Modern WisdomBEN GREENFIELD | The Ultimate Daily Routine | Modern Wisdom Podcast 157
CHAPTERS
- 0:00 – 0:59
Carb backloading overview: stable energy by saving carbs for dinner
Ben explains why he avoids most carbohydrates until the evening, staying in fatty-acid oxidation/mild ketosis for much of the day. He frames carb backloading as a way to reduce glucose variability, maintain steady cognition/energy, and still enjoy a more social dinner.
- •Minimal daytime carbs to avoid glucose fluctuations
- •Most people don’t need multiple carb boluses unless training hard twice daily
- •More stable energy and mental performance through the day
- •Carbs reserved for dinner to support social eating and indulgences
- •Carb timing can support sleep via serotonin/melatonin effects
- 0:59 – 2:41
Setting the stage: podcast goals and the three-part routine focus
Chris introduces Ben and sets boundaries for the conversation (keeping it evergreen). They outline the structure: morning routine, work setup, and nighttime/sleep routine.
- •Light banter about being outside and staying active
- •Avoiding current-events topic (“C-word”)
- •Ben’s book 'Boundless' mentioned
- •Episode roadmap: morning routine, work setup, sleep/night routine
- 2:41 – 4:19
Wake-up strategy + gratitude journaling for direction and service
Ben details waking naturally, using gentler wake aids when needed, and starting the day with gratitude and intention. He emphasizes an “others-facing” mindset and capturing dream insights.
- •Prefer waking without an alarm; uses sunrise alarm clock when needed
- •Cool-sleep setup mentioned (ChiliPAD) and why he avoids warm-wake feature
- •Gratitude journaling: one gratitude item + one person to help daily
- •Notes dream insights and personal encouragement for the day
- •Sets a positive, intentional tone before screens/work
- 4:19 – 5:15
Ayurvedic oral hygiene: tongue scraping and oil pulling (with practical tips)
Ben walks through tongue scraping and oil pulling as morning hygiene rituals. He explains the rationale (bacteria cleanup) and gives a practical warning about disposing of oil properly.
- •Copper tongue scraping to remove overnight bacterial buildup
- •Oil pulling with coconut oil + clove/peppermint essential oils
- •Swishing while getting ready (bathroom, morning tasks)
- •Do not swallow the oil; it contains collected bacteria
- •Spit into trash to avoid clogging plumbing
- 5:15 – 7:19
Morning light control and caffeine strategy: sunrise simulation and receptor resets
Ben uses blue-light blockers in the morning when waking early or resetting time zones to simulate sunrise. He also describes how he cycles coffee to avoid adenosine receptor adaptations, opting for cacao tea/chaga on off-days.
- •Blue-light blockers in morning to create a gentler ‘sunrise’ effect indoors
- •Specific glasses brands discussed (Raw Optics/TrueDark, others)
- •Alternating coffee vs cacao tea to manage caffeine tolerance
- •Coffee cycling approach: 3 weeks on + ~1 week quality decaf to reset
- •Black coffee only to stay fasted (no butter/MCT)
- 7:19 – 13:19
Tonic stack + daily bodywork: minerals, hydrogen water, vitamin C/baking soda, and mobility
Ben describes a detailed morning drink with hydrogen tablets, minerals, salt, vitamin C/baking soda, and sometimes apple cider vinegar. He pairs this with 10–15 minutes of deep tissue work, breathwork, and inversion as non-negotiable “me time.”
- •Hydrogen water for anti-inflammatory/antioxidant claims; minerals + salt added
- •Adds vitamin C + baking soda (2:1) and sometimes apple cider vinegar
- •Uses foam rolling/vibrating balls/lacrosse balls for daily deep tissue work
- •Includes breathwork and inversion for recovery and readiness
- •Often listens to spiritual content to start the day well
- 13:19 – 15:24
Learning block + naked red-light therapy: a ‘zen den’ office start
Ben spends early office time reading research rather than doing email/social media. During this, he uses red-light panels, essential oils, and grounding practices to support mood, circadian rhythm, and perceived recovery.
- •First work block is learning: journals, research feeds, science reading
- •20 minutes of full-body red-light therapy (often unclothed)
- •Claims: nitric oxide release, ATP support, sunrise-like circadian benefit
- •Office environment: diffuser + grounding mat for a calming workspace
- •Notes you can overdo red light; limits duration
- 15:24 – 19:07
Morning movement choice: sauna/cold or sunshine walk, then family check-in + smoothie bowl breakfast
After the initial office block, Ben prefers low-intensity movement instead of hard training—either sauna with cold exposure or a sunny walk. He then checks in with his kids and wife and has a large, nutrient-dense smoothie bowl.
- •Avoids intense morning workouts; chooses walk or sauna instead
- •Sauna enhanced with essential oils and topical warming rubs; followed by cold exposure
- •Family check-in before starting the workday (homeschool context)
- •Breakfast: thick smoothie bowl with broth/kefir/yogurt, greens, collagen, lemon, avocado, sprouts
- •Toppings like spirulina, coconut flakes, cacao nibs for a ‘dessert-like’ meal
- 19:07 – 20:35
Deep work window: distraction-free productivity with movement breaks
Ben protects a multi-hour deep work block with no social media or notifications. He uses frequent micro-breaks for short bouts of movement to maintain energy and focus.
- •Deep work roughly 10:00–2:00/2:30 with ‘blinders on’
- •Work varies: writing, content, consults, advisory calls
- •Breaks every 30–60 minutes for pull-ups, kettlebell swings, trampoline
- •Uses movement to counter sedentary work strain
- •Reactive tasks are intentionally deferred to later
- 20:35 – 24:22
Low-carb lunch + carb timing rationale: ketosis by day, carbs after evening training
Ben outlines a lunch built around greens and omega-3-rich fish (SMASH), plus fats like nuts/avocado and bone broth. He expands on why he backloads carbs: steadier glucose, better partitioning after workouts, and better sleep.
- •Lunch: greens/sprouts + cold-water fish (sardines, mackerel, salmon), nuts, avocado, broth
- •Little/no daytime carbs to maintain stable blood sugar and cognition
- •Hard training later in day → higher insulin sensitivity afterward
- •Evening carbs replenish glycogen without prolonged blood sugar spikes
- •Serotonin/melatonin link as a potential sleep advantage
- 24:22 – 27:45
Midday nap protocol: reishi, hyperbaric chamber, binaural beats, and post-nap ‘re-acceleration’
Ben treats napping as a performance tool and protects the time on his calendar. He describes tools he uses to fall asleep quickly and discusses moodiness after naps and how he uses small stimulants to ramp back up.
- •Naps most days (20–45 minutes), protected time block
- •Uses reishi to relax; sometimes naps in a soft-shell hyperbaric chamber
- •Apps: NuCalm and Brain.fm; eye mask and noise-blocking headphones
- •Addresses post-nap mood change by using micro-stimulants (small coffee, nicotine gum, nootropics)
- •Keeps caffeine low enough to avoid harming nighttime sleep
- 27:45 – 32:40
Workstation and office ergonomics: standing desk, treadmill desk, balance tools, and ‘movement prompts’
Ben breaks down his home office setup designed to keep him moving and reduce strain. They discuss treadmill desks, saddle chairs, rocker boards, slackline-style balance tools, and fidgeting for focus.
- •Standing desk (hand crank), grounding mat, and manual curved treadmill (TrueForm)
- •Posterior chain engagement benefits (and misery) of curved treadmill sprints
- •Seating alternatives: saddle chair (Salli) and pelvic stool (Focal Upright Mogo)
- •Balance tools: FluidStance board, SlackBlock; foot rolling with golf balls
- •Fidgets for focus: pen twirling, grip trainers; parallels with ADD classroom tools
- 32:40 – 36:54
Light environment + EMF minimization: incandescent/red lighting, hardwiring, and Bluetooth avoidance
Ben explains why he prefers incandescent bulbs and red lighting at night to protect circadian rhythm. He also shares steps taken to reduce EMF exposure at home, including hardwiring internet and avoiding Bluetooth devices near his head.
- •Avoids LED lighting due to flicker concerns; uses incandescent for daylight-like spectrum
- •Red incandescent bulbs in bedrooms/bathrooms for minimal blue light at night
- •Hardwired ethernet (Wi‑Fi off), building biologist assessment, dirty electricity filters
- •Notes motorized treadmills can produce higher EMF; prefers manual treadmill
- •Avoids AirPods/Bluetooth; uses wired or air-tube headphones
- 36:54 – 42:01
5G concerns and ‘defensive’ supplementation: magnesium, NAD/sirtuins, and ketones
Ben discusses his cautious stance on 5G due to limited direct research and potential mechanisms he cites (calcium influx, DNA effects, inflammatory pathways). He proposes supplement strategies and highlights ketones as useful during travel or high-exposure environments.
- •Mechanisms cited: voltage-gated calcium channel effects, DNA unraveling, NF-kappaB modulation
- •Practical step: toggle phone down to 4G (with caveats)
- •Magnesium to counter calcium influx; taken nightly for relaxation
- •DNA support: sirtuins (resveratrol, polyphenols) + NAD precursors (NMN/NR)
- •Ketones to support inflammation pathways; especially when traveling
- 42:01 – 54:04
Evening flow into sleep: reactive work, workout, family dinner, wind-down, and sleep stack
Ben outlines the latter part of his day: reactive tasks after his nap, then training, then protected family time and a structured wind-down. He details his sleep aids—light management, a glycine/gelatin dessert, CBD/magnesium, cooling, masking noise/light, and breathwork.
- •Post-nap: emails/social media/last-minute calls (reactive work)
- •Workout window ~5:30–6:30 (kettlebells, circuits, strength/HIIT); longevity focus
- •Family block ~7:30–9:00: dinner, games, music, reading; phones/work minimized
- •Wind-down: blue-light blockers 90–120 minutes before bed; gelatin/glycine ‘jello’ snack
- •Sleep stack: CBD (~100 mg), magnesium (~400 mg), weighted blanket, ChiliPAD cooling, earplugs + pink noise, 4-7-8 breathing
