July 22, 2024 • 26 mins
In this episode, Kristi Ling Spencer shares thoughts about how our personal biology is linked to our happiness and longevity, and will inspire you to learn about the biohacking movement to see how you might be able to improve your happiness and health, and potentially live longer. Discover how small positive changes and habits now can bring huge benefits.
Read Kristi's article on this topic: https://kristilingspencer.com/2024/05/3-tips-for-hacking-happiness-and-health/
Read Kristi's article on this topic: https://kristilingspencer.com/2024/05/3-tips-for-hacking-happiness-and-health/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:03):
Welcome to the Joyschool podcast. Realtalk about what it takes to create your
happiest, healthiest and most dynamic life. And now here's your host, transformational
life coach, happiness strategist and bestselling author, Kristy ling Spencer. Well,
hello, my friends, and welcometo another episode of the Joyschool Podcast.
(00:26):
I'm Christy ling Spencer. So gladyou are back with me. How
are you today? I hope youare feeling great. I hope you were
clear on the person you want tobe today and going forward. And I'm
sure you're either there or getting therebecause you are tuning into this show.
So sending you tons of love andsupport, and I'm really excited for today's
(00:49):
topic. It's so interesting. I'mlooking out the window of my studio,
my office right now and it isthe strangest weather. There is a storm
on the way that they are callinga tropical cyclone, which I'm not really
sure what to expect. A hurricane. I know what to expect a tropical
storm. I know what to expect, not so sure about a tropical cyclone.
(01:12):
But I think this might just bethe news the weather channels trying to
sensationalize something and make a bigger dealout of it than it actually is this
time, but we'll see. Butin the meantime, the weather out the
window here is beautiful. It's gotthis amazing pre storm glow, and the
early summer flowers are blooming, andthe water looks extra blue. Today.
(01:34):
I look out on a lake frommy office, which is beautiful, and
I'm so grateful for that every day. But it is interesting. We're kind
of bracing here. We brought allour outdoor furniture in and all of our
cushions, and we're probably going tomove our cars later to higher ground just
in case of some flooding. Sothat's life on the Gulf Coast. So
(01:55):
for those of you who don't know, I basically split my time between southern
Californi, which is where I grewup and spent most of my life,
and the Houston area, and specificallylike the Clear Lake area outside of Houston,
which is right near NASA. Andit's interesting going back and forth because
the two places are so very different, but both coastal. I'm such a
(02:16):
coastal girl and always have been.No one will ever get that out of
me. So there's my little weatherreport for the day from where I'm coming
from. But let's get to thetopic of the show, because I am
so excited about this. This issomething I've been becoming more and more passionate
about, and I really think thatmany other people are getting there as well
(02:40):
the more they learn about what's coming. So today we're going to talk about
three tips for hacking happiness and health. Now what do I mean by that,
Well, i'll tell you what.I am ready to unlock a happier,
healthier, longer life. Are you? In just the past few years,
there has been an a avalanche ofnew science and understanding around how we
(03:04):
can expand our happiness, health,energy, longevity through connecting certain dots with
the workings of our own biology,and through incredible advances happening in the medical
world and the world of psychology andneuroscience. It's all coming together to really
get super clear on how our biologyand our physical health is absolutely connected to
(03:30):
the health of our brain, ourmental health, and our happiness, and
there are certain fairly easy and specificthings we can do to not only feel
better physically and expand our health spanand our longevity and well being, but
also enhance our happiness. So itmay sound super fancy, but really all
(03:51):
of this is actually just about thepractice and mindset of tapping into science based
lifestyle shifts, habits, and technologyto optimize our body and mind for feeling
great physically and emotionally, having moreabundant energy, and even increasing your chances
of living to one hundred and beyondand living well and happily to one hundred
(04:14):
and beyond. Right, And whodoesn't want that? My great grandmother Clara,
and I believe I've talked about thison the show before. I know
I've written about it on the blog, But my great grandmother Clara lived to
be one hundred and ten, ifyou can believe it, and at the
time she passed, she was oneof the oldest people on the planet,
so amazing, and she was vibrant, sharp, and enjoyed her life until
(04:38):
the very last days. Isn't thatremarkable. She's always been such an inspiration
to me. I remember as ayoung girl being fascinated by her wellness habits
and her self care, and someof which to be seemed to be like
a bit extreme at the time.She prioritized protein and vegetables, walking,
sleep, she took supple and sheate bone meal like it was oatmeal almost
(05:03):
every day, which kind of grossedme out a little bit that she was
convinced that the protein in the calciumwas going to help her live long.
Well, you know what, Ithink she was right now. Bone meal
is not something I eat. Iam a pescadarian. However, I am
very protein focused and I really youknow, not only the latest science is
(05:24):
saying we need more protein than theyever thought, but my great grandmother taught
me that she was onto something right. You might even call her one of
the early adopting biohackers before the termwas even created by the wonderful Dave Asprey.
If you're not familiar with Dave Asprey, you can find him on Instagram.
He is sort of the creator ofthe biohacking movement, which is worldwide
(05:47):
right now. And if you're notsuper familiar with that, we're going to
talk about it a little bit moreon the show today. But it is
a really, really fascinating thing.And clearly my grandmother, Clara, my
great grandmother, was doing something right. She took great care of herself,
she had friends, she had apositive attitude. She was such an inspiration
(06:08):
to me, and it created alifelong interest in wellness and longevity, and
I intend to honor her by workingto live at least as long and as
well as she did. So advancesin health technologies and in the biohacking movement
have become incredibly captivating to me overthe last couple of years, and starting
(06:29):
after a couple of scary health issuesthat I've even talked about here on the
show that really left me looking foranswers and how to take even greater control
of my total well being and myhealth is I've always been very good about
self care and health. As amatter of fact, Like back when I
was in my twenties, before peoplereally knew about toxic as much as they
(06:51):
do now about toxic chemicals and foodand cleaning supplies and beauty products and things
like that, I was already onthat and my family thought I was a
little bit of a freak for it, and my mom would call me an
extremist back in the day, butnow she says, oh, my gosh,
you were so right. You wereway ahead of all of us.
But I've always been good about thosethings, and I've always eaten fairly clean.
(07:13):
But when you don't know, youdon't know right, and what I've
learned over the last few years justblows me away. And I've cut out
so many things and made so manychanges, and I feel younger and stronger
and more energetic now than I dideven ten years ago in my life.
And when I started becoming really fascinatedby all the new science and even the
AI that's going to play into thenew healthcare technology and science that's coming out,
(07:40):
I really dove in and started studyingeverything I could get my hands on,
and what I've learned has left meso inspired and full of enthusiasm and
new energy and excited to share withyou some of what I've applied to my
own life and how you can usesome of these concepts to increase your happiness
and total well being too. Sothat's what today's episode is all about.
(08:03):
Here's what I love the most aboutwhat's available to us. You don't need
to have a ton of money ora fancy lab or expensive equipment to get
started on it. There are afew simple habits and a bit of homework
and some small investments you can makein yourself so that you can gather some
valuable information and get started becoming thetrue CEO of your health and happiness.
(08:31):
You are always your best investment,whether that be money or time or energy,
whatever it is, you are alwaysyour best investment. And sometimes we
forget that right. Sometimes we tapourselves out on energy or finances or time
before we even take care of ourselvesand our own needs. So it's so
(08:52):
important to remind ourselves. You know, we'll spend one thousand dollars on a
vacation or on a car repair,right, but then we hesitate and hem
and haw over spending that same thousanddollars that we've saved up on something that
might drastically help our health and wellbeing. And at the end of the
day, our health is our greatestwealth. And that may sound a little
(09:15):
cliche. We've all heard that onebefore, but you know what, the
reason we've all heard it before isbecause it is so true. And while
this topic could actually be an entirebook and maybe I might dive into that,
actually that might be on my radarin the future. And I know
there are a few good books onthis already out there. I know Dave
asked for you, who I mentionedearlier, has a few, and there
(09:37):
are some other really great ones comingout you know, this could be a
whole book, but today, onthis episode, I wanted to give you
three accessible, doable places to startif you're interested in next level taking charge
of your happiness and your wellness journey. So number one I've already touched on
a bit, and that is learnthe basics of biohacking and see what might
(10:00):
be a fit for you. Youdon't have to go in as deeply or
extensively as some of the more wellknown biohackers do. There are some very
basic and just really habitual, inexpensive, simple little shifts we can make that
can make a tremendous difference in ourhealth and energy and longevity. I know
(10:20):
because I've been doing these for thepast year or two, and i can
tell you firsthand I'm blown away bythe results. And so Dave Asprey,
as I mentioned before, who issort of credited for sparking the global movement
of biohacking that's really gaining a tonof popularity. Like I said, he's
got some books, but really it'snothing complicated. It's just about taking time
(10:41):
to understand your own personal biology andrelevant elements of human biology so that you
can create doable habits and practices thatsupport you in feeling your best, being
as healthy as you can be,and being your happiest because they are connected
and happiness is more biological than we'veever realized before, and maybe even extending
(11:05):
your healthy years and as I mentionedbefore, maybe living past one hundred.
Some of these concepts may be fairlysimple. Just as you'd optimize your company's
performance fine tuning its process, biohackersoptimize their bodies and minds for maximum efficiency,
energy, well being, and joyand happiness. This can involve anything
(11:28):
from customizing your diet, creating newhabits that you know support you in a
unique way to help you feel morearrested or more energetic or healthier, and
exercise routines that align with your goals, to taking high quality, science backed
supplements. I take quite a fewsupplements, and I've talked about this before.
(11:50):
I've talked about it in my programThe Joy School. Definitely, if
you're just starting out, I thinka very high quality multivitamin is an excellent
thing to ask your doctor about.Also, many people are deficient in vitamin
D, and they have realized overthe last few years that vitamin D is
so imperative for our immune system andeven our mood and our brain health.
(12:13):
And recent studies show that up tothirty percent of the population is deficient in
vitamin D. And this is asimple test your doctor can do. When
you do your annual physical, youcan get your blood test and get that
done. So definitely talk to yourdoctor about what supplements might work for you
to balance things out. I taketumoric also, which has been shown in
studies to reduce inflammation. And youknow everybody's biology is different, so really
(12:39):
this is all about learning your biology, and it could be taking advantage of
cutting edge, brand new technologies inthe medical arena. And I think I
mentioned this on a show before,but the Gallery test so g a L
L E R I blood test.I encourage you to google that and look
it up. This is a simpleblood test that can screen for over fifty
type of cancer and some cancers thathave been in the past extremely hard or
(13:05):
even impossible to detect early, suchas pancreatic right, and so over fifty
different types of cancer can be screenednow with one blood test. It is
absolutely mind blowing and amazing, andit's such new technology that insurance doesn't cover
it yet. Unfortunately, And sothe company is doing the best they can
to make it as affordable as possiblefor as many people as possible to get
(13:28):
in on it now. But they'realso really advocating to get this approved by
insurance companies and to get insurance companiesto cover it, and also to lower
the prices. So keep an eyeon it, because I encourage you to
kind of put that on your radar, and if not now, in the
next couple of years. Right.So this again, all these things I'm
(13:50):
mentioning on the show are not thingsthey have to do right now. This
has taken me probably a year ortwo to get to the point where I'm
adding in new things all the time, slowly but surely, to get to
where I'm at now, where I'mlike, oh my gosh, the combination
of all these things I'm doing isit's so working for me, and that's
what I want for you. Everybody'sdifferent. So take what resonates with you,
(14:11):
take what you're inspired by, talkto your doctor, talk to your
health professionals, and start applying thingsto your life in a doable way for
you. And so here's number two. Connect the dots between happiness and your
biology. More than ever before,science is understanding the direct connections between our
(14:31):
biological well being and our mental andemotional well being. They really are one
and the same. When you learnthe science behind how your gut health,
your sleep, your exercise, caringfor your brain and your nervous system,
and what you consume can significantly boostyour overall happiness and energy in addition to
(14:52):
your health and longevity, you willnever go back. And as I mentioned
earlier this episode, you know,the thing's I'm touching on here could really
be expanded into an entire book,right. But what I encourage you to
do, because you don't want tolisten to a twenty hour podcast episode,
is take some of these things I'mtouching on right, such as gut health
(15:13):
for example, and do your ownresearch, talk to your doctors about it,
and look into what you can dofor you that's going to work for
you and your biology, and makesome small steps there. So take some
notes on this episode. I encourageyou to listen to it more than once.
So for me personally, here's someexamples of little habits and ships that
I've made. I've given up addedsugars completely. Now natural sugars like the
(15:37):
type that come in fruits and things. I'm good with a little bit of
that your body actually needs and yourbrain needs a little bit of sugar,
So I think sugar has been unfairlyvilified. However, we do have to
manage it and manage our glucose spikesand the things that may have too much
sugar in them. Right. I'vementioned on the show before to be careful
(15:58):
of things that are labeled as healthythat have tons and tons of sugar in
them, So reading food labels isextremely important. I encourage you to adopt
the habit of reading food labels andlearning what the right balances are for you
that are recommended by health experts.So I've given up added sugars and I
focus on healthy proteins, tons ofscience backed superfoods like organic nuts, blueberries,
(16:22):
and various fruits and berries. Ido breath work regularly, which has
been a game changer for me,and meditation that is so they have proven
in the last few years that meditationis so incredibly healthy and good for your
brain health and longevity, and actuallyit's really a must. We have to
have stillness and peace for our brainto reset itself and half peace and balance
(16:48):
out right. It's absolutely necessary,even if you just take a few minutes
a day to sit and be stilland enjoy the quiet and let your mind
calm. And so I take supplementsnow that are customized for me. I
started with multi vitamins, but nowI have several different vitamins that I take
per day that are customized for me. There's a B complex in there.
(17:10):
I do take a food based multi, but the recommended dose on that is
three a day, and I actuallyonly take one of those, along with
my other supplements, the D andthe B complex and the turmeric and a
few other things, because I reallytry to focus on getting as many of
the nutrients as I can through foodsand whole foods and plant based meals,
(17:32):
and that's a big focus for me. So I encourage you to dive in
and do some research. Make anappointment now to talk to your doctor about
your goals. Your insurance should onehundred percent cover your annual health screening,
and that's where you can ask aboutthese things, so it won't cost you
anything. And you should get bloodwork along with that annual physical that will
tell you about your vitamin D levelsand some other things. So there are
(17:56):
some great tips for you on savingmoney, saving time, and really where
to start right, all right,So here's number three. Start now.
Like I was just saying, puttingthis off will just keep you feeling the
way you're feeling. So if you'refeeling fantastic right now and better than you
have in years and full of greatenergy, you're obviously doing something right.
(18:21):
But even me, like I thinkall of us have areas that we would
like to step it up right,and sort of the area of biohacking.
I encourage you to read a littlebit about this. Follow some prominent biohackers
on social media. They post somereally great information, although I want to
give a disclaimer some of them arefairly extreme and they post about things that
(18:41):
actually are not quite science backed yet, and so be wary of that and
do your homework. For me,what I've been doing is I've been going,
oh, wow, that's interesting whenI hear something, and then I
actually look it up and I verifythe studies, and then I'm like,
Okay, this one is total bsor this one actually has tons of science
(19:02):
behind it, and I'm going tostart applying it in a way that works
for me. Right, So that'swhat I encourage you to do. So
start now, make that appointment,Start doing some research, start doing some
shifts. We already know some basicshifts that we can make that we ought
to be doing that we're not.And the key is consistency, committing to
keeping the promises, the little promisesthat you make to yourself, even just
(19:26):
site like taking your supplements that youknow you should be taking, or getting
that exercise in, whether it's adaily walk. And by the way,
one thing I've started doing this pastyear and a half is weightlifting, and
it's not extensive. I do fifteenminutes three times a week. That's it.
And by the way, don't tellanybody, but I do it in
front of the TV. It makesit so much easier. I actually have
(19:48):
eight pound dumbbells that I keep undermy coffee table, and three times a
week I get them out and Iturn on a cheesy reality show or a
nature show or a home decorating show, and I do my weight exercises.
Weight training is so important. Alsoin front of the TV, I get
in some jumping jacks and some squatsand that is just a simple, easy
(20:08):
way, and I do this allin fifteen minutes. That's just a simple,
easy way that I've stepped up myphysical fitness. In addition to hitting
the gym now and then or doingwalks several times a week, I do
lots of walking. That's really allI do. It's not hardcore. So
the thing is commitment and consistency,right, this is something. These are
(20:30):
things I know I should be doing, and we all have the things we
know we should be doing. Butknowing we should be doing them and committing
and making a promise to ourselves andthen keeping it is next level. And
since I've been keeping these promises tomyself, oh my gosh, there's like
no going back. Now. IfI have an exercise for a couple of
days, I'm like, oh mygosh, I feel like a slug.
(20:51):
I absolutely have to work out today, Like my brain is all over me
about it. Because it becomes habits. And also you kind of become in
a way there's a healthy addiction,and you kind of become healthfully addicted to
taking care of yourself in a betterway. Once you start these habits,
you actually find yourself craving them.But it's really about enough consistency for a
(21:15):
couple of months for them to becomehabits right. Another area that you can
start on right now is concentrating onbetter sleep. Science has shown that pure
darkness in the room combined with acooler temperature I cool my room down to
sixty eight at night to sleep isthe optimum environment for most people. So
(21:36):
everyone's a little bit different, butstudies show that these two things are very
important to help us sleep longer.Also going to bed at the same time
every night, waking up roughly thesame time every morning. I try to
shoot for ten to six for sleepa full eight hours if I can get
it. So I really try tobe in bed by nine to nine point
thirty because I like to read alittle bit before bed. I try to
(21:56):
read a paper book, but ifI'm reading something on a day device,
I actually turn the dim dimra onthe device down as low as I can
still read it, and I wearblue light blocking glasses. This is another
kind of thing you can do inthe biohacking arena before bed. If you're
going to read anything on a screenor even watch TV. The blue light
blocking glasses, which you can findon Amazon, read the reviews, do
(22:18):
your homework on that, and makesure you get some good ones. But
oh my gosh, can I justtell you. When I started wearing them,
immediately I noticed a difference in mysleep. I couldn't believe the difference.
So the blue light that comes fromphones and TV screens and things like
that, it affects your brain.And one of the ways it affects your
brain is it prevents your brain frommaking healthy doses of melatonin, which it
(22:41):
normally does when the sun goes downto train your body that it's time to
go to sleep. But the bluelight blocks that melatonin production, which then
inhibits you from falling asleep as easilyand sleeping as well. So I'm telling
you it may sound a little odd, but I put on those red tinted
blue light blocking glass in the eveningand has made a dramatic difference for me.
(23:03):
So these are little things you cando to start now. So number
one, learn about the basics ofbiohacking and see what might be a right
fit for you. Connect the dotsbetween happiness and your biology is number two.
And look into your gut help andsupplements and all those things. When
connecting those dots, talk to yourdoctor, get your blood work done,
and see where to begin right,and number three start right now, if
(23:27):
not now, when my friends allright? There is definitely a connection between
our health, our longevity, andour happiness and joy. And so that's
what today's show was all about.All right. Since we have had an
entire episode full of Joy School Habits, today, I'm going to do a
(23:47):
little something different for this segment ofthe show today. This is the segment
of the show called Joyschool Habits whereI give you a small habit or maybe
a couple of small habits that youcan start now that we'll really have big
impact. But they're super easy.So this one is great and I've actually
shared it before but not this season, and it's such a good one.
I got such good feedback on andI want to share it with you again.
(24:11):
So this also ties into the themeof our show today, longevity,
which is another reason why I'm repeatingit. This is take time each day
to connect with someone you love ina mindful way. So that can be
send a text to somebody to tellthem you're thinking about them and you love
them, or send a text toan old friend and make a date to
jump on Zoom or get together fora coffee. Really build those connections that
(24:33):
are important to you, because studieshave shown that one of the pillars of
longevity, health and happiness is connectionwith people that we love, people who
lift us up and inspire us.So the one little Joy School habit you
can start today, and you canstart it right when this show is over.
Pick up your phone, send somebodya text, give somebody a call,
(24:56):
make a lunch date, make acoffee date, make a happy hour
day, or just send a simpletext, Hey, I'm thinking of you.
I love you, you are awesome. You're so important to me.
Hope to see you soon. Makethose connections. More connection in our life
means more health, more happiness,and more longevity. All right, my
friends, if you enjoyed today's episode, I would be so grateful if you
(25:18):
would leave a review over on ApplePodcasts. This is how you can help
the show reach more people who mightalso enjoy it. And I do read
them all, and be sure toconnect with me on Facebook and Instagram.
And I'm also on threads now andi hang out on Instagram quite a bit.
I'm also on x but I'm notthere quite as much. And I
invite you to visit my website.Christilinkspencer dot com, where you can get
(25:38):
access to my free video masterclass elevenHabits of the Happiest People, and find
other supportive resources I've got for youthere. I'm sending you so much love
and until next time, remember you'vegot what it takes to create more amazing
days, and more amazing days makeup a pretty amazing life. Have a
(25:59):
fantas plastic week, my beautiful friends, and I will see you too.
Much love,
Welcome to the Joyschool podcast. Realtalk about what it takes to create your
happiest, healthiest and most dynamic life. And now here's your host, transformational
life coach, happiness strategist and bestselling author, Kristy ling Spencer. Well,
hello, my friends, and welcometo another episode of the Joyschool Podcast.
(00:26):
I'm Christy ling Spencer. So gladyou are back with me. How
are you today? I hope youare feeling great. I hope you were
clear on the person you want tobe today and going forward. And I'm
sure you're either there or getting therebecause you are tuning into this show.
So sending you tons of love andsupport, and I'm really excited for today's
(00:49):
topic. It's so interesting. I'mlooking out the window of my studio,
my office right now and it isthe strangest weather. There is a storm
on the way that they are callinga tropical cyclone, which I'm not really
sure what to expect. A hurricane. I know what to expect a tropical
storm. I know what to expect, not so sure about a tropical cyclone.
(01:12):
But I think this might just bethe news the weather channels trying to
sensationalize something and make a bigger dealout of it than it actually is this
time, but we'll see. Butin the meantime, the weather out the
window here is beautiful. It's gotthis amazing pre storm glow, and the
early summer flowers are blooming, andthe water looks extra blue. Today.
(01:34):
I look out on a lake frommy office, which is beautiful, and
I'm so grateful for that every day. But it is interesting. We're kind
of bracing here. We brought allour outdoor furniture in and all of our
cushions, and we're probably going tomove our cars later to higher ground just
in case of some flooding. Sothat's life on the Gulf Coast. So
(01:55):
for those of you who don't know, I basically split my time between southern
Californi, which is where I grewup and spent most of my life,
and the Houston area, and specificallylike the Clear Lake area outside of Houston,
which is right near NASA. Andit's interesting going back and forth because
the two places are so very different, but both coastal. I'm such a
(02:16):
coastal girl and always have been.No one will ever get that out of
me. So there's my little weatherreport for the day from where I'm coming
from. But let's get to thetopic of the show, because I am
so excited about this. This issomething I've been becoming more and more passionate
about, and I really think thatmany other people are getting there as well
(02:40):
the more they learn about what's coming. So today we're going to talk about
three tips for hacking happiness and health. Now what do I mean by that,
Well, i'll tell you what.I am ready to unlock a happier,
healthier, longer life. Are you? In just the past few years,
there has been an a avalanche ofnew science and understanding around how we
(03:04):
can expand our happiness, health,energy, longevity through connecting certain dots with
the workings of our own biology,and through incredible advances happening in the medical
world and the world of psychology andneuroscience. It's all coming together to really
get super clear on how our biologyand our physical health is absolutely connected to
(03:30):
the health of our brain, ourmental health, and our happiness, and
there are certain fairly easy and specificthings we can do to not only feel
better physically and expand our health spanand our longevity and well being, but
also enhance our happiness. So itmay sound super fancy, but really all
(03:51):
of this is actually just about thepractice and mindset of tapping into science based
lifestyle shifts, habits, and technologyto optimize our body and mind for feeling
great physically and emotionally, having moreabundant energy, and even increasing your chances
of living to one hundred and beyondand living well and happily to one hundred
(04:14):
and beyond. Right, And whodoesn't want that? My great grandmother Clara,
and I believe I've talked about thison the show before. I know
I've written about it on the blog, But my great grandmother Clara lived to
be one hundred and ten, ifyou can believe it, and at the
time she passed, she was oneof the oldest people on the planet,
so amazing, and she was vibrant, sharp, and enjoyed her life until
(04:38):
the very last days. Isn't thatremarkable. She's always been such an inspiration
to me. I remember as ayoung girl being fascinated by her wellness habits
and her self care, and someof which to be seemed to be like
a bit extreme at the time.She prioritized protein and vegetables, walking,
sleep, she took supple and sheate bone meal like it was oatmeal almost
(05:03):
every day, which kind of grossedme out a little bit that she was
convinced that the protein in the calciumwas going to help her live long.
Well, you know what, Ithink she was right now. Bone meal
is not something I eat. Iam a pescadarian. However, I am
very protein focused and I really youknow, not only the latest science is
(05:24):
saying we need more protein than theyever thought, but my great grandmother taught
me that she was onto something right. You might even call her one of
the early adopting biohackers before the termwas even created by the wonderful Dave Asprey.
If you're not familiar with Dave Asprey, you can find him on Instagram.
He is sort of the creator ofthe biohacking movement, which is worldwide
(05:47):
right now. And if you're notsuper familiar with that, we're going to
talk about it a little bit moreon the show today. But it is
a really, really fascinating thing.And clearly my grandmother, Clara, my
great grandmother, was doing something right. She took great care of herself,
she had friends, she had apositive attitude. She was such an inspiration
(06:08):
to me, and it created alifelong interest in wellness and longevity, and
I intend to honor her by workingto live at least as long and as
well as she did. So advancesin health technologies and in the biohacking movement
have become incredibly captivating to me overthe last couple of years, and starting
(06:29):
after a couple of scary health issuesthat I've even talked about here on the
show that really left me looking foranswers and how to take even greater control
of my total well being and myhealth is I've always been very good about
self care and health. As amatter of fact, Like back when I
was in my twenties, before peoplereally knew about toxic as much as they
(06:51):
do now about toxic chemicals and foodand cleaning supplies and beauty products and things
like that, I was already onthat and my family thought I was a
little bit of a freak for it, and my mom would call me an
extremist back in the day, butnow she says, oh, my gosh,
you were so right. You wereway ahead of all of us.
But I've always been good about thosethings, and I've always eaten fairly clean.
(07:13):
But when you don't know, youdon't know right, and what I've
learned over the last few years justblows me away. And I've cut out
so many things and made so manychanges, and I feel younger and stronger
and more energetic now than I dideven ten years ago in my life.
And when I started becoming really fascinatedby all the new science and even the
AI that's going to play into thenew healthcare technology and science that's coming out,
(07:40):
I really dove in and started studyingeverything I could get my hands on,
and what I've learned has left meso inspired and full of enthusiasm and
new energy and excited to share withyou some of what I've applied to my
own life and how you can usesome of these concepts to increase your happiness
and total well being too. Sothat's what today's episode is all about.
(08:03):
Here's what I love the most aboutwhat's available to us. You don't need
to have a ton of money ora fancy lab or expensive equipment to get
started on it. There are afew simple habits and a bit of homework
and some small investments you can makein yourself so that you can gather some
valuable information and get started becoming thetrue CEO of your health and happiness.
(08:31):
You are always your best investment,whether that be money or time or energy,
whatever it is, you are alwaysyour best investment. And sometimes we
forget that right. Sometimes we tapourselves out on energy or finances or time
before we even take care of ourselvesand our own needs. So it's so
(08:52):
important to remind ourselves. You know, we'll spend one thousand dollars on a
vacation or on a car repair,right, but then we hesitate and hem
and haw over spending that same thousanddollars that we've saved up on something that
might drastically help our health and wellbeing. And at the end of the
day, our health is our greatestwealth. And that may sound a little
(09:15):
cliche. We've all heard that onebefore, but you know what, the
reason we've all heard it before isbecause it is so true. And while
this topic could actually be an entirebook and maybe I might dive into that,
actually that might be on my radarin the future. And I know
there are a few good books onthis already out there. I know Dave
asked for you, who I mentionedearlier, has a few, and there
(09:37):
are some other really great ones comingout you know, this could be a
whole book, but today, onthis episode, I wanted to give you
three accessible, doable places to startif you're interested in next level taking charge
of your happiness and your wellness journey. So number one I've already touched on
a bit, and that is learnthe basics of biohacking and see what might
(10:00):
be a fit for you. Youdon't have to go in as deeply or
extensively as some of the more wellknown biohackers do. There are some very
basic and just really habitual, inexpensive, simple little shifts we can make that
can make a tremendous difference in ourhealth and energy and longevity. I know
(10:20):
because I've been doing these for thepast year or two, and i can
tell you firsthand I'm blown away bythe results. And so Dave Asprey,
as I mentioned before, who issort of credited for sparking the global movement
of biohacking that's really gaining a tonof popularity. Like I said, he's
got some books, but really it'snothing complicated. It's just about taking time
(10:41):
to understand your own personal biology andrelevant elements of human biology so that you
can create doable habits and practices thatsupport you in feeling your best, being
as healthy as you can be,and being your happiest because they are connected
and happiness is more biological than we'veever realized before, and maybe even extending
(11:05):
your healthy years and as I mentionedbefore, maybe living past one hundred.
Some of these concepts may be fairlysimple. Just as you'd optimize your company's
performance fine tuning its process, biohackersoptimize their bodies and minds for maximum efficiency,
energy, well being, and joyand happiness. This can involve anything
(11:28):
from customizing your diet, creating newhabits that you know support you in a
unique way to help you feel morearrested or more energetic or healthier, and
exercise routines that align with your goals, to taking high quality, science backed
supplements. I take quite a fewsupplements, and I've talked about this before.
(11:50):
I've talked about it in my programThe Joy School. Definitely, if
you're just starting out, I thinka very high quality multivitamin is an excellent
thing to ask your doctor about.Also, many people are deficient in vitamin
D, and they have realized overthe last few years that vitamin D is
so imperative for our immune system andeven our mood and our brain health.
(12:13):
And recent studies show that up tothirty percent of the population is deficient in
vitamin D. And this is asimple test your doctor can do. When
you do your annual physical, youcan get your blood test and get that
done. So definitely talk to yourdoctor about what supplements might work for you
to balance things out. I taketumoric also, which has been shown in
studies to reduce inflammation. And youknow everybody's biology is different, so really
(12:39):
this is all about learning your biology, and it could be taking advantage of
cutting edge, brand new technologies inthe medical arena. And I think I
mentioned this on a show before,but the Gallery test so g a L
L E R I blood test.I encourage you to google that and look
it up. This is a simpleblood test that can screen for over fifty
type of cancer and some cancers thathave been in the past extremely hard or
(13:05):
even impossible to detect early, suchas pancreatic right, and so over fifty
different types of cancer can be screenednow with one blood test. It is
absolutely mind blowing and amazing, andit's such new technology that insurance doesn't cover
it yet. Unfortunately, And sothe company is doing the best they can
to make it as affordable as possiblefor as many people as possible to get
(13:28):
in on it now. But they'realso really advocating to get this approved by
insurance companies and to get insurance companiesto cover it, and also to lower
the prices. So keep an eyeon it, because I encourage you to
kind of put that on your radar, and if not now, in the
next couple of years. Right.So this again, all these things I'm
(13:50):
mentioning on the show are not thingsthey have to do right now. This
has taken me probably a year ortwo to get to the point where I'm
adding in new things all the time, slowly but surely, to get to
where I'm at now, where I'mlike, oh my gosh, the combination
of all these things I'm doing isit's so working for me, and that's
what I want for you. Everybody'sdifferent. So take what resonates with you,
(14:11):
take what you're inspired by, talkto your doctor, talk to your
health professionals, and start applying thingsto your life in a doable way for
you. And so here's number two. Connect the dots between happiness and your
biology. More than ever before,science is understanding the direct connections between our
(14:31):
biological well being and our mental andemotional well being. They really are one
and the same. When you learnthe science behind how your gut health,
your sleep, your exercise, caringfor your brain and your nervous system,
and what you consume can significantly boostyour overall happiness and energy in addition to
(14:52):
your health and longevity, you willnever go back. And as I mentioned
earlier this episode, you know,the thing's I'm touching on here could really
be expanded into an entire book,right. But what I encourage you to
do, because you don't want tolisten to a twenty hour podcast episode,
is take some of these things I'mtouching on right, such as gut health
(15:13):
for example, and do your ownresearch, talk to your doctors about it,
and look into what you can dofor you that's going to work for
you and your biology, and makesome small steps there. So take some
notes on this episode. I encourageyou to listen to it more than once.
So for me personally, here's someexamples of little habits and ships that
I've made. I've given up addedsugars completely. Now natural sugars like the
(15:37):
type that come in fruits and things. I'm good with a little bit of
that your body actually needs and yourbrain needs a little bit of sugar,
So I think sugar has been unfairlyvilified. However, we do have to
manage it and manage our glucose spikesand the things that may have too much
sugar in them. Right. I'vementioned on the show before to be careful
(15:58):
of things that are labeled as healthythat have tons and tons of sugar in
them, So reading food labels isextremely important. I encourage you to adopt
the habit of reading food labels andlearning what the right balances are for you
that are recommended by health experts.So I've given up added sugars and I
focus on healthy proteins, tons ofscience backed superfoods like organic nuts, blueberries,
(16:22):
and various fruits and berries. Ido breath work regularly, which has
been a game changer for me,and meditation that is so they have proven
in the last few years that meditationis so incredibly healthy and good for your
brain health and longevity, and actuallyit's really a must. We have to
have stillness and peace for our brainto reset itself and half peace and balance
(16:48):
out right. It's absolutely necessary,even if you just take a few minutes
a day to sit and be stilland enjoy the quiet and let your mind
calm. And so I take supplementsnow that are customized for me. I
started with multi vitamins, but nowI have several different vitamins that I take
per day that are customized for me. There's a B complex in there.
(17:10):
I do take a food based multi, but the recommended dose on that is
three a day, and I actuallyonly take one of those, along with
my other supplements, the D andthe B complex and the turmeric and a
few other things, because I reallytry to focus on getting as many of
the nutrients as I can through foodsand whole foods and plant based meals,
(17:32):
and that's a big focus for me. So I encourage you to dive in
and do some research. Make anappointment now to talk to your doctor about
your goals. Your insurance should onehundred percent cover your annual health screening,
and that's where you can ask aboutthese things, so it won't cost you
anything. And you should get bloodwork along with that annual physical that will
tell you about your vitamin D levelsand some other things. So there are
(17:56):
some great tips for you on savingmoney, saving time, and really where
to start right, all right,So here's number three. Start now.
Like I was just saying, puttingthis off will just keep you feeling the
way you're feeling. So if you'refeeling fantastic right now and better than you
have in years and full of greatenergy, you're obviously doing something right.
(18:21):
But even me, like I thinkall of us have areas that we would
like to step it up right,and sort of the area of biohacking.
I encourage you to read a littlebit about this. Follow some prominent biohackers
on social media. They post somereally great information, although I want to
give a disclaimer some of them arefairly extreme and they post about things that
(18:41):
actually are not quite science backed yet, and so be wary of that and
do your homework. For me,what I've been doing is I've been going,
oh, wow, that's interesting whenI hear something, and then I
actually look it up and I verifythe studies, and then I'm like,
Okay, this one is total bsor this one actually has tons of science
(19:02):
behind it, and I'm going tostart applying it in a way that works
for me. Right, So that'swhat I encourage you to do. So
start now, make that appointment,Start doing some research, start doing some
shifts. We already know some basicshifts that we can make that we ought
to be doing that we're not.And the key is consistency, committing to
keeping the promises, the little promisesthat you make to yourself, even just
(19:26):
site like taking your supplements that youknow you should be taking, or getting
that exercise in, whether it's adaily walk. And by the way,
one thing I've started doing this pastyear and a half is weightlifting, and
it's not extensive. I do fifteenminutes three times a week. That's it.
And by the way, don't tellanybody, but I do it in
front of the TV. It makesit so much easier. I actually have
(19:48):
eight pound dumbbells that I keep undermy coffee table, and three times a
week I get them out and Iturn on a cheesy reality show or a
nature show or a home decorating show, and I do my weight exercises.
Weight training is so important. Alsoin front of the TV, I get
in some jumping jacks and some squatsand that is just a simple, easy
(20:08):
way, and I do this allin fifteen minutes. That's just a simple,
easy way that I've stepped up myphysical fitness. In addition to hitting
the gym now and then or doingwalks several times a week, I do
lots of walking. That's really allI do. It's not hardcore. So
the thing is commitment and consistency,right, this is something. These are
(20:30):
things I know I should be doing, and we all have the things we
know we should be doing. Butknowing we should be doing them and committing
and making a promise to ourselves andthen keeping it is next level. And
since I've been keeping these promises tomyself, oh my gosh, there's like
no going back. Now. IfI have an exercise for a couple of
days, I'm like, oh mygosh, I feel like a slug.
(20:51):
I absolutely have to work out today, Like my brain is all over me
about it. Because it becomes habits. And also you kind of become in
a way there's a healthy addiction,and you kind of become healthfully addicted to
taking care of yourself in a betterway. Once you start these habits,
you actually find yourself craving them.But it's really about enough consistency for a
(21:15):
couple of months for them to becomehabits right. Another area that you can
start on right now is concentrating onbetter sleep. Science has shown that pure
darkness in the room combined with acooler temperature I cool my room down to
sixty eight at night to sleep isthe optimum environment for most people. So
(21:36):
everyone's a little bit different, butstudies show that these two things are very
important to help us sleep longer.Also going to bed at the same time
every night, waking up roughly thesame time every morning. I try to
shoot for ten to six for sleepa full eight hours if I can get
it. So I really try tobe in bed by nine to nine point
thirty because I like to read alittle bit before bed. I try to
(21:56):
read a paper book, but ifI'm reading something on a day device,
I actually turn the dim dimra onthe device down as low as I can
still read it, and I wearblue light blocking glasses. This is another
kind of thing you can do inthe biohacking arena before bed. If you're
going to read anything on a screenor even watch TV. The blue light
blocking glasses, which you can findon Amazon, read the reviews, do
(22:18):
your homework on that, and makesure you get some good ones. But
oh my gosh, can I justtell you. When I started wearing them,
immediately I noticed a difference in mysleep. I couldn't believe the difference.
So the blue light that comes fromphones and TV screens and things like
that, it affects your brain.And one of the ways it affects your
brain is it prevents your brain frommaking healthy doses of melatonin, which it
(22:41):
normally does when the sun goes downto train your body that it's time to
go to sleep. But the bluelight blocks that melatonin production, which then
inhibits you from falling asleep as easilyand sleeping as well. So I'm telling
you it may sound a little odd, but I put on those red tinted
blue light blocking glass in the eveningand has made a dramatic difference for me.
(23:03):
So these are little things you cando to start now. So number
one, learn about the basics ofbiohacking and see what might be a right
fit for you. Connect the dotsbetween happiness and your biology is number two.
And look into your gut help andsupplements and all those things. When
connecting those dots, talk to yourdoctor, get your blood work done,
and see where to begin right,and number three start right now, if
(23:27):
not now, when my friends allright? There is definitely a connection between
our health, our longevity, andour happiness and joy. And so that's
what today's show was all about.All right. Since we have had an
entire episode full of Joy School Habits, today, I'm going to do a
(23:47):
little something different for this segment ofthe show today. This is the segment
of the show called Joyschool Habits whereI give you a small habit or maybe
a couple of small habits that youcan start now that we'll really have big
impact. But they're super easy.So this one is great and I've actually
shared it before but not this season, and it's such a good one.
I got such good feedback on andI want to share it with you again.
(24:11):
So this also ties into the themeof our show today, longevity,
which is another reason why I'm repeatingit. This is take time each day
to connect with someone you love ina mindful way. So that can be
send a text to somebody to tellthem you're thinking about them and you love
them, or send a text toan old friend and make a date to
jump on Zoom or get together fora coffee. Really build those connections that
(24:33):
are important to you, because studieshave shown that one of the pillars of
longevity, health and happiness is connectionwith people that we love, people who
lift us up and inspire us.So the one little Joy School habit you
can start today, and you canstart it right when this show is over.
Pick up your phone, send somebodya text, give somebody a call,
(24:56):
make a lunch date, make acoffee date, make a happy hour
day, or just send a simpletext, Hey, I'm thinking of you.
I love you, you are awesome. You're so important to me.
Hope to see you soon. Makethose connections. More connection in our life
means more health, more happiness,and more longevity. All right, my
friends, if you enjoyed today's episode, I would be so grateful if you
(25:18):
would leave a review over on ApplePodcasts. This is how you can help
the show reach more people who mightalso enjoy it. And I do read
them all, and be sure toconnect with me on Facebook and Instagram.
And I'm also on threads now andi hang out on Instagram quite a bit.
I'm also on x but I'm notthere quite as much. And I
invite you to visit my website.Christilinkspencer dot com, where you can get
(25:38):
access to my free video masterclass elevenHabits of the Happiest People, and find
other supportive resources I've got for youthere. I'm sending you so much love
and until next time, remember you'vegot what it takes to create more amazing
days, and more amazing days makeup a pretty amazing life. Have a
(25:59):
fantas plastic week, my beautiful friends, and I will see you too.
Much love,
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