← The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance
The Human Upgrade: Biohacking for Longevity & Performance
Just 1 Gram Activates Your Deep Focus Switch (Take THIS) : 1484
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How many nights have you stared at the ceiling counting the hours until morning? Maybe you tried a sleep supplement, but it knocked you out and left you groggy like you traded one problem for another. Poor sleep doesn't just make you tired, it kills your performance, slows your brain down and speeds up aging. Kill Switch from Switch Supplements solves that problem. It works with your biology instead of against it. It contains five gut friendly, extensively researched ingredients like GABA magnesium glycinate and tart cherry extract to help you fall asleep naturally, stay asleep and wake up clear. And it's in the form of a delicious sugar free, no BS hot cocoa drink. Sleep tracking data proves how well it works. People consistently hit 90 plus sleep scores and more than double their REM sleep in only three days with kill Switch. If you're ready for the best sleep of your life, order now@switchsupplements.com and use code DAVE for 20% off. If you don't sleep better, you get your money back. Kill Switch works with your biology. Your body does the rest. Tired of overpaying with DirecTV? Dish offers a reliable low price every month without surprises. Get the TV you love and start watching live sports news and the latest movies, plus your favorite streaming apps all in one place. Switch to Dish today and lock in the lowest price in satellite TV, starting at $89.99 a month with our two year price guarantee. Call 888-add-d Dish or visit dish.com today. Over the last 15 years, I built multiple companies, done more than a billion in revenue, written nine bestselling books, including New York Times bestsellers, and spent millions testing what really upgrades human performance. And here's what no one's going to tell you. Focus is not a discipline problem. Even the smartest, most driven people lose focus for one simple reason. Their brains burn through a key molecule faster than your body can replace it. When that molecule drops, your reaction time slows, you get more tired, you get mental fatigue, and no amount of willpower or trying will bring your focus back. Because it's biology. But there's a common vitamin that refills this molecule fast, and it puts your brain into deep work mode easily. The pharmaceutical industry won't tell you about it. Why? Because it competes with expensive, focused drugs that treat symptoms doesn't address a root cause. In the next few minutes, I'm going to show you exactly what this vitamin is, how it works, and how you can use it to unlock effortless focus. Most people think they lose focus because they're distracted. They blame their phone they blame their lack of discipline. They push harder. They download productivity apps, set timers, block websites, force themselves to sit still and fight through the mental resistance. But when their focus still falls apart, they blame themselves even more. And you think the problems, your habits or your motivation, maybe even who you are as a person, creates a frustrating loop. You feel drained, so you try harder. But the extra effort just makes you more tired and burns you out. And before you know it, you're exhausted. You're telling yourself, next time, I'll have more discipline. Here's the truth, though. Mental fatigue has almost nothing to do with effort. It's not about trying harder. It's about brain chemistry. When your brain runs out of the chemicals it needs to focus, your attention will collapse for biological reasons, not for willpower reasons. Your focus doesn't disappear because you're lazy. It disappears because your brain can't keep up. And there are two things that cause that breakdown. First, your neurotransmitters start to dip. And second, oxidative stress slows down signaling in your brain. Let me explain. Focus happens in a specific part of your brain called the prefrontal cortex. That's where attention, decision making, and working memory happen. Like up here. This part of your brain doesn't care about motivational speeches. It doesn't respond to productivity hacks. It responds to chemistry. For peak cognitive performance, there are three chemical messengers that really matter. There's dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine. And dopamine drives motivation and focus. Norepinephrine sharpens your attention and helps you filter distractions and feel energized. Acetylcholine increases precision, it increases learning, and it helps with working memory. So if those chemicals don't work because they're spiking and crashing, you're not going to work. They have to stay steady. When dopamine drops, work feels pointless. You're not going to be able to use willpower because you just can't care about it enough to use willpower power. When norepinephrine drops, distractions just take over. And when acetylcholine drops, the stakes start piling up. At that point, you can't focus, no matter how hard you try. And even if you could, you'd make a bunch of mistakes. So even if you feel ready to work, your brain just can't fire the way you want it to. That's when your focus collapses. It's not your fault. Your brain simply doesn't have the chemistry to keep going. That happened to me. In the middle of Wharton business school, believe it or not. Which is why I can share some of this with you today, because I got out of it. So. The real key to focus isn't about willpower. It's about supporting your brain chemistry so your attention can stay locked in when you want it to. When your neurotransmitters are balanced, your focus doesn't feel like a battle. It's effortless. Brain just naturally locks into a task. You get smooth signaling in your brain, and mental resistance, it's just not there. So deep work isn't a random thing anymore. It's something that you can choose to do. It's something you create whenever you want. But there's another issue. Your brain's signals slow down when oxidative stress builds up. So every time your neurons fire, they create energy. And every time they create energy, they also create oxidation. And that means oxidative byproducts. Things like free radicals. They're highly reactive, and they can damage your cells. And when you're thinking hard, that process speeds up, the same as it would if you were working out hard. Long work sessions flood your brain with free radicals, and most people mistake it for boredom or lack of interest. But it's something else. It's signal interference. Your brain's wiring can't send clean signals anymore, so the brain fog sets in. Your neurons can't fire in order the way they're supposed to. You get slower signaling, and when you try to focus, it feels slow and heavy. And your prefrontal cortex gets tired because it's spending energy trying to mop up free radicals. Instead of helping you think you're. Your brain's stuck in damage control instead of powering your thoughts. So your reaction times in studies slow down, and mental exhaustion hits you way earlier than it should. And that's why you lose focus. Even though you're still motivated, your brain wants to keep working, but it's fighting against all this internal mess. It's your hardware, not your software. Oxidative stress doesn't scream for attention. It just quietly chips away your performance until your mind feels sluggish. No amount of willpower can fix it. It's happening at the cellular level. So if you want to maintain deep focus, your brain needs an antioxidant buffer. When you keep oxidative stress under control, your neurons can fire at exactly the right time. Your mitochondria focus on producing energy instead of fixing things. And your clarity lasts longer. Even if you're grinding it out during a long problem solving session. The Best antioxidant buffer for your brain is a vitamin most people even think about. You probably know it as a vitamin you take when you feel a cold coming on. Maybe you think of oranges or flu season, but no one thinks of it as something that helps with focus or brain power. But your brain sees it as essential. That vitamin is good, old fashioned vitamin C, and your brain will hoard it. Neurons can store vitamin C at levels 100 times higher than what's in your blood. Think about that for a second. Your brain wouldn't stockpile it unless it was critical. And vitamin C sits at the center of focused chemistry. Your brain can't make dopamine, norepinephrine, or acetylcholine without it. So if you're low on vitamin C, neurotransmitter production just slows down. Doesn't matter what else you're eating, vitamin C will stabilize your neurotransmitters. It'll keep them from breaking down too quickly, and it helps your neurons fire cleanly. So when you start supplementing with vitamin C, the effects can be really obvious. If you're depleted because your reaction times get faster, your attention doesn't take effort, and mental fatigue just goes away because your brain isn't wasting energy on cleanup, that extra energy goes to thinking Vitamin C restores that thing your brain burns through the fastest. And when those neurotransmitters are stable, your focus feels effortless. Signals, they just move faster in your brain. And your brain works the way it's supposed to and the way you want it to. And this is something that I struggle with greatly for the first 30 years of my life. It's not a problem for me anymore. So here's how to use vitamin C the right way. Think of it like a performance tool, not a random supplement. You do not need large doses of vitamin C. In fact, they can be harmful. So you start with 250 milligrams a day. Take it 30 to 60 minutes before your deep work session. That way it peaks when your brain is going to need it the most. If your stomach feels sensitive, you can use a buffered form or take it with food. Don't mix it with stimulants right away, unless you take the stimulants every day, like, you know, coffee, in which case, go for it. Just pay attention to your focus. When you add vitamin C, notice how long it takes you to get into the zone, how quickly distractions pull you out, and how much you actually get done. And that's going to tell you if your focus problem was about chemistry instead of discipline. One important note here. Because some vitamin C is good for you, it doesn't mean more is better. Megadosing vitamin C can massively increase something called your oxalate burden. 70% of kidney stones are caused by plants, and oxalate and vitamin C can amplify that effect. That's why I would cap supplemental vitamin c at about 250 milligrams per day on a really big day, 250 in the morning, 250 at night. But you don't need mega dosing. And for most people, that's more than enough to saturate your tissues without creating unnecessary risk. And strangely, humans are one of the few mammals who can't make our own vitamin C on board. We have to get it from food or supplements. You're losing hair on your head and collagen in your skin right now, even though you probably can't see it yet. That process speeds up as you age and it doesn't reverse on its own. But you can intervene at the cellular level. Studies show that specific wavelengths of red and near infrared light will stimulate your hair follicles, and that does support collagen production. Irestore has been making red light therapy devices that actually work for over two decades. And with their summer savings event, it's the perfect time to upgrade your hair in skincare. The Irestore Elite is their most advanced laser hair growth system, using 300 lasers and 200 LEDs, which helps you regrow thicker, healthier hair in about three months. And it is really easy to use. You can wear it while you're working, while you're reading or unwinding at night. And The Illumina Face Mask360 medical grade LEDs can turn red, infrared or even blue light at the same time to target all of your different skin concerns. Just 10 minutes a few times a week gives you brighter, smoother and healthier looking skin. I've been using the Irestore Elite and the Illumina Face mask while I work at home but not on video and they fit into my normal routine with no extra time cost. I really like it because I don't lose any time when I use it. Irestore is so confident you'll love their products that they give you a 12 month money back guarantee. That's because it actually works. You will see more hair. Irestore is kicking off their summer savings event with some huge discounts on their red light therapy devices. You can save on customer favorites like the Irestore Elite helmet and the Illumina face mask. Just head to irestore.com, use code Dave to take advantage of the sale. That's Dave@irestore.com Please support the show and tell them we sent you. Give your hair and skin the upgrade they deserve so you can feel confident and refreshed. Want to know which foods and supplements work best for your body? VIOME takes the guesswork out of it. Their full body intelligence test reads your rna, not your DNA. So you see what's happening in your body right now. While standard labs measure around 100 markers, Viome's AI analyzes over 10,000 active pathways across your gut, oral and cellular health. Then it translates that into perfect personalized food and supplement recommendations built for your unique biology. They'll tell you what foods to eat and which ones to avoid. They even create custom supplements and oral care products based on your results. So what you're getting is what will work for your body, not someone else's. Your results update as your lifestyle changes, so your plan evolves with you. Check it out@viome.com and use code 10D A V E for 10% off. It's time to stop guessing and start knowing your body. Vitamin C only works if your brain can actually use it. So most people think if you take a supplement it's going to feed your brain right away. So they pop a pill, expect better focus and nothing happens. They give up. You assume a vitamin C didn't do anything. The truth? The problem isn't the vitamin, it's how your body gets it. Cuz your brain doesn't just soak up vitamin C on its own. It needs special transporters called STB CT2, which can carry vitamin C across the blood brain barrier. And those transporters don't always work the way they should. Sometimes they're overwhelmed. If they're blocked, vitamin C can't make it to your neurons. Here's what causes the issue. High blood sugar competes with vitamin C to get into your cells. Chronic inflammation slows down the transporters. So if your liver can't recycle vitamin C properly, most of it stays inactive. And if you have a mineral imbalance, it's going to throw off your whole system. All that means you can take vitamin C, but it's not going to do much if you can't get it into your brain. So here's what you need to do. You create the right conditions to let vitamin C actually work. So cut down on sugars a few hours before taking it. Avoid high GLYCEMIC meals when you dose, so there's no competition for uptake. And add some omega 3 fats to improve how your neurons absorb and use nutrients like that vitamin C. And remember, good sleep. It lowers inflammation, helps those transporters work better. Make sure that you're hydrated and you're getting enough magnesium and other electrolytes. Why? Because hydration and magnesium are key for recycling vitamin C instead of just wasting it. When you do these things, something changes. Vitamin C can actually cross into your brain. When it does, it can be like flipping a switch. Your focus is sharper, your attention lasts longer, and thinking gets easier. Because your neurons have the fuel and the protection they need. Can notice the difference. It's not subtle when everything works right. But even that won't be enough if oxidative stress keeps building up. And here's the thing. Modern life is making it hard to focus on anything we know. Screens blast your brain with endless stimulation. Stress burns through your antioxidant reserves. Toxins in your environment make even more free radicals in your brain and the rest of your body. And if you're working nonstop, your brain's energy system, it can just get overloaded. Even if it's fun work, it can be too much. What happens next is frustrating. You've seen your focus kicks in for a while and then fades again. Clarity comes and it goes, and it's not available on demand. Feels like your focus button is flickering instead of staying steady. Why? Because that vitamin C can get burned up fast. And the moment it enters your neurons, oxidative stress neutralizes it. Stress hormones like cortisol drain it even faster. Excess glutamate, which is your brain's main excitatory signal. It'll push your neurons closer to overload. So instead of helping the brain focus, vitamin C is stuck cleaning up the mess. Here's how you fix it. You need to lower the background oxidative stress so vitamin C can actually do its job. You're starting with 250 milligrams of vitamin C per day. And if your stomach doesn't love that, you could split the dose throughout the day or take it with food. It works even better if you pair it with a supplement called N acetylcysteine or nac. The combination of vitamin C and NAC increases glutathione. And glutathione is a master antioxidant in the brain. And glutathione recycles vitamin C instead of letting it burn out. You could also support your mitochondria with supplements like Coenzyme Q10 or PQQ CoQ Q10 helps generate energy and it also fights oxidative stress. Then you add the pqq. It helps your body grow new mitochondria, which helps your neurons stay powered up. If you need to calm down a little bit as you're so focused, use L Theanine. It's an amino acid from green tea and it smooths out glutamate spikes and keeps stress driven firing. Just keeps it under control. So when your focus disappears, it's not because you're lazy or undisciplined or you didn't try hard enough. It's because your brain's chemistry is running on empty. You support that chemistry. Your focus will come back stronger than ever.
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A human Upgrade Formerly Bulletproof Radio was created and is hosted by Dave Asprey. The information contained in this podcast is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended for the purposes of diagnosing, treating, cure, curing, or preventing any disease. Before using any products referenced on the podcast, consult with your healthcare provider carefully read all labels and heed all directions and cautions that accompany the products. Information found or received through the podcast should not be used in place of a consultation or advice from a healthcare provider. If you suspect you have a medical problem or should you have any healthcare questions, please promptly call or see your healthcare provider. This podcast, including Dave Asprey and the producers, disclaim responsibility for any possible adverse effects from the use of information contained herein. Opinions of guests are their own and this podcast does not endorse or accept responsibility for statements made by guests. This podcast does not make any representations or warranties about guest qualifications or credibility. This podcast may contain paid endorsements and advertisements for products or services. Individuals on this podcast may have a direct or indirect financial interest in products or services referred to herein. This podcast is owned by Bulletproof Media.
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