How to Optimize Your Brain-Body Function & Health

This episode I describe how the organs of the body influence the function and health of our brain and how our brain controls our bodily organs. The conscious awareness of this brain-body dialogue is called interoception. I describe how two factors- mechanical forces (e.g., pressure, pain, volume, etc.) and chemical factors (e.g., gut acidity, microbiome diversity, etc.) combine to influence our moods, control inflammation, immune system, recovery from injury and more. I explain how specific actions of our lungs, heart, spleen, and diaphragm, control our brain via the vagus nerve and other neural pathways. I describe 11 science-supported protocols for enhancing brain-body health and the logic behind them. Access the full show notes for this episode at hubermanlab.com. Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): https://athleticgreens.com/huberman LMNT: https://drinklmnt.com/hubermanlab Supplements from Momentous https://www.livemomentous.com/huberman Timestamps (00:00:00) Your Sense of Self: Interoception (00:01:25) Protocol 1: Fermented Foods, Not Fiber, to Reduce Inflammation  (00:03:45) Sponsors: AG1, LMNT (00:08:22) Main Drivers of Feelings & Performance (00:11:45) Brain-Body: A Mechanical & Chemical Dialogue  (00:17:50) LDB (Lung-Diaphragm-Brain) Dialogue   (00:21:00) Protocols 2, 3, 4: Control Heart Rate With Breathing (00:29:08) Sensing Lung Pressure: Piezo Receptors (00:30:54) Carbon Dioxide, From Air to Blood (00:34:02) Protocol 5: Alert While Calm (00:40:50) Baroreceptors: Hering-Breuer Reflex (00:42:47) Gut Volume & The Desire to Open Your Mouth  (00:48:18) Protocol 6: Enhancing Gut-To-Brain Communication, Fasting  (00:51:50) Intestines, Fatty Acids, Amino Acids & Sugar (00:57:00) Protocol 7: Reducing Sugar Cravings with Specific Amino Acid Nutrients  (00:58:58) Gut Acidity (Is Good) (01:02:20) Improving Nasal Microbiome  (01:04:13) Inflammation & Microbiome: Fiber vs. Fermented  (01:11:15) Protocol 8: Reducing Inflammation & Enhancing Brain Function w/Fermented Foods (01:13:10) Leaking Guts, Auto-Immune function & Glutamine (01:15:50) Gut Acidity: HCl (hydrochloric acid), Pepsin (01:18:30) Probiotics & Brain Fog (01:21:45) Nausea: Happens in Your Brain; Area Postrema (01:28:25) Protocol 9: Reducing Nausea: Ginger, Peppermint, CBD, etc. (01:30:40) Fever: Triggers and Control Knobs: OVLT (01:37:00) Protocol 10: Cooling the Blood Properly (01:38:53) Sensing Feelings, Vagus Nerve, Stress (01:41:50) Mental Emotions Reflect Bodily Conditions (01:45:00) Sensing Other People’s Emotions via the Body (01:46:00) Protocol 11: Increasing Interoception, Sensing Heartbeat  (01:50:40) Conclusions & Resources Disclaimer