The Good Life: Peace, Strength and Wisdom – Arianna Huffington #600
13 Bulletproof-Approved Items and Foods to Buy at Target
You know how it goes: You walk into Target with the goal of buying one, maybe two, items, and an hour later you’ve left with an entire shopping cart of things. The phenomenon is known as the “Target Effect,” and it’s no wonder people can’t get enough of the big-box retailer. It sells just about everything, including products for the aspiring biohacker. Read on for the best Bulletproof-approved items and foods to buy the next time you head to the store.
Blue Hill Bay Smoked Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon, $6.99 for 3oz.
Choose wild-caught salmon over farm-raised; it’s better for your health, and for the environment. Wrap a slice around a creamy chunk of avocado as a snack, or add to a salad for a healthy dose of omega-3s. Smoked salmon brands typically contain sugar, but this Blue Hill version is unsweetened, giving it the Bulletproof thumbs up.
Bulletproof Cold Brew, 4-pack
Only available in-store at Target; prices may vary
For busy mornings, grab a Bulletproof Cold Brew. Each bottle contains high-quality coffee, Brain Octane oil, and grass-fed butter. The caffeine mixed with powerful fats gives you focus, banishes cravings, and burns fat, helping you power through your day. Cold Brew comes in a variety of flavors — vanilla, mocha, and original. For an extra creamy taste, try Cold Brew with Collagen Protein.
Organic avocados, $4.99 for a 4ct. bag
Bulletproof is all about avocados. This creamy, high-fat fruit fights inflammation and lowers blood pressure. It’s also approved on keto, paleo, and Whole30 meal plans. Get inspired with these 30 delicious and easy avocado recipes.
Thank you cards
Prices vary
Gratitude rewires your brain. Saying thanks builds lasting neural plasticity to more positive thinking. There are different ways to show gratitude — writing down what you’re grateful for each day is one option. Another is to write a note or a letter to someone who has touched your life. That can be a friend, a family member, a teacher, or an acquaintance — anyone who has helped shape you. Target sells a wide variety of beautifully-designed thank you cards at affordable prices.
Bulletproof Brain Octane GoPacks
Only available in-store at Target; prices may vary
Brain Octane oil is a purified form of saturated acids called medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs). There are different types of MCTs, and some of these convert to ketones more quickly than others. Brain Octane is pure C8, the most ketogenic oil. Throw these convenient single-serve to-go packs in your gym bag for pre-workout fuel, or pack them in your suitcase when you travel.
Organic blueberries
Prices vary
Blueberries fall in the green zone on the Bulletproof Diet. They’re nutrient-dense and full of anti-inflammatory polyphenols. They make a great dessert on their own, or toss them in a salad for a little zing.
Contigo Stainless Steel Travel Mug, $19.99
What to do when you don’t have time to sip your Bulletproof Coffee at a leisurely pace at home? Pour it into a Contigo travel mug and head out the door. The sealed lid is leak and spill proof and drinks stay hot for up to five hours.
Green Giant Riced Veggies (frozen), starts at $2.69
Dinners are a cinch with these frozen riced veggies from Green Giant. Choose between butternut squash, broccoli, cauliflower, and veggie combos, like the cauliflower and sweet potato. Going low-carb has never been this easy.
Bulletproof Unflavored Collagen Protein
Only available in-store at Target; prices may vary
Collagen protein (also known as collagen peptides and hydrolyzed collagen) can plump your skin and support your joints. It’s no surprise Hollywood stars and influencers are pouring it into their coffee and smoothies. Just two scoops a day can reverse the clock on aging.
Kerrygold Irish Butter
Prices vary
Organic, grass-fed butter is one part of the holy trifecta of Bulletproof Coffee (along with high-quality coffee beans and Brain Octane oil). This healthy fat is jam-packed with omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and vitamins. Add it to your coffee or use it to make this 3-ingredient keto avocado butter.
Unsalted Raw Almonds, $13.49 for 32 oz.
A handful of raw almonds make a great snack to tide you over until dinner. Keep in mind that nuts can be high in mold toxins and spoil easily. Store them in the fridge to extend their shelf life.
Bodum Schiuma Milk Frother, $9.99
A simple milk frother is a quick and easy-to-clean option to blend your Bulletproof Coffee in the morning. It’s also a lot more affordable than a high-powered blender. To avoid spills or splashes, froth your coffee in a mason jar or ceramic pitcher, then pour into a mug.
Epsom Salt Fresh Bath Soak, $4.99 for 8 lbs.
The majority of people are deficient in magnesium, which can lead to fatigue, anxiety, and aches and pains, to name a few symptoms. One way to up your levels is to take a bath with epsom salts, which are magnesium sulfate crystals. This form of magnesium absorbs through the skin. Pour 1-2 cups of epsom salts in your bath twice a week to feel the benefits.
Read next: 12 Best Paleo Foods You Can Find at Walmart
Over-the-Counter Pain Reliever Reduces Your Empathy, and Other Reasons to Avoid Taking It
[tldr]
- It’s a common misconception that if a medicine is available without a prescription, it’s not that strong or risky.
- Studies in the last few years show that the popular over-the-counter pain reliever acetaminophen (leading brand Tylenol) dulls not only your physical pain, but also dulls your emotional connection with others.
- The medical community is well aware of liver problems, even liver problems that lead to death, from acetaminophen.
- Here’s what to use instead, and what to do to protect yourself if there’s no way around taking it.
[/tldr]
It’s a common misconception that if a medicine is available without a prescription, it’s not that strong or risky. That couldn’t be further from the truth. The most popular pain reliever and fever reducer, acetaminophen, affects your liver and even reduces your ability to emotionally connect with others.
Keep reading to find out why acetaminophen is a powerful and potentially dangerous drug that comes with plenty of risks, what to take instead, and how to protect yourself if you absolutely must have acetaminophen.
Acetaminophen and empathy
A handful of studies in the last few years show that the popular over-the-counter pain reliever acetaminophen (leading brand Tylenol) dulls not only your physical pain, but also dulls your emotional connection with others.
One study showed that acetaminophen reduced empathy in rats,[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0091305718304258″]
and a human study showed that it reduced positive empathy, which is the happiness you feel when something good happens to someone else.[ref url=”https://philpapers.org/rec/MISASA”] Another human study showed that acetaminophen reduced trusting behaviors in others.[ref url=”https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-40093-9″] Empathy and relationships are a huge part of being human, and it’s alarming to think that a common medicine that people take for a headache essentially takes away a part of your soul.
Scientists have identified that chronic acetaminophen use changes serotonin receptors and depletes serotonin itself.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0197018699000236″][ref url=”https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1016/j.clpt.2005.12.307″][ref url=”https://www.painphysicianjournal.com/current/pdf?article=MTE4NA%3D%3D&journal=47″] Since serotonin is a major player in happiness and empathy,[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2951404/”] not having enough could be causing hiccups in your ability to connect with people.
Acetaminophen and liver toxicity
Human connection isn’t the only reason to break up with acetaminophen. The medical community is well aware of liver problems, even liver problems that lead to death, from acetaminophen.[ref url=”https://livertox.nih.gov/Acetaminophen.htm”]
Liver problems from acetaminophen aren’t just from overdosing. Researchers found higher toxicity and death from people who used acetaminophen over a long period, as compared to people who took mega-doses of acetaminophen to harm themselves.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9329933?dopt=Abstract”] This is likely because patients who overdosed got immediate medical attention, while long-term misuse of compounded negative effects over the long term without taking measures to counteract it.
Acetaminophen depletes glutathione in your liver, which is known as the “master antioxidant” that your body makes on board. You’re more susceptible to liver injury by acetaminophen if you drink alcohol frequently.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7657281?dopt=Abstract”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3553308?dopt=Abstract”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7990219?dopt=Abstract”] Alcohol depletes your glutathione, and if you’re taking acetaminophen on top of that, you’re tanking your levels to dangerous lows.
Your body uses glutathione to protect your brain, your heart, your eyes, and more. Here’s a complete guide to glutathione and why you want to keep your levels up.
What to take instead of acetaminophen
Even when you’re Bulletproof, you’ll still run into instances when you need a pain reliever. Here’s are some things to try before you reach for over-the-counter meds.
Curcumin or turmeric
Curcumin is the active compound in bright-yellow turmeric root. Studies show that curcumin blocks the production of inflammatory cells[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21804201″] which can help cut down on pain. You can read more about curcumin here.
RELATED: Natural Pain Relief Methods that Work
White willow bark
White willow bark has been used traditionally as a pain reliever, then fell out of practice when pharmaceutical companies started making pain medicines instead. You can’t patent a plant, so the earliest chemists made synthetic versions of the active compounds in medicinal plants, in order to profit from them. Back in the 1800s, the chemist who founded Bayer invented aspirin by creating a synthetic form of salicin, the active compound in white willow bark.
Liquid naproxen
If you absolutely have to have a pain reliever, liquid naproxen is the easiest one for your body to bounce back from. Work with a doctor when you use it, and keep it short-term.
What to do when you absolutely have to take acetaminophen
There are rare instances when your doctor will tell you that there’s no way around taking acetaminophen. That doesn’t mean your liver, serotonin, and empathy are doomed — but protecting yourself is crucial while you’re taking it. Here’s what to do.
Vitamin C
If you have an illness or injury that requires acetaminophen, your body probably needs extra vitamin C anyway. Vitamin C, like glutathione, can protect all of your cells, including liver cells, from oxidative damage during times of high stress and infection.
Glutathione
Acetaminophen depletes glutathione, so most functional medicine doctors will increase your glutathione stores before treatment and support your body’s ability to make glutathione during the course of treatment. They do this by having patients take n-acetylcysteine (NAC) or a liposomal glutathione supplement before and during treatment with acetaminophen.
In one study, researchers found that NAC didn’t increase glutathione but it did increase the liver’s ability to make glutathione when the demand increased like it does when you take acetaminophen.[ref url=”https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00609183″]
Curcumin
Research shows that curcumin protects against acetaminophen-induced liver and kidney damage in rats, and that using curcumin along with glutathione had a synergistic protective effect.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0014299909010425″] That means, the effects of both together were larger than the combined effects of both used separately.
Milk thistle
Milk thistle is a plant with an active compound called silymarin that has been shown to protect the liver against oxidative stress.[ref url=”https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jvim.12002″][ref url=”http://nopr.niscair.res.in/handle/123456789/3404″]
After acetaminophen
A case study showed that after stopping acetaminophen, your liver function returns to normal.[ref url=”https://annals.org/aim/article-abstract/691410/chronic-liver-disease-acetaminophen”] Glutathione and things that help your body make glutathione would help get your glutathione stores back up and speed up that process.
Heal Yourself from the Inside Out – Dr. William Li #599
Does Biohacking Make You a Better Friend?
Can being Bulletproof help you make more friends?
Bulletproof recently conducted a survey to find out more about what people think of their health and lifestyle choices. The respondents included people who are already Bulletproof customers and people from the general population.
And guess what? Bulletproof respondents reported having more friends than the general population respondents. Here are a number of possible reasons why, according to the data. And if you need a primer on what being Bulletproof actually means, head over here.
Happiness is contagious
A higher percentage of Bulletproof respondents report being happy, compared to the general population. And happy people tend to be easier to be around. But it works both ways – people with 5+ friends reported being happier. Spending time with friends is one of the best ways to hack your happiness. Which is the cause and which is the effect?
The older you get, the fewer friends you may have
There are more respondents from the general population who happened to be elderly (aged 54-74) compared to the Bulletproofers who took the survey (generally 45-64). Perhaps later in life, when people aren’t likely to be in the workforce or out and about as much, they have fewer friends in their lives. Making a new friend can be as simple as joining a local hiking club or taking a cooking class. Learn more about the different ways to upgrade your social life here.
Diet counts
When you’re following the Bulletproof lifestyle, you may be attracting more friends because you’re a more pleasant person when your blood sugar isn’t all over the place. The Bulletproof Diet does much more for your health than helping you lose weight. What you eat has a direct effect on your mood and energy levels. Learn more about the benefits of the Bulletproof Diet here.
This is the first of what will likely be a quarterly index, so check back in for more data as we keep digging into these trends.
Read next: How to Beat Social Anxiety and Upgrade Your Social Life
Father’s Day Gift Guide for the Biohacking Dad
Step away from the ties (or socks, or “#1 Dad” mug). This Father’s Day, show the dad in your life that you really get him with gifts that’ll make him stronger, happier, and more productive (not to mention the coolest dad on the block). From high-tech to budget-friendly buys, these gifts are the perfect way to say thank you to your very own superhero.
Father’s Day Biohacking Gift Guide
Thermapen Instant Read Thermometer
$99
Okay, okay, so including something grill-related for Dad may not be the most original idea, but the Thermapen is special. Bulletproof staffers swear by it for perfectly cooked meat (nobody wants a well-done steak when what you’re going for is medium rare). It displays temperatures in 2 to 3 seconds flat, and the rotating display makes it easy to read. He’ll be king of the grill all summer long.
TrueDark blue light-blocking glasses
$139 TrueDark 24 Hour Solutions
It’s not only millennials that are staring at their phone or laptop screens all day — dads do it, too. But all that blue light exposure is ruining his sleep. Protect his eyes from too much junk light with blue light blocking glasses. The TrueDark Classic Twilight and Daylights24 Hour Solutions Bundles gives you more ways to choose your 24-hour protection: One pair for the daytime, and another pair with a more powerful lens at night. He can be like Bulletproof Founder Dave Asprey and wear them around town — they’re a great conversation starter and are way cooler than black-rimmed reading glasses, promise.
$199 and up
If your dad knows his HIIT from his CrossFit, help him recover faster from his workouts with the PowerDot muscle stimulator. Small pads send electrical impulses to your muscles during exercise and post-workout, causing them to contract. Stimulating muscles in this way hastens recovery, protects against injury, and soothes pain. PowerDot connects to an app on your phone, giving you access to various training programs.
$55.95
Look, dad jokes can be endearing (they’re what make him so lovable!), but not when he recycles the same material over and over (and over) again. Give dad the mental edge with NeuroMaster. Whole coffee fruit extract increases levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a little protein that produces new brain cells and strengthens existing ones (aka makes you smarter). A sharper brain equals better dad jokes. You’re welcome.
$26.99
I know we promised no socks, but these aren’t your typical dad socks. Compression socks improve circulation in your legs and help prevent blood clots. Dave wears these whenever he flies, and says they leave him less puffy and inflamed.
Try these well-reviewed (and affordable) Sockwell Men’s Elevation Graduated Compression Socks.
Bulletproof Coffee Cold Brew with Collagen 12 ct. case
$59.88
Make dad’s mornings infinitely easier with Bulletproof Coffee ready-to-drink Cold Brew with added collagen. One bottle contains coffee, Brain Octane Oil (a high-quality MCT oil), grass-fed butter, and collagen. The result? Sweet and creamy, minus the sugar. Cold Brew with collagen protein comes in original, vanilla latte, and dark chocolate. Pro tip: Pour over ice and enjoy. Get 15% off through July 4th.
$399
Help dad get better quality sleep with the Philips’ SmartSleep headband, which has built-in sensors that track and react to your sleep patterns. When it detects your deepest stage of sleep, it plays soft sounds to increase the number of your slow brain waves. More slow waves lead to deeper sleep.
$49.99 for a premium one-year subscription
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly sleep aid, why not gift Dad a subscription to the Sonic Sleep Coach app? The app links to your smartphone microphone while you snooze. If it senses any sound, it plays soothing audio like pink noise or falling rain so your sleep isn’t disturbed. Other features include an alarm clock that wakes you up during your lightest sleep cycle, and meditations to help you drift off.
Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative grass-fed meat box
Prices vary
Grass-fed meat is way better for your health, and for the planet. You want your dad to live a long and healthy life, so help him along with a box of pastured-raised meat, delivered right to his door. Grass Roots Farmers’ Cooperative sources meat from small-scale family farms that raise their animals outside with sunlight, fresh air, and clean grass. Build dad’s box from a selection of beef, pork, and poultry. Use code DAVE on grassrootscoop.com for $30 off + FREE SHIPPING on orders of $150 or more. Offer expires June 15.
Game Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Thinkers Do to Win at Life
$28.99
Give dad the tools he needs to take his performance to the next level with Dave’s latest book, “Game Changers: What Leaders, Innovators, and Thinkers Do to Win at Life”. Based off his interviews with hundreds of cutting-edge innovators and thinkers, Game Changers offers proven ways to become smarter, faster, and happier.
$399
Dad will geek out over the Halo Sport, the first-ever brain stimulator that can help him learn skills faster. The headphones use neurostimulation technology to stimulate the area of the brain responsible for movement, increasing training gains in strength, skill, and endurance. Dad will join the ranks of thousands of athletes and musicians worldwide who use Halo Sport, including members of the NFL, NBA, PGA Tour, and US Olympic teams. Watch Bulletproof Founder Dave Asprey give the Halo Sport a try in this video.
Go to gethalosport.com/bulletproof to unlock a special discount. Preorder the new Halo Sport 2, which ships later this month.
Bulletproof Chocolate and Vanilla Collagen Bundle
$79.90
It seems every influencer and celebrity is scooping collagen into their coffee and smoothies. To prevent FOMO, give dad Bulletproof’s Chocolate and Vanilla Collagen Bundle. Collagen keeps skin young, accelerates weight loss, and heals your gut. Just two scoops a day can turn back the clock. Get 15% off through July 4.
$40
If dad is already missing Game of Thrones, help him channel his inner Jon Snow with the Aku Ball. This black stress ball with spikes looks more like a medieval flail. By squeezing it or rolling it across your skin, you increase blood flow, reduce inflammation, and ease anxiety.
$199
Is dad feeling down, stressed, or in pain? All of these issues — and more — can be traced back to the gut. Help him discover what’s going on in his stomach with the Viome gut test. He sends the company a stool sample and they give him a detailed report on all the types of bacteria in his gut, with food and supplement recommendations. He can take the test again to monitor his progress and to see if the changes he made are working.