Is Your Diet Full of Heavy Metals? Here’s Why You Should Get Tested

January 3, 2019 by Dave Asprey

[tldr]

Heavy metals are everywhere. Your diet is one big source of heavy metal poisoning.
That’s bad news for your mitochondrial function. If you’re dealing with fatigue, autoimmune issues, thyroid problems, or adrenal issues, heavy metal toxicity may be to blame.
A hair mineral analysis or toxic metal test will tell you how much metal you have in your system.
My heavy metal detox tips include going in the sauna, taking activated coconut charcoal and glutathione supplements, and switching to low-mercury fish like sockeye salmon and trout — always wild-caught.

[/tldr]

Bad news first: Heavy metals are everywhere. They’re in the products you use, the air you breathe, and the food you eat. These metals are toxic, and even though your body naturally eliminates them, they can build up over time and make you sick. The good news is that certain heavy metal detox protocols really work, and they can help you feel more energized, focused, and awesome. I should know — I’ve dealt with heavy metal poisoning myself.

Over a decade ago, I used to have a nice lunchtime routine of eating sushi and then doing yoga. That might sound great, but as I write in my book “Head Strong,” I noticed that my balance wasn’t very good on those days. When I skipped the sushi, my balance improved. Because I’m a biohacker, I decided to test this. I took a mercury-binding medication with the sushi, and the problem disappeared.

Why? The mercury in the sushi was messing with my mitochondria, which affected my performance. Don’t let this happen to you. Here’s what you should know about heavy metals in your food — and what you can do about it.

Heavy metals in food: Why they matter

First, a primer on heavy metals: They occur both naturally and as a result of human activity. Some of the most common and damaging heavy metals include arsenic, cadmium, lead, and mercury. You wouldn’t willingly eat metal for lunch, but some foods, like brown rice and leafy green vegetables, are higher in heavy metals than others. These food crops absorb heavy metals from the water, air, and soil as they grow.[ref url=”https://www.fda.gov/food/foodborneillnesscontaminants/metals/ucm319948.htm”]

“Everyone has some level of heavy metal in their body and they really are part of the underlying root cause of diseases,” says Wendy Myers, a functional diagnostic nutritionist, on this episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast. Some people are more sensitive than others, which means they have no problem eating mercury-packed tuna rolls all day. According to Myers, if you’re dealing with fatigue, recurrent headaches, autoimmune disease, thyroid issues, or adrenal fatigue, these problems are caused in part by heavy metals.

How does a little bit of lead cause so much damage? Heavy metals hurt your performance and make you feel like crap. They mess with thyroid and adrenal function, interfere with insulin sensitivity, and suppress your immune system.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3569681/”] [ref url=”http://diabetes.diabetesjournals.org/content/65/1/164″] [ref url=”https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0123742″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21473381″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12369510″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21473381″] They also inhibit mitochondrial function. You might remember your middle school science teacher telling you that mitochondria are the powerhouses of the cell. Heavy metals impair their energy production, accelerate mitochondrial death, and increase membrane permeability, which allows all the junk to pass through the cells’ protective barrier and wreck shop. [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18501399 “] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3349094/”]

This is a big problem because your mitochondria drive all your tissue functions. When they aren’t working at maximum capacity, you get mitochondrial dysfunction — one of the main characteristics of aging and disease. Unless you want to deal with aging-related problems like fatigue, excess fat, and brain fog, you’ll want to keep your mitochondria happy. Learn more about why mitochondria are the key to slowing down aging.

The most common foods with heavy metals

You might not even realize how many heavy metals are in your diet, especially since small amounts of certain metals are pretty much unavoidable. For example, you probably consume between 5-10 mcg of lead daily from seafood and vegetables that foods grow in high-lead soil.

With that said, you can make conscious choices to reduce your overall heavy metal exposure. Here’s a quick overview of the most common foods that will weigh you down (because of metal — get it?):

Fish: Unfortunately, all fish have some level of mercury. Farmed seafood is particularly bad because it’s high in heavy metals, pesticides, toxins, pathogens, and environmental contaminants. Limit your consumption of fish that are especially high in mercury, like tuna, king mackerel, marlin, orange roughy, and swordfish.[ref url=”https://epi.publichealth.nc.gov/oee/mercury/safefish.html”] Instead, eat anchovies, haddock, Petrale sole, sardines, sockeye salmon, summer flounder, tilapia, and trout, which have lower mercury levels. Always opt for wild-caught fish — it has a better nutrient profile, and it’s better for the planet. Learn more about why wild-caught seafood is the smarter choice.
Brown rice: Brown rice contains up to 80% more arsenic than white rice.[ref url=”https://nationalceliac.org/blog/i-have-read-that-there-is-arsenic-in-brown-rice-what-about-brown-rice-flour-as-a-celiac-brown-rice-and-or-brown-rice-flour-are-consumed-daily-advice-or-any-recommendations/”] Rice takes up arsenic from soil and water more readily than other grains.[ref url=”https://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodborneIllnessContaminants/Metals/ucm280202.htm”] Arsenic is concentrated in the thin outer layer that gives brown rice its color.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5502079/”] Eat white rice instead — it’s an easily digestible carbohydrate with less arsenic and more flavor. Learn more about why white rice is better.
Leafy green vegetables: Eat your veggies — but not too much. Leafy green vegetables love cadmium, a heavy metal also found in grains.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18676869″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17152224″] [ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0147651315002420″] Reduce your exposure by only eating organic.[ref url=”https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/are-organically-grown-foods-safer-and-more-healthful-than-conventionally-grown-foods/1CE9BCAEC1DA8A7469F54B46878CD591″] Balance your diet with other vegetables in the green zone of the Bulletproof Diet Roadmap, like broccoli, olives, and zucchini.
Unfiltered water: About 30% of plumbing infrastructure in the U.S. contains lead piping, lead service lines, or lead plumbing components, which leaches into your water.[ref url=”https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2016-03/documents/occtmarch2016.pdf”] Switching to filtered water is one of the simplest ways to reduce heavy metal exposure. Learn more about tap vs. filtered water.

Heavy metal detox tips

Heavy metal exposure is unavoidable, but that doesn’t mean your hands are tied. You have the power to help your body detox the bad stuff, power up your mitochondria, and take your life back.

My most important tip: Test yourself before you wreck yourself. Heavy metal testing — either a provocation test with a chelation agent or a hair mineral analysis — will give you a baseline so you know exactly how much metal you have in your system. You can request these tests from a functional medicine doctor.

Here’s what you can do while you’re waiting for your results.

Sweat it out: Sweating helps your body get rid of toxins.[ref url=”https://www.hindawi.com/journals/jeph/2012/184745/#B30″] Take an infrared sauna — they don’t get as hot, so you can sweat longer. (Just make sure you drink lots of fluids and take salt to replenish the electrolytes your body loses through sweat).
Take glutathione: This powerful antioxidant supports liver enzymes that break down heavy metals. It also supports your immune system and protects your cells.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2882944/”]
Exercise: Fat tissue naturally holds onto toxins. When you burn fat, you break down fatty tissue and release those toxins. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) is one way to kick-start fat burning (and get your sweat on) — but as I say in “Head Strong,” mobilizing these toxins isn’t necessarily a good thing if your body can’t get rid of them. If you feel brain fog after your workout, take a supplement like activated charcoal. Charcoal attaches to toxins so you can more easily flush them out of your system.
Take chlorella: This is a type of algae that works well for detoxing from heavy metal exposure. I often take about 25 tablets when I eat sushi because it helps counteract mercury.

If you’re serious about detoxing, check out this full list of detox methods that really work to cleanse your body and brain. Toxins are a part of daily life. When I reduced my exposure to heavy metals, I felt more balanced — both mentally and physically (thanks, yoga). You don’t have to deal with chronic fatigue and brain fog. When you reduce your exposure to toxins and help your body get rid of the stuff that brings you down, you’ll feel great and perform better. Who wouldn’t want that?

Create the Person You Want To Be – Brendon Burchard #555

January 3, 2019 by Dave Asprey

Is Kratom the Answer to the Opioid Epidemic?

January 3, 2019 by Dave Asprey

Kratom is a controversial herb native to Southeast Asia. It seems to have performance-enhancing effects, and a lot of anecdotal reports say it helps manage chronic pain and is a good alternative to opioids like oxycontin and percocet.
However, kratom is potentially addictive, can trigger withdrawal symptoms, and may stress your liver if you take it every day. Kratom is also illegal in some states (although at the time of this article, it is federally legal) and is under review by the FDA and DEA.
There isn’t a lot of research on kratom, and while it has potential benefits, there are also serious potential downsides. You should be careful taking it, and should use it at your own risk.

Performance enhancers are often controversial. They come in many packages: nootropics that upgrade your brain, muscle builders that enhance your hormone production, delicious coffee drinks that give you more energy — the list goes on. This article is going to talk about a compound that’s been drawing a lot of attention lately: kratom.

A growing collection of biohackers say that kratom boosts mood and gives them energy, and a number of people say kratom helps them manage chronic pain and stay off addictive opiates like oxycontin and percocet. However, the FDA recently released a statement on kratom saying there’s no evidence that kratom is useful, and that they’re concerned about it being addictive and potentially fatal.

Is kratom a performance-boosting supplement or a dangerous drug? Let’s take a clear look at the research on kratom, its possible benefits, side effects and dangers of taking kratom, and kratom dosage.

What is kratom?

Kratom is an evergreen tree (Mitragyna speciosa) native to Southeast Asia. It’s related to coffee, and has been popular for decades in Thailand, where workers either chew its leaves or brew it into a tea and drink it to improve their productivity. Kratom is the most commonly used drug in Thailand,[ref url=”http://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/kratom#control”] despite being illegal there.

In 2016, the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced its intention to make kratom a schedule I substance in the U.S. (alongside heroin and cocaine), but eventually withdrew its plan and agreed to research kratom further, after a number of senators and a petition of over 140,000 people protested, saying kratom has valuable medical use, particularly when it comes to pain management.

At the time of this article’s publication, kratom is federally legal to possess and use in the United States, although it’s illegal in the following states:

Alabama
Arkansas
Indiana
Tennessee
Vermont
Wisconsin
District of Columbia
Sarasota County, Florida

If you’re outside these states/districts, keep in mind that kratom is in a legal gray area and could become federally illegal soon.

The benefits of kratom

Kratom has been a staple herb in Southeast Asian countries for more than a hundred years, where people use it for:

Mood enhancement
Increased energy
Pain relief

Kratom is unusual because it activates opioid receptors in your brain, but kratom is not an opiate, and it’s far, far less potent than opiates like morphine, oxycontin, and heroin. Unlike opiates, kratom also influences your serotonin, adrenaline, and dopamine pathways, which could explain why people report more energy and improved mood from lower doses of kratom, and relaxed mental clarity at higher doses.

A great number of people report that kratom helps them manage chronic pain and keeps them from taking addictive opiates like oxycontin. Research in mice has found that kratom is an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever. However, there’s no good research in humans yet.

The downsides to kratom

The FDA and DEA’s main evidence for banning kratom was that it caused 44 deaths in the last five years, and that it’s potentially fatal to the average user.

It turns out those statistics aren’t quite honest; 43 of those 44 deaths were kratom mixed with other drugs, usually stronger opioids like heroin or oxycontin. The FDA further cited nine deaths in Sweden. They didn’t mention that all nine deaths were from a much more powerful, synthetic variant of kratom called Krypton; none of the deaths were from actual kratom.

That means of 53 kratom-related deaths, 52 involved either heavy-duty opiates or a powerful synthetic variant of kratom. And considering many opiate addicts use kratom to try to deal with opiate withdrawal and get clean, it makes sense that a lot of deaths would be from a mix of kratom and stronger opioids.

That said, kratom is not without risk. It seems to have addictive potential — mice given kratom for more than five days in a row suffer physical withdrawal symptoms similar to opiate withdrawal, but milder. Kratom also impairs learning and memory in mice, and a few case studies (studies of single people) found liver damage from chronic kratom use.

Kratom dosage and how to take

Kratom is unusual — it has what would seem to be contradictory effects depending on the dose you take.

Lower doses of kratom act like a stimulant, giving you focus and increased capacity to work.

Higher doses of kratom act like a relaxant, easing anxiety and boosting mood.

You can brew kratom as a tea, mix kratom powder into food or drinks, or chew the raw leaves. There’s no research on safe doses of kratom, but the typical dose ranges for pure ground kratom leaf are:

1-5 grams — stimulant effects
5-10 grams — relaxation, pain relief
10+ grams — nausea, diarrhea, and anxiety, followed by deep euphoria (like a strong opioid; avoid doses this high)

It’s up to you to decide whether you want to experiment with kratom. If you do, be careful. It has the potential to be addictive, there are no studies establishing clear dosage, and taking it every day may harm your liver.

If there’s truth to the anecdotal reports that kratom is an effective substitute for opioids, it certainly seems to be better than getting hooked on oxycontin or other pain pills. But if you’re thinking about taking kratom for its energy-boosting or anxiety-reducing effects, you may be better off trying a few nootropics or building stronger mitochondria.

Biohack at your own risk, and always make sure you do your research. These compounds are powerful.

Your Thermostat May Be Key to Burning More Calories and Getting Focused

January 2, 2019 by Team Asprey

[tldr]

Want to focus better, get a more restful snooze, and burn more calories? Change your thermostat.
A cool bedroom can help your body get to sleep and stay asleep.
Chilly temperatures can also kickstart cold thermogenesis, a fat-burning state linked to benefits like reduced inflammation, increased metabolism, and improved endurance during exercise.
Warm temperatures can boost your mood and improve your focus, although your specific heat-sweet-spot may vary.
Humans are super adaptive to different environments, so you’ll have to biohack your way to find your ideal temperatures.

[/tldr]

The biggest upgrades to your body can come from the smallest changes — like a few degrees’ difference on the thermostat. Your body is primed to sleep better, work harder, and help you stay more focused at certain temperatures. The good news: You can use this science to your advantage like a true biohacker. Here’s everything you should know about the ideal temperature for upgraded performance.

The ideal temperature to biohack your body

If you’ve ever worked in an office, you’re probably familiar with the long-running thermostat debate. Some people feel comfortable at temperatures that make other people feel like they’re working in an icebox. What gives?

Your biology is partly to blame. Your resting metabolic rate determines how fast you generate heat. Factors like gender, age, and activity level determine how much energy your body exerts to maintain a stable, comfortable temperature. Fun fact: Women typically have slower metabolisms than men, so they tend to be colder at temperatures men find comfortable.[ref url=”https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate2741″] That’s why some women need to bundle up at work while men can walk around in shorts like it’s no big deal.

All this to say, the temperature recommendations below are estimates based on sample sizes in scientific studies. Your results may vary. Whether you want to hack your sleep or improve your productivity, experiment to find the ideal temperature that works for you. (But ask your coworkers before you start messing with the thermostat.)

Ideal sleeping temperature

To help your body fall asleep and stay asleep, Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey recommends keeping your room around 68 degrees Fahrenheit. Here’s why it works: Your body temperature naturally decreases to trigger sleep.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8022726?ordinalpos=1&itool=EntrezSystem2.PEntrez.Pubmed.Pubmed_ResultsPanel.Pubmed_DefaultReportPanel.Pubmed_RVDocSum”] If your room is cool, it’s easier for your body to drift off to dreamland.

Temperatures too far above or below the 68-degree threshold can lead to restlessness, which reduces the quality of your shut-eye and makes you feel like a zombie the next day. To help lower the temperature in your bedroom without running the A/C, switch on the fan or pop open a window — just make sure the ambient noise isn’t too disruptive. (Sorry, city-dwellers.)

How temperature impacts exercise

Want to upgrade your next gym session? Chill out. Cold exposure can actually increase your muscle endurance, workout intensity, and recovery speed.

On this Bulletproof Radio podcast episode, cold-enhanced exercise pioneer Peter Wasowski says that you can amplify your performance by lowering your core body temperature very slightly, or “about one-and-a-half degrees Fahrenheit.” According to researchers, it’s possible to lower your body temperature by hopping in an ice bath (hardcore) or drinking icy water (easy) before your workout.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5356217/”] During your workout, wear an ice vest.

How does it work? Wasowski explains that cooling your body down during exercise allows more oxygen to stay in your blood, which keeps more blood in your muscles. That contributes to a harder, longer workout, which releases more testosterone and human growth hormone (HGH). The end result: higher fat-burn, more muscle growth, and improved recovery. Whoa. Learn more about the benefits of exercising in the cold.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are science-backed benefits to exercising in the heat, too. Hot yoga, which takes place in a hot room around 105 degrees Fahrenheit, has been shown to improve balance, lower body strength, flexibility, stress levels, and metabolic measures like glucose tolerance.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26504475″] Other studies have found that raising your core body temperature alleviates symptoms of depression, which may explain hot yoga’s ability to help you feel more zen.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25510863″]

How temperature affects your metabolic rate

A 2012 study found that cold exposure can increase total energy expenditure — the total number of calories you burn per day.[ref url=”https://www.jci.org/articles/view/60433?key=5e3684aee3d55b74adc8″] The study used tube suits to drop the participants’ skin temperature, which led to a slight dip in core temperatures — just under 1 degree difference on average. (Hey, that’s close to what Wasowski said.)

Here’s what happens: Cold temperatures induce cold thermogenesis, a fat-burning state that increases your metabolism and may improve thyroid function,[ref url=”https://www.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00363.2003″] in addition to all of the good-for-you muscle benefits mentioned earlier. You don’t have to exercise to reap the calorie-burning benefits cold exposure, though. Learn about the benefits of whole-body cryotherapy.

Focus

Your environment makes a huge difference on your productivity levels. As it turns out, temperature can boost your productivity — or make it more difficult to deal with complex decisions.

So, what’s the ideal temperature to supercharge your focus? Research is split on a single magic number, possibly because humans are super adaptive and capable of acclimating to different environments.

One 2006 review says performance increases with temperatures around 71.6 degrees Fahrenheit.[ref url=”https://indoor.lbl.gov/sites/all/files/lbnl-60946.pdf”] Meanwhile, a Cornell study found that people make fewer typing errors in warmer environments — specifically, around 77 degrees Fahrenheit.[ref url=”http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2004/10/warm-offices-linked-fewer-typing-errors-higher-productivity”]

In another study, researchers compared participants’ cognitive performance in either a warm room (77 degrees Fahrenheit) or cool room (67 degrees Fahrenheit).[ref url=”https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/warm-weather-makes-it-hard-think-straight/ “]In comparison to people in the cooler room, participants in the warm room failed at simple cognitive tasks like identifying spelling and grammatical errors.

The takeaway? Some tasks might be better suited to specific temperatures. If you work in a chilly office and you’re having trouble performing manual tasks like typing, warm up your environment. If you can’t reach your flow state in a warm room, move somewhere cooler. And if you’re one of those people who focuses better at 77 degrees, awesome — just be aware that you’re going to have to adjust (and wear a thicker sweater) when you’re working in a cold office.

Mood

You might already know this if you’ve ever felt the winter blues, but temperature can dramatically impact your good vibes.

In a 2008 study on the effects of weather on daily mood, researchers found that warmer weather improved bad moods.[ref url=”https://www.psychologie.hu-berlin.de/de/prof/perdev/pdf/2008/Denissen_Weather_Mood_2008.pdf”] However, even though it would be magical to live by the beach, this isn’t to say that people who live in the tropics are inherently happier. The study didn’t support the idea that pleasant weather inherently puts people in good moods. Instead, the findings suggest that people have super individualized responses to weather changes, rather than specific numbers on the thermostat.

However, if you deal with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it’s a good idea to get some sunlight or supplement with light therapy. Sure, the extra vitamin D will help reduce symptoms of depression[ref url=”https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S030698770700240X”] — but it’ll also raise your body temperature. A 2016 study examined the effects of whole-body hyperthermia on people who struggled with depression.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27172277″] One session of whole-body hyperthermia elevated their core body temperature to 101.3 degrees Fahrenheit. The treatment reduced their depressive symptoms — and the results lasted a full six weeks after treatment.

Warmth also changes your perception of others, according to a 2008 study.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2737341/”] Researchers asked participants to hold a cup of hot or iced coffee while they wrote something down. Later, the participants were asked to read a description of a person and rate them on 10 personality traits. Those who held the hot coffee perceived the person to be “warmer” than those who held the iced coffee.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2737341/”]

So, if you’re feeling blah, turn up the heat (or hold a mug of something warm). Here’s how you can hack your body temperature.

How to hack your body’s thermostat

Meditation: Scientists have found that certain meditation techniques employed by Tibetan monks can raise core body temperature.[ref url=”https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130408084858.htm”] That’s a serious case of mind over matter. The study highlights a breathing technique called “vase breathing.” Click here to check out three deep breathing exercises (without having to travel to Tibet).
Cold therapy: Even if you don’t live near a cryotherapy center, you can still benefit from a whole-body chill. Check out this easy hack to get the benefits of cold thermogenesis — all you need is a shallow pan of water.
Go outside: Depending on the season, this hack will help you cool down or warm up in a flash. It’s a good idea to head outside, anyway — sunlight has tons of benefits to boost your mood, energy levels, and overall performance. Learn more about light hacking.
Move: Exercising isn’t just great for your muscles. It also raises your core body temperature, which can boost your mood and ease anxiety and depression.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15518309″]

Biohacking is all about finding what impacts your performance the most in different situations. Some days, you might need to chill out. Other days, you might need to crank up the heat. Listen to your body and find what works best for you. Want to take your biohacking to the next level? Check out the Bulletproof 30-Day Upgrade to supercharge your brain and body in just a month.

Do These Exercises to Lose Belly Fat and Build Chiseled Abs

January 1, 2019 by Team Asprey

[tldr]

Core exercises are great, but if you have a layer of fat over your abs, crunches won’t help you get a six-pack.
The secret to burning belly fat is 80% diet, 20% exercise. Switch to a nutrient-dense diet packed with vegetables, fats, and protein like the Bulletproof Diet.
You can’t spot-treat fat. To lose extra padding, high-intensity interval training (HIIT) will torch belly fat and body fat the fastest.
Add these killer ab exercises to your diet and workout plan, and you’ll have a six-pack in no time.

[/tldr]

Wouldn’t it be great if one workout could give you a killer six-pack? You do a few crunches, pound a protein shake, and take some gym selfies of your chiseled gains. Easy-peasy.

Of course, if it were that easy, everyone would have the body of a Greek god. That isn’t the case.

You can’t spot-treat belly fat. But here’s a secret: If you lower your body fat by building muscle and taking care of your diet, you will tighten up your core. And if you work those abdominal muscles while shedding fat, you can expose a six-pack underneath.

Here’s everything you need to know about burning belly fat, including workouts to torch fat and build killer abs.

[readmore title=”See tips & workouts”]

The ultimate way to burn belly fat

You’re about to learn the No. 1, no-nonsense way to trim stubborn fluff and become a lean, fat-burning machine. (Odds are, you already know what it is.)

“It’s 80% diet, and the other percentage is working out,” says Lacey Stone, a celebrity trainer and health and wellness expert.

Stone says that core exercises are great for building overall strength and stability, but if you have a layer of fat over your abs, all the crunches in the world won’t expose a six-pack. Losing the padding will. Switching to a nutrient-dense diet filled with vegetables, fats, and protein will torch fat better than any ab-blasting core routine.

“Palm of your hand protein. Tons of vegetables. Limited carbohydrates. Don’t drink [alcohol]. These are things that work,” Stone says. “The only way you’re going to learn that it works is if you do it for about 8 weeks. Then your body will start to shift.”

How to reduce belly fat with exercise

Diet is a major part of the equation, but you can also lower your belly fat with a strategic workout plan. Since you can’t reduce fat in one area, you’ll have to focus on a full-body burn. The good news? That means you’ll be trim and lean all over, not just your mid-section. To torch fat, holistic nutritionist and certified personal trainer Ashley Walter recommends weight training and fasted exercise.

“Studies have found that exercising in a fasted state can burn nearly 20 percent more fat.[ref url=”https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition/article/breakfast-and-exercise-contingently-affect-postprandial-metabolism-and-energy-balance-in-physically-active-males/9DAC8DE59DEEF7926E81FF2BB2C5B7EB”] Your body likes to burn the fuel that you’ve eaten most recently. So if you don’t have any fuel because you didn’t eat, then your body turns to what it has stored — aka fat,” Walter says.

Walter suggests fasted exercise in the morning, when you’re least likely to have food in your belly.

HIIT is the best way to torch body and belly fat

If your goal is to burn fat, the quality of your sweat session makes a difference. “The ultimate workouts are rest-free, move fast, and incorporate non-repetitive full-body moves until failure,” Walter says.

Translation: Go hard until your muscles say, “no more.” Beginners should consult with their physician and a certified fitness trainer to avoid injury.

High-intensity interval training (HIIT) delivers the biggest return on your energy investment — and you don’t have to spend hours in the gym to benefit from it. HIIT combines resistance and aerobic training by alternating between periods of intense exercise and active rest in one powerful routine.

Below, you’ll find workouts that torch belly fat all over, plus targeted ab exercises for a chiseled, selfie-worthy core. Big thanks to NASM-certified personal trainers Kyra Williams and Ramsey Bergeron for their insight.

For more sample routines and tips to upgrade your workout, check out the Bulletproof Exercise Roadmap.

HIIT workouts to lose belly fat (and full-body fluff, too)

Workout A: Bodyweight and cardio

Repeat this circuit 10 times:

30 seconds burpees
30 seconds walking in place

Then, hop on the treadmill or hit the track:

Run for 1 minute
Walk for 90 seconds
Repeat for a total of 20 minutes

Why it works: Burpees are a full-body workout that don’t require any equipment. You’re targeting multiple muscles as you work, which increases your overall energy expenditure. Plus, capping your workout with a HIIT sprint session will help you reap the benefits of an aerobic workout without having to go on a distance run. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

How to do a burpee:

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms at your sides.
Drop into a low squat.
Put your palms on the floor directly in front of you, between your feet.
Jump your feet straight back and land in a plank position.
Jump your feet forward as they were in step 3.
Straighten your arms over your head and jump upwards.
When your feet touch the floor, immediately start the cycle again by lowering into a squat.

Workout B: Push-pull-core superset

Do each of these exercises one after the other:

10 reps dumbbell bench
10 reps single-leg squat, both legs
60-second plank

Rest 30 seconds. Then, repeat the circuit 3 – 4 times.

Why it works: Supersets are awesome for HIIT workouts. Instead of taking a break between moves, you perform specific exercises one after another in quick succession. According to Bergeron, “The more muscles you can safely incorporate into the exercise, the more calories it burns and the more functional it tends to be. Plus, it saves you time.”

Plus, when you superset opposing muscle groups (like you do in this workout), you maintain an elevated heart rate — which leads to a more effective fat burn. This workout uses dumbbells, but you can also use a barbell or machines.

Whatever weight you use, you should feel torched by the last rep without sacrificing safety. If you’ve never lifted weights before, it’s a good idea to work with a trainer or try a weightlifting class at a gym ahead of time. (Plus, picking up heavy things and putting them down again is fun.)

How to do a dumbbell bench press:

Sit on a bench with the dumbbells resting on your lower thighs.
Use your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up. Bring them to your shoulders and lie back on the bench.
Face your palms away from you. Hold the dumbbells at the sides of your chest. Your upper arm and forearm should form a 90-degree angle.
Exhale as you press the dumbbells up until your arms are fully extended.
Inhale as you slowly lower the weight to your chest.

How to do a single-leg squat:

Stand with dumbbells held to your sides. Face away from a bench. Extend one leg back and place your foot on top of the bench.
Keep your torso upright. Exhale as you flex your front knee to squat down. The knee of your rear leg should almost touch the floor. The knee of your front leg should not pass your toe line.
Inhale as you drive through the heel of your front leg to return to the starting position.
Perform 10 reps, then switch legs.

How to do a plank:

Lay belly-down on a mat. Support your weight with your toes and forearms. Your elbows should be below your shoulders.
Hold the position. Your spine should form a straight line. To make it harder, extend a leg or arm.

Workout C: Bulletproof resistance workout

Perform 10 sets of each of these moves with a 30-second rest in between:

Pull-ups
Dumbbell squats
Push-ups
Dumbbell deadlifts

Repeat the circuit 3 – 4 times.

Why it works: Straight out of the Bulletproof Exercise Roadmap, this workout is designed to help you build muscle by hitting every major muscle group. Resistance training boosts your insulin sensitivity and metabolic rate.

How to do a pull-up:

Pull-ups are a powerful upper-body exercise because they activate your back, shoulders, and upper arms, but they can be challenging if you’re just starting out. To make it easier, use an assisted chin-up machine or ask a spotter to hold your legs.

Grasp a pull-up bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Your arms should be fully extended.
Pull your body up until your chin is above the bar.
Slowly lower your body back to the starting position.

How to do a dumbbell squat:

Squats are the ultimate lower-body exercise because they activate your quads, glutes, hamstrings, calves, lower back, and abdominal muscles. The steps below suggest dumbbells, but you can use a barbell, kettlebell, or machine for added resistance.

Stand with your legs shoulder-width apart while holding dumbbells at your sides.
Bend your knees as you lower into a squat. Keep your head up, your torso straight, and your knees pointed in the same direction as your feet.
Descend until your thighs are parallel to the floor. Your knees should not pass over your toe line.
Exhale as you drive through your heels to standing.

How to do a push-up:

Push-ups are a simple bodyweight exercise that activate your chest muscles, upper arms, and abdominals.

Lie on the floor. Hold your weight on your hands with your arms fully extended. Your palms should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
Inhale as you lower yourself downward. Your chest should almost touch the floor. Your elbows should form a 90-degree angle.
Exhale as you straighten your arms and push your body back to the starting position.

How to do dumbbell deadlifts:

Deadlifts target your hamstrings, glutes, lower back, and abdominals.

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand. Your feet should be shoulder-width apart.
With your knees mostly straight, hinge forward at the hips to lower dumbbells toward the tops of your feet. Your hips should move back as you hinge forward, and you should feel tension in your hamstrings.
Extend your hips and straighten back to standing.

Ab exercises to upgrade your next workout

You’ve cleaned up your diet. You’ve found a workout routine you love. With a few targeted core exercises, you can chisel your abs to reveal that six-pack you’ve always wanted once you burn off all the extra padding. Add these high-intensity core exercises to the end of your routine.

Why save them for the end? Your abdominal muscles help stabilize your spine when you’re performing compound movements. You want them to be ready to support your core when you’re doing squats or burpees, not fatigued and burnt out. Isolate your abs at the end of your workout to safely trigger muscle growth without compromising form.

Fat-blasting ab circuit

Perform each exercise for 60 seconds, one after another. Rest 1 minute. Repeat 2 – 3 times, or until your abs feel like jelly.

Pike-ups
Medicine ball throws
Bicycle crunches
Plank

How to do a pike-up:

This ultra-effective move targets your abdominals and your hip flexors. You can do it without any equipment, but for maximum benefits, take a page out of Bergeron’s book: “I love pike-ups on a ball or with a TRX,” he says. TRX refers to suspension training ropes.

How to do it:

Get into a push-up position with a stability ball below your shins. Your hands should be shoulder-width apart.
Raise your hips and bend your knees. Tuck your knees to your chest as you roll your shins over the top of the ball.
Return to the starting position by extending your hips and knees.

How to do medicine ball throws:

This exercise gets bonus fun points because you get to throw stuff. Do it with a partner or against a sturdy wall. Bergeron recommends throwing the medicine ball while your back is on a stability ball to really isolate your core and extend your range of motion.

Sit with your knees bent and hold a medicine ball with both hands. Face a sturdy wall or your partner.
Lie back with the ball over your head. Once the ball touches the floor, sit up and throw the ball over your head. Aim for the wall or your partner’s hands.
Catch the ball above your head. Control the momentum as you bring the ball back down to the floor.
Sit up and continue throwing and catching the ball.

How to do bicycle crunches:

Bicycle crunches stimulate the abs along the front and sides of your core, and they don’t require any equipment.

Lie on the ground with your lower back flat on the mat. Get in a crunch position and place your hands on the sides of your head.
Bring your legs up and bend your knees. Your lower legs should be parallel to the floor.
Twist your core so your right elbow touches your left knee. As you twist, extend your right leg out.
Crunch to the opposite side: Bring your left elbow to your right knee and extend your left leg out.
Repeat the crunch and cycle motion. Keep your core engaged the entire time, and pedal with controlled, steady motions.

Have you tried one of these workouts? Share your experience in the comments.

31 Small Steps to Upgrade Your Life and Be Bulletproof

December 31, 2018 by Team Asprey

[tldr]

Here’s the secret to transforming your diet, fitness, and mindset: Make small, positive changes that build up over time.
When you upgrade your biology, you’re biohacking your way to a better life. That’s what being Bulletproof is all about.
Below, you’ll find 31 steps to becoming a stronger, more resilient, more powerful you. Adopt one of the principles, or adopt them all.
Use the hashtag #IamBulletproof on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter so we can follow along on your journey.

[/tldr]

Want to be your best self? Being Bulletproof is a mindset. It doesn’t mean overhauling your entire diet or drinking Bulletproof Coffee every morning. Being Bulletproof means you’re working toward a stronger version of yourself.

Every small choice you make matters. That’s because positive change builds up over time to create lasting results.

When you upgrade your body and mind, you’re biohacking your way to a better life. Biohacking is the art and science of taking control of your own biology to be more resilient — mentally and physically. That’s what being Bulletproof is all about. It means working toward a stronger version of yourself, one step at a time.

Adopt one of the Bulletproof principles below, or adopt them all. Either way, you’re on the path to becoming more awesome.

How to use this post

Below, you’ll find 31 small steps to become more energized, more focused, and more resilient.

You can follow along and do one hack every day, or skip the ones that don’t appeal to you. There’s no shame in passing on a day or going at your own pace — but the more you do, the better you’ll feel.

Did you swap grain-fed meat for grass-fed meat?

Did you meditate this morning?

Did you walk 20 minutes today, instead of zero?

Use the hashtag #IamBulletproof on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter so we can follow along on your journey.

Want to follow an illustrated guide instead? Download the free Bulletproof 30-Day Upgrade to supercharge your brain and body in just a month, including tips, recipes, and meal plans.

31 small steps to becoming Bulletproof

1. Get your kitchen ready

Plan your attack for the month by giving yourself a day or two to prepare your kitchen. Clean out your shelves of bread, pasta, candy, sugar, factory-farmed meat, and vegetable oils. They’re sneaky sources of antinutrients that tank your energy, wreck your gut, and make you put on fat. Learn more here.

Then, stock up on high-quality fats like grass-fed butter and MCT oil, plenty of organic vegetables, grass-fed beef, pasture-raised eggs, and wild-caught fish. Here’s a complete roadmap of which foods to eat and which ones to avoid.

Oh, and ditch the breakfast cereal. If you want to start your morning with way more energy, focus, and time, try Bulletproof Coffee. Find out how to make it and why it works.

2. Choose one thing to be grateful for

Gratitude is one of the simplest ways to build your happiness. Find something you’re grateful for today and write it down, keep it in the “Notes” app in your phone, or just take some time to think about it. Focus on the feeling it brings up in your body.

Try sharing your gratitude with your partner or a friend. This way you can keep each other accountable and keep the practice going. Find out how to use gratitude to rewire your brain.

3. Drink more water

Your detox organs — your liver, kidneys, and skin — depend on water to do their jobs effectively. Drink enough water to keep your body hydrated and working efficiently. Shoot for half your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 150 pounds, aim to drink about 75 ounces per day. Heads up: Water quality matters. Learn about the difference between tap and filtered water.

4. Get up, stand up

The phrase “sitting is the new smoking” gets thrown around a lot these days. Research shows that it’s true — how much you sit is one of the strongest predictors of mortality.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4960753/”] It tightens your muscles, slows your metabolism down, and drives high blood sugar and weight gain. Yikes.

Starting today, make it a point to stand up every 20 to 40 minutes. Set a timer if you have to. You can also find a higher surface like a counter or some stacked books to create your own standing desk. Ditch TV tonight and take a walk, or do some crunches while you watch. Find even more ways to upgrade your workspace here.

5. Replace morning carbs with healthy fat

Carbohydrates from bread, pastries, cereal, fruit, oatmeal, and sugary foods will sap your energy and lead to brain fog and inflammation. They’ll also send your blood sugar into a yo-yo, meaning you’ll crash around noon.

Fat is different: It provides stable energy for hours and actually encourages your body to burn fat for fuel. Start by removing carbs from breakfast and replacing them with foods that actually make you feel good, like pastured eggs with avocado or some wild salmon. Or just drink a creamy cup of Bulletproof Coffee. It has all the energy you need to power through your morning with laser-sharp focus. Get the recipe here.

6. Hug someone

Oxytocin, nicknamed the “cuddle hormone,” increases romantic attachment, social bonding, empathy, relaxation, and trust. It reduces anxiety, too. That means it’s a great hack for your mental health — and getting a bump of oxytocin is easy.

Today, hug someone for an uncomfortably long period of time. Women release oxytocin after a 3-second hug. Men release it after a 6-second one. Not sure who to hug? You can pet a dog instead, and you’ll both release oxytocin.

7. Start foam rolling

Foam rolling is different than stretching. It breaks up knots in your muscles to restore normal blood flow. That encourages oxygen and nutrient delivery throughout your body and into your cells. Foam rolling will likely hurt, especially if you’re not used to it and work out a lot. Do it anyway. You’ll increase your range of motion and decrease pain. Learn more about the benefits of foam rolling here.

8. Add some color to every meal

Today, try to eat the rainbow. Brightly colored vegetables contain fiber and antioxidants, which clean up the free radicals that contribute to chronic disease. The polyphenols found in brightly colored vegetables are particularly potent. They fight free radicals and act as prebiotics, feeding good bacteria in your gut. That’s a big deal because a healthy gut microbiome can help you lose weight, curb inflammation, and boost your mood. Learn more about gut health here.

For some extra good-for-you fat, drown your veggies in grass-fed butter or ghee. Choose vegetables from this list in every meal to keep your gut in good shape.

9. Stretch out

Stretching increases blood flow to heal your muscles, helps prevent injury, and builds stronger joints. Yoga is a great way to learn how to stretch and move your body, and it has tons of other benefits, too. Yoga has been shown to relieve chronic pain, decrease anxiety, and reduce stress. Try a local yoga class today, or look up some stretching videos on YouTube. This series of back pain stretches borrows from foundational yoga moves to provide much-needed relief.

10. Get some sun

Sunlight is great for your skin, eyes, and mitochondria. The key is to get the right dose. Spend 10 to 15 minutes in direct sunlight today (and every day, ideally). Expose as much skin as you can without getting arrested. If you start to burn, you’ve gone too long. Scale it back by a couple minutes next time.

Sunlight stimulates vitamin D production, testosterone, blood flow, and feel-good dopamine. Sunscreen companies want you to believe that you should never go out in the sun without protection. In reality, sun-exposed skin actually has a far lower risk of cancer than covered skin.

Having access to real, unfiltered sunlight is not optional. It’s so important that it was cited as one of the things leaders, innovators, and mavericks do to win at life in Bulletproof founder Dave Asprey’s book, “Game Changers.” Pick it up now.

11. Eat more fat

Power your brain, support your hormones, and enhance mitochondrial function by eating more fat today. Versatile sources of high-quality fat in the Bulletproof Diet include wild-caught fish, avocado, coconut oil, and Brain Octane Oil (a concentrated MCT oil derived completely from coconuts). You’ll find all the inspo you need on the Bulletproof Recipes page.

To learn which fats will make you feel good and which will sap your energy, check out this guide to dietary fats. Heads up: You’re going to want to throw out that old bottle of canola oil.

12. Go for a walk

Take a 20-minute walk sometime today, preferably outdoors. Walking will sharpen your memory and cognition. It’ll also loosen your muscles, strengthen joints, boost your metabolism, and circulate lymph to remove metabolic waste from your system. Your body is made to move. Oblige it.

Strapped for time? You can reap all the benefits of walking by spending just five minutes on a Bulletproof Vibe. If you’re in Los Angeles, you can use a Vibe for free at the Bulletproof Café and the LA Arts District Store.

13. Get creative

Whether you simply read a poem or pick up those old watercolors, engage your creative brain in some way. This may lead to your next big idea or breakthrough at work. Creativity is a skill, and it’ll grow if you make it into a habit. Creativity builds new pathways in your brain and strengthens your analytical thinking, too.

Today, do something creative. It doesn’t have to be big or extraordinary. Draw, dance, write, sing, cook, plant a flower, play guitar, make up a new workout — whatever you enjoy. It’ll keep your brain young and strong. Learn more about the best ways to strengthen brain function.

14. Blackout your bedroom

Want to function at your best? Go to sleep. You don’t need a lot of it, as long as you focus on sleeping better, not longer. To make that happen today, cover your windows, turn off electronics, and use electrical tape to cover light that’s peeking through stubborn screens. Your room should feel like a cave.

Why is this so important? Light pollution can impact the quality of your shut-eye. That’s bad news because sleep is critical for tissue repair, detoxing, muscle and brain growth, and hormonal production. To learn how to upgrade your sleep in 30 days, check out the Bulletproof 30-Day Sleep Challenge.

15. Switch to grass-fed meat

Grass-fed beef and grain-fed beef are two completely different foods. Grass-fed meat contains more antioxidants, omega-3s and other beneficial fatty acids, trace minerals, and vitamins. Grain-fed beef contains added hormones and fatty acid profiles that make you feel sick, fat, and definitely not Bulletproof.

Today, pick up some grass-fed beef, lamb, or bison and check out the Bulletproof Recipe page for dinner ideas. Want to learn more about the benefits of switching to grass-fed? Listen to Asprey speak with Mike Salguero, CEO and founder of ButcherBox, about why quality meat matters for you and the planet in this episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast.

16. Relax and play

Most people work too hard these days. Block out time in your schedule to have fun: Pencil a couple hours of relaxation into your day, and treat the time as seriously as you would a meeting.

If you feel guilty about taking time off, remember that relaxing will make you far more productive. Look at your playtime as part of work. Chase your kids around the house. Take your dog to the park. Hike. Read. Do yoga. Try sensory deprivation. Meditate. Go for a drive with music cranked up and sing along.

Whatever you do, enjoy it. Life is too short to spend your days working all the time. Caveat: zoning out in front of the TV doesn’t count.

17. Upgrade your vocabulary

This is a great step to take during a workday. Eliminate the words “need,” “can’t,” “bad,” and “try” from your vocabulary. Weasel words limit you mentally. You’ll discover that it’s hard to get through a day without using them. Replace them with active, impactful words and actions. Don’t try to make better choices for your health — do them.

18. Change your brain with music

People talking, the sight of colorful computer screens, folks moving around the office — these distractions sap your time and focus. Certain kinds of music interrupt your brain’s response to distractions and help you stay on track with the task at hand. Specifically, binaural beats can increase your concentration. Learn more about them here, including a free Spotify playlist.

19. Skip breakfast and fast instead

Fasting can increase your lifespan, improve your lipid profile, make you more resilient to stress, increase mental clarity, and help you lose fat.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21021020″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22889512″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2253665″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17616757″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC156352″] [ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20534972 “] Intermittent fasting (IF) is a more practical spin on a traditional long-term fast. You eat all your meals in a 6-hour window. The easiest way to do it? Try Bulletproof Intermittent Fasting, which gives you the benefits of a fast without the hunger and crash. Learn more about the benefits of intermittent fasting with this beginner’s guide.

20. Work on your mobility

Pain isn’t normal. It’s your body’s way of telling you you’re doing something wrong, and you should probably listen. Mobility goes beyond traditional stretching. It involves soft tissue massage, dynamic movement, and strengthening exercises, too.

Ready to get started with some functional movement today? Try the Bear Walk and the Crab Crawl from this post. Kelly Starrett, one of the best mobility experts in the world, has tons of free videos online. You can listen to him talk about mobility on this episode of the Bulletproof Radio podcast.

21. Breathe good air

Do you think about the air you breathe as nutrition? Indoor air may have mold, dust, industrial gases from furniture, and all kinds of other junk. Outdoor air is far cleaner. Go outside this morning and fill your lungs by inhaling deeply into your belly through your nose and exhaling slowly through your mouth.

Can’t get away from the office? Work outside at a cafe for a portion of the day, if your job allows. Make sure you stand up, move around, and feel the sunshine on your face. Even if you’re stuck at your desk, take a break and step outside. Use these breathing exercises to strengthen your brain and release tension. You’ll like the way you feel.

22. Get rid of one of your possessions

Don’t let your things own you. Minimalism encourages getting rid of material goods so you can focus more on what matters — experience, family, friends, and whatever else brings you joy. You can embrace minimalism without getting rid of all your possessions and living out of a backpack. Instead, only buy and keep the things that bring you joy long-term.

Today, think of all the things you could trash, recycle or donate. Commit to getting rid of at least one thing that no longer serves you.

23. Have a conversation with a stranger

Exercise your social muscle. Do this especially if it freaks you out. Practice makes perfect, after all. If you aren’t sure what to say, ask a question or pay them a compliment. Learn more about beating social anxiety and upgrading your social life.

24. Do a digital detox

Technology use — social media use, in particular — correlates strongly with depression and anxiety.[ref url=”https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5143470/”] Give your brain a break. Say goodbye to Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, internet TV, video games, and all other technology for at least 24 hours.

Can’t go a full day? Start small, like uninstalling your most-used social media app. You might be surprised by how difficult it is at first. Power through; you’ll feel more focused and present after you do it a couple times.

25. Make yourself uncomfortable

The only way to see what lies beyond your fears is to face them. Plus, being consistently comfortable puts you into a state of complacency. Today, start training for a Spartan race, take a cold shower, or try rejection therapy. It’s good for you.

26. HIIT it

Torch fat and reap the benefits of exercise in less time today with HIIT (aka high-intensity interval training). HIIT alternates between brief, strenuous exercise and periods of active rest. This might look like a 60-second sprint, followed by push-ups, followed by walking. Check out this post for a sample workout and get moving.

Why should you try HIIT? Studies say that it may be more effective than either resistance training or aerobic exercise alone. It helps your brain perform better. It’s also super efficient, offering the benefits of longer workouts without having to spend ages at the gym.

27. Deepen your connection with a loved one

The quality and quantity of your relationships affect your mental health, your behavior, your physical health, and even your risk of mortality. Today, sit with someone you care about and spend quality time together. Leave your phones in another room and shut off the TV. Not sure where to start? Ask each other some of these questions.

28. Meditate

Today, start with just 5 minutes of meditation. Over time, work your way up to 10 to 20 minutes per day. Among other benefits, meditation relieves stress, boosts your immune system, and eases anxiety and depression. Don’t think you need to sit for ages — it’s better to be consistent and form a habit over time.

Set aside five minutes right when you wake up, right before you go to sleep, or even while you’re in line at the post office. Check out this full guided practice with Barry Morguelan, MD, a double-board certified gastroenterologist and internal medicine doctor.

29. Throw away your multivitamins

Supplements are a double-edged sword. The wrong ones can do more damage than good, but the right ones can massively improve your health, even if you already eat a great diet. Check out this step-by-step guide to nutrients that increase energy and performance.

30. Take a cold shower

Cold showers are cryotherapy 101. This may sound excruciating, but the benefits are worth it. Cold exposure decreases inflammation, speeds up recovery, and can help you burn fat and sleep better.

Start by blasting your entire body with cold water at the end of your shower today. Over time, try to work your way up to 30 seconds or a minute. If that’s too intense, try this easy workaround.

31. Upgrade your brain

Nootropics (aka smart drugs) are compounds that enhance brain function. For many people, they’re an effective way to give your mind an extra boost. Today’s hack is to read this post and pick a smart drug to add to your supplement stack.

Congratulations. You made it to the end. Did you try something new? How did it feel? Did these small hacks inspire you to rekindle a lost habit? Share your story of how you’re becoming more Bulletproof in the comments below. Post about your experience on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter with the hashtag #IAmBulletproof.

Ready for more ways to upgrade your body and mind? Download the free Bulletproof 30-Day Upgrade to supercharge your brain and body in just a month. You’ll have access to tips, recipes, and meal plans to help you feel like your best self, one day at a time.

Get on
“The Inside Track”
with Dave

See What Trouble Dave’s Getting Into on Social

Start hacking your way to better than standard performance and results.

Is Your Diet Full of Heavy Metals? Here’s Why You Should Get Tested

Heavy metals in food: Why they matter

The most common foods with heavy metals

Heavy metal detox tips

What is kratom?

The benefits of kratom

The downsides to kratom

Kratom dosage and how to take

The ideal temperature to biohack your body

Ideal sleeping temperature

How temperature impacts exercise

How temperature affects your metabolic rate

Focus

Mood

How to hack your body’s thermostat

The ultimate way to burn belly fat

How to reduce belly fat with exercise

HIIT is the best way to torch body and belly fat

HIIT workouts to lose belly fat (and full-body fluff, too)

Workout A: Bodyweight and cardio

Workout B: Push-pull-core superset

Workout C: Bulletproof resistance workout

Ab exercises to upgrade your next workout

Fat-blasting ab circuit

How to use this post

31 small steps to becoming Bulletproof

1. Get your kitchen ready

2. Choose one thing to be grateful for

3. Drink more water

4. Get up, stand up

5. Replace morning carbs with healthy fat

6. Hug someone

7. Start foam rolling

8. Add some color to every meal

9. Stretch out

10. Get some sun

11. Eat more fat

12. Go for a walk

13. Get creative

14. Blackout your bedroom

15. Switch to grass-fed meat

16. Relax and play

17. Upgrade your vocabulary

18. Change your brain with music

19. Skip breakfast and fast instead

20. Work on your mobility

21. Breathe good air

22. Get rid of one of your possessions

23. Have a conversation with a stranger

24. Do a digital detox

25. Make yourself uncomfortable

26. HIIT it

27. Deepen your connection with a loved one

28. Meditate

29. Throw away your multivitamins

30. Take a cold shower

31. Upgrade your brain

Get on “The Inside Track” with Dave

See What Trouble Dave’s Getting Into on Social

Start hacking your way to better than standard performance and results.

Get on
“The Inside Track”
with Dave