Salud.
Additive-free tequilas, clean(er) nail polish, & health and life takeaways from Dr. Andrew Huberman.
ADDITIVE-FREE TEQUILA
I’m not necessarily advocating for drinking alcohol, but should you (we) imbibe, I think it smart to choose options with the least nasty effects. Tequila is often promoted as a cleaner liquor, but there can be a lack of transparency around sweeteners, colorants, and other additives that make it less so.
A WSJ article, “An Undercover Operation, a Raid and the Fight Over What Makes a True Tequila,” highlights a couple advocating for such transparency. Their verification program, Additive Free Alliance, lists tequilas that have opted into their program and undergone third-party testing.
“…as the use of additives becomes more widespread, the couple say tequila drinkers have a right to know which brands are produced using only the traditional ingredients of agave, yeast and water, and which are supplemented with glycerin, corn syrup and other additives.” - WSJ article
The couple believes their alliance is seen as an attack on the industry and put them in the crosshairs of Mexico’s tequila regulator. It certainly makes for an interesting story and movement.
Full member list HERE.
NON-TOXIC NAIL POLISH
I love a good polish but finding brands with 1. clean ingredients, 2. smooth application, and 3. long lasting wear, has taken some testing. Londontown touts “clean formulations with consciousness and care” and checks the boxes above.
Importantly, formulations don’t include known toxins like: Formaldehyde, Toluene, DBT, Formaldehyde Resin, Camphor, TPHP, Xylene, Ethyl Tosylamide/Epoxy Resin, Nonylphenol Ethoxylate, Glycol Ether of Series E, MEHQ/HQ, Methylisothiazolinone, Bisphenol A, and phthalates.
WORTH A LISTEN
MODERN WISDOM: Dr. Andrew Huberman - The New Science of Longevity, Resilience, and Breaking Bad Habits
MAIN TAKEAWAYS:
Delaying caffeine:
Adenosine regulates sleep and “the longer you’re awake, the more adenosine accumulates… (giving) us the subjective feeling of our body being fatigued.” Ideally, the molecule would be completely cleared during sleep, but that’s not always the case for a number of reasons explained by Huberman. Especially if you experience an afternoon crash, he suggests waiting 60-90 minutes after waking to drink caffeine – which blocks the adenosine receptor – to allow the residual adenosine to fully clear.
Becoming a morning person:
Takes (3) days to shift biological mechanisms. Need to stack (4) zeitgebers to bring circadian clock into alignment.
“Zeitgeber” is the German word for “time-giver” and refers to environmental or external time cues that are likely to entrain circadian rhythms in humans. Source: ScienceDirect
View bright light/sun in the morning (don’t force yourself to stare, but look towards sun without sunglasses/eyeglasses).
Exercise or movement (stack and do while facing the sun - jumping jacks, walk, skip rope).
Add caffeine & food (acknowledges that adding caffeine “spits in the face” of the adenosine conversation) but helps train circadian clock to be more alert at that time.
Social interactions (animals count).
No matter what time you go to sleep, get up and stack the (4), perhaps leaving out food, then go to sleep at now naturally earlier time. By third day, circadian clock is shifted.
From 9:30 pm to 4:00 am, even a small amount of bright light, including artificial, suppresses melatonin and makes it difficult to sleep or makes sleep less effective.
TIP: “If you view sunlight in the afternoon, even for 5 minutes or so, could be late afternoon…sunset” you adjust the sensitivity of the retina. Doing this then reduces the melatonin suppressive effects by approximately 50% when you view bright light later at night. Source per Huberman: Science Reports, 2022
Healthy relationships: Understanding the difference between a betrayal, a mistake, or a misunderstanding.
Dream or nightmare: Rick Rubin trick: If wake up the middle of a dream and want to remember or stay in mental state, then keep eyes closed and body still. If it’s a nightmare, then open your eyes and move your body.
Following your intuition: Shared with Huberman by Martha Beck. Sit quietly and imagine something really terrible… observe and feel how your body responds. Then relax; shake it off. Do that a few different times. Then, the opposite. Imagine something absolutely wonderful to you, without limit. “Experience how your body, your face, your nervous system responds to that.” Tapping into sensitive aspects of nervous system, building your intuition, and learning to respond to it in daily life.
FINAL THOUGHT
Take care. - BB.
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Agree on the nail polish!
Listening to this Huberman podcast ASAP!