Ben Greenfield Life

bengreenfieldfitness.com/energyformula

If there's anything people say they want more of these days...it's energy.

The world around us continually requires more from us while we give less and less thought to our long-term health. This distracted and overwhelmed mindset has landed us squarely in survival mode, depriving us of the necessary steps to create lasting, sustained energy. The truth is most of us are so exhausted and don't know how to find the energy to live our best lives.

My friend Shawn Wells just put the finishing touches on his new book The ENERGY Formula: Six Life Changing Ingredients to Unleash Your Limitless Potential... ...which covers keto, Paleo, biohacking, stoicism, supplements, CBD, nootropics, MCTs, infrared saunas, cold plunges, how to create a sleep fortress, circadian rhythm, and much more.

With about 60 full-color diagrams and over 100 scientific citations, Shawn gives you the knowledge you will not find anywhere else, including "Formulator's Corners" in every chapter that cover doses, brands, and forms of supplements you need to be taking as well as "Resource Hacks" that tell you the products, devices, apps, and more to use. Developed by biochemist, dietitian, sports nutritionist, and formulation scientist Shawn Wells after surviving a series of torturous health battles, this pivotal and groundbreaking book is the product of meticulous and persistent research to find solutions to his personal and painful experiences—paired with two decades of legitimate clinical and scientific expertise.

Shawn previously joined me on the podcast episode "The Nitty-Gritty Underground World of Supplement Ingredients, Sports Nutrition Frankenfuels, Illegally Laced Compounds & More.," and he's been studying up on plenty more since that show, so prepare for a wild ride on today's podcast. Shawn, who is an MPH, LDN, RD, CISSN, FISSN, is a leading nutritional biochemist and expert on health optimization. He has formulated over 500 supplements, foods, beverages, and cosmeceuticals, has patented 10 novel ingredients, and is now known as the Ingredientologist—the scientist of ingredients. Formerly a chief clinical dietitian with over a decade of clinical experience, he has counseled thousands of people on natural health solutions such as keto, paleo, fasting, and supplements.

He has also personally overcome various health issues including Epstein-Barr virus, chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, depression, insomnia, obesity, and a pituitary tumor. As a world-renowned thought leader on mitochondrial health, he has been paid to speak on five different continents. His insights have been prominently featured in documentaries, nationally syndicated radio programs, and regularly on morning television. Shawn's expertise can help any health-conscious individual to better manage stress and experience higher performance and more energy through utilizing his practical research-backed solutions.

During this discussion, you'll discover: -What Shawn had for breakfast the day of the interview...7:11

• He was 40 hours into a 72-hour fast
  • 36 to 48 hours into the fast is when he starts to feel amazing
• Pique fasting tea
• Redmond Real Sea Salt
• Redmond Re-Lyte Electrolyte Drink Mix
• Hypernatremia, and why slight dehydration isn't a bad thing for performance...9:40
• Hypernatremia: not enough sodium in the blood
  • Athletes are not only more hypernatremic than dehydrated, but usually both
• Electrolyte formulas are fine, but more salt is lost while sweating
• Keto dieters tend to be hypernatremic
• Hunger and headaches may be a sign of hypernatremia rather than a lack of water
• Redmond Real Salt (contains trace minerals, family-oriented company)
• Real salt tested low in contamination (no anti-humectant added to dry out the salt)
• Celtic Sea Salt (recommended by Robert Slovak)
• Ben's morning hydration regimen:
  • Adds Quinton Hypertonic Minerals to well water from his property
  • Vitamin C 2:1 ratio to baking soda
  • Water and Wellness hydrogen tablets
• BGF podcasts on deuterium depleted water
  • • Deuterium Demystified: Everything You Need To Know About Deuterium Depleted Water (DDW), How To Lower Deuterium & Much More, With Dr. Ann Cooper And Dr. Que Collins.
    • Water & Water Filtration: Everything You Need To Know About Water Filters, Alkaline Water, Structured Water, Hydrogen-Rich Water, Deuterium-Depleted Water & Much More, With Robert Slovak.
    • Why The War On Cancer Has Failed & What You Can Do About It: Mistletoe, NAD, Deuterium Depleted Water, Melatonin, Gerson Therapy & Beyond, With Dr. Thomas Cowan
    • Vape Pens, Hair Growth Serums, Fixing The Pineal Gland & C60 (The Next Great Longevity Molecule), With Ian Mitchell.
• H2Bev hydrogen water in a can (use code BEN to save 10%)
• Avoid glyphosate like the plague (Roundup)

-Optimizing glutathione levels for optimal mitochondria...21:35

• Mitochondrial glutathione is the main line of defense against cell death; prevents impairment of the electron transport chain
• N-Acetylcysteine (NAC) is one of the best ways to boost glutathione
• AlmsBio Mitotherapy, with PQQ and COQ10 (use code BENGREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
• Bioadvantex's PharmaNAC
• Thorne NAC (what Shawn uses)

-The criteria by which Shawn evaluates a supplement brand...25:30

• Contract manufacturing is in some ways better than in-house
• Thorne, Standard Process, Pure Encapsulations invest heavily in quality control
• BioTrust spent 2 years working on a formula with Shawn
• The Nitty-Gritty Underground World of Supplement Ingredients, Sports Nutrition Frankenfuels, Illegally Laced Compounds & More, With Shawn Wells.
• You get what's on the label, and you don't get what's not on the label
• A little bit more pricey, but you're paying for that quality
• Beware of vegetable oils or "proprietary blends"
• Companies use the leaf or stem in their product when they should be using the root
  • Gingko has to be the leaf; ginseng has to be the root

-How Shawn discovered two substances and made them into supplement form...35:45

• Theacrine and Dynamine™
  • Worked with Dr. Hector Lopez and Dr. Tim Ziegenfuss
• Methylliberine (Dynamine™)
• In the methylxanthine family (of which caffeine is a part)
  • Enhanced energy and focus
  • Pain reduction
  • Stimulated NAD production
  • No habituation effect as you find in caffeine
  • Less adaptation effect
• Biggest difference is the half-life
• Infopathy generator (use code BENG10 for 10% off) (Ben's podcast with Anton Federenko will be published on February 27)
• Hapbee wearable
• Theacrine and Dynamine™ are full synthetic (GMP and informed-choice tested for sports - tested athletes can use it); natural extraction is cost-prohibitive, but it does occur naturally in tea leaves and cacao
• Shawn's energy stack:
  • Creatine
  • Dynamine™
  • Alpha GPC

-The exercise augmenter that has been called "exercise in a bottle"...44:15

• Advanced Smart Drugs & Nootropics You’ve Never Heard Of, Rare Japanese Seaweed For Sleep Enhancement, The Most Powerful Form Of Vitamin B1 That Exists & Much More! With Lucas Aoun.
  • Ergogenic Health
• β-aminoisobutyric Acid - L-Baiba is an exercise mimetic (exercise augmenter)
  • Intense exercise breaks down BCAA muscle pool to use those amino acids for fuel for the workout
  • L-Valine ends up converting into L-Baiba
  • Mitoburn (L-Baiba)
• Positive things associated with exercise are enhanced when L-Baiba levels are increased in plasma
• Brown adipose tissue is brown because of the amount of iron; it's more mitochondrially dense (only 2% or so in your body); burns fat like nothing else
  • Babies can't shiver until about 6-9 months to create heat thermogenesis; we have brown adipose tissue for that reason
  • It is around your collarbone because that's your core; it's important to keep heat near your core
• More brown adipose tissue may be a factor in one's metabolism

-Grains of paradise...49:55

• Grains of paradise is a type of pepper, gingery taste; similar to capsaicin and ginger
• Enhances metabolism without a stimulant effect
  • 40mg increased thermogenesis and caloric expenditure of around 100 calories a day

-Ben's super easy goals for his upcoming 40th birthday...52:15

• Humans are the easiest to kill in all of history
• Goldilocks zone - just the right amount of hormetic stressors
• Polyphenols are xenohormetics to plants
• "Strong people are harder to kill than weak people—and more useful in general."
  • Why Strong People Are Harder To Kill (And How To Get Strong), With Keith Norris.
• Ben's 40th birthday activity: complete in a 40 hour fasted state:
  • 2-3 rounds of Wim Hof breathing leading up to a 4-minute static breath-hold
  • 1 40 kg kettlebell Turkish get-up per side
  • 4-minute dead hang from a bar 
  • 400-meter farmer's walk with a kettlebell in each hand (40kg)
  • 4-minute ice bath at 32°F (use code BENFORGE to save $150 off any Forge)

-A different form of berberine that is used to control blood glucose levels...56:30

• A Rocket Scientist Homeschooler’s Insider Blood Glucose Monitoring Secrets, The Best Way To Use A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), Blood Sugar Biohacking Tips & Much More, with Josh Clemente of Levels Health
• Dihydroberberine
  • Consuming berberine at the gut level converts it to dihydroberberine; at the plasma level it is converted back to berberine
  • Berberine is a glucose disposal agent
• Dihydroberberine is Shawn's number 1 recommended anti-aging ingredient
  • 5x more bioavailable than berberine, and lasts around twice as long
  • Doesn't give you GI distress that you get berberine
• Mitochondrial hormetic

-Shawn's new formula for BHB and thoughts on exogenous ketones...1:03:30

• HVMN ketone ester
• Ketone Aid
• Patent on active isomer RBHB (aka DBHB)
• Exogenous ketones can carry excess minerals; causes some GI distress
• All in powder form, very salty in taste

-Preferred medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) to go with ketones...1:07:00

• Caprylic acid (C8) is best for increasing ketones
• Lauric acid is great as a virucidal and anti-bacterial; monolaurin for the immune system
• Dom D'Agostino has a patent pending (ketone + C8)
  • Which Ketone Supplement Works Best: Ketone Salts vs. Ketone Esters With Dr. Dominic D’Agostino.

-The best way to raise NAD levels...1:09:20

• NMN (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%) is better than NR
• Ben Greenfield Interviews Dr. David Sinclair About Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don’t Have To.
• Intranasal supplements (use code BEN to save 5%) are often administered incorrectly
• Getting a quality NMN and the correct amount
• Fisetin, NMN, apigenin the ultimate stack
• Add in COQ10 and PQQ for the ultimate mitochondrial stack
• Article by John Lieurance: Mito Fast: A Brand New Advanced Anti-Aging Protocol To Nurture Your Mitochondria, Boost Autophagy, & Rejuvenate Your Stem Cells. 
• Iontophoresis NAD patches

-And much more! Resources from this episode:

- Shawn Wells:

• The ENERGY Formula: Six Life Changing Ingredients to Unleash Your Limitless Potential
• The Nitty-Gritty Underground World of Supplement Ingredients, Sports Nutrition Frankenfuels, Illegally Laced Compounds & More.

- Podcasts and article:

• Deuterium Demystified: Everything You Need To Know About Deuterium Depleted Water (DDW), How To Lower Deuterium & Much More, With Dr. Ann Cooper And Dr. Que Collins.
• Water & Water Filtration: Everything You Need To Know About Water Filters, Alkaline Water, Structured Water, Hydrogen-Rich Water, Deuterium-Depleted Water & Much More, With Robert Slovak.
• Why The War On Cancer Has Failed & What You Can Do About It: Mistletoe, NAD, Deuterium Depleted Water, Melatonin, Gerson Therapy & Beyond, With Dr. Thomas Cowan
• Vape Pens, Hair Growth Serums, Fixing The Pineal Gland & C60 (The Next Great Longevity Molecule), With Ian Mitchell.
• Advanced Smart Drugs & Nootropics You’ve Never Heard Of, Rare Japanese Seaweed For Sleep Enhancement, The Most Powerful Form Of Vitamin B1 That Exists & Much More! With Lucas Aoun.
• A Rocket Scientist Homeschooler’s Insider Blood Glucose Monitoring Secrets, The Best Way To Use A Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), Blood Sugar Biohacking Tips & Much More, with Josh Clemente
• Which Ketone Supplement Works Best: Ketone Salts vs. Ketone Esters With Dr. Dominic D’Agostino.
• Ben Greenfield Interviews Dr. David Sinclair About Lifespan: Why We Age―and Why We Don’t Have To.
• Why Strong People Are Harder To Kill (And How To Get Strong), With Keith Norris.Mito Fast: A Brand New Advanced Anti-Aging Protocol To Nurture Your Mitochondria, Boost Autophagy, & Rejuvenate Your Stem Cells.

- Food and supplements:

• Pique Tea
• Redmond Real Sea Salt
• Redmond Re-Lyte
• Celtic Sea Salt
• Quinton Hypertonic
• Vitamin C
• Baking Soda
• Water and Wellness Hydrogen Tablets
• H2Bev (use code BEN to save 10%)
• NAC
• AlmsBio Mitotherapy (use code BENGREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
• Bioadvantex's PharmaNAC
• Theacrine
• Dynamine™
• Infopathy (use code BENG10 for 10% off)
• Creatine
• Alpha GPC
• L-Valine
• Mitoburn (L-Baiba)
• Grains of Paradise
• Dihydroberberine
• Berberine
• HVMN
• Ketone Aid
• Caprylic Acid (C8)
• Monolaurin
• NMN (use code GREENFIELD10 to save 10%)
• Nicotinamide Riboside
• NeuroNAD Intranasal Spray (use code BEN to save 5%)
• Fisetin
• Apigenin
• COQ10
• PQQ
• NAD Patches

- Other resources:

• Hapbee Wearable
• Kettlebell
• Morozko Forge (use code BENFORGE to save $150)
• Wim Hof Breathing
• Methylxanthine
• Turkish Get-up Video
• Dead Hang Video
• Farmer's Walk with a Kettlebell Video

Episode sponsors:

-Kion Coffee: Carefully selected and roasted for taste, purity, high antioxidants, and health. BGF listeners save 20% off your first order with code BGF20.

-Chili Technologies: ChiliSleep makes both the chiliPAD and OOLER, innovative options that fit over the top of your mattress and use water to control the temperature of your bed and help lower your core body temperature to trigger deep, relaxing sleep.

-Paleovalley Beef Sticks: 100% grass-fed AND grass-finished. Keto friendly and higher levels of Omega 3 Fatty Acids. Receive a 15% discount on your order when you use my link.

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

-Spiritual Disciplines Journal: The new Spiritual Disciplines Journal by Ben Greenfield is coming soon! Sign up to download a free preview and get notified once it's ready.

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

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