Carl’s Jr. Now Has CBD Burgers — Here’s Why Fast Food Edibles Won’t Work

April 17, 2019 by Dave Asprey

If you happen to live in Denver, you could celebrate pot’s unofficial birthday (4/20) by grabbing a CBD burger at Carl’s Jr. They’re the first national food chain to offer cannabis-infused food, after all. But that’s probably not the best way to go (more on that in a minute).

The burger, fittingly called Rocky Mountain High: CheeseBurger Delight, will be offered at a single Denver location and only on April 20th, as a one-day test to see how the burger sells.

Made with two beef patties, Pepper Jack cheese, fries, pickled jalapeños and CBD-infused Santa Fe Sauce, the burger costs… wait for it… $4.20.

For those unfamiliar with CBD, no, this burger won’t get you high. CBD (or cannabidiol) is completely non-psychoactive. You can read all about CBD here.

CBD oil is one of the buzziest wellness trends this year, and food companies are adding it to everything right now. So it only makes sense that Carl’s Jr. would get in on the game. While their heart is in the right place, there are more effective ways to hop on the CBD train (assuming you want to take that ride).

What’s wrong with a fast-food CBD burger?

If you really want to reap the benefits of CBD, like increased alertness, and fewer symptoms of anxiety, depression, and chronic pain, a fast-food rendition probably isn’t the way to go.

Why?

Fast food is made from highly processed, industrialized ingredients, and loaded with added sugar, salt, and unhealthy fats that keep them shelf-stable. Cook them at extremely high temperatures, and you’ve got the makings of an inflammation-causing meal that also elevates blood pressure.

Just one fast-food meal wreaks havoc on your metabolism and circulatory system, leaving you bloated, tired, anxious, and cranky[ref url=”https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/wellness/sneaking-a-little-junk-food-doesnt-mean-all-is-lost/2018/02/26/828b75fa-1b36-11e8-9de1-147dd2df3829_story.html”] – not exactly the calm and cool state you’re looking for with your CBD fix.

The best ways to consume CBD oil on 4/20

For a better way to celebrate 4/20 and satisfy your munchies, check out these sweet and savory CBD oil recipes that will actually help you chill. They include tea and coffee lattes, CBD gummies, brownies, and even guacamole, all made with clean ingredients.

A few favorite Bulletproof MCT recipes:

Keep in mind when cooking that CBD oil should never be put over direct heat, or cooked at a high heat. According to personal chef and Epicurious editor Joe Sevier, warming the oil will increase its effectiveness, but overheating it will make it 1) taste “absolutely foul,” and 2) lose terpenes, compounds that magnify the plant’s therapeutic effects.

If all this talk of burgers has you craving a Rocky Mountain High CheeseBurger Delight right now, who can blame you? You can make your own version at home with this Bacon-Wrapped Burger recipe. Then whisk CBD oil into an aioli to drizzle over your burger.

Or, you can vaporize pure CBD oil to increase its bioavailability from 6 percent to 31 percent.[ref url=”http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2937482/”]Just know that it’s harder to control dosage this way and instead of feeling more alert, you might knock yourself out, since higher doses lead to sleepiness.

And that could make you miss your 4/20 celebration altogether.

Disclaimer: Federally, CBD is a Schedule I drug in the U.S., regardless of state laws, and a Schedule II drug in Canada.

Insta-Mom Turns Vegetables into Kid-Friendly Food Art That’s Almost too Gorgeous to Eat

April 17, 2019 by Team Asprey

Laleh Mohmedi takes “playing with your food” to a whole new level. In an effort to get more whole foods in her son’s diet, this Instagram mom turned his meals into jaw-dropping works of art.

Mohmedi’s food art journey started on a whim. After making healthy pancakes for her son, Jacob, she plated them to look like a lion. “He loved it,” she writes, and she began posting pictures of her creations on a personal Facebook page.

“I had such a positive response that I thought I would create an Instagram account to inspire other parents to get creative in the kitchen,” Mohmedi says. Out of healthy fare like vegetables, eggs and salmon she’s crafted everyone from “Game of Thrones” heroes and Snoop Dogg to Smurfs, Spongebob, and Winnie the Pooh. She even includes tutorials on how to create them in your own home. You know, if you have an hour or three to spare before dinner.

Mohmedi turned her food art process into nutrition lessons with her son, Jacob. “We would talk about how kale was a superfood,” Mohmedi says. “He would ask why, and I would say ‘because superheroes love eating it’ — that was a winner for him!”

Mohmedi’s food art uses clean eating choices like fresh produce, wild-caught salmon, and rice, plus no refined sugar or preservatives. She also uses vegetable-based dyes or powders like activated charcoal to give dishes a more vibrant look.

Check out some of her latest and greatest creations below, plus swaps you can make to give them a more Bulletproof spin:

Po from Kung Fu Panda

Try it with wild-caught salmon.

Tyrion Lannister

Use shirataki or kelp noodles, plus mashed white sweet potato.

Pua from Moana

Swap in cauliflower fried rice and white mashed cauliflower (thoroughly squeeze out any liquid before pureeing).

Toy Story Toast

Use keto bread and raw, full-fat, pastured cheese.

The Grinch

Substitute mashed sweet potato and steamed spinach, plus pastured chicken.

Snow White

Prep coconut flour pancakes and use low-fructose berries like blueberries, raspberries, or blackberries.

Chuckie from Rugrats

Try it with mashed cauliflower and veggies like celery, carrots, and avocado.

Abu from Aladdin

Use mashed white sweet potato and trade the mushrooms for sliced olives.

For more food art inspiration from Mohmedi, check out her Instagram account here.

How to Improve Memory: The Scientific Approach

April 17, 2019 by Team Asprey

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This article covers several science-backed ways to improve your memory and get rid of brain fog. The good news is that most of them are lifestyle-based, and you can start them today for free.
Exercise is one of the best ways to improve memory, especially if you do a workout that boosts brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF).
Dual N-back training, a special type of brain training you can do for free online, improves working memory and also raises IQ.
Supplements like forskolin and bacopa improve memory as well.

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Memory is a valuable part of high performance. Improving your memory will help you learn faster, and getting rid of brain fog will make you more effective at work. Memory will even improve your social skills, especially if you’re prone to forgetting names or faces.

And, of course, taking care of your memory wards off cognitive decline as you age, keeping you mentally quick and independent well into the golden years of your life.

There are a few different ways to improve your memory and keep it strong. The good news is that the most powerful ones are lifestyle-based, and you can start them today for free. Download this printable checklist on the best ways to improve your memory.

Science-backed ways to strengthen and improve memory

Exercise improves memory a lot

Working out is one of the best ways to improve memory, as well as just about every other aspect of your body and brain.

Exercise of any type — strength training, endurance training, yoga, swimming, and so on — improves memory in healthy adults, young and old[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29108442″]. It decreases depression-related memory impairment, too (and it relieves the depression itself)[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5554572/”].

Working out also helps stabilize neurodegenerative diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20182027″].

There are a couple reasons exercise is so good for your brain. The first is neuroplasticity: working out makes your brain adapt to new situations or information better and helps it recover from stress faster[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5554572/”].

In rats, exercise specifically strengthens brain pathways in the hippocampus, the part of your brain that controls memory[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5808288/”]. And considering how good exercise is for memory in humans, working out may do the same for you.

If you aren’t sure where to start with exercise, try the 30-Day Bulletproof Body Workout Plan. It comes with a meal plan, workouts, and a complete day-by-day schedule, and it’s free.

Dual N-back training permanently improves working memory (and raises IQ)

Dual N-back training is a particularly intense type of brain training that challenges your working memory (short-term memory), as well as your problem-solving skills.

It permanently improves working memory and fluid intelligence (your ability to problem solve, and a central part of IQ) after just a few sessions[ref url=”https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2008/04/25/0801268105.abstract”][ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289610001091?via%3Dihub”][ref url=”https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5454984″].

These results set it apart from other brain training techniques in a major way. Most brain training makes you better at brain training, but the benefits don’t apply to general ability in the rest of your life. Dual N-back training does — your memory and fluid intelligence become better overall, and the results seem to be permanent[ref url=”https://www.pnas.org/content/early/2008/04/25/0801268105.abstract”][ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0160289610001091?via%3Dihub”][ref url=”https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/5454984″].

You can download software to do dual N-back training for free online. Check out this article for the details. You can also learn more about dual N-back training in Game Changers.

Memory-enhancing supplements

Most research on memory-improving supplements looks at people with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, and while a fair number of supplements help with dementia, they won’t necessarily enhance your memory if you’re in good cognitive shape.

That said, there are a couple supplements that work for healthy adults:

Bacopa monnieri is an herb that improves several aspects of cognition. Human trials have found that Bacopa enhances memory, attention, mood, and stress response[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22747190″]. Take 750 mg of Bacopa daily, with a fat source so you absorb it properly.
Artichoke extract and forskolin work together to improve learning and short-term memory. Forskolin increases cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP), a molecule that activates memory formation and learning pathways in your brain[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16924422″]. Artichoke extract inhibits PDE4, an enzyme that breaks down cAMP, which enhances forskolin’s benefits and boosts your learning and memory even more[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5750604/”]. There haven’t been specific studies on this combination, but it’s popular with brain hackers; try it yourself and see if you feel a difference. You can get it in the right doses from Smart Mode.

Get your omega-3s

Your brain has one of the densest concentrations of omega-3 fats in your body, so it’s no surprise that eating plenty of omega-3s improves memory and overall brain function.

Omega-3s seem to be particularly good at preventing or reversing cognitive decline. People with mild cognitive impairment (the precursor to dementia) saw significant improvements in memory when they took a daily fish oil supplement[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22932777″].

DHA and EPA, the two animal-based omega-3s, also improve memory in both healthy adults and people with dementia[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4364972/”].

Aim for 1000-2000 mg of DHA and EPA omega-3 fatty acids per day. Good sources of DHA and EPA include wild fatty fish (Alaskan salmon, sardines, anchovies) and grass-fed beef and lamb.

A lot of companies promote nuts, seeds, and other plants for their omega-3 content. The trouble is that you have to convert ALA (the plant version of omega-3s) into DHA and EPA, which your body struggles to do. You only end up using about six to ten percent of the omega-3s from plants[ref url=”https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Omega3FattyAcids-HealthProfessional/”]. The one exception is algae, which is a plant source of DHA. Other than that, stick to omega-3s from animals, fish oil, or krill oil.

Hack your sleep

Sleep is also essential for memory. Your brain does most of its repair and cellular cleanup during deep sleep. It also encodes memories from the previous day. Insufficient or low-quality sleep will hurt your memory a lot, while good sleep will enhance it.

A single night of sleep deprivation makes you the equivalent of legally drunk– your brain works as if you have a blood alcohol content of 0.05-0.10[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1739867/pdf/v057p00649.pdf”]. Missing out on sleep for a single night also causes beta-amyloid plaques (the plaques that build up and cause memory loss in Alzheimer’s disease) to accumulate in your brain[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5924922/”].

On the other hand, consistent quality sleep improves both short-term and long-term memory, as well as overall cognitive function[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16318592″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3768102/”][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3413705/”].

You often hear that you have to get eight hours of sleep a night, but quality is actually more important than quantity. Try these sleep hacks to maximize the amount of time you’re in deep, brain-restoring sleep each night. You’ll wake up feeling great, and your memory will be better, too.

With these habits and supplements, you can improve your memory and keep it strong your entire life. For more biohacks, you can also check out Head Strong; it contains dozens of tools that upgrade your mitochondria, the power plants of your cells, to activate untapped brain energy and enhance your overall cognition.

The Miracle of Overcoming Near-Death to Impact Millions – Hal Elrod #584

April 16, 2019 by Dave Asprey

Do Men’s Beards Really Carry More Germs Than Dog Fur? Here’s What the Science Says

April 15, 2019 by Dave Asprey

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A new, small study out of Switzerland has found that men’s beards carry more germs than dog fur. And not the friendly microbes that keep your skin balanced.
But that doesn’t mean you have to be clean-shaven to be healthy. Beards may carry good bacteria that keep your skin biome thriving.
Ways to clean your beard and maintain a healthy skin biome: Wash with a gentle, natural cleanser, rub with MCT oil, and fix your gut.

[/tldr]

Hipsters, take note: A new, small study out of Switzerland has found that men’s beards carry more germs than dog fur.

And not the friendly microbes that keep your skin healthy.

Scientists sampled the hair of 18 men and 30 dogs of various breeds and discovered that they all had a “significantly higher bacterial load” compared to pooches. Seven of the men carried pathogenic strains that are considered dangerous to human health.

The study was meant to determine whether vets and doctors could use the same MRI machines on pets and people, without risk of contamination. But it turns out, pets were the cleaner ones.

Does this mean all dudes should be clean-shaven? Not necessarily. Another study from 2014 analyzed the skin of 408 male hospital workers to determine whether they harbored contagious, disease-causing bacteria.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24746610″] Their findings? Clean-shaven men were three times more likely to carry MRSA – antibiotic-resistant bacteria — and 10 percent more likely to host staphylococcus aureus, which can cause food poisoning, along with skin and respiratory infections, on their faces.

Your beard may also carry good bacteria that keeps your skin healthy. On the BBC show “Trust Me I’m a Doctor,” a microbiologist was able to grow over 100 different bacteria from swabs taken from beards, including microbes typically found in the gut.

What to do: Keep your skin biome healthy

Facial hair or not, what’s the best way to keep infectious pathogens at bay? Maintain a healthy skin biome. Just like your gut, your skin is home to thousands of bacteria – some good and some not-so-good.

Here’s how to clean your beard and keep your skin biome healthy, allowing the good guys to thrive and the bad guys to take a backseat.

– Use a natural cleanser: Mother Dirt shampoo, wash, or spray contains a type of bacteria called AOB that keeps your skin’s ecosystem in balance. Or use a gentle natural cleanser like Ursa Major Fantastic Face Wash that won’t go nuclear on the good guys.

– Rub your beard with MCT oil: Medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil is a type of saturated fatty acid loaded with all kinds of benefits, including being antimicrobial and antifungal.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27187452″][ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24328700″] Try Brain Octane oil, which is derived from 100% coconut oil and free of any unnecessary chemicals. Put a couple of drops of Brain Octane oil into your palm, rub your hands together, and smooth onto your beard.

– Fix your gut: The state of your gut affects just about everything, including your skin.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6048199/”] Focus on a variety of nourishing, anti-inflammatory foods for a thriving gut microbiome, and quit sugar. Discover more ways to heal your gut here.

To Live Forever, Get Rid of Your Body’s Toxic Zombie Cells

April 15, 2019 by Dave Asprey

Usually, when your cells get old or damaged, they self-destruct, making way for shiny new cells. But there are some cells that refuse to die. These death-resistant cells, called “senescent cells,” build up in your organs and can lead to premature aging and disease.
Senescent cells contribute to inflammation, aging, cancer, arthritis, cognitive decline, and more. Removing them can increase lifespan and improve your overall cellular function.
The good news is that there are several ways you can clear out built-up senescent cells and turn back the clock on aging. Read on for the best anti-senescent supplements.

If you think back to high school biology, you may remember the term “apoptosis.” Apoptosis is when your old or damaged cells destroy themselves, to make room for shiny new cells. Apoptosis is essential for healthy aging; you want the freshest, best versions of your cells at all times to make sure your body’s running the best it possibly can.

However, there are some cells that refuse to die. These death-resistant cells, aka “senescent cells,” refuse to self-destruct when they’re worn out. Instead they gradually accumulate in your organs as you get older, which can lead to premature aging and disease.

This article is going to cover cellular senescence, why it matters for anti-aging, and how you can get rid of youth-robbing senescent cells to keep your body running smoothly.

Download this Bulletproof 30-Day Upgrade to supercharge your body and mind

What is cellular senescence?

Senescent cells are like zombies: they die, but they don’t disappear like normal cells do. Senescent cells no longer divide or function properly. They literally become dead weight in your organs, clogging up your system and triggering inflammation.

Over time, you build up more and more senescent cells, causing cumulative damage that drives aging. There are a few different kinds of senescent cells:

Senescent immune cells make you age particularly quickly. When you get a cut or infection, your immune cells rush to the scene and start dividing so there are plenty of them to help you heal quickly. When your body is running properly, your immune cells die off as soon as the damage heals. But senescent cells stick around, inhibiting your immune system’s ability to respond to future threats. Researchers think that cellular senescence in immune cells is a major reason why older people often have weak immune systems.
Senescent connective tissue contributes to arthritis and joint inflammation. In fact, injecting senescent cells into your knees can actually cause arthritis, and removing them gets rid of arthritis.
Senescent mitochondria are perhaps the worst type of senescence. Your mitochondria are the powerhouses of your cells — they provide all the energy that runs your body. Senescent cells like to accumulate in dysfunctional mitochondria, driving further dysfunction and shutting off your body’s power supply. The result is senescence-associated mitochondrial dysfunction (SAMD), a major driver of aging.

How senescent cells impact aging

There are a few different reasons you age. Oxidative stress is a big one — it creates inflammation that damages your cells and increases your risk of most major diseases, particularly age-related ones.

Cellular senescence seems to be another cause of aging. As senescent cells build up in your cells, they secrete pro-inflammatory proteins that sabotage your healthy cells, cause widespread damage, compromise your immune system, decrease your energy production, and even increase cancer risk.

Researchers who controlled for all known causes of inflammation in aging found that you still get more unexplained inflammation as you age. The leading theory is that cellular senescence is the culprit.

And considering recent research found that killing off senescent cells in mice extended their lifespan and restored organ function, senescent cells seem like a particularly attractive target for slowing down aging and improving your performance.

How to stop senescent cells and slow down aging

The good news is there are several natural and pharmaceutical compounds you can use to kill senescent cells and turn back the clock on aging. Here are a few of my favorites:

Metformin is a prescription diabetes medication that’s become popular in the anti-aging community, even in people without type II diabetes. That’s because metformin has powerful positive effects on aging and age-related disease. Metformin fights cancer and increases lifespan in both rodents and human cells by reducing senescence. I’ve been taking metformin for about five years, as have most of the people I know in the anti-aging community. The one thing to note is that metformin depletes vitamin B12, so you’ll want to either cycle on and off of metformin or double down on a quality methyl B12 supplement. You’ll need a prescription for metformin.
Fisetin is a natural polyphenol found in seaweed and strawberries. Fisetin destroys senescent cells and increases lifespan by 10% in rodents, and there’s currently a clinical trial going on to see if that benefit extends to humans. Even if it doesn’t, fisetin is a powerful antioxidant that protects your brain from stress and it’s worth taking. You can read more about the benefits of fisetin here.
Piperlongumine is an extract of long pepper root, a member of the pepper family native to India. Piperlongumine kills senescent cells and may extend lifespan. Research on piperlongumine is still in its early stages, but you can find supplements online and experiment yourself. You’ll often find piperlongumine by its traditional name, pippali.

No one knows if you’re better off taking senescent removers early on in life — say, starting in your twenties. If I could go back to 25, I would take anti-senescent agents every six months, and start taking them every quarter once I hit my mid-thirties. This is still a fairly new area of anti-aging research, but if you’re young, it seems like a good idea to keep senescent cells from accumulating in your organs. If there’s one thing I’ve learned about aging, it’s that it’s much easier (and cheaper) to prevent it than to reverse it.

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