Boundless Life

Discover why cotton candy can beat a corn dog, how the perimeter-of-the-store hack simplifies everything, and what it really looks like to eat like your great-grandparents.
Episode Summary
In part 3 of the “Ancestral Mismatch” series, Ben Greenfield delivers three no-nonsense dietary strategies that anyone can implement without breaking the bank or setting foot in an overpriced health food store. You'll learn why fried seed oils are more damaging than sugar (and why Ben would choose cotton candy over a corn dog every time), how to avoid ultra-processed foods by shopping the perimeter of any grocery store, and why sourcing your food matters for your health, animal welfare, and the planet. Ben even drops his go-to travel grocery list that works at any supermarket on Earth.
Question of the Day 🗣️
What's one ultra-processed food you know you should ditch but keep reaching for, and what whole-food swap could replace it?
Key Takeaways
- Rancid heated seed oils in fried foods are more damaging long-term than sugar—lipid oxidation products (LOPs) become the building blocks of your cells and contribute to chronic disease risk.
- Ultra-processed foods (UPFs) are engineered to be addictive, stripped of nutrients, and loaded with additives, preservatives, and oxidized oils—shop the perimeter to avoid them.
- You don't need an expensive health food store—Ben's entire travel grocery list (rotisserie chicken, berries, avocados, sardines, nuts, yogurt, dark chocolate) costs under $40 and lasts days.
- Farmer's markets from May through October give you access to local, sustainably grown food—and many farmers will sell you a quarter or half cow and ship it in batches.
- Skip the fluff labels ("natural," "farm fresh")—look for USDA Organic, Pasture-Raised, MSC Certified, and Certified Humane instead.
Timestamped Outline ⏱️
00:00 – Introduction: Weekly newsletter podcast & how to subscribe
00:25 – Welcome to part 3 of the Ancestral Mismatch series
00:44 – Three quick fuel strategies that won't break the bank
00:55 – Tip 1: Avoid heavily fried foods—the cotton candy vs. corn dog test
01:30 – Why Ben picks cotton candy 10 out of 10 times
02:01 – The science: Lipid oxidation products (LOPs) and chronic disease risk
02:15 – Tip 2: Avoid ultra-processed foods (UPFs) in shiny crinkly packaging
02:40 – What makes UPFs dangerous: addictive, nutrient-void, chemical-laden
03:04 – The perimeter hack: Shop where your great-grandparents would recognize the food
03:30 – Ben's travel grocery list for any supermarket on the planet
04:18 – The full list: chicken, berries, avocados, cucumbers, greens, sardines, nuts, yogurt, dark chocolate
04:47 – Sneaky hotel gym water bottle hack ("fitness through osmosis with reverse osmosis")
05:00 – Tip 3: Consider the source of your food
05:15 – Modern industrial farming, monocropping, and declining soil quality
05:30 – The biblical mandate for land stewardship
06:00 – Farmer's markets: local food access from May through October
06:20 – Buying in bulk: quarter cow, half cow, whole cow with storage and shipping
06:35 – Basic life skills: canning, fermenting, sprouting, bone broth, windowsill gardening
07:05 – Labels that matter vs. labels that don't: USDA Organic, Pasture-Raised, MSC Certified, Certified Humane
07:35 – Series recap: from hormesis to HVACs to hens
07:40 – Next up: Part 4—what a simple sample day looks like
07:47 – Closing: Leave your questions and feedback
Links & Resources 🔗
Parts 1–2 of the Ancestral Mismatch Series → *(linked in video description)*
Ben's Comprehensive Food Labeling Standards Article → bengreenfieldlife.com *(linked in video description)*
Subscribe to Ben's Newsletter → https://bengreenfieldlife.com/newsletter
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👉 Have questions about simplifying your nutrition? Leave your comments and feedback directly on the post.
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Here we are: at number three of this four-part series on the ancestral mismatch.
You can read, watch, or listen to parts one and two here:
Are We Just *Modern Zoo Animals*? The Ancestral Mismatch (Part 1)
Are We Just *Modern Zoo Animals*? The Ancestral Mismatch (Part 2)
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Full Show Notes: bengreenfieldlife.com/drandrew2
In this episode, Dr. Andrew Koutnik returns for part 2 of our deep dive into metabolism and nutrition. We explore why you need far fewer carbohydrates than you think—both during daily life and intense exercise—and how sustained blood glucose levels for brain energy metabolism matter more than muscle glycogen stores. Andrew breaks down the different types of exogenous ketones, debunks liver toxicity concerns, and shares groundbreaking research on ketones for sleep quality and sleep apnea treatment from his NASA astronaut studies.
Dr. Andrew Koutnik is a research scientist whose career bridges cutting-edge science, elite performance, and personal experience living with type 1 diabetes for over 17 years. His work focuses on how nutrition, metabolism, and lifestyle can be leveraged to maximize human health, performance, and resilience across diverse conditions—from chronic disease to extreme environments.
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Full Show Notes: bengreenfieldlife.com/497
Welcome to another solo episode. This week I kick things off sharing my most effective hair health strategies, from nutrition and hormones to unique tools like derma rolling, red light therapy, and even topical caffeine—plus, why genetics aren’t your whole hair story.
I break down a fascinating new study showing how magnesium holds the key to actually making your vitamin D work for you.
I reveal why the length and intensity of your walking sessions matter more than you think, and how longer walking bouts can trump simply chasing that 10,000-step goal.
I also revisit a forgotten but powerful heart-protective hack—adding pomegranate juice to your routine to help reduce arterial plaque and lower your blood pressure. To top it off, I share my wildest recent experiment: getting infusions of young human plasma in the name of anti-aging, breaking down the science of why it works and what I noticed firsthand.
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TRIUMPH Coaching: Join me for one-on-one coaching with me and my hand-picked team, custom-built around your labs, your lifestyle, and goals, until you actually hit them. No guesswork. Just results. If you’re finally ready to stop wasting time and money and start living the boundless life you know is possible, go to jointriumphcoaching.com and book your call.
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*The air you breathe, the light you see, and the water you drink have all been quietly sabotaged by modern life—here's how to fight back without ripping your house apart.*
Episode Summary
In this episode, we shift from last week's hormesis deep-dive to the second weapon in your ancestral mismatch arsenal: your environment. You'll discover how degraded air quality, flickering LED lights, contaminated water, and invisible EMFs are silently wrecking your sleep, fogging your brain, and loading you with toxins—then get a practical, budget-friendly environmental audit you can start this weekend.
Question of the Day 🗣️
What's one thing in your living or working environment you've always suspected might be affecting your health—but haven't done anything about yet?
Key Takeaways
Your environment may be undermining your health more than your diet or exercise routine—air, light, water, and EMFs are the invisible variables most people ignore.
Modern indoor air quality, fluorescent lighting, treated water, and constant wireless exposure create a toxic soup our biology was never designed to handle.
You don't need a full home renovation to make a meaningful difference—standalone HEPA filters, incandescent bulbs, countertop RO systems, and airplane mode are powerful starting points.
A basic environmental audit is one of the highest-ROI health moves you can make with minimal cost.
This is part two of a three-part ancestral mismatch series—next week: food.
Timestamped Outline ⏱️
00:27 – Recap: Ancestral mismatch & hormesis from previous episodes
00:50 – Today's focus: Your environment as a health optimization tool
01:07 – Why your environment matters more than you think
01:25 – The hidden health costs: poor air, LED flicker, polluted water, EMFs
01:50 – What Ben's North Idaho home looks like: the extreme example
02:05 – HEPA filtration, incandescent lighting, 14-stage RO water, zero Wi-Fi
02:29 – Hardwired Cat 8 Ethernet in every room
02:40 – Full video tour with building biologist Brian Hoyer
02:55 – Budget-friendly steps: you don't need a jackhammer
03:00 – Standalone HEPA bedroom filter options
03:21 – Lighting swaps: incandescent and modified LEDs over fluorescents
03:30 – Affordable countertop reverse osmosis filters
03:40 – Phone hygiene: airplane mode, disabling Wi-Fi & Bluetooth
03:55 – Boundless book: the deeper dive on environmental modifications
04:10 – Preview: Part 3 next week—food and the ancestral mismatch
Links & Resources 🔗
Previous episode on the Ancestral Mismatch & Hormesis
Full Home Tour with Building Biologist Brian HoyerBen's book Boundless
Connect & CTA 🎯
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Full Shownotes: BenGreenfieldLife.com/bluelighttruth
In this episode, Matt Maruca, CEO and co-founder of Ra Optics, dives deep into the science and practical realities of blue light, circadian health, and optimizing your environment for better sleep and longevity. We tackle the nuances of blue light exposure from sunlight versus artificial sources, break down how proper blue light-blocking glasses can support melatonin production and overall wellness, and bust common myths—including those from recent documentaries and reviews. Along the way, Matt shares updates on the latest lens technology, why not all blue blockers are created equal, and the future of lighting and color therapy for health.
Matt Maruca is the founder & CEO of Ra Optics, the leader in premium blue light protection eyewear. Matt founded Ra Optics after a decade-long journey to improve his own chronic health issues as a child and teenager.
As he looked further, he came across the science of mitochondria, circadian rhythms, and how light influences these factors—playing an essential, but overlooked, role in our health and well-being. He became fascinated by entrepreneurship, and decided that he could use the in-formation that helped him to help others.
Matt also created The Light Diet, a diet that directly addresses the root of the modern, chronic disease epidemic and mitochondrial dysfunction. Matt now spends his time traveling the world, studying and teaching about the relevance of light in human health cycles with a focus on reversing this situation, as well as integrating science with ancient Eastern wisdom.
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