NextHealth is a brand new, cutting-edge, biohacking facility that is taking California by storm. In this conversation between Ben Greenfield and Dr. Shah of NextHealth Clinic in LA, you'll hear...

...a magnitude of information related to health and wellness, including: diets, exercise regimens, herbs, music, CBD, lab tests and much more, recorded straight from the NextHealth Clinic in LA, which is like the deck of a Star Trek spaceship and a complete playground for biohackers and health or longevity enthusiasts!

This particular episode will teach you how to become the best version of yourself by taking advantage of the information that’s out there in the health, science, wellness and fitness sectors. The barrier to entry to biohacking and self-optimization is becoming far more cost effective and there’s a plethora of information, supplements, tests and programs out there that are becoming more mainstream.

Finally, if you like what you hear, you can click here for $500 savings on a full body MRI and full genome sequencing package from NextHealth. Please also note that I will be speaking at NextHealth in Century City on January 30 at 7pm, and the event is completely free to the public to attend! More details below.

In this conversation, you'll discover:

-How to increase longevity using ancestral wisdom and biohacking through telomere analysis...8:05

• Telomere analysis is not an ironclad measurement but is efficacious in conjunction with other analyses.
• Longevity markers:
  • Grip strength
  • Walking speed
  • Ability to sit and stand
  • Face
  • Inflammatory markers
• Track your chronological age, and your health while you're on this earth
• Humans crave variety, improvement
  • We've been led to believe the top of the totem pole is our workouts, strength, etc.
  • Look for ways to "scratch the itch" for self-improvement other than your workout
• Find the "minimum effective dose" vs. an all or nothing approach
  • Sitting around waiting to see the chiropractor; at airports
  • Find ways to be active throughout your day to day activities; get creative!
• Walking Desk changed Dr. Shah's life
  • Also check out the Hex Bar
• Lift occasionally, sprint occasionally, move all day long.

-My thoughts on High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT)...19:35

• Two ways to increase your mitochondrial density. Both are effective
  • Long, slow aerobic training
  • Higher intensity, brief spurts of exercise
    • 1-2x/week, do 4 extremely hard efforts for 30 seconds; rest (or low-intensity exercise) 4 minutes between.
  • Tabata set: 4 Minutes; 20 seconds hard, 10 seconds easy.
  • VO2 max

-What my diet looks like...26:25

• Varies widely due to extensive international travel schedule
• I love to eat whatever local food is available
• While at home, my diet most resembles the Weston A. Price diet
• There's not a single "perfect" human diet
  • Eating healthy goes in phases; maybe depending on a certain condition they have at a given time
• You can try more variety once you've been on a restrictive diet for a period of time (2-6 months)
• I eat a whole foods diet; seasonal
• Eat a whole foods diet as much as possible; use all self-quantification data available to you (ancestral, blood, etc.)
• Epigenetics: eating according to your ancestry

-My thoughts on testing the microbiome...37:50

• The biome of the large intestine isn't necessarily reflective of the small intestine.
• As testing becomes more popular, data is collected; solutions to particular problems are possible.
  • AI can be used to sort through the vast amount of data
• Probiotics not effective in populating the gut.
• People with bacteria deficiencies have GI, digestive issues; not enough fiber and fermented foods

-My sleep habits, and how I track my sleep...43:20

• Tracking can be a distraction at first as you're so focused on the data
  • Eventually, you just get used to it
• I use the Oura Ringto track my sleep (use code: GREENFIELDOURA to save $$$)
• What I track in my sleep
  • sleep latency
  • deep sleep percentages
  • REM and light sleep percentages
  • Number of times I woke
  • Body temp
  • Heart rate variability
• Low hanging fruits when it comes to tracking sleep:
  • My quality of sleep is correlated to the amount of bright sunshine I get before noon
  • Anything that targets the endocannabinoid system is helpful for deep sleep
  • Breathwork helps with sleep latency
    • Box breathing
    • 4-7-8 breathing
• Melatonin is effective when traveling west to east

-Why I travel so extensively when I don't really need to...57:05

-The relationship between fasting and circadian rhythm, overall health and longevity...59:18

• It's difficult to see the benefits; stoic approach
• Daily 12-16 hour intermittent fast
• 3-4 times a year, do a 5-day fasting-mimicking diet
• Fast Saturday dinner to Sunday dinner, twice a month

-The pros and cons of drugs such as rapamycin and metformin...1:08:00

• I don't use rapamycin; I get sufficient autophagy and mTOR through fasting
• I don't take metformin either
  • Good for longevity, not so much for athletes
  • Increased risk for diabetes, Alzheimer's, etc. after prolonged use
  • Other studies have shown the opposite...

-Some of my strategies to optimize my brain (outside of nootropics)...1:11:30

• The power of music to enhance neurogenesis; the joy it brings emotionally
• Not a fan of device-based entertainment
• Reading, especially fiction (reading and writing)
• Psilocybin
• Halo TDCS device
• Vielight (use code: GREENFIELD)
• How I test my cognitive ability
• General rule: If I'm doing something outside my comfort zone, leaving me a bit irritated, I know I'm triggering neurogenesis.
• Focus on things like gratitude, socialization, meditation, etc. then complement it with nootropics.

-My strategies for optimizing my cardiovascular performance...1:20:05

• 3 areas to track:
  • Nervous system
  • Exercise
  • Diet
• Never done a calcium scan score (although I want to)
• More is not better (exercise, Vitamin D, etc.)

-An overview of the services provided at NextHealth...1:29:00

-And much more!

Resources from this episode:

-Click here to get info on Ben Greenfield's new book (set to release in summer of 2019)!

-You can click here for $500 savings on any of the services from NextHealth

-NextHealth FOREFRONT Talk with Ben Greenfield: Wednesday 1/30/19 at 7pm at NextHealth, Century City, CA Westfield Mall 10250 Santa Monica Blvd LA CA 90067 To RSVP and for more information, send an email to [email protected]

-Dr. Darshan Shah

-The Weston A. Price diet

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Got a question for Dr. Shah or myself? Just leave a comment at bengreenfieldfitness.com/nexthealthpodcast and one of us will reply ASAP!