Health Via Modern Nutrition with Dr. Latt Mansor

Dr. Felice Gersh is a rare combination of a Board Certified OB/GYN who is also fellowship trained in Integrative Medicine. Her career has evolved over the years into one which utilizes the most cutting-edge and high-tech diagnostic testing, while incorporating science-based therapies – from the herbal to the surgical – to assist in the healing process. "I don’t do things that aren’t tried and true and evidence-based. Part of the difference from me and the other natural paths, is the way I researched and learned cell biology and biochemistry…I take a lot of what they do and find the science to really explain it.” “That’s what it takes, right? If we really want to change how health care is thought about, we have to target the people who are actively practicing medicine and educating the everyday patient how to be more self aware and armed about their own performance and health.”

Fitness, much like nutrition, has been shown to have a direct effect on your cognition, mood, and overall mental state. How can we hack it? Over the last few months, HVMN co-founder Michael Brandt has doubled down on his fitness regimen to become an improved, enhanced version of himself. In this episode, he shares his story of endurance running and drops key fitness tips and hacks.  “Talking about human enhancement…if you’re going to be putting hours into the gym anyways, and having maintenance…why not putting 100% effort into optimizing performance during that time?"

One of our core philosophies is that humans are a system. We should think and approach the human system in a systematic, holistic manner in order to fully optimize our outputs. Tom Bilyeu, co-founder of Quest Nutrition, which was ranked #2 on the Inc 500 fastest growing companies, has his own experience realizing and pursuing this philosophy.

Episode 49 features Dr. Scott Sherr, the Director of Integrative Hyperbaric Medicine and Health Optimization at Hyperbaric Medical Solutions. He believes that Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) -- the administration of 100% oxygen at greater than atmospheric pressure -- is one of the most powerful ways to decreasing inflammation, accelerate wound healing, and optimize both physical and mental performance. Let's dig into the science and implications of this intervention.

Episode 48 features Dr. Kieran Clarke, the professor of physiological biochemistry at the University of Oxford and creator of ▵G, the raw ketone ester compound inside HVMN Ketone. A ketone metabolism pioneer, Kieran's research throughout the years focused on the effects of diet on energy metabolism in heart, brain and skeletal muscle, and thereby on physical performance and cognitive function. As a key partner and collaborator with HVMN, the launch of the world's first ketone ester wouldn't have been possible without her years of work, research, and input. An essential and educational piece for anyone interested in the space, this is one of our favorite conversations on the podcast thus far.

Today, Geoffrey Woo sits down with Dr. Dominic D'Agostino, one of the leading researchers in the field of ketosis. Dominic shares his thoughts on the implications of ketone esters and what HVMN Ketone (our new product) unlocks. Here are a couple of key talking points from the interview: Two exciting moments Dominic experienced in his years of research with exogenous ketones (adding ketones to the standard diet extended survival time and suppressed tumor growth in his mice study) What are some of the most promising directions for ketones moving forward? Of the many benefits stemming from the ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting, which ones can be ascribed to the ketones themselves? “We’ve done a lot of work with metformin, and the exogenous ketones can blow away metformin when it comes to reducing blood glucose levels and insulin levels.” The biggest misconceptions of ketone esters (can it directly cause weight loss?) Dominic's own intermittent fasting routine and his applications of the practice “We’ve done a lot of work with metformin, and the exogenous ketones can blow away metformin when it comes to reducing blood glucose levels and insulin levels.” Why the concern of ketoacidosis caused by exogenous ketones is not valid “I see [HVMN Ketone] as the next creatine, but with broader ranging implications that could even be incorporated into our food supply.”

Episode 47 features Serge Faguet, an accomplished entrepreneur who founded the leading online hotel booking company in Russia. His successful journey in entrepreneurship was paralleled by his desire to become the best he can possibly be in order to gain an edge in the cutthroat business world, leading him to invest $200,000 in biohacking (you can read about his experience here). Since diving into human enhancement, Serge dropped his body fat from 26% to 10%, reached a VO2 Max of 70 (akin to professional athletes), reduced his blood mercury to nearly 0, and can constantly be on top of his mental game.  Here are a couple of key talking points from Geoff and Serge's conversation: - Discussed the nootropics Serge experimented with and their use-cases: Metformin, Lithium, Modafinil, SSRI Anti-Depressants, Bacopa Monnieri, etc - How controlling hormone levels should be explored more - Hacking exercise: HIIT vs. Endurance - "I would say that upgrading the body and healing the body are one of the same." - Wishlist of future biohacking technologies (tech that improves our emotional intelligence?) - Fasting for mental clarity and overall productivity - How Serge's experience with MDMA (normally a club-drug) changed his life for the better. - "After the experience, the feeling of openness and genuine human connection stayed with me for many months." - The potential of the rise of continual monitoring for various biometrics. It's incredibly more useful than getting a snapshot of data a few times a year...too much noise there. - How the three major types of diseases (cancer, neurodegenerative, atherosclerosis) are lifelong processes...so why aren't we doing a better job at trying to catch them earlier? - "Human enhancement is not in the distant future, it's here now."  SUBSCRIBE to our podcast for more episodes weekly!

There comes a moment in many of our lives when we realize health is truly in our own hands. We have been conditioned to only go to the doctor when there is an obvious symptom, and once it is corrected we are good to go. It's rare that you ever find out why you had said symptom, and therein lies the gap between healthy and unhealthy. To be healthy, you need to dive into the root causes of your issues and fix them. To be healthy, you need to take a step back and read research from multiple sources. To be healthy, you need to implement the solutions and track your progress. To be healthy, you must embody the biohacking ethos. Episode 46 features Christopher Kelly, an athletic biohacker and host of the Nourish Balance Thrive podcast. Coming from a computer science background (similar to Geoffrey Woo himself), Chris was forced to use his engineering perspective to fix the countless health issues he was struggling with. Even though he looked completely normal to any passing bystander, Chris had constant brain fog, uncontrollable food cravings, non-existent libido, allergies, nagging injuries with no known cause, chronic fatigue, caffeine dependency, and was nearly diabetic. His doctor prescribed drugs to fix some of his symptoms, but Chris knew he had to attack his problems at its core. By completely altering his diet, cleansing his gut microbiome, taking multiple lab tests (& discovering underlying metabolic sensitivities), Chris began to understand what was having a toll on his health. From there, he implemented the right practices to reverse his diabetes, achieve an optimal cognitive state, and improve his overall lifestyle.  Geoff and Chris discuss the strenuous journey achieving a healthy state Chris was proud of, the importance of starting from the basics and being aware of any nutritional and hormonal deficiencies, and ponder whether the ketogenic diet is truly the "holy grail" of diets. 

Biohacking, a phenomenon with roots all over the country, has fiercely taken over the competitive tech world of Silicon Valley. Executives are taking nootropics to gain the extra edge they need over their competitors, entrepreneurs are fasting to stay clear-headed as they accelerate company growth, and even everyday joggers are tracking their footsteps and making micro-adjustments to their diet and training to beat their PR. Thanks to dedicated media reporters, everyone around the world can learn about this pivotal time of human improvement and join in. Episode 45 features Melia Robinson, a senior reporter at Business Insider. Melia's forte of covering the advancements of the 21st century led her to become intertwined with the biohacking community in Silicon Valley. She's been around the block by interviewing countless biohackers and sharing their regimes, experimenting with the ketogenic diet for 2 months and publishing a popular feature about the experience, and falling in love with Soylent (a meal replacement)...which led her to realize that biohacking can be for everyone. Geoff and Melia discuss her history reporting on the biohacking culture in San Francisco, the challenges and triumphs she had following the ketogenic diet, the rise of hospitality businesses in the marijuana industry, and answer questions from the community. 

We all know a healthy diet is essential for all aspects of health, but what if we can further hack our lifespans by controlling our feeding windows? You can...it's called intermittent fasting! If the direction current science is heading is any indication, taking charge of when to eat means taking charge of many levers in your biology that can lead to a long, healthy life.  Episode 44 features Peter Bowes, a BBC reporter and host of the LLAMA Podcast. One of the earliest supporters of HVMN's foray into intermittent fasting, Peter shares our core value of creating an open forum for the community to support and become educated. Peter has always had a foundational interest in longevity, spurring him to experiment with various practices and connect with thought-leaders around the world. The experimentation will never end, but it's safe to say that Peter, like many biohackers, found intermittent fasting to be a biohack he will implement for the rest of his life.   Geoffrey Woo and Peter discuss the biological mechanisms of fasting (such as lowering IGF-1 levels, a hormone that has been linked to cancer when it reaches higher levels), the difference between working towards a long health-span vs. a long life-span, ponder how to keep that "spark" in you alive as you age, and answer questions from the community.