+1: #895 Got Glymph?

You're listening to Optimize with Bryan Johnson. More wisdom in Less time.

Hi, this is Brian. Welcome Back to another optimize plus one. Dr. Steven Gundry is Tony Robbins doctor. He's a former world class heart surgeon and these days he focuses on longevity. His new book is called the Longevity Paradox. Subtitle how to Die Young at a Ripe Old Age. It's fantastic and I highly recommend it. The main theme of the book is that our longevity paradoxically is driven by the most ancient parts of us, the bacteria and other foreign stuff living in our guts and on our bodies. Check out the note for more on the importance of paying attention to what he calls our gut buddies in our microbiome. Today I want to focus on one of the practical ideas from that book that might wind up being one of the most significant optimizing levers I've pulled ever. Seriously, it's called brainwashing. Known for a while that I should have my last meal earlier than I've been having it, Dr. Gundry finally sold me on why I should at least test what would happen if I ate my last meal four hours before going to bed. Yes, four hours before I go to bed. Now I go to bed as early as 7:30, so that means I'm eating my last meal around 3 o' clock or so. It sounded absurd to me as well when I first contemplated it, but the data coming in so far is almost even more absurd. We'll talk about that more in our next plus one. For now, let's talk about glymph. Glymph? Yeah, glymph. Ever heard of it? Here's how Dr. G puts it. I quote A few years ago, researchers discovered a system that allows cerebrospinal fluid, that clear fluid we tap when we stick a needle into your spine to flow through the brain, cleaning out the spaces in between cells just as lymphatic fluid does in the rest of your body. This is called the glymphatic system. To make room for the fluid to wash out your brain, your cells actually shrink in size when you are in deep sleep. This allows the full brainwash process to go 20 times as fast when you are in deep sleep as when you are awake, and helps explain why a good night's sleep is so restorative. When you get an adequate amount of deep sleep, you literally wake up with a refreshed and rejuvenated mind that has been swept clean of junk and debris. So we've all heard of our lymphatic system. It's an essential part of our immune system, featuring a clear fluid called lymph that helps rid our bodies of toxins, waste and other unwanted materials. But what about our glymphatic system? I never really paid attention to it until I read this book. It's a big deal. Want to keep your brain all squeaky clean? Well, it's the glymph in our glymphatic system that's responsible for getting rid of all the toxins, waste and other unwanted materials from our brains. Which kind of begs the question, how do we optimize that process? Back to Dr. G. He tells us, I quote again, the glymphatic system is most active during the specific stage of deep sleep that happens very early in the sleep cycle. And the glymphatic system, just like your digestive system, requires a great deal of blood flow. This means that if you eat too soon before going to bed, your blood will all flow to your gut to aid in digestion and and will not be able to reach your brain to complete the all important brainwash. He tells us that this brainwash cycle is probably the single most overlooked and misunderstood aspect of neurodegenerative diseases. He also tells us that luckily, there's a simple solution, leaving as big a gap as possible between your last meal of the day and your bedtime. His specific recommendation? Again, eat your last meal at least four hours before you go to bed. That's today's plus one. Got glymph? What time was your last meal last night? And how can you optimize that a little more today? Minus 1. Minus 1. Minus 1. Minus 1. Glymph for the win.

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