A lot of new science, research and testing protocols have emerged lately in the field of genetic testing, so I decided it was high time I interviewed a DNA expert on sleep genetic types, parenting, personality types, mood, behavior, cancer, the fountain of "youth" and so much more.  My guest for this episode, Kashif Khan, is Chief Executive Officer and Founder of The DNA Company, where personalized medicine is being pioneered through unique insights into the human genome. With the largest study of its kind globally, The DNA Company has developed a functional approach to genomic interpretation overlaying environment, nutrition, and lifestyle on the genetic blueprint to create personalized and deterministic health outcomes. Growing up in Vancouver, Canada in an immigrant household, Kashif developed an industrious entrepreneurial spirit from a young age. Prior to his tenure at The DNA Company, Kashif advised a number of high-growth start-ups in a variety of industries including luxury retail, technology, finance, fine arts, healthcare, tourism and real estate. He participated in over $300 million in revenue in his own retail business prior to launching consulting services to help others thrive. As Kashif dived into the field of functional genomics as the CEO of The DNA Company, it was revealed that his neural wiring was actually genetically designed to be entrepreneurial. However, his genes also revealed a particular sensitivity to pollutants. This inspired The DNA Company to develop a custom nutrient supplement to enhance this suboptimal detoxification pathway, enabling Kashif’s body to deal with pollutants and chemicals, while reducing his risk of long-term illness. Now seeing his health from a new lens Kashif dove further and started to see the genetic pathways that led to his own family’s challenges, and the opportunities to reverse chronic disease. He has since made it his mission to build The DNA Company into a business that has an impact and whose success is measured not in dollars earned, but in lives improved.   In this episode, you'll discover: How Kashif got involved with The DNA Company Kashif’s Genetic Playbook, the actionable steps to utilizing your Genetic code for informed daily life decisions. Mood and behavior / How genes impact things like depression Optimizing sleep/ sleep genetic types Applying genetics to parenting and personalization   Episode sponsors: -Essentia: Organic mattresses, the only mattress to score best on eliminating all sleep-interrupting stimulants. -Timeline Nutrition: Timeline is offering 10% off your first order of Mitopure. Go to timelinenutrition.com/BEN and use code BEN to get 10% off your order. -Kion Aminos: Building blocks for muscle recovery, reduced cravings, better cognition, immunity, and more. -Traeger: 6-in1 versatility, perfected by decades of mastering the craft of wood-fired cooking, a Traeger grill will transform the way you cook, giving you consistent results - every single time. Do you have questions, comments or feedback for me or Kashif Khan about today's episode? Leave a comment below, and one of us will reply!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Dr. Jay Wiles connect on all things Cognitive performance, ketones and ketone esters, the real fix to muscle cramping, the potential threat I find with micro dosing,  and at the end, we take on your questions! We'll touch on how the power of the breath and how it can actually increase physical performance, endurance and recovery. Cognition decline performance, what it is, signs it's starting and practices we've had first hand experience with in combating the effects of subjective cognition decline; through photocoagulation with red light therapy it's been found to have remarkable results on promoting brain health and function. Also we review the immediate effects and benefits of HIIT and essentially using it as "Exercise that gets you smart". Through extensive research it's been shown that HIIT is a great way to fight off what is called "Aggregates" a type of protein that acts as "plaque" to the brain, which has been linked to Alzheimer's Disease. Plus, we do some good old debunking on the old "carbs after the gym, bro", what ketone esters are, how they assist us in generating more substantial energy and there effect is has on our brain. The studies that have been condoned to monitor athlete's performance utilizing ketones, ketone esters as well as the effect when applied when a carbohydrate diet. We'll touch a bit on what causes muscle cramps and how the "pickle juice" method really works with our neurochemistry more than it does anything else. Common belief is linked to dehydration and electro light deficiency and while that is true there is quite a bit more to it than just that. Today you'll get the real reason why cramps happen to athletes and what measures can me taken to start to prevent it. Diving even deeper into the concept you'll learn the 3 common "weakest links" within athletes and how to fix them. You'll get my two cents on why I've tuned it down on plant medicine, what trend I am starting to see take place and what inevitable consequences I see unfolding for those that experiment with ignorance. Believe it or not - You're opening yourself up to a spiritual realm far beyond our human experience which should not be provoked with inexperienced travelers. Not to get it wrong with the positive benefits it does offer but to bring awareness and education to those whom may be dabbling too far down the rabbit hole. Have a question you'd like Ben to answer on the podcast? Click here, or use the 'contact' button in the free Ben Greenfield Life app. Prior to asking your question, do a search in the upper right-hand corner of this website for the keywords associated with your question. Many of the questions we receive have already been answered here at Ben Greenfield Life!   Episode sponsors: –Lucy Nicotine Gum: If you are looking for a cleaner and tastier alternative to other nicotine products, this product is for you. To save 20% on any order, just use discount code BEN20. –Butcher Box: Delivers healthy 100% grass-fed and finished beef, free-range organic chicken, and heritage breed pork directly to your door monthly. All their products are humanely raised and never given antibiotics or hormones. -Chili Technologies: ChiliSleep makes both the chiliPAD and OOLER, innovative options that fit over the top of your mattress and use water to control the temperature of your bed and help lower your core body temperature to trigger deep, relaxing sleep. -Inside Tracker: Created by leading scientists in aging, genetics, and biometrics, Inside Tracker analyzes your blood, DNA, and fitness tracking data to identify where you’re optimized—and where you’re not. -Kion Aminos: Building blocks for muscle recovery, reduced cravings, better cognition, immunity, and more.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My new book, Endure, is now available! I’ll gift you the first three chapters of Endure as an instantly downloadable e-book and I'll also give you a sweet discount on the exact journal my family and I developed and use each day, The Spiritual Disciplines Journal. Visit https://getendure.com for all the details!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BenGreenfieldLife.com/humanperformanceproject A few weeks ago, a guy named Ryan "Birdman" Parrott contacted me. In a nutshell, he said... "My sniper partner in the SEAL Teams took his life 3 years ago and I am tired of it. I know for a fact that there are plenty of brain treatment centers around the country but the military, first responder communities’ leadership don’t seem to care about their health, nutrition and sleep, so we are going to work with physicians, sports physiologists, and mental health experts to develop a simplistic manual that will showcase: 1) turning the ignition on so that kids who are starting to get athletic can understand how to create a baseline of correct fitness and how to get back to homeostasis (this also goes for brand new military members and first responders because they don’t get taught human performance); 2) restarting the engine for the war fighter, career fire fighter and law enforcement, so that they can come out of their careers unfractured. This manual should and will discuss what to do on the flip side to reboot. I am not going to sit back and watch another war fighter take their own life because they are not being tended to after devoting everything that God has given to them to national security. I have run a successful non-profit for burn survivors called 'Sons of the Flag' for the past ten years and am now making this my number one focus to do my part... ...it's called The Human Performance Project... ...and I would love your advice on nutrition and supplementation as we begin this training and as we analyze our blood to give us all a better understanding of what it truly making us better. These are all war fighters on the team that will be training to pull this off and I am the youngest guy on the team, so we have our work cut out for us." So I decided to get Ryan on the show so that you can be educated on how to truly optimize performance, especially when you need to be on the physical and mental cutting edge. Ryan's Human Performance Project is designed to gain outcomes on human performance by testing supplements while training and looking deep into the DNA, physiology, and human spirit to create a docuseries along with a manual that supports all data-driven findings and proof of concept. Essentially pressing the reset button on a 20-year military veteran or first responder and starting the engine for the next generation to train, eat, sleep, diet, and live well. Ryan “Birdman” Parrott, is an Author, Public Speaker, Former Navy SEAL, Patent Holder, Action Sports Athlete, and Founder of two non- profits benefitting Veterans and First Responders is originally from Detroit, Michigan. Birdman enlisted in the Navy after watching the Twin Towers fall on 9/11 and served eight years as a U.S. Navy SEAL attached to SEAL Team SEVEN, completing three combat tours to Iraq before being assigned to Advanced Training Command as an Instructor. In 2005, while serving in Iraq, Birdman was riding atop a Humvee manning the gun turret in enemy territory, when his vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device (IED), causing a detonation and throwing him from the Humvee. Birdman regained composure with his face and hands burned and witnessed his fellow team members suffer devastating burn and blast injuries. While Birdman’s burns were only first and second degree, his teammates suffered lifelong injuries. In 2012, Birdman established Sons of the Flag to help burn survivors and their families find the help and medical attention they truly deserve.  Now a sponsored athlete in the extreme sports arena, he has founded The Human Performance Project taking a deeper dive into health and wellness giving our next generation a better understanding on taking proper care of their bodies through physical, mental, emotional and spiritual guidance from world renowned experts in their fields. More info on the Human Performance Project is here. During our discussion, you'll discover: -Ryan's personal journey to the present day, and how he got the name "Birdman"... -Addressing a severely underserved segment of combat-sustained injuries through Sons of the Flag... -The Human Performance Project: what it is and who it serves... -The first 3 things someone should do when they want to take control of their health and fitness... -The first thing to do when you realize you're broken physically, spiritually and emotionally... -How one will feel when they attempt a hard-core cleanse... -Improving the overall sleep experience... -The system in the body that needs the most attention, and how to address it... -To what extent will improving your physical game improve your mental game?... -And much more! Resources from this episode: Episode sponsors: -Kion Aminos -Masszymes -Inside Tracker -Organifi Green Juice -Ketone IQ by HVMN BenGreenfieldLife.com/humanperformanceprojectSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://bengreenfieldlife.com/plantmed2 Last week, in this already somewhat controversial article, I gave you a thorough explanation and argument behind my newest conviction that when it comes to the ever-expanding and increasingly popular world of plant medicines, not only do the "cons outweigh the pros," but when you're partaking of these type of compounds and chemicals that significantly alter your state of consciousness (particularly in a recreational setting), you are opening yourself up to influence from a spiritual world that threatens to land you in a very dark place indeed. In other words, when it comes to plant medicines, we aren't just talking about the equivalent of drinking too much coffee or having a bit too much pre-workout kratom or chomping on an extra piece of nicotine gum or socially lubricating an evening with an extra glass of wine. Instead, substances such as LSD, psilocybin, peyote, mescaline, or any other highly effective and typically hallucinogenic or psychedelic consciousness-altering compound that I named in Part 1 have great potential to open you up to a deep, dark, spiritual world in which there is a battle for your very soul. So if you didn't yet read Part 1, please, please do. Of course, there are several unanswered questions and considerations that I need to address here in Part 2, namely: microdosing with plant medicines, the "responsible" use of marijuana, the bigger, glaring issue that many of these types of vices bring up, and a special project I'll be working on that I'd like to invite you to be a part of. So, let's dive in. In this episode, you'll hear: -What about microdosing?...06:45 -What about marijuana?...15:30 -The "bigger issue"...26:00 -Summary, and what comes next: "Viceless"...35:02 Episode sponsors: Joy Mode Clearlight Saunas Vuori Thrive Market Kion Aminos The entire text and links to all resources mentioned in today's episode can be found at https://bengreenfieldlife.com/plantmedpart2See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My new book, Endure, is now available! I’ll gift you the first three chapters of Endure as an instantly downloadable e-book and I'll also give you a sweet discount on the exact journal my family and I developed and use each day, The Spiritual Disciplines Journal. Visit https://getendure.com for all the details!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BenGreenfieldLife.com/hanupodcast Hanu Health is a venture-backed health technology company at the intersection of HRV, breathwork, stress resiliency, and biofeedback. They have designed what they call "the most sophisticated and accurate wearable for detecting changes in human stress response, using continuous HRV monitoring as its primary metric". Hanu promises to be a non-invasive and easy-to-use hardware/software system that acts as a stress coach whenever you are wearing it. It uses gentle vibrations to alert you as to when you might be experiencing signs of stress and provides in-the-moment exercises and training to help you build stress resiliency. This close-looped feedback system means that Hanu is continuously monitoring your stress response and is always there to provide you with valuable means to better attend to stress in the moment.  Dr. Jay Wiles, my guest on today's show, is no stranger to the Ben Greenfield Life podcast, as you've heard him and Ben cohost the Q&A episodes since 2019. What you may not know about Dr. Wiles is that he is the co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer of Hanu Health. Jay is an international speaker, scientist, clinician, influencer, and subject-matter expert and authority on the interconnection between the human stress response and health performance/optimization. A clinical health and performance psychologist with board certification in heart rate variability biofeedback and peripheral biofeedback, he works as a leading consultant in psychophysiology to health influencers, professional athletes and teams, executives, and high performers. Jay has pioneered new and innovative means of using heart rate variability (HRV) and respiratory training as both diagnostic indicators of the dynamic nature of the human stress response, alongside therapeutic tools for regulating and conditioning this response for peak human performance. Dr. Wiles has an extensive history of working with top-performing athletes in the PGA, LPGA, MLS, MLB, ATP, and WTA. His consulting firm, Thrive Wellness and Performance, has held contracts with leading biotechnology and health technology organizations where he has engaged in research, development of therapeutics, and development of behavioral retention programs. Dr. Wiles has also hosted the Hanu Health Podcast since October 2021. Code: BEN40 will gives followers 40% off retail of Hanu. During our discussion, you'll discover: -What does "Hanu" mean?... -Jay's personal journey to becoming an expert in HRV... -How is the Hanu wearable different from other devices that track HRV?...  -What causes HRV to vary from day to day, even if stress levels don't appear to vary... -The heart rate strap, and what the Hanu wearable might look like in the future... -About the Resonance Frequency Assessment... -Resonance breathing and box breathing contrasted... -What is a BOLT score and why is it important... -When a high HRV is not necessarily a good thing... -Rapid fire questions on HRV... -And much more... Episode sponsors: -HigherDOSE -Seed Daily Synbiotic -Organifi Gold Chocolate -Kion Aminos -Essentia Mattresses -Lucy Nicotine Gum BenGreenfieldLife.com/hanupodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

https://bengreenfieldlife.com/plantmedpart1 On June 1, 2022, I reached one of the most important conclusions and subsequently made one of the most important decisions of my life. I decided to completely stop using, endorsing, encouraging, extolling, promoting, praising, or otherwise having any involvement with so-called "plant medicines." Now, before you roll your eyes and stop reading because perhaps you were never interested in plant medicines in the first place, or you think I must have had some kind of a "bad trip" on shrooms, or you're convinced that plant medicines play a vastly important role in your own personal, spiritual, or professional development and there's no way you'd ever come to the same conclusion I recently have... ...I beg of you: please stick with me here. Please hear me out. I have some very important things to say that I think the world desperately needs to hear right now. After a great deal of studying up on the topic (and, over the past decade, experimenting with nearly every plant medicine substance known to humankind) I strongly feel that it is now my responsibility and God-given calling to share my newest thoughts with you on this matter. Frankly, there is absolutely no way I want to go to the grave without speaking my mind on this topic. And yes - I realize that a few of you might be cringing because, deep down inside, you suspect that I'm about to expose the "noble and laudable" excuse of "healing yourself" with plant medicines that a shockingly high number of health enthusiasts and spiritual warriors and shaman-bro's and sis's engage in on a frequent basis... ...as just an excuse to get high and do drugs without feeling like an addict. You'd be right if that's your suspicion. Admittedly, I'm partially responsible for fueling this entire movement. I've podcasted and written multiple times on the benefits of journeying with plant medicines. I've heavily promoted microdosing with plant medicines for focus, creativity, productivity, and social outings. I've equated cannabis and shrooms with coffee and wine (trust me, they're a bit different). I own multiple investments (several of which I'll be exiting, by the way) in ketamine clinics, cannabis companies, and psilocybin research laboratories. I've encouraged couples—in the same way that my wife and I have done—to consider compounds like sassafras, MDMA, ketamine, lysergamides, and beyond for enhancing sex or having highly bonding weekend getaways. Perhaps most interestingly, I have derived a great deal of benefit and personal insight and relationship enhancement and creative ideas from "journeying" with plant medicine, which made what I am about to share with you very difficult to write. Frankly, I thought because all the fruits of my use of plant medicines were nothing but good, that the ends justified the means. But I was wrong. Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong. I am sorry. I am ashamed. I have severely missed the mark. I was playing with fire, and you might be too.  And I am about to tell you why. Read the entire article at https://bengreenfieldlife.com/plantmedpart1 In this episode, you'll hear: -Plant medicines defined...10:11 -Why I am done with plant medicines...17:35 -The Bible: Obstacle to the evolution...32:08 -The horrific effects of drug abuse...37:30 -I was deceived and I was playing with fire...42:35 -Freedom from bondage...46:45 -Summary of Part 1...52:25 Episode sponsors: -Tru Kava -Inside Tracker -Chili Technologies -Kion Aminos https://bengreenfieldlife.com/plantmed1See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

My new book, Endure, is now available! I’ll gift you the first three chapters of Endure as an instantly downloadable e-book and I'll also give you a sweet discount on the exact journal my family and I developed and use each day, The Spiritual Disciplines Journal. Visit https://getendure.com for all the details!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

BenGreenfieldLife.com/BrainTapPodcast This light-sound stimulation machine called the BrainTap is my latest infatuation. Ever since the CEO gave me a trial unit at a health conference this past Spring, I've literally been using it every day for the past four months, and it has been a huge game changer for rapid sleep onset, napping, meditation, airplane/car rides, fast-tracked meditation and much more. "BrainTapping" is a quick and easy way to optimize your brain’s peak potential—anytime, anywhere. Backed by neuroscience and research, BrainTap is proven to help people who experience high stress, difficulty sleeping, low energy, and other lifestyle challenges. BrainTap restores your ability, balance and energy. BrainTap breaks through the overwhelm and makes it possible for you to thrive in overdrive. Instead of feeling exhausted and disheartened, you have a fit and resilient brain with clear, focused thinking, and the confidence to make better choices. The BrainTap device uses light and sound stimulation to create a symphony of brainwave activity, a feeling of calm focus that’s just right for learning and productivity. Each session is designed with brainwave balance in mind. BrainTap’s exclusive neuro-algorithms gently and naturally guide your brain through a broad range of brainwave patterns, instead of just the Alpha state. The result is a complete spectrum of brainwave activity. In addition to the sonic effect in the audio-sessions, the BrainTap Headset delivers gentle light pulses that travel through the ear meridians and the retina, sending direct signals to the brain and guiding you into extraordinary brain states that would otherwise take years of disciplined effort to achieve. By listening to the varied frequencies and holographic music in BrainTap’s unique audio programs, you can enjoy a healthy and balanced state of brain fitness. My guest on this podcast is Dr. Patrick Porter. Quick Facts About Patrick: • Award-winning author, educator, researcher, entrepreneur, and speaker • Lifetime Achievement Award (2020) - Interdisciplinary Association of Functional Neurosciences and Rehabilitation (IAFNR) • Dean of mind-based studies at the International Quantum University of Integrative Medicine • SleepRX program voted best sleep application of the year by Health Magazine • Featured in The Wall Street Journal and BusinessWeek • TV and radio personality for 10 years • Created more than 1200 personal development programs • Successfully marketed more than 3 million products worldwide In late 2020, Patrick was the honored recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award by the Interdisciplinary Association of Functional Neurosciences and Rehabilitation (IAFNR), and for good reason. Over a career spanning more than three decades, Dr. Porter has been on the cutting edge of brainwave entrainment technology. He was co-developer of the first personal light & sound brain training machine, voted “Best New Gadget of the Year” at the 1989 Consumer Electronics Show and later developed one of the largest and most popular self-help franchises. He’s since become a highly sought-after expert within the neuroscience and personal improvement industries. Dr. Porter is widely recognized as an award-winning author, educator, consultant, researcher, entrepreneur, and speaker. His newest brain-training platform, BrainTap, is distinctively designed to activate the brain’s neuroplasticity. The BrainTap headset uses light & sound technology in combination with Dr. Porter’s proprietary guided visualization audio-sessions to help people achieve brain fitness, overcome stress, lose weight, stop smoking, manage pain, accelerate learning, enjoy superb sleep and make any number of lifestyle improvements. Additionally, he offers health providers a turnkey system for helping clients achieve better neurological performance and brain fitness. Dr. Porter is also the dean of mind-based studies at the International Quantum University of Integrative Medicine (IQUIM). Dr. Porter’s successes have been featured in NPR, The Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, People, Entrepreneur, and INC, as well as ABC, NBC, CBS, CNN, and the Discovery Channel. His SleepRX program was voted the best sleep app of the year by Health Magazine. He is the author of the award-winning bestseller, Awaken the Genius, Mind Technology for the 21st Century, which was awarded “Best How-To Book of 1994” by the North American Book Dealers Exchange. Awaken the Genius is translated into four languages and more than 150,000 copies have sold globally. He also authored Discover the Language of the Mind and Thrive In Overdrive, How to Navigate Your Overloaded Lifestyle, among others. Dr. Porter’s entertaining speeches and seminars deliver the real life, nuts ‘n bolts concepts he used to turn his business ventures into multi-million dollar enterprises. For ten years, Dr. Porter hosted his own show on WNIS radio in Norfolk, Virginia. Previously, he was the host of a Phoenix television show. As an independent consultant, he wrote Hidden Solutions and Awaken the Genius programs for the State of Arizona. He also created Mind-Over-Cancer, a guided visualization program used in medical facilities to assist patients receiving cancer treatment to better manage stress and side effects. Dr. Porter has produced an arsenal of over 1200 audio-recorded motivational programs and narrated visualization sessions and has sold more than 3 million books and recordings worldwide, all uniquely designed to empower humanity. He earned his doctorate degree from Louisiana Baptist University in 1992 in Psychology of Christian Counseling and later became a licensed trainer of Neuro-Linguistic Programming. During our discussion, you'll discover: -Patrick's history of linguistic programming... -The psychology behind the voice options in the Brain Tap... -The founding story of the Brain Tap... -Nuts and bolts of how the Brain Tap is affecting the brain... -How binaural beats are used in the Brain Tap... -Why the ear piece produces light... -Why blue light in the Brain Tap does not affect sleep deleteriously... -Isochronic tones explained... -How music is chosen and utilized in the Brain Tap... -Entrainment and teaching the body to heal itself... -Precautions using the Brain Tap... -Using the Brain Tap with plant medicines and other modalities... -About the libraries available on the Brain Tap... -Customizing a personal routine into a Brain Tap experience... Episode sponsors: -Butcher Box -Levels Health -Kion Aminos -Masszymes -Hapbee BenGreenfieldLife.com/BrainTapPodcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.