Healthy Living Tips from Ben Greenfield’s Boundless | 3 Takeaways
“In a nutshell: Stress is stress - no matter whether it's from exercise or from lifestyle - and the more stress you're placing on yourself from your lifestyle, the less stress you'll be able to place on yourself from exercise.”
― Ben Greenfield
Imagine an encyclopedia for your brain and body health—where functional medicine, biohacking, and ancient wisdom converge into actionable insights. In Boundless: Upgrade Your Brain, Optimize Your Body & Defy Aging, Ben Greenfield distills years of research and personal experimentation into a compendium of practical strategies for optimizing your well-being.
After taking nearly 30 pages of notes, I struggled to distill three (well, four with a bonus) standout takeaways that can improve your health in a variety of areas: sleep optimization, dietary sensitivities, a kid’s immune system, and the importance of symmetry and posture.
1. Sleep Optimization
I’ve written a lot about sleep so I’ll spare you on what I’ve already covered. Here are some unique hacks that Greenfield provides to help elevate your sleep game:
Nap timing: Take a nap 7-8 hours after waking for optimal results.
Sleep cycles: Aim for 35 sleep cycles per week (about five 90-minute cycles per night) for consistent rest, especially if you're unable to get a strict 7-9 hours.
Nutrition for sleep: Foods like salmon, mackerel, and kiwis are sleep-friendly. Try to avoid heavy meals before bed, particularly those high in protein and carbs, as they can spike blood glucose and disrupt sleep hormones.
Identify your chronobiology: Using ThePowerOfWhenQuiz.com questionnaire you can find out which one of the four types of sleepers you are to optimize your routine. For example, I found out I’m a "Bear," which means my body naturally tracks the sun's cycle, I need 8 hours of sleep a night with this being my idea day: 7am wakeup, 10am coffee, 2:30-2:50 nap or meditate, 10p turn off all screens, 11p sleep.
Consume enough protein to improve sleep. The amino acids, specifically tryptophan, in protein is necessary for your body to produce serotonin and melatonin to get high-quality sleep. Learn how much you should be consuming.
Monitor your sleep stages: Here’s the breakdown of ideal sleep stages as a percentage of total sleep time:
Awake Time: 1-5%
REM Sleep: 20-25%
Light Sleep (N1+N2): 50-55%
Deep Sleep: 15-20%
2. Histamine and Oxalate Sensitivity
Understanding how your body reacts to different foods can dramatically impact your health, from energy levels to long-term disease prevention. Two frequently overlooked sensitivities, histamine intolerance, and oxalate intolerance, are key examples of how specific dietary triggers can cause chronic discomfort and inflammation.
Histamines are chemicals that act as part of the body's immune response. They dilate blood vessels and increase blood flow to areas under stress, leading to inflammation. While this is helpful during acute injury or illness, elevated histamine levels from food can become problematic. When histamine isn’t broken down properly, it can lead to symptoms like headaches, skin rashes, digestive issues, and even joint pain. Chronic inflammation from unchecked histamine responses has been linked to autoimmune conditions and a higher risk of heart disease.
Foods High in Histamine:
Aged cheeses (e.g., cheddar, gouda)
Fermented foods (sauerkraut, kimchi)
Cured meats (salami, prosciutto)
Alcoholic beverages (especially wine and beer)
Vinegar-containing foods (pickles, soy sauce)
Shellfish (shrimp, crab)
Tomatoes and eggplants
Nuts (walnuts, cashews)
Spinach
Leftovers greater than a few days old. (Tip: Don’t eat at restaurant on Sunday or Monday due to less fresh food)
Foods Low in Histamine:
Fresh meat and poultry
Freshly caught fish
Apples, pears, and watermelon
Leafy greens (except spinach)
Quinoa, rice, and oats
Eggs
Olive oil
Coconut milk
Oxalates, found in foods like spinach, nuts, and beets, can also cause issues. These natural compounds bind to minerals like calcium in the body, forming crystals that may contribute to kidney stones and other painful conditions. People with oxalate sensitivity may experience joint pain, digestive discomfort, and a range of inflammatory symptoms, further complicating gut health and mineral absorption. Consider avoiding oxalate-rich foods as well (e.g. beer, beets, chocolate, coffee, spinach, nuts, tea, and soy). Genes associated with oxalate sensitivity: AGXT, GRPHR, and HOGA1.
Greenfield highlights these intolerances to demonstrate how identifying and managing food triggers can significantly improve well-being and reduce systemic inflammation. A deeper dive into genetic testing (Greenfield recommends StrateGene) can help.
3. Symmetry and Posture
This was a section of the book I didn’t see coming. He writes about the evidence (and anecdotal experiences) of facial and body symmetry and how it is related to overall health. For instance:
Symmetry and Health: Imbalance in the body (like uneven shoulders) can indicate deeper functional issues. Stand in front of a mirror with arms at your side—are your shoulders even? If not, consider strengthening and alignment exercises.
Nutrient Deficiency & Asymmetry: Research by Weston A. Price links the decline of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, and K2 to facial narrowing and asymmetry. Introducing nutrient-dense foods like liver, grass-fed butter, sardines, and fermented foods in childhood can promote healthier, more symmetrical growth.
Avoid Harmful Habits: Thumb sucking, mouth breathing, and sippy cups can lead to improper facial development. Focus on natural oral posture and proper breathing techniques.
Holistic Dental Care: For any dental work, consider a holistic dentist for a more natural, health-focused approach. You can look for them at HolisticDental.org.
Chewing & Posture: Chew each bite 25-40 times to engage your mastication muscles. Avoid slumping forward while eating, as poor posture affects the rotary motion of chewing.
Oil Pulling: For oral health and detoxification, try oil pulling with coconut, olive, or sesame oil for 5-20 minutes. This can be more effective than flossing and can naturally whiten teeth.
Foot Health & Symmetry: The most important body part for better symmetry are the feet. According to Norman Walker, wearing heels over 2 inches can disrupt digestion. Let your kids grow barefoot as much as possible, and opt for minimalist footwear for both kids and adults. Walking barefoot, especially in sand, strengthens the feet, which are key to overall body symmetry and health.
Bonus: How to Boost Your Kid's Immune System
Let them touch and taste things
Encourage your children to explore the world. Let them get down and dirty with nature—it strengthens their immune system.Don't be a 'bottle boiler'
Your kids don’t need everything to be sterilized. Eating and drinking from slightly germy surfaces occasionally is perfectly fine.Avoid antibacterial soaps
Antibacterial soaps can do more harm than good. I remind my kids to stick to regular soap and water. Using too much antibacterial soap and hand sanitizer can inhibit immune development and create resistant "superbugs." Even with regular soap, avoid excessive handwashing.Avoid antibiotics whenever possible
Don’t rush for antibiotics or antivirals when your child gets sick. Overuse leads to the same issues as antibacterial soaps, creating resistant bacteria. If your child’s illness worsens (e.g., pneumonia or bronchitis), look into natural ways to boost immunity—like thieves oil, echinacea, or elderberry.Visit farms and have pets
Expose your kids to different environments. Take trips to farms where they can pet animals, or get a pet at home. The variety of bacteria from animals helps build stronger immune systems.Increase their time with other kids
Enroll your kids in activities like jujitsu or gymnastics. Exposing them to other kids’ germs—sweat, skin, and sniffles—will help strengthen their immune response.Incorporate cultured foods into their diet
Feed your children a variety of probiotic-rich foods, such as natto, kimchi, kefir, yogurt, sauerkraut, kombucha, and even chocolate. These cultured foods support gut health and immunity.Encourage outdoor play
Let them play outside as much as possible, even if they come back dirty and scraped up. Outdoor exposure boosts immunity. It’s okay to see a dirty kid at the dinner table.Don’t insist on daily showers
On summer days, Ben Greenfield’s kids sometimes go two or three days without soap after playing outside. A little dirt and sweat is great for their immune system. If skipping soap feels like too much, check out Mother Dirt, a spray full of bacteria from dirt and untreated water—basically, paying for what nature already provides.Don’t overdo the laundry
While they shouldn’t be sent to school or activities smelling bad, it’s okay to let kids wear their clothes a few times before washing. Laundry removes the beneficial bacteria they’re exposed to daily.
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