Shawn:        We are back. Hello BioTrust Nation. We missed you, and we have another spectacular podcast lined up for you today with myself, Shawn Wells, and my beautiful partner. He’s a beautiful person and a great-looking man, Tim Skwiat.Tim:              Oh, me? I was looking over my shoulder, trying to find out who you’re talking about. Hey BioTrust Nation.

Shawn:        Yes, so we thought it would be fun—I think it is going to be fun, actually. This isn’t as technical as some of our podcasts, but some people want to know us better. Tim Skwiat and Shawn Wells, what makes us tick? What do we like? So, hopefully you guys enjoy this. Maybe you won’t. Maybe it just ends up being a throwaway. But hopefully it’s not. Hopefully you really like some of what we’re into. And I think there’s going to be some tangents including some can’t miss resources that might be fun.

Tim:              I promise that I will get into some tangents.

Shawn:        So, let’s start out with Tim, your favorite book and what book you’re reading now or last.

Tim:              Let me start with the second question first. The book I’m reading right now, because that’s a much easier question to answer, and one that I feel a little bit more prepared to answer. So, my current book that I’m reading right now is book by Robb Wolf, and it’s called Wired to Eat. This is  one of those can’t miss resources. And for people who don’t know, Robb Wolf is just an incredible, incredibly knowledgeable person. He’s a can’t miss resource himself. I’d encourage you to check out his website.

Shawn:        Right.

Tim:              I think it’s just Robb Wolf, RobbWolf.com. He was going to school to be a medical doctor. He had some health problems of his own and he stumbled upon paleo. Basically, he found that paleo helped him improve his health dramatically, and he decided that the medical profession was not the right place for him to help people, so he’s started CrossFit gyms. It was like the first and the third CrossFit gyms in the entire country. And he’s helped a ton people there and people started saying, “Hey, Rob, what are you doing?” And basically, Robb has created this platform where he’s educating and empowering people. You and I saw him speak recently, at Paleo f(x). He’s just a wonderful human being and he’s super intelligent, and he always boils things down to very understandable terms. This guy is just incredibly smart, and he’s constantly putting together can’t miss resources.

Shawn:        Yeah, I totally agree. And this book is kind of “nutrigenomics” is the term that I talk about. So it just means—like we were talking about prior to the show—personalized nutrition, essentially. Like your genetics, we all have different genetics. And those genetics actually are not fixed, as we’re learning now. There is some variability to your genetics. As you go along through life there’s things in your environment.

Tim:              Yes.

Shawn:        That can affect those genes. But there’s personalized nutrition. We all have different responses to different foods and diets.

Tim:              Right, absolutely. So, epigenetics, basically, is that idea that our environment influences our genes. So, the genes are this foundation of our body and it’s like a light switch, and certain things turn them on or off. It’s probably not just on or off. It’s probably more of a slider switch. As Dr. Ben Lynch calls them, things can get dirty or you can clean them up. Which is another great book and one of those can’t miss resources by Dr. Ben Lynch, Dirty Genes. I encourage you to check that one out as well.

But anyway, Robb stumbled upon this study — which itself is a can’t miss resource for nutrition nerds like me — that was published in 2015 by some awesome researchers in Israel who were doing some other really good work on the gut microbiome. We talked about them when we did our artificial sweeteners episode.

Shawn:        Yeah

Tim:              What they found in this study was that even though we’ve heard of this glycemic index thing before, people’s glycemic response to foods varied considerably across a range of people, and they had 800 people in this study. And so basically what they did was, essentially, Shawn and I ate the same foods and they measured our blood glucose response, and they did that for 50,000 meals or something incredible, so they have a ton of data. And an example was that, let’s say Shawn you ate a cookie and you had this really high blood sugar response to the cookie, which is what probably some people would expect. Well, I ate the same cookie and I had a very low glycemic response to it. And then you ate a banana and you had a very low glycemic response to it, whereas I had a very high glycemic response it. So they saw this large inter‑individual variability, which means between people, large differences.

So, Robb was really fascinated by that paper and it really inspired him to look deeper into this personalized nutrition. And so, Wired to Eat is all about—and by the way the researchers think that glycemic variability, at least to some degree, comes down to the gut microbiome. And the gut microbiome is influenced by what we eat and vice‑versa. So, the gut microbiome can influence how I respond to food, but also food can influence the gut microbiome.

Shawn:        It’s very dynamic.

Tim:              So, Robb saw that and he just said that’s really interesting. And so basically this book is trying to help you better figure out what’s the best diet for you. We’ve talked about that before. We’ve talked about keto, we’ve talked about paleo, we’ve talked about Mediterranean diet. There’s all these great effective diet plans, but you really have to pay attention to you and yourself to see what works best for you. And Robb gives you some very practical actionable steps to really figure out what works best for you. How do you respond to carbohydrate? How much carbohydrate should you have in your diet, based on those responses? So, just a fascinating book. Lots of science that’s distilled into ways that we can understand it, and then practical take‑away. So, that’s the book that I’m currently reading, and I think it’s one of those can’t miss resources. I’m going to go ahead and hand the baton off to you.

Shawn:        Okay, well I’ll do the flip and I won’t give you the book I’m currently reading, I’ll give you my all-time favorite, a surefire can’t miss resource, and it’s Four Agreements. And that one was pivotal for me in my mindset, shifting my mindset to a healthier mindset. One of the biggest ones I’ve always struggled with was “Don’t take anything personally.” And just realizing that people are projecting out on you. And that was kind of a game-changer for me, that when somebody attacks you, your first response is to attack in kind and maybe one-up. And instead, if you start seeing that people are projecting out on you, they’re projecting their sadness, their insecurities, their misery sometimes, out on you. And it’s not about you, it’s about them. It really shifts your mindset to now you’re not angry, now you’re not responding to them. You’re not “feeding the trolls,” like internet style.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        But instead, you start feeling sorry for them. And there’s been some scenarios for me, where I took it a step further than that, and not only did I feel sorry for them, but I felt like I wanted to ask them what’s going on.

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        They came at me with hostility, and instead, I’m calm, I’m patient. I look at them in the eye and I said, “What’s going on?” And it’s very disarming. Someone really wants to engage you because they want some kind of attention. So, they’re expecting you to fight back, to be negative. And in a way, they want that negative attention. But instead, if you just say, “Hey man, what’s going on?” it’s very disarming. And the few times that have done that and it has worked, it’s led to pretty much tears and breaking down. But then like a much deeper relationship, like to where it was once a hostile thing and I may not have considered this person a friend or engaged much with this person. In the future, now I’m friends with them because we shared that moment. So, that was a big one for me.

There’s some other really good agreements, like “do your best” and “be impeccable with your word,” and some things like that are, I think, certainly true and profound. But one of the other elements is not one of the four agreements, but it’s agreements that you essentially make throughout your life is you accept things that people put on you, that they label you as. Those are agreements you’re making.

I think I’ve talked about this before. Like the most beautiful girl in the world, let’s say it’s Wonder Woman, Gal Gadot, or she’s kind of the “it girl” right now. And people every day say she’s ugly, she’s hideous, she’s fat, and all these things. She’s going to believe that, whether it’s true or not. Perception is reality. So, these are agreements that you’re making.

That’s why in the book he actually talks about that kind of negative gossip is actually those “sticks and stones will never hurt me,” they destroy. They destroy lives. And he talks about it as “black magic.” Literally, you’re casting this negative spell that’s destroying you and that person that you’re projecting it on. And it’s something to be mindful of, that you’re literally destroying your life and other peoples’ lives with your words. Your words have the power to create and they have the power to destroy.

And so, that book was very profound for me, and it’s definitely one of these can’t miss resources. It’s only $6 on Amazon. I tell people about it all the time. I think it’s a great place to get some perspective and some mental health help. Which leads to success, in my mind, in your relationships, in your career and all those things. So, it’s great life advice.

Tim:              That’s super powerful. Just to tack onto that, Shawn, we have talked about that before. And even your own story how there were periods of time when you had some negative advice or some people that were saying, “No, don’t do that. Don’t do that. It’s a waste of time with your life.” But there was one person who influenced you, who built you up and said, “Pursue your passion, man.”

Shawn:        Yeah.

Tim:              And you did that. And so it just goes to show that your words, like you said, can either build you up or break you down. So, I think we’re encouraging people out there to be mindful of what you’re saying to other people, and what you’re not saying. Sometimes it’s hard to even pay compliments, but do it. Be specific and write a thank‑you note and tell someone why you’re grateful for them, and be very specific for it. That has the power to change someone’s day and someone’s life, dramatically. And also, if you’re feeling like you have something negative to say, really think twice about it before you do. Or if someone does say something negative to you, before you agree to embrace that, just think of where they may be coming from. Like you started that off with that they may be coming from a bad place. They may not really be meaning to hurt you with their words. So, I think that was really powerful.

Shawn:        Yeah and maybe the book I’m reading now is Gratitude Journal, so I think those are profound — and again, one of these can’t miss resources — in terms of shifting your life and your mindset as well. The more aware you are of the data that’s going on throughout the day, I think the better you can empower yourself in your life. Yes, you can make out lists ahead of time, like what you’re going to attack for the day and prioritization and all that kind of stuff, but there’s also gratitude, like what you’re thankful for. And there’s a lot of reasons to be thankful. And it reminds me like Tim Ferriss, who himself is one of these can’t miss resources — speaking of people that are hostile or negative, he challenges himself when he’s in that situation. Because ultimately, you get burned by that. It’s your own negative view of this person that’s burning you. You’re letting this change your day.

So one of the things he does to not have negativity consume him is think of this person that he “hates” and thinks what’s something that they do really well, like what’s some amazing superpower this person has. And all of a sudden, your mind really shifts. There’s certain people we can think of right now that, like maybe the public at large hates this person, but that person isn’t 100% bad, like a cartoon.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        There’s no cartoons out there. No cartoons. There’s people that love, like you and I do, that need love, that have feelings, and there’s something that’s much deeper to all of us, and there’s motivations for all of us. No one’s a cartoon. The media makes people out to be cartoons, but we’re not.

And so, think about what someone’s superpower is and you’ll start to see them in a different light. You’ll start to appreciate them differently. You might not hate them anymore and you’ll let go of negative feelings.

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        I would think a gratitude journal is pretty profound for anyone out there. So, those are my two recommendations. I think all three of those are great, great can’t miss resources. A Gratitude Journal, Four Agreements, Wired to Eat, with my homeboy Robb Wolf.

Tim:              Yeah just on the Gratitude Journal. I don’t know if you have a specific recommendation, but Ben Greenfield, who was on the show not too long ago and that episode is a can’t miss resource, actually has a Gratitude Journal, and we can link to that in the show notes. Just one piggyback on the superpower thing that you mentioned, too, is that I think we often get down on ourselves even.

Shawn:        Right.

Tim:              We get pretty negative for many reasons and really highlight the down spots, things that are negative agreements.

Shawn:        Those are agreements we make.

Tim:              Exactly. And instead, we need to really highlight our superpowers. What actually went right? What are we doing right? And really emphasize those things.

Shawn:        Agreed. So I’m actually in a Mastermind with Lewis Howes School of Greatness. And one of the things that you talk about is your area of genius. And you start owning that. You step into that. We all have it, and that’s kind of the same thing of what we’re talking about. I was just saying how you’re essentially granting this person that you don’t like, their area of genius. To your point, you have to own your own area of genius.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        When you were a child, before you made all these agreements that people put on you, you were innocent. You didn’t have all these negative views of yourself, “I’m no good at this.” And let me tell you about one of the girls in my Mastermind, Katherin, the Manifestation Babe, and she’s told me about language. And anything that follows “I am” becomes your reality. And if you start saying, “Ah, I’m stupid,” that is your reality. You need to stop talking like that and change your words. Like we just said, that words can destroy other people, but now we’re looking back in the mirror and your words can destroy yourself.

Tim:              Big time.

Shawn:        And so, if you want to shift your mindset, don’t even look at yourself where you are. Look at yourself where you want to be and start using those words.

Tim:              Yeah. That’s where that journaling thing can also come in quite handy, because you can start catching yourself. And if you want to become a mental ninja, start documenting those times when you’re negative about yourself.

Shawn:        And why. Where you were at?

Tim:              Right. Make yourself do five push-ups every time you feel a negative. But that stuff can start pretty young, too. So, don’t get down on yourself if you do that already because that may have deep roots, so you may need to get a little help with that. But just be mindful of it and change your language is basically what you’re saying.

Shawn:        I think I just pictured someone saying, “I’m so stupid because I say I’m so stupid.” Oh my gosh. Definitely don’t beat yourself up. And a lot of people come from a history of abuse and neglect. Sometimes it’s not physical. Sometimes it’s just verbal. But again, we’ve had agreements projected out on us and we’ve come to accept those. So now we need to grow and break those. We need to break those chains, and having the right mentors around you helps that.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        People that lift you up—and you need to pursue those people at all costs—and you need to be aware of yourself with this journaling, like we were talking about.

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        So, next question. Let’s go simple. Let’s go super simple. What’s your favorite color, Tim?

Tim:              My favorite color is blue.

Shawn:        That’s my favorite color!

Tim:              Boom.

Shawn:        All right, that’s simple.

Tim:              Just keep it simple.

Shawn:        Horoscope sign?

Tim:              It’s actually a cut-off.

Shawn:        Really?

Tim:              Yeah it’s right on the cusp. I’m on the 23rd of July, but I was born at like 2:00 a.m., which technically puts me in as a Leo, but I certainly have Cancer’s tendencies.

Shawn:        I really don’t put a whole lot of stock into it, but it’s an interesting thing to throw out there when we’re going through who we are. At least our birth date-ish area. So, mine is Gemini. I’m the twins.

Tim:              My wife is also a Gemini. And you guys do share a lot of things in common, which perhaps is one of the reasons why we have such a great chemistry.

Shawn:        There you go well. That’s great. So, favorite subject in high school or college?

Tim:              Math in high school, and then by the time I got to college, Science, particularly physiology took the cake, for sure. How about yourself?

Shawn:        I think in college it was definitely with the sciences. Biochemistry just kind of blew me away. It was just so much stuff I was into, like really like finding the answers, seeing these pathways, knowing how they could be exploited and manipulated with the supplements I was studying. That was all fascinating to me and I really enjoyed that. And I felt it was super-empowering to now understand a deeper conversation, to understand medicines and diseases, and supplements, and nutrition, based on biochemistry. But back in high school, I think it was, I had an honors Humanities class, where it just got philosophical and deep into the literature, and was just very cerebral. I had an amazing teacher and I just loved the deep conversations. So, I like all that cerebral philosophical stuff, too.

Tim:              I’m glad you brought up the teachers, because I can think of several teachers who I’d consider can’t miss resources for me.

Shawn:        Yeah. That are game-changers, right?

Tim:              Like we talked about before, it can help us really push us forward or hold us back in ways, but I think that I had some teachers that, man, I would just love to give a shout out to and say, to the teachers that I had when I was at Marquette High School or Queen of All Saints Elementary School, that they were super impactful in shaping me. Actually, I went to college, initially. For my first two years I was studying to be a teacher. They were so impactful in my journey that that’s where I wanted to be to help influence people. They showed me that it was a powerful position to help shape lives.

Shawn:        Agreed. We’re doing that now though, Tim.

Tim:              And then I got into coaching, and coaching is the same on a different level.

Shawn:        What’s your Myers-Briggs, do you know?

Tim:              No.

Shawn:        So, I just did that recently, looking into who I am to understand a lot of that stuff.

Tim:              Can you tell us what Myers-Briggs is?

Shawn:        So, Myers-Briggs is a personality type test, and in the workplace, it can be one of those can’t miss resources. And there’s probably five popular ones. Tony Robbins actually has one, but there’s five that different companies use, but Myers-Briggs is kind of the platinum standard, if you will, that a lot of companies to try and understand where to put you and motivate you in the right way, they use the Myers-Briggs. But it gets used just throughout the workplace, in in all industries, is very helpful. But I think it’s also helpful just for you, even if you’re not in a workplace position and you just want to understand yourself and pursue your own brand at whatever, you need to understand it; whether you’re introverted, extroverted, what motivates you, how you interact with people.

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        For me, I am a teacher, an INTJ. I’m kind of an extroverted introvert. So, I can be extroverted, but it can be draining. And I love to impart knowledge and walk people through it, and when I empower them that gives me a lot of energy.

Tim:              Yeah, and so I would be interested to see what you are, because I’m guessing that you might be one too.

Shawn:        When I was at some of these different meetings and I was discussing it, I think it’s better than a horoscope sign.

Tim:              Oh, yeah.

Shawn:        I found that I liked other teachers. I gravitated to them. Because a teacher is intuitive, and they’re also an empath. So they’re empathetic. They see things easily in people and then they also care about those people’s feelings, and then they want to empower them. And that’s where we get our energy. So, I really feel like that’s you and I’d really be curious to see what your Myers-Briggs is.

Tim:              Well I’m going to take it. We’re going to link to that in the show notes.

Shawn:        Yes.

Tim:              So that people can take it themselves. And we’d love to hear, in the comments, I’d love to hear back from people. But I’m glad you mentioned the introvert/extrovert thing. I think that is finally getting some more attention in the mainstream.

Shawn:        Yeah.

Tim:              I hear it more and more. My wife, who’s a professional counselor, has been talking to me about it. Man, I wish and could remember the name of the book that she found, but it is one of those can’t miss resources. I’ll figure it out and I’ll put it in the show notes. But she read a book.

Shawn:        Quiet.

Tim:              Maybe that was it. Do you remember the author?

Shawn:        No, I don’t remember, but it literally dives into the reality of being an introvert, and it’s not bad. People kind of put a negative label on it. My friends, Ben Greenfield and Ben Pakulski, you think of them as speaking on stage and big personalities. They’re introverts.

Tim:              And that was so eye-opening for her, for not only for her personally, but also for her in her practice in helping others. Because like you said, a lot of us are introverted to some degree. It’s a spectrum type of thing for most people.

Shawn:        True.

Tim:              You’re somewhere along that spectrum, introvert/extrovert. And a lot of us really expend a lot of ourselves in extroverted settings and then we don’t know why we’re feeling the way we do afterwards.

Shawn:        You want to lay down after.

Tim:              Exactly.

Shawn:        For me, I do get energy around other people. I’m fairly extroverted, but it’s a little harder to make the introduction, like start the conversation. But once I kind of know you, then I’m all in.

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        And so that’s kind of, like you said, maybe I lean more extrovert, but I have some introverted tendencies too.

Tim:              Myers-Briggs. Do it. Find out more about yourself.

Shawn:        There’s an interesting one that I used. It’s a shortened version of the test. It’s only 20 questions and it was on my Android phone. It took 10 minutes maybe.

Tim:              Another reason I think it’s a great idea to figure that out is because it can help more introverted people say no.

Shawn:        Yes.

Tim:              And set those boundaries, on one hand. On the other hand, it can help people who are more extroverted say yes to things, or create more opportunities for themselves that would fuel them.

Shawn:        So, it’s funny you say that. One of the big quotes I got from Lewis Howes, who I deem one of those can’t miss resources, was, “Saying yes get you there, and saying no keeps you there.” You have to say yes to things, and often a lot of things, and there’s a lot of stress to become successful. You don’t know where the success is going to come from, so quite often you’re breaking your back just saying yes to a lot of things, just experimenting. And we’ve talked about that before; successful people experiment, right? And so you’re drilling for oil, so to speak. But then once you achieve some level of success and you find some success, you have to start saying no.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        You can’t say yes to everything anymore or else you’ll be terrible at that one thing where you found success. You’ll start losing your credibility in that space. You’ll start losing your expertise in that space. You’ve got to keep drilling. A lot of people have a hard time saying no.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        And then they feel angry or they feel hostility at the people that end up taking advantage of them, but is it their fault? You didn’t set boundaries.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        And then you’re mad that they took advantage of you when you didn’t set boundaries, and it’s a whole passive-aggressive thing that is ultimately your fault. One of the things I love about Tony Robbins — definitely worthy of being tabbed a can’t miss resource — is he doesn’t allow you to play the victim. He doesn’t allow you to externalize anything. If something bad happens to you, it is your fault. You need to take ownership of it and learn how to get past it or learn about your personality—he’s big on these personality tests, too—on understanding why you might keep pursuing that bad guy that treats you like crap. Don’t keep blaming that bad guy. Why is it you keep dating bad guys?

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        Now, that’s something to look into. Maybe there’s something from your childhood. Maybe there’s something that you need, therapy, you need to deal with, need to address, and then you can get past it. Once you’re aware of it, that’s where the empowerment starts. But again, Tony’s big on those positive words. And manifesting words, too, where “I am, I will.” It’s power, right? And the words that you say are power, so if you’re saying, “I just keep dating horrible people,” or, “He just treats me like crap. I guess that’s the way it is.”

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        Those are those are damning words. Those are powerful words that really can change your life in a direction that feels like a slippery slope, where just stuff starts mounting on you. But you can get yourself out of that hole by using power words, by seeing yourself in a position of success.

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        Seeing yourself with, “I’ve had the wrong men in the past. I recognize that, but I see myself with a man that has these qualities, and I won’t settle for less.” Now that’s a very different path that you’re on. Now you’re not going to say, “Well, this guy’s around now, so I’m going to date him.”

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        No, no you’re not. No, he’s not good enough. He’s not the guy that you just laid out, that’s the right guy. So you’re not going to waste time with the wrong guy because while you’re wasting time with him, you’re not pursuing your own success and you’re not going to find the right guy.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        Anyway, that was a crazy tangent, and we promised we’d have some of those.

Tim:              We told you. We told you so. I’ve got a question for you, Shawn.

Shawn:        Yes.

Tim:              So, besides BioTrust Radio, what other podcasts do you like to listen to? After all, podcasts can be can’t miss resources.

Shawn:        Great question. Okay, so my top podcasts, my can’t miss resources, would be Ben Greenfield. The people that I care about are the people that I listen to. It definitely adds an element, which is why we’re doing this. Hopefully you can connect to us deeper. But I like listening to the people that I care about and I value. So, I’m a big fan of Ben Greenfield. I listen to Aubrey Marcus, who I’m friends with and I think is a really neat spiritual person with an incredible mindset. Ben Greenfield is a biohacker we had on the show. An incredible athlete. Just really neat guy. All the stuff that he digs into, that you would never even know to know. And I really like—let me think what else. Nothing else is coming to me. I’m not sure why. But yeah, those two are big for me. Oh, Lewis Howes School of Greatness. That’s a phenomenal can’t miss resource.

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        So, he’s like just a magical, influential, positive person that everyone loves, and it’s not fake, it’s not an act. He’s just a generous, kind, positive person, and he has achieved that by putting the right people around him. And lastly, Tim Ferriss just has phenomenal people on and he’s just a great interviewer. A truly can’t miss resource.

Tim:              He’s fantastic.

Shawn:        That’s really my top four.

Tim:              Yeah, that’s great, Shawn.

Shawn:        What about you?

Tim:              There’s only one that I subscribe to.

Shawn:        BioTrust Radio?

Tim:              Well, one besides BioTrust Radio, undoubtedly one of these can’t miss resources.

Shawn:        Well, can I say, seriously, I listen to our show the most. I listen to most of our episodes two or three times, and I love our episodes.

Tim:              It’s funny that you mention that, because I always go back and listen to our episodes, and I always feel like—again, not a pat on our back or anything like that, but I always learn something…

Shawn:        I know.

Tim:              …from listening to our shows.

Shawn:        I do too. For some reason I actually calm myself. I feel like I’m like this nice voice of reason.

Tim:              No, you have a great radio voice, for sure.

Shawn:        But it’s weird. I feel like I’m someone else that I’m listening to. [laughs] It’s very surreal. I know, for people listening, they’re like what?

Tim:              No, that makes sense to me.

Shawn:        But I feel like I’ve forgotten what I’ve said, so it’s all new to me when I listen to it. And I’m in this certain mode, when we flip the switch and we’re on right. And so, when I go back and listen to, I don’t remember saying all this stuff.

Tim:              I agree.

Shawn:        And I feel like a lot of the advice that comes out is actually good advice, but I’m not giving it to myself.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        And I like listening to my voice and I like what you contribute, of course. And I just feel like we have this calming kind of chemistry that’s just nice. It just works.

Tim:              Yeah, agreed.

Shawn:        It’s weird to say this. I know people are thinking like we’re narcissists now. [laughs]

Tim:              Well, somewhat, but that’s a good point. [laughs] I was just going to mention that Danny Lennon, Sigma Nutrition, is one of these can’t miss resources I listen to. Danny is like a nutrition version of Tim Ferriss, where he’s just become an incredible interviewer. What Danny does is he gets these sports nutrition researchers, for the most part, just really smart.

Shawn:        I’ve been on the show, Tim.

Tim:              And actually, Shawn Wells has been on the show, which I was going to mention that.

Shawn:        Okay.

Tim:              And they share this incredible information, and Danny helps distill it into practical terms. He just does a great job. So, in addition to that one that I listen to regularly, I find I get attached to like a certain person.

Shawn:        I do, too.

Tim:              And I’ll just go and search for a lot of episodes on that person. So, there’s a couple people that I guess I’m stalking or following right now. One of these can’t miss resources is Dr. Cate Shanahan, who wrote a book called Deep Nutrition.

Shawn:        Yes.

Tim:              And it’s all about what she calls the “human diet,” and it is built on four pillars: eat fresh food, eat fermented and sprouted food. That’s pillar number two. Pillar number three is eat meat with the bone in. And pillar number four is to eat organ meat. Anyway, check out Deep Nutrition. She’s awesome. And then another person that I’m really interested in—one of these can’t miss resources—Dr. Ben Lynch.

Shawn:        Dirty Genes.

Tim:              Who wrote Dirty Genes. He’s all about, like we talked about before, I talked at the beginning of this show that he is interested in understanding our individual responses to things and how to help clean those things up. How to optimize our life based on our genetic blueprint, essentially. And the third person — another one of my can’t miss resources — is Max Lugavere.

Shawn:        Yeah.

Tim:              Who was on Dr. Oz, and he just wrote a book on brain health. This guy, his mom has Alzheimer’s and I can’t remember, but it was several years ago she was diagnosed. So, he quit his job as a movie producer or a TV producer. He was something in TV or movies and dedicated his life to researching brain health and nutrients and things like that, and has put into this book. He is a phenomenal personality and knowledgeable person, and I encourage you to check out his book. We’ll link to in the show notes. But, Max Lugavere is really good right now, as well.

Shawn:        Nice. It made me think of some other podcasts — some other can’t miss resources — that I’ve been on and people that I love, is Ben Pakulski with Muscle Intelligence MI40. And then Drew Manning, Fit to Fat to Fit. He’s really good in the keto world and he has a cool story where he gained 75 pounds just so he could understand. He was always a super fit trainer, and he gained 75 pounds to understand what it’s like to gain the weight. And then he lost it and it helped him identify with his clients. He was on Dr. Oz and Ellen and all these different shows. So, really cool dude as well. And then Dr. Rhonda Patrick is a huge can’t miss resource for me.

Tim:              Oh, yeah.

Shawn:        Huge for me, with all the mitochondrial health stuff. So I love everything she talks about. If you talk about biohacking and mitochondrial health, she’s at the forefront. Big, big fan.

Tim:              That’s a great podcast.

Shawn:        Yes.

Tim:              Maybe we’ll finish off with one more question.

Shawn:        I want to ask!

Tim:              All right, go ahead.

Shawn:        And maybe we can have another question after this. This is a quick one. So, favorite movie?

Tim:              Favorite movie?

Shawn:        I feel like you’re going to say Field of Dreams, for some reason.

Tim:              No, gosh. You know me and movies. I do not watch very many movies.

Shawn:        I know, but there’s got to be something with nostalgia for you.

Tim:              You know, one of the first ones that comes to mind to me? There’s so much in there, including Denzel Washington, is Remember the Titans. That’s just that’s just the first thing that came to mind. I don’t know if it’s my favorite all-time.

Shawn:        He’s my favorite actor.

Tim:              It’s just awesome.

Shawn:        He is my favorite actor. Everything he’s in is great.

Tim:              So many different themes, morals and inspiration to come from that. So, I’m going with that one.

Shawn:        That’s a great one. My favorite movie of all time, it’s kind of cliché now because everyone’s seen it a bazillion times, but I think it’s the greatest American film ever done — no questions asked, a can’t miss resource — is Forrest Gump. It’s one of the greatest actors of our time, Tom Hanks, and it’s a love story, a drama, a comedy, a history piece. It walks you through all the key events in American history, like in modern American history. The music ties to each of the scenes in terms of that time period. Stuff like that’s seen in Vietnam, with the helicopter and you have Fortunate Son by Creedence Clearwater Revival. There’s just so many songs like Sweet Home Alabama and Running on Empty, and all these songs that are just like amazing that go with the scene. There’s just literally so many iconic scenes. I mean, it’s kind of mind-blowing how much is iconic. It’s so iconic that it’s almost like you take it for granted now.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        I think that film will always have a place in my heart. So what’s the last question, Tim?

Tim:              Well, I was thinking that I might ask what’s one thing, and I think maybe you’ve already talked about something, but what’s one thing that you’re working on right now? What’s something that’s new; whether it’s like a bio-hack or something that you’re experimenting with. Anything come to mind?

Shawn:        Yes, so actually, when I was a Paleo f(x), I bought for $8,000.

Tim:              Nice.

Shawn:        It was like, “You know what? I’m going to get this thing.” It was like 30 seconds into walking into Paleo f(x).

Tim:              You’re quite an impulse buyer.

Shawn:        Yeah. Yeah, it’s a little worse than buying a candy bar or soda, right? It was an infrared sauna.

Tim:              Sweet!

Shawn:        I like the idea of going into this box and closing the door and having downtime, as I’m not very good at unplugging. And it does have like a cool Blaupunkt-like car stereo in it, with speakers, and then this screen that you can watch Netflix and all that on. But there’s just this nice cedar wood, which smells great. Nice cushions that you can clean and anti-bacterial microbial. But it has the heat and the infrared for reducing inflammation and just anti-stress. I like the idea of just going in this little box. Kind of like when you’re a kid and you go into the pillow fortress or the blanket fortress.

Tim:              Oh yeah.

Shawn:        You’ve got your little space and you can just shut off the world. That’s what I thought about doing. I think in our house, like sometimes there’s just so much stuff around that it just is overwhelming sometimes. Like your own house really isn’t that reprieve that you hoped it was.

Tim:              It’s not that sanctuary. And I like the idea of this.

Shawn:        So, that’s what I got and I’m looking forward to.

Tim:              Is it a Sunlighten?

Shawn:        Yes, Sunlighten.

Tim:              So, with sauna bathing, I mean there’s a ton of health benefits with it also, potentially.

Shawn:        Correct, yeah.

Tim:             Heart health benefits, brain health benefits. So, that’s cool, man. I’m coming to the house and checking that out.

Shawn:        Yeah, absolutely.

Tim:              Detoxification. I have a friend who’s got something like that too, and he’s really high on it. So, that’s really cool, especially if you don’t have a high-end gym membership or something like that.

Shawn:        Yeah.

Tim:              Kind of along those same lines, something that I’ve started implementing. It’s something I know is beneficial. It’s just a matter of doing it, is cold therapy. At the other end of the spectrum, I’m doing started adding contrast showers back into my routine.

Shawn:        Yeah.

Tim:              And I do that at the end of the day when I take a shower. Timing, I think, varies. I’m not sure that there’s a good time for it, but I don’t know that there’s a bad time for it.

Shawn:        I do it first thing in the morning. Well, after my workout I do it and I just feel super alert. I can be exhausted and for four hours I will feel very alert, like way better than caffeine or something else like that.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        It’s been a game-changer for me — a real can’t miss resource. Last month I’ve been doing that. Like pretty hot shower, as hot as I can tolerate, and then I finished with the last minute or two just as cold as I can possibly go in the shower.

Tim:              Nice.

Shawn:        Yeah, I just feel amazing. And I make sure to get all my pressure points and keep my head under it as long as I can. Yeah, I feel super alert. I feel a reduced systemic inflammation.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        You know, you just feel more together, more, like I said, alert.

Tim:              Together is a good word. I’m following a protocol that’s put together by a former NASA scientist named Ray Cronise. I think you shared it on Tim Ferriss’ podcast, actually. So basically, 10 seconds hot and then 20 seconds cold. Those are relative terms because the skin senses relative changes in temperature.

Shawn:        Right.

Tim:              As hot as I can handle, and then as cold as I can handle. And I do that on and off ten times.

Shawn:        Wow.

Tim:              So, it’s a total of five minutes.

Shawn:        I have not done it that way.

Tim:              So, give it a try, and always end on cold. Like you’re saying, you feel more alert. I feel more of a calm sense. I feel like that parasympathetic activation, where it’s that rest and digest. Just relaxation, but very alert, like you said.

Shawn:        Well, we’ve talked about this before, too. Your ability to deal with physiologic stress helps you deal with life stress, emotional stress. We have this normothermic, where like where we’re just—

Tim:              Right, 72 degrees all the time.

Shawn:        Yeah, exactly. We’re controlled with our temperature. We’re controlled with our food timing, we’re controlled with so many variables in our life. We just want it in this narrow window, and then we’re surprised that we can’t deal with stress, that we can’t adapt.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        And it’s because we can’t deal with it being 100 degrees, we can’t deal when it’s zero degrees, we can’t deal when there isn’t food for a day. We can’t deal with that. So that’s why when some car cuts you off in traffic or your boss says you got this to do and you’ve got to have it done by the end of the day, you feel overwhelmed. Because you’re not good at dealing with physiologic stress, so you’re not good at dealing with life stress.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        And that’s where I think people say, “I go to the gym and blow off steam.” Well, it kind of reduces acute stress, I think it’s much deeper than that. It’s helping you deal with life-long stress.

Tim:              Right.

Shawn:        You’re becoming a stronger, better personal.

Tim:              More resilient.

Shawn:        Yeah, more resilient. That’s really the perfect word, is resiliency. So, hopefully everyone enjoyed this episode.

Tim:              Yeah.

Shawn:        I really enjoyed this one. It was just kind of off-the-cuff. We just decided to say maybe everyone can get to know us. But like Tim said, we had a lot of great tangents.

Tim:              We knew there’s going to be some tangents, and we knew we’d drop some can’t miss resources in the process. And a heck, there’s probably a ton more questions that we could got to. Maybe the listeners have some.

Shawn:        Yes.

Tim:              Let us know.

Shawn:        Yeah, we’d love to do a part two, if you want it. I want to know the feedback on this one, specifically, because this is kind of something that’s off-the-cuff and a little out of the wheelhouse. So, if you guys like it, let us know. If you guys like some of the stuff we talked about, let us know. If you have a favorite movie, a favorite color. If you do the Myers-Briggs, let us know.

Tim:              Definitely.

Shawn:        I want to hear all that stuff. And then if you want us to have more questions or you can come up with the questions for us, then we’ll do part two. So, I appreciate all you guys. We really do love you and we’re here for you. So, we’re here to serve you. Let us know the content you want and we’ll provide it. So, thank you everyone and we will talk to you soon.

Tim:       Thanks, BioTrust Tribe. See you. Hopefully you can tap into some of these can’t miss resources!