How open-minded are you?

I’m Brandon Wilson. I am constantly working toward improving my mind, body, and spirit using various ancient techniques and cutting-edge biohacking tools and devices. I want to be healthy, but not at the expense of being happy. This simple idea is what it means to be wellthy.

For the reasonable price of $6 per month/$60 per year, you will receive valuable content, including access to the entire archive of over 240 newsletters, members-only content, audio voiceovers (with extra content and always read by me), participation in the brain training raffle to win monthly biohacking gift bags, and access to the Be Wellthy Club private Facebook group.

First time reading? Let’s get you in the club.

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Minds are like parachutes: they only function when open. —Thomas Robert Dewar (Scottish distiller)

At the Elements Truffles booth at the biohacking conference, the vendor asked me if I wanted to try a sample, and I said, “Sure.” Instead of asking me what flavor, he plopped a piece of chocolate in my hand. At this point, I schooled him on the two types of people in the world. The first type rips open a box of chocolates and pops them into their mouth willy-nilly. The second type examines the box to evaluate the flavors before making a selection. Guess which one I am. He gave me orange crunch, which was not my preferred choice. I know many people who love chocolate/fruit combinations, but I am not a fan of that flavor profile. I tasted it, and it wasn’t horrible, but I did not buy that flavor.

I was a very picky eater as a kid, but I have been learning to become more open-minded about food as an adult. Some people say, “Don’t knock it ‘til you try it.” My response used to be, “I don’t have to hit myself in the head with a ball-peen hammer to know I won’t like it.” Nowadays, I’m more experimental and will give things a chance before passing judgment, including more high-stakes decisions regarding my health.

Changing one’s mind is a superpower. If you are staunchly for or against something, it is worth exploring your beliefs and considering alternate viewpoints. I regularly challenge my assumptions and ask myself why I have a belief. Here are some examples in the biohacking world that I’ve been exploring.

Nicotine 🚬

What if you learned that what you’ve heard about nicotine is false? Dave Asprey has written in several books about the cognitive benefits of clean nicotine. A review study found that nicotine can improve cognitive impairment in Alzheimer’s disease and dyskinesia (uncontrollable movements) and memory impairment in Parkinson’s disease.¹ Have you heard about the COVID-19 smoker paradox? In a 2021 study, researchers found that “…individuals who smoked cigarettes regularly were more likely to be protected from COVID-19, showing lower current infection as well as previous infection than non-smokers…These results are backed up by previous studies showing decreased transmission rates to smokers.”² Dr. Bryan Ardis has created a protocol for nicotine use to assist people suffering from symptoms of “long COVID.” Dr. Ardis said that he wears a 3 mg nicotine patch daily. Health and longevity researcher Matt Blackburn smokes a cigar daily and has a supplement protocol to mitigate the effects. I look forward to sharing more about nicotine in a future newsletter.

Alcohol 🍷

I’m agnostic to alcohol; I can take it or leave it (mostly leave it). I had my fun with drinking when I was younger, but my current view is that the positives do not outweigh the negatives for me. No-alcohol advocates such as James Swanwick, Bryan Johnson, and Andrew Huberman maintain that there is no safe level of alcohol consumption. On a recent podcast, Mr. Health Ben Greenfield revealed that he drinks 4-5 glasses of organic wine per week. Drinking responsibly seems to work for some people. If you drink alcohol, you may want to consider ZBiotics. This probiotic drink breaks down acetaldehyde, one of the toxic byproducts of alcohol that is responsible for that pesky hangover.

Carbon Dioxide 😮‍💨

We know the benefits of ozone therapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, so it may come as a surprise that there are benefits to inhaling carbon dioxide. Don’t you remember the old practice of someone breathing into a paper bag to calm down? Carbon dioxide triggers a response that causes you to breathe more deeply and dilates blood vessels to allow for more oxygen delivery throughout the body. I’m experimenting with the CO2 inhaler from Carbogenetics and will share my experience in a future newsletter.

Skincare Products 🧴

I used to think a product must be safe if it is on store shelves. Unfortunately, most beauty and skincare products have toxic chemicals that slowly poison you every time you absorb them through your skin. I adopted a simple rule: If you wouldn’t put it in your mouth, don’t put it on your skin. One of my favorite skin care companies is Alitura Naturals. I trust Andy, the founder and CEO, who is passionate about delivering the highest-quality products to enhance our skin.

Fluoride 🦷

I grew up thinking fluoride was good for teeth. My childhood dentist used that foam mouthpiece with the nasty-tasting gel. As I wrote in a previous newsletter, serious concerns exist about synthetic fluoride added to drinking water and various oral care products. Suppose some studies support a reduction in cavities via fluoride use. What are the downsides? Are there other ways to avoid cavities without fluoride?

Being open-minded doesn’t mean being gullible. It’s about asking questions and evaluating information sources. I watch people who say “follow the science” until they see a study with conclusions that go against their beliefs. There’s also the authority bias—the tendency to overvalue and be disproportionately influenced by the opinions and directives of perceived authority figures. Is your doctor recommending a prescription or vaccine because he/she genuinely believes it is in your best interest, or is there an ulterior motive, e.g., “standard of care” or a financial incentive? Informed consent is a fundamental right, but it only works if we exercise it.

How open-minded are you? Take this quiz and find out.

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The Daily Habit is where I share my habits related to the fundamentals: sleep, diet, physical activity, mindfulness, and stress management.

WinStreak is a free app (iPhone/Android) that helps you turn daily wins into a winning streak. Track your achievements, boost your motivation, and cultivate a positive mindset with WinStreak.

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Last week’s answer

Be Wellthy Club entrants: Scott L., Veronica C., Scott S., Ariel E., Renata B.

Raffle prizes are for Be Wellthy Club Members only. Club members can email bewellthy@substack.com with the correct answer to each week’s brain training and be entered into a monthly raffle to win one of two prize packages every month. I do respond to every email.

This week:

Using the numbers from 1 to 8, place one in each shape with one condition: the number in each square has to be the sum of its two neighboring circles.

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There is no better test of open-mindedness than going to a “woo woo” event full of psychics, tarot readers, and crystals. I was at this same expo on Saturday, and it reminded me of when I was a vendor there one year ago.

Please help me by sharing this newsletter with someone you think would benefit.

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33786606/

2. https://www.news-medical.net/news/20211006/study-shows-lower-sars-cov-2-infection-rates-in-smokers.aspx