247. [00:56:42] Effects of ketones on β-cell function; Study: Gropp, Jarom, et al. "β-Hydroxybutyrate improves β-cell mitochondrial function and survival." Journal of Insulin Resistance 2.1 (2017): 1-8. [00:58:44] Paper out of UC Davis: Zhou, Zeyu, et al. "A ketogenic diet impacts markers of mitochondrial mass in a tissue specific manner in aged mice." Aging (Albany NY) 13.6 (2021): 7914. [01:00:04] Ketone concentrations during a 36-hour fast; Study: Deru, Landon S., et al. "The Effects of Exercise on Beta-Hydroxybutyrate Concentrations over a 36-h Fast: A Randomized Crossover Study." Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise (2021). [01:02:27] Prescription for optimal metabolic health and healthy ageing. [01:03:15] 4 pillars: control carbs, prioritize protein, don't fear fat, fast. [01:05:19] Where to find Ben: Instagram, HLTH Code meal replacement shake.

Ben Azadi, FDN-P, is on a mission to help 1 billion people live a healthier lifestyle. Ben is the author of three best-selling books and has become a trusted resource on intermittent fasting and the ketogenic diet. He is an advocate for investigating dysfunction and then educating, rather than medicating, to return the body to a state of health. Ben is also the host of the Keto Kamp Podcast and the creator of several online courses to help you build and achieve keto and intermittent fasting results that stick. On this podcast, Ben and I discuss the current state of keto and steps to take for those who want to improve their metabolic health. We talk about the best oils and artificial sweeteners (and the ones to avoid), electrolytes, and liver support. We also discuss sleep as the foundation of health, and how inadequate sleep can sabotage your diet. Ben also describes some of the key points in his latest book, Keto Flex, which brings together the benefits of a low carb lifestyle, intermittent fasting, nutrient timing and carb cycling for optimal energy, fat burning and hormone balance. Here's the outline of this interview with Ben Azadi: [00:00:17] Ben's Podcast: Keto Kamp. [00:00:30] Ben's background and interest in keto. [00:01:05] Inspirations: Paul Chek, Dave Asprey, Dr. Daniel Pompa. [00:03:24] Lessons learned from Keto + Crossfit. [00:07:05] Insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes being reversed with keto + intermittent fasting. [00:09:16] Problems with industrial seed oils. [00:09:57] Ben's podcasts with Brian Peskin and Dr. Cate Shanahan. [00:11:18] Books by Dr. Cate Shanahan: Food Rules: A Doctor's Guide to Healthy Eating (2010), Deep Nutrition: Why Your Genes Need Traditional Food (2017), and The Fatburn Fix: Boost Energy, End Hunger, and Lose Weight by Using Body Fat for Fuel (2020). [00:12:29] Oils: which to avoid, which to use. [00:16:11] Book: The P:E Diet: Leverage Your Biology to Achieve Optimal Health, by Ted Naiman, MD; Ted on the NBT Podcast. [00:18:06] Video: AHS18 Todd Becker - How Hormesis Works. [00:18:46] Podcast: Dominic D'Agostino: Researcher and Athlete on the Benefits of a Ketogenic Diet. [00:19:18] Podcast: Rethinking Diabetes: Inspiring UK-based Healthcare Professionals Achieving Remarkable Outcomes, with Ruth Tapsell. [00:19:42] Dr. Eric Westman. [00:22:35] Artificial Sweeteners and sugar alcohols. [00:22:45] Gary Taubes on the Keto Kamp podcast. [00:23:08] Artificial sweeteners increase insulin in the body; Study: Pepino, M. Yanina, et al. "Sucralose affects glycemic and hormonal responses to an oral glucose load." Diabetes care 36.9 (2013): 2530-2535. [00:23:26] Pharmacokinetics of Splenda in the human body; Study: Roberts, A., et al. "Sucralose metabolism and pharmacokinetics in man." Food and chemical toxicology 38 (2000): 31-41. [00:27:26] Video: UK doctor switches to 80% ULTRA-processed food diet for 30 days. [00:28:17] Electrolytes; Stephen Phinney, MD, PhD. [00:28:32] Bile and bitters to support the liver. [00:30:23] Pomegranate husk powder. [00:30:24] Jason Hawrelak, PhD; Podcast: How to Use Probiotics to Improve Your Health. [00:32:01] Sleep: the foundation of health. [00:32:35] Hormonal effects of inadequate sleep; Review: Leproult, Rachel, and Eve Van Cauter. "Role of sleep and sleep loss in hormonal release and metabolism." Pediatric Neuroendocrinology 17 (2010): 11-21. [00:35:31] Tracking sleep: Oura Ring, Whoop Band. [00:36:16] Mike T. Nelson, PhD; appearances on NBT podcast: 1, 2, 3, 4. 5. [00:37:36] Early Time Restricted Eating (eTRE); Podcasts with Satchin Panda, PhD. and Bill Lagakos, PhD. [00:39:57] Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGM); Kara Collier from NutriSense on the Keto Kamp Podcast and on the NBT Podcast. [00:41:20] Problems with long-term keto. [00:42:18] Book: Keto Flex: The 4 Secrets to Reduce Inflammation, Burn Fat & Reboot Your Metabolism, by Ben Azadi. [00:42:55] Book: Perfect Health Diet: Regain Health and Lose Weight by Eating the Way You Were Meant to Eat, by Paul Jaminet and Shou-Ching Jaminet, PhD. [00:44:19] Book: The Case for Keto: Rethinking Weight Control and the Science and Practice of Low-Carb/High-Fat Eating, by Gary Taubes. [00:44:49] Benjamin Bikman, PhD. [00:45:50] Podcasts featuring Eric Helms, PhD: The Nutrition and Science of Natural Bodybuilding, and Diet and Lifting Q&A with Natural Bodybuilder, Eric Helms. [00:47:30] Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). [00:48:40] Speaking at upcoming conferences. [00:51:04] Keto Kamp podcast featuring NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall.

Dan Engle, MD, is a psychiatrist with a clinical practice that combines aspects of regenerative medicine, psychedelic research, integrative spirituality, and peak performance. His medical degree is from the University of Texas at San Antonio. His psychiatry residency degree is from the University of Colorado Denver, and his child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship degree is from Oregon Health & Science University On this podcast, Dan talks about the potential to help people heal trauma - and instigate change in their lives - with MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. He discusses how this drug, commonly known as Ecstacy, has been shown in studies to be remarkably effective for curing even difficult cases of post-traumatic stress disorder. We talk about his new book, A Dose of Hope, which offers a client's first-person account of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for healing transgenerational trauma. An important disclaimer: The information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical recommendations, diagnoses, or treatment. The use of information in this podcast is at one's own discretion and is not an endorsement of use given the complexity inherent in these medicines, and the current variable widespread illegality of their usage. Here's the outline of this interview with Dan Engle: [00:00:41] Dan's background and interest in psychedelics. [00:02:38] How psychedelic therapy helped Dan. [00:05:22] Book: A Dose of Hope: A Story of MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy, by Dan Engle and Alex Young. [00:11:34] Video: ‘EQUASY': How Horse Riding Is More Likely To Kill You Than Ecstasy | David Nutt On London Real. [00:13:56] Psychological contraindications for MDMA. [00:15:29] Stanislav Grof tested the value of LSD in the treatment of psychologically ill people. [00:18:11] Dr. Gabor Maté. [00:19:04] Bruce Alexander's Rat Park experiments. [00:21:03] MDMA as the best treatment for trauma. [00:21:45] Physical contraindications for MDMA. [00:22:26] Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). [00:25:08] 83% cure rate for PTSD in 2-3 sessions; Study: Mithoefer, Michael C., et al. "The safety and efficacy of±3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study." Journal of psychopharmacology 25.4 (2011): 439-452. [00:25:46] Psychotherapeutic interventions used along with MDMA. [00:26:25] Follow-up studies on MDMA therapy and PTSD: Jerome, Lisa, et al. "Long-term follow-up outcomes of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy for treatment of PTSD: a longitudinal pooled analysis of six phase 2 trials." Psychopharmacology 237 (2020): 2485-2497. [00:37:23] Dan's co-author, Alex Young. [00:39:41] Podcast: The Neurophysiology of Safety and How to Feel Safe, with Stephen Porges, PhD. [00:39:51] Book: The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self, Third Edition, by Alice Miller. [00:39:58] Book: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk. [00:40:02] Book: Will I Ever Be Good Enough?: Healing the Daughters of Narcissistic Mothers, by Karyl McBride. [00:40:32] Transgenerational family trauma; Book: It Didn't Start with You: How Inherited Family Trauma Shapes Who We Are and How to End the Cycle, by Mark Wolynn. [00:44:45] The process and cost of the therapy. [00:59:01] The future and vision of MDMA-assisted psychotherapy. [01:03:16] MDMA vs. talk therapy. [01:09:11] Find Dan at ddrdanengle.com; kuya.life, Full Spectrum Medicine.

Dr. Ruth Tapsell is an NHS GP and an ambassador for the UK's Public Health Collaborative, a nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving the quality of public health education. She and her colleagues have been having outstanding success helping patients to reverse their type 2 diabetes with a low carbohydrate diet. During a time when improving metabolic health is more important than ever, Ruth is showing that it is indeed possible to turn the metabolic supertanker around quickly and effectively. ​On this podcast, Ruth shares her perspective as a GP treating type 2 diabetes and prediabetes with a low carb approach. We discuss the effects this approach could have on a societal scale, including improved public health outcomes and huge financial savings, should the NHS adopt lifestyle interventions as the first-line treatment for metabolic disorders. Ruth also offers resources for making the change to low carb, for both health care consumers and practitioners. As a reminder, the information provided in this podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice. Here's the outline of this interview with Ruth Tapsell: [00:00:13] Public Health Collaboration; The Real Foods Rocks Festival. [00:00:19] Podcast with Sam Feltham: Real Food Initiatives for Public Health in the UK. [00:00:36] Ruth's background and interest in low carb. [00:00:59] David Unwin, Scientific Advisory Board member for the Public Health Collaboration in the UK. [00:02:54] Treatment options prior to using a low carb approach. [00:06:02] In patients with prediabetes, 93% attained a normal HbA1c; Study: Unwin, David, et al. "Insights from a general practice service evaluation supporting a lower carbohydrate diet in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and prediabetes: a secondary analysis of routine clinic data including HbA1c, weight and prescribing over 6 years." BMJ nutrition, prevention & health 3.2 (2020): 285. [00:07:31] Virta Health. [00:11:13] Public Health Collaboration on YouTube. [00:12:42] Low carb and heart disease. [00:13:46] Effects of ketogenic diet on cardiovascular indices; Virta Health paper: Athinarayanan, Shaminie J., et al. "Impact of a 2-year trial of nutritional ketosis on indices of cardiovascular disease risk in patients with type 2 diabetes." Cardiovascular diabetology 19.1 (2020): 1-13. [00:14:17] Podcasts with Malcolm Kendrick: Why Cholesterol Levels Have No Effect on Cardiovascular Disease (And Things to Think about Instead) and A Statin Nation: Damaging Millions in a Brave New Post-health World. [00:14:21] Malcolm Kendrick's blog. [00:14:49] Women's Health Initiative and the effects of diet on cardiovascular risk; Howard, Barbara V., et al. "Low-fat dietary pattern and risk of cardiovascular disease: the Women's Health Initiative Randomized Controlled Dietary Modification Trial." Jama 295.6 (2006): 655-666. [00:15:17] Lead increases risk of cardiovascular disease; Study: Low-level lead exposure and mortality in US adults: a population-based cohort study. [00:15:46] Lunchtime and evening webinars. [00:16:10] Dr. Kesar Sadhra, working with a 90% South Asian patient population. [00:18:44] Freestyle Libre. [00:19:09] Video: Type 2 diabetes in South Asian's: Achieving control in general practice - Dr Kesar Sadhra. [00:19:59] Video: 55 people improved HbA1C with lifestyle interventions. [00:21:03] Video: Patient who lost 49kg during lockdown. [00:23:18] Reducing diabetes medications. [00:25:10] Professor Marcus Saemann. [00:27:02] Potential savings on NHS diabetes medication budget: slides from David Unwin and Kesar Sadhra. [00:27:06] OpenPrescribing: website to compare prescribing trends, funded by NHS England. [00:27:29] Video: Savings of £117K/year.  [00:29:32] Pediatric endocrinologist Dr. James Bailes, MD. [00:29:38] Podcasts with Type 1 diabetics: Will Catterson and Tim Harsch. [00:31:28] Challenges to the program; emotional eating. [00:31:46] Video: Food Addiction: What's to be Done? by Dr Jen Unwin & Heidi Giaever. [00:37:30] Social prescribers in the UK. [00:38:19] Podcast: The Compassion Project: The Power of Hope and Human Kindness, with Julian Abel. [00:40:55] Podcast: Professor Tim Noakes: True Hydration and the Power of low carb, High-Fat Diets. [00:41:54] Scaling low carb. [00:43:10] Dr. Michael Bazlinton, low carb practitioner. [00:44:19] Advice for people who don't have a low carb doc. [00:44:31] Dr. Campbell Murdoch; scientific articles by Dr. Murdoch. [00:45:04] Ruth on Twitter. [00:45:25] Diet Doctor.  [00:45:29] New Forest PCN. [00:45:36] Dr. David Oliver at Freshwell Low Carb Project. [00:46:11] Get onto the webinars: lowcarbhcp@gmail.com.

Back on the podcast with me today is licensed therapist and certified meditation teacher, Jason Connell. His work focuses on the intersection of evidence-based psychology, philosophy, and enduring insights from the wisdom traditions. His goal is to help his clients develop self-love and self-compassion while solving persistent and challenging problems related to happiness, stress, anxiety, work, relationships, and finding meaning. On this podcast, Jason talks about Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), the approach he uses to foster connection and facilitate positive transformational experiences with his clients. We discuss the goals of this therapeutic method, including the healing of attachment injury, which affects about 50% of the population. You can also listen in as Jason guides me through a short AEDP session right here on the podcast. Here's the outline of this interview with Jason Connell: [00:02:13] People experience greater stress in urban areas; Study: Lederbogen, Florian, et al. "City living and urban upbringing affect neural social stress processing in humans." Nature 474.7352 (2011): 498-501. [00:03:20] Jason's previous NBT podcast: From Magic to Mindfulness: The Evolution of an Entrepreneur. [00:03:33] Book: It's Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self, by Hilary Jacobs Hendel. [00:03:39] Book: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk. [00:06:01] Podcast: The Neurophysiology of Safety and How to Feel Safe, with Stephen Porges. [00:06:43] The need to belong. [00:06:51] Podcast: The Postmenopausal Longevity Paradox and the Evolutionary Advantage of Our Grandmothering Life History, with Kristen Hawkes, PhD. [00:07:53] Change triangle. [00:08:26] Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), founded by Diana Fosha, PhD. [00:10:08] Attachment theory - 50% are securely attached, 50% have attachment injury. [00:12:59] John Bowlby's work on attachment. [00:13:02] Book: Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy. [00:13:06] Book: Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy, by Jessica Fern. [00:26:04] Book: Against Empathy: The Case for Rational Compassion, by Paul Bloom. [00:26:45] Compassion vs. Empathy. [00:28:19] Polyvagal theory. [00:30:54] Physiological safety. [00:32:46] Alexithymia. [00:37:05] AEDP demonstration. [01:02:54] Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) vs. AEDP. [01:12:16] AEDP Practitioner Directory. [01:13:39] Emotional Focused Therapy (couples) and Internal Family Systems (families); Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). [01:14:55] Find Jason at jasonconnell.co.

Ted Naiman MD is a board-certified Family Medicine physician in the Department of Primary Care at a leading major medical centre in Seattle. His research and medical practice are focused on the practical implementation of diet and exercise for health optimization. He is also the author of The P:E Diet, which breaks down the success of every dietary strategy into one simple metric: Protein vs. Energy. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall interviews Ted about the basic levers that govern physiology and how to achieve mastery over your own body composition. Ted talks about the Protein:Energy (P:E) Ratio and why how much you eat depends on what you eat. He discusses why adequate protein is necessary for longevity and healthspan, and the differences between plant and animal sources of this critical macronutrient. Here's the outline of this interview with Ted Naiman: [00:01:10] Ted's background and interest in diet. [00:04:57] Protein vs. non-protein energy (carbs and fats) - P:E ratio. [00:09:32] Protein + resistance exercise to failure for building muscle. [00:09:54] Lean body mass and resistance exercise for metabolic health. [00:10:19] Who needs to pay attention to P:E ratio? [00:13:29] Satiety per calorie: how much you eat depends on what you eat. [00:17:38] Plant vs. animal protein. [00:23:44] Nutrient deficiencies with plant based diets. [00:25:06] The problem with eating carbs and fats together. [00:27:54] Podcast: The True Cause of Insulin Resistance and Obesity (and What To Do Instead), with Peter Dobromylskyj. [00:28:42] Improving P:E ratio. [00:30:39] 3 types of hunger: Nutrients, Energy, and Hedonic. [00:33:05] Satiety per calorie of Bulletproof Coffee. [00:34:28] Refined fats: why to avoid them. [00:36:41] People who are turned off by protein. [00:39:46] Satiety per calorie of plants. [00:41:30] Plant based diet vs. animal-based keto diet; Study: Hall, Kevin D., et al. "Effect of a plant-based, low-fat diet versus an animal-based, ketogenic diet on ad libitum energy intake." Nature Medicine 27.2 (2021): 344-353. [00:43:52] Triglycerides as a marker of metabolic health. [00:47:16] Protein needs for longevity and healthspan. [00:49:31] Adults aged 70-79 not getting enough protein; Study: Houston, Denise K., et al. "Dietary protein intake is associated with lean mass change in older, community-dwelling adults: the Health, Aging, and Body Composition (Health ABC) Study." The American journal of clinical nutrition 87.1 (2008): 150-155. [00:50:24] Muscle mass as a predictor of longevity; Study: Srikanthan, Preethi, and Arun S. Karlamangla. "Muscle mass index as a predictor of longevity in older adults." The American journal of medicine 127.6 (2014): 547-553. [00:50:52] Positive association between bone density and protein intake. [00:53:14] Industry driving the diabetes and obesity epidemic. [00:55:01] Increase protein to 30% of calories to reverse prediabetes in 100% of subjects; Study: Stentz, Frankie B., et al. "Remission of pre-diabetes to normal glucose tolerance in obese adults with high protein versus high carbohydrate diet: randomized control trial." BMJ open diabetes research and care 4.1 (2016): e000258. [00:55:48] As we become more insulin resistant, protein needs go up, driving increased protein consumption; Study: Simpson, Stephen J., and David Raubenheimer. "Obesity: the protein leverage hypothesis." obesity reviews 6.2 (2005): 133-142. [00:57:13] Behavior change and hyper-palatable food. [00:59:04] High protein ice cream. [00:59:46] Book: The P:E Diet: Leverage Your Biology to Achieve Optimal Health, by Ted Naiman. [01:00:28] Find Ted on Twitter and Instagram. [01:01:17] Podcast: Why You're Probably Not Eating Enough Protein (How to Know for Sure).

Luke Burgis is an entrepreneur and author, who has co-created and led four companies in wellness, consumer products, and technology. He is Managing Partner of Fourth Wall Ventures, an incubator that he founded to build, train, and invest in people and companies that contribute to a healthy human ecology. He is also a recognized expert in French thinker René Girard's mimetic theory. On this podcast, Luke discusses mimetic desire - how people unconsciously want what others want, and therefore value jobs, spouses, brands, moral viewpoints, and even themselves according to the desires of others. He describes this phenomenon, which has been exploited by internet trolls, politicians, and ad agencies, in his new book Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life. Luke also talks about how the future depends on what we learn to want today, and how best to cultivate desires that are authentic for each of us. Here's the outline of this interview with Luke Burgis:  [00:00:35] Book: Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life, by Luke Burgis. [00:00:36] Ryan Nicodemus of the Minimalists. [00:01:00] Book: Violence and the Sacred by René Girard. [00:02:05] Luke's background and interest in René Girard and mimetic theory. [00:05:03] Tony Hsieh of Zappos. [00:08:42] Mimetic desire. [00:10:58] Ubuntu. [00:13:43] Christopher Ryan; Books: Sex at Dawn and Civilized to Death; Podcast: Civilized to Death: Are We Really Making Progress? [00:14:07] Distinguishing between biological needs and desires. [00:17:37] Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and the first outside investor in Facebook. [00:25:04] Movie: The Prestige. [00:25:35] Good violence vs. bad violence [00:30:35] Mimetic models: people we look to to shape our desires; Celebristan vs. Freshmanistan. [00:33:04] Thin vs. thick desire. [00:36:00] Mimetic rivalry. [00:37:06] Cultivating thick desires. [00:40:28] Simon Marshall, PhD; Study: Haubenstricker, John E., et al. "The Effect Of Acculturation And Socioeconomic Status On Dietary Patterns In Mexican-American Women: 1716: Board# 66 May 27 3: 30 PM-5: 00 PM." Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 41.5 (2009): 106. [00:41:07] Exposure to TV associated with eating disorders; Study: Becker, Anne E. "Television, disordered eating, and young women in Fiji: Negotiating body image and identity during rapid social change." Culture, medicine and psychiatry 28.4 (2004): 533-559. [00:42:25] Luke's Anti-Mimetic Newsletter. [00:45:10] Celibacy. [00:47:05] Jamie Wheal; Podcast: Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That's Lost Its Mind. [00:48:03] Lukeburgis.com.

Patrick Samy is the co-founder and CEO of Span Health, a start-up that offers health coaching informed by biometric data from lab work and wearable devices. Like me, Patrick started out as a software engineer confronted with his own health challenges. Pairing his curiosity for biology with his background in computer science, and adding in a new generation of more accurate consumer health and fitness devices, Patrick is leading Span Health to enable everyday athletes to take their health and performance to a new level. In this podcast, Patrick talks about the value of personal biometric data for finding your individual path to optimal performance and longevity. He shares lessons learned from his own experiments with wearable data trackers, and trends he's observed while working with clients. We also discuss his go-to devices and biomarkers to track, and the lifestyle interventions that make the biggest difference. Here's the outline of this interview with Patrick Samy: [00:00:49] The story behind Span Health.  [00:04:09] The intersection between biology and computer science. [00:07:53] Lessons learned by collecting personal health data. [00:10:12] Span's founding team members, Dr. Adam Bataineh, Chief Medical Officer and Rachel Lett, Chief Care Officer. [00:11:58] Timing of workouts and eating as critical factors. [00:14:10] Heart rate variability (HRV) as a marker of recovery. [00:16:10] Early time restricted feeding (eTRF): Podcasts on eTRF with Greg Potter, PhD, Satchin Panda, PhD, and Bill Lagakos, PhD. [00:17:38] Oura Ring. [00:18:30] Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs); Podcast: Continuous Glucose Monitoring to Prevent Disease and Increase Healthspan, with Kara Collier, RDN from Nutrisense. [00:23:57] Span Health's vision for health coaching. [00:34:01] Peter Attia, MD; Podcast: The Critical Factors of Healthspan and Lifespan. [00:35:03] PhenoAge; Podcast: How to Measure Your Biological Age, with Megan Hall. [00:35:07] Overall wellness score based on data by Horne, et al. (2009): Horne, Benjamin D., et al. "Exceptional mortality prediction by risk scores from common laboratory tests." The American journal of medicine 122.6 (2009): 550-558. [00:38:16] Kraft insulin assay. [00:39:12] Robert Lustig, MD. [00:43:15] Wearable devices; Most people quit wearing activity trackers after a while; Study: Finkelstein, Eric A., et al. "Effectiveness of activity trackers with and without incentives to increase physical activity (TRIPPA): a randomised controlled trial." The lancet Diabetes & endocrinology 4.12 (2016): 983-995. [00:48:58] Getting new clients. [00:50:25] Span Health Blog. [00:50:39] Span Health on Twitter; Patrick on Twitter.

Kelly Casperson, MD is a board-certified urologist and self-taught women's sexual health expert. Years of helping care for women has shown her that we, as a society, are not doing enough to teach women about their mind, body and relationships. Kelly aims to break down societal barriers and combat limiting beliefs that are keeping women from awakening into their best intimate experience. She is basically the friendly expert you never had, to teach you - You Are Not Broken. On this podcast, Kelly talks about women's sexual health and wellness, including the biological and psychological issues that stand in the way of having a great sex life. She talks about spontaneous vs. responsive desire, and why unrealistic expectations may be a huge barrier to intimacy. Kelly also offers great tips for improving sexual health and function, from mind-body strategies like mindfulness and meditation to purely physiological options like topical estrogen and lube. Here's the outline of this interview with Kelly Casperson: [00:00:49] Jessa Zimmerman; Book: Sex without stress; a couple's guide to overcoming disappointment, avoidance, and pressure; Podcast: How to Have Intimacy With Ease. [00:01:05] Podcast: Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That's Lost Its Mind, with Jamie Wheal. [00:02:01] Kelly's background and interest in urology. [00:06:59] FDA approved medication for low libido in women. [00:08:44] Spontaneous vs. responsive desire. [00:14:09] Discrepancies in desire. [00:15:16] Scheduling sex. [00:18:15] Meditation and mindfulness. [00:19:44] Orgasm inequality. [00:22:56] Multiple orgasms. [00:25:43] Book: Come As You Are: Revised and Updated: The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life, by Emily Nagoski, PhD. [00:26:15] Foreplay is everything and everything is foreplay. [00:28:34] Types of arousal. [00:29:58] Topical estrogen. [00:31:36] Podcast: The Critical Role of Oestradiol for Women's Cognition, with Anne Hathaway. [00:34:20] Oral birth control. [00:36:08] Podcast: The Postmenopausal Longevity Paradox and the Evolutionary Advantage of Our Grandmothering Life History, with Kristin Hawkes. [00:38:43] Podcast: How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy, with Herman Pontzer, PhD. [00:39:36] Vibrators don't cause desensitization; Study: Herbenick, Debra, et al. "Prevalence and characteristics of vibrator use by women in the United States: Results from a nationally representative study." The journal of sexual medicine 6.7 (2009): 1857-1866. [00:40:47] Everybody should use lube; Uberlube. [00:43:36] Podcast: Disruptive Anthropology: An Ancestral Health Perspective on Barefooting and Male Circumcision, with Stephanie Welch. [00:48:17] Book: You Are Not Broken (coming soon). [00:49:09] The You Are Not Broken Podcast. [00:49:22] Kelly's website. [00:49:51] Find Kelly on Instagram.

Peter Dobromylskyj is a UK-based veterinary anaesthetist and nutrition blogger whose blog Hyperlipid is amongst the longest-running and most highly respected in the low-carb and ancestral health communities. Peter has been writing about the biochemistry of nutrition since 2006, and has authored over 800 posts aimed at reviewing, analysing, and interpreting nutrition literature. Given his outside-the-box thinking and unconventional approach to metabolism and health, Peter's work has amassed a large and devoted following. Today, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall interviews Peter to talk about insulin resistance, including the factors that cause it and why the condition is actually physiologically adaptive. Peter compares dietary saturated fats to polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), and explains why the scientific literature can be misleading when determining which truly promotes health. He gives specific science-based recommendations for how much PUFA to include in your diet, and also offers advice on what to feed your pets. For additional resources on insulin resistance and the influence of dietary fat sources, be sure to see the outline Megan wrote to prepare for this podcast. Here's the outline of this interview with Peter Dobromylskyj: [00:01:52] Insulin resistance is physiologically adaptive. [00:02:23] Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS) as signaling molecules. [00:04:52] Dr. David Speijer, Researcher at the University of Amsterdam. [00:05:31] Dr. Nick Lane, Professor of Evolutionary Biochemistry. [00:11:29] Protons thread on the Hyperlipid blog. [00:22:58] When insulin sensitivity becomes insulin resistance. [00:30:37] How long it takes to become insulin resistant. [00:34:55] Acipimox reduces free fatty acid circulation and temporarily reverses insulin resistance; 1. Santomauro, A. T., et al. "Overnight lowering of free fatty acids with Acipimox improves insulin resistance and glucose tolerance in obese diabetic and nondiabetic subjects." Diabetes 48.9 (1999): 1836-1841; 2. Aday, Aaron W., et al. "Impact of Acipimox Therapy on Free Fatty Acid Efflux and Endothelial Function in the Metabolic Syndrome: A Randomized Trial." Obesity 27.11 (2019): 1812-1819. [00:36:19] Effects of caffeine on insulin resistance. [00:37:34] Phil Maffetone. [00:38:25] In mice, stearic acid reduces visceral adipose tissue; Study: Shen, Ming-Che, et al. "Dietary stearic acid leads to a reduction of visceral adipose tissue in athymic nude mice." PLoS one 9.9 (2014): e104083. [00:38:34] Overfeeding studies in humans: 1. Rosqvist, Fredrik, et al. "Overfeeding polyunsaturated and saturated fat causes distinct effects on liver and visceral fat accumulation in humans." Diabetes 63.7 (2014): 2356-2368; 2. Iggman, David, et al. "Association of adipose tissue fatty acids with cardiovascular and all-cause mortality in elderly men." JAMA cardiology 1.7 (2016): 745-753. [00:44:10] Raphael Sirtoli's Podcast: Carnivore Cast. [00:45:02] Butter fat → higher postprandial levels of FFAs and triglycerides; Study: López, Sergio, et al. "Distinctive postprandial modulation of β cell function and insulin sensitivity by dietary fats: monounsaturated compared with saturated fatty acids." The American journal of clinical nutrition 88.3 (2008): 638-644. [00:46:50] Tucker Goodrich. [00:47:38] How much polyunsaturated fat is needed to cause metabolic dysfunction? [00:48:27] Leptin-deficient mouse study: Reeves, Valerie Lynn. "A diet enriched in stearic acid protects against the progression of type 2 diabetes in leptin receptor deficient mice (DB/DB)." (2012). [00:49:57] Aim for 2-4% of calories from linoleic acid (over 8% is obesogenic). [00:51:26] Efforts to lose weight with unsaturated vs. saturated fat stores. [00:53:29] Animal based keto with 15% polyunsaturates; Study: Hall, Kevin D., et al. "Effect of a plant-based, low-fat diet versus an animal-based, ketogenic diet on ad libitum energy intake." Nature Medicine 27.2 (2021): 344-353. [00:58:46] Electron transport chain (see this figure) and mitochondria. [00:58:57] Summary so far. [01:01:33] What dogs/pets should be eating. [01:09:05] Labradors may have problems with leptin signaling; Book: Raw Meaty Bones Promote Health, by Tom Lonsdale.

Elevated blood glucose is one of the earliest and most common indicators of worsening metabolic health, insulin resistance and cardiovascular disease. For our clients, fasting blood glucose and triglycerides are amongst the first things we test to get a snapshot view of metabolic health. We've now added HbA1C - a marker that offers a broader look at glycemic history - to our baseline blood panel, to better evaluate our clients. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall talks about the HbA1C blood test: what it is, who needs it, and why you should care. Megan talks about the optimal reference range for this test, and when to become concerned about your result (hint: it's sooner than your doctor would have you believe). She also talks about exactly what to do if your A1C is out of range, and how a continuous glucose monitor can help you evaluate your body's response to different foods and other environmental factors. Here's the outline of this interview with Megan Hall: [00:00:48] HbA1C (aka glycated haemoglobin): a marker of your glycemic history. [00:02:27] Glucose to A1C conversion chart. [00:02:52] Megan's outline for this podcast. [00:03:04] Why you should care about HbA1C. [00:03:48] Optimal ranges for HbA1C: 5.0% to 5.4%. [00:04:33] Studies supporting optimal reference range: 1. Zhong, Guo-Chao, et al. "HbA 1c and Risks of All-Cause and Cause-Specific Death in Subjects without Known Diabetes: A Dose-Response Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies." Scientific reports 6.1 (2016): 1-11; 2. Schöttker, Ben, et al. "HbA 1c levels in non-diabetic older adults–No J-shaped associations with primary cardiovascular events, cardiovascular and all-cause mortality after adjustment for confounders in a meta-analysis of individual participant data from six cohort studies." BMC medicine 14.1 (2016): 1-17; 3. Li, Fu-Rong, et al. "Glycated hemoglobin and all-cause and cause-specific mortality among adults with and without diabetes." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 104.8 (2019): 3345-3354; 4. Pai, Jennifer K., et al. "Hemoglobin a1c is associated with increased risk of incident coronary heart disease among apparently healthy, nondiabetic men and women." Journal of the American Heart Association 2.2 (2013): e000077. [00:06:12] Prediabetes range: 5.7% to 6.4% (above 6.4% is diabetes). [00:07:06] Only 12% of the population is metabolically healthy; Study: Araújo, Joana, Jianwen Cai, and June Stevens. "Prevalence of Optimal Metabolic Health in American Adults: National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2009–2016." Metabolic syndrome and related disorders 17.1 (2019): 46-52. [00:07:31] Limitations and caveats of the A1C blood marker. [00:08:05] Partial marker of mean glycemic exposure; Article: Bloomgarden, Zachary. "Beyond HbA1c." Journal of diabetes 9.12 (2017): 1052-1053. [00:08:53] Things that cause HbA1C to be falsely low or high. [00:10:14] Study: Virtue, Mark A., et al. "Relationship between GHb concentration and erythrocyte survival determined from breath carbon monoxide concentration." Diabetes Care 27.4 (2004): 931-935. [00:12:36] Racial and ethnic differences: Herman, William H., and Robert M. Cohen. "Racial and ethnic differences in the relationship between HbA1c and blood glucose: implications for the diagnosis of diabetes." The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism 97.4 (2012): 1067-1072. [00:12:42] Other markers of glycemic regulation. [00:12:55] Drawbacks of Glycomark. [00:14:08] Reticulocytes - helpful to calculate RBC lifespan. [00:14:40] Equation: RBC survival (days) = ~ 100 / [Retics (%) / RLS (days)] [00:15:44] Sign up for our group program to get a blood test + bloodsmart.ai report + 4 group coaching sessions + help videos. [00:16:44] Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM). [00:17:26] Podcast: Continuous Glucose Monitoring to Prevent Disease and Increase Healthspan, with Kara Collier, RDN. [00:17:46] Get $50 off your Nutrisense membership when you support NBT on Patreon. [00:18:26] Studies demonstrating that HbA1C is not the perfect marker: 1. Cohen, Robert M., et al. "Red cell life span heterogeneity in hematologically normal people is sufficient to alter HbA1c." Blood, The Journal of the American Society of Hematology 112.10 (2008): 4284-4291; 2. Wright, Lorena Alarcon-Casas, and Irl B. Hirsch. "The challenge of the use of glycemic biomarkers in diabetes: reflecting on hemoglobin A1C, 1, 5-Anhydroglucitol, and the glycated proteins fructosamine and glycated albumin." Diabetes spectrum 25.3 (2012): 141-148; 3. Dubowitz, N., et al. "Aging is associated with increased HbA1c levels, independently of glucose levels and insulin resistance, and also with decreased HbA1c diagnostic specificity." Diabetic Medicine 31.8 (2014): 927-935. [00:18:58] What to do if your A1C is out of range: Diet, lifestyle, measure other markers, monitor blood glucose. [00:19:35] Cellular vs. acellular carbs. [00:22:25] Simon Marshall, PhD. on stress management: How to Manage Stress. [00:24:19] 4-quadrant model. [00:26:07] Retest after 2-3 months. [00:27:58] Join our group program.

Michael S. Sorensen is a business executive by day and a bestselling author, speaker, and relationship coach by night. He has helped hundreds of thousands of people across the world heal broken relationships, revitalize their confidence, and become masters of connection in business, love, and life. Unique among others in his field, Michael is not a therapist, social worker, or medical professional. Instead, he gained his knowledge by going to therapy himself—1-2 times per week, for over five years—and voraciously consuming every relationship and self-help book he could get his hands on. On this podcast, Michael talks about one of the most valuable (yet little-known) communication skills - validation. The subject of his book, I Hear You, validation is the key to calming fears and uncertainties, increasing feelings of love and appreciation in relationships, and giving advice and feedback that sticks. Michael shares his 4-step method for validating others (and oneself), talks about how to identify emotions, and shares why validation is such a simple yet powerful interpersonal tool. Here’s the outline of this interview with Michael Sorensen: [00:00:31] Book: I Hear You: The Surprisingly Simple Skill Behind Extraordinary Relationships, by Michael S. Sorensen. [00:00:43] Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, Anna Dow. [00:00:54] Book: Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It, by Chris Voss. [00:01:31] How Michael came to the skill of validation. [00:03:38] Defining validation. [00:05:16] Simon Marshall, PhD. [00:06:49] Listening vs. validation. [00:07:45] Podcast: The Postmenopausal Longevity Paradox and the Evolutionary Advantage of Our Grandmothering Life History, with Kristin Hawkes, PhD. [00:09:37] Benefits of validation. [00:11:25] Invalidating statements. [00:14:35] When to validate. [00:15:11] 4 step method: Listen empathically, validate, advice/feedback, validate again. [00:16:56] How to identify emotions. [00:18:16] Emotion wheel. [00:18:56] Podcast: From Magic to Mindfulness: The Evolution of an Entrepreneur, with Jason Connell. [00:19:23] Book: It's Not Always Depression: Working the Change Triangle to Listen to the Body, Discover Core Emotions, and Connect to Your Authentic Self, by Hilary Jacobs Hendel. [00:24:52] Validation vs. reflective listening. [00:27:23] Validating when you don't agree. [00:33:05] Why it’s a short book. [00:34:41] The I Hear You Relationships Podcast. [00:35:35] Validating ourselves. [00:37:32] Find Michael: Amazon, michaelssorensen.com.

Back on the podcast with me today is Physical Therapist and Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach Zac Cupples. When it comes to physiology, movement and biomechanics, Zac is among the best and has become an invaluable resource to me and many of our clients. He offers online movement consultation, mentoring, and fitness training, with expertise in the areas of rehab, training, nutrition, sleep, stress management, breathing, pain, and sports science. ​On this podcast, Zac and I are talking about the impact of mouth and face structure on breathing, sleeping, and overall health. Zac discusses some of the causes of abnormal facial development, and the problems that result, including sleep disorders, crowded and crooked teeth, and worsened athletic performance. He also describes the best way to assess for breathing problems at night and offers some tips for prevention and intervention. Here’s the outline of this interview with Zac Cupples: [00:01:15] Utilizing breathing to enhance movement. [00:05:10] Abel Romero; Podcast: How to Avoid Chronic Pain, Improve Mobility and Feel 100% Confident in Your Lifting. [00:06:59] Mike T. Nelson's Flex Diet Podcast: S2_EP_23_Cranial Face Structures, Nasal Breathing, Orthodontics, Tongue Position, and More Unlikely Performance Limiters: Interview with Zac Cupples. [00:08:53] Kevin Boyd’s Amazing Shrinking Face presentation. [00:10:17] Tongue and lip tie (picture). [00:14:39] Dr. Joseph Sanelli; Dr. Soroush Zaghi; Dr. Brian Hockel. [00:15:55] Book: Six-Foot Tiger, Three-Foot Cage: Take Charge of Your Health by Taking Charge of Your Mouth, by Dr. Felix Liao DDS. [00:18:33] Latera nasal implant. [00:21:07] Dr. Movahed. [00:27:25] When you should do a sleep study. [00:29:12] Pulse oximeter vs. sleep study. [00:29:28] WatchPAT / WatchPAT One; Study: Yuceege, Melike, et al. "Reliability of the Watch-PAT 200 in detecting sleep apnea in highway bus drivers." Journal of clinical sleep medicine 9.4 (2013): 339-344. [00:29:39] Apnea Hypopnea Index (AHI). [00:30:01] Respiratory Disturbance Index (RDI). [00:30:39] Upper Airway Resistance Syndrome vs. sleep apnea. [00:34:22] Risks of untreated sleep apnea. [00:37:35] Measuring progress. [00:38:53] i-Sleep Home Sleep Solutions in Reno (use HST10 discount code for 10% off). [00:39:31] Lofta at-home sleep study. [00:40:28] Book:  Jaws: The Story of a Hidden Epidemic, by Sandra Kahn and Paul R. Ehrlich. [00:40:42] Book: Gasp!: Airway Health - The Hidden Path To Wellness, by Dr. Michael Gelb. [00:42:07] Factors leading to airway problems. [00:44:24] Book: Nutrition and Physical Degeneration: A Comparison of Primitive and Modern Diets and Their Effects, by Weston A Price. [00:45:38] Dental intervention for children. [00:47:05] Finding an orthodontist. [00:47:19] Podcast: Airway Dentistry with Dr. Brian Hockel. [00:49:14] Academy of Orofacial Myofunctional Therapy (AOMT). [00:50:20] Daniel Lieberman books: Exercised and The Story of the Human Body. [00:50:47] Book: Burn by Herman Pontzer; Podcast: How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy. [00:58:41] Elevate Sports Performance and Health Care, Las Vegas NV. [00:59:28] zaccupples.com; YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram.

For the last 18 months or so NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall has been holding weekly Office Hours sessions on Zoom. It’s a chance for our clients and Patreon supporters to ask questions about just about anything related to improving health and performance and get answers based on the scientific literature. This has become such a valuable resource for the NBT community that I wanted to share just a taste of it on the podcast today. Today you can listen in on one of Megan’s recent Office Hours sessions. First, she discusses ways to increase the body’s nitric oxide (NO) production, including the best foods and the supplements arginine and citrulline. NO’s most important function is vasodilation, meaning it relaxes the inner muscles of the blood vessels, causing them to widen and increase circulation. Later she talks about natural ways to keep mosquitos away, including her favourite non-toxic insect repellant and other lesser-known strategies for staying bug-bite free. Here’s the outline of this interview with Megan Hall: [00:00:01] Podcast: Why Cholesterol Levels Have No Effect on Cardiovascular Disease (And Things to Think about Instead), with Malcolm Kendrick. [00:00:13] Podcast: The Pleiotropic Effects of Sunlight, with Megan Hall. [00:01:53] Nitric oxide precursor: L-citrulline. [00:03:02] Study: Tsuboi, Tomoe, Morihiko Maeda, and Toshio Hayashi. "Administration of L-arginine plus L-citrulline or L-citrulline alone successfully retarded endothelial senescence." PloS one 13.2 (2018): e0192252. [00:04:15] Figure 1 from Study: Figueroa, Arturo, et al. "Influence of L-citrulline and watermelon supplementation on vascular function and exercise performance." Current opinion in clinical nutrition and metabolic care 20.1 (2017): 92-98. [00:06:24] L-citrulline may reduce blood pressure in hypertensive individuals; Studies: 1. Kapil, Vikas, et al. "Inorganic nitrate supplementation lowers blood pressure in humans: role for nitrite-derived NO." Hypertension 56.2 (2010): 274-281; 2. Bonilla Ocampo, Diego A., et al. "Dietary nitrate from beetroot juice for hypertension: A systematic review." Biomolecules 8.4 (2018): 134. [00:06:29] L-citrulline may help with erectile dysfunction; Study: Cormio, Luigi, et al. "Oral L-citrulline supplementation improves erection hardness in men with mild erectile dysfunction." Urology 77.1 (2011): 119-122. [00:07:52] Dosing L-citrulline. [00:08:34] Concentrated nitrate supplements and foods. [00:10:12] Supplementing L-citrulline; Allergy Research Group L-Citrulline powder. [00:10:58] Eat more watermelon, dark chocolate, and beetroot; Studies: Bonilla Ocampo, Diego A., et al. "Dietary nitrate from beetroot juice for hypertension: A systematic review." Biomolecules 8.4 (2018): 134; 2. Sudarma, Verawati, Sri Sukmaniah, and Parlindungan Siregar. "Effect of dark chocolate on nitric oxide serum levels and blood pressure in prehypertension subjects." Acta Med Indones 43.4 (2011): 224-8; 3. Faridi, Zubaida, et al. "Acute dark chocolate and cocoa ingestion and endothelial function: a randomized controlled crossover trial." The American journal of clinical nutrition 88.1 (2008): 58-63; 4. Ried, K., P. Fakler, and N. P. Stocks. "Cochrane Hypertension Group National Institute of Integrative Medicine. Effect of cocoa on blood pressure." Cochrane Database Syst Rev (2017). [00:11:30] Natural ways to keep mosquitos away. [00:11:51] Blog post: 12 Mosquito Repellant Plants. [00:12:09] Yellow light bulbs. [00:12:40] Nature Spray (nontoxic natural mosquito repellent). [00:13:20] Citronella Candles.

I’m so excited to introduce you today to a good friend of mine. Jason Connell is a licensed psychotherapist practising in the state of Colorado, with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work from Fordham University. He works with a focus on Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP), a therapeutic methodology that works toward healing trauma and expanding positive transformational experiences. He is also a certified meditation teacher and has advanced training in motivational enhancement.  On this podcast, Jason and I talk about his personal and professional evolution, from entertaining the masses as a magician at the age of 6 to embracing his current role as a teacher and psychotherapist. He describes his young adult life of travelling and volunteering (and inspiring others to do the same), and becoming a public speaker as a “22-year old jackass.” Perhaps most valuable are Jason’s insights on entrepreneurism and the importance of authentic communication. Here’s the outline of this interview with Jason Connell: [00:01:32] Becoming a child magician. [00:03:06] Book: Train Dreams: A Novella. [00:06:39] Book: Mindset: The New Psychology of Success. [00:12:09] Traveling, volunteering, and becoming a keynote speaker. [00:16:07] Podcast: Free to Learn: Unleashing the Instinct to Play, with Peter Gray, PhD.  [00:17:57] Charge way more than your competition. [00:25:51] Teaching others to get speaking gigs. [00:35:23] Healing psychological injuries. [00:40:25] Becoming a licensed therapist. [00:46:00] Thoughts on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). [00:50:23] Simon Marshall, PhD. [00:50:49] Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) [00:51:22] Book: The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living: A Guide to ACT, by Russ Harris. [00:51:39] Accelerated Experiential Dynamic Psychotherapy (AEDP). [00:54:23] Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). [00:54:51] Psychotherapist Jessica Fern; Podcast: Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy; Book: Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy. [01:02:04] Dr. Ken Ford; Podcast: Optimal Diet and Movement for Healthspan, Amplified Intelligence and More with Ken Ford. [01:05:55] Jason’s website.

Anaemia is an incredibly common blood condition in which you lack enough red blood cells - or haemoglobin within them - to adequately deliver and supply oxygen to the body’s tissues. Worldwide, children and pregnant women are disproportionately affected, though we’ve had a number of clients benefit from lifestyle changes aimed at increasing haemoglobin. And I can tell you from personal experience, anaemia can have a measurable impact on athletic performance. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall and I are talking about low oxygen deliverability resulting from anaemia and the many factors that can lead to this condition. We discuss in detail the blood tests that suggest anaemia is affecting your health, along with science-based optimal reference ranges for the most important markers. Megan also details steps you can take to improve your oxygen deliverability status if your haemoglobin is low (and taking an iron pill is not always the answer!). There’s a ton of great information in this one, so be sure to follow along with the outline Megan wrote to prepare for the podcast.  Here’s the outline of this interview with Megan Hall: [00:03:07] What is oxygen deliverability? Background and physiology. [00:05:00] Anaemia. [00:07:00] Why care about haemoglobin? [00:07:02] Haemoglobin's effect on athletic performance. [00:09:56] Causal relationship between iron deficiency anaemia and aerobic capacity; Review: Haas, Jere D., and Thomas Brownlie IV. "Iron deficiency and reduced work capacity: a critical review of the research to determine a causal relationship." The Journal of nutrition 131.2 (2001): 676S-690S. [00:11:06] Haemoglobin and anaerobic threshold. [00:12:10] Study of speed skaters: Kuipers, Harm, et al. "Hemoglobin levels and athletic performance in elite speed skaters during the olympic season 2006." Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine 17.2 (2007): 135-139.  [00:12:16] Megan's outline for this podcast.  [00:13:51] Fatigue and energy levels. [00:14:33] Anaemia and quality of life issues. [00:15:46] Anaemia during pregnancy. [00:16:38] Potential causes of anaemia. [00:30:14] Malcolm Kendrick podcast discussing sickle cell anaemia and endothelial damage: A Statin Nation: Damaging Millions in a Brave New Post-health World.  [00:32:25] "Sports anaemia" ("pseudoanaemia"); Studies: 1. Eichner, E. RANDY. "Sports anemia, iron supplements, and blood doping." Medicine and science in sports and exercise 24.9 Suppl (1992): S315-8; 2. Weight, L. M., et al. "‘Sports Anemia’-A Real or Apparent Phenomenon in Endurance-Trained Athletes?." International journal of sports medicine 13.04 (1992): 344-347.  [00:33:55] How to tell if it's a true anaemia: history, diet, symptoms, blood chemistry. [00:34:16] Occult blood testing: test on 3-4 consecutive days. [00:37:02] Blood chemistry markers that can reveal anaemia. [00:40:54] Elevated MCV in athletes. (elevated = greater than 92 fL); Studies supporting reference range: 1. Anderson, Jeffrey L., et al. "Usefulness of a complete blood count-derived risk score to predict incident mortality in patients with suspected cardiovascular disease." The American journal of cardiology 99.2 (2007): 169-174 and 2. Mueller, Thomas, et al. "Association between erythrocyte mean corpuscular volume and peripheral arterial disease in male subjects: a case control study." Angiology 52.9 (2001): 605-613. [00:43:55] Haemoglobin - optimal reference ranges: 13.0 - 14.5 g/dL (women) and 14.5 - 16 g/dL (men); Study supporting reference range: Fulks, Michael, Vera F. Dolan, and Robert L. Stout. "Hemoglobin Screening Independently Predicts All-Cause Mortality." (2015): 75-80. [00:44:22] Elevated haemoglobin and sleep apnea. [00:45:23] Red blood cells (RBC) - optimal reference ranges: 4.4 to 4.8 m/cumm (women) and 4.8 to 5/5 m/cumm; Study: Kim, Yong Chul, et al. "The low number of red blood cells is an important risk factor for all-cause mortality in the general population." The Tohoku journal of experimental medicine 227.2 (2012): 149-159.  [00:46:40] RDW (optimal is up to 13%); Studies supporting reference range: 1. Anderson, Jeffrey L., et al. "Usefulness of a complete blood count-derived risk score to predict incident mortality in patients with suspected cardiovascular disease." The American journal of cardiology 99.2 (2007): 169-174; 2. Hou, Haifeng, et al. "An overall and dose-response meta-analysis of red blood cell distribution width and CVD outcomes." Scientific reports 7.1 (2017): 1-10; 3. Lippi, Giuseppe, et al. "Relation between red blood cell distribution width and inflammatory biomarkers in a large cohort of unselected outpatients." Archives of pathology & laboratory medicine 133.4 (2009): 628-632; 4. Öztürk, Zeynel Abidin, et al. "Is increased red cell distribution width (RDW) indicating the inflammation in Alzheimer's disease (AD)?." Archives of gerontology and geriatrics 56.1 (2013): 50-54. [00:48:02] Test reticulocytes to identify production, destruction, or loss. [00:49:10] Iron panel: ferritin, serum iron, TIBC. [00:50:10] What to do about anaemia? [00:51:03] Review: Tardy, Anne-Laure, et al. "Vitamins and minerals for energy, fatigue and cognition: a narrative review of the biochemical and clinical evidence." Nutrients 12.1 (2020): 228.  [00:51:22] Nutritionally dense foods list on the NBT forum. (Support NBT on Patreon to get access to the forum). [00:55:24] Join our group program (blood test + bloodsmart report + forum + 4 group coaching session).  [00:57:04] Josh Turknett's 4-quadrant model.

Back on the podcast today is Eric Helms, PhD. Eric is a research fellow at the Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand at Auckland University of Technology, pursuing research in training, nutrition and psychology for strength and physique sport. He has a PhD in Strength and Conditioning with a research focus on autoregulating powerlifting, a masters with a research focus on protein and macronutrient manipulation for dieting bodybuilders, a second masters in exercise science and health promotion. Also an athlete, Eric earned pro status as a natural bodybuilder with the Professional Natural Bodybuilding Association in 2011 and is a powerlifter in the International Powerlifting Federation. Today’s podcast is a Q&A, with Eric fielding questions on some of the best diet and weight lifting strategies. Eric offers an insider’s view on the psychological effects of dieting for competition and also describes some of the most popular non-linear eating strategies and who might benefit from them. He discusses the power of refeeds and diet breaks when it comes to maintaining weight loss, and explains why a flexible approach is more likely to result in long-term success. Eric also addresses the "repetitions in reserve" -based rating of perceived exertion and describes the benefit of using muscle and strength pyramids.  Here’s the outline of this interview with Eric Helms: [00:02:00] Eric's home gym essentials. [00:04:34] Previous NBT Podcast: The Nutrition and Science of Natural Bodybuilding, with Eric Helms. [00:05:04] Athlete identity: Coping with injury, retirement, not being able to train. [00:08:45] Diversifying your happiness portfolio. [00:10:31] Simon Marshall PhD. [00:13:55] Psychological effects of dieting and being super lean. [00:18:33] Relative Energy Deficiency of Sport (RED-S); Podcast: How to Identify and Treat Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S), with Nicky Keay.  [00:26:39] Therapists, dietitians as essential resources for bodybuilders. [00:28:32] Non-linear dieting and it's efficacy. [00:29:27] Time-restricted feeding, within-week intermittent caloric restriction, alternate-day fasting, 5:2 diet. [00:30:38] Refeeds, diet breaks. [00:36:25] Better retention of lean body mass with refeeds; Study: Campbell, Bill I., et al. "Intermittent Energy Restriction Attenuates the Loss of Fat Free Mass in Resistance Trained Individuals. A Randomized Controlled Trial." Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology 5.1 (2020): 19. [00:39:43] Prescribed breaks do not hamper weight loss efforts; Study: Wing, Rena R., and Robert W. Jeffery. "Prescribed “breaks” as a means to disrupt weight control efforts." Obesity research 11.2 (2003): 287-291. [00:41:38] Flexible dieting. [00:44:18] Black and white thinking towards food predicts stress and failure during weight loss; Study: Palascha, Aikaterini, Ellen Van Kleef, and Hans CM van Trijp. "How does thinking in Black and White terms relate to eating behavior and weight regain?." Journal of health psychology 20.5 (2015): 638-648. [00:47:01] Lifting heavy things: the “repetitions in reserve” -based rating of perceived exertion. [00:51:03] Exercise oncology; Study: Fairman, Ciaran M., et al. "A scientific rationale to improve resistance training prescription in exercise oncology." Sports Medicine 47.8 (2017): 1457-1465.  [00:54:48] Muscle and strength pyramids. [00:57:18] Books by Eric Helms: The Muscle and Strength Pyramid: Training and The Muscle and Strength Pyramid: Nutrition. [00:59:09] Best rap album of 2020. [01:00:17] 3dmusclejourney.com.

Computational neuroscientist and biomedical software engineer Balázs Szigeti, PhD. is on the podcast this week to talk about the science behind the increasingly popular practice of microdosing. Microdosing is broadly defined as the regular use of low-dose psychedelic substances such as LSD or psilocybin mushrooms. Distinct from psychedelic therapy or common recreational use, microdosing involves using only around 10% of a typical dose of the drug. Balázs has collaborated with the Global Drug Survey to quantitatively study drug use patterns, and most recently he designed and led the Imperial College self-blinding microdose study published in the open-access journal eLife Sciences. On this podcast, Balázs discusses the results of his study that examined whether psychedelic microdosing can improve cognitive function and psychological well-being. He reviews the existing clinical research on the topic and describes the innovative study design that enabled him to run the largest placebo-controlled study on psychedelics to date. Balázs also reveals the surprising results of the study, which suggest that expectation may play a significant role in feeling better. Here’s the outline of this interview with Balázs Szigeti: [00:00:17] Imperial College London Centre for Psychedelic Research. [00:02:47] The current science on microdosing. [00:04:12] Paper: Szigeti, Balázs, et al. "Self-blinding citizen science to explore psychedelic microdosing." ELife 10 (2021): e62878.  [00:04:18] Citizen Science and self-blinding. [00:16:26] Results of the study. [00:21:39] Sourcing LSD and LSD analogues. [00:22:24] Book: American Kingpin, by Nick Bilton. [00:24:35] Existing clinical studies on microdosing: 1. Yanakieva, Steliana, et al. "The effects of microdose LSD on time perception: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial." Psychopharmacology 236.4 (2019): 1159-1170; 2. Hutten, Nadia RPW, et al. "Mood and cognition after administration of low LSD doses in healthy volunteers: A placebo controlled dose-effect finding study." European Neuropsychopharmacology 41 (2020): 81-91; 3. Bershad, Anya K., et al. "Acute subjective and behavioral effects of microdoses of lysergic acid diethylamide in healthy human volunteers." Biological psychiatry 86.10 (2019): 792-800. [00:27:53] The key to a strong placebo response. [00:29:36] Acute and post-acute outcomes. [00:41:44] Book: Cure: A Journey into the Science of Mind Over Body by Jo Marchant. [00:44:01] Hamilton Depression Scale.  [00:52:13] Future directions and testing additional substances. [00:54:44] examine.com. [00:55:03] labdoor.com. [00:55:52] mydelica.com for Balazs’ self-blinding microdose study 2.0. [00:57:27] Limitations of the study. [01:07:27] Selfblinding-microdose.org.

Jamie Wheal is an expert in peak performance and leadership, specializing in neuroanthropology - the intersection of culture, biology and psychology. He is the co-author of the global bestseller and Pulitzer Prize nominated book, Stealing Fire, and the founder of the Flow Genome Project, an international organization dedicated to the research and training of ultimate human performance. Since founding the organization in 2011, it has gone on to become a leading voice of evidence-based peak performance, counting award-winning academics, legendary professional athletes, special operations commanders, and Fortune 500 business leaders among the hundreds of thousands of people in its global community. ​On this podcast, Jamie discusses the “meaning crisis” that we’re suffering as a society, with fundamentalism and nihilism filling the vacuum. He offers a blunt and eye-opening perspective on where we are today as a culture, why it’s so hard to make sense of the world, and how our efforts to cope are likely making things worse. Jamie explains how best to bring about healing, inspiration, and connection, so we can wake up, grow up, and show up for a world that needs us all. Jamie’s upcoming book, Recapture the Rapture, is set to release on April 27, 2021. Here’s the outline of this interview with Jamie Wheal: [00:00:28] Book: Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That's Lost Its Mind, by Jamie Wheal. [00:00:51] Book: Stealing Fire: How Silicon Valley, the Navy SEALs, and Maverick Scientists Are Revolutionizing the Way We Live and Work, by Steven Kotler and Jamie Wheal. [00:01:22] Jamie's journey: music, mushrooms, mountains, and marriage. [00:10:10] Narcissism in the spiritual marketplace. [00:13:57] A meaning crisis. [00:17:22] Book: Omens of the Millennium: The Gnosis of Angels, Dreams, and Resurrection, by Harold Bloom.  [00:24:01] Article: The Rise of Victimhood Culture by Conor Friedersdorf. [00:24:10] Book: Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell. [00:25:08] Books by Christopher Ryan: Civilized to Death and Sex at Dawn.  [00:34:37] Podcast: The Postmenopausal Longevity Paradox and the Evolutionary Advantage of Our Grandmothering Life History, with Kristen Hawkes. [00:40:32] Neuroanthropology + cultural architecture. [00:41:33] Nitric Oxide. [00:43:12] Neuroscientist Andrew Huberman.  [00:46:22] Healing, inspiration, and connection. [00:47:31] 5 forces: respiration, embodiment, sexuality, substances, music. [00:52:23] Book: Stranger in a Strange Land, by Robert Heinlein. [00:53:49] Dr. Nicole Prause. [00:56:10] Psychedelics. [01:08:02] The importance of self-organizing groups. [01:08:41] Where trauma and talent intersect. [01:11:36] Recapture the Rapture website. [01:12:27] Get the audible version of Recapture the Rapture. [01:12:50] Stay awake, build stuff, and help out.

My guest today is Julian Abel, MD, the Director of Compassionate Communities UK. Julian was on the show a couple of years ago to discuss his innovative model for combating social isolation in the town of Frome in Somerset, UK.  The goal of his project was to improve health outcomes and quality of life, and a measurable difference was made, in both healthcare cost savings and reduced ER admissions. The work of Compassionate Communities has since spurred further initiatives and is now transforming perspectives on matters of healthcare and social wellbeing around the world.  On this podcast Julian and I talk about the power of compassion, and how reason, emotion, and inspiration can help build connection and reduce loneliness. Julian shares how Compassionate Communities is growing as a social movement and talks about what each of us can do to make the world a kinder place. He also reveals plans for Compassionate Communities USA, set to launch in the next few months with a free and inclusive conference. Here’s the outline of this interview with Julian Abel: [00:00:16] Previous podcasts with Julian: 1. Building Compassionate Communities to Improve Public Health, and 2. Maintaining Social Connection in the Era of COVID-19. [00:03:21] Compassion. [00:05:28] Oxytocin is present throughout the animal kingdom. [00:06:00] Film: My Octopus Teacher (available on Netflix). [00:06:55] Book: Survival of the Friendliest: Understanding Our Origins and Rediscovering Our Common Humanity, by Brian Hare and Vanessa Woods. Podcast with Brian Hare: Survival of the Friendliest: Understanding Our Origins and Rediscovering Our Common Humanity. [00:07:07] Book: Humankind: A Hopeful History, by Rutger Bregman. [00:09:03] Julian's study: Abel, Julian, et al. "Reducing emergency hospital admissions: a population health complex intervention of an enhanced model of primary care and compassionate communities." British Journal of General Practice 68.676 (2018): e803-e810. [00:11:18] Julian’s Podcast: Survival of the Kindest.  [00:11:25] Julian’s interview with Holly Prince: Dancing in the Field of End of Life Care. [00:13:46] Compassionate Communities UK.  [00:15:50] Review on social relationships and mortality: Holt-Lunstad, Julianne, Timothy B. Smith, and J. Bradley Layton. "Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review." PLoS medicine 7.7 (2010): e1000316. [00:17:16] Book: Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, by Yuval Noah Harari. [00:17:48] Book: Propaganda by Edward Bernays. [00:21:01] Julian's interview with Waleed Nesyif: It's Never Too Late for Compassion.  [00:22:28] Compassionate City Charter (and other tools). [00:23:41] How to get people to be more compassionate - reason, emotion, and inspiration. [00:23:52] James Maskell: podcast: The Community Cure: Transforming Health Outcomes Together, and book. [00:26:46] Steps an individual can take. [00:33:36] Podcasts: The Neurophysiology of Safety and How to Feel Safe. with Stephen Porges, PhD., and Oxytocin: More Than Just a “Love Hormone”, with Sue Carter, PhD. [00:33:57] The people you spend time with affect your health outcomes; Book: Connected: The Surprising Power of Our Social Networks and How They Shape Our Lives, by Nicholas A. Christakis and James Fowler. [00:34:03] Article: Threats to causal inference in an increasingly connected world. [00:35:51] People who are fiercely independent or resistant. [00:39:57] Enhancing naturally-occurring networks. [00:42:10] Town planning. [00:44:23] Subsidiarity (skin in the game). [00:45:25] Compassionate Communities USA / Elevate Compassion (Coming Soon). [00:48:10] Julian's book: The Compassion Project: A case for hope and humankindness from the town that beat loneliness. [00:49:11] Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine article: Compassion is the best medicine, by Julian Abel and Lindsay Clarke. [00:49:15] Guardian Article: The town that’s found a potent cure for illness – community, by George Monbiot.

Jessica Fern is a psychotherapist, author, public speaker and trauma and relationship expert. She has worked with individuals, couples and people in multiple-partner relationships to overcome reactive communication patterns rooted in insecure attachment and trauma. She is the author of Polysecure, a book that focuses on creating emotionally intimate and securely attached relationships with multiple partners. On this podcast, Jessica talks about attachment theory, what it means to be securely attached, and how insecure attachment could be limiting your relationships. We discuss how to raise securely attached children and how to spot the different forms of insecure attachment. We also discuss polyamory and why the success of consensual non-monogamy hinges on the attachment status of the participants. Here’s the outline of this interview with Jessica Fern: [00:00:09] La Ecovilla, Costa Rica. [00:02:47] Down to Earth with Zac Efron: Episode 3: Costa Rica. [00:03:22] Early interest in psychology. [00:04:51] Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy. [00:05:44] Attachment theory. [00:08:40] Achieving secure attachment: ARE (Available, Responsible, Engaged). [00:09:29] Daniel P. Brown; Quiz on attachment styles. [00:09:43] Expressed delight. [00:11:47] Book: Mothers and Others: The Evolutionary Origins of Mutual Understanding, by Sarah Blaffer Hrdy. [00:13:32] Book: Polysecure: Attachment, Trauma and Consensual Nonmonogamy, by Jessica Fern. [00:14:57] Attachment styles and adult relationships. [00:16:28] Insecure attachment styles. [00:19:39] Trauma. [00:23:32] Consensual non-monogamy. [00:23:59] Book: Sex at Dawn: How We Mate, Why We Stray, and What It Means for Modern Relationships, by Christopher Ryan; Podcast: Civilized to Death: Are We Really Making Progress? [00:28:16] Emotional and sexual exclusivity. [00:31:01] Compersion. [00:33:39] Justice jealousy. [00:37:08] Metamour relationships. [00:37:38] Polyamory structures. [00:44:51] HEARTS acronym for secure attachment. [00:48:31] Couples who argue (peacefully) are more likely to stay together; Study: Gottman, John Mordechai, and Robert Wayne Levenson. "The timing of divorce: Predicting when a couple will divorce over a 14‐year period." Journal of Marriage and Family 62.3 (2000): 737-745. [00:49:10] Dr. John Gottman. [00:49:42] Jessica’s website. [00:50:13] Podcast: The Neurophysiology of Safety and How to Feel Safe. with Stephen Porges, PhD. [00:50:15] Podcast: Oxytocin: More Than Just a “Love Hormone”, with Sue Carter, PhD.

More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates suggested all disease begins in the gut. He was mostly right, and we’ve talked about the gut many times on this podcast – in relation to athletic performance, optimising the gut microbiome, and even how to use probiotics. But a couple of weeks ago I realized that we’ve never talked specifically and in depth about exactly what to do when you have a gut problem. GI issues are where I started my health journey, and probably bring more clients through our doors than any other condition, and they can affect absolutely anyone - athlete or not. On this podcast, NBT Scientific Director Megan Hall and I are talking about the steps to take when your gut isn’t working right. We talk about how things tend to go awry in the first place, signs and symptoms that you have a gut problem, and the first things to try to get quick relief. Megan also discusses the most scientifically-validated lifestyle modifications, supplements, and lab tests to try, as well as the pros and cons of using antimicrobials. Be sure to follow along with Megan’s outline for this podcast.  Here’s the outline of this interview with Megan Hall: [00:00:58] How Megan fixed her gut. [00:05:26] Why you should care about gut health. [00:06:26] Podcasts with Dr. Malcolm Kendrick: 1. Why Cholesterol Levels Have No Effect on Cardiovascular Disease (And Things to Think about Instead) and 2. A Statin Nation: Damaging Millions in a Brave New Post-health World. [00:07:30] Signs and symptoms of gut problems. [00:10:00] How things go wrong. [00:10:02] Podcast: The Athlete’s Gut: Why Things Go Wrong and What to Do About It. [00:11:42] First line of defense interventions; Step 1 - Diet. [00:13:57] Autoimmune Protocol (AIP).  [00:15:16] AIP recipes by Micky Trescott and Louise Hendon.  [00:16:23] Low FODMAP diet lists: comprehensive list, simpler list, app. [00:18:08] Low histamine diet; Podcast: Understanding Histamine Intolerance: Symptoms, Causes and Treatments. [00:20:39] Carnivore diet. [00:21:33] Pegan diet. [00:22:12] Endotoxemia; Podcast: Postprandial Fatigue, Part II: Endotoxemia, Inflammation, and Mitochondrial Dysfunction. [00:24:54] Elemental diets: Physicians Elemental Diet, Dr. Ruscio's Elemental Heal.  [00:27:26] Podcast with Jason Hawrelak, PhD: How to Use Probiotics to Improve Your Health. [00:29:03] Polyphenols and fiber. [00:30:38] Soluble vs insoluble fiber. [00:31:29] Other potential triggers: coffee and alcohol. [00:34:05] Eating in a parasympathetic state. [00:34:33] Physiological sigh. [00:35:32] Simon Marshall's stress audit; Podcast: How to Manage Stress. [00:36:15] Social connection and isolation. [00:36:45] Podcast with Julian Abel, MD: Building Compassionate Communities to Improve Public Health. [00:37:18] Proper chewing. [00:39:56] Food timing in relation to exercise and sleep. [00:41:16] Bidirectional relationship between gut microbiome and circadian rhythm; Study: Mashaqi, Saif, and David Gozal. "“Circadian misalignment and the gut microbiome. A bidirectional relationship triggering inflammation and metabolic disorders”-a literature review." Sleep medicine 72 (2020): 93-108. [00:41:43] Gut microbiome diversity is associated with better sleep; Study: Smith, Robert P., et al. "Gut microbiome diversity is associated with sleep physiology in humans." PLoS One 14.10 (2019): e0222394.  [00:43:15] Probiotics. [00:44:50] Visbiome/VSL #3; Study: Cheng, Fang-Shu, et al. "Probiotic mixture VSL# 3: An overview of basic and clinical studies in chronic diseases." World journal of clinical cases 8.8 (2020): 1361. [00:46:08] Florastor; Study: Kaźmierczak-Siedlecka, Karolina, et al. "Saccharomyces boulardii CNCM I-745: A Non-bacterial Microorganism Used as Probiotic Agent in Supporting Treatment of Selected Diseases." Current Microbiology 77 (2020): 1987-1996. [00:46:55] Mutaflor; Study: Sonnenborn, Ulrich. "Escherichia coli strain Nissle 1917—from bench to bedside and back: history of a special Escherichia coli strain with probiotic properties." FEMS Microbiology Letters 363.19 (2016). [00:47:45] L. rhamnosis GG (LGG). [00:49:06] Choosing a probiotic; Probiotic Advisor database. [00:50:59] Digestive enzymes, digestive bitters, and tea. [00:54:32] Other helpful supplements. [00:54:50] General gut healing. [00:55:25] Serum derived bovine immunoglobulins (SBIs); SBI Protect. [00:56:14] ProButyrate. [00:56:52] Megan's outline for this podcast.  [00:56:58] Article: Singh, Vishal, Beng San Yeoh, and Matam Vijay-Kumar. "Feed your gut with caution!." Translational cancer research 5.Suppl 3 (2016): S507. [00:58:28] Testing: GI-MAP, Genova GI-Effects, Doctor's Data, GutBio, Organic Acids Test (for yeast). [01:05:03] Food intolerance testing. [01:06:21] Blood chemistry: signs of gut trouble. [01:07:36] Podcast: How to Interpret Your White Blood Cell Count. [01:07:46] Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO): signs and symptoms, causes. [01:08:30] SIBO indicates dysbiosis rather than overgrowth; Study: Saffouri, George B., et al. "Small intestinal microbial dysbiosis underlies symptoms associated with functional gastrointestinal disorders." Nature communications 10.1 (2019): 1-11. [01:09:49] Pros and cons of using antimicrobials. [01:10:05] Pomegranate husk powder; Jason Hawrelak’s course; cheat sheet. [01:11:37] Bixa Pomegranate Peel Powder.  [01:13:45] Binders. [01:14:52] Dr. Josh Turknett's 4-quadrant model; Videos from his site. [01:16:51] Schedule a free 15-minute call with Megan or Clay.

My guest today is dating and confidence coach, Nick Notas. For more than twelve years he has helped men conquer their fears, build self-esteem, and develop meaningful relationships. In the age of Tinder, dating can be a challenge, and Nick offers tons of practical advice to help in that arena. One thing I really appreciate about him is his deeper focus on building confidence and communication skills, which can certainly help with dating, but surely transforms all significant relationships and social networks. On this podcast, Nick and I talk about considerations for modern-day dating. We discuss how lockdowns over the past year have affected the dating scene, and what’s likely to happen when restrictions are lifted. Nick shares some practical advice for using dating apps: how to make a good first impression, making that first message count, and giving compliments that don’t suck.  Here’s the outline of this interview with Nick Notas: [00:01:44] How Nick became a dating coach. [00:03:21] Choosing to work with men. [00:03:58] In-person retreats. [00:08:12] How dating has changed during lockdown. [00:09:47] The current state of online dating. [00:13:40] The importance of good photos and how to get them. [00:18:30] Dating apps: Tinder, Bumble, Hinge.  [00:20:40] Generational differences in dating. [00:21:04] Generation Z is having the least sex; Study: Ueda, Peter, et al. "Trends in frequency of sexual activity and number of sexual partners among adults aged 18 to 44 years in the US, 2000-2018." JAMA network open 3.6 (2020): e203833-e203833.  [00:24:04] Mindset factors. [00:24:17] Brad Stulberg; Book: Passion Paradox; Podcast The Passion Paradox: A Guide to Going All In, Finding Success, and Discovering the Benefits of an Unbalanced Life; NBT Podcast with Brad: How to Harness Productive Passion and Avoid Burnout. [00:25:02] Satisfaction within arranged marriage: Epstein, Robert, Mayuri Pandit, and Mansi Thakar. "How love emerges in arranged marriages: Two cross-cultural studies." Journal of Comparative Family Studies 44.3 (2013): 341-360. [00:27:47] Creating opportunity to find connections. [00:31:25] Podcast: How to Think Yourself Younger, Healthier, and Faster, with Ellen Langer, PhD.   [00:33:31] Article: How to Write a Good First Message in Online Dating.  [00:39:25] How to give compliments that don't suck. [00:42:32] Reconnected Dating on YouTube; Dating 101.