May 9, 2024
Whether it’s biohacking to limit jet lag, preventing balding, discovering simple daily movements to emulate the physicality of your ancestors, sipping healthier alcohol choices, or debunking fasting misconceptions, today’s show is packed with practical advice for rejuvenating the body and mind.
In this episode, explore the fusion of ancestral wisdom and cutting-edge biohacking strategies for achieving peak wellness with me and Jag Chima, an entrepreneur, investor, visionary, health and fitness enthusiast, philanthropist, and the host of The Inspired Lifestyle Podcast.
Jag is the founder of The London Group, a diversified conglomerate with extensive operations in the UK, India, and other parts of the world. The London Group is comprised of companies in property consultancy, property development, estate agents, lifestyle brands, fitness education, talent management, and health clubs.
He has been featured on many media platforms including BBC News Asia, BBC Asian Network, and MATV, and is a sought-after speaker and strategic advisor on business affairs. Jag believes in facing fears and taking on challenges for growth and personal development, as demonstrated by his recent adventures completing a triathlon and a 1,450 km bicycle ride from Delhi to Mumbai. He is a proud supporter of The Unique Home for Girls, a home for unwanted, abandoned girls in Punjab, India.
Join Jag and me as we discuss everything from mindful eating to combat hyper-palatable foods to utilizing antioxidants for protection against environmental pollutants and the implications of oxidation-prone fats in your diet. The episode doesn’t stop at internal health, though — it also provides transformative tips for enhancing your skincare and haircare routines using budget-friendly biohacks like peptides and red light therapy, discovering the art of preparing plant-based foods to maximize their nutrient content, and staying true to the holistic wisdom your ancestors practiced.
Oh, and if you haven’t checked out my first interview alongside Jag in India, you can catch that here:
During this discussion, you’ll discover:
-Does Ben change his biohacks when visiting different countries?…01:58
- Adapting biohacking strategies is key
- Washington State and India have different environments
- Air pollution can cause inflammation and breathing challenges
- Use antioxidants like
- The combination of radiation, inflammation, or pollution can cause damage to fats that make up the membranes of your cells
- Certain types of fat are more prone to causing inflammation
- If you live in a highly polluted area, avoid fried food and fragile fats like vegetable oils, instead use:
-Is it better to do aesthetic treatments for aging or go right to the root cause?…07:25
- Address what is causing the accelerated aging in the first place
- Limit solar radiation or too much exercise
- Bodybuilders tend to have wrinkled skin and age excessively on the skin
- Excessive skin aging is also occurring deeper inside, in the heart, joints, etc
- Cool biohacks to restore youthfulness to your skin and face
- Red light therapy
- Microneedling
- Topical peptides — absorbed through the skin to stimulate age reversal
- Masks
- Alitura face mask (use code GREENFIELD to save 20%)
- Young Goose (use code BEN10 to save 10% off your first order)
- Ben’s at-home weekly beauty treatment for under $100
- Podcast with Andy Hnilo of Alitura:
- Podcast with Dr. Cameron Chesnut
-What are some effective hacks for hair loss prevention?…14:06
- For years, people were told hair loss prevention was extremely expensive
- Now, there are less costly techniques for hair regrowth and rejuvenation
- Podcast with Jay Campbell and Nick Andrews:
- Caffeine’s role in slowing hair loss
- Caffeine (spent coffee grounds) applied to the scalp can extend the life cycle of hair follicles
- The scalp exposed to daily caffeine shows slower hair loss and even an increase in hair growth
- Not as effective as follicular transplants or peptides, but does slow hair loss
- Caffeine increases blood flow to the scalp
- Naturally high testosterone can cause baldness
- Some of that testosterone is converted into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) — a hormone derived from testosterone that plays a crucial role in the development of male characteristics
- It can accelerate hair loss
- Testosterone is like a youthfulness hormone for libido, muscle, and recovery
- Better to be bald than to have low testosterone levels
-Is hair loss genetic or caused by stress?…19:54
-What are the challenges of plant-based diets?…22:56
- Bioavailable collagen, gelatine, and amino acids in your diet, like bone marrow, bone products, or meat
- Unlock a lot more proteins by eating plants that are not raw but rather:
- Fermented
- Soaked
- Sprouted
- Or supplement with
-How do you make plants more digestible?…27:40
- Plants can’t run away or fight back
- Developed their own defense mechanisms
- Make animals nauseous after eating them
- Indigestible seeds (so they will pass through and get planted elsewhere)
- How to be smarter than the plants
- Eat plants in such a manner you deactivate those natural plant mechanisms
- For example quinoa
- Rinse — quinoa is covered in saponin, a natural pesticide
- Some places save the rinse water for washing clothes
- Soak — soaking overnight in water or vinegar removes saponins
- Soak Time For Common Seeds, Nuts, Beans and Grains
- Wheat should be fermented too
- Ben eats bread — Jessa Greenfield’s sourdough bread
- Greens are full of digestive irritants, like oxalates and phytates
- Mash it, puree it, boil it to make it more digestible
- If you’re not sure, google “how to make [insert plant here] more digestible”
- Boundless Kitchen by Ben Greenfield
- Podcast with Doug Evans:
-What are some healthy protein choices for vegetarians?…31:55
-How has longevity changed from your ancestors to now?…34:24
- People now, on average, live longer
- But with an ancestral mismatch, you no longer
- Hunt
- Forage
- Farm
- Spend time outdoors in the sunshine
- You are no longer exposed to hormetic stressors — mildly dangerous things that make you stronger and harder to kill
- Results in being
- Soft
- Fat
- Cells quit turning over
- Onset of diabetes, dementia
- Accumulation of fat
- The reason this is happening is also the solution — it’s not impossible to mimic an ancestral lifestyle
- Move
- Get outdoors
- Have a treadmill and dumbbells (use code GREENFIELD to save 10%) by your desk
- Get a pull-up bar
- Try not to have very easy-to-chew hyper-palatable food in the home
- Eat real whole foods close to nature
-What are the secrets of the Blue Zones?…41:55
- Blue Zones are areas of the world with a disproportionate number of “centenarians,” people 100 years or older
- You see a wide variety of consumption of plants, grains, herbs, and spices
- Allowing for small amounts of amino acids from each
- Important to think not only about lifespan but also healthspan
- Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
- Dan Buettner’s Live to 100 on Netflix
- Describes some of their secrets to longevity:
- Natural movement throughout the day
- Being outside
- Eating a wide variety of food
- Eating real whole recognizable foods without
- Processing
- Oils
- Sweeteners
- Preservatives
- Some elements of fasting
- Religious
- Cleansing
- Water fasting
- Traditional Mediterranean diet
- Human connectivity — the desire to love, be with, and give to other people as a part of your core ethical beliefs and values
- Relationships
- Family
- Neighbors
- Friends
- Community
- One of the top reasons for chronic disease from a lifestyle standpoint is loneliness
-How does being distracted while eating impact digestion?…46:47
- Sometimes you need to do things while you eat
- But if you are heavily distracted, stressed, or in a flight or fight state, blood is taken away to the brain or muscles and areas that are not associated with digestion
- You also see a reduction of
- Amount of hormones produced to make you feel full quickly
- Blood glucose
- Enzymes that help you breakdown food
- Hacks to try
- Read the newspaper
- Chat with a friend
- Chewing your food mindfully (digestion begins in your mouth)
- Prayer or gratitude practice
- Be aware of the food you are eating
-What are the real effects of alcohol, and is there a safe amount to drink?…51:21
- Ben averages 5–7 drinks a week (not all in one night)
- Alcohol can disrupt sleep with a surge in GABA — a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain
- Blue Zones are known to microdose alcohol
- Little bits here and there are good for you
- Problems arise when you consume more alcohol than your body is able to break down
- Acetaldehyde buildup in your body is what makes you feel crappy after drinking
- Preservatives
- Colorings
- Pesticides
- Herbicides
- To mitigate the buildup of acetaldehyde before you drink you can take
- Be selective of what your drink of choice is — it should not be super sweet, like rum
- Or mixing caffeine with alcohol, i.e., espresso martinis
- Better choices are clean-burning alcohol
- Vodka
- Gin
- Tequila
- Organic wines from France, Italy, and New Zealand
- Alcohol-free cocktails with
-Is intermittent fasting good for everyone?…01:01:19
- Yes, you can fast every day
- General rules for fasting
- 12-16 hours for men — finish dinner at 8:00 p.m., do not eat till 8:00 a.m.
- 10-12 premenopausal woman
- 12-16 postmenopausal woman
- Longevity benefits happen after about 16 hours
- Ben suggests trying one to four times a month — dinner time to dinner time 24-hour fast
- Or even quarterly: juice fast, bone broth fast, protein-restricted fast, or water fast
- ProLon fasting kits (use code BEN to save 10%)
- If you do a lot of fasting, have one day a week where you do a refeed — not pizza and french fries, just eating more of the good stuff
- Podcast with Jason Fung:
-Does having a coffee with fats break your fast?…01:04:54
-How do you avoid eating vegetable oils?…01:06:47
- If you are out at a restaurant, just ask for them to use alternates — most places will have options
- At home, have the right oils around
- If you have to eat out of a package, read the labels
-What are biohacking concepts for high performers?…01:08:53
- When you are pushing, keep your battery charged
- Every day, get outside and feel in touch with the planet — if not, get a grounding mat for your office
- Get outside in the sunlight every day — if not, get some kind of light therapy
- Drink clean filtered water with electrolytes instead of an energy drink
- Make your bedroom the most protected ancestral cave you can
- This is where your body will recharge, repair, and recover
- Unplug everything
- Take the TV out
- Turn off the Wi-Fi
-What are Ben’s top five non-negotiable biohacks while traveling?…01:11:26
-And much more…
Upcoming Events:
- Health Optimization Summit — London: June 15–16, 2024
The Health Optimization Summit is the ultimate gathering for anyone passionate about biohacking, wellness, and living their best life. Dubbed a must-do event, it promises a transformative weekend filled with the opportunity to meet and learn from over 35 world-class speakers (including yours truly) in nutrition, longevity, mental health, relationships, and more. Learn best-kept secrets, try out the latest high-tech health gadgets, and discover the cleanest supplements and foods on the market. Don’t miss this life-changing weekend — grab your tickets before they’re gone here.
- The Longevity Circle Retreat in Croatia — Superyacht Wellness Adventure: Sept 4–10, 2024
Step aboard the ultimate luxury wellness journey: the longevity-focused Superyacht Wellness Adventure, set against the breathtaking backdrop of Croatia from September 4–10, 2024. This exclusive, invite-only event offers an unparalleled experience that blends opulence with the pursuit of wellness, disease prevention, and a long, happy life. With only 10 cabins available, this intimate retreat promises personalized attention and an atmosphere of elite exclusivity. Each day, I will lead 5–6 invigorating workouts, share insights through 1–2 enlightening talks, and engage in organic discussions and Q&A sessions, ensuring a transformative experience. Secure your spot here on this once-in-a-lifetime adventure and be part of a select group dedicated to elevating their health.
- Biohacking Retreat with Ben Greenfield — Costa Rica: Oct 28–31, 2024
Join me this October for an unparalleled biohacking retreat set in the breathtaking landscapes of Costa Rica. This is an exclusive opportunity to dive deep into the world of biohacking, wellness, and personal optimization at Kinkára, a sanctuary of rejuvenation and adventure. Over three nights, you’ll get to explore cutting-edge strategies for enhancing your health and performance, from engaging lectures to hands-on meditation and breathwork sessions. We’ll bond over group hikes, savor three meticulously prepared meals daily, unwind with live music, and experience the transformative Temezcal ceremony. Plus, you’ll enjoy luxury amenities and quality time with me and a community of like-minded individuals. Space is intentionally limited to 50 guests to ensure a personalized and impactful experience. Don’t miss this chance to elevate your well-being and connect with the essence of biohacking amidst Costa Rica’s natural beauty. Secure your spot here to ensure you don’t miss out!
Click here for the full written transcript of this podcast episode.
Resources from this episode:
– Jag Chima:
– Podcasts and Articles:
- Insider Beauty Secrets For Men, Can You Eat Your Skin Care Products, How & Why To Smear Grass-Fed Colostrum On Your Face & Much More With Andy Hnilo Of Alitura.
- The Big Beauty Podcast: Anti-Aging, Hair Growth, Gray Hair, Baldness, Beauty Myths & Beauty Truths, Dermarolling vs. Microneedling, Scars & Stretch Marks, Testosterone, DHT & Much More With Dr. Cameron Chesnut.
- The 2 Most Potent Hair Growth & Hair Loss Reversal Molecules Known To Humankind: C60 & GHK-Cu – A Big Hair Podcast With Entera’s Jay Campbell & Nick Andrews.
- Q&A 416: How To Reverse Gray Hair (& Other Beauty Biohacks), The Adrenal Fatigue Myth, The Shocking Beer Exercise Results & Much More!
- How To Render Seeds & Plants More Digestible, Get More Amino Acids From Vegetables & Everything You Need To Know About Sprouts & Sprouting With Doug Evans.
- Solosode 471: Why Ben Greenfield Drinks One Serving Of Alcohol Per Day, The Effects Of Alcohol On Longevity, How To Detox After Partying, The Best Supplements For Drinking & Much More
- The Complete Guide to Fasting: How To Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting
– Books:
– Other Resources:
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Do you have questions, thoughts, or feedback for Jag or me? Leave your comments below and one of us will reply!
