271: Dave Asprey - Mitochondrial Health, Brain Energy, and Working Smarter

The optimization of performance happens on many levels, but few of us go as deeply as Dave Asprey has in his new book, “Head Strong.” His focus? Mitochondrial health. If you listen to this conversation I had with Dave you’ll understand why he has paid such close attention to the health of these tiny organelles that reside within each of your 37.2 trillion cells, but more importantly you’ll discover some of the things you can do to maximize your body’s ability to generate energy and make it possible for your to think and work smarter and more effectively. ## A cheat day is like rewarding yourself with a punch in the face. As Dave and I spoke about mitochondrial health on this episode of The Leverage Podcast I asked him about the impact of dietary “cheat days” on overall health. He was quick to point out that the way most people implement what they CALL a “cheat day” is like rewarding yourself for eating well with a punch in the face. He’d rather make an exception to his diet consciously when needed because he wants to participate more fully in a holiday or celebration of some kind and know that it was worth it for that reason. Find out why Dave abhors the concept of “cheat days” and what he suggests instead, by listening to this episode. ## Sleeping better is better than sleeping more. There’s so much talk about the importance of sleep and making sure you are getting enough sleep. But Dave Asprey is more concerned with the quality of sleep he’s getting than he is about the amount of sleep. In his mind, sleeping better is better than sleeping more - and in order to do that he shares a number of hacks he uses to maximize the quality of his sleep, including True Dark Glasses, sleep apps, and more. If you want the straight scoop on sleep you need to hear what Dave shares on this episode. ## You can train your body for greater mitochondrial health. It may sound impossible that you can program the mitochondria in your cells to do their job more effectively, but it’s true. Dave Asprey has researched the subject thoroughly and has come to the conclusion that while mitochondria operate in complex ways to provide health to the cells, they are also very stupid. They function on a basic, three-level hierarchy that can be manipulated and amplified through a number of variables, including diet, sleep, light, and more. Listen to this episode to find out why Dave says that maximizing your body’s ability to produce more energy is one of the greatest ways to be more effective. ## If you want to be more effective, make fewer decisions. As you know, I always wrap up the show by asking my guest to share their top 3 tips for being more effective - and though I’ve asked that question of Dave Asprey before, I couldn’t really think of a better way to end. So, I asked - and Dave began his list with this one - make fewer decisions. He gives a couple of examples of how that looks, including how he uses his calendar and the approach he takes to his team’s requests of him for decisions. He's got a common sense approach and explains it well, so be sure you listen. ## Outline of This Episode - [0:22] Ari’s introduction to this session with Dave Asprey - and his new book, “Headstrong.” - [3:00] A book to help you increase the “battery power” of your body. - [4:22] How the KREBs cycle works - and why it matters. - [5:45] The impact of Dave’s tips for killing off weak mitochondria and letting the strong ones run your body. - [14:47] Is a “cheat day” worth it on a healthy diet? - [18:15] Why the typical advice Docs give regarding cholesterol treatment is incomplete. - [24:03] The top three tests people should do to get a baseline on their health. - [28:23] Why Dave uses True Dark Glasses and the impact they have. - [41:22] Supplements everyone should be using that they don’t know about. - [49:00] Gadgets Dave recommends. - [57:17] A biohacking experiment that went badly for D