EP 140 WTH?!? The Doctor's Chat: Boost Your Energy with Dr. Mike Van Thielen

Hey, welcome back Everybody. I am Dr. Greg Eckel and this is what the health Our topic today is a mouthful, but really fun. Harness the prefrontal cortex of your brain and activate your dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine, acetylcholine and serotonin in just 30 minutes with this new all natural limitless pill. My guest today is Dr. Mike Van Thielen. He's a PhD holistic nutrition doctor of oriental medicine, certified in Chinese herbal medicine, Homeopathy, and also medical director at Clary Gen Z Health. He's a best selling author of Access to Success, a book focused on optimizing productivity and focus and creating a stress free life which I think we could all benefit from. He he's also a treating physician for Boston Neuropain and Psych centers where they help tens of thousands of patients with chronic pain and mental health conditions. Additionally, he's also a mentor and coach helping people regain control of their health. Dr. Mike welcome aboard.

Thank you for having me. Dr. Eckel, it's a pleasure indeed.

I am excited for this. It sounds like you have found the all natural limitless pill and in this, the Clary Gen Z, I believe, Focus plus we're going to offer some free samples for folks as well at the end of the show. You got to stay to the end, but I'm wondering, you know, you came with a way to help us become limitless with a flip of a switch. So what do you mean by that?

Well, you know, I guess I really started looking into it during the pandemic because at the time I was doing a lot of screening calls for people to qualify for medical marijuana. And to my surprise, Dr. Ekelen, you probably noticed too, there's so many people with anxiety, depression, fear, worry and all these mental conditions. And of course there's drugs, there's therapies, there's supplements out there. But I also found there's something more at the core of all these conditions. And to me that's a lack of purpose in life, which most people don't talk about. Because if life comes at us and life gets thrown at us and we're in this vicious cycle of putting out fires every day at work, the boss throwing more work at us than coming home to the wife and the kids need to be at soccer and it goes on and on and on. On top of that, today we're bombarded with an average of $14,000 digital messages per day. So we don't have the brain or the capacity to organize that. So most of Us are overwhelmed. And so what we really need to do is we need to regain control or take control of our life. We need to script our life, we need to get organized. We really got to be in control of our agenda, our calendar, knowing what, what tomorrow brings, next week brings, next month brings. And so when we really don't have purpose of life or we don't live our dream, we're just going with the motions. And obviously, if we don't know what tomorrow brings, we're going to be uncertain, we're going to be stressed, we're going to live in fear, and we're going to worry all the time. So basically, I wrote a book on, you know, how to find your purpose in life or confirm your purpose in life, because some of us think we know it and maybe we're right, maybe we're not, that we really need to capture control of our life versus being controlled, because control creates clarity. And the more clear we are, what's happening tomorrow, next month and next year, the less stress we have. So I think that's one of those missing keys when it comes to anxiety, depression, and worries. Really make sure that people have a purpose and know their purpose and then take control of our life. But when it comes to this magic pill, you know, I don't really believe in silver bullet or magic pills like in that movie with Bradley Cooper. Right. Limitless. But. But there certainly are helpful tools and in this case also all natural pills available that would help us at least focus on the task at hand, get the homework done, finish the project, and not being distracted by all those external digital messages and social media. So there's.

When you talk about, before you get into that, I want to talk about that aspect because we are bombing bombarded across the board with, you know, all of the distractions and the next shiny thing. So how, I mean, you know, how do we become more focused? How do we get more focused to become, you know, to get more successful or more accomplished? I like that concept of kind of living by your calendar, of having the purpose, having, having the roadmap so you have some certainty in the future. But then how do you help somebody get to that point of getting that focus to get that clarity?

That's what I do every day. So, yes, the first step is that purpose and figuring it out and making sure we're going into the right direction and taking control of your life. And part of taking control of your life is being able to focus. You're 100% right. So first there's the knowledge. Right. First of all, most of us, the majority of us, are in what we call a dopamine overload, because the dopamine hormone is our reward hormone. So when the brain squirts a little bit of dopamine, it feels good. So we continue to seek more of that. And obviously we can get that from sugar, you know, energy drinks, coffee, all that kind of stuff, which obviously is not healthy for us. But the social media also, because when somebody likes our post, our hearts, our Instagram, it also gives a little bit of score to dopamine. And that's why we get addicted to social media. The problem is, is when we have an overload of dopamine, it takes all the five intelligence hormones out of balance. And so when they're out of balance and we're in a dopamine overload, we have brain fog. We're unable to focus, our attention span is very short. I read a few weeks ago that the average attention span now is 6 seconds. 6 seconds, okay? So we can get the job done. We procrastinate, we're fidgeting, we can't focus, we can't get the kids, can't get the homework done. And so nothing happens. And it's this vicious cycle because then we're going to reach out for more social media to get that reward hormone or more sugary drinks, et cetera. So, so first is we need to realize that we're in a dopamine overload. And then we need to start limiting our phone, limiting social media, knowing that it contributes to that social, to that dopamine overload and reassessing our diet a little bit also. So first of all, we need to get the dopamine under control because most people ask me, how do I get more dopamine? And of course, there's way to get more dopamine, dopamine, but whoa, hold on, because you're probably already in a dopamine overload, right? So let's see where you are. If you're healthy, if you limit social media, and if you live, you know, a little bit different than most people, then maybe we can stimulate your dopamine. But normally we need to bring down that dopamine to create that balance and optimize those five intelligence hormones. So, so the knowledge needs to be there first. Where am I? Why do I have a brain fog? Why can't I focus? Why is there no attention span? Why do I procrastinate? Right? And so now we talk about the dopamine overload. Now we to put tips and strategies in place. And they're a little bit custom for everybody. Some people are procrastinators. Other, other people fidget. Others start to work, but then easily get distracted. So just to give you a few examples, Dr. Eckel, we obviously always need to create a working environment, whether it's at the office or whether it's at home. If we sit on our beds, are we sitting in front of the tv and people come in and out? Obviously we're not going to get much work done, right? So we need a designated area. And then, you know, we need to tell people, look, don't disturb me. I have, you know, a project going on. I don't want to be disturbed. And then there's a social media and there's many tips and techniques that work for some people. If one doesn't work for you, there's certainly another one that works. But a popular one, for example, is the Pomodoro technique. And you may have heard of the Pomodoro technique. It basically means you set a timer for 20 or 25 minutes and you just focus and work intensely. Again, your phone is in another room, it's on airplane mode. The door is closed in a designated area. You put the timer 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, or 20 minutes, 20 or 25, they say the timer goes off, you take a five minute break, you walk out of the room, you do what do you want to do, but not 4 minutes, 59 seconds, not 5 or 15 minutes. You go back and you repeat that cycle four or five times. So that works for certain people when it comes to your phone, you know, when you, when you really work or you want to get projects done. And it's just another of the many examples that are in my book or did I teach my people, is you really need to use that phone just when you need something from somebody else or when you need to make a call. But we need to put that phone off on airplane mode when we are riding or typing or doing something, working on a project, because you cannot let other people interrupt you while you're working, right? So just have a different mindset about the use of your phone. The phone is for you, but it's not to let other people interrupt you while you're trying to get work done. And so there's many tips and strategies also. If you're a procrastinator, there's other tips. If you're a fidgeter, there's many other tips and techniques that we can implement to really create an environment to be productive. And those things Obviously don't have to cost anything. So that's how we need to, you know, get back on track by getting things done is realizing we're in a dopamine overload and then creating that environment that puts us into that zone so we can focus and get things done again.

I love it. I love it. That is so missing in so many people's lives where they first thing in the morning, they get on their device and they check their inbox and it's like one of the worst things you can do is have other people dictate your day to you. I'm wondering. So taking that from the individual and putting it into a discussion around athletics and sports teams and just that, that aspect of being response able or the, the responsibility of the individual in a sports team, you know, and winning in general, what percentage is mental and what percentage is physical?

Yeah, well, that's, that's a good lead in. Because again, the. These top athletes, they have their purpose, right? They want to have an NBA title or they want to win a Masters in golf, whatever it is, they have their purpose. And so when you have your purpose, you wake up in the morning wanting to get things done. You want to, you want to attack those obstacles so you can get closer to your dream and goal versus if you don't have that purpose and there's an obstacle, you throw your hands in the air and you say it's not meant to be, you know, I always have bad luck, etc. Etc. So that purpose comes back into place. But when you're athletes, yes. When you ask coaches of any sport and you ask them what percentage is mental, they usually answer between 50 and 90%. Jack Nicklaus said 90% the golfer, but research really shows it's 100% because every skill, you know, has a mental preparation or a blueprint. So when we look at athletes at top level, whether it's the NFL or the NBA or golfing or whatever it may be, you know, some people always are in the zone. And good examples to me are, you know, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, they never had a bad game. When they lost, it was usually because of their teammates, but they never really had a bad game. I've never seen it. While other people, and even in the NBA, NFL, they're top athletes, they make millions. They have a good day. That's what people say, oh, he had a good day, or she had a good day on a bad day. So they had a good day, a good game and a bad game, or what? They also sometimes say their head wasn't in the game. And that's exactly right, because the difference between a good game, a bad game, winning and losing is between the ears, right? And so when somebody has, or an athlete has a quote, unquote, bad game, they were unable to get into the zone because they were distracted. Why they were distracted, maybe they got into an argument with their significant other, maybe something happened with the kids earlier that day, maybe there's some financial reason, it doesn't matter, but they were unable to get into the zone. And when you're not into the zone, you just anticipate a fraction of a second later that ball slips through your hands and those types of things. When you're in the zone, though, nothing distracts you even there's 10,000 people yelling in front of you, taking that last free throw. You don't even see those people. You don't hear those people. You're in the zone. You anticipate just a little bit faster, Your concentration is just a little bit more intense than anybody else's. And more importantly, probably you have the end in mind. What that means is, for example, if you're a golfer and you miss an easy putt, usually that miss carries over a few holes. Same with a wide receiver that tumbles the ball. That miss usually carries over. But when you're in the zone, that miss doesn't carry over because all you have in mind is the win is the end is the finish line. And so that's usually the difference between losing and winning. But the same applies for artists, performers, entrepreneurs. And so when you talk to the average person, you know, most people have experience being in the zone during their lifetime, but it was usually by accident or by chance. And they said, oh, my God, I must have been in the zone because I won, or I crushed this presentation, or I didn't make any mistake or whatever it was, or I created this masterpiece, you know, of art, and I can't do it anymore because I was just in the zone. The key here is that it's not just for athletes or top performance. Being in the zone can be for anybody. And so that's why my book, it's called the you Got the Blur on, but it's called the ISO Method. And ISOT stands for in the Zone On Demand. Because we can learn or master the IZOT method, meaning we can bring our A game and crush the competition on demand anytime we want to. And so it's a skill that we can master. And just imagine that anybody on this world could master a skill where they can we just talking about focus and producing, where they can produce, when they can perform at their highest potential on demand. So. And that's what the book is about and that's what I teach people to do.

Oh, I love it. That is. We'll put the links to the books in the show notes as well and thank you for that work. I'm curious then, what are some of the ways we can access the dopamine in our brain to improve the concentration, drive and motivation as we're kind of getting in that zone on demand?

Yeah. So again, most, most people need to lower their dopamine. Right. But let's say you're not on social media, you eat healthy and you want to increase your dopamine levels. You know, then basically, you know, there's some healthy foods that we obviously, I'm just looking, I don't know where I have it, I have a list of it. But there's, there's a list of healthy foods that would, you know, stimulate dopamine levels obviously enough sleep, enough rest, those types of things. There are certain supplements like magnesium curcumin and other supplements that will stimulate the dopamine in our body. But the key here is that we not just, you know, lower dopamine or increased dopamine levels in order to be in the zone. And that's where most people, you know, go wrong or where most supplements are smart drugs go wrong. They usually focus only on one or two intelligence hormones. And what we need to try to do if we want to be in the zone is we need to optimize and balance all five intelligence hormones, which as you know, are dopamine, epinephrine, norepinephrine, acetylcholine and serotonin. And so those are the five intelligence hormones. Dopamine is the one that really gets us into the zone. That's correct. Serotonin is the, the most important or the master neurotransmitter that basically regulates our emotions and helps us learning faster, including skills. Norepinephrine and epinephrine we also, we know as the flight or fight hormones. Right. They also play a key role in performance, focus and drive. And they are basically on the doping list even for e gamers. So we can't take them, but we can internally make sure that we optimize our hormones and then call in as you know, helps with knowledge, photographic memory, etc. So what we really need to do to be in the zone is not just stimulate or down regulate one or two, but really optimize all five and so when we look for example at Adderall because there's a lot of people on general and I hear that it, it helps people really get into focus and getting things done. But if you look at the list of adverse reactions and possible side effects, it's not something I can recommend to any human being because it's increased heart rate, increased risk for heart disease, psychosis, seizures and you know, personality disorders, etc, so obviously it's not something that we want to promote. But there's many, what we call nootropics, which are natural smart drugs, alternatives that don't have any of the side effects, that are safe and don't have any jittery effects, such as products with caffeine, etc. So when I did my research just at the end of COVID beginning post Covid, I really came across this Focus plus product from Clarigen Z because one of my doctor friends, Dr. Emande, which is a renowned oncologist, stumbled upon this terpene called Biocitron. It's a terpene coming from a specific type of blood orange from the southeast rainforest in Asia. But biocitroid at 30 milligrams or higher is able to cross the blood brain barrier. What that means is when you take it within 30 minutes, you're into that focus zone already. While most supplements take weeks and weeks to build up into your system before you know whether they work or not. And now what the company claragenz did is it added three other important ingredients, so it's only four ingredients. So they added L tyrosine, which as you know is an amino acid precursor to dopamine. And norepinephrine helps with memory, mental processing and cognitive performance. They also added phenylalanine, which is a neuroagent that also supports dopamine, epinephrine and norepinephrine helps with attention, motivation, creativity, also stimulates our thyroid hormone production, which helps with mood. And then the last one I think is the more important one long term is phosphatidyl. Phosphatidyl is a healthy fat that we find in every cell in our body, but also in our brain. But the here is that phosphatidyl stimulates ngf, nerve growth factor. So we actually have new brain cell formation here. So that's pretty interesting. Faster learning, better recall, better memory, better signaling and improved neurotransmission. So when what we have seen with the combination of those four is that we have a quick effect within about 30 minutes to maximum an hour, but also that we balancing and optimizing all five intelligence hormones, not just one or two like the smart drugs do. And it's safe and effective. So it seems to last up to six hours, you know. Now I don't suggest.

Are there stimulants in there? I didn't hear any stimulants.

No stimulants, no caffeine, no stimulants at all. That's why I'm saying there's no jittery effect, there's no withdrawals after it's 100 safe, there's no side effects, nothing. That's why I like to promote it now just like anything else. Dr. Eckel, it doesn't work for everybody. That's why I will tell your listeners later where they can get a sample for free so they can try it. And for some people it will work really well and others, they may not feel anything right. But, but I take it and I don't feel much because I do so many other things. But I take it most mostly because it really balances the hormones and the phosphatidyl forms new brain cells, new connections. So, you know, even from a biohacking perspective, it's something good to take even though you may not feel the immediate focus effect.

That's lovely. Now did you formulate that? Is that your formula?

No, I just, I just talked with them. When Dr. Emmandy discovered the bio citroids, his son actually bought the rights to the United States and imported it into United States. But that's a lot of money because bio citro ounce per ounce is actually more expensive than gold. But because he took, he got large amounts. It's very affordable supplements. But yeah, the other three ingredients, as a team we talked about it and put our input in it and we decided to add those three ingredients and then we basically saw that it really balances and optimizes all five intelligence hormones, not just one or two. And that's kind of the key here. So we have a lot of entrepreneurs, Silicon Valley CEOs, top athletes on these, on these natural nootropic.

I love it. And it's, it's fine in all of the athletic societies. It's not gonna, it's not banned. There's no bank.

No substance. No. There's no banning.

No. There's so much information coming out on nootropics and you know, brain regeneration is one of our focus areas in with this podcast. So I really want to thank you for coming on and sharing the information with your books and with the supplement that you've discover and it now more than ever we're needing these natural solutions for folks to regain their power, their clarity, their sense of purpose. I love that you led with that aspect of it is.

So it's the foundation, right? It's the foundation. Otherwise we're focusing on something we shouldn't be doing. So let's figure out first what our foundation is, what our purpose in life is. Take control of our life. And again, things don't have to cost anything. It's all these tips and strategies and getting organized and taking control of our agenda and making a plan and execute a plan and, and then, and only then, we need to start upgrading our body, our mind and our life. And our mind is the most important because our mind controls our destiny, controls our body, controls everything. So it's about what we teach the athletes and my mentees, I teach them about visualization, the belief system, you know. No doubt, no doubt. Because if you set your goals and your dreams and you have a plan, if, if there's doubt, the universe has two options, success or failure. If there's no doubt, the universe only has one option, a big win. So here's really gotta work on the mind.

Yeah. Thank you Dr. Mike for coming on. What the health everybody. If you enjoyed today's show, please go out, give us a five star rating. Write down one thing that you enjoyed about the show because it does make a difference. People read those comments and, and then they subscribe. So this is how we get the word out. Thanks all for tuning in. Thank you Dr. Mike.

You're welcome.