💊In my 30 year quest for optimal health, I’ve tried literally hundreds of supplements.
Almost none of them work.
Here are 6 that do.
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💊Astaxanthin
It’s the king of antioxidants, with a wide range of beneficial effects on energy, inflammation, cognition, and exercise performance. Most people notice that their eyesight improves within 45 minutes of taking it. It also functions as an “internal sunscreen”, preventing sunburn.
I take 12mg every 2-3 days, especially on big climbing days. Astaxanthin softgels contain an oil base so check the ingredients to make sure it’s olive oil or coconut oil and not a seed oil.
💊Allicin
Allicin is derived from garlic. It’s a natural broad-spectrum antibiotic and is especially effective for gut issues. If you have bad gas, indigestion, or even food poisoning, Allicin will usually knock it out in hours.
I’ve found that it eliminates the “morning hangover” after eating too much sugar in the evening.
I recommend the Alliultra brand.
💊Rhodiola/Cordyceps/Ashwagana
These are adaptogens, meaning that they tend to normalize whatever is out of whack. They simultaneously energize and calm the nervous system.
Rhodiola (an herb) is great for energy and also helps with mood.
Cordyceps (a mushroom) boosts athletic performance. If you live at low elevation and travel to the mountains, take cordyceps to stave off altitude sickness.
Ashwaganda (an Ayurvedic herb) does the opposite—it calms the nervous system and is good for anxiety and GREAT for sleep. If you're nervous before a big meeting or presentation, take ashwaganda an hour before. I love the Himalaya brand.
I take these 3 supplements as needed for a few days at a time. They should not be taken daily for extended periods because they will lose their effectiveness.
💊Colloidal Silver
This old-fashioned remedy is the closest thing I’ve found to a miracle cure for sinus and upper respiratory infections. My family has used it to avoid antibiotics countless times—it usually knocks out an infection in 2-3 treatments (24 hours).
Put 1 teaspoon in a nebulizer (we use an Omron CompAir) and breathe through the nose and/or mouth for 10-15 minutes. Do it twice a day for a day or two.
The brand of colloidal silver is super-important—I like MesoSilver (available on Amazon).
P.S. Ignore long-debunked rumors about colloidal silver turning your skin blue or other side effects. That is a different form of silver taken in massive doses. We’re taking a tiny dose of a different solution.
💊DHEA / Adrenal Glandular
Modern life hammers the adrenal glands and many people suffer from adrenal fatigue. If you get fatigue and brain fog in the afternoon that’s a tell-tale sign.
Try Twist25 DHEA cream (the best way to take DHEA is transdermally) and/or Dr. Wilson’s Adrenal Rebuilder (morning and afternoon) and your energy will probably return within a few days.
These supplements are also helpful for recovering from viral infections. My friend Tim, a firefighter, struggled for weeks to recover from the lingering effects of COVID and this “stack” helped him bounce back within a few days.
DHEA is a hormone and Adrenal Rebuilder also contains small amounts of hormone so you should cycle them or only use a few days at a time as needed.
💊Multi-vitamin
I’m generally opposed to multivitamins (especially powders like AG1) with lots of ingredients. They’re highly processed and are likely to contain at least one thing that doesn’t agree with your system.
The only supplement I take almost every day is Vitalium from @PhysiVantage. It’s a simple 10 ingredient formula from exercise science guru Eric Hörst (@Train4Climbing). It covers the basics.
Remember, the best vitamin is FOOD. Locking down your diet will benefit your health far more than any supplement.
If you’d enjoyed this thread, follow me at @camp4 for more.
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By popular demand, here’s my complete mobility routine for the lower back.
Nearly 2 years ago I severely herniated a disc at L5-S1. I narrowly avoided emergency surgery. Even before that I had struggled with chronic lower back pain for 10+ years.
I’ve spared no expense in my search for a cure. I tried everything short of invasive treatments (stem cells and surgery).
What I learned along the way is that much of what the medical establishment tells you about the cause and the cure for back injuries is WRONG.
The root cause of your chronic back pain is almost certainly *lack of mobility and strength* in the posterior chain (hamstrings, hips, glutes, back, abs) — especially the intricate scaffold of muscles up and down the spine.
That's why outcomes for back surgeries are so abysmal—it doesn't address the real problem.
So it stands to reason that the cure is to MOVE, building strength and range of motion.
For the first time I feel like I’m steadily gaining ground and have a real shot at coming back even better than before my injury. I’m already doing things (like Jefferson Curls) that I never thought would be possible.
Here’s my current program, which I consider a “best of” collection of mobility exercises for the back.
I do the full program about 3 times a week and a subset of the exercises (the first 5) another couple times.
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Before we dive in, a few important things:
1) Always warm up before doing these exercises. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP.
The rule of thumb is: Don’t do any mobility exercises until you’ve begun to sweat. Simply walking briskly for 30 min is a great way to warm up.
2) All of these exercises have *progressions*.
What you’re seeing in these videos is what I’m currently doing. You may be limited by strength or range of motion (or you may be ahead of me) and that’s fine.
Start with what you can do and SLOWLY progress from there.
My favorite vacations are “contrast vacations”, where you do something hard and get dirty then spoil yourself with luxury.
I've been all over but one of the best contrast vacays in the world is in our own backyard.
Let's gooo...
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Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim (plus Vegas!)
DAY 1
The hardest part of the journey is getting to the remote North Rim of the Grand Canyon. Fly to one of these airports and catch a shuttle or arrange private transportation:
St. George, UT (3 hour drive)
Flagstaff, AZ (4 hour drive)
Las Vegas (4.5 hour drive)
Have dinner and stay overnight at the historic Grand Canyon Lodge.
You will never see a better sunset!
IMPORTANT LOGISTICAL NOTE:
Only bring the clothes and backpack you’ll carry on the hike. We're headed to Vegas afterward so MAIL the rest of your luggage to the hotel in Vegas ahead of time (they will hold it for a fee).
DAY 2
Up early to hike about 15 miles (and down nearly 6,000 vertical feet) to Phantom Ranch at the bottom of the canyon. The scenery is simply mind-blowing.
Pro Tip: You don’t need to bring much water because there’s drinking water every few miles. Next time I would start with just one empty 1L Nalgene bottle. Go light!
In their teens I'd take each of them on a dad-daughter trip anywhere in the world. They choose the destination and plan the itinerary and I pay for it.
My 17 year old chose to ride the Orient Express. Here’s how it went…
Our journey departed from Amsterdam and terminated in Venice, traversing 5 countries:
I bought a full page ad in today’s Wall Street Journal to announce the death of consulting.
Why?
Here’s an inside look at a secret project I’ve been working on for the past year with an extraordinary company (with lots of pics!)
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I rarely write about my work. Most of my followers think of me as a semi-retired entrepreneur (or, even better, as a rock climber) but I've spent the biggest chunk of my career as a CMO.
In fact, I have a nerdy distinction in the marketing world...
I'm the only CMO to rebrand 3 (and soon 4) public companies.
🎶🎤 I like big brands and I cannot lie.
I especially like bringing fresh thinking to old, boring industries. And truth be told...
There AREN’T any boring industries—only boring companies.