Q&A with Tim — Supplements I’m Taking, Austin vs. SF, Training for Mental Performance, Current Go-To AI Tools, Recovering from Surgery, Intermittent Fasting, and More (#826)

Welcome back to another in-between-isode, with one of my favorite formats: the good old-fashioned Q&A.

I answer questions submitted by the small-but-elite group of test readers of my upcoming THE NO BOOK. The community is closed for new members, as we have the right number of people now, but I hope to potentially expand it, once the book comes out. 

See below for show notes, links to everything discussed, and more!

Please enjoy!

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SELECTED LINKS FROM THE EPISODE

• Transcript of this episode.
• Transcripts of all episodes.

Books & Media

• The 4-Hour Body: An Uncommon Guide to Rapid Fat-Loss, Incredible Sex, and Becoming Superhuman by Timothy Ferriss: My book on health and the human body, which I reference when discussing the PAGG supplement protocol.
• The 4-Hour Chef: The Simple Path to Cooking Like a Pro, Learning Anything, and Living the Good Life by Timothy Ferriss: My book about accelerated learning. I mention it in the context of sequencing and as a key resource for adapting in the AI era.
• The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich by Timothy Ferriss: My first book on lifestyle design, mentioned in the context of needing a phase of openness in your career.
• How to Stop Worrying and Start Living by Dale Carnegie: A book I reference for its advice on gathering more information to address fears and challenges.
• Sin City (Collector’s Edition) by Frank Miller: A coffee table book that I use for creative inspiration, noting how it shows the artist’s process.
• Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl: A book I recently finished listening to.
• The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar: A Wes Anderson short film on Netflix, adapted from a Roald Dahl story that was recommended to me.
• Fall of Civilizations Podcast: A podcast I mention to illustrate that most legacies, even of great empires, fade over time.
• “The Art of Letting Bad Things Happen (And Weapons of Mass Distraction)”: One of my older blog posts that I say is very relevant to how I live my life.
• “The Karmic Capitalist: Should I Wait Until I’m Rich to Give Back?”: Another of my older blog posts, which I reference when discussing my philosophy on philanthropy.
• Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli: Originally released in 1988 in four parts, these stories give us more insight into Batman’s origin.
• Dirty Dancing: A 1987 romantic drama film starring Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey about a young woman who falls in love with a dance instructor during a family vacation.

Health & Wellness Supplements

(Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on the Internet. I emphasize multiple times to consult a doctor.)

• AGG Stack (PAGG minus the P): A supplement combination consisting of:
  • Alpha-Lipoic Acid (ALA)
  • Green Tea Extract
  • Garlic Allicin Extract
• BPC-157.
• Collagen & Vitamin C.
• N-acetylcysteine (NAC).
• Fish Oil (Pure Encapsulations ONE).
• Magnesium L-threonate.
• Maca Root Extract.
• AREDS 2.
• THC & CBN.
• Whey Protein.
• MCT Oil.
• Ketone Ester (Monoester)/Keto Start (Ketone Salts).

Prescription & Over-the-Counter Drugs

(Disclaimer: I’m not a doctor, and I don’t play one on the Internet. I emphasize multiple times to consult a doctor.)

• Uloric (Febuxostat).
• Nexlizet (Ezetimibe and Bempedoic Acid).
• Famotidine (Pepcid).
• DORA Class Sleep Medications.

Diets & Training Methods

• Ketogenic Diet
• Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) Training
• Marc Pro Device

Apps, Tools, & Technology

• Consensus.app: An AI-powered search engine specifically designed to find and summarize findings from peer-reviewed scientific papers.
• ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity: General large language models (LLMs) I use for initial research, which I then cross-reference.

Games & Entertainment

• Coyote: The card game I created with Exploding Kittens, which is a central topic of discussion.
• Monopoly Deal: A fast-paced card game mentioned by a listener as a family favorite alongside Coyote.
• Dungeons & Dragons: I mention I still have all my old hardcover books, modules, and dice from when I was a kid.
• CØCKPUNCH/Legends of Varlata: My foray into fantasy fiction.

Companies, Organizations, & Brands

• Exploding Kittens: The game company that published Coyote.
• Saisei Foundation: My own foundation, which funds research into mental health therapeutics.
• Maui Nui Venison: A company I am a large investor in, which I describe as providing highly nutritious red meat.

People

• Roald Dahl: Author of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar and Six More.
• Wes Anderson: American filmmaker who directed the short-film adaptation of The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar.
• Dale Carnegie: Author of How to Stop Worrying and Start Living.
• Pablos Holman: Hacker and inventor known for talks on proper problem sequencing.
• Keith Baar: UC Davis researcher whose work informs collagen and vitamin C usage.
• Kelly Starrett: Performance coach and PT who recommended BFR training.
• Kevin Rose & Rhonda Patrick: Friends who have discussed testing the purity of fish oil supplements.
• Kevin Tracey: Neurosurgeon known for research on vagus nerve stimulation.
• Seth Godin: Author and entrepreneur quoted on the idea that “money is a story.”
• Naval Ravikant: Investor and thinker referenced with the question, “How many Sumerians do you know?”
• Charles Babbage: English mathematician, philosopher, inventor and mechanical engineer considered by many to be the “father of the computer.”
• Valter Longo: Director of the USC Longevity Institute and biogerontologist known for his research on fasting-mimicking diets, cellular protection, aging, and longevity mechanisms across species.
• Dominic D’Agostino: Researcher focused on ketogenic diets, metabolic therapies, and nutritional strategies for neurological disorders and human performance optimization.
• Henry Shukman: Zen teacher at Mountain Cloud Zen Center.
• Frank Miller: Legendary comics creator of Sin City: The Hard Goodbye and 300.
• Elan Lee: Game designer and co-creator of Exploding Kittens; partner on the Coyote project.
• Johnny Depp: American actor and producer known for transformative film roles.
• Ridley Scott: British filmmaker behind Alien, Blade Runner, and Gladiator.
• Tom Hardy: British actor known for The Dark Knight Rises and Mad Max: Fury Road.
• Timothée Chalamet: American actor known for Call Me by Your Name and Dune (2021).
• Josh Waitzkin: Chess prodigy and author of The Art of Learning.
• Andrew Huberman & Peter Attia: Neuroscientist and physician who have discussed nicotine and health tradeoffs.
• Albert Hofmann: Swiss chemist best known for first synthesizing LSD.
• Javier Milei: President of Argentina since 2023, known for his libertarian economic policies and efforts to combat hyperinflation through drastic austerity measures and deregulation.
• Michael Phelps: Widely regarded as one of the greatest athletes of all time, he captured 28 Olympic medals and set 39 world records over the course of his swimming career.
• Mindy Pelz: Author and podcaster focused on fasting, particularly for women.
• Robert Rodriguez: American filmmaker known for El Mariachi, Desperado, and Sin City.

Key Concepts & Ideas

• Sequencing: The crucial importance of breaking a problem down and solving its pieces in the right order.
• 80/20 Analysis: The principle of identifying the 20 percent of inputs that will yield 80 percent of the results.
• Vagus Nerve Stimulation: A topic I’m very interested in and would add a chapter about to The 4-Hour Body if I were to revisit it.
• Treating Philanthropy Like For-Profit Investing: My approach of applying rigorous, impact-driven analysis to my non-profit work.
• Extended Human Fasting: A neglected area of scientific research that I believe holds immense potential as a therapeutic tool.
• Fun as Recovery: The idea that delight, play, and laughter are not distractions but essential forms of recovery needed for high performance.

Places

• Glacier National Park: Montana national park showcasing melting glaciers, alpine meadows, carved valleys, and spectacular lakes with over 700 miles of trails, featuring the famous Going-to-the-Sun Road and historic lodges.
• Mountain Cloud Zen Center: A Zen meditation retreat in Santa Fe, New Mexico, run by Henry Shukman, which I describe as a magical experience.
• Mohonk Mountain House: A resort in Upstate New York I recommend for large, extended family outings.

SHOW NOTES

• [00:00:00] Start
• [00:06:00] Coyote retail distribution challenges and data gathering.
• [00:09:12] Elbow surgery recovery: sequencing, decongestion, Marc Pro device, peptides, BFR training.
• [00:16:14] California vs. Austin for builders, mechanical engineers, and tech startups.
• [00:19:06] Using AI for medical advice workflow (and cross-referencing with professionals).
• [00:23:51] Current supplement regimen and PAGG/AGG status.
• [00:31:54] California vs. Texas considerations for aspiring parents.
• [00:32:48] Saying “No” to good things for “Hell, yes” moments.
• [00:34:34] Philanthropy lessons learned since starting Saisei Foundation.
• [00:37:45] Something I’ve changed my mind about recently: intermittent fasting.
• [00:42:44] Precious items from childhood I still keep: D&D relics and marine biology books.
• [00:43:03] Bucket list hike: Glacier National Park.
• [00:43:42] How the catalytic chaos of publishing The 4-Hour Chef led to launching this podcast.
• [00:45:52] Bringing delight vs. sixth-gear, high-performance focus.
• [00:49:05] Thoughts on extended human fasting research from the Soviet era.
• [00:52:58] Most magical New Mexico experience: Mountain Cloud Zen Center meditation retreat.
• [00:53:22] Meta skills for the AI era: Hyper-adaptability and world-class learning.
• [00:54:01] The (real and ideal) future of CØCKPUNCH/Legends of Varlata.
• [00:59:47] Competitive chess training enhancement: glucose management, intermittent fasting, MCT oil.
• [01:06:31] Behind-the-scenes projects: Fusion, algae feed additives, meat alternatives.
• [01:08:32] Countries I wish I had visited earlier, and places I’d still like to see.
• [01:11:06] “Not yet” vs. “No” in early growth phases.
• [01:14:14] Post Coyote, do I have any future games in the works?
• [01:14:46] Over-ear vs. in-ear headphones for podcasting.
• [01:15:16] What’s the uncrowded channel right now?
• [01:16:17] Recommendations for Dr. Mindy Pelz.
• [01:16:58] Robert Rodriguez and project juggling.
• [01:17:24] Fast neutron reactors and the Bugatti of ketones.
• [01:19:05] Extended family outings and Mahonk Mountain House.
• [01:20:31] NO BOOK meetup plans?
• [01:20:54] Parting thoughts.

Want to hear another Q&A episode with listeners? Check out my recent Q&A session in which I discussed changing my mind about parenthood, identity diversification, how to find joy and live with urgency, career reinvention in the age of AI, avoiding complacency, getting unstuck, and much more.

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