transcript of james swanwick - bulletproof...you don't need to be a programmer or designer, and...

© The Bulletproof Executive 2013

Transcript of James Swanwick

Bulletproof Radio

Bulletproof Radio James Swanwick

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Audio: BulletproofRadio.Astateofhighperformance.

Dave: Hey,thisisDaveAspreywithBulletproofRadio.Today'scoolfactofthedayisthatitturnsout

thatalcoholdoesn'tactuallymakeyouforgetanythingwhenyou'reblackoutdrunk.Instead,yourbraintemporarilylosestheabilitytocreatememories.It'skindofsad.

Itallstartswithyourwebsite.Bulletproofexec.comiswhereIstarted.Thewebsite'simmenselyimportanttoBulletproof,becausethat'showwehelpmillionsofpeopleeverymonth.Growingyourbusinessstartswithastunningwebsite.Nomatterwhatbusinessyou'rein,wix.comwillhavesomethingtohelpyoucreateakick-asswebsite.Wix.comisacloud-baseddevelopmentplatformthat'susedbymorethan70millionpeoplethroughouttheworld.Youcandoityourself.Youdon'tneedtobeaprogrammerordesigner,andtheyhavehundredsofdesigner-made,customizationtemplatestochoosefrom.Thereareeasydrag-and-dropfeatureswithnocodingneeded,andyoucangetyourwebsitelivetoday.Withmobileoptimization,securehosting,SEO,24/7supportandmore,tohelpyoubuildyourcompanythewayIdid.It'seasy,andtheresultisstunning.Also,checkoutthestoriesonwix.comtoseerealsuccessstoriesofpeoplewhohaveusedWixtobuildgreatwebsites.Gotowix.comandsignupforanentirelyfreeaccounttoday,nocreditcardsrequired.That'swix.com.Checkthemouttoday.

Today'sguestisafriend,andaguywhoknowsathingortwoaboutsleep.Beforewegetintotheepisode,Iwanttomentionmybuddiesatsamina.com.Ifyou'relookingfortheRollsRoyce,lowtoxin,extremelynicemattress,theseguyscametotheBulletproofConferenceanddemoedabedfromGermanythatwasoverthetop.It'susedbysometopcelebrities.I'vehadachancetotryoneoftheseoutandtosleeponone,andit'saprettyamazingexperience.Ifyou'relookingfortheultra,ultra-premiumkindofthing,theseguyshavebeenkindenoughtogivemeoneofthemattressestotryout,andifyou'relookingfortheultimatethere,thisisoneofthosethingsyoucando.It'snotthemostcheapmattressonthemarketbyaverylongshot,butitisprobablythemostcarefullyconstructedone,andonethatIfoundmakesadifference.Dependingonwhatyou'relookingtodo,thisissomethingthatIhighlyrecommendyoucheckout.I'mgratefulthattheysentamattressmywaytotryout.

Today'sguest,though,speakingofsleep,isnoneotherthanmyfriendJamesSwanwick,who'sanESPNSportsCenteranchorandco-founderofCrocmedia.HerunstheJamesSwanwickShowpodcast,andtheAlphaMaleClub.He'sbeeninTVandprintforabout20years.He'sinterviewedguyslikeAlGore,whoactuallyinventedtheinternet,andBradPitt,AngelinaJolie,andHughHefner,allofwhomAlGoreactuallyinvented,asIunderstand,whichisawesome.

He'sbeeninAPandTheSunandawholebunchofothermagazines.Basically,he'slike,whatdotheycallit?Mygrandmawouldsay,James,thatyou'rethebee'sknees.Isthisactuallytrue?

James: Thebee'sknees,Ilikethat.It'sgood.We'llrunwiththat,Dave,thankyou.

Dave: Welcometotheshow,man.We'vechattedbefore,andI'malwayshappytohaveyouon.Thanksforshowingupandbeinghere,andtellingusyourstory.Today,Iwanttotalkaboutyour


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backgroundbecauseessentiallyyou'reanass-kickeronmultiplethings.You'vesucceededoverandoverandover.PeoplewholistentoBulletproofRadiowanttoknowhowdoyoudothat,andsoIwanttokindofpeelbackthelayersofwhatyoudo.Notsomuchashowdoyouhaveasuccessfulpodcast—there'sallsortsofpodcastsabouthowtohaveasuccessfulpodcast,abouthowtohaveasuccessfulpodcast.

Whatwe'retalkingabouthereisactuallymoreabouthowdoyougettheenergytobeanentrepreneur,andtodothehigh-energythingsyoudo,andtodoitfor20yearsstraight.Solet'stalk.How'dyougetintothisinthefirstplace?

James: Thanks,Dave.Greattobehereagain.Yeah,IgrewupinBrisbane,Australia.YoucantellI'vegotafunnyaccenthere.We'reverygeographicallycutofffromtherestoftheworlddownthere.AllAustraliansaroundtheirearly20s,theyhavethisinsatiabledesiretogoandseetheworld,becausewe'retheLandDownUnder.We'resocutofffromeverywhereelse.

Inmyearly20s,Ikindofsetfiretomycareer,whichwasIwasanewspaperreporterforaRupertMurdochbroadsheet.IflewovertoLondonwheretheygiveAustralianstwo-yearworkingvisas,andIdecidedIwasgoingtojustseetheworld,useLondonasabasetotravelthroughEuropeandSouthAmerica.IreallywantedtocovertheWorldCuprugbyandtheWorldCupcricketthatyear,itwasin1999.Imanagedtoaccomplishthat.

ThenIdidsomethingstupid.IfellinlovewithaBritishwomanwhobrokemyheart,andIwantedtoescapefromtheUK.RatherthangobacktoAustralia,Idecided,youknowwhat?ThelandofopportunityiswhattheysayAmericais,soI'mgoingtoheadoverthereandseewhatIcando.Fromthere,IcreatedaPRcompany.Iinterviewedmoviestars,Iquitdrinking,createda30-daynoalcoholchallenge,gotintohealthandfitness,startedfollowingyouonBulletproofRadio,andthingsjustlookedalotrosiersincemyearlydays.

Mymotivation,really,isjusttoexploretheworld.I'minterestedindifferentcultures,differentthings,andlatelyI'vebeenverymuchfocusedonhealth.

Dave: It'samazingwhathappenswhenyouquitdrinking.Iwasn'tgoingtogothere,IwanttogetintoyourstoryandIwasgoingtotalkwithyouaboutalcohollater,butlet'sjustkindof...We'llgettoyourcareerstuffandsortofhowyougotintointerviewingcelebritiesandall,becauseIthinkyou'vegotafewtidbitsthateveryonewholistenstoBulletproofRadiocanreallybenefitfromthere.Youhadafewhacksthere,butlet'sjustswitchgears.Let'sjusttalkaboutalcohol,becausethat'sthebigthing.

Likeyou,I'mlike,look,Iwantalcoholtobeahealthfood.Itwouldbegreat,right?ButIwilltellyouflatoutthatIdon'tthinkit'sahealthfood.Ithinkit'senjoyable,butifyou'regoingtotellyourself,I'mdoingthisformyhealth?No,you'retakingahitwhenyoudrink.Youjustare.Itmightbeasmallhit,andyoucanmakethehitsmaller.Youcanownthat.Andit'sabiggerhitforsomepeoplethanothers,butit'sunlikely,inthenet-netbalanceofthings,toimprovethequalityofyourenergy,improvethequalityofyourmetabolismoranythingelse,especiallyifyoudoitonaregularbasis.That'salwaysbeenmyBulletproofperspective.Beerisdifferentthanvodka.I'lltellyouvodka'sbetter,I'lltellyouhowtoturnitoff,butattheendoftheday,ifyou


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gowithoutitforawhile,thingsopenup.

Whathappenedwhenyouwent30dayswithoutalcohol,andwhydidyoudoit?

James: Iwasasocialdrinker.IgrewupinanAustralianculturewhichisalwayslike,getdrunkonyour18thbirthday,drinkbeerwiththeguyswhenyou'replayingrugbyorwatchingsport,drinkchampagnetocelebrateandhaveabottleofwineoveraromanticdinner.Igrewupinthatculture,andrightthroughmylate20s,early30s,Iwouldconsidermyselfasocialdrinker.Ineverconsideredmyselfanalcoholic,butIwasasocialdrinker.Ihadafewdrinksduringtheweek,andthenonaThursday,Friday,Saturdaynight,I'dturniton,maybegetdrunk.SometimesonaSundayifitwasfootballseason,theNFL,I'dknockbackfourorfivebeers,andIjustgottiredoffeelingtired.Ijustkindofgotsickandtiredofthehangovers.

EvenifIdidn'thaveahangoverwhereyourhead'sinyourhandandyou'regoing,ohmygod,I'msostrugglingrightnow,evenifitwasn'tthat,itwasalwaysjustalittlebitofirritabilitythenextday.Imightwakeupafteracoupledrinksonly,onaThursdayorFridaynight,butI'djustfeelirritable.OrI'dsleepinjustalittlebitmore,orIwasjustalittlebitmoresluggish.

Igottoabout35andI'dputonabout20poundsoffatthatjustcreepeduponme.Idon'tknow,itjustcameoutofnowhere.Aboutfiveyearsago,Ijustwasfeelingmediocreineveryway.Ididn'thavehighenergy,mysleepwasprettypoor,Iwascarryingafewextrapounds,andIremember,IwasatSouthbySouthwest,atthefestivalinAustin,TexasinMarchof2010.IwokeupinthishoteljustontheoutskirtsofAustin,andforwhateverreasonIhadareallybadhangover.I'donlyhadacoupleofgin&tonicsthenightbefore,butIdon'tknow,Imusthavebeendehydrated.IwasinthisInternationalHouseofPancakes,rightnextdoortothehotel,havingthishangoverbreakfast,andIlookedatthebright,boldcolorsofthephotosofthefoodthattheyhaveontheseIHOPmenus,andIlookedtotheleftandtherightofmeandtherewerethesehuge,overweightpeoplepiggingoutontheseall-you-can-eatpancakeswithmaplesyrup,andIwasjustlike,ugh,Ijustfeelsoordinaryrightnow.

Dave: Haveyouseentheirnew...Theyhavelikeapancakesmoothiewheretheyputthepancakesandthesyrupintheblender,andthenyoucanjustdrinkitandit'ssomuchfasterandmoreconvenient.It'sagreatbiohack.Okay,notheydon't-

James: That'showyouwanttoputon40poundsreallyquickly.

Dave: -I'msorry.Iliketheimagethough,becauseI'mwithyouthere.Soyou'reatIHOPandyou'relike,okay,I'mnotgoingtodothisanymore.

James: Yeah,IwasinIHOPandIwaslike,youknowwhat?I'vegottotakeabreak.Ijustwanttotakeabreak.

Justtobeclear,Iwasn'tanalcoholic.Iwasjustasocialdrinker,butIwasjustsickandtiredofthismediocrefeeling.Ijustsaidtomyself,IwonderifIcango30days?Ijustsetmyselfagoal,I'mgoingtotryandgo30dayswithoutdrinking.Ihaven'tgonethatlonginmyadultlifesinceIstarteddrinking,let'sseeifIcandoit.


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Thatwasreallymymotivation.Ididn'tknowhowlongIwasgoingtogoforwhenIstarted,but

I'lltellyouwhathappened.After30days,I'dlost13poundsoffat,myskingotalotbetter,mysleepimproved,Ihadmoreenergy.Istartedattractingahighercaliberofpersonintomylife,ifthatmakessense.Ijuststartedassociatingwithpeoplewhoweremorehealth-conscious.IstartedwakinguponaSaturdayandSundaymorningwantingtogotothegym,wantingtogoandexercise.AllofasuddenIstartedreadingaboutthingslikepaleo,thatIdidn'tunderstandbefore,orthebenefitsofgoodfatsthatyou'reabigproponentofobviously,withyourBulletproofdiet.TherewereallthesethingsthatjustopeneduptomebecauseIjustquitthedrinkingfor30days.

Attheendof30days,Iwent,youknowwhat?Ifeelsodamngood,let'sseeifIcankeepgoing.SoIdid.Iendedup...Iwentto40days;Iwent,IwonderifIcando50?Iwentto50,Isaid,IwonderifIcando60?Andafter90days,Iwaslike,ohmygod,Ijustfeellikeasuperman.I'menergetic,myrelationshipshaveimproved,I'msleepingbetter,peoplearecomplimentingmeonmylooksforthefirsttimeinafewyears,andIwaslike,I'lljustkeepgoing.

Igottooneyear,IwasbackinAustin,IwentintotheLustrePearlbar,andIorderedaBudweisertocelebratethisoneyearwithoutalcohol.Itooka...Itookasmellofit,rather,anditsmelledreallygood.Iwasgoingtotakeasip,butsomethingstoppedme.Ijustputitback,andIsaid,youknowwhat?Givemeawaterinstead,andIhaven'ttouchedadropofalcoholsince.It'sbeenalmostsixyearsnow-

Dave: Wow.

James: -thatIhaven'ttouchedalcohol.

Dave: Ihavearule,I'lldrinkitifit'solderthanme,usually.LikeIwillpayprobablymorethantheaverageperson.Someoftheunfilteredyeastinwinecausesanimmunereactioninme,soIdon'tfeelthatgreat,butifit'sreallygoodwine,allright,I'lldoit.I'lldoitonceevery60days,max,andI'lltakeabunchofsupplementsliketheBulletproofActivatedCharcoalandGlutathione,andIcangenerallymanagemybody'sresponsetothealcohol.It'squiteenjoyable.Ittastesdelicious.ButI'mnotgettingantioxidantsthatareworthacrap,becauseItake100mgofTrans-Resveratroleveryday,whichisapproximatelylike10,000bottlesworthofwine.Ihavenoideaifthatnumberisright,butit'sonthatorderofmagnitude.There'snoself-deceptionthatI'mdoingmyselfanyfavorsthere.ItwasbetterthangoingtoMcDonald'sandeatingtheircrapfriedfrenchfriesandwhateverotherstufftheyhavethere,butitwasn'tafavor.

TherewasatimeinmylifewhereIwouldn'thaveevendonethat.Iwentseveralyearswithoutdoingthat,becauseIwouldfeellikecrapforthreeorfourdaysifIdidit,becausemyimmunesystemwasoveractive.

Thatsaid,Iknowguyswhoarelike,"Icouldrunatriathlon,I'msuperstrong,IcoulddrinksixbeersandeatpizzaandIfeelgreat!Glutenisonlyforceliacs,and..."andtheygoonallthisstuff,butthenthey'restillnotanywherenearwhatthey'recapableofdoing.They'reholdingthemselvesbacknutritionallyandwithalcohol,buttheydon'tknowit.


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Howdoyougetpeopletoseethatthey'redoingwhatyouweredoingtoyourself?

James: IactuallygavethistalkatyourconferenceinPasadena,theBulletproofConference,whichwas-

Dave: Yeah,itwasawesome.

James: Thankyou.Whichwas,isonedrinkadayholdingyouback,orisonedrinkadayslowlykilling

you?Here'sthething.Evenifyouconsideryourselfjustasocialdrinker,okay,andyoujusthaveonedrinkaday.Justsayyoucomehomefromwork,youhaveaglassofwinejusttotaketheedgeoff,maybeyouhaveabeer,maybeyouhaveacouplebeers.Here'sthething:That'senoughtodisruptyoursleepjustalittlebit.Whenyoursleepisdisruptedjustalittlebit,youwakeupjustalittlebitirritable.Whenyouwakeupjustalittlebitirritable,you'remoreinclinedtosnapatyourhusbandoryourwifeoryourboyfriendorgirlfriend,oryourkids,soyourrelationshipsstarttosufferjustalittlebit.

Ifyouleavehomejustalittlebitlaterbecauseyou'rejustalittlebitirritable,thenmaybeyou'renotshowingupatworkontime.Maybeyou'renotdoingyourjobtothebestthatyoucan.Ifyourunabusiness,maybeyou'renotasenergeticandasfocusedandasclear-mindedasyoucanbe,thanifyoudidn'thavethatonedrinkthenightbefore.That'scostingyoumoney.Maybeyoudon'tgetapromotionatwork,soit'scostingyoumoney.Maybeyoudon'tmakesalesinyourbusiness,whichiscostingyoumoney.Maybebecauseyou'rejustalittlebitirritable,andyou'rejustalittlebitfoggyafterthatdrinkthenightbefore,you'remoreinclinedtohaveacrappybreakfast.MaybeyouduckintoStarbucksandhaveacookie,oryougotoMcDonald's,ormaybeyouhaveasugaryfood.Thatisenoughtojustgiveyoualittlebitofextrapoundsoveryourwaist,whichmakesyoujustalittlebitfatter,whichmakesyousleepworse,whichmakesyouearnlessmoney,whichmakesyoumoreirritable,andit'sjustthisperpetualcycle.

Onedrinkisallittakesforyoujusttobealittlebitoff,andthatcanaffectyourfinances,yourrelationships,yourhealth,yourlooks.Alcoholisapoison,andwhenyouputthatpoisonintoyourbody,youlookweathered,likethecrow'sfeetorthelinesonyourskinstarttobemorepronounced.

Again,I'mnotsayingthatalcoholisthedevilandyoushouldneverdrinkalcohol,ever,butifyouhaveahabit,justthehabitofjustonedrinkaday,orafewdrinksontheweekend,thenmaybeyou'renotlivingyourlifeatanoptimumlevel.

Dave: Igaveaninterviewforabigtechmagazineawhilebackaboutanti-aging.Alotofpeopledon'tknowthis,butI'verunananti-agingresearchgroupformorethanadecadeasitschairmanorpresident,andmetalotofthepeoplewhotaughtmebiohackingwhoarelookingtohealaging.Thisage-oldquestforimmortalitything.Alotofthetrans-humanists...I'manadjunctprofessorattheSingularityInstitute,whichhasalotofthiskindofthinkingthere,andIbelieveveryfirmlythatagingitselfisdeathbyathousandcuts.Thereisn'tonegiantcauseofaging,there'smanylittlethingsthatkindofchipawayatyourresilienceandatyourbiochemicalpathways.Whatyoudoisyoutrytohavelessofthethingsthatmakeyouweak,andtrytohavemoreofthethingsthatmakeyoustrong.


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Ifsomemarketingcompanyhastoldyouthatalcohol—orsomeonewhojusthaswishfulself-

deception,there'salotofthatoutthere—they'regoingto..."Oh,well,Iwantalcoholtobegoodforyou,soI'mgoingtotorturethedatauntilthere'sawaytosayit'sgoodforyou.I'mgoingtomakeupthisantioxidantthinginalcoholandI'mgoingtofindthisonestudythatsaysitshiftsyourgutbiome,"orwhatever.Youcanjustifywhateverbehavioryouwant,includingslaveryandwife-beating,ifyouwanttotorturethedataenough.It'scalledself-deception.

You'regoingtogooutthereandyou'regoingtopromotethismessage,butthenwhat'shappeningthereisyou'reteachingpeoplewhobelieveindoingthingseverydaytomovetheneedleintherightdirection,thatthey'removingtheneedleintherightdirectionwhenthey'reclobberingthemselfoverthehead.Softly,butstillclobberingthemselfoverthehead.

James: Right.

Dave: ImadeacommitmentwhenIstartedBulletproof.I'mlike,look,here'swhatdifferentalcoholsdotoyou.Here'swhythey'rebadforyou.Here'sthebiochemicalpathways.ThenontheBulletproofAlcoholInfographic,here'swhattodoaboutit,soifyou'regoingtodoit,atleastdon'tdeceiveyourselfthatyou'redoingyourselfafavorbyhavingadrink.It'sjustnotthatway.

James: Yeah.Icreatedaprogramcalled30-DayNoAlcoholChallenge-

Dave: It'sagoodone.

James: Iteachpeopleinthisabouthowtheliquorcompaniesandthebeercompaniesareactuallymarketingtoustotryandgetustodrinktheirproduct,right?YouthinkaboutalltheTVcommercialsyouwatchwhenyou'rewatchingafootballgame,forexample,Dave,right?Theyportraythesehappy,beautifulpeoplehavingfun,oractingcoolandsophisticated.Ifyou'rewatchinganNFLgameyou'llhaveCoorsorBudweisercommercialswhereyou'vegotgoofyguyshavingfun,andthenthesereallybeautifulgirlsintheads,andit'sportrayingthisimagethatifyouwanttobepartofthetribe,thenyou'regoingtodrinkourproduct.Ifyouwanttohavefun,thenyou'regoingtodrinkourproduct.

They'vegottheseadcampaignsnowwithHollywoodcelebrities.Imean,GeorgeClooneyispushingthistequilanow,andthere'sabigbillboardonSunsetBoulevardwithGeorgeClooneyridingamotorcycle,andhelooksverycoolandverysophisticated,andveryhandsome,butthewholeimagerybehindit,what'sgoingonthereisifyouwanttobecoolandsophisticatedandhandsomelikeGeorgeClooney,drinkthisproduct.

Dave: Itotallymissedit.Ithoughtitmeantyouhavetobedrunktorideamotorcycle.Itotallyhaditbackwards.Okay,cool.Anyway...

James: Iseewhatyoudidthere,Dave.Veryclever.

Thesecompanies,they'repushingthisidea,likethatchampagneshouldbeassociatedwithcelebrationslikeweddings.Whoeveractuallyinventedtheideathattocelebrateyouhaveto


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drinkchampagne?I'lltellyouwhoinventedit,amarketingcompanybehindachampagnecompany.Whosaysthatyouhavetodrinkbeertowatchsportinggames?Well,thebeercompanies,ofcourse.Whosaysthatyouhavetohaveabottleofwineoveraromanticdinner?Thewinecompanies,that'swho.

Thetruthis,youcanenjoyalloftheseactivitieswithoutthealcohol,andyoucanlivealifefilledwithcelebrationandjoyandenergyandclarity,withoutthealcohol.Whenyoudrink,you'renotactuallydrinkingforpleasure.You'reactuallydrinkingjusttorelieveyouofyouralcoholwithdrawal.Alcoholisahighlyaddictivedrug,andwhenitpassesoutofyoursystem,itleavesyouwantingmore,likehunger.Thenyoufeellikeyou'recravingadrink.You'renotactuallycravingthedrinkforpleasure,you'recravingittorelieveyouofyourcraving.

Dave: It'sfunny,Iremembergoingback,jeez,almost20years.IwasatthiscompanycalledExodusCommunications.ThiswasthecompanythathostedGoogle'sfirstserverwhenGooglewasjustlikeababycompany,andabunchofYahoo'sstuff,kindofthefoundationalbigbrandsyouknowontheinternet.Facebook,allthat,theyallusedourstuff,anditwasacooltime.Wehadthebestmonthever,sothesalesteamwentouttothelocalMexicanfoodplacetocelebrate,andIwentbyandIgotatriplelatte.Istilldrankmilkinmycoffee,Ididn'tknowanybetter.IwasdrinkingcoffeeeverytwohourssoI'dkeepcrashing.Iwalkinthereandtheheadofsalesgoes,"Oh!..."Hegoestotakemycoffeetohandmeabeer,andI'mlike,"Areyoukiddingme?Iwantmycoffee!"Like,whattheheck?

Evenbackthen,IrecognizedthatIenjoyedbeerandwineandall,butittakesitoutofmethenextday.IwasrunningatsuchacareerpacethatIwaskindof...Ifeltsociallyawkward,becausethey'retryingtosaydon'tdrinkwhatmakesyoufeelgood,drinkthis!Therewaspeerpressurethere,especiallyamongsalespeople.Salespeoplejustdrinkthemselvesunderthetable,usually.Whatdoyoudoinasituationlikethat,whereyou'relike,okay,I'mnotgoingtodrink,orI'mgoingtochoosesomethingelse?Howdoapproachthatnow?

James: Yeah,it'sthebiggestquestionthatIget,funnilyenough.WhenpeoplelearnaboutthefactthatIdon'tdrink,whenpeoplecomeintothe30-DayNoAlcoholChallenge,they'realwayssaying,"Hey,howdoyousocializewithoutdrinking?Howdowedothis?Ijustfeeluncomfortableoutinagroupofpeople,andI'mtheonlypersonnotdrinking."

Here'swhatIdo:Firstthing,IjustcommitthatI'mgoingtohavethemostfunandbethemostpersonablepersonatwhateversocialfunctionorgatheringI'mabouttoattend,andI'mgoingtodoitwhilesippingonsodawater,orwater,ice,andapieceoflime.Ijustmakeacommitment.Itisassimpleasthat.I'llwalkinandI'llgo,"Dave!Howareyoudoing?JamesSwanwick.Nicetomeetyou.Haveyoumetmyfriend,Tina?Tina,meetJohn.John,meetChris.Howareyoudoing?Tellmeyourstory."AndI'llstarttojusttakeaverygenuineinterestinotherpeople.Istarttoinitiatepeopleskills,ifyoulike.I'mnotrelyingonthecrutchofalcoholtoloosenupandtofeelfree,andtofeellikeIbelongintheconversation.I'mjustrelyingonpeopleskills,self-assurance,confidence,tobeabletoengagepeople.

Thefirstthingisverymuchamentality.It'sI'mgoingtohavethemostfunhere.Letmetellyou,Dave,Igotoparties...YouandIhavebeenataparty.WewenttoJimKwik'spartyayearago.


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There'sanopenbar,peoplearedrinking.Alotoftimes,peopleactuallythinkI'mdrunkbecauseI'mjusthavingagoodtime,I'menergetic,I'mhavinggoodconversationswithpeople,I'msmiling,I'mlaughing.Peopledon'tevenknowthatI'mnotdrinking.It'sso,sosimple.Firstthingisjustcommit.

Thesecondthingisthatwheneveranyoneasksyou,"CanIgetyouadrink?Whatwouldyouliketodrink?"justrepeatthesewords:"Yes,please.I'llhaveawater,ice,andapieceoflime,please."That'sit.Or,youcanjustchangeittowhateveryourfavoritenon-alcoholicdrinkis,like,"Givemeasodawaterwithasplashofcranberry."Whatever.Justrepeatthat,becausewhenyougointoarestaurantandyousitdown,whathappens?Thewaitercomesover,orthewaitress,andsays,"Hi,canIgetyoustartedwithsomedrinks?"Andofcourse,they'retryingtosellyoutheiralcoholicproduct,right?They'retryingtogetyoutoguydrinks-

Dave: Whichisgoingtodoubleyourtab,right?

James: It'sgoingtodoubleyourtab.Ismile,andIsay,"Yes,please.I'llhaveawater,ice,andapieceoflime,please."Andthey'llsay,"Okay,sure.Noproblem."Andtheybringitovertome.Guesswhat?Ihaven'tcommittedtopayingfora$15cocktail,Ihaven'tboughtabottleofwine,mytabisgoingtobehalfortwo-thirdslessattheendofthemeal,andI'mdrinkingsomethingthat'shealthyforme.

Theotherthingis,makeajokeaboutthefactthatyou'renotdrinking.Ifsomeoneactuallyseesthatyou'renotdrinking,orstartstomockyouormakesfunofyou,firstofall,thatrarelyhappens.Evenifitdoes,justmakeajokeaboutit.Justsay,"Yeah,I'mgoingtogetdrunkonthiswatertonight.Iamgoingtoswingfromtherafterstonight!Lookout,Iamgoingtogocrazyonthissodawatertonight."Justmakeajokeaboutit.Whenpeopleseethatyoudon'tcarethatyou'renotdrinking,andthatyou'reconfident,andyousayitwithalittlecheekysmileandalittlecheekygrin,noonecanmakefunofyou.Nobodycares.

So,threethingsthere:Committohavingthemostfun;two,always,whenyouwalkintoabar,justgoupandorderawater,ice,pieceoflime.It'sadeliciousdrink.Third,whenanyoneeverpointsoutthatyou'renotdrinking,justmakeajokeaboutit.Justsay,"Yeah,I'mnotdrinkingatthemoment,butI'mgoingtogetdrunkonthiswaterinstead."Whenyoudothat,peoplejustrelax.Peopledon'tcare.It'sanabsolutefallacythatpeoplearejudgingyoufornotdrinking.Itjustdoesn'thappen.

Dave: There'salinethatIfindworksreally,reallywell.IjusttellpeoplethatI'mreallylookingtoavoidbenign,alcohol-inducedtesticularatrophy.Ittakespeople,especiallywhohavehadacoupledrinks,ittakesthemaminutetounpackthat.Whentheyunpackit,theyjustrealizethatyoukindofjustinsultedthemtotheirfacebecausethey'redrinking.Butittookthemlongenoughthattheyfeelstupid.

James: Butlook,youjustcrackedajoke.Youjustcrackedajoke,youmadealight-heartedcomment.Nobodycares.Peoplearealllike,"Oh,I'mgoingtobeostracizedfromthegroupifIdon'tdrink."Nonsense.


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WhatIliketodosometimesaswell,andIteachthistopeopleinmy30-DayNoAlcoholChallengeprogramallthetime.Isayjustpointtoyourheadandgo,"I'mtoostronginmind.I'mtoostronginmind."Andjustsayitwithalittlecheekygrin.

Dave: Youhavetohavethecoolaccent,too,becauseitsoundscoolerwhenyousayit.

James: LetmehearyourAustralianaccent,Dave.Iwanttohearit.Let'sseewhatyougot.

Dave: Idon'tthinkIcandoAustralian."I'mtoostronginmind."Idon'tthinkIhaveitdown.

James: Imean,thatwasanexcellentSriLankanaccent,butcouldyoudoanAustralianaccentnow?

Dave: Idon'tthinkI...IcansayAmeriker.I'vegotthatdown.Otherthanthat,Idon'tthinkIquitehavetheAussiethingdown.

James: MyAustralianfriends,whenIgobackto...IwasactuallybackinAustraliaforChristmasjustgone,andtheyaccusedmeofhavinganAmericanaccentbecauseIstarttopronouncemyR'salittlebitmore.I'llsaythingslike,"Sure,"orI'llsaythingslike,"Thereyougo,"or"Youknowwhat?"ThisishowAustraliansmockAmericansalittlebit.Wesaythesephraseologies,like"Youknowwhat?Youknowwhat?"I'mlike,"What?"Everyamericanlovestosay,"Youknowwhat?"Andtheotherthingislike,"Sure."Andtheotherthingis,"Thereyougo,"likethere'sallthiskindofencouragement,like"Thereyougo,nice.Nice.You'redoingit.Nice."

Americansareprobablylisteningtomenow,going,"ThisisjusttheworstimpersonationofanAmericanaccent."Anyway.MayIjuststressaswellthatIamadualcitizen,soIamAmericanandIlovethiswonderfulcountry,andIappreciateAmericawonderfully.I'mjustmakingalittlejokeatmynaturalizedcountry'sexpense.

Dave: Mybrother-in-lawisalsofromAustralia,andwhenheputsonhisAmericanaccentit'sscreaminglyfunny.Idon'tthinkanyAmerican'sgoingtodoubt...Besides,whatisanAmericanaccent?There'sthesurfer,"Hey,dude,"allthewaydowntoSouthCarolina,sowe'reamixingpot.Alwayshavebeen.There'smorethanafewcriminalsheretoo,soit'scool.

James: Iseewhatyoudidthere,yes.

Dave: Allright.

James: We'reall...I'mdescendedfromconvicts,yes.

Dave: Exactly.We'vegotnoproblemswiththat.Now,Ithinkwetalkedaboutalcoholprettywell,butthesortofelephantintheroom,especiallyforpeoplewhoareontheYouTubechannel—bytheway,bulletproofexec.com/youtube,youcansignupandgetallthiscoolstuff.Ifyou'rewatchingusrightnow,youwouldrecognizethatnotonlyisJamesSwanwickaprofoundlyattractiveman,he'swearingtheseglassesthatamplifyhisattractivenessinawaythatyoucouldonlydescribeasorange.You'rewearingorangeglassesrightnow,whichisabiohackthatI'vebeenafanofforyears.I'vetalkedaboutitIthinkbeforeitwascool,andyou'reactuallymaking


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itcool,sotellmeabouttheglassesyou'rewearingrightnow.

James: Theseareblue-blockingglasses.IcallthemSwannies.They'reacompanythatIcreated,swanniesglasses.com.Aboutayearago,Ihadafriendofmine...Firstofall,Iactuallysawyouwearingyourorange-tintedglassesabout18monthsago,andIneverreallydelvedintoittoomuch.Ijustthought,there'ssomebiohackgoingonwithDaveandthat'scool,he'sjusttheweirdBulletproofguy,that'sallright.Don'treallyunderstandit.ThenIwasouttodinnerwithafriendofmineinPalmSpringsaboutayearago,andhewaswearingthesereallyuglysafetygoggles.

Dave: Oh,thosearesognarly.Ihavethosetoo,yeah.

James: Yeah,withtheorangelensesinthem.Itwas8:00atnight,we'resittingdownfordinner,andI'mlike,"Dude,whatthehellareyouwearing?"He'slike,"Oh,I'mwearingblue-blockingglasses.Theystopthebluelightsoit'sgoingtohelpmysleep."Thatwasinteresting,soIdidaskhimaboutthat,butbeforeIdid,Isaid,"Butmate,whatareyoudoing?You'rewearinguglyglasses.We'reouttodinner.We'reoutherewithsomeprettygirls,likewhatareyoudoing?Takethose-

Dave: Oh,thechicksdigit,man.Theylovethat,whenyouhavethosebigmono-browgoggles?It'stotallythething.

James: Isaidtohim,"Mate,takethosedamnthingsoff."He'slike,"No."Anyway,overdinner,heexplainedittome.Heexplainedthebenefitsofwearingblue-blockingglasses,andessentiallyit'sthis:Bluelightisemittedfromyourcellphone,fromyourlaptopcomputer,fromyouriPad.Fromanyelectricaldevicethathasadisplay,there'sbluelightcomingoutofthatdisplay.Now,inthedaytime,that'sokay,butatnighttime,whenyourbodywantstocreatemelatoninsoyoucanfallasleepatnight,lookingatyourcellphoneinbedatnighttimeinthedark,lookingatyourcomputeratnighttimeanhourandahalf,twohours,beforeyougotosleep,isdamagingyoursleeppatterns.Whatthatbluelightdoesisthatitkeepsyourbrainalert,itkeepsyourbrainactivated,anditpreventsthecreationofmelatonin,whichhelpsyoufallasleep,increasesthequalityofyoursleep,reducedyourriskofcancer,regulatesyourhormones.

Ifyouarelisteningtothisrightnowonyourcellphoneandit'snighttime,andyou'relookingatthedisplayonyourcellphone,youarebasicallydisruptingyoursleep.IfyouarewatchingthisonYouTubeatthemomentonDave'schannelandit'snighttime,thenthebluelightthatishittingyoureyesrightnowisdisruptingyoursleep.

WhatIdidwas,therewasaproblem,Dave.Thatwas,Ididn'twanttowearuglysafetygogglesouttodinnerwherethereweregirlslookingatmeandotherguys.I'mjustvainenoughthatIkindofwantedtolookstylishwearingblue-blockingglasses.

Dave: Shocking.

James: SowhatIdidwasIputtheblue-blockinglens,thisorangelens,intoasstylishaframeasIcouldcomeupwith.They'rekindoflikereadingglasses,sonowIcanwearthemoutinsocial


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occasions,outtodinneratnighttimeacoupleofhoursbeforeIgotosleep,andnowpeoplego,"Oh,they'reinteresting.Tellmeaboutthose,"asopposedto,"Whatthehellareyouwearingrightnow?"

Dave: Ithinkyou'reunderstatingtheproblem.I'vebeenstudyinglightinthebrainsince1997whenIstartedusinginfraredlightstostimulatepartsofmybrainlikebyshiningthemthroughthescalp,whichiswhyIhavemycustom-madeorangeglasses,whichareactuallyavintagepairofOakleytitaniumframesthatthey'rebasedon.Ihadthecustomtintmadespecificallyformybrain,aswellastoblockthebluelight,becauseInoticedthedifferenceinmysleepperformance.Ilovethatyoumadethesethings.

ThereasonIsaytheproblemisworsethanthatisit'snotjustcomputersandlaptopsandscreenslikethis,it'sthatLEDlightbulbsarefivetimesmoresuppressiveofmelatoninthanincandescentbulbs.Inthelasttwoyears,theamountoflightpollutionincitiesaroundtheworld,becausetheyallswitchedtoLEDlightsallovertheplace,hasjustskyrocketed.Youlookatsatellitephotosoftheearthfromtwoyearsagoversusnow,it'sareallybigissueforhumanseverywhere,andit'slinkedtocancer.

Ihaveatwo-prongedstrategy.Iuseblue-blockingglasses.I'mafanofyours,likethelookonSwanniesisreallygood.Andyoudosomethingelsethat'sactuallycognitivelyinteresting—andyoucanseeitwhenyougototheYouTubechannelforBulletproof,whentheylookatyou—you'vegotablueishanti-reflectiveglareonthem.That'sactuallyaglareprotectiveshield,sowhenyoureduceglare,youreducetheamountofenergyyourbrainusestosortoutreflectionsfromwhat'sgoingon.Theanti-glarecoatingisalsoacognitiveenhancingbenefitforyou.

WhatIdoisI'llusemycustomlenses,althoughIreallylikethelookofyours,socool,IlikeSwannies-

James: Thankyou.

Dave: Onmylaptop,onmyiPad,onmyphone,IhaveaZenTechscreenprotector.ThisissomethingthatImake—fulldisclosure.Webothhaveproductsinthisspace.Neitheroneofusisheretosell,butwe'lljusttalkaboutwhatwedo.ImadethisbecauseIdidn'talwayswearmyglassesatnight.Allofmyelectronicshavethisonthem.It'snotanorangecoating,youcan'tevenseeit'sonthere,butit'sblockingthenarrowspectrumofbluethatcausesthemostdamage.Thestuffthesuppressesmelatoninthemost.

That'snotenoughthough,becauseifyoucoveryourscreens...Beforebed,ifyoulookatyourphonetosetyouralarmclockordowhatever,it'sgoingtogetyou.Ifyou'renotwearingblue-blockingglassesatnight,whateverlightsyouhavearegoingtoaffectyourmelatonin,andifyou'relikemostpeopleyouhavefluorescentorevenworse,LEDlights,they'regoingtocompletelyturnoffmelatoninforfourhours.You'vegottohavesomethingoveryoureyesandsomethingoveryourelectronics.That'sthestrategythatIfollowathome,soIwaskindofstokedwhenyoucameoutwithsomenice-lookingglasseslikethat.That'sagoodthing.

James: Yeah,thankyouDave.It'sfunny,sincewestartedusingelectriclighting,itwas,what,120years


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ago,125yearsago?We'realwaysinthisartificiallight.Constantly.Beforethatitwascandlelight,nowwe'reinthisartificiallight.That'sputahugestrainonourbodies,onourhormones,onoursleeppatterns.It'sessentiallyjustchangedourwholegeneticmakeup,really.

Youthinkaboutit,ifyougoeven...Ifyouliveinacoldclimate,let'sjustsayyou'reontheEastCoastandthesungoesdown...Thesungetsupatlike7:00,7:30,itgoesdownatlike4:30,5:00inthepeakofwinter.There'sactuallyachancethatyouwillbeconstantlyinthatoverheadlightingalldaywithoutactuallygoingoutandgettingsunlight,whichalsohelpsyourcircadianrhythmandalsohelpsthecreationofmelatonin,andthatyou'rejustsittingindoorsalldayunderthatstrobelighting,underneaththatfluorescentlighting.That'scausingahellofalotofdamagetoyou.

Thefactthatit'stoocoldtogooutsidesoyoustayinside,you'vegotthesebigoverheadlights.That'sdisruptingyourmelatoninproduction,it'sdisruptingyoursleep,andevenifyougetsevenoreighthourssleepandyougo,"Well,Igotsevenoreighthourssleep,"it'snotnecessarilythedeepestsleepyoucanget.It'snotnecessarilythehighestqualityofsleepyoucanget,becauseyouwerelookingatyourcellphoneinthehalfanhourbeforebed,oryouhadtheseoverheadlightsinyourbedroomoryourlivingroomonbeforeyouwenttosleep.

Dave: There'safamousbookthatreallyfirstinformedmeaboutthisyearsago,itwascalledLightsOut.Iwanttosayitwasaround2003,2004.Icouldbeoffbyacoupleyears.Imettheauthorofthebookatamedicalconference,because,well,IgotomedicalconferencesforfuneventhoughIworkedintech.WhywouldIdothat?Anyhow,thisbookwasone-thirdreferences,anditflat-outsaid,look,whenyouhavebrightlightsatnight,itcausescancer.

WhatIrealizedthen,andIstillbelievetothisday,isthatlightisadrug.Justlikewehaverealfoodsandfakefoods,wehavethesamethinggoingonwithlight.Thedifferenceinlight,though,isthatthenaturalformsoflightthatweevolvedtoworkwithattherighttimeofdayarewhatusengineerswouldcallanalogsourcesoflight.Thismeanslightthatdoesn'tblinkonandoffreallyrapidly.

There'sonlyafewwaystogetthat.Numberoneissunlight,numbertwoisfire—kerosenelanternsandwhaleoillanternsandallthethingthatwe'veusedforthat—andthenwehavetheincandescentlightbulb,whichdoesn'tflicker.Itactuallyglows.Theycanflickeralittlebit,butit'snotarhythmicflicker,evenifthepowerthatcomesthereisthere.Thenwehavehalogenlights.Afterthat,forthemostpart,whenwegettofluorescentlights,whenwegettoLEDlights,whenwegettoalltheothermoreexoticformsoflight,allofthosearebasicallydigital,unnaturalformsoflight,wherewe'veseparatedoutspecificfrequencies,andtheenergy-efficientlightsarelackinghugepartsofthespectrumthataffectourbiologybecauselight'sadrug.

Whatwe'vedoneiswe'vetakennatural,normallightthatourbodiescanmakesenseofattherighttimeofday,andwe'veturneditintothisartificialthingthatincreasesvisualstress,increasestheamountofenergyittakesforyourbraintoseeit.Therealdamagehere—andImaybepreachingtothechoirheregiventhatI'minterviewingyou,butIreallycareaboutthis—bluelight,thestuffyourglassesareblocking,itincreasesoxidativestressonthecell


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membraneinyoureyesandontherestofyourbody.Itdoesn'tsendasignaltorepairtheoxidativedamage,whichiswhathappenswhenyou'reexposedtooutdoorlight.Yougetsunlight,andyougetthisbluecolor.Whatyouendupwithis,overthecourseofthenext20years,we'recreatingthishugeepidemicofmaculardegeneration.We'rewreckingeveryone'seyeswiththeseLEDlightseverywhere,withthesefluorescentlightseverywhere,andnoone'sdonethelong-termtesting.

Whenyoudolookatthedata,you'relike,peoplewhospendthemosttimeunderfluorescentlightsgetmelanoma,notthepeoplewhospendthemosttimeoutside.Thedataisin,anditsucks,whichiswhyyourglassesareareallygoodidea.

James: Wherearewegoingtobein20yearsifwedon'tblockthisbluelight,Dave?Ifwegobacktocigarettesmoking,right,cigarettesmokingwasokayrightupuntilthe'60swhenallofasuddentherewaspublicawarenessonthis,andthengradually,overtime,obviouslynowwe'reawareofthehealthramificationsofsmokingcigarettes.Howlongisitgoingtotake,doyouthink,orwherearewegoingtobein20yearsifwekeepupthisconstantuseofcellphones,computerscreens,laptops,overheadlighting,ifwedon'tblockthebluelight?

Dave: Bluelight,oneofthemanythingsitdoesasidefromincreasingyourcancerrisk,italsolowersyourfertilitywhenyougetbluelightatnight.Itmesseswiththecorehormonesthatmakeyouwhoandwhatyouare.We'realreadyseeingarapiddeclineinhumanfertility,andwe'reseeingarapidincreaseinbirthdefectsandautismandthingslikethat,whichisscary.Thefactthatoneineightcouplesishavingahardtimeconceivingatanyageshouldbekindofscary.Wow,whatdoesthatmean?Well,whatIthinkwe'relookingatiswe'relookingatawaveofcancer—funny,we'realreadyseeingthat—awaveofdiabetes—we'realreadyseeingthat—andawaveofpeoplewhohaveseriousvisionimpairmentastheyage,becausethey'reburningtheireyesoutstaringatthesebrightLEDandfluorescentlightsources,theseplasmaTVs.

WhatwouldIdo?Iwouldinvestinthingsthataretreatmentsandcuresformaculardegeneration,becausewe'regoingtoneedalotofthatstuff.Ifyou'reworriedaboutthisyourself,anddammit,youshouldbeworriedaboutthis.I'mnotabigfanoffear-mongeringandworryatall,butifyou'renotpayingattentiontothis,you'renotpayingattentionperiod.Ifyoucan'tsee,that'sreally,reallybadforyourabilitytomakealiving.Ifyoucan'tmakealiving,well,howareyougoingtodoallthethingsthatyouliketodoandallthethingsthatkeepyoustrong?Itisasubstantialrisk.

Ifyou'repayingattentiontothisstuff,youtakeextraantioxidants,youtakethingsthatsupportyoureyes,andthenyouwearappropriate-coloredfilterstokeepthejunklightout.Youwouldn'tgoeatatajunkfoodrestaurant,yetyou'reallowingjunklightintoyoureyes.Idon'tthinkitmakessense.

Thatsaid,maybeI'mnotactuallylivingthat,becauseguesswhat'sshiningonmerightthere?Youcan'tseeit,butIhavestudiolightingthat'scolor-tunable,andit'sLED-based.Icantellyourightnowthatthere'svisualstresscominginonthissideofmyeyes,becausethislightisthewrongcolorspectrumformyeyes.ButIonlydothiswhenI'mrecording,andafterthatthere'snotanLEDbulbinmyhouseunlessit'saredLEDbulb.AndIwearmyfiltersatnight.


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Infact,mostofthedayI'mwearingmyIrlenlenses,whichisacustomtintthat'sspecificallyfor

myeyesthatfiltersoutstuffthatmybrainhasahardtimeprocessing.IfeellikeI'mcoveringit,andI'mtakingahit.Justlikeourconversationaboutalcohol,Iminimizemyexposuretobadlight,becauseoverthecourseofthenext100,140yearsorsothatIexpecttolive—andI'mnotkiddingaboutthat,either—I'mgoingtowantmyeyes.Itjustcomesdowntothat.

James: It'sfunny,Ionlybecameawareofthisayearago,likeIsaid.AssoonasIstartedblockingthebluelight,mysleepimprovedagain.Iactuallytestedit.Itwasn'tlikeaplacebo.There'sthatappcalledSleepCycle,whereyoucanactuallytesthowyousleep.Itesteditforaweekwithoutwearingtheblue-blockingglasses,andthenItesteditagainandmysleepimproveddramatically.Icouldjustseeitthere.Notonlythat,Ijustfeltbetter.Myeyesweren'tstrained,Ihadlessheadaches.NotthatIreallysufferedfromheadachesthatmuch,butyouknowthatlittleirritablestrainthatyougetwhenyou'vebeenonthecomputertoolong?Oryou'vebeenstaringatyour-

Dave: Mostpeopledon'tknowthat.It'sthereforalmosteveryone,butit'ssubliminal.You'reawareofitbecauseyoustartedpayingattentiontoyourbody,andyou'recuriousandinterested.Thevastmajorityofpeoplewilltellyou,"Idon'thaveanissue."Thenyouputglassesonthemandthey'relike,"Oh,nowIseeit."Whenyougettherightcolorfilterson—I'veseenthiscountlesstimes,especiallyworkingwithHelenIrlen,wherethere'speoplewhohavemorevisualchallengesthanothersprocessinglight—they'relike,"Igotmylifeback."MybuddyAbelJames,hedidtheIrlen-

James: Fat-BurningMan,yeah.

Dave: TheFat-BurningMan.HedidthecustomfilterthingafterIintroducedhimtoHelen,andhewaslike,"Igot25%ofmybrainback."AllpeopleneedtodoisputonapairofSwannies,right,andyou'relike,"Wait,Ididn'tknowIcouldfeelthisgood."

ThewholepremiseofBulletproofislike,youdon'tknowwhatyoufeellikewhenyou'rebulletproof.TryBulletproofCoffeeandseewhatitfeelsliketohaveenoughenergyinyourbrainforonce.Like,oh,trysomeglasses,right,tryonSwannies,andseewhathappens.Whatyou'llfindisyou'llwearthemfor15minutesandyou'relike,"Ifeelstrangelyrelaxed."Yeah,that'slikethenormalstate.Whereyouwerebeforewasactuallystress,butyoudidn'tknowit,becausestressiswhatyoulearnedisnormal,anditwaswrong.

Ifullywilltellpeople,everyone,giveitatry.It'seasy.

James: Yeah,andthankyou,aswell.YouintroducedmetoHelenandIactuallywentdowntheretoLongBeachandmetwithher,andtalkedaboutthistechnologybeforeIactuallydesignedtheSwanniesglasses,sothankyouforthatintroduction.AndAbelJamesaswell,Fat-BurningMan.Iknowhim.Hespokeatyourconferenceayearago.

Yeah,look,onlygoodthingscancomefromit.Ifyou'rejustvainenoughlikeIam,thenputonastylishpairbecauseyoudon'twanttobewalkingdownthestreetwearingbig,uglysafety


17

goggles,becausepeoplearegoingtolookatyouandcallyouweird.

Dave: It'strue.Andtheymightcallyouweirdforwearingorangeglasses.Itdoesn'tmatter.SomethinghappenedtomeinmyorangeglasseswhichI'llneverforget,andit'stoofunnyofastorynottotell.Throughjustrandomoccurrence,Igotaninvitation.MyfriendNamLe,who'saworld-championpokerplayer,calledmeup-

James: IknowNam.Nam'sawesome.

Dave: DoyouknowNam?

James: Yeah,IknowNam.He'sagreatguy.He'sactuallyinmy30-DayNoAlcoholChallenge.Heactuallywasteachingabouthowhequitsalcoholwhenheplayspokerandhowhe'smademillionsofdollarsjustfromquittingalcohol.

Dave: He'ssuperbulletproof,andacoachingclient,andjustafriend.Oneoftheguyswho'shelpingtosupportBulletproof.

James: Greatguy,yeah.

Dave: Hedoeseverythingpossibletoturnhisbrainonwhenhe'sgoingtogoplay,becauseitgiveshimthisadvantage,soofcoursehe'sgoingtopayattentiontoalcohol.Iftheotherguysaredrinkingbeerandyou'renot,you'regoingtohavethatedge,likethatlittledecision-makingthingyoujustthoughtabout.

Anyhow,Namcallsmeuponedayandsays,"HeyDave,I'vegotanextraticketforacelebritypokertournament,"likewithMattDamonandBenAffleckandalltheseHollywoodguys,halfofwhomIdon'tevenknowwhotheyare.I'mlike,thatwouldbecool.I'mgoingtogowatch.Igetthere,andit'slike,ohno,it'satickettoplay.I'mlike,I'mnot...Iplayedpokerincollege,butIthinkcanrememberwhathanddoeswhat,butI'mtotallynotapokergod.I'dliketohavetimeforthat,butIhavelittlekids.

SoIsitthereandI'mwearingmyorangeglassesinHollywoodcelebrityville.It'ssomeone'shouse,andit'slikesecurityguardswithgunsandthewholeHollywoodelitething—whichwasawesometosee,andtotallynotmyareaofexpertise—anditturnsoutI'mthe,whatdotheycallit,thechipleader?AttheendofthefirstroundIhadthemostchips,becauseI'mplayingwithoutfear.I'mlike,whatamIgoingtodo,losefakecharitymoney?I'mjusthavingfun.Ohmygod,I'mplayingagainstLarryDavid,likeholycrap!Andthere'sTebow,andhejusttooksomeofmychips.

Okay,Idon'tknowaboutyou,but...Actually,youinterviewallthesepeople,maybeyou'reusedtoit.Butforme,I'mkindoflikejawhittingthefloor.ThenIhearthisguybehindmeandover,talkingtohisgirlfriend.Hegoes,"Yeah,Ithinkthat'sBono."BecauseI'mwearingmysunglassesindoorsandnooneknowswhoIam.TheonetimeinmylifeI'mgoingtobemistakenforarealcelebrity,Iwaslike,dude,thisisfunny.


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That'swhatyougetifyouwearorangeglasses.Nothingbadhappenstoyou,evenifyou'reamongstreallycoolpeople,waycoolerthanyou.

James: IwasattheGoldenGlobesearlierthisyear.IwenttotheHBOafter-partyandtheWeinsteinafter-party,andImetElonMusk,thebillionairewho'screatedTesla.Heaskedmeabouttheglasses,andIexplainedthemtohim,andhethoughttheywerereallycool.Also,what'sthatgirl'sname,thatpopstar,usedtodateJustinBieber,what'shername?SelenaGomez,that'sit.SelenaGomezislike,"Whatarethosethings?"andItoldheraboutthemaswell,soI'mhopingthatI'llgetacoupleofhigh-profilepeoplewho'llbewearingthemsoonandwillstarttospreadthewordalittlebitmore,butyoudo...SometimespeoplesayyoulookalittlebitlikeBono,butyoulookdefinitelyalotmorelikeBonothanIdo,Dave,soI'mnotgoingtostealthatfromyou.

Dave: I'malittletaller,andIdon'tsayoyveryoften,soIthinkthere'sawidegulfbetweenusintermsofcoolness,but...Idothink,though,thatyou'llseecelebritiesdoingthat.I'vehadachancetoworkasaperformancecoachforafewcelebrities,peoplewhospendalotoftimeoncamera,andonethingtheyallhaveincommonisthey'reindusty,bright,noisyenvironmentsfortwelvehoursadayandtheyneedoptimalbrainperformance,andtheyneedtolookreallygood.They'realllike,"Okay,howdoIgetmoreenergyintomybody,howdoIavoidinflammationbecauseIdon'twantlovehandles,"butbetweenscenes,theywillputonsunglassestoblockthestudiolightsjusttolettheireyesandbrainrestalittlebit.There'sabsolutelymoreawarenessamongcelebrities,becauseyourlifesuckswhenyou'refilmingaTVshow.Itjustdoes.

James: Yeah,ImeanIwasaSportsCenteranchoronESPN,whenIwasoutthereatESPNandhostingtheshow.It'sbigbrightlightscomingatyouallday.Ididn'tknowaboutthetechnologybackthen.IwishIhad,becauseI'msureIwouldhavesleptbetterandjustfeltbetteringeneral,butyou'reright.Mostimportantly,you'vegottoreallythinkabouttheoverheadlightsjustinyourdailylife.Justtrytogetoutsideandgetdaylightinthedaytime,andatnighttime,justtrytoblockthebluelightasmuchasyoucan.Asyouknow,Dave,yourcircadianrhythmiswhatisgoingtokeepyouhealthy,right?

Dave: Itdoes,anditgoesdeeperthanthat,too.It'snotlikeyouliveinisolation.Iliveona32-acreorganicfarm.There'sbaldeaglesinmybackyard,Igottwospeciesofowls,andyouknowwhatmyexteriorlightinglookslikeonmyhouse?It'sallredLEDlights,whichputoutzerobluespectrum.They'reallsea-turtlefriendly.IcanseetheoceanoveronSaltspringIsland,butI'mnotcloseenough...Idon'teventhinkwehaveseaturtleshereanyway.Whatever.Idon'tdisruptanywildlife,Idon'tdrawinsectstothehouse.Icanseejustfinewithredlights,socanyou.

Abovemerightnow,Ihaveredoramberlightsthatcomeonatnight.Mywholehouseisilluminatedwithlightsthatarefriendlyformybiology,andfriendlyfortheworldaroundme.Ifwedidthatinourcitiesinsteadofhavingtheseridiculouslybrightblue-whitestreetlights,we'dactuallyalllivelonger,we'dhavelessaccidents,we'dsleepbetter,we'dhavelesscancer,lessheartdisease.Thesearebigsocietalissues.Asabiohacker,oneofthethingsI'mheretodoislet'sbuildaworldwhereweusetechnologythatmakesusstrongerinsteadoftechnologythatmakesusweaker.


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Theproblemis,whoeverdesignedthoselights,theydidn'tknowanyofthis.Someonesomewheremighthaveknownit,butnoevil,nefariouspersontriedtomakelightsthatmakepeopleweak.Butassoonaswehadenoughlights,andsomeonesaidthesemakeusweak,thenitcreatedconflict.Whatwouldhavebeenbetter,tosayohmygod,whatamarketopportunity.Nowwecanmakelightsthatmakeusstrong,becauseweknowit.We'vegottoinnovatearoundthecreationofLEDlightingtogetridoftheharmfulblueandincreasetheusefulspectrums.Couldwedothat?Yes,butonlyifweacknowledgethere'saproblemandwestopspendingmoneyonthingsthatmakeusweak.

That'swhypeoplearevotingforqualityfoodwhentheyhearaboutwhathappenswithindustrialmeat.No,Iwantgrass-fedmeatorI'mjustnothavingit,thankyou.Thisiswhy,thisweek,Campbell'ssoupjustsaid,"Oh,actuallywedosupportGMOlegislation,"becausepeoplewon'tbuystuffthat'sunlabeled.Wemightaswelljustthrowinthetowelinsteadoffightingit.Andwe'reseeingtheseindustrialchanges.

Thesamethinghastohappenwithlighting,andbyworrying...I'msorry,they'restylishbutthey'restillalittlefunny-lookingcomparedtountintedglasses.Iknow,I'vebeenwearingthesethingsfortenyears,right?I'mwithyou,there.Butbydoingthatandbyleadingbyexample,James,Ithinkyouactuallyhaveafarbiggerimpactontheworldthanyouprobablyarethinkingabout.Theproblemyou'rehighlightingwiththoseglassesisoneofsurvivalofourspecies,andfeelinglikeyourselfeveryday.Ithinkitreallymatterswaymorethanpeoplegiveitcreditfor.

James: Thankyouforyourkind,supportivewords,Dave.Itmeansalot.Iappreciatethat.Andthankyouforyouleadingthecharge,aswell,oneverythingyoudo.SinceI'vebeenfollowingyouandgottoknowyou—notjustlisteningtoyourpodcast,butalsomeetingyouinperson—I'vedoneBulletproofdiet,I'meatinggrass-fedbeef,I'mintegratingallofthesethingsintomylifeandIjustfeelamazingbecauseofit.

WhenIquitthatalcoholbackin2010tonow,I'macompletelydifferentperson.Infact,ifyouwanttoseethetransformation,ifyouwanttoseethefat-facedJames,goto30daynoalcoholchallenge.com.There'sactuallyavideoofmewiththeHollywoodactressJenniferAniston,fromFriends.Youcansee,there'saphotothere,andI'mstandingnexttoher.I'mattheSundanceFilmFestival,andI'msuckingmygutinbecauseI'vegotrollsoffatjustpouringovermybelt.YoucanseeI'vegotthisreallypuffyface.

Ididn'tknowanythingaboutpaleobackthen,Ididn'tknowanythingaboutcircadianrhythms,Ididn'tknowabouttheimportanceofgettingdirectsunlight.Ididn'tknowtheimportanceofeatinggoodfatsorputtingoilinmycoffee,andgrass-fedbutter.Ihadnoclue.Inthatphotothatyoucansee,withmenexttoJenniferAniston,I'mliterallysuckingmygutintryingtolookasslimandasskinnyaspossible.Soifyouwanttoseethedifference,justgothere,300daynoalcoholchallenge.com,youcanseemyface.Thenifyou'rewatchingthisontheYouTube,youcanseehowIlooknow,whichisprobablyabout28,30poundsslimmer,skinmuchhealthierlooking,lotsmoreenergy,sleepinglikeababyeverynight,andjustreallypositive.

That'stheotherthing.Wetalkabouthealthalot,butspiritualityandmindsetisaffectedwhen


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you'reunhealthy.Ifyou'renotsleepingproperly,you'reirritable.Whenyou'reirritable,youhaveabadrelationship.Whenyouhaveabadrelationship,yougetdepressed,youtendtowanttodrinkmore,tendtowanttoeatcrappierfood.Butifyou'rehealthierandyou'reenergetic,andyou'vereducedyouralcohol...Again,I'mnotsayingyou'vegottoquitalcoholforever,I'mjustencouragingyoutoquitalcoholfor30days.Takea30-daynoalcoholchallenge,seewhatit'slike,andthenafterthatjustreduce.PutonapairofSwanniesblue-blockingglasses,ordon'tspendsomuchtimeinoverheadlights,orputafilteronyourphone-

Dave: ZenTechfilter,availableatBulletproof.com.

James: Thereyougo,ZenTechfilter.UseDave'sthing.There'sthingslikef.luxdoallofthesethings.

Dave: Yeah,doitall,everyoneofthem.

James: Justdoitall.Youwillbesomuchhappier.I'mthehappiestI'veeverbeen,becauseIhavefocusedonmyhealth.BecauseIfocusedonmyhealth,thattranslatesintomymindset,whichisahealthymindset.I'mgratefulratherthanthinkingaboutwhatIdon'thave.Allyou'vegottodoisjustreduceyouralcohol,doafewofDave'shealthhacks,andallofasuddenyourwholemindsetshiftsandeverythingjustopensuptoyou.

Dave: That'sbeenmyexperience,anditwasprofoundenoughthatIfeltobligatedtoshareitwithpeoplewhowouldcare,andthereweremorethanIthought.I'mwithyou.Ithinkwe'reworkingtowardsthesamething,whichislikeonceyoufeelwhatyou'recapableoffeeling,atleastafewtimes—includingafteryour30-daynoalcoholchallenge—okay,likethisisadifferentlevel.Youmaydrink,youmaynotdrinkwhenyou'redone.Itdoesn'treallymatter,butatleastnowyouknowwhat'spossible.

Samething,BulletproofDiet,there'stwoweekswhereyoudon'teatanythingonthesuspectfoodslistsoyoufeelwhatit'sliketonothaveanyofthat.Maybeitmadenodifference.Great,you'reoneofthe2%ofpeoplewhoarecompletelygeneticsupermen.Youcaneatwhateveryouwant.You'llstillpayforitwhenyou're80,butatleastnowitdoesn'taffectyourperformance.Fortherestofus,it'sadifferentdegreeofeffect.Perfection,notrequiredbyeitheroneofus.Movingintherightdirection,makesahugedifference.That'swhatmatters.

James: Justexperiment.IworkalotwithTaiLopez,IknowyouknowTai.

Dave: Oh,yeah.

James: He'sbeenonyourshow,you'vebeenonhis.Hesaidtometheotherday,hesaid,"James,rememberthisphrase:Hewhoexperimentsmost,wins."Allyou'vegottodoisjustrunexperimentsallday.DaveAspreyhereisthekindofexperiments,right?He'llruntestsandexperimentsonhimselftillthecowscomehome.Justexperiment.Doaone-weekexperiment,a30-dayexperiment,whatever.Justtestit,becausethepersonwhoexperimentsmostwillhavethekeystothekingdom,myfriend.

Dave: IneedyourhelpwithJenniferAniston.


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James: Okay,herewego.

Dave: Justyesterday,beforewewerefilmingthis,IpostedonFacebookaquotefromJenniferAniston

insomeentertainmentmagazinething,Idon'trememberwhichone.Itwas,"Whichcelebritydietsdoyouthinkweshouldforgetabout?"orsomethinglikethat.She'slike,"TheBulletproofDiet.Butterandcoffee?Whoeverthoughtofthat?That'ssuchadisgustingidea,Inevereventriedit."

I'mlike,woo-hoo!JenniferAniston'stalkingaboutBulletproofCoffee!SoIwanttosaythanks,andsendhersomeBulletproofCoffee,butIjustneedherhomephonenumberandaddress.Justkidding,Idon'tneedit.

James: Icangetyouhermanagerandherpublicist'scontactdetailsafterthis.I'llbehappytoshare-

Dave: Iactuallyamgoingtosendheracarepackage,andI'msurethatonsocialbynowtherearelikeathousandlikesonthis.It'slike,"HeyJennifer,you'vegottotryitonetime.ComebySantaMonica,becausehalfyourfriendsaretheredrinkingBulletproofCoffee.Itactuallyworks."

Anyway,itmademelaugh.Ofallthecelebritiesyoucouldhavementioned,yesterdayJenniferAnistonwastalkingaboutBulletproofCoffee,sojustabigshoutout,thankyouJennifer.KeepsayingBulletproofCoffee.Idon'tcarewhatyou'resayingaboutit,BulletproofCoffee,spelledwithaB.Anyway...

James: AndthankyouJenniferAniston,aswell,formakingmerealizethatIwasafatbastardandthatIneededtochangemyhealth,andinspiringmetoreallydothe30-daynoalcoholchallenge.MaybeIshouldbesendingherathankyoupackageaswell,Dave,andsay,"Listen,thatphotothatyoutookwithmeinspiredmetoquitalcoholfor30daysandsetforthonapathofoptimumhealth.ThanksJennifer."

Dave: Infact,millionsofpeopleshouldsendJenniferastickofbuttertosaythankyouforallofherworkinTV.

James: Yes,andsomeoneshouldsendheraphotoofmeandheronmypage,30daynoalcoholchallenge.com,andsayhey,thisguy'stryingtothankyouforyouinspiringhimtolose28pounds.

Dave: Allright,nowwe'vegonedownthepathofinsanityandwe'reupattheendoftheshow.I'mgladyoumentionedJenniferAniston,though,becauseitmademelaugh.

I'vegottoaskyouthequestionthatI'veaskedeverysinglepersonexceptlikeepisode77orsomething,Idon'tremember.Iforgotthisonetime,whichisterriblebecauseIforgotmyaniracetam,oneofthesmartdrugsIlike.

Now,givenallthestuffyouknow,allofyourlifeexperiences,ifsomeonecameuptoyoutomorrow,James,andsaid,"Hey,whatarethetopthreethingsIshouldknowifIwanttokick


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moreassateverythingIdo?Iwanttobeabetterhumanbeing,whatdoIneedtoknow?"

James: Doubledownonknowledgeingeneral.Investinknowledge.Ifthereareprogramsoutthere,iftherearegurusthathelpyouwithbusinessorhealth,spendmoney.Investinthat.Doubledownonyourknowledge,becausethat'swhat'sgoingtohelpyou.

Iwouldsaylearnhowtospeedread.Ireadabookaday.

Dave: DidJimKwikteachyouthat,orwhotaughtyouthespeedreading?

James: No,TaiLopezactuallytaughtmethat.Yeah,IknowJimteachesmemoryandspeedreadingandthingslikethat,butTaiactuallytaughtmethat.YoucanseehowIdoit.Actually,onmyYouTubechannel,JamesSwanwick,there'sactuallyavideothatsayshowIreadabookaday,soyoucansearchforthatifyouwant.

Dave: Bytheway...Letmeinterruptyouforonesecond.YousayJames"Swannick,"whichishowIintroduceyouonstage,butIsayJames"Swan-wick"whenI'mherebecauseIwantpeopletospellyournameright.Theycan'tgotoyourURLunlesstheyspellitright,sowhydon'tyouspellitforthemrightnow,becauseI'mgoingtoaskyoutodoitinaminuteanyway.

James: Yeah,mylastnameisspelledSwanwick,butthecorrectpronunciationis"Swannick."It'sthesilentW.LikeWarwick,thenameWarwick,it'sthesame-

Dave: Right.Ijustwantpeopletobeabletofindyou,that'swhyI'mover-pronouncingtheWbecausethat'llgetpeopletoyourwebsite.Anyway,keepgoingwithyourstory.

James: SoIwouldsayfirstthingisdoubledownonyourknowledge,soinvestinknowledge.Numbertwoislearnhowtospeedreadsoyoucanreadabookadayoratleastafewbooksaweek,becausethat'sgoingtoimproveyourknowledgeaswell.Andthentheotherthing,whichisnotreallyhealth-related,it'smorefinancial-related,Iwouldsaylearntomanageyourfinanceswhileyouaretravelingtheworld.

WhatIdidwas,inmyearly20s,Iwentbackpackingacross40countries,andIwasn'tlisteningtostuffaboutfinancesandbuildingwealthandsavingandcompoundinterest.Ididn'tlearnthatstuffbecauseIwastoobusybackpacking.Inthelastfiveyears,I'vedoubleddownlearningthatstuff,andI'mjusthittingmyselfontheheadgoing,Ishouldhavebeendoingthis20yearsago.IshouldhavebeendoingthiswhenIwastraveling.

Ifyouwanttocreateagreatfinanciallifeforyourself,goandtraveltheworldbecauseit'llgiveyougreatexperiences,butasyou'redoingit,downloadpodcastslikeDave's,liketheBulletproofRadio,likemypodcast,theJamesSwannickShow,likeTaiLopez,likepeoplewhoareteachingbusiness,anddothatatthesametime.Whenyougettoourage,I'm40now,Dave,Iassume-

Dave: I'm43.

James: -Ithinkyou'reinyour40s.Forty-three.You'regoingtoreallyappreciatethefactthatyouput


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thetimeintoitbackinyouryoungeryears.

Dave: Amen.Bytheway,ifyoudoubledownonknowledgeandyoudon'tdoubledownontravel,you'restupid.IwaitedtillIwaslike30togotraveltheworld.It'sactuallyeasierwhenyou'reyounger.Wayeasier,andmorefun,too.It'sasimportantasgoingtoschool,istraveling.

James: Oh,absolutely.Imean,travel,please.Igobackpackingallthetime.IwenttoScandinaviaformy40thbirthday.Thepeopleyoumeet,theculturesthatyou'reexposedto,differentideas,thoughtprocesses,itchangesyourwholelife.

Dave: Allright.JamesSwanwick,thanksforcomingonBulletproofRadio.PeoplecanfindyouatJamesSwanwick.com—Swanwick,pronounced"Swannick"—andtheycanfindSwannieswhere?What'stheURL?

James: Ifyougotoswanniesglasses.com,andifyouwanttodothe30-daynoalcoholchallenge,youcangoto30daynoalcoholchallenge.comandI'llwalkyouthrough30days.Alotofpeoplegetstressedout,like,"Ohmygod,Ican'tdo30days."Ifyoujoinmymembershipgroup,you'llgointoaclosedFacebookgroup.I'mgoingtosendyouavideoeveryday,there'llbehundredsofpeoplearoundthatarealldoingtheir30-daynoalcoholchallengewho'llsupportyouandencourageyou,sharingtheirstories.I'malsointhepodcast,theJamesSwanwickShow,andI'monInstagramandTwitterandsocialmedia@JamesSwanwick.

Dave: Awesome.ThanksJames.

James: Thankyou,Dave.Iappreciatebeinghereagain.Thankyou.

Dave: Ifyouenjoyedtoday'sshow,youknowwhattodo.HeadonoutandcheckoutsomeofJames'workbecauseit'sreallycool.Wetalkedaboutsomereallyimportantstuffaboutlight.PickupapairofSwannies,andwhileyou'reatit,gottoBulletproof.comandcheckouttheZenTechfiltersthatgoonyourphone.Ibelieveit'sreallyimportanttofilterthethingsyoulookatthemost,andtofiltereverythingthatyoulookat,whichiswhyhavingagoodpairofglasseslikethatreallypairswellwithputtingafilteronyourphone.Thatwayyoujustknowyou'vegotyourbasescovered.Ireallybelievethatthere'sfundamentalbiologicalreasonsthatyoushouldbedoingthis.

TheotherthingyoucoulddoisyoucouldheadovertoInstagram.IliterallyfinallydecidedI'dhavemyownInstagramaccount,becauseItakeallkindsofpicturesthatneverendupanywhere.Theyarenowgoingupon@Dave.Asprey.AndofcoursewehavethestandardBulletproofaccountaswellonInstagram.Followboth,[email protected].

Haveabeautifulmorning,evening,afternoon,dayatwork,orcommute,orwhereverelseyouarelisteningtothis,hopefullyonthetopofamountain,andI'lltalkwithyouinanothercoupledays.

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