In today's podcast, I am joined by my friends Kyle Thiermann, Chris Ryan and Mark Healey for witty banter, philosophizing, and intellectually stimulating conversation straight from the island of Hawaii, where we - along with several others mentioned in this podcast episode, such as Dr. Peter Attia, Kyle Kingsbury and Hawaii hunting guide Justin Lee - took a break from hunting, hiking, spearfishing and dressing meat to gather round the podcasting mics. In this conversation, you'll hear... -Recap of the trip...6:47 Chris was a last minute substitute Primal surroundings: goat head in the back of the pickup They were all dropped off by helicopter on various spots on the Big Island Ben engaged in spearfishing; caught Hawaiian lobster, opi'i fish Impossible to replicate their meals in a restaurant -Ben is asked about consuming energy bars while facing dehydration...12:17 If you're in an extreme dehydration situation, you're probably starving to death, so don't throw them out They could potentially be used as a water filter because they're so thick Coffee and beer don't actually dehydrate you Energy bars have moisture in them Depends on salt content, moisture level, etc. -How ranchers on the island of Kaho'olawe used goats to prevent sharks from attacking their herd...14:05 Sharks would attack as they were loaded onto ships for transport Ranchers pushed a herd of goats tied to each other off a cliff The cattle was transported while the sharks feasted on the goats -Discussion about the sustainability of humans hunting their own meat in the modern world...15:30 Hunting is necessary in Hawai'i for sustainability of the land It's not cheaper when you factor in ammo, time spent hunting, obtaining permits, etc. Large amounts of money from hunting is invested into environmental sustainability Eradication vs. management Killing an animal is a deeply personal experience Everyone who eats meat should hunt at least once We are what we eat: cruelty, apathy, torture, etc. -How do our thoughts shape our health?... Book: The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton Book: Mind to Matter by Dr. Dawson Church Epigenetics: Behavior of parents/ancestors affects their children's behavior and instincts Do humans have instincts? Going for the nipple Fear of snakes "Comparing notes" after a hunt separated humans from other animals Coordinated hunting -Our understanding of human history as it pertains to resilience toward stress... Research suggests we become more sensitive to stress rather than more resilient Chronic stressors (business responsibilities) our ancestors didn't deal with Experiencing stress without realizing it, or thinking you're relaxed Practice makes automatic Difference between stress and excitement Alpha vs. beta brain waves Alpha: what you experience in "the flow"; familiar, happy, focused Beta: Higher level of excitement; less predictability Parasympathetic vs. sympathetic nervous system Sympathetic: fight and flight nervous system Parasympathetic: rest and digestive nervous system Vagus nerve feeds into the sinoatrial node of the heart You want high heart rate variability (HRV) Vagus nerve is operating the parasympathetic system properly Meditating, chanting, cold water assist with maintaining high HRV -How stress affects rigor mortis (in hunted game) and cramping Deer reach rigor mortis in 20 minutes when corralled (stressed) and over an hour when killed in the wild You cramp in stressful situations while exercising due to calcium release Sour, spicy taste overrides neuronal reflex Golgi tendon organ limits the contraction, but is overridden by neuronal reflex Other animals don't have this, and put far more stress on their muscles When mom lifts a car to save the baby, the brain, because of extreme stress, overrides the golgi tendon organ Brain over brawn: why humans have the golgi tendon organ and other animals don't -The evolving understanding of convenience vs. an appreciation of our history... Infa