Why Dr. Peter Attia Changed his Mind on Fasting (and 4 other Longevity topics)

Thomas DeLauer
13 May 202320:11

Summary

TLDRIn this video, Dr. Peter Attia reflects on changes in his views regarding health and wellness over the past five years. He discusses his altered stance on regular fasting, his growing concerns about GMOs and glyphosate, the underestimated power of exercise, and the complex effects of Metformin as a disease-preventative drug. Additionally, Dr. Attia addresses the significance of emotional health and therapy in overall well-being. He emphasizes the importance of regenerative agriculture, the critical role of exercise, and a nuanced approach to nutrition and medication, illustrating his journey towards a more balanced and informed perspective on health.

Takeaways

  • 💦 Dr. Peter Attia changed his view on regular fasting, finding the loss of muscle mass not worth the benefits, leading to discontinuing prolonged fasting since 2020.
  • 📚 He shifted his stance on GMOs and organic food, growing more concerned about pesticide effects and the lack of long-term data on glyphosate, and is now more interested in regenerative agriculture.
  • 💪 Dr. Attia now views exercise not just as beneficial but as critical for brain, nervous system, cardiovascular health, and overall lifespan, reflecting a deeper appreciation for its impact.
  • 🏠 He has evolved his thoughts on agriculture, expressing more nuanced views on GMOs and organic farming, and stressing the importance of soil health for the ecosystem.
  • 💰 Endorses the benefits of macadamia nuts and supports sustainable farming practices through House of Macadamia, highlighting the freshness and quality of their products.
  • 🚴 Changed his exercise routines due to time constraints, focusing on a balanced approach across stability, strength, and aerobic efficiency.
  • 📈 He revisited his stance on Metformin as a prophylactic drug, noting concerns about its effects on lactate levels and mitochondrial function, and awaits the results of the TAME trial for conclusive evidence.
  • 😷 Emphasizes the importance of emotional health as part of the longevity equation, advocating for therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy as tools for maintenance and improvement.
  • 🌮 Discusses the critical role of nutrition in health but acknowledges past overemphasis at the expense of recognizing the power of exercise.
  • 💻 Shares a personal journey of adapting lifestyle practices over time, reflecting changes in professional focus, personal health beliefs, and the integration of new scientific evidence.

Q & A

  • What change in perspective did Dr. Peter Attia have regarding regular fasting?

    -Dr. Peter Attia changed his perspective on the importance of regular fasting, noting that the loss of muscle mass outweighed the benefits for him, leading him to discontinue prolonged multi-day fasts since the end of 2020.

  • How did Dr. Attia's view on genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and organic agriculture evolve?

    -Initially skeptical about the criticisms of GMOs and organic agriculture, Dr. Attia now has more concerns about GMOs due to the use of pesticides like glyphosate and is more interested in regenerative agriculture and its focus on nutrient density over yield.

  • Why did Dr. Attia reconsider his use of Metformin as a prophylactic drug?

    -Dr. Attia reconsidered Metformin due to observations of higher lactate levels and potential mitochondrial toxicity, as well as recent studies challenging the benefits of Metformin in non-diabetics, leading him to stop using it prophylactically.

  • What has been Dr. Attia's revised approach to exercise?

    -Dr. Attia now values exercise more for its comprehensive benefits on health, including its effects on the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular health, and has become more disciplined in how he allocates his limited time for exercise.

  • How does Dr. Attia now perceive the role of emotional health in longevity?

    -Dr. Attia has come to see emotional health as a crucial component of longevity, recognizing its importance through personal experience and now incorporates practices like therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy into his routine.

  • What was Dr. Attia's dietary approach prior to his change in perspective on fasting?

    -Prior to changing his perspective, Dr. Attia engaged in regular fasting, including seven to ten day water-only fasts quarterly and three-day water-only fasts monthly, which he later deemed not worth the muscle mass loss.

  • What concerns led Dr. Attia to reevaluate his stance on GMOs?

    -Dr. Attia's concerns about GMOs shifted due to potential long-term effects of pesticides like glyphosate on health, moving him towards an interest in regenerative agriculture for its emphasis on soil health and nutrient-rich crops.

  • How has Dr. Attia's exercise routine changed due to time constraints?

    -With time constraints, Dr. Attia now spreads his limited exercise time across stability, strength, low-end aerobic efficiency, and high-end peak aerobic output, aiming for a balanced approach within 10 to 12 hours a week.

  • What led Dr. Attia to question the long-term use of Metformin for non-diabetics?

    -Dr. Attia questioned long-term Metformin use for non-diabetics due to its mild mitochondrial toxicity, higher lactate levels in his observations, and recent studies challenging its benefits, leading him to halt its prophylactic use.

  • In what ways has Dr. Attia incorporated emotional health into his well-being practices?

    -Dr. Attia incorporates emotional health through regular therapy sessions, practicing dialectical behavioral therapy, and applying its principles in daily life, recognizing its importance for overall health and longevity.

Outlines

00:00

🔄 Changing Views on Nutrition and Fasting

Dr. Peter Attia discusses significant shifts in his perspectives on nutrition and health practices over the past five years, emphasizing his changed stance on regular fasting. Initially, Attia engaged in extensive fasting, including 7 to 10-day water-only fasts quarterly and 3-day fasts monthly, believing in their health benefits despite the loss of muscle mass. Over time, recognizing the detriment of substantial muscle loss, he reassessed the value of such extreme fasting, concluding the trade-offs were not worth it. Additionally, he touches on his sponsorship with House of Macadamia, highlighting the benefits of macadamia nuts and related products for health-conscious individuals.

05:02

🌱 Shifting Perspectives on Agriculture and Exercise

Attia reflects on his evolving views regarding GMOs, organic agriculture, and the importance of regenerative farming practices for long-term soil health and nutrient-dense food production. He critiques the narrow focus on yield over quality in conventional farming and expresses concern over the long-term effects of synthetic fertilizers on soil biomes. In another shift, Attia reevaluates the role of exercise in overall health, recognizing its profound benefits beyond physical fitness, including its impact on brain health, the nervous system, and longevity. He advocates for a balanced approach to exercise, considering his time constraints and the need to address different physical capacities.

10:02

⏳ Time Management in Exercise and Learning from Past Training

Attia talks about how his current time limitations shape his exercise regimen, limiting him to 10 to 12 hours per week, which he considers low compared to his past routines. He emphasizes the importance of a disciplined approach to exercise, incorporating stability, strength, aerobic efficiency, and peak output within his constrained schedule. Reflecting on his past, particularly during his intensive swimming and cycling phases, he wishes he had incorporated more balance in his training to prevent imbalances and preserve muscle health.

15:03

💊 Reevaluating the Use of Metformin and the Importance of Emotional Health

Attia discusses his skepticism towards the use of Metformin as a prophylactic drug, noting a shift from his previous endorsement based on its potential cancer-fighting benefits. Observing its effects on his lactate levels and considering recent studies, he questions its efficacy and safety. Moreover, Attia underscores a significant realization about the critical role of emotional health in overall well-being, a factor he previously overlooked. Through therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy, he highlights the importance of emotional wellness in longevity and quality of life, advocating for greater awareness and de-stigmatization of mental health care.

20:04

📚 Conclusion and Acknowledgements

In closing, Attia thanks the host, Tom, for the discussion and emphasizes the value of the insights shared during the interview. He mentions linking to additional resources, including his book and relevant podcast episodes, to provide viewers with further information on the topics covered. This segment serves as a wrap-up, reinforcing the importance of continuous learning and openness to changing perspectives on health and wellness.

Mindmap

Keywords

💡Fasting

In the context of the video, fasting refers to the practice of abstaining from food for extended periods, such as 3 or 7-10 days, which the speaker used to do regularly. While he believed there were benefits, he now feels that the muscle mass loss outweighed the potential advantages, leading him to discontinue prolonged fasting since 2020.

💡GMO

GMO stands for Genetically Modified Organism. The speaker initially had no concerns about GMOs, believing the opposition was based on misunderstanding. However, his perspective has shifted, and he now has more nuanced concerns, not about the genetic modification itself but about the potential long-term effects of pesticides and herbicides like glyphosate used in GMO crop production.

💡Regenerative agriculture

Regenerative agriculture is an approach to farming that focuses on optimizing nutrient density rather than yield. It involves practices like using cover crops, avoiding monocultures, and eschewing nitrogen spiking (artificially increasing soil nitrogen levels). The speaker has become interested in this method, believing it produces healthier, more sustainable crops compared to conventional practices.

💡Exercise

Exercise, which the speaker has always enjoyed, has taken on greater significance in his understanding over the past five years. He now recognizes its powerful effects on the brain, nervous system, cardiovascular system, and overall longevity and quality of life. Despite time constraints, he strives to incorporate various forms of exercise, including strength training, aerobic activities, and stability work.

💡Metformin

Metformin is a drug commonly used to treat type 2 diabetes and insulin resistance. Initially, the speaker took metformin prophylactically based on studies suggesting it might have cancer-preventive effects. However, recent research has cast doubt on this, and he has stopped taking it due to concerns about its potential side effects, such as impairing oxidative phosphorylation and increasing lactate levels.

💡Emotional health

The speaker acknowledges that he previously overlooked the importance of emotional health in the longevity equation, focusing primarily on physical factors like cardiovascular disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative diseases. However, he has come to realize the profound impact of emotional well-being on overall quality of life and now incorporates practices like therapy and dialectical behavioral therapy to maintain his emotional health.

💡Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT)

Dialectical behavioral therapy (DBT) is a form of therapy that the speaker practices regularly. It involves learning and practicing techniques to improve emotional regulation and overall well-being. Rather than just attending therapy sessions, DBT emphasizes incorporating the learned practices into daily life, noting successes and failures, and continuously working on improvement.

💡Nutrient density

Nutrient density refers to the concentration of nutrients in food relative to its caloric content. The speaker has become interested in regenerative agriculture, which focuses on optimizing nutrient density rather than maximizing crop yields through conventional methods like nitrogen spiking and monocultures. This approach aims to produce more nutritious food.

💡Chronic effects

In the context of discussing his concerns about GMOs and herbicides like glyphosate, the speaker mentions his primary worry is about the chronic, or long-term, effects of these substances. While acute toxicity may be low, he believes there is insufficient data on the potential long-term consequences of exposure, prompting a more precautionary approach.

💡Precautionary principle

The precautionary principle is a concept that suggests taking preventive action in the face of potential risks, even if the full extent of those risks is not yet scientifically established. The speaker invokes this principle in his decision to avoid GMOs and herbicides due to the lack of long-term data on their chronic effects on human health and the environment.

Highlights

Dr. Peter Attia discusses changing his stance on the importance of regular fasting, highlighting the trade-offs between benefits and muscle mass loss.

Attia now questions the value of prolonged multi-day fasting, having stopped such practices since the end of 2020.

He shares a shift in perspective on GMOs and organic agriculture, moving towards a concern over long-term effects of pesticides and the importance of regenerative agriculture.

Attia emphasizes the significance of soil health in producing nutritious food and supports regenerative farming practices.

A newfound appreciation for exercise's impact on brain health, nervous system, cardiovascular health, and overall longevity is discussed.

Attia reflects on how his limited time has influenced a more disciplined approach to exercise, focusing on stability, strength, and aerobic efficiency.

He expresses skepticism towards the use of Metformin as a protective agent against diseases, citing concerns over its mechanism and recent studies.

Attia notes the importance of emotional health as a critical component of overall well-being and longevity.

The discussion covers Attia's journey through therapy and the adoption of dialectical behavioral therapy as part of his routine.

Attia addresses the stigma surrounding therapy, advocating for its importance in maintaining mental and emotional health.

He acknowledges the need for a balance in nutrition, avoiding extremes in dietary practices.

The conversation includes insights into the potential downsides of excessive fasting, such as muscle mass reduction and nutrient deficiencies.

Attia's evolving views on agriculture emphasize a nuanced understanding of GMOs and the ecosystem's health.

He reevaluates his exercise routine, incorporating varied forms of physical activity to address time constraints and health goals.

The interview concludes with a discussion on the role of scientific analysis and clinical trials in validating the use of drugs like Metformin for non-diabetic purposes.

Transcripts

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Dr Peter attiev we all change our mind

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on things uh I want to go into some

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detail with some things you've changed

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your mind over the last five years Let's

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Just Jump Right In

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um

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let's start with a couple in

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um nutrition so I think the the the

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first one that I would say I've changed

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my mind on is the importance of regular

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fasting so I used to really do a lot of

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regular fasting

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um probably considered excessive by by

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some

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um so probably did a seven day seven to

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ten day water only fast once a quarter

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in a three day water only fast once a

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month and

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um I think while there were clearly some

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benefits of doing that

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um

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I think you know it's very difficult to

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measure what's happening cellularly but

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my belief at least was that the benefits

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of that outweighed the downside the

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downside of doing that by the way is

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you're going to lose a lot of muscle

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mass

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um

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you know as much as you might exercise

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during those periods of fasting which I

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tried to uh you know you're just not

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going to be able to maintain lean mass

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so you you basically I was always sort

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of accumulating a little bit of a debt

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of lost muscle mass and over a period of

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about three years I probably lost about

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10 pounds of lean mass

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um and so today I just don't feel that

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that trade-off is worthwhile at least at

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that extreme level uh that I was doing

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and so I don't I haven't done a

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prolonged multi-day fast since the end

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of 2020 actually I popped the link down

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below for House of macadamia if you want

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to try them out too they are where I get

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my macadamia nuts these days they're all

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grown in South Africa when you buy from

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them you're directly supporting the

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farmers as well so the farmers really do

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take a hit in South Africa so by going

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through House of macadamia a lot of it

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goes back to working through the farmers

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and helps support those Farmers but

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everything is harvested and packaged

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less than an hour from each other they

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harvest them and then they drive them

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less than an hour away package them

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everything's Super Fresh not going

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rancid which macadamia nuts don't really

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go that rancid anyway but the point is

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they have macadamia nut oil macadamia

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nut bars straight up macadamia nuts with

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all kinds of different flavors so really

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easy to add to your diet I just I

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recommend them if you're going to get it

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you're going to spend a fortune at the

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grocery store macadamia nuts are not the

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cheapest nut but using that discount you

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can save a few bucks I'm getting some

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good macadamia nuts from House of

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macadamia plus with any purchase using

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that link a free 20 ounce bottle of cold

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pressed macadamia nut oil literally the

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only cold pressed macadamia nut oil that

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I know of that's on the market and

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you're getting one completely free if

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you just use that link down below

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there's no catches it's just to get the

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word out there where do you stand

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nowadays on the occasional 24 hour or

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the occasional 20 hour yeah I think

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that's totally fine yeah yeah okay what

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else

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another one in nutrition is

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um I've really had a change of heart

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around

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agriculture right so I used to sort of

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subscribe

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to the view that there was nothing wrong

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with GMO like just from a scientific

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basis I always felt it was misunderstood

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right like GMO is really just a crop

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trait strategy right so GMO is modifying

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organisms to make them resistant to

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pesticides and you know I thought that

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people's opposition to that was a little

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conspiracy theory-ish and you know

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there's nothing wrong with a plant that

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was genetically modified

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um I also felt that sort of the entire

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organic industry was kind of a scam sort

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of masquerading as you know kind of a

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you know a tribe of you know like

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a food tribe basically just another sort

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of dietary phony altruism yeah yeah yeah

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I have a much more nuanced of that today

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and I would say that

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I do have actually more concern of GMO

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today again not because of the actual

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Gene modification of the plant but

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because of the herbicide because of the

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pesticide I don't think we have

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sufficient long-term data on the effects

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of glyphosate and I think that we have

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been probably overly concerned with

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acute toxicity which is I would be

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fairly comfortable to say the acute

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toxicity of glyphosate and herbicides

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and fertilizers is very low if not

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non-existent but I don't think we have

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sufficient data on The Chronic side and

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therefore I think that the

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um the precautionary principle would

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actually suggest we're doing this

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incorrectly and so on a personal level

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today I am far more interested in what

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I'm learning about regenerative

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agriculture and the principles of

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optimizing around nutrient density as

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opposed to yield

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um furthermore the more I learn about

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this and I would still consider myself

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quite early in that Journey having only

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read you know three books on the subject

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matter so far but it's been very

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influential and it's really shifted my

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thinking about this to the point where

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I'm now basically asking the question

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yes I think organic is still a bit of a

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bad term because it doesn't mean

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anything

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um and organic food can still be

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horribly grown but there's something in

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this about the importance of how we grow

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food and to the best of my understanding

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right now I think if I could wave a

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magic wand I would never eat anything

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that was not produced regeneratively

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meaning crops that are grown not as mono

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crops not without cover crops without

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using any nitrogen spiking but rather

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done through this longer life cycle of

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regenerative production what does

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nitrogen spiking actually do I'm curious

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well what it's basically doing is

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altering the soil

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environment so just as we are pretty

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familiar with how we have our gut biome

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the soil is the biome of the plant and

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when we nitrogen Infuse that which was

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really a process that was started uh

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kind of roughly around World War II uh

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which is really when we saw crop yields

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explode right we you know we had

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historically been producing about 20

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bushels per acre per year of corn uh

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globally let's just say in the United

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States even

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for you know most of the modern history

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and and then post World War II that

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number has just gone up and almost

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increased in some places tenfold so you

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know in the United States today you're

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probably seeing 140 to 200 bushels per

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acre per year of corn production

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um and that came through a lot of things

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that

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um you know involved just pumping more

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and more nitrogen in because of course

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plants have to fix nitrogen externally

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and carbon from the air

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but what that's done is completely

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changed the health of the soil and so

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at the risk of being a bit sort of cute

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about it

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you if you don't have healthy soil you

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won't have healthy plants if you don't

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have healthy plants you won't have

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healthy animals if you don't have

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healthy animals you don't have healthy

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humans I think we're kind of in a little

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bit of that life cycle

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um and while I don't think that

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this is something that you know can't be

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managed

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um I definitely have worry about

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long-term soil health and as a result of

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that I I I've become much more

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interested in something that I had been

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quite dismissive of in the past yeah

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well it's it's a good way to look at it

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as far as GMO inherently isn't the

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problem it's the fact that that's sort

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of a canary in the coal mine for okay

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well what are we protecting this plant

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from does that indicate that there's

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more crap on this plant yeah you know

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and that's a really interesting way to

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look at it all right what's next

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say overall on just exercise in general

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I think despite the fact that I've been

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a lifelong exerciser I love exercise

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it's always been kind of enjoyable to me

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it's never been something that's

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required like discipline I've got to

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make sure I got an exercise I don't

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think I fully appreciated how powerful

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exercise was as

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um as a drug frankly for lack of a

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better word uh until really the last

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five years I think I had you know sort

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of

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thought it was beneficial in a sort of

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holistic way but I don't think I

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understood what its effects were

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specifically on the brain what its

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effects were specifically on the nervous

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system what its effects were on the

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cardiovascular system at a really deep

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level and and and overall what its

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effects are in terms of lifespan and

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health Span in other words how much it

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reduces all-cause mortality and how

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important it is at preserving quality of

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life which again it seems pretty obvious

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but I think I had been overly fixated on

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nutrition and that that just came at the

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expense of me thinking really long and

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hard about exercise and how we need to

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be more thoughtful in our application of

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that tool has that changed

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how you personally exercise and

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I'll couple that with I know you have a

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different

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life circumstances now you're focusing

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on different things and that's changed

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how you look at exercise but has your

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view of exercise

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itself changed how you exercise it

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certainly has because if

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because this is the first time in my

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life where I'm truly time Limited

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so up until I was you know in my early

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40s

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I don't know even though I was always

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busy I I've somehow always had seemingly

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as much time as I wanted to exercise

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and therefore I could always kind of

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just pursue my Bliss in that whatever

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way I was doing

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now I'm truly limited by time I really I

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mean if I had more time I if I had more

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time to exercise I would today but I

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can't I'm really stuck at

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you know what still sounds like a lot

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for people but for me is historically

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low you know 10 to 12 hours a week is

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the most I can really make time for with

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the other commitments I have that are

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more that I deem you know for any

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marginal time I would deem those other

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commitments more important so yes in

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that sense my view is much more

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disciplined about how that time is spent

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you know if it were

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10 years ago I might use that time today

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to just focus on one thing whereas now I

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have to spread that time out across

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stability strength uh low end aerobic

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efficiency high-end Peak aerobic output

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I have to spread it across those four

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pillars so if you could go back to say

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prime time maybe early 30s uh or you

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know whenever you were putting a lot of

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time into your endurance work if there

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was something that you could do

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differently than what would it be

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well I would still allow myself to kind

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of pursue my Bliss right so in my early

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30s or yeah in my early 30s I guess

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mid-30s it was swimming ultra distance

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swimming I think I would have just been

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a little more thoughtful about what I

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was doing in dry land so instead of

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spending you know 25 to 30 hours a week

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swimming I should have been in the

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weight room at least you know three

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hours a week on top of that uh same

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thing when I was at you know when I was

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just cycling non-stop I think I could

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have been more thoughtful about other

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types of activities uh to balance out

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some of the obvious imbalances that come

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with being crunched over on a bike all

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day yeah I think I can speak for myself

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with uh yeah I mean resistance training

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I probably went too full bore into that

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for a while where you know I had to

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unravel walking like a robot for quite a

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while you know and so okay what's uh

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what's next on the list here uh probably

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my

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skepticism for the use of Metformin as a

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zero protective molecule so metformin is

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a drug that has been widely used for the

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early intervention of patients with type

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2 diabetes and even patients with you

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know severe insulin resistance who are

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not yet type 2 diabetics uh and in that

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regard it's been a productive drug uh so

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it it seems to work by reducing

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hepatic glucose output and so in other

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words it works by putting less glucose

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into the system

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uh but of course it became a drug of

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interest about a decade ago because of

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some epidemiology that suggested that

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people who took metformin uh with type 2

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diabetes had better odds at surviving

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cancer than people who didn't have

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diabetes and didn't take metformin and

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that was an enormous suggestion because

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we understand very clearly that people

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with type 2 diabetes are at a much

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greater increase for cancer so how is it

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that people with this disease who have a

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much higher incidence of cancer if they

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take this drug seem to not get cancer at

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the same rate as non-diabetics who don't

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take the drug

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and there's clearly some interesting

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mechanisms of action for why that might

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be the case it could be that

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um you know activation of ampk

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itself is protective it could be that

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just lower in glucose and lowering a

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growth factor like insulin and igf is

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protective there are lots of

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explanations for this

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and as a result of that

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gosh I mean I was taking metformin

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prophylactically I.E is zero protective

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agent starting in about 2011 is when I

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began taking it and

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by about 2018 2019 so about five years

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ago

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you know I noticed a couple of things

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that I didn't like one was as I track my

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lactate levels I noticed my lactate

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levels were always higher than I thought

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they should have been this was most

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notable even at rest and also doing kind

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of zone two activity

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um

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that might not be surprising when you

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understand how metformin Works which is

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it's at least in part a weak

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mitochondrial toxin so if you're

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poisoning the mitochondria just slightly

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which is what you're doing to get that

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ampk activation you're also impairing

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somewhat oxidative phosphorylation and

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that's why you're going to see a higher

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lactate

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that struck me as not a great idea uh at

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least in a person who's capable of

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exercising greatly as I am and many of

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my patients are

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furthermore there was a a study that

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came out quite recently that only had me

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kind of double down on that thinking

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which was it was a repeat of the

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epidemiologic analysis that suggested

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that metformin was beneficial relative

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to non-use in non-diabetics but just

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done on a different cohort of patients

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and frankly done a little with a little

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bit more statistical rigor and it came

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to the opposite conclusion it came to

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the conclusion you would expect which is

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that patients with diabetes who take

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Metformin still actually fare worse than

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the other than non-diabetics not taking

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metformin when adjusted for all of their

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variables and uh you know for reasons

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that I cover in a newsletter that I

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wrote which you know we can maybe link

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to I find the latter study more

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compelling not simply because it agrees

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with my newfound thinking but because I

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simply think it's a more reasonable uh

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scientific analysis ultimately we will

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find this out one way or the other

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because there is a clinical trial that

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is going on that's asking this question

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and so my hope is that in five years

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we'll just have the answer and we won't

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have to rely on this

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indirect Insight or indirect information

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that's always going to be prone to

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biases and therefore is ultimately not

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dispositive in helping us understand

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this and if we're sitting here in five

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years in the tame trial which is the

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name of the trial found that metformin

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is indeed zero protective I'll be the

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first one to be taking it again so a

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question that I've always had that might

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sound like a total Noob question but if

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if metformin is a mild mitochondrial

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stressor and activates ampk

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is it potentially going to inhibit

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hypertrophy like I mean are you are you

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potentially limiting the rate of muscle

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preservation or potentially growth

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it's possible I don't know yeah yeah

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it's an interesting interesting thought

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that it's always crossed my mind but

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well all right so we've got one more put

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you on the spot

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uh potentially the the most important

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just in terms of quality of life has

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been you know something I write about a

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lot in the book or not a lot but it's

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something I write about at the end of

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the book which is the importance of

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emotional health

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um and I think that

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I just had never really considered that

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an important part of the equation of

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this you know longevity equation right

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um it didn't fit neatly into a box of

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you know delaying death from

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cardiovascular disease cancer

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neurodegenerative disease it was a

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little amorphous and I I think you know

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I just had my own blind spot to it which

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was ironic given that it was a part of

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my life that wasn't especially healthy

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so I think now having been through all

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I've been through and you know sort of

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reflecting on what I've learned I

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realize not that not only for me was

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this a very important thing but I

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suspect it is for many people as well

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um if they will you know take the

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opportunity to to kind of probe that

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yeah it's I mean it's a it's a huge

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umbrella that people definitely miss and

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it's just It ultimately is the

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umbrella literally of just how I guess

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not literally figuratively but how we

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look at life and how it changes how we

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look at exercise and how we perform and

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how we eat and how we and not to mention

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the actual physical effect that we have

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of being in a good mood and what are

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some things that you're doing today to

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improve that

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well luckily I'm kind of more in a

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maintenance mode now I mean I think I

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had to go through sort of the heavy the

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heavy lifting

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um you know

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six seven you know or you know

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three four five six years ago

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um so so what I do today I think is is

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much easier than what I did in the past

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but I still work with a therapist once a

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week

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um and I still practice uh something

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called dialectical behavioral therapy so

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that's one form of therapy that I do and

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um and that is just what it is right

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it's like a practice so it's sort of

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like saying like we'll you know

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you know is it enough to know that a

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workout is important no you actually

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have to do the workout so similarly it's

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not just enough I think to kind of show

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up for an hour a week to do the therapy

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you have to be able to kind of take what

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you learn in that therapy and then put

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it into daily practice and if you

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succeed you note it if you fail you note

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it but you're just constantly trying to

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to sort of get better and DBT or

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dialectical behavioral therapy is a

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system that I really like and it really

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works for me and it works for many

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people

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um I've done a podcast on it actually

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which maybe we could link to I think

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it's a it's something I think a lot more

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people should know about yeah I mean my

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life changed for the better when therapy

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became a regular part of my life and I

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think there's a stigma that's attached

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to it and that needs to get broken down

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significantly because people don't go to

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therapy until there's a cause for it or

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a reason for it and especially this day

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and age not to you know go off on a

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tangent but it's very it's difficult to

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have that connection and sometimes

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therapy is the only place you actually

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get that connection especially if you're

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not married you don't have a spouse you

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don't not going home to someone you know

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and you're just on your device all day

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so I think that's really really good

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advice and it's something that I would

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Echo I think over the last five six

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years I would have I don't think I would

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have casted judgment upon someone that

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was going to therapy but I certainly

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wouldn't have looked at it with the same

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lens that I look at it now so I think

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that's a great one yeah well we'll link

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out to those episodes down below we'll

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also link out to your book so as always

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keep it locked in here and Dr Tia thank

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you very much yeah thanks Tom

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