The Better Show - Better Look Back Vol. 1 - Sleep & Stress

Better Look Back Vol. 1 - Sleep & Stress

11/06/17 • 77 min

In this episode Ian, Darren & March look back on their experiments from the first two episodes on sleep and stress to tell you what worked, what failed and what new discoveries they've found to help you get better.

Show Notes

1:00 —Salves, salts, and the case of the ill-fitting bathtub
10:54 —How Ian's Oura ring helped him figure out the missing factor in his fitness routine
18:44 —Darren discovers the secret ingredient to 5-star sleep
24:38—Why March substituted one sleep machine for another
28:16 —Confessions: One of the guys is a Coast2CoastAM junkie
31:07 —Binaural beats as part of a bedtime routine
36:10 —How March is getting pleasantly guided to sleep
40:54 —The only sponsor for this episode is our newsletter, The Better Show Bits. Sign up today!
41:51 —Darren on his holotropic breathing experiment...useful or just hyperventilating?
47:55 —Ian on how using The Daily Stoic has been his #1 de-stressing tool
53:58 —March reviews 3 top mediation apps: Headspace, Sattva, & Calm
1:06:24 —March's success with light therapy
1:12:06 —March says "the best thing on YouTube" is Crash Course
1:14:48 —Ian's new obsession: crafting a morning ritual

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Show Notes

1:00 —Salves, salts, and the case of the ill-fitting bathtub
10:54 —How Ian's Oura ring helped him figure out the missing factor in his fitness routine
18:44 —Darren discovers the secret ingredient to 5-star sleep
24:38—Why March substituted one sleep machine for another
28:16 —Confessions: One of the guys is a Coast2CoastAM junkie
31:07 —Binaural beats as part of a bedtime routine
36:10 —How March is getting pleasantly guided to sleep
40:54 —The only sponsor for this episode is our newsletter, The Better Show Bits. Sign up today!
41:51 —Darren on his holotropic breathing experiment...useful or just hyperventilating?
47:55 —Ian on how using The Daily Stoic has been his #1 de-stressing tool
53:58 —March reviews 3 top mediation apps: Headspace, Sattva, & Calm
1:06:24 —March's success with light therapy
1:12:06 —March says "the best thing on YouTube" is Crash Course
1:14:48 —Ian's new obsession: crafting a morning ritual

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Full Episode Transcript

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Email: [email protected]

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Previous Episode

Meditation for focus & happiness

In this episode Ian, Darren & March talk about meditation. We reflect on how meditation can help deal with all sorts of life challenges, our own personal experiences with meditation, tips & tricks you can use, and experiments we're going to try and report back on.

Show Notes

1:02— What meditation is and how it begets mindfulness
2:21 —The science behind meditation and how it can positively affect your mind and body
6:13— Darren’s journey — you too might be mediating already and not know it
13:58 —Why not all attempts at meditation might stick
16:11 —Ways meditation can help make your life more balanced like it did for Ian
19:27 —Finding yourself not able to be “in the now” or having trouble letting go? March recommends meditation
- “Letting go of extrinsic motivators, and embracing intrinsic ones”
24:35 —It’s not called a meditation practice for nothing
26:25 —Shamanic drumming, binaural beats, and brain entrainment: how rhythm and other external factors can elevate your consciousness
33:05 — “Meditation is the exercise to get strong mental muscles and mindfulness is the use of those muscles to help me” — March
33:30 —Methods to practice focusing your attention, as tested by March
36:03 —PSA: meditation is not a religious activity
37:39 —App suggestions to help you get started on your meditation practice
44:19 —What three personal meditation routines actually look and feel like
1:05:20 —Transcendental meditation can teach you how to access your inner calm
1:13:34 —Our next experiments:
- Ian will continue his mindfulness meditation streak, try TM, start a daily gratitude journal
- Darren will read Man’s Search for Meaning and meditate outside in unpleasant weather
- March will continue daily meditation, experimenting with mantra-based meditation, and start a gratitude journal

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Next Episode

Eating to perform at your best

In this episode Ian, Darren & March talk about optimizing your nutrition for performance. We reflect on why nutrition matters, our own personal experiences with food, tips & tricks you can use, and experiments we're going to try and report back on.

Show Notes

2:57—Why nutrition matters for optimum performance
5:13—Darren, March and Ian talk about their own relationship with food, from childhood to adulthood, and Ireland to Georgia.
10:52—The current state of nutritional science
12:51—The surprising story of why Michelle Obama made healthy eating her legacy
15:00—The one piece of advice Darren's doctor gave him that changed his eating habits
18:13—Why you should question what you're being told is good or bad for you
21:04—Why nutritionists know so much more about food than your doctor
24:19—How Ian ditched drinking soda by eating ice cream
29:43—Adding something to your diet is the best way to remove something else
31:26—Dark, leafy vegetables are the magic pill of nutrition
34:00—Save money buying healthy food with the Dirty Dozen & Clean Fifteen lists
36:34—How march went from hangry to happy by stabilizing his blood sugar
39:38—The many benefits of Darren's daily morning caffeine
43:15—Ketogenic diet: What is it, the benefits, March's experience with it
51:15—March tells Ian how to get started with a Ketogenic diet
1:01:07—How starting your day with protein helps with weight loss, energy and focus
1:02:58—March's best quick tips for finding the time to eat healthy
1:05:12—Ian's best quick tips for avoiding food cravings
1:08:41—The one thing people always mess up when trying to eat more vegetables
1:10:51—Darren's Chick-Fil-A hack when you're in a pinch for healthy food
1:13:05—March's next experiments: Forehead tapping & lowering protein intake for ketosis
1:14:48—What March's typical day of food looks like on a ketogenic diet
1:16:03—Darren's next experiment: MCT oil for more daily energy
1:17:30—Bulletproof coffee: a ketogenic coffee drink
1:19:26—Ian's next experiment: 100% small batch dark chocolate for lower blood pressure