The First Steps to Optimum Well being

August 6, 2024

Are you feeling overwhelmed by the numerous well being developments and biohacks flooding your social media feeds? Do you end up continuously chasing the following “miracle” complement or exercise routine, solely to really feel such as you’re not making actual progress? Maybe you are combating low power, cussed weight achieve, or nagging well being points that simply will not appear to resolve.

In at this time’s fast-paced world, it is simple to really feel misplaced within the sea of well being info. You would possibly catch your self asking:

• “How can I actually optimize my well being with out spending a fortune or dedicating my total life to it?”
• “What are the best methods for bettering my power, longevity, and total well-being?”
• “How do I separate the really transformative well being practices from the overhyped fads?”

If any of this resonates with you, relaxation assured, you are not navigating these challenges alone — however with a little bit steering (from yours really) these questions is perhaps rather a lot easier to reply than you assume.

In June, I had the privilege of presenting “The 6 H’s of Well being Optimization: My Newest Learnings & Greatest Biohacks” on the Well being Optimization Summit in London. Drawing from years of analysis and testing, interviews with main consultants, and private experimentation, I shared probably the most transformative insights I’ve found with regards to overcoming the well being hurdles hundreds of thousands of individuals battle to resolve yearly.

If you happen to missed the Well being Optimization Summit this yr or search a deeper dive into the methods you found there, half certainly one of this text covers the primary three pillars of optimum well being: coronary heart, house, and hormesis, and focuses on:

• The way to really nurture your coronary heart well being past primary ldl cholesterol checks
• Easy but highly effective methods to optimize your private home setting for higher sleep, power, and cognitive perform
• The ability of embracing useful stress for better resilience

Whether or not you are a seasoned biohacker or simply starting your wellness journey, you may discover actionable insights and techniques you can begin implementing at this time to reclaim your vitality and stay a boundless life (and ensure to remain tuned for half two, which covers the opposite three keys to well being optimization: starvation, hustle, and hush).

Navigating the Maze of “Wellness Developments” with the First 3 Key Pillars of Well being Optimization

1. Coronary heart: Past Fundamental Cardio

In the case of coronary heart well being, you have probably been conditioned to focus solely on ldl cholesterol numbers and primary cardio train. However the fact is, there’s a lot extra to holding your ticker in high form.

For years, I believed I used to be doing every thing proper for my coronary heart. I exercised repeatedly and ate a nutritious diet, and my lipid panels all the time seemed good. However earlier this yr, I had a surprising revelation: regardless of my wholesome life-style, my lipid panel was lit up like a Christmas tree. It was a wake-up name that led me to dig deeper.

I underwent a CT angiography take a look at known as a Cleerly scan, which concerned receiving an injection of a radioactive dye adopted by imaging of my coronary heart (for extra info, you possibly can examine this podcast out). The outcomes revealed vital plaque buildup within the left anterior descending artery (LAD), sometimes called the “widowmaker.” This discovery was each alarming and eye-opening, revealing that relying solely on blood checks would not present a whole image of your coronary heart well being.

The draw back of CT angiography is that it does expose you to radiation, however you possibly can mitigate this with iodine, spirulina, and shilajit (which could be efficient at binding and eradicating radiation from the physique). Nevertheless, due to the radiation, it’s nonetheless not a fantastic thought to repeatedly do a take a look at like this, and so there are different choices that I get into beneath.

Along with CT angiography, different radiation-free checks listed beneath provide a extra complete view of your coronary heart well being:

• CIMT (Carotid Intima-Media Thickness) Rating: This non-invasive ultrasound measures the thickness of the internal layers of your carotid arteries, offering a robust correlation with coronary artery well being. I just lately found that the CIMT rating gives about 97% to 98% accuracy in comparison with CT angiography. You will get a CIMT take a look at completed repeatedly, which supplies a complete view of your arterial situation. Whereas it’s essential to make sure that the practitioner is expert, I’ve discovered it to be a vital a part of my routine for monitoring coronary heart well being. If , you possibly can try Prevention Myths or go to Vasolabs’ web site to seek out certified practitioners.
• HART Scan: This progressive blood take a look at measures 4 completely different proteins linked to plaque accumulation within the arteries. It’s a fantastic different for these involved in regards to the radiation publicity of CT angiography. By assessing these proteins, the HART Scan may also help decide your danger of plaque buildup with out the expense and problem of extra invasive procedures. I’ve discovered it to be a extremely useful gizmo for evaluating coronary heart well being whereas avoiding the downsides of conventional imaging strategies.

The Greatest Complement Stack for Coronary heart Well being

Based mostly on my analysis and conversations with consultants like Dr. Stephen Hussey, Dr. Thomas Cowan, Dr. Barrie Tan, and Dr. Darshan Shah, I’ve developed a complete coronary heart well being stack that has DRASTICALLY improved my coronary heart well being (which you’ll be able to see by viewing my latest lipid panel outcomes). This coronary heart health-boosting complement stack consists of:

Moreover, for a easy and efficient method to increase your coronary heart well being, try the guts well being stack I just lately developed for Dr. Shah (you possibly can try our newest podcast collectively right here) and Vitaboom. I principally put it collectively so that people didn’t should hold going to the 4 corners of the planet to seek out all of the completely different dietary supplements they want for coronary heart well being. Every field you obtain features a 30-day provide of my favourite coronary heart well being dietary supplements, and every dose is conveniently packed in a small, moveable packet, so you possibly can go away all these cumbersome complement bottles behind! You possibly can uncover extra about our collaboration right here.

And for extra info on sustaining a wholesome coronary heart, you may also try these podcasts:

2. Dwelling: Optimizing Your Surroundings for Higher Well being

Anyone as soon as defined to me that biohacking your private home is principally taking what you expertise in a pure setting and attempting to recreate that in areas like your bed room or workplace.

That is why it’s a good suggestion to imitate daylight as a lot as doable indoors. This implies adjusting your lighting all through the day, from vivid daylight to calming twilight, and eventually to nighttime.

Mild: Mimicking Nature Indoors

Constructing my new house in North Idaho has been an thrilling journey, particularly with regards to optimizing each side of my dwelling setting. One space the place I’ve actually geeked out is lighting. My present house is outfitted with varied lighting choices, however I’ve just lately discovered some new issues which have remodeled how I method this important side of well being (for extra info, you possibly can try my podcasts with Brian Hoyer and Paula Baker-Laporte).

Whenever you step exterior into pure daylight, you’re uncovered to a spectrum of sunshine that features about 50% to 60% seen mild. This spectrum accommodates a mixture of vivid, bluish-green wavelengths together with close to and much crimson wavelengths, plus a contact of UVA and UVB. To simulate pure daylight as intently as doable in your indoor setting, you may additionally want to alter issues up from the daytime to twilight to nighttime.

I like to recommend the next mixture of LED and incandescent lighting all through the day:

• Daytime lighting: For daytime, goal for about 75% LED lighting and 25% incandescent. Whereas LEDs have confronted criticism for points like flicker and EMF, they’re nonetheless extremely efficient for simulating daylight when used accurately. Nevertheless, not all LED lights are created equal. Conventional LEDs are identified for his or her flicker, greater EMF emissions, and concentrated blue mild, which might contribute to points like retinal harm, sleep disturbances, mind fog, and power issues. Fortuitously, there is a newer sort of LED know-how known as OLED. OLED lights are low in flicker and EMF, making them a greater possibility for mixing with incandescent lights. Through the use of a mixture of 75% OLED and 25% incandescent bulbs in your house’s waking areas, you may obtain a lighting setting that intently resembles pure daylight.
• Twilight lighting: As day turns to nighttime, your lighting must shift. For twilight or night settings like eating rooms or recreation rooms, the best ratio is 25% LED or OLED and 75% incandescent. This setup creates a heat, stress-free setting appropriate for winding down.
• Nighttime lighting: If you happen to stroll into my bed room, it seems to be like an Amsterdam nightclub. It is because I exploit crimson incandescent bulbs to create a relaxing, sleep-friendly environment.

For the most effective outcomes, take into account bulbs which can be particularly designed to be flicker-free. Advisable choices embody flicker-free OLED lights (Philips Eye Consolation and bulbs from BON CHARGE). In the case of incandescent bulbs, select ones which can be 100 watts or greater to attenuate flicker (I like to recommend Chromalux’s CLEAR 100W bulbs).

Moreover, if the thought of adjusting all of your bulbs appears daunting, firms like BON CHARGE and Block Blue Mild provide versatile bulbs that may change between daytime, twilight, and crimson mild modes with a easy flick of a change. This makes it simpler to adapt your lighting to the time of day with no main overhaul.

Extra Superior Lighting Suggestions

• Incorporating UVA and UVB mild: UVA and UVB rays, that are a part of the daylight spectrum, have their very own benefits. UVA contributes to vitamin D manufacturing, whereas UVB is linked to nitric oxide synthesis. To imitate pure mild, I exploit OttLight Programs‘ Zero-Flicker Ultraviolet UVA 395 desk clamp that emits UVA mild and Enyrgy Mild Remedy‘s “Dietary Mild Know-how,” which produces UVB mild.
• Boosting wakefulness and synchronizing your circadian rhythm with LED mild: Shiny bluish-green mild that sparkles could be efficient. I exploit a Beacon40, which produces high-intensity flickering LED mild, for about 15 to twenty minutes every morning. Moreover, the desktop EVY LIGHT field, just like these used for seasonal affective dysfunction, gives a robust mild increase every morning earlier than work (use for 20 minutes).
• Touring with light-hacking gadgets: When touring, instruments like Re-Timer glasses and HumanCharger could be invaluable. Re-Timer glasses provide bluish-green mild remedy for about 20 to 25 minutes, whereas HumanChargers present in-ear mild remedy. I additionally use a small crimson mild headlamp from Amazon to navigate darkish lodge rooms, making certain minimal disruption to my pure mild publicity.
• Utilizing crimson mild remedy gadgets: Lastly, gadgets just like the Kineon wraparound crimson mild and the Lumaflex waterproof crimson mild provide glorious choices for enhancing wellness. These instruments generally is a welcome boost to your routine, offering therapeutic advantages from crimson mild.

Listed below are a couple of extra assets you possibly can discover if you happen to’re within the matter of lighting:

Air: Respiratory Simple at Dwelling

Along with optimizing mild in your house, listening to air high quality is essential.

After getting back from a visit to India with Jag Chima and Kris Gethin, the place the air air pollution ranges have been extraordinarily excessive, I seen a major discount in my breath-hold time, highlighting the extreme influence of poor air high quality. Poor air high quality is related to diminished cognitive efficiency, start defects, most cancers, bronchial asthma, COPD, and different well being points.

If you happen to’re involved about your air high quality, I like to recommend trying out Airofit or SpiroLink, two firms that provide peak movement measurement gadgets to evaluate your lung perform. Measuring inspiratory and expiratory quantity and stress can present invaluable insights into your respiratory well being. Monitoring and managing your lung high quality, like monitoring your coronary heart well being, is crucial for total wellness.

You may as well dramatically enhance your air high quality by:

The Greatest Complement Stack for Lung Well being

Moreover, after getting back from India, I developed the next stack to assist respiratory well being. These are all of the issues which were studied to assist heal your lungs after they have been uncovered to poor air high quality:

• Nebulize H₂O₂ and/or glutathione (GlutaStat): After talking with a health care provider in Delhi, I discovered about utilizing a 3% food-grade hydrogen peroxide blended with a ten-to-one saline resolution in a nebulizer. I exploit this resolution as soon as every week whereas working to detoxify and heal my lungs. Liquid glutathione, particularly GlutaStat (you possibly can be a part of Dr. John Lieurance’s MitoZen Membership to buy what I exploit right here), will also be utilized in a nebulizer for its therapeutic properties, although it is dearer and more durable to seek out.
• Exosome infusion: These have proven promise in extending lifespan and bettering lung and mind well being. I experimented with nebulizing exosomes and utilizing them as a nasal spray, which made me really feel like I used to be respiratory clear air and cleared my thoughts remarkably. Though exosomes are at present costly, they maintain nice potential for future well being functions. For extra info on exosomes, you possibly can try this podcast.
• Intranasal VIP: Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) could be administered intranasally to boost lung perform and cut back irritation. I discovered that utilizing intranasal VIP improved my respiratory well being considerably, particularly after publicity to polluted environments. You possibly can try my peptide assets web page for extra perception into the place to purchase the most effective peptides.
• Hydration: Staying well-hydrated is essential for sustaining wholesome lung perform. Ingesting loads of water helps skinny mucus within the airways, making it simpler to breathe and decreasing the danger of respiratory infections.
• Antioxidants (vitamin C/vitamin E/glutathione): Antioxidants play an important position in defending lung tissue from oxidative harm attributable to pollution. I take a day by day complement of vitamin C and vitamin E to spice up my antioxidant ranges. Moreover, I exploit glutathione, both orally or by way of nebulization, to additional assist my lung well being and cut back irritation.
• Vitamin D: Vitamin D is crucial for total immune perform and lung well being. I guarantee I get satisfactory solar publicity and complement with vitamin D3, particularly in the course of the winter months or once I’m in areas with excessive air pollution ranges. Sustaining optimum vitamin D ranges has considerably improved my respiratory resilience.
• Curcumin: Curcumin, the energetic compound in turmeric, has highly effective anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. I embody curcumin dietary supplements in my day by day routine to assist cut back lung irritation and defend towards environmental toxins. This pure treatment has been a invaluable addition to my lung well being routine.
• Choline: Choline is a vital nutrient that helps lung perform and total mobile well being. I embody choline-rich meals in my weight-reduction plan, resembling eggs and liver, and take choline dietary supplements to boost my respiratory efficiency and cognitive perform.
• Omega-3 fatty acids: Omega-3 fatty acids, present in fish oil and flaxseed oil, have anti-inflammatory properties that profit lung well being. I take omega-3 dietary supplements day by day to assist cut back lung irritation and assist total respiratory perform, particularly after publicity to air air pollution.

For extra info on bettering your air high quality, you possibly can try these podcasts and articles:

3. Hormesis: Embracing Useful Stress

What would not kill you (in small doses) can truly make you stronger…

That is because of the organic phenomenon of hormesis, the place low doses of a usually poisonous or deadly agent produce a useful impact on the physique.

If you consider it, there may be numerous stuff you repeatedly do that may hurt you. Take consuming vegetation, for instance. Whereas the bloodthirsty, show-tune-belting plant in Little Store of Horrors is perhaps fictional, vegetation can certainly impose a risk on people. As a result of they do not have enamel, hooves, claws, or nails like animals, vegetation have built-in protection mechanisms (which you’ll be able to uncover extra about right here). Fortunately, you’ve gotten the wits to outsmart them, which could be completed by fermenting, cooking, soaking, slowly making ready, and sprouting vegetation to render their defenses digestible (you possibly can try this present for extra insights!).

Regardless of this data, for years, many well being fanatics have averted exposing their our bodies to stressors due to the free radical concept of getting old, which was developed within the Sixties. This concept means that free radicals velocity up getting old. However this is the twist: that science has been questioned and is now seen as fairly outdated. In one research, researchers loaded up rodents with antioxidants and different free radical-fighting brokers. Surprisingly, as an alternative of extending their lives, this method truly shortened their lifespan, revealing that depriving these creatures of free radicals and oxidative stress has anti-longevity results.

Comparable results could be seen if you happen to’re an athlete who would possibly take heaps of antioxidants like vitamin C or E proper after a killer exercise. As an alternative of getting stronger, you may truly find yourself weaker as a result of your physique misses out on the total advantages of its pure hormetic response to train. By shutting down the physique’s pure inflammatory course of, you’re limiting mitochondrial manufacturing and muscle fiber development that are essential for the positive factors you’re aiming for.

With that mentioned, you need to topic your physique to small quantities of stress all through the day from issues that always get vilified, resembling warmth and chilly publicity (like a day by day sauna and chilly plunge routine), calorie restriction, hyperbaric oxygen, and extra.

Whenever you expose your physique to emphasize, it truly boosts its personal antioxidant manufacturing, in accordance with the newest, most trendy, and scientifically up to date concept in getting old science: the mitochondrial free radical concept of getting old (virtually the exact opposite of the previous one). Researchers have discovered that your cells get higher at dealing with oxidative stress by producing inside antioxidants like superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase. That is one cause I take pleasure in a small glass of wine or a little bit of mezcal tequila (you possibly can discover out extra about why I drink moderately day by day right here) with soda water and lemon virtually every single day — cheers to alcohol!

Discovering the Candy Spot

The important thing to harnessing the facility of hormesis is discovering the fitting steadiness. You need sufficient stress to stimulate adaptation, however not a lot that it overwhelms your physique’s skill to get well. This “candy spot” will differ from individual to individual and should change over time as your resilience improves, however listed beneath are a couple of examples of assorted methods to provide the health-boosting results of hormesis.

• Sauna Use: Common sauna periods expose your physique to warmth stress, which might enhance cardiovascular well being, increase cognitive perform, and improve detoxing.
• Chilly Publicity: Temporary chilly showers or ice baths can increase metabolism, enhance immune perform, and improve psychological resilience.
• Intermittent Fasting: Quick durations of calorie restriction can set off mobile restore processes and enhance metabolic well being.
• Train: The correct quantity of train stresses your physique in ways in which result in improved power, endurance, and total well being. If you happen to run only a mile and a half to 2 miles every single day, that is a manageable quantity of hormetic stress that your physique can simply get well from.
• Plant “Toxins”: Many vegetation comprise gentle toxins that, in small quantities, can set off useful diversifications in your physique. For this reason a various weight-reduction plan wealthy in varied fruits, greens, and herbs is so useful.
• Average Alcohol Consumption: If you happen to have a look at epidemiological research, zero to at least one drinks in females and one to 2 drinks in males are related to an extended lifespan, not a shorter lifespan. Now, these of you who assume you possibly can simply squeeze that every one into one evening and go alcohol-free the remainder of the week, do not try this! Whereas extreme ingesting is clearly dangerous, you possibly can try this research that reveals mild to reasonable alcohol consumption has hormetic results.

I need to encourage you to not be tremendous orthorexic — embrace alcohol moderately, interact in exhausting train, take pleasure in sauna periods, get out of your consolation zone and into the warmth, then calm down each from time to time with out worrying about it negatively impacting your hormones, and eat all kinds of vegetation, herbs, and spices.

The extra you do, the extra geared up you may grow to be to deal with sublethal stressors that may strengthen your physique and enhance your total well being.

If you happen to’re involved in discovering extra about hormesis, you possibly can try the next assets:

Abstract

You’ve got simply uncovered three of the six important pillars of well being optimization that may empower you to navigate the complicated world of recent well being developments and biohacks with readability and mixed a long time of knowledgeable insights.

Bear in mind, the journey to optimum well being is simply that — a journey. It isn’t about perfection or doing every thing without delay. Begin with the areas that resonate most with you, and regularly incorporate extra methods as you’re feeling prepared. Take note of how your physique responds and be keen to regulate your method as wanted. A very powerful factor is to remain curious, continue learning, and benefit from the strategy of discovering what helps you’re feeling your finest.

Simply to briefly recap what I mentioned with you partly certainly one of “The 6 H’s of Well being Optimization“:

• You want greater than a lipid panel to correctly take a look at your coronary heart well being: Superior diagnostic instruments like CT angiography and CIMT scores provide you with a complete understanding of your cardiovascular system. By incorporating a strategic complement stack of annatto extract, ubiquinol, and vitamin Ok, you are supercharging your coronary heart well being, permitting you to push your limits and obtain peak efficiency.
• Biohacking your private home is essential to your well being and wellness: Optimizing your private home setting with pure mild patterns, air purifiers, and air-purifying vegetation transforms your dwelling area right into a health-enhancing haven, supporting respiratory well being, sleep high quality, and total wellness.
• Common publicity to sublethal stressors builds resilience and vitality: Every day practices like sauna use, chilly publicity, intermittent fasting, and reasonable train stimulate your physique’s adaptive responses, bettering cardiovascular well being, metabolism, and immune perform. Coupled with a various weight-reduction plan wealthy in vegetation, herbs, and spices, you are equipping your physique to deal with varied stressors extra successfully. By harnessing the facility of hormesis, you are not simply surviving however thriving, proving that what would not kill you certainly makes you stronger.

Partly two, I will provide the inside scoop into the opposite three H’s: starvation, hustle, and hush — don’t be concerned, I will be releasing this text quickly, so hold a watch out for it within the subsequent week or two!

Can’t look ahead to half two? You are in luck!

You possibly can catch my FULL presentation on the Well being Optimization Summit in London proper right here!

And if you happen to’re in search of extra insights into your well being and wellness, you may be joyful to listen to that I simply completed updating and modifying my best-selling e-book, Boundless. Boundless 2.0 covers every thing you might presumably need to learn about optimizing your well being and longevity, together with find out how to increase your mitochondrial perform, reboot your circadian rhythm, improve your libido, handle continual circumstances, improve your thoughts utilizing new good medication and peptides, reverse getting old, enhance sleep, burn fats, keep well being routines at house and whereas touring, and way more!

If you happen to’re able to uncover a treasure trove of the newest science-backed methods for bettering each side of your thoughts, physique, and spirit, you possibly can click on this hyperlink to pre-order your copy of Boundless 2.0.

And, as all the time, be happy to drop me any questions, ideas, or suggestions you may need for me within the feedback beneath, and I will you’ll want to reply!