Celebrity biohacker Ben Greenfield’s tips for a longer, happier life

He is an interesting man. But, more importantly, he is a happy man.

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When asked what makes a happy life, Greenfield tells the Post that, to understand the true meaning of happiness, we must first recognise that it “is not necessarily an emotion of joy, laughter, smiling, or feeling positive and upbeat all the time”.

At its core, he says, “happiness is the knowledge or knowing that one is living or has lived a meaningful, satisfied, fulfilled, and purpose-filled life”.

Greenfield speaks about an “internal hole in our soul”, and how many of us, particularly younger men, seek to fill it “with cars, sex, wealth, drugs, and the like”.

This, he suggests, is a grave mistake, because “at the end of the day, all of that is going to be unsatisfying and unfulfilling until we have filled the internal hole with something eternal”.

The “eternal” something need not be spiritual or religious in nature, although it can be. What he means, specifically, is to fill that hole with something of substance that allows an individual to pursue a higher purpose.

Greenfield hunting with his family. His happiness is derived from his life’s purpose: “To love my family through protecting and providing.” Photo: Ben Greenfield Life

For the deeply spiritual Greenfield, his faith plays a significant role in filling in this “internal hole”. This devotion, paired with other “eternal” aspects, namely relationships with friends and family, provides him with an immense sense of joy.

To live a happy life is not possible without meaning, Greenfield believes.

“Meaning is derived from knowing your purpose and knowing your calling,” he says. If you lack a specific purpose or calling in life, then you are not going to have a happy life.

“If you have a meaningful life, you are by definition going to be happy,” he adds.

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Greenfield states his own purpose and calling simply: “To love my family through protecting and providing.”

A sense of purpose, meaning, and overall happiness, he believes, is closely correlated with a certain level of physical fitness.

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He suggests starting with a diet rich in whole foods. Then, if necessary, he advises less fit readers to test their blood and biomarkers to see which vitamins and minerals they might be lacking.

When it comes to optimising one’s mental health, the two biggest tools at your disposal, says Greenfield, are “a robust exercise practice” and “a robust cold practice” – which might include ice water plunges and cold showers.

Greenfield swears by a Mediterranean-style diet, one low in carbohydrates and rich in vegetables, fermented dairy produce and plants, organ meats, clean fish, bone broth, extra virgin olive oil, vinegar – and extremely dark chocolate, that is 90 per cent cocoa or above.

To stay in peak condition, he does an overnight intermittent fast of 12 to 16 hours and rarely does additional fasting except for a quarterly three- to five-day stint of lower calorie intake, or simple water fasting.

Later, usually a couple of hours after waking, he has a cup of black coffee.

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After his strength-training workouts, he has a smoothie of liver, bone broth, and other forms of protein.

“Because I have a high genetic risk for heart disease and a beat-up heart from years of hard-core endurance training, along with an elevated plaque score,” Greenfield says, he has recently begun to supplement with red yeast rice extract, niacin, and coenzyme Q10.

Red yeast rice extract is capable of lowering blood cholesterol levels. Niacin (vitamin B3) plays an important role in keeping the nervous system, digestive system and skin healthy. Q10 helps in the production of energy, can enhance the immune system and acts as a natural antioxidant.

As for Greenfield’s sleep schedule, the author paints a descriptive picture of his ritual in a post on his website.

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“Within five minutes after crashing into my dual gel-layer mattress, I have two tiny electrodes on either side of my head to gently lull my brain into a state of enhanced serotonin and dopamine [the ‘happy’ hormones] production, combined with complete [reduction] of cortisol [the ‘stress’ hormone],” he writes.

“Pumped via noise-blocking headphones into either ear are relaxing sleep beats that lull me into a delta brainwave state, along with artificial-intelligence-generated sleep sounds that ‘confuse’ my brain into a state of tiredness.”

On the bedside sits an essential-oil diffuser filled with a lavender-rose essential oil blend to envelop Greenfield “in a relaxing, sleep-inducing aroma”. His wife calls him a “sleep princess”. To this, Greenfield pleads guilty.

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Unlike Bryan Johnson, another biohacker who lives a somewhat hermetic existence while spending up to US$2 million a year to regain his youth, Greenfield balances his “desire to live a long and fulfilled life” with “the ability to engage in social functions”. He lives a life in which he does “not have to eat the same thing for breakfast, lunch and dinner”.

“Eighty per cent of the time,” he says, he focuses on diet, exercise and supplementation. As for the other 20 per cent of the time, he is staying out after 9pm, having that extra cocktail with his wife or watching the stars with his children.

In his spare time, Greenfield likes to write and produce his own songs. Photo: Ben Greenfield Life

Without that 20 per cent, life would be meaningless for Greenfield, and, by his definition, devoid of happiness.

In other words, a truly happy life, for him, is one filled with healthy practices, commitment to a whole foods diet, a strict sleep routine, a robust social life – and the odd cocktail.

Find this balance, and you, too, may find yourself on a path to a better, more fulfilling life.

Daily News