Shawn Wells is on the Girlfriend Show to talk about why purpose and intention, when combined with exercise and nutrition, is the foundation for a healthy long life. Learn how to detox your body and your life with the ENERGY formula, how to biohack your body with powerful natural supplements, and the secrets to making the most of the ketogenic diet. [1:25] Writing a book is a major undertaking. Shawn recently spent the last year and a half of his life working 30-40 hours each week, getting all of the pieces together for his latest book. [3:05] The ENERGY acronym stands for Experiment, Nutrition, Exercise, Routines, Growth, and Your Tribe. For the last 20 years, Shawn has been accumulating and amassing all of this knowledge and the book was his attempt to put it all into one easy-to-consume format. [5:35] What does biohacking mean? There are shortcuts to improving your vitality and biological function, like bulletproof coffee, sun gazing, cold plunges, and red light saunas. It’s the mashup term for hacking your biology. [7:10] Hacktivism is the use of hacking for the greater good and Shawn used this idea for the basis of the book. The more you are energized and alive, the more you can connect with the world around you. [8:00] Before going to medical school, Dr. Anna worked with the military training deep sea divers. This experience came into play in Dr. Anna’s own journey of being stressed and depressed after going through early menopause and living a difficult, fast paced life. [10:00] The less mitochondrial function you have, the less energy you have. Not having sufficient cellular energy will lead to more inflammation and stress the mitochondria even further. [11:20] There is a psychological component at play. You can be your own placebo by shifting your mindset and reframing a situation in a positive light. The trouble is that most people reframe things negatively by default. [13:40] There is a positive or negative charge to your thoughts and those thoughts can affect the smallest physiological processes in your body. [16:10] Exercise snacks are a unique idea that’s floating around where small bursts of movement spread out throughout the day are more impactful than one hour of concentrated activity. So many of our physical issues are a result of the typical sedentary lifestyle as our bodies adapt. It’s important to keep our bodies in motion, whether that’s planks or squats for a few minutes each hour. [20:30] 88% of the population is in a state of metabolic dysfunction and heading toward insulin resistance. This resistance will exacerbate the energy gap and the fastest way to solve this issue is having an alternate source of energy in ketones. This is where the keto diet comes in. [22:45] Insulin resistance is the hallmark of all biological aging. Around 1% of disease is genetic; the 99% is metabolic and driven by being insulin resistant. The standard American diet and lifestyle is mainly to blame for why so many people in the West are getting sick and tired. [26:10] When Dr. Anna shifted to a ketogenic diet, she saw a major shift in her energy level and focus. Getting into ketosis is incredibly powerful for healthy brain function. [27:10] If you’re not getting the results you want from your keto diet, you are probably not eating enough fat. You have to shift away from the idea that “you are what you eat,” to “you burn what you eat.” If fat is the number one macronutrient in your diet, your body will optimize to become a fat burning machine. [28:40] The latest keto snacks and treats may also be a source of problems. Trying to eat a ketogenic version of the traditional Western diet may put you in the awkward state of not being optimized for either mode. It’s also very easy to go overboard on these types of products. [30:15] Your energy level is your best indication that you’re succeeding on the ketogenic diet, not your level of ketones. If you’re not testing your ketones, you’re guessing. [32:40] Don’t worry too much about y