Show Description

Ben Greenfield is one of the world’s leading biohackers. Voted by the NSCA as America’s top personal trainer, he is also a health consultant, nutritionist, physiologist, competitive athlete, 13-time Ironman triathlete and New York Times bestselling author of 13 books, including the wildly popular Beyond Training: Mastering Endurance, Health, & Life and Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging.

With a focus on brain hacks for improving mental health, in this fascinating interview Ben explains why rebooting communication between our nervous system and brain is fundamental to our mental health and wellbeing. He discusses why our emotions, intellect, motivations, cravings, focus and ability to feel whole, human and “boundless” can be drastically impacted when communication between our brain and body is poor. The interview packs a punch and covers an extensive discourse on the many biochemical causes of poor mental health (including neurotransmitter and hormone imbalance, insomnia, dysregulated nervous system, poor diet and gut issues), and he suggests surprisingly simple ways we can recover from anxiety, depression, low mood, stress, poor memory, addiction, fatigue, poor motivation etc.

In this lively and incredibly educational conversation, learn why neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine) can drive poor mental health; discover why neurotransmitter testing, DNA testing and hormone profiles offer helpful tools for understanding the root causes of poor mental health; and discover how our diets (protein and amino acid intake, ketogenic diets etc) are the building blocks of our neurotransmitters and our hormones, and why when depleted or dysregulated they are a major cause of poor mental health. Discover how diet, quality sleep, cold therapy, calming the nervous system and taking care of our Soul can hack our brains for greater happiness and health, enabling us to become truly “boundless” in mind, body and spirit.

Learn about:

• Common drivers of poor mental health (depression, anxiety, insomnia, eating disorders, addictions, etc), including neurotransmitter and hormone imbalance, inadequate diets and poor sleep
• Top brain hacks for improving poor mental health, including dietary protein, amino acids, cold thermogenesis, sleep hacking, balancing the HPA (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal) axis and rebalancing the nervous system 
• Ways neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, acetylcholine) control our mood and mental health, and why they are a common cause of addiction, anxiety, depression, eating disorders, brain fog, memory loss, etc
• Why questionnaires (such as the Braverman Test) are more successful than urinary samples at testing neurotransmitter levels, and why testing is key to treatment 
• Why diet is essential to the production of neurotransmitters and ways to boost and rebalance them (including adding vitamin B12 complex, amino acids, protein, olive oil and fish to our diets)
• How vegetarians and vegans can boost their protein intake and neurotransmitter levels (without experiencing the gut distress often associated with plant based diets) including consumption of seeds, nuts, fermented foods, oatmeal, soaked foods, probiotics, etc
• What cold thermogenesis is, and why reducing the temperature of the head in particular can help reboot the nervous system
• Why poor mental health and poor sleep are integrally related, and how to sleep better for better mental health (including increased exposure to natural light, keeping cool, noise reduction, good sleep associations) 
• The truth about ketogenic diets, fasting, and detoxing and why they are so good for your brain health (by burning fats, producing ketones and reducing inflammation) 
• Why to choose candy floss over crisps, and why oxidised fats (vegetable oils, rapeseed oils, etc) are the true villains of poor mental health 
• Key hacks for nervous system rebalancing and gut and brain permeability repair (including fish oils, magnesium, turmeric, ginger, stress relief, good sleep, meditation, cold exposure, vagal and cranial nerve stimulation)
• When nootropics (smart drugs) can replace SSRIs and other psych meds, and why a personalised approach is key
• Why humanity, purpose, love and meaning are the most vital components of good health and happiness, and why taking care of our Soul is more important than anything else