Episode 14 – Hacking Performance and Health with Shawn Wells: On Smart Drugs, Microdosing, Nootropics and More

In this podcast, Dave Korsunsky, founder of Heads Up Health, talks to Shawn Wells about hacking performance. Dubbed the “World’s Greatest Formulator” by Dr. Jacob Wilson, Shawn Wells is the CEO of Zone Halo Research, a consulting group for supplement formulations and also Chief Scientific Officer at BioTRUST, responsible for R&D and Quality Control. Grab a pen and paper; you’ll want to take notes! This podcast is full of useful information on brain health, hacking performance, and advice on how one can be more productive. Dave and Shawn cover smart drugs, nutritional formulations, lifestyle modifications, biohacking, stacking nootropics, top supplements for brain health, and even the topic of what is microdosing when it comes to LSD, THC, MDMA and psilocybin for health. Shawn Wells, MPH, RD, CISSN, FISSN is an author, formulator, and clinician. He has a unique blend of expertise with a Masters Degree in Nutritional Biochemistry and a minor in Exercise Science from UNC-Chapel Hill. Shawn is also a lifetime biohacker-activist (“hacktivist” as he’s coined it), long-term keto dieter, scientist, nutritional biochemist, RD and certified sports nutritionist. You can read more about Shawn on his website, or follow him on Instagram: @zonehalo Listen in iTunes! This podcast is brought to you by Heads Up Health, a web app designed to help you centrally track all of your vital health data. Instantly synchronize your medical records, connect your favorite health devices and apps and use your data to optimize your health! Click on the button below to start your free 30-day trial. Or, read on for more information about our latest podcast episode! [maxbutton id=”5″ url=”https://headsuphealth.com/” ] In this podcast you’ll learn: What is microdosing and how to use it to get in a creative space for performance or cognitive enhancement How microdosing can reduce hyper-distractibility and increase creativity Why mouth taping at night can improve nasal breathing  How you can meditate anywhere, even in the middle of traffic Why you need to turn off your notifications on your phone and your email to stop the dopamine rush that perpetuates the cycle The importance of slowing down, increasing meditation and appreciation for the little things in life Shawn’s favorite supplement brands and supplements as well as forms and doses Why creatine is for brain health, methylation, ATP production, and protection of cells from damage and not just building muscles in the gym Why you need a balance of nutrients for optimal nootropic stacking (a layering of 2 or more supplements to support brain health) CBD oil’s role in a cognitive stack What crystallized intelligence is and how it can open the door to more fluid intelligence How mitochondrial dysfunction is at the heart of all chronic illnesses Shawn’s opinion on the two most important labs that you should test twice a year How berberine is just as effective as metformin in lowering blood glucose How a brain injury (even minimal without concussion) can create insufficient cellular energy (ICE) so we have to provide it with cellular energy like exogenous ketones, the ketogenic diet, berberine and reducing neuroinflammation with CBD and other compounds How berberine is anti-aging and improves insulin sensitivity, allowing for better body recomposition Why it’s not good to graze on protein all day, and it’s better to have 1-2 larger protein meals How ketones bypass mitochondrial dysfunction to provide cellular energy and help repair the brain How fasting sharpens your senses as ketones increase, and why you’ll never be “ketone-resistant” About resistant starches, and how different food was before we’ve hybridized it to be bigger, sweeter and more plentiful.   Why keto is not the norm now since the introduction of the foods of commerce in our food supply Why it’s normal to be fat-adapted, able to burn both glucose or ketones easily About narrowing focus and not trying to multi-task all the time to get more done Myths about LSD that have been perpetuated How we can hold emotional traumas in our physical bodies and how to utilize microdosing to release physical pains Why you should practice daily gratitude journaling with your health data tracking for a deeper understanding of what’s affecting you and the importance of using a paper journal References Oura Ring Headspace Meditation Zone Halo BioTRUST Supplements Ben Greenfield podcast on Psilocybin Sleep Strips “Your brain on FaceBook” by David Rock Own the Day, Own Your Life by Aubrey Marcus Start With Why by Simon Sinek The 4-Hour Work Week by Tim Ferriss The Obstacle Is The Way by Ryan Holiday MAPS research on MDMA CIIS school in San Francisco Our Partners: Learn more about LEVL, a clinical-grade ketone breath meter, which measures your level of fat-burning and ketosis through a simple breath. Find out more at HeadsUpHealth.com/LEVL. You can learn more about the Oura ring, a state of the art ring that can track sleep cycle analysis, activity, and recovery at HeadsUpHealth.com/Oura. Learn more about Keto-Mojo, a highly accurate and affordable device for testing blood sugar and blood ketones. Check it out at HeadsUpHealth.com/Ketomojo. All of these amazing products are integrated with Heads Up Health. They all allow you to quantify your health in novel and powerful ways. Thank you to our partners! About Heads Up Health Heads Up Health is a website designed to empower individuals who want to take a self-directed approach to managing their health. Instantly centralize your medical records, connect your favorite devices and apps (e.g., Oura, MyFitnessPal, Keto-Mojo, FitBit, Apple Health, MyMacros+, Withings and many more) and use your data to optimize your health. Click on the button below to start your free 30-day trial now! 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