The ENERGY Formula

By Shawn Wells

If there's anything people say they want more of these days...it's energy.

The world around us continually requires more of us while we give less and less thought to our lon

• Language: English
• Publisher: Launch Pad Publishing
• Release date: Apr 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9781951407384

Book preview

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR SHAWN WELLS AND THE ENERGY FORMULA

"Finally, Nutritionist and Master Formulator Shawn Wells has the answer in his book, The ENERGY Formula. He has compiled years of research and life experience to provide you with the roadmap to overcoming exhaustion and creating sustained energy. As a bonus, these proven strategies are available to you at little or no cost! Now you've got no more excuses and no more fatigue!"

-JJ Virgin, 4X New York Times best-selling author of The Virgin Diet

"The ENERGY Formula is the antidote to today’s burned out, over-stimulated world. Using a combination of scientific expertise and his own journey through mental and physical struggles, Shawn Wells shows how it’s possible for anyone anywhere to live up to their maximum potential. Intriguing, well-paced, informative and by turns touching and powerful, The ENERGY Formula manages to pack a punch on every level."

-Anna David, New York Times best-selling author of eight books

"Over the last ten years of putting out bestselling books, there is one person that I knew needed to write a book on biohacking and supplements, and that person is Shawn Wells. Shawn is exceptional at taking difficult concepts and making them understandable, connecting the dots that others don't connect. The time has never been better for a book like this. I cannot recommend The ENERGY Formula enough!"

-Robb Wolf 2X New York Times and Wall Street Journal

best-selling author of The Paleo Solution, Sacred Cow and Wired to Eat

Shawn has created an actionable and clear way to integrate key biohacking health strategies into your daily life. His guide is comprehensive but also relatable with supplements, nutrition and lifestyle strategies to optimize your health. I loved his discussion on chronobiology, the value of sleep, nootropics, fasting and biohacktivism. Definitely a must read for anyone interested in tapping, intrinsically, into metabolic flexibility and strategies for a healthier life!

-Cynthia Thurlow, NP, 2X TEDx Speaker,

Nurse Practitioner and Functional Nutritionist

"Shawn takes high-level biochemistry and nutritional science combined with inspiration and real-life application to support your wellness journey with The ENERGY Formula. This book is filled with powerful graphics and personalized quizzes to support your learning and assess your progress along the way. Shawn is a master at merging medical concepts that are difficult to grasp with innovative biohacking tips to take your health to the next level and truly thrive."

-Ali Miller, RD, LD, CDE author of The Anti-Anxiety Diet

and host of The Naturally Nourished podcast

Shawn is my go-to expert for all things nutrition and energy. He understands that your physical energy level affects all areas of your life. If you get that right, then you have his formula to being truly successful. As he explains, ENERGY is everything—focus on it as your foundation first, then build your empire!

-Suzy Batiz, CEO Poo-Pourri and Supernatural

"The ENERGY Formula delivers! Get ready to reclaim more time and energy with everything you need to optimize your body, health and life inside of one book. Shawn Wells breaks down complex topics and protocols with ease in the fields of biohacking, longevity and peak performance showing what is truly possible when we unleash our limitless potential to thrive!"

-Dr. Melissa Petersen, MD, Author of The Codes of Longevity

"Shawn Wells is the most caring and empathetic author I know! His book, The ENERGY Formula, is a substantial guide to understanding your body along with providing tools for upgrading your health, energy, and longevity."

-Elle Russ, author of The Paleo Thyroid Solution and Confident As Fu*k

"It's one thing to have energy; it's another thing to have optimal cellular energy. Shawn has repeatedly proven that he knows this topic inside and out. The ENERGY Formula has made me realize the number of things I need to modify to achieve the ultimate state of high energy I wish to have. Shawn's knowledge of mitochondrial function (and dysfunction) demonstrates just how much of a decline most of the general population really is in when it comes down to energy levels. I hope that every person striving for more energy takes the time to read this book."

-Thomas Delauer, YouTube sensation and author

of The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook

"If you are dealing with fatigue, cravings, weight gain or depression, I highly recommended this book. Even if you don’t have any of the above, Shawn’s advice can drastically increase your ENERGY. This is quite possibly the best book I’ve ever read on biohacking, keto, sleep, ancestral wisdom, supplementation, mindfulness, self-love, recovery, time efficiency, quantification and logical science wrapped into one. The ENERGY Formula provides tools to add quality and quantity to anyone's lifespan. I insist that my clients read this book and take the surveys at the end of each chapter. If you want to transform your life, I strongly suggest you follow Shawn’s advice as I do."

-Kris Gethin, 3X best-selling author of Man of Iron,

voted World's #1 Trainer

Shawn has done an epic job of synthesizing decades of science knowledge and intertwining it with practical applications for physical, mental and spiritual excellence. This is one of the most comprehensive books I have read. Shawn brings his unique skill set of understanding and integration in the domains of health and wellness to both lay person and healthcare provider alike.

-Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, D.O. board-certified in family medicine,

fellowship trained in geriatrics and nutritional sciences

and founder of Muscle-Centric Medicine

Wow, wow, wow! The book is AMAZING!!! So much information put together in such a concise, easy to read and follow way. This book is for anyone interested in understanding how their body works as well as how they can create greater levels of health and longevity. Shawn is a wealth of knowledge and having his brain in one place is truly a gift!

-Dr. Jen Esquer, PT, DPT Doctor of Physical Therapy,

The Mobility Method, LLC

I have been blessed to work with Shawn and see his genius in action—he is my go-to guy for health, biohacking and most certainly supplement knowledge. This book is a treasure trove of the knowledge he has amassed that can truly change your life. Don’t miss it!

-Joel Marion, Co-Founder of BioTrust Nutrition,

host of Born to Impact podcast

This is a must read for anyone in need of more energy who wants to really get to the root cause of their health issues. As a physician, I consider it essential for my clients, and highly recommend it to anyone who has struggled with lack of energy. Shawn is a master biohacker as well as an expert in knowing which formulas work.

-Dr. Anna Cabeca, OB-GYN, MD, best-selling author

of The Hormone Fix and Keto-Green 16

So few people are able to merge emotional intelligence, humility and openness with extensive knowledge of the hard sciences and real-world application of that knowledge like Shawn. We are blessed to have him in our lives as a friend and mentor, and are thrilled that others can now experience a sample of his brilliance through this erudite book.

-Keith and Michelle Norris, Co-Founders of Paleo f(x)™️

The first chapter is worth the purchase! Shawn Wells is your inside track to the supplement industry. I spent years of time and thousands of dollars to attain the knowledge Shawn provides in the first pages of this book. He layers in complex lifestyle, nutrition, supplement and other health recommendations in an entertaining and easy-to-understand way!

-Boomer Anderson, Decoding Superhuman Podcast host

Shawn’s book embodies a saying that is co-opted by the modern Stoic: ‘Do what you can, with what you have, where you are.’ For each broken piece of your life and health, he starts with ‘where you are’ by giving you, workbook-style, an assessment of your baseline which you must answer honestly. Then he explains to you ‘what you have,’ which is control over your time, priorities and lifestyle. He infuses more wisdom in ‘do what you can,’ where he provides relevant information on what you can add to mend your life’s breaks. His knowledge of supplementation especially is pure gold.

-Dr. Ted Achacoso, global founding pioneer of Health Optimization Medicine and Practice

"In an often-murky world of dietary information overload, Shawn Wells is the veritable expert in revealing the truth of what actually works. If you’re looking for answers and resilience in the biohacking sphere, look no further than The ENERGY Formula: an incredibly motivating and comprehensive guide to truly optimizing one’s health, performance, mindset and community."

-Melanie Avalon, author, biohacker and podcast host

"Shawn Wells has created an absolute masterpiece with The ENERGY Formula. In a world of confusing, large complex topics like supplementation, physiology, nutrition, mindset and biohacking, Shawn has created an easy to understand, digestible and powerful guide built for anyone looking to reach their human potential and enjoy the process."

-Josh Trent, podcast host and CEO of Wellness Force

"Shawn Wells is my number one resource for all things biohacking, keto and supplementation. I can't recommend this book enough. It's not just his world-class expertise in these areas, it's the way he combines it with common sense and wisdom that makes The ENERGY Formula an invaluable resource for human health."

-Tara Garrison, human-optimizing specialist,

high-performance coach and podcast host

Copyright © 2021 All rights reserved.

No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.

The content of this book is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, treatment or cure.

Always consult your physician or a health professional with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

ISBN:

eBook: 978-1-951407-38-4

Paperback: 978-1-951407-39-1

Hardback: 978-1-951407-42-1

Foreword

There has never been a time more suited to needing a formula to increase our energy. The world today runs at breakneck speed day in and day out. Our minds and bodies are bombarded with stress from every possible outlet—work, the news, social media, family, friends—and it can feel as if our lives are spinning out of control, removing the last ounces of energy we had left.

Our lack of energy and constant stress often lead to more unhealthy habits that perpetuate the cycle. We keep our phones next to our beds and awaken to emails, messages and news that immediately place us in a stressed state. Our to-do lists are unending, so we rush to meet deadlines and complete tasks. We fuel our bodies with whatever food is the quickest and often finish our days the same way we started them: scrolling through our phones and tablets. Lots of people stay up all hours of the night with these lights shining in their eyes, which savages their sleep/wake cycles and consequently, their energy levels. I have often said that one of the very first things to do is fix your circadian rhythm by creating routines that aid in getting you started in the morning and winding you down at night.

We live by lists and rules both we and society have made for ourselves. These rules are supposed to help us be successful but sadly, taking care of ourselves tends to be the last thing on these lists. It is imperative that we break this cycle in order to find our best selves and lead lives of purpose.

Since we often leave little time to give back to ourselves, I really like the notion of finding maximum return on investment with diet and lifestyle interventions. I am trained as a research biochemist and throughout my time in the lab and as a strength and conditioning coach, I have learned that the optimal diet is one that most closely mimics our ancestral way of eating. This really just means what was available before the invention of ultra-processed foods.

Over the past 20 years, I’ve spent a lot of time exploring variations of both the paleo diet and the keto (ketogenic) diet. I’ve found them to be remarkably effective for a variety of needs—ranging from fat loss to reduced inflammation to improved athletic performance, all of which lead to increased energy. My findings were so significant that I wrote bestselling books focusing on these different aspects of food, most specifically The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat, and how we can utilize our diets to improve our health. I also host The Healthy Rebellion Radio Podcast that focuses on metabolic flexibility, body recomposition, resilient aging, circadian biology, gut health, low carb/keto/paleo diets and more.

It’s my strong belief that a person’s diet should focus on food quality and generally be macronutrient agnostic. Focus on nutrient dense foods (while avoiding or minimizing immunogenic foods which lead to allergies and intolerances) and tinker or experiment with your diet to find the protein, fat and carbohydrate levels that work best for you. These aspects of diet and health are near and dear to my heart, which is why when I heard Shawn Wells was putting pen to paper, I immediately knew this was going to be a book I would refer to time and time again. He uses his vast knowledge of biohacking, supplements, keto, paleo, fasting and exercise to create a formula each and every one of us can follow.

The ENERGY Formula is filled with the infinite wisdom Shawn has developed over his 20-plus years in this industry. He combines this wisdom and knowledge with his personal trials and tribulations to offer a unique insight regarding what our bodies need to work at an optimal level. This book isn’t just a regurgitation of information from textbooks; it is the culmination of his life and his thirst for knowledge.

The word ENERGY in The ENERGY Formula is an acronym for each of the six ingredients in Shawn’s energy formula: Experimentation, Nutrition, Exercise, Growth and Your Tribe. Based on my own experience, I can say that each of these ingredients is essential to having the most energy and living life to its fullest potential—but seeing them in the recipe Shawn has provided drives home the importance of making sure each ingredient is measured out correctly. We’ve all had times when we’ve focused more on our nutrition and exercise but not enough on experimenting with different ways of getting the most out of them. Or we’ve focused on our own personal growth mindset but haven’t taken the time to seek out and nurture our relationships. Life balance can be a battle, but The ENERGY Formula provides so many tools to help us stay on the right path.

If you’ve found yourself in a constant state of exhaustion and are ready to start experimenting with ways to change that, then start implementing some of the nutrition, exercise and biohacking tips that The ENERGY Formula provides. Shawn provides you with surveys, Formulator’s Corners, Resource Hacks, graphics, supplements and his personally gained knowledge to help you reach your own limitless potential. It is the exact recipe we need to turn our lives around.

-Robb Wolf, 2X New York Times and Wall Street Journal

best-selling author of The Paleo Solution and Wired to Eat

Foreword

Exhaustion is an all-too-familiar feeling.

A common concern or complaint I hear from the women I work with is how tired they are of going through the motions day in and day out, and how they wish they had more energy to devote to self-care and to their families and loved ones. Unfortunately, many people are so stressed and tired that they can’t seem to figure out what their body truly needs to function at a higher level. Instead, they embrace limiting beliefs and chalk it up to their age and the stage of life they are in. What kind of life is that?

Eventually, most people get sick of living this way and attempt to make changes. They search the internet for information on the lat-est exercise program that popped up on social media or they order a bunch of pills, potions and powders they saw on TV to help them sleep better, lose weight and have more energy. After a few weeks of working out with the new program or using their new supplements, they get frustrated with the lack of results and the lack of improvement they experience. But why don’t these strategies work?

Quite simply, it’s because they are a marketing trap. These fad exercise programs, diets and supplements are one-size-fits-all solutions that will NOT work in the long-term. Bio-individuality rules. Each person’s unique hormonal balance, gut health, environmental factors and life circumstances all play a factor in what will work best for them.

I tell people that they need to experiment in order to find out what works best for them—their own n=1. There are a few things I always share that I believe help in figuring out their unique needs, namely intermittent fasting, nutrient-dense whole foods, high-quality sleep, HIIT, weight training, movement and carb cycling. Working these into your daily routines can help you find the answers that work for your body. Once you have those answers, you will see a vast improvement in your energy levels and quality of life. But the question remains: what is the best way to implement these items?

That’s where Shawn Wells’ The ENERGY Formula comes in.

I first met Shawn as a guest on my podcast Everyday Wellness. I have always enjoyed our discussions because we share many of the same ideas on maximizing our potential and living a healthier life. Part of what I was so excited for in this book was being able to delve deeper into the vast pool of knowledge Shawn has acquired in his life as a biohacker and supplement formulator. The questions so many people have about how to fix their sleep cycles, add in supplements, fix their nutrition and hit their exercise goals are answered, in detail, in this book.

Living a healthier life isn’t just fixing one bad habit or trying one new thing. It is about trying many new things to figure out what is best for you as a bio-individual. Experiment with your routines, your nutrition and your exercise, experiment with tools for your growth and focus on your relationships to help you get through any and everything life will throw at you.

In this book, Shawn has shared a recipe that includes detailed instructions on how to integrate biohacking health strategies into our daily lives. For those who are ready to stop living in the constant cycle of stress and exhaustion, The ENERGY Formula will give you all of the tools you need reach that goal.

-Cynthia Thurlow, NP, 2X TEDx Speaker, Functional Nutritionist

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank my wife for all the support and love during so many difficult times. My pets for all the snuggles and unconditional love. My family: mother, father, brothers and extended family, including my Sardinian daughter. My chosen family that keeps me grounded in Dallas, my soul family in Austin that helped me to shift in my heart and my global family in the keto, paleo, biohacking, supplements, wellness and entrepreneurship world.

My closest business partners. Team Shawn Wells with this book and the Ingredientologist brand…thank you!

My mentors, life team and soul fam, thank you for taking the time and pouring your energy into me. I am now proud of myself and love myself and that took a lot of work—work that led to this book in your hand.

Most importantly, I appreciate YOU and would like to thank you for reading this right now and taking the first step to a healthier and more energetic life. It takes courage and willingness to do that. I am proud of you.

—Shawn

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to those who feel lost, alone, depressed, sick, in pain, hurting, less than, judged, falling short, overworked, underappreciated...

I SEE YOU. I LOVE YOU. I GOT YOU.

Passion is energy! Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you!

–Oprah Winfrey

PREFACE

I started writing this book two years before the pandemic, but once that happened, it changed everything. The virus being politicized, confusion over how to protect yourself and scientific misconceptions spread by many gurus were creating a lot of fear. Meanwhile, one word kept ringing in my head: resilience.

Resilience is a state of being tougher and anti-fragile but more than that, it means living an optimized and fulfilling life. This is an opportunity to heal and make people stronger—physically and mentally. We’re living in a new world that will never look the same. So, I went back to my rough draft and started looking through a new lens—that’s when the word energy became the acronym and took on new meaning. ENERGY: Experimentation, Nutrition, Exercise, Routines, Growth and Your Tribe. It fell into place, as did my heart and mind.

Days later, I got the news that my brother-in-law had passed away in his sleep at the age of 44 from mixed causes, some of which were a long-in-remission cancer and excessive weight. Within 24 hours of that, one of my two brothers (who is in his early 50’s) had a massive heart attack and nearly died. At 46, I am between their ages. Life got very real for me over the course of that one day.

Doing Byron Katie style therapy with Kathryn Dixon and stepping outside of my victimization stories so that I could begin reframing my life started a massive shift during this down time of the pandemic; I found myself taking further steps to deep inner-work and understanding the journey and consciousness space with Tah and Kole Whitty, as well as friends Keith and Michelle Norris. Then I found it logical to bring body work in step with all of this soul work, so I began working with concierge medicine including biofeedback, biologics, genetics and peptides with Drs. Daniel Stickler and Mickra Hamilton (Apeiron Center for Human Performance). I struck up a give-and-take mentor relationship and friendship with an awesome ‘Keto Coach,’ Stephanie Foster. The plant medicine journeys I have taken created profound shifts in my consciousness and warped my progress in ways I could have never imagined. These are things I never allowed myself time for or may have been scared to even face.

Pre-pandemic, I was working 80 hours a week. I was supposed to travel 300 days in 2020. I now realize that although I can’t help but be passionate about my work and about helping others so deeply, I need to grant myself more time and space for proper self-care.

The pandemic was the greatest blessing for me because it allowed me to work on me...deeply. It has allowed me to reconnect with what truly matters, to get past pain and escapism and to live my authentic truth. It also led to a full rewrite of this book, which I’m excited about. I hope it connects with you as well.

This is as much your story as it is mine.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Formulator’s Corner – How to Buy a Good Supplement

Graphic 1 – The Six Ingredients of The ENERGY Formula

Resource Hacks – How to Get the Most Out of This Book

EXPERIMENT SURVEY

Chapter 1: Experiment: Discovering the Baseline for You and Your Potential

Graphic 2 – The Importance of Mitochondrial Function for Healthy Cells

Graphic 3 – Healthy, Robust Mitochondria vs. Weak Mitochondria

Formulator’s Corner – Mitochondrial Health Supplements

Graphic 4 – NAD Boosting Strategies

Graphic 5 – Three Essential Biomarkers to Assess Your Baseline Mitochondrial Function

Formulator’s Corner – Mitochondrial Dysregulation Supplements

Graphic 6 – Independent Variables + YOU (dependent variable) = Finding What Works Best for You

Graphic 7 – Allostatic Load or Stress Bucket

Graphic 8 – The Inverted-U Relationship Between Stress (i.e., pressure or anxiety) and Performance

Graphic 9 – Autonomic Nervous System

Graphic 10 – The Goldilocks Principle

Formulator’s Corner – Stress Reduction Supplements

EXPERIMENT SUMMARY

Resource Hacks – Experimentation in Action

NUTRITION SURVEY

Chapter 2: Nutrition: Nourish Your Body, Eat Whole Foods

Graphic 11 – Autoimmune Disease

Graphic 12 – Diet vs. Lifestyle

Graphic 13 – The Keto Food Pyramid

Graphic 14 – The Mediterranean Food Pyramid

Graphic 15 – The Paleo Food Pyramid

Graphic 16 – The Overlap of Keto, Mediterranean and Paleo

Graphic 17 – Metabolic Flexibility Meter

Formulator’s Corner – Blood Sugar and Glycemic Control Supplements

Graphic 18 – Ready to Go Keto Fast Foods

Graphic 19 – Endogenous Ketone Production

Graphic 20 – Blood Ketone Levels

Graphic 21 – Foods Consist of Three Main Types of Fats

Graphic 22 – Good Fats vs. Not So Good Fats

Graphic 23 – Keto Food List

Graphic 24 – The Sweet Spot for Ketosis

Graphic 25 – The 3 Traditional Variations of the Ketogenic Diet

Graphic 26 - Common Symptoms of Keto Flu and Best Remedies

Formulator’s Corner – Magnesium Supplements

Formulator’s Corner – Ketogenic Diet Supplements

Graphic 27 – Auto-Immune Protocol of Paleo (AIP)

Formulator’s Corner – Gut Health Supplements

Graphic 28 – The Best Low Carb Sweeteners

Graphic 29 – Low FODMAP Diet

Formulator’s Corner – Pre, Pro & Post Biotics… Synbiotics

Graphic 30 – Foods for Immunity

NUTRITION SUMMARY

Resource Hacks – Nutrition

EXERCISE SURVEY

Chapter 3: Exercise: Move Your Body and Master Your Mind

Graphic 31 – Lifespan vs. Healthspan

Graphic 32 – Top Seven Benefits of Resistance Training

Graphic 33 – Optimizing Muscle Protein

Formulator’s Corner – Exercise Performance Supplements

Graphic 34 – Whole Body Benefits of Weight Loss

Graphic 35 – Main Types of Physical Training and Movement

Graphic 36 – Importance of Recovery

Graphic 37 – Nine Benefits of Cold Exposure

Graphic 38 – Methods of Cold Exposure

Formulator’s Corner – Exercise Strength and Recovery Supplements

EXERCISE SUMMARY

Resource Hacks – Exercise

ROUTINE SURVEY

Chapter 4: Routine: Align Your Circadian Rhythm and Start Every Day Right

Graphic 39 – Circadian Rhythm

Graphic 40 – Sleep Hygiene

Graphic 41 – Optimal Sleep Environment

Formulator’s Corner – Morning and Night Supplements

Graphic 42 – Cortisol and Melatonin Relationship

Graphic 43 – Heart Rate Variability

Graphic 44 – Higher HRV vs. Lower HRV

Graphic 45 – What Effects HRV

ROUTINE SUMMARY

Resource Hacks – Routine

GROWTH MINDSET SURVEY

Chapter 5: Growth: Live Your Life with Intention

Graphic 46 – Extended Fasting Timeline

Graphic 47 – Benefits of Intermittent Fasting

Graphic 48 – Types of Intermittent Fasting

Graphic 49 – Intermittent Fasting Sample Schedules

Formulator’s Corner – Fasting Supplements

Graphic 50 – Categories of Nootropics

Formulator’s Corner – Nootropic Stacks

Graphic 51 – Medium-Chain Triglyceride vs. Medium Chain Fatty Acids

Graphic 52 – Top Benefits of MCTs

Formulator’s Corner – MCTs

Graphic 53 – Human Endocannabinoid System

Graphic 54 – Benefits of CBD

Formulator’s Corner – CBD

Graphic 55 – The Definition of Ikigai

Graphic 56 - Telomeres and Aging

GROWTH SUMMARY

Resource Hacks – Growth

YOUR TRIBE SURVEY

Chapter 6: Your Tribe: Cultivating Deep and Meaningful Connections

Formulator’s Corner – Anti-Aging Polyphenol Supplements (and Their Respective Foods)

Graphic 57 – Blending Methods of Ancestral Wisdom with Modern Day Tools and Technology

Graphic 58 – Biohacking vs. Biohacktivism

Formulator’s Corner – Mood Boosting Supplements

Formulator’s Corner – Immune Health Supplements

YOUR TRIBE SUMMARY

Resource Hacks – Your Tribe

The ENERGY Formula: Putting it All Together

Formulator’s Corner – Shawn’s Top Supplements for EVERYONE

Resource Hacks – Shawn's Top 12 Hacks from the Book

About the Author

Where to Find MORE From Shawn Wells

End Notes

INTRODUCTION

The difference between one man and another is not mere ability . . . it is energy.

―Thomas Arnold

Everything in life—the relationships we hold dear, our jobs, our passions, even our fears—is fueled by energy. We need it to get out of bed in the morning, we need it to interact with the people we love and we need it at work. In fact, if you ask anyone what they truly need, they will likely reply, More energy.

The standard definition of energy is the strength and