Overcoming Burnout: Why It Matters for Your Brain (and Your Biology)

February 14, 2019 by Dave Asprey

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Burnout happens when you’re under constant stress without a break. Humans aren’t designed for chronic stress; if you never recover from hard work, your performance takes a major hit.
Burnout causes anxiety, depression, mood swings, decreased productivity, weight gain, hormone imbalances, and more. It can even contribute to autoimmune disease like hypothyroidism or Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis.
To avoid burnout and manage stress like a pro, schedule recovery time for yourself like you would an important meeting. Use the tips below to speed up recovery and get back to your happy, rested self quicker than you thought possible.

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Burnout is an epidemic. It saps productivity and creativity, and in our modern, always-connected world, it’s easy to fall victim to burnout without realizing it. Maybe things get crazy at work, and your weekends start to fill up with errands, and you’re getting emails from coworkers outside normal hours, and before you know it you haven’t had any real time to yourself in weeks.

Maybe because you’re exhausted your productivity at work starts to dip, and you convince yourself that if you can just push hard for the next week, you can finally rest — but somehow you don’t end up resting.

This is how burnout sneaks up on you. It’s surprisingly easy to get caught up in your day-to-day and not recognize how overworked and under-rested you are.

In my new book, “Game Changers”, I collected wisdom from some of the most successful and skilled people in the world. One of the universal keys to high performance was recovery.

If you want to be the best version of yourself possible, you have to learn to become a professional recovery artist. Don’t push your limits for too long. You’ll end up sabotaging your performance and making yourself miserable. Instead, learn to recognize the symptoms of burnout and start recovering like a pro. This article will cover why burnout happens, how to be on the lookout for it, and how to recover and de-stress.

Download this 30-day plan for more energy and to supercharge your brain and body

What is burnout?

Burnout happens when you’re under chronic stress.

Stress on its own isn’t a problem. Humans evolved to handle short bouts of intense stress — picture running from a predator or hunting for food after a couple days without it.

In fact, stress is often positive. When you work out, your muscles get stronger by adapting to stress. By the same token, learning a new skill or achieving your goals can be stressful, but worthwhile. And even when stress sucks, sometimes it’s necessary — pulling the occasional all-nighter to meet a deadline, for example.

The occasional stressor is fine, as long as you recover from it afterward. Burnout starts when you’re chronically stressed and don’t take the time to recover. When it’s under constant pressure, your body starts to power down the less necessary systems in your body — the ones that control happiness, aging, metabolism, hormone production, and so on. You’re pumping cortisol (the stress hormone) through your body nonstop, which causes damage that leads to burnout.

Burnout symptoms

Common symptoms include[ref url=”https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/014107689809100502″][ref url=”https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/44428/9789241500272_eng.pdf;jsessionid=93C8DEFED3A13A33E99AE990CC1DDB17?sequence=1″]:

Anxiety
Depression
Fatigue
Reduced performance, especially at work
Weight gain
Puffiness or inflammation
Sped-up aging
Ulcers
Trouble sleeping
Cynicism
Mood swings
Drug or alcohol use
Difficulty concentrating
Decreased productivity
Headaches
Muscle aches and muscle loss

Take a moment to think about your life. Do you have any of these symptoms? Have you had them for a while? Are you under more stress than usual?

If so, you want to make time to recover. Burnout from chronic stress can lead you to gain weight[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22169588″], age faster[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22169588″], struggle with your sex life[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4199300/”], and develop hormone imbalances that could turn into autoimmune diseases, like hypothyroidism[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18190880″].

The good news is that you can hack burnout and learn how to get back to your happy, rested self faster than you thought possible.

How to biohack stress and recover like a pro

Recovering is as important as working. It’s tempting to feel like you don’t have time to recover or you’re lazy for doing so, especially if you’re not as productive as usual and you start falling behind at work. The opposite is true; that’s a sign that you should take some time off to get back to your normal, high-functioning self.

These hacks can help you prioritize resting so you’re more resilient in the long term.

Schedule recovery time like you’d schedule a meeting

Build time for recovery into your schedule, and protect it the same way you would an important meeting. Start to feel out your ideal ratio of recovery to hard work, and then begin scheduling recovery time in advance — that way you’ll know it’s coming and you’ll stick to it.

Have fun

This is a basic and important part of recovery, and it’s worth mentioning, because a lot of adults don’t do it enough. For me, having fun means spending time with my kids, hiking, cooking, gardening, drinking coffee with my wife, or even biohacking. It’s easy to get caught up in work and family obligations and forget to have fun. It’s up to you to schedule fun time like you’d schedule a meeting.

Get out in nature

This is another basic one that’s surprisingly effective for recovery. Japanese psychiatrists developed forest walking (they call it “shinrin yoku”, or “forest bathing”) in response to a rising suicide rate in burned out Japanese workers. The idea is simple: unplug from everything (no phone or social media) and go for a long walk in nature.

Walking through a forest causes a rapid drop in cortisol levels[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19568835″]. It also makes you less likely to dwell on the negative aspects of your life and turns off the anxiety-related pathways in your brain[ref url=”http://www.pnas.org/content/112/28/8567.abstract”]. You can read more about forest bathing here, but the idea is simple: when you’re overwhelmed, go out in nature.

Meditate to turn off anxiety

Any time you’re overwhelmed, take five minutes to sit quietly and meditate. It’s not the sexiest biohack, but it really works.

Meditation calms down excess brain activity, decreases cortisol, and increases alpha brain waves, which promote creativity and relaxation[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23724462″].

Meditation also quiets down your prefrontal cortex, the part of your brain that gets wrapped up in personal problems and excessive planning and anticipation[ref url=”https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/use-your-mind-change-your-brain/201305/is-your-brain-meditation”].

There’s no reason not to meditate. It’s quick and free. Get started with this Bulletproof 30-day meditation challenge (with guided meditations).

Use cryotherapy for rapid stress relief

Your body responds to the cold in a a few cool ways. Cold exposure decreases inflammation, speeds up muscle recovery, releases feel-good endorphins that boost mood, and relieves stress and anxiety[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23535078″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2734249/”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5411446/”]. You have options when it comes to cold therapy. A cold shower is the easiest. An ice bath is even better. The fastest and most effective option is a cryotherapy chamber like the one at Upgrade Labs. It uses liquid nitrogen to give you deep, whole-body cryotherapy in three minutes.

Whatever stress reliever you choose, make sure you prioritize some kind of recovery every week. You’ll avoid burnout and perform much better in the long-term.

Bulletproof 7-Day Sex Challenge

February 12, 2019 by Dave Asprey

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Maybe you want to sleep better, or feel less stressed. Perhaps you want to feel closer to your partner. Sex can help.
Regular sex supercharges your mental and physical performance and can make you happier, stronger, and more resilient.
And if you’re single, no problem. A lot of the benefits of sex come from having an orgasm, so masturbation counts.
For the next week, commit to daily sex with your partner or masturbate to orgasm every day.
Track how you feel before, midway through the challenge, and once you’re done. Note what benefits you feel at the end, and what surprised you about the challenge.

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Maybe you want to sleep better, or feel less stressed. Perhaps you want to feel closer to your partner. Sex can help. Getting intimate with your significant other carries all kinds of benefits. Regular sex supercharges your mental and physical performance and can make you happier, stronger, and more resilient. And if you’re single, no problem. A lot of the benefits of sex come from having an orgasm. So whether you reach the Big-O with someone else or you get there solo, you’ll still enjoy many of the positive effects.

Studies show that more isn’t always better, and that having sex just once a week is enough to make people happier.[ref url=”https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1948550615616462″] But sometimes it helps to warm up the engine a bit. That’s where the Bulletproof 7-Day Sex Challenge comes in. For the next week, commit to daily sex with your partner, or masturbate to orgasm every day.

Track how you feel before, midway through the challenge, and once you’re done. Note what benefits you feel at the end, and whether it was difficult or a cinch. Did anything surprise you? Hopefully, you’ll feel great and be inspired to move sex near the top of your list of priorities.

To get started, read about these biohacks to better sex and try these science-backed ways to boost your sex drive.

You’re 7 days away from a happier and calmer you.

The Psychological Cost of Being Entertained – Lt. Col. Dave Grossman #566

February 12, 2019 by Dave Asprey

Can Nitric Oxide Supplements Boost Performance? What You Need to Know

February 11, 2019 by Team Asprey

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Nitric oxide is a vasodilator — it increases blood flow by relaxing the inner muscles of your blood vessels, allowing them to widen and let more blood through. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients, and increasing blood flow throughout your body has major effects on your performance.
Boosting nitric oxide increases exercise capacity for both endurance training and weightlifting. Nitric oxide supplements can also speed up muscle recovery by up to 40 percent.
Nitric oxide supplements decrease blood pressure, too. They can make a big difference in cardiovascular performance if you have hypertension.
Erectile dysfunction medication like Viagra works by increasing nitric oxide levels to stimulate blood flow. If you want firmer erections, you don’t need a prescription; research shows that nitric oxide-boosting supplements have similar effects on erection quality.
Read below for ways to increase nitric oxide levels naturally, plus a list of nitric oxide supplements and dosages.

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Nitric oxide supplements have been hugely popular in the bodybuilding community for more than two decades. You can feel them working — increased blood flow, a better “pump” in your muscles while you lift, and faster recovery all make nitric oxide a valuable addition to your pre-workout routine.

Nitric oxide has benefits in the bedroom, too. Increased blood flow can make a big difference in sexual performance.

Here’s everything you need to know about nitric oxide: what it is, how it benefits you, and the best ways to boost it for better performance.

What is nitric oxide?

Nitric oxide is a vasodilator — it increases blood flow by relaxing the muscles along the inside wall of your blood vessels, allowing the vessels to widen.

Blood carries nutrients and oxygen, so increased blood flow often provides your cells with precious raw materials and improves performance. Nearly every cell in your body can produce nitric oxide. Your muscles, heart, and penis (if you have one) are all particularly sensitive to nitric oxide, and derive a lot of benefit from increased blood flow.

Nitric oxide benefits

Increasing nitric oxide can give you a boost in the gym, help your muscle recover faster, normalize blood pressure, and make sex more enjoyable. Here’s a closer look at each of the benefits of nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide increases exercise capacity

There’s a reason nitric oxide supplements have been popular with bodybuilders for more than 20 years — they’re some of the few workout supplements that actually work. Boosting nitric oxide carries more oxygen to your muscles, increasing their ability to make ATP (energy) and giving you more physical endurance[ref url=”https://journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Citation/2018/06000/The_Effect_of_Nitrate_Supplementation_on_Exercise.38.aspx”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23580439″]. Nitric oxide is good for both aerobic training like running[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27600147″] and brief, intense exercise like weight lifting or sprinting[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20386132″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26023227″].

Enhances muscle recovery (a lot)

Nitric oxide also speeds up recovery and prevents muscle soreness. People who took L-citrulline, a compound that increases nitric oxide production, saw a 40 percent decrease in muscle soreness after an intense weight-training session, compared to people who took placebo[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20386132″]. You’ll read more about L-citrulline below; it’s one of the best supplements to increase nitric oxide.

Nitric oxide for high blood pressure

Low nitric oxide can be a cause of hypertension (high blood pressure)[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17170603″] — without enough nitric oxide, your blood vessels stay more constricted, which increases pressure inside the vessels (the same way narrowing a hose increases water pressure).

Boosting your nitric oxide levels relaxes your blood vessels and allows them to widen, which can bring your blood pressure back to normal[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25421976″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25683748″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26023227″].

Nitric oxide for stronger erections

If you’re a guy, boosting nitric oxide can improve your erection quality. In fact, Viagra and Cialis, the two most popular erectile dysfunction medications, both work by stimulating nitric oxide pathways in the penis, relaxing blood vessel muscles so more blood can flow through.

Good news: if you have occasional trouble in the bedroom, you don’t need a prescription to get a stronger erection. A lot of men with erectile dysfunction have low L-arginine or L-citrulline, two amino acids that increase nitric oxide production[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28178400″]. Supplementing with either one (or both) can improve erection quality and duration[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21195829″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12851125″]. You may also be able to get firmer erections by eating more foods that contain L-citrulline or L-arginine[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27934657″]. Good options are listed below.

How to increase nitric oxide

There are a lot of different ways to increase nitric oxide levels in your blood. Beets are rich in nitrates (precursors to nitric oxide), and beetroot juice is one of the most popular choices to increase nitric oxide. But beets contain a high amount of sugar, so they’re classified as a “suspect” food on the Bulletproof Diet. You’re better off choosing one of these options instead.

Sun exposure

Direct sunlight on your skin triggers bodywide nitric oxide production[ref url=”https://www.jidonline.org/article/S0022-202X(15)36878-0/abstract”]. Spend 15-30 minutes in the sun with as much skin exposed as possible. Make sure you stop before you burn; the right amount of sunlight is amazing for you in all kinds of ways, but if you push it to the point where you get a sunburn, you increase your risk of skin cancer by a lot.

L-citrulline

L-citrulline is an amino acid (a building block of proteins) that increases blood nitric oxide levels. Studies have looked specifically at using L-citrulline to increase erection firmness[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21195829″] and muscle recovery[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20386132″], with excellent results for both. Take 1000-2000 mg of L-citrulline for erectile dysfunction, or 3000-5000 mg of L-citrulline for enhanced exercise performance and recovery.

L-arginine

This is another amino acid that may increase nitric oxide. Note that results are mixed when it comes to L-arginine — while many studies say it does increase nitric oxide levels[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2860344/”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15638817″], a few studies have found no effect[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3489573/”], or that L-citrulline works better[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5368575/”]. Most studies suggest 2000-3000 mg of L-arginine, taken two to three times a day.

Pycnogenol

Pycnogenol is an extract from pine trees that increases nitric oxide levels[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12851125″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/14659974″]. It also improves attention and overall mental performance[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22108481″]. Studies use a dose of 100-200 mg, taken twice daily.

Nitrate oxide foods

Nitrate is a precursor to nitric oxide, and eating foods high in nitrates can increase nitric oxide levels throughout the body[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23596162″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5350612″]. A lot of vegetables are rich in nitrate. Some of the best sources are celery, spinach, chard, arugula, and cabbage[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5412236/”]. Cured meats are also a good source of nitrates, although you always want to get nitrates alongside antioxidants, because nitrates can degrade into carcinogens called N-nitroso compounds[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10415436″]. Fortunately, vegetables are high in antioxidants, so if you get your nitrates from vegetables, you’re fine. If you eat cured meats, get some veggies alongside them.

Increasing nitric oxide is a powerful way to get more out of your workouts and recover faster, and to enhance your sex life. Give it a try and see how you feel.

How Boosting Your Brain Mitochondria Can Ease Depression

February 8, 2019 by Team Asprey

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New research suggests that your mitochondria (the power plants of your cells) play a big role in depression. Strengthening your mitochondria could be a powerful way to snap out of depression and become less susceptible to it in the future.
Depressed people have low levels of acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR), a compound that controls both mitochondrial function and serotonin production. Low ALCAR can sap your energy and throw your brain chemicals out of balance.
Supplementing with ALCAR is as effective as taking Prozac in some people; it reverses depressive symptoms and turns your mitochondria back on, ramping up energy production. And unlike antidepressants, ALCAR has no major side effects.
Antidepressants could also be sabotaging your mitochondria. Prozac and SSRIs like Zoloft deplete ATP (energy) and cause enzymes to leak out of your mitochondria, making them much less effective at fueling your cells. Taking antidepressants long-term can even cause mitochondrial death.
If you’re depressed (especially if you’re on antidepressants), use the tips in this article to strengthen your mitochondria and protect them from damage.

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If you struggle with depression, your mitochondria — the power plants of your cells — could be partly to blame. Studies link depression to mitochondrial dysfunction, particularly when it comes to symptoms like physical inactivity and exhaustion^[1]. There’s also new research showing that antidepressants may damage your mitochondria, making it more difficult to shake depression long-term.

In a recent Bulletproof Radio podcast episode [iTunes], neuroscientist Martin Picard talked about this missing piece in understanding depression.

“There’s good research coming out linking mitochondrial metabolism and depression,” Picard says.

The good news is that there’s a lot you can do to power up your mitochondria and elevate your brain function and mood. This article will talk about mitochondria and depression, and how you can hack your mitochondria to make more energy and get out of depression.

Download this 30-day guide to supercharge your brain and body with advice, recipes, and meal plans

Acetyl-L-carnitine, mitochondria, and depression

One of the big markers of depression (and mitochondrial dysfunction) is a decrease in a compound called acetyl-L-carnitine (ALCAR).

If you’ve been depressed and felt like you couldn’t physically get out of bed, low ALCAR could be to blame. It’s a vicious cycle: you feel depressed, but you don’t have the physical energy to get out of bed and do something about it. You end up in a negative loop, getting more and more depressed with less and less energy. Low ALCAR could be the neurological reason that loop happens. Depressed people have lower levels of ALCAR, and the further their ALCAR levels dip, the more depressed they feel[ref url=”https://www.pnas.org/content/115/34/8627.short”].

That makes sense, because ALCAR does two major things:

Serotonin production. ALCAR helps your brain synthesize serotonin, the brain chemical that controls your mood[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4949601/”]. Low serotonin leads to depression — in fact, most major antidepressants work by boosting your serotonin.
Mitochondrial function. Your mitochondria need ALCAR to make energy. Low ALCAR levels (from depression, for example) cause mitochondrial dysfunction, and as you struggle to create energy for your cells, chronic fatigue and lack of motivation can set in[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5964020/”].

Take ALCAR supplements

Here’s the good news: you can supplement with ALCAR easily, and ALCAR supplements have a powerful effect on both mood and mitochondria.

ALCAR was as effective as Prozac in reversing depression in the elderly[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23428336″]. The ALCAR group showed none of the side effects that happen with Prozac (drowsiness, erectile dysfunction, decreased sex drive, etc.).
A 2016 study found that giving rodents ALCAR triggered “rapid antidepressant action” in a model of treatment-resistant depression[ref url=”https://www.pnas.org/content/113/28/7906″].
ALCAR supplements increased serotonin production in rodents, much like a prescription antidepressant does[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22549035″]. The rodents also showed a marked increase in brain energy production .
ALCAR reversed mitochondrial aging in old rats, and returned energy production to that of a young rat[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC21378/”].
Taking ALCAR reversed mitochondrial dysfunction following spinal cord injury[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2897952/”].
ALCAR also restores mitochondrial function after toxic aluminum exposure[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4715336/”].

If you’re depressed and have low, ALCAR can help you reverse your symptoms and get your brain back into balance. This complete guide to acetyl-L-carnitine shares the best sources of ALCAR, as well as the right dosages.

Antidepressants may damage your mitochondria

A lot of antidepressants cause lethargy, sleepiness, trouble focusing, chronic fatigue, and other energy-related side effects. Emerging research suggests that it could be because antidepressants sabotage your mitochondria, especially when you take them long-term.

Prozac, for example, causes apoptosis (self-destruction) in brain mitochondria, but only at higher doses[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27392437/”]. This is frustrating, because a lot of people who take Prozac have to increase their dose after a few months, otherwise the Prozac stops working. The increased dose could start damaging your mitochondria and cause a major dip in energy — but at that point, you’re reliant on Prozac, and it’s notoriously difficult to get off it.

Zoloft can also cause mitochondrial dysfunction. It depletes ATP (energy) and causes enzymes to leak out of your mitochondria, crippling their ability to fuel your cells[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5736306/”].

Antidepressants in general can interfere with mitochondrial enzymes that help mitochondria burn fat and glucose for fuel, which decreases energy production and eventually leads to mitochondrial death[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21120605″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10544958″].

If you’re on antidepressants and they help you, make it a point to give your mitochondria extra support and protect them from damage. This guide to boosting mitochondria can help, and for the ultimate guide to supercharging your mitochondria and creating more energy than you thought possible, pick up a copy of “Head Strong”. It has dozens of hacks that upgrade your mitochondria, from cold exposure and oxygen deprivation to obscure but powerful supplements. You may even find that you feel good enough that you can get off your antidepressants — although if you do, be certain you get a doctor’s help. Getting off antidepressants is a gradual process that requires precision and the help of a professional. Do not try it alone.

Keep your mitochondria strong; they could help you get out of depression and become less susceptible to it in the future.

Do You Have Gluten Face? Face Mapping 101

February 8, 2019 by Team Asprey

Dealing with breakouts and under-eye circles? It’s not just stress — it’s your diet, too. According to Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, skin problems point to larger imbalances in your body.

The practice is called face mapping, and it’s a useful way to get to the root cause of your skin issues.
Skin problems on different areas of the face might suggest hormonal imbalances, a high toxic load, or even food sensitivities.
For glowing skin, reduce your exposure to inflammatory foods, upgrade your detox practice, and take care of your gut health.

Breakouts, redness, and puffy under-eye circles aren’t just symptoms of a late night or chaotic hormones. According to Ayurvedic and traditional Chinese medicine, these are symptoms of larger imbalances in your body, like an unhealthy gut or a high toxic load in your liver. This relationship is called face mapping, and it puts an entirely new spin on the phrase, “You are what you eat.”

Face mapping can even point to surprising food sensitivities, and it’s a powerful way to understand how what you eat affects your skin. Here’s what you should know, according to experts — plus a face mapping guide so you can finally figure out what that pimple on your chin really means.

What is face mapping?

In Ayurveda, the skin is classified as an excretory organ — it’s one of the ways waste products and toxins are removed from the body. According to Dr. Anthony Youn, a holistic plastic surgeon, the health of the gut is often revealed by the health of the skin. And although he doesn’t believe face mapping is always accurate, he says it’s useful for those who want to get to the root cause of their skin issues.

“I believe, unless you are in your teens or early twenties, a poor diet will most definitely show in your skin as premature wrinkles, inflammation, and breakouts,” he says. Dr. Youn calls this relationship the gut-skin axis. Studies already show that the gut and brain are closely connected via the vagus nerve. When your gut is inflamed or imbalanced, it sends a signal to your brain, which can impact everything from your mood to your weight. And, according to Ayurvedic medicine, that imbalance shows up on your skin, too.

The Ayurvedic approach to toxins and skin health

“The skin is very related to the liver,” says Martha Soffer, an expert in the Ayurvedic Panchakarma detox technique and founder at Surya Spa. “If the liver has a lot of toxins and doesn’t have another place to take them out, it takes them out through the skin.” So, problems like skin redness, breakouts, dryness, and inflammation may be symptoms of toxic overload.

According to Soffer, those toxins can build up from a range of triggers, such as fried foods, a diet that is high in sugar, and even sensitivities to acidic foods like tomatoes and bell peppers. Your body naturally eliminates toxins from your diet and environment, but a high toxic load makes it more difficult for your body to efficiently “Marie Kondo” your cells and clear out the clutter.

While it’s a good idea to stop eating addictive sugar and junk food, it’s too black-and-white to say that French fries cause pimples. Soffer points out that not everyone digests foods the same way. Some people can eat lectins, an antinutrient in legumes and nightshades, without an issue. Other people experience skin problems like rosacea and breakouts.

“It’s less about the foods you eat and more about looking at regions of your face,” Soffer says.

So, how does face mapping work? Just like your car’s “check engine” light switches on when there’s a problem under the hood, face mapping divides the face into specific regions that reveal imbalances in your hormones, your gut, and/or your toxic load. Below, you’ll find a guide to understand how your face feels about what you’re putting in your body. If you’re dealing with a chronic skin condition, talk to a medical professional.

Face mapping 101

Vata: Hairline to lower eyelid

Are you stressed? Breakouts on your forehead and bags under the eyes are symptoms of worry or anxiety, according to Dr. Alok Kanojia, a psychiatrist and member of the Council of Ayurveda Research. If you’re dealing with skin issues in the vata zone, your adrenals — the glands that produce the stress hormone cortisol — might be working overtime. In the short-term, that stress shows up on your skin in the form of acne and dark under-eye circles. But over time, chronic stress increases your risk of developing adrenal fatigue, inflammation, and a host of other issues. Yikes.

Pitta: Cheeks, nose, and upper lip

Pitta governs the liver and kidneys, your chief detox organs. If you’re dealing with breakouts and redness in the pitta zone, Soffer recommends stepping away from spicy, acidic foods like bell peppers, eggplant, and potatoes. In Ayurveda, these foods are acidic and create heat in the body. They’re also high in antinutrients like lectins — if you have a lectin sensitivity, you’ll notice autoimmune issues like brain fog, acne, and joint pain after eating a lectin-rich meal. That’s also why foods like quinoa, peas, and peanuts are suspect on the Bulletproof Diet.

Breakouts and redness in the pitta zone are also connected to hormonal imbalances. If you’re eating a lot of sugar, don’t be surprised if you break out in the pitta zone. Foods that are high on the glycemic index, like sugary pastries and dairy, increase your blood sugar and cause a insulin spike. That spike triggers excess sebum production and androgen activity, which is a major trigger for acne, says licensed naturopathic physician Trevor Cates in this episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast.

Kapha: Chin and jawline

Like breakouts in the pitta zone, acne on the chin and jawline are connected to hormonal imbalances, so cutting out sugary foods and dairy may help improve your skin. But according to Dr. Youn, your kapha breakouts might also be caused by yeast and fermented foods like wine and sauerkraut. These foods are high in histamines that can wreak havoc on some people’s gut bacteria. Learn more about why fermented foods don’t work for everyone.

Tips for glowing, healthy skin

There’s a whole lot of truth behind the saying, “You are what you eat.” If you want to take care of your skin, take care of your diet, too. Here are the top recommendations from experts.

Reduce foods that cause inflammation. Youn recommends reducing foods that are known to cause inflammation, like processed foods, factory-farmed meats, dairy, and gluten. Sound familiar? This recommendation forms the foundation of the Bulletproof Diet, which fills your plate with nutrient-dense foods that nourish your body on the cellular level. You’ll be on the path to healthy skin — and you’ll take care of the rest of your organs, too.
Detox: A good detox routine helps your body eliminate lingering toxins that would have otherwise shown up on your skin. Limiting your exposure to inflammatory foods will help, but you can actually support your cells by skipping a few meals altogether. Fasting helps your body clear itself of unhealthy, aged cells via autophagy, which Youn says “might even help your skin look clearer and more youthful.” Intermittent fasting is an easy way to reap the benefits of autophagy, and you can adjust your fasts to suit your schedule.
Eat more collagen: Collagen protein supports gut health by repairing and strengthening your intestinal and stomach lining. It also aids digestion and provides your body with essential amino acids for glowing, hydrated skin. Learn more about the benefits of collagen peptides.

Your gut is one of the most important arbiters of whole-body health, including your skin. “By proper digestion of food and prompt elimination of waste products, our skin becomes pure,” says Kanojia.

In Ayurveda, the concept of “Tejas” translates as the “glow of the sun.” Kanojia says that when someone has a healthy diet and purified nadis, or stream of energy, they glow. “The key to developing Tejas is actually diet. By proper digestion of food and prompt elimination of waste products, our skin becomes pure and Tejas, or the skin’s natural healthy glow, develops.”

So, for glowing skin, take care of your gut. Find out how to fix it here.

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Tips for glowing, healthy skin

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