Boundless Life

I'll admit it: I'm a complete nerd when it comes to using a dizzying array of bodywork tools, massage and deep tissue manipulation, mobility methods and more. I wake up every morning and "hit" my body with everything from a Rumble Roller to mobility bands to vibrating massage devices and more. It's like some kind of medieval torture experiment. So I was pretty excited when I got a chance to read a brand new book about how to create a "map" of your own connective tissue and then erase pain and / or increase mobility in specific areas of your body using that map. The name of the book is "The MELT Method: A Breakthrough Self-Treatment System to Eliminate Chronic Pain, Erase the Signs of Aging, and Feel Fantastic in Just 10 Minutes a Day!". In The MELT Method, manual therapist and exercise physiologist Sue Hitzmann describes a self-treatment system to combat chronic pain and erase the effects of aging and active living, in as little as ten minutes a day, all using techniques that can be done in your own home and taking advantage of the body's natural restorative properties. Sue has personally trained more than 1,300 professionals worldwide and is a leading presenter for national organizations such as IDEA, ECA, and PMA, and a CEU provider for ACE, AFAA, NASM, PMA, and NCBTMB. She has appeared on The Dr. Oz Show, The Rachael Ray Show, and Live! with Regis and Kelly, and the internationally translated MELT Method book has been featured in magazines such as SELF, More, and Prevention. I've been trying the methods in her book on areas like my low back, my hands, my feet and my elbows and they work with surprising efficacy, so I had to get her on the show! During this episode, you'll discover... -Sue's fascinating story of how she began digging into fascia and connective tissue and its role in pain and movement... -What Sue discovered while dissecting cadavers and learning the truth about fascia that isn't taught in exercise science classes... -The concept of "fascial dehydration", and why it is much more than just a matter of drinking more water... -What most foam rolling and deep tissue work neglects... -Why you shouldn't necessarily use the hardest foam roller you can find... -How to "glide", "shear" and "rinse" specific areas of your body... -Why doing a "rest and assess" prior to doing the MELT method can enhance results... -And much more... Do you have questions, comments or feedback for Sue or I about the MELT method or anything else we discuss in this episode? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com and one of us will reply!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several weeks ago, I published an article entitled "A Tiny, 1/2 Ounce Piece Of Game-Changing Sleep Technology (And How To Use PEMF For Sleep)". In that article, I introduced a brand new device called the SomniResonance® DeltaSleeper (affectionally known as the "SR1") that am now placing on my collarbone each night before I go to sleep and also using if I wake up in the night, and even using for naps and on airplanes. The results have been nothing less than astounding. My sleep "efficiency", as measured by the Oura sleep tracking device, has jumped from 81% up to 97%. I have gone from an average of 52 minutes of wake time during a night of sleep down to 28 minutes. My deep sleep has risen from 33 minutes per night to 2 hours and 22 minutes. My sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep) has gone from an average of 16 minutes down to a super-fast 7 minutes. My heart rate during a night of sleep has dropped from 39 beats per minute down to 36 beats per minute. The list goes on and on. I plan on a comprehensive article in the future that shows all of these sleep hacking results and delves more deeply into sleep quantification... ...but in the meantime, Michael Lares - the investor, diver, outdoor enthusiast and friend who introduced me to the SR1 - is my guest on today's podcast, and in this episode, you're going to discover: -How the SR1 works... -How to use the SR1 for migraines and headaches... -The difference between the SR1 and other PEMF devices (like the EarthPulse)... -Where you should place the SR1 during sleep... -Whether you can use the SR1 multiple times during the night... -Whether the SR1 is safe for children... -How it works for adrenal fatigue and anxiety... -Which meds should or should not be combined with the SR1... -Which countries the SR1 is legal in... -How to try an SR1 without any risk... -And much more! Resources from this episode: -The DeltaSleeper (use 5% discount code “Greenfit10) -The Oura Sleep tracking ring -The Earthpulse PEMF device -A Navy SEAL Physician Reveals How Hard-Charging, High-Achievers Can Fall Asleep Fast -The Man Behind The Advanced Sleep Hacking Tactics Used By The World’s Most Elite Athletes Do you have questions, comments or feedback about the DeltaSleeper SR1 device? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com and either Michael or I will reply, and you want to try the SR1 for yourself, simply click here and use 5% discount code “Greenfit10”.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Did Lindsey Lohan really get drunk on kombucha? How much caffeine and sugar is in kombucha? Can you eat that slimy scoby thing that floats to the top? How can you make kombucha more "bubbly" if you're making it yourself? Can kombucha be used for things other than just drinking? Is it safe to mix kombucha with cocktails or (as I do) to top it off with a bit of vodka now and then? We're going to tackle all these topics and much more in today's interview with Hannah Crum, author of the brand new title "The Big Book of Kombucha: Brewing, Flavoring, and Enjoying the Health Benefits of Fermented Tea" Hannah joined me last year for the podcast episode "Kombucha: Everything You’ve Always Wanted To Know But Were Afraid To Ask.", but since then, she's written the quintessential guide to all things kombucha, and what I would consider to be the #1 resource for anybody who wants to know everything there is to know about kombucha. With more than 400 recipes, including 268 unique flavor combinations, you can get exactly the taste you want — for a fraction of the store-bought price. This complete guide shows you how to do it from start to finish, with illustrated step-by-step instructions and troubleshooting tips. The book also includes information on the many health benefits of kombucha, fascinating details of the drink’s history, and recipes for delicious foods and drinks you can make with kombucha (including some irresistible cocktails!). Hannah Crum is known as The Kombucha Mamma, and is founder of Kombucha Kamp, the most visited website in the world for Kombucha information, recipes and advice. Hannah is also an industry journalist & Master Brewer, directly mentoring thousands of new and experienced Kombucha brewers and providing consultation services for Kombucha start-ups since 2007. Hannah is also a leader and featured speaker in the Southern California Real Food movement, using the "Kombucha Lifestyle" as an introduction to other fermented foods, gut health, the human microbiome, "bacteriosapiens" and more. She ships freshly grown, full-size Kombucha starter cultures to more than 10,000 people worldwide and offers kits and Continuous Brew Packages, the ultimate in convenient homebrewed Kombucha, via her webstore. During our discussion, you'll discover: -A quick review of what kombucha actually is...   -How kombucha affects your liver (and why you should have trace amounts of alcohol in your kombucha)...   -Why nearly all our ancestors drank some form of kombucha...   -How much caffeine is in kombucha, and which chemicals in kombucha balance out any caffeine...   -The true facts about kombucha and sugar...   -What kind of water to use if you make your own kombucha...   -Whether you can or should eat the "scoby" part of kombucha (and one suprising use for the scoby)...   -How to get more bubbles and carbonation in your kombucha...   -How you can you know if you have mold or could be making "bad" kombucha...   -Hannah's #1, most recommended kombucha recipe (that you're guaranteed to have never heard of!)...   -The surprising, some non-drinking ways you can use kombucha...   -How to make an amazing "pork-tini" with your kombucha...   -And much more! Resources from this episode: Get Your Free Kombucha DIY Guide & E-book Here Link to Hannah's kombucha book tour & dates Do you have questions, comments or feedback for Hanna or I about the Big Book of Kombucha or anything else we discuss in this episode? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com and one of us will reply!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BenGreenfieldFitness.com/breadhead Confession: I eat bread a few times a week. Mostly, it's my wife Jessa's mouth-watering, homemade sourdough bread. But lately, I saw a documentary got me thinking a bit more about bread, how much you can "get away" with eating, how often you can or should eat it, and whether it affects parts of your body other than your gut, even if you don't have something like celiac disease or gluten intolerance. The documentary is called "Bread Head", and in it, 33 year old director Max Lugavere explores the impact of our diets and lifestyles on brain health. Max's "vlogs" have garnered thousands of fans, and in each of these, he delivers bite-sized blasts of easily digestible information on health science topics ranging from intermittent fasting to the microbiome. You can check them out here. He has spoken at both the NY Academy of Sciences and the United Nations, has appeared on multiple top health podcasts and TV shows including NBC Nightly News, and is a Yahoo Health contributor and regular guest expert on The Dr. Oz Show. During this podcast, you'll discover: -What bread has to do with your head... -Why bread affects a lot of people who don't have celiac disease and have no gluten-related gut issues... -How long bread can have a deleterious effect on your body after you eat it... -How much bread you can "get away" with eating... -Whether you can eat bread if the bread has been fermented, like traditionally made sourdough bread... -What if you use a gluten digesting enzyme like gluten peptidase... -Hidden sources of the same type of dangerous compounds you can find in commercial bread... -And much more! Resources from this episode: -Aztec sea salt -MCT oil -Max's Dr. Oz Explanation of Bread & The Brain video -The BreadHead Teaser (below) and BreadHead movie Do you have questions, comments or feedback for Max or I about bread and what it can do to your brain? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com and one of us will reply!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is a special Premium audio episode. Click here to activate a Premium subscription to the BenGreenfieldFitness show and access this and over 300 additional hidden audios, videos, pdf's and more! Back in college, I interned at Duke University and worked with an NFL football player named Willie Roaf. I remember being completely flabbergasted at how this enormous man who was over 6'5" and weighed over 325 pounds could move like a cat, with extreme speed and precision and power while simultaneously generating enormous amounts of strength. Today, I interview two experts who fill me in on some of the secrets that collegiate athletes are using to prepare for the NFL combine, the same underground tactics used by athletes in the NFL who are complete physical specimens. I wanted to pick these experts' brains about to learn how these NFL athletes train, how they recover, how they sleep and more…and in this episode you're going to get a sneak peek. My guests are two specialists that train and fuel these elite football athletes: Michelle Riccardi and Denis Logan. Michelle Riccardi, MS, RD, CSSD, Sports Performance Dietitian has 18 years of experience providing sports nutrition services to professional and elite athletes in the NFL, NHL, MLB, NBA, PGA, NFLPA, and NCAA as well as International and Olympic athletes, tactical athletes and fire fighters. She also serves on the EXOS Mentorship Education Team. Denis Logan, Performance Specialist, joined the EXOS Athletes’ Performance team in January 2008. A 2007 graduate of the Athletes’ Performance Intern Program, Denis serves as a performance specialists in the education department. Prior to joining Athletes’ Performance, he was a strength coach at Aviator Sports Performance in New York. Denis most recently completed his M.S. in Fitness and Health Management from the US Sports Academy. Both Michelle and Denis just returned from the NFL Combine, a week-long showcase occurring every February at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, where college football players perform a big battery of physical and mental tests in front of National Football League coaches, general managers, and scouts. Implications of an athlete's performance during the combine can affect their draft status and salary, and ultimately their career, and an athlete's "draft stock" is increased based on superior measurable qualities such as size, speed, and strength. Michelle and Denis are real experts when it comes to maximizing these qualities, and during this episode, you'll discover: -What the NFL Combine is... -What kind of blood testing athletes have done in the NFL Combine... -How personalized and individualized meals are created for each athlete... -What kind of supplements the athletes take... -A typical a ‘day in the life of an athlete’... -Why dry needling and acupuncture is used... -The concept of VooDoo bands and how they are used in the athletes... -How an athlete's sleep is enhanced at the Combine... -And much more! Resources from this episode: -EXOS Sports Performance -The NFL Combine website -WellnessFX Blood Testing Do you have questions, comments or feedback about how to train for the NFL Combine, or anything else from this episode? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Several podcast episodes ago, I tackled a very tricky and often confusing topic with a doctor named Konstantin Monastyrsky.   In that episode, entitled "How Much Fiber To Eat, Where To Get Your Fiber, And Is Fiber *Really* Killing Your Insides?", Konstantin covered several topics, including: -Why it is that doctors tell us to eat plenty of fiber…and what doctors don’t know… -How much fiber is “too much”, and how much it varies from person to person… -The difference between just eating lots of fruits and vegetables vs. using a high fiber “cleanse”... -The truth behind dangerous “laxatives”… -What someone with constipation can do if high fiber and laxatives is not the solution… -And much more... That particular episode generated so many dozens and dozens of questions that I decided to bring Konstantin back, and in this episode, I ask him: -In the article "Is Fiber Bad For You", you discuss how you don't endorse eating the skins of vegetables and fruits. But what about the insoluble fiber you're missing out on, and also the other benefits listed here?   -Isn't there a "hormetic" effect to eating the type of components in the skin of foods like potatoes and tomatoes and eggplants?   -The study "Stopping or reducing dietary fiber intake reduces constipation and its associated symptoms"...and I know that sometimes, especially when acute or inflamed or infected, lower fiber can be helpful.  This is why lower fiber is recommended for acute IBD and for many cases of SIBO. But, once the GI is healed, wouldn't a higher fiber intake is generally well tolerated and health promoting?   -You say: “Fiber intake has also been linked with the metabolic syndrome, a constellation of factors that increases the chances of developing heart disease and diabetes.”  But that study you quoted in full says:   "Fiber intake has also been linked with the metabolic syndrome, a constellation of factors that increases the chances of developing heart disease and diabetes. These factors include high blood pressure, high insulin levels, excess weight (especially around the abdomen), high levels of triglycerides, the body’s main fat-carrying particle, and low levels of HDL (good) cholesterol. Several studies suggest that higher intake of cereal fiber and whole grains may somehow ward off this increasingly common syndrome."   How would you reply?   -How do you address this association between fiber intake and lowering of coronary disease?   "Our results suggest an inverse association between fiber intake and MI. These results support current national dietary guidelines to increase dietary fiber intake and suggest that fiber, independent of fat intake, is an important dietary component for the prevention of coronary disease."   and this:   "The greatest impact on lowering total and LDL cholesterol is derived from reduced intakes of saturated fat and cholesterol as well as weight reduction in obese persons. Diets high in complex carbohydrates and fiber are associated with reduced mortality rates from CHD and other chronic diseases. Fiber found in oats, barley, and pectin-rich fruits and vegetables provides adjunctive lipid-lowering benefits beyond those achieved by reductions in total and saturated fat alone. The AHA recommends a total dietary fiber intake of 25 to 30 g/d from foods, not supplements, to ensure nutrient adequacy and maximize the cholesterol-lowering impact of a fat-modified diet. Current dietary fiber intakes among adults in the United States average about 15 g, or half the recommended amount."   -How do you feel about resistant starch and the current "resistant starch" interest in the dietary industry? Is that a form of fiber that also causes issues, or not? Would you recommend this diet in certain cases?   -How does one specifically "fix" a colon that has lack of bacteria. Does a probiotic work? OR would you need more of an enema approach? The reason I ask is I have seen many folks endorse the use of probiotic and/or butyrate enemas for colonic health.   -How about fecal transplants. How do you feel about those for restoring colonic health?   -When it comes to constipation, what is your #1 solution, in terms of specific ingredients or protocols that can help with it?   -And finally, the million dollar question, do you use a Squatty Potty? If you want to try any of Konstantin’s supplements for healing the gut or eliminating constipation, or read his book “The Fiber Menace”, simply click here. Questions, comments or feedback about how much fiber to eat? Leave them at BenGreenfieldFitness.com and either Konstantin or I will reply!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Topics discussed in the podcast include a 382-day fast, biohacking a hotel experience, comparing chia seeds and flax seeds, and using carb cycling for fat loss. The hosts also touch on building a surfing pool, the nutritional benefits of eating bugs, controversy surrounding chia seeds and flax seeds and their effects on estrogen levels, biohacking hotels and infrared saunas, the importance of sleep and the Chili Pad, optimizing sleep, recovery, and wellness, the importance of credible sources, and the benefits of being kind and inclusive in leadership.

Meet Laird Hamilton and Gabrielle Reece - sporting legends, nutrition and fitness gurus, parents, and - as you will discover on this podcast - deep thinkers and philosophers of life. Laird is an American big-wave surfer, co-inventor of tow-in surfing, and an occasional fashion and action-sports model. He is married to Gabrielle Reece (AKA "Gabby"), a professional volleyball player, television personality, and model. In this podcast (recorded at Laird and Gabby's home in Kauai) you'll discover: -Why Laird and Gabby choose to live in Hawaii... -What it's like to transition from being a pro athlete to moving into later years of life, and Laird and Gabby's anti-aging tips and tricks... -The special breathwork protocol Laird and Gabby both use... -How Laird combines cold, hot, hypoxia, underwater training and more for the ultimate workout...   -The top biohacks Laird keeps in his garage... -A special coffee blend that serves as rocket fuel for your body and brain... -One very stinky fruit Laird takes a shot of each morning... -Why Laird and Gabby homeschool, and why they do it... - How to stay young and vibrant, age gracefully, and defy the norms of what we accept for older generations... -And much more!   Resources from this episode: -Laird's website -Gabby's website -The NBC show "Strong" -Laird's superfoods and coffee blends -The Glasses Off app -Neil Strauss's author page -The iCool cold pool -The Iceman Wim Hof podcast -The Unschooling podcast with Ben Hewitt -Don Wildman's Hardest Workout In The World Do you have questions, comments or feedback for me, Laird Hamilton or Gabby Reece? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ben is off-the-grid hiking and exploring the island of Kauai in Hawaii (click here to stay tuned to Instagram to see some very entertaining photos of his adventures). So today, we bring you a special audio episode: the full chapter 3 of Ben's New York Times best-selling book "Beyond Training".   In this chapter, you're going to discover that there is definitely more than one way to build endurance, and whether you're a Crossfitter, obstacle course racer, marathoner, triathlete, cyclist, swimmer or anyone else who simply wants to build stamina, grit, and endurance, and this audio is going to show you the very best way to do just that.   If you like this chapter, then please know that Beyond Training is available as an audiobook, Kindle, and physical book here, and also available in audio .mp3 form to anyone who is a Premium member of Ben Greenfield Fitness show. The book was just updated last month with over 6 new months of Ben's research and edits.   Questions, comments or feedback after listening? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Three years ago, an inventor named Paul Becker joined me for a podcast entitled "How Something Called Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy Can Make You Sleep Like A Baby (And Do Much More Than That)". In it, Paul talks about a special "PEMF" device called "The EarthPulse". I also mention my own use of this little doughnut-shaped magnetic device for enhancing sleep in the sleep-hacking chapters of my book Beyond Training and also in the recent article 5 Biohacks To Beat Insomia, Sleep Better On Airplanes, And Shut Down Stress. Today Paul's back. But he's not here to fill us in on how PEMF can make us sleep better. Instead, we're going to talk about the legal performance enhancing effects of PEMF, and exactly how to use something like The EarthPulse for way more than sleep. During this episode, you'll discover: -How electrical stimulation can be used to kill bacteria and viruses... -How to triple your mitochondrial density while you are sleeping... -Why earthing, grounding and sleeping outside on the earth is much different than use of a PEMF device... -Why the PEMF emitted by a device is different than what is emitted from a cell phone... -The correct way to use PEMF to increase rate of tissue repair... -How PEMF affects the nervous system and HRV... -And much more... Resources from this episode: -Athletic Performance Enhancement results with EarthPulse -100lb Bench Press increase -Information on specific harmonics in Earthpulse -Sensitivity to electrical stimulation of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and MAGIC-5 cells -Bob Beck protocol for cancer -David Hood (1989) 10 Hz triples 2 key enzymes responsible for oxygen metabolism -NASA / Goodwin (2003) 4x Tissue Regeneration and Epigenetic Effects of 10 Hz PEMF -James Tong (2007) 10 Hz Triples Nerve Synapse Energy & Doubles Mitochondrial Density -Click here to learn more about the EarthPulse PEMF machine, read more of the research or to get one for yourself now. Do you have questions, comments or feedback for Paul or me? Leave your thoughts at BenGreenfieldFitness.com, and click here to learn more about the EarthPulse PEMF machine, or to get one for yourself now (use coupon code "bgfitness" to save 15% anytime between February 27 and March 31, 2016).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.