Brain Shaman

Torkil Færø: Tracking Stress with Heart Rate Variability (HRV) Through Wearables | Episode 94

Sep 25, 2024

01:10:36

In this episode, we talk with Dr. Torkil Færø — a general practitioner, emergency physician, photographer, and author of the best-selling book The Pulse Cure — to explore heart rate variability (HRV) and how you can harness smartwatches to measure and regulate stress, enhance health, and ultimately extend your lifespan.

Dr. Færø delves into common sources of stress that can lead to low HRV, such as dietary choices, meal timing, alcohol and nicotine consumption, overexercising or lack of physical activity, and environmental factors like heat, noise, and nighttime light exposure.

We also discuss effective strategies to bolster the resilience of our nervous system and raise our HRV. Key practices include cold exposure, moderate exercise, adequate sunlight, quality sleep, and intentionally scheduling time for relaxation.

Gain insight into how HRV functions, what it signifies, and practical steps you can take to monitor and improve yours. In today’s world, stress is linked to a range of health issues and chronic diseases, from heart disease to cancer to infertility. By utilizing HRV data from wearables like smartwatches, we can identify our individual stressors and proactively mitigate their impact, fostering a longer and more fulfilling life. Empower yourself by taking charge of your health through HRV tracking.

Topics discussed include: alcohol, food, temperature, exercise, the menstrual cycle, seasonal changes, circadian rhythms, trauma, interoception, ECG vs. PPG sensors, photography, play, and more.

RESOURCES

BOOKS
- The Body Keeps The Score by Bessel van der Kolk
- The Pulse Cure by Torkil Færø
- Kamerakuren by Torkil Færø
- When the Body Says No by Gabor Maté

COMPANIES
- Apple
- FitBit
- Firstbeat Analytics
- Garmin
- Samsung

PLACES
- Panama Canal
- French Polynesia
- Seychelles

PEOPLE
- Bessel van der Kolk
- Charles Darwin
- Cristiano Ronaldo
- K. Anders Ericsson
- Gabor Maté
- Loretta Breuning
- Peter Attia

PODCASTS
- The Drive
- WHOOP Podcast