Smart Nutrition, Precision Medicine, And The Future Of Peak Performance with Ari Tulla

Claim your free at-home blood test and biomarker kit at Elo.Health by entering discount code “biohackingsecrets”.

Ari Tulla is a San Francisco-based entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Elo smart nutrition service, transforming food from the cause of disease to medicine. Ari is also an active angel investor with a portfolio of 40 startups, including Virta Health, Good Eggs, and Oura. Previously, Ari was the CEO of Quest Analytics, the market leader in doctor data and network management. Ari led the company through a pivotal growth stage from $15M to $40M in revenue. Before joining Quest Analytics, Ari was co-founder and CEO of BetterDoctor, a doctor search engine. BetterDoctor raised $30M from first-tier investors, including NEA and Uncork Capital. June 2018, BetterDoctor was acquired by private equity firm Vestar Capital. When not working/parenting, Ari spends his time on the steep cliffs, powdery slopes, and big cold waves that only Northern California can offer. Learn more at Elo.Health (discount code: “biohackingsecrets”)

Resources and products mentioned in this episode:

Vagus nerve tracking https://vagus.co — happy to intro to the founder/CEO

Biomarker tracking https://nightingalehealth.com — happy to intro to their team.

_________ Ari’s Sleep Hacks _________

Sleep tech
* Oura ring sleep tracker (or similar) helps you to test how your body reacts to the recommendations listed below.

Sleep timing & environment
* Set a “go-to-sleep” time instead of wake-up time. I go to sleep between 10pm-11pm. Going to sleep before 10pm always gives better quality sleep (and more REM sleep).
* Cool environment 65 degrees
* Blackout curtains
* Comfortable mattress (avoid hot memory foam mattresses), small pillow, down blanket
* Earplugs — I have worn earplugs on for the last 6 years and they significantly improve sleep quality

Sleep supplement (30 minutes prior to sleep)
* L-theanine 200mg — Several studies suggest that L-theanine could help people relax before bedtime, get to sleep more easily, and sleep more deeply. These benefits may result from the specific effects that amino acid has on brain chemicals that play a role in sleep.
* Magnesium L-Threonate 1,000mg — Magnesium plays a particularly important role as it is needed to form serotonin, dopamine, and noradrenaline. Magnesium also helps form melatonin as serotonin gets converted to melatonin which is needed for sleep.
* Apigenin 50mg — Apigenin binds to specific receptors in your brain that may decrease anxiety and initiate sleep.

Food/Drink
* Eat dinner (or other food) before 7pm
* No alcohol after 7pm
* No caffeine after 2pm
* Chamomile tea 8pm

Physical
* Hot shower right before going to bed
* No physical training after 7pm
* Evening stretching (15minutes) and Theragun massage (10 minutes) on days with intense exercise
* Lower the light level and avoid screens (blue light) after 8pm
* 30 minutes of sunlight in the morning (within 1 hour of waking up) to set your circadian rhythm

Mental
* Wind-down rituals before sleep (journaling, turning on night lights, and putting on pajamas).
* Yoga Nidra breathing exercise in bed to help you fall asleep (go through your body and relax from toes to head). Read more here.
* Deep breathing in bed (physiological sigh). Breathe deeply through the nose and once lungs feel full do one quick inhale. Repeat 4-6 times and you are relaxed and ready to fall asleep. Learn details at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rBdhqBGqiMc

Read/Listen
* Why we sleep? By Matt Walker
* Matt Walker on HubermanLab Podcast