The Quantified Body

What defines human microbiome health? The co-founder of American Gut Project discusses the differences we've found in the gut microbiome and how it influences our health. We look at tools and lifestyle choices that have been shown to change the microbiome (for good, and for bad). Our microbiome plays an important role in our ability to overcome health issues. A healthy biome can make you resilient to these challenges, while a poorly-balanced one can create or worsen health problems. We first talked about the microbiome in Episode 9 with Jessica Richman, and today we are going to dig deeper into ...

Water fasting or ketogenic therapies may be effective with some cancers, and not with others. Learn about the PET scan and how it can provide insights into whether a cancer is likely to be responsive or not to the water fast tactic we've covered in previous episodes. In this episode, we return to look at ketosis and water fasts as a tool to help treat cancer. This builds on the previous episodes looking at Ketosis with Jimmy Moore and the impact of water fasts on cancer with Dr. Thomas Seyfried. In this episode, we dig deeper into the cancer topic looking ...

An in-depth look at using heart rate variability biofeedback with slow breathing to reduce stress, enhance athletic performance and provide therapeutic support for some chronic health issues. Heart rate variability biofeedback is being used primarily to reset the nervous system and thus as an antidote to different types of stressors. These include modern-day chronic stress, aka the all-time-on syndrome, or infections or other problems in our lives. In this episode we compare the use of breathing techniques to other tools like meditation to improve HRV (Heart Rate Variability), and the use of biofeedback to optimize the benefits. Biofeedback enables us ...

A look at a collection of high impact endurance tools and tactics - and the top biomarkers to watch for optimization. Vetted by an endurance athlete with years of experiments and competitions behind him. Today's episode is about endurance training and using high-impact tools to get the most out of it. We look at self-tracking in diet and exercise when aiming to optimize your body to perform at peak capacity. We discuss factors playing a role in improving endurance through a healthy progression. What self-quantifying strategies are useful for tracking overall performance and health? This episode features actionable takeaways on dealing ...

We strive for the best mental performance but how do you know if your routines (sleep patterns, coffee habits, etc.) are helping or hurting? The Quantified Mind is a web-based project that allows you to quickly check your cognitive function in a few minutes. In previous episodes, we have discussed and identified ways to improve our mental performance. Most recently, we explored Brain Training with Adrian Owen in episode 27. Many people try to improve their cognitive function with interventions such as caffeine, Nootropics, and different sleep patterns to try and improve clarity of thoughts and performance of the mind. How ...

Can physicians improve health outcomes using new self-tracking tech with their patients? Or is the tech still too inaccurate or impractical? We take a hard look at the reality and potential with a physician testing quantified self practices in his clinic for the last 3 years. This episode is about quantified medicine or the reality of cooperating with your physician using self-tracking and observation. Working with such feedback aims to bring fourth an integrated approach to health and performance. Previously, we have looked at the value of a good physician on your team when looking to improve your health in episode ...

Is the Fast Mimicking Diet (FMD) an easier way to get the benefits from fasting? In this self experiment I tracked lean muscle mass gains, improved metabolism (ketones, glucose), strong regeneration signaling (IGF-1) and a couple of downsides. Last month I undertook my first 5 day water fast. It is turned out to be a really helpful tool for my health and productivity, so I committed to make it a monthly ritual for 12 months. With each month the plan was to push the edge a bit to learn more from the experience - refining the approach to the fast with ...

Oxaloacetate is an important metabolic intermediate in the energy pathway of the mitochondria. Recent case studies support the use of oxaloacetate as a nutritional supplement to help regulate blood glucose levels, potentially support longevity and protect the brain. Can you get similar beneficial results from a nutritional supplement as you can from a water fast (previously discussed in episode 16 and episode 28)? Oxaloacetate supplements (also discussed in this episode with Bob Troia) are currently being studied for their use in improving blood sugar regulation and potential anti-aging properties. "...through the clinical trial that was done. We know that 100mg [of ...

Mitochondria, the power plants of our body, get damaged through aging and other stressors. Lipid Replacement Therapy (LRT) is a tool being used to repair part of this damage to mitochondrial membranes, and can help people recover and optimize their energy levels. The mitochondria is often described as the "powerhouse" of the cell and it supplies the energy the body needs to function properly and efficiently. Previously, we have discussed mitochondria as related to cancer, in episode 16 with Dr. Thomas Seyfried and in episode 3 where Dr. Terry Wahls described mitochondrial health and the link to autoimmune disorders. This ...

A walk-through of the 5-day water fast with the tracked results (ketones, glucose, weight) and the practical do's and don'ts to make the most of the experience. I'm not a fan of cancer. The only people I've lost in memory - my grandfather and other close family - it was cancer that took them. NOT putting an end to the fun of life because of cancer has been a part of my plan since my early 20s. So after my discussion with Dr. Thomas Seyfried in episode 16 I was looking forward to put his 5 day water fast "cancer insurance ...

Have you been using Dual-N-Back or other braining tools? A look at failed brain training experiments and how to assess real mental performance improvement with Dr. Adrian Owen. In today's fast paced, technologically advanced world strong mental performance is of utmost importance. From our abilities in the work place to our interactions in social situations we are expected, and constantly asked, to be able to perform with the highest level of mental function. Therefore, it is important that we both protect and improve our minds in order to get the most out of life and increase our overall satisfaction. In ...

How well are you aging? We look at an attempt to make an aging biomarker index accessible to consumers that tracks their true biological age and provides feedback recommendations to improve how they age. In this episode we take another look at longevity through the lens of aging biomarkers. This time taking a look at some of the most well research-supported biomarkers to predict how well we are aging. Or more to the point, how badly we may be aging, and get some early warning indicators, about having to intervene to assure we avoid shortening our lifespan. Specifically we look at ...

What is the best biomarker to track your oxidative stress burden? Joshua Fessel explains why F2-isoprostanes provide the best assessment of our ongoing oxidative state. Today's topic is understanding your oxidative stress levels via lipid peroxidation. We previously took a broad look at measuring and lowering oxidative stress in episode 4 with Dr. Cheryl Burdette. Now, we are going to take a look specifically at one of the more accurate and reliable markers: F2 isoprostanes, a measure of lipid peroxidation. This is an important marker for the fact that every cell membrane in the body is comprised mainly of lipids and ...

This episode is about experimenters in the field of biohacking, the people actually in the trenches doing stuff. We’re focusing on wearable devices such as watches, shirts, bracelets, necklaces and on and on. We're focusing on wearable devices such as watches, shirts, bracelets, necklaces and on an on. Basically, anything that you can put on your body that can give you data on your performance. Wearables are here to stay and there are more coming out to track different aspects of our biology, of our health and our fitness, and so on. Which of these devices give us the ...

Today we return to the topic of detoxification. A simple and universal lever everyone can use in the quest for better health, detoxification is a worthwhile endeavor whether you suffer from a chronic disease or are an athlete seeking to gain a performance edge. Previously on The Quantified Body, we looked specifically at toxicity issues surrounding mercury and lead and today we are going to look more broadly at other metal toxins and chemical toxins which are all around us in our everyday lives. We're going to look at testing methods and discuss several case studies that reveal the ...