The Incredible BRAIN - A Health Protocol for Longevity

What if your “mild” concussion wasn’t mild at all — and what if most of your recovery sits in your daily habits? Neurologist and Navy veteran Dr. Ryan Williamson joins us to unpack why TBI outcomes vary so wildly and how to rebuild cognitive power with simple, evidence-based steps. We dig into his BRAIN protocol—Breathwork, Rest, Activity, Intake, Nurturing — and show how purpose, sleep quality, training, and community flip the switches that drive neuroplasticity and longevity.

Antoinette shares how whitewater kayaking and archery became cognitive therapy, sharpening processing speed, focus, and memory through joyful, real-world challenge. Dr. Williamson explains the ancestral lens on modern brain health — sunlight, movement, and tribe versus blue light, sitting, and isolation — and how closing that gap reduces inflammation and stabilizes mood.

We also explore creatine monohydrate’s surprising brain benefits, from ATP support to potential improvements after TBI and in early cognitive decline, plus practical dosing tips you can try safely and affordably.

Listener questions take us into combat-zone stress, developing brains, and the eerie slowing of time after explosions. The throughline is empowering: lifestyle choices — sleep timing, food quality, daily movement, breathwork, and strong relationships — shape the majority of brain outcomes by steering gene expression and circuit strength. If you want a clear, actionable roadmap to think faster, feel better, and stay resilient longer, this conversation delivers a plan you can start today. If it resonates, subscribe, leave a quick review, and share this episode with someone rebuilding their brain and life.

BeRootedIn
Magnesium Cream

LIFEWAVE
Boost your body’s innate powers and live better and younger with LifeWave phototherapy products!

The Health Ranger Store
The best price on US-based lab-tested supplements and superfoods. Shop now with my affiliate link.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.

Chapters

• 0:00 Welcome, Veteran Shoutouts, Purpose
• 2:45 Antoinette’s TBI Story And Setback
• 5:56 Why TBI Outcomes Vary Widely
• 8:17 Micro Adventure: Kayaking For Cognitive Flow
• 10:24 The Ancestral Lens On Modern Health
• 14:12 The Incredible Brain: Find Your Why
• 18:20 Neuroplasticity Through Skills And Mindfulness
• 21:15 EFT Tapping And Mind Practices
• 22:49 Mechanisms Versus Interventions In The Book
• 26:06 The BRAIN Protocol Explained
• 30:20 Creatine For Brain Energy And Recovery
• 35:36 Listener Q&A: Combat, Development, Time
• 42:20 Hidden Injuries And Everyday Compassion
• 45:36 How Much Is Lifestyle Versus Genes
• 49:05 Closing, Where To Find Resources

Transcript

SPEAKER_01: 0:00

Dr. Ryan Williamson is a board-certified neurologist, U.S. Navy veteran, best-selling author of The Incredible Brain, an advocate for human longevity. As the owner and founder of Transend Health, he uses his expertise to help individuals optimize their health, extend their lifespans, and create more meaningful legacies. He has a passion for veterans as well as brain health and longevity, which we'll talk about today. Thanks to all of you, my wonderful new normal big life health and wellness warriors, for sending in your questions for Dr. Williamson. If you're not following Dr. Williamson on X at R Williamson MD on Instagram at dr.rianwilliamson and his Facebook group, which is packed with free resources at The Brain Foundation on Facebook. You're missing out on brain health and longevity tips. Friends, let's dive into today's topic with Dr. Ryan Williamson. Hi friends, welcome to the New Normal Big Life podcast. We bring you natural news and stories about nature that we hope will inspire you to get outside an adventure, along with a step-by-step plan to help you practice what you've learned and create your own new normal and live the biggest life you can dream. I'm your host, Antoinette Lee, the Wellness Warrior. Dr. Williamson, welcome to New Normal Big Life.

SPEAKER_00: 1:21

Thank you so much for having me. I'm excited to be here.

SPEAKER_01: 1:24

I'm so excited for this conversation. We got so much uh listener feedback. We've got some brain health questions. And this is a really exciting topic for me personally because I'm a traumatic brain injury survivor. And um first I want to start off with thanking you for your service. I love talking with fellow veterans because we have an experience that is unique to in the American population, and they don't often get to hear, in addition to the challenges we suffer, but the great things that fellow veterans like yourself are doing in the world after your service, you're continuing to serve in the community. And I just want to thank you for that.

SPEAKER_00: 2:08

Oh, thank you, Antoinette, and and thank you for everything that you have done in the army. Uh as you know, it's a it's a very difficult life to be uh an active duty service member and you know it requires a lot of time away from home and you know, giving up autonomy for a period of years. And and so no, it's it's no easy feat. So so thank you, and and and any of your listeners too or fellow veterans, thank you for what you've done and what you do.

SPEAKER_01: 2:30

Oh, thank you for that because we actually do have a lot of veterans who listen. In fact, let's give a shout out to the Veterans United community on X. I know you're watching. Thank you. I love you. So let's get to it. Today I'm very excited because this is a milestone for me in my traumatic brain injury uh journey. I was uh after leaving the army, I became a tech CEO. I worked my way up. I was not a DEI hire. I worked my way up from the call center to tech CEO, and I was doing such a great job that every time a friend or former colleague had an opening at their new company, they would contact me and say, Antoinette, there's a job that's perfect for you. I'd like you to apply. If you do, I'll give you a reference. And I did, and that's really how I climbed the ladder just by doing a great job. That is not easy with a traumatic brain injury. I also learned two additional languages and two more college degrees after traumatic brain injury. I thought life was golden, I had made it, that I was mastering managing my brain injury and health challenges very well, and then it all collapsed. One day I couldn't remember how to drive my car, I couldn't remember the rules of the road, and it got progressively worse until I had to quit. And actually, I I was still deciding whether or not I was going to quit my job because that's a scary proposition. But um, they pretty much offered me a severance package to leave, which was generous. But this is the problem with a traumatic brain injury. It's so difficult to maintain your good health, and I had to work really hard to recover back from not just cognitive challenges, but physical challenges. I was losing the ability to walk. I had to use a walker, a service dog, and a full-time caregiver. I mean, I went into decline so fast. So, your message today about longevity, brain longevity is spot on, and I'm really excited about it.

SPEAKER_00: 4:56

Thank you for sharing your story, Antoinette. Uh, that takes a no no small degree of courage to overcome and get through something like a TBI or traumatic brain injury. And uh, as I'm sure you know from your experience and you know your reading and just living through it, uh, there are different types of traumatic brain injuries. So we we tend to categorize these between mild, moderate, and severe. And uh, you know, even even that seems to be a bit of a misnomer to me because a quote-unquote mild traumatic brain injury can be very disabling for people. Um, you know, we we might another eponym for that would be concussion. So if people have a concussion that's also on the spectrum of a mild traumatic brain injury. Um, you know, there's there's been a ton of research in the last several decades on this, and there there have been there's still some unknowns, which really perplexes me. And and by way of example, I I have seen patients. Um, so when I was active duty, I was I'm a former Navy neurologist. If your audience uh hasn't had a chance to read into that or look into that, and uh I spent most of my active duty time at Camp Lejeune. So I worked mostly with Marines, and then of course some sailors, and seeing Marines with traumatic brain injuries that would come in. And I mean, sometimes I would have somebody with with a fairly uh innocuous or mild injury. I mean, I recall a young 19-year-old Marine who had a a tire, um, not not even a full inflated tire, just like an empty rubber tire that was this buddy threw at him and it bumped him in the head. And this this gentleman was so disabled that that he was medically retired from the service because he could never get back to his job. And I, another, another memorable story of mine, my my very first page on call at Camp Lejeune was a satellite phone call from Afghanistan. And I had a uh basically a primary care doctor. So this this family medicine doctor was his first deployment. Um, and they they started taking sniper fire. And unfortunately, a Marine took a round to the helmet uh that that fortunately didn't penetrate his head, but it the the bullet kind of rode around his his Kevlar helmet, but it knocked him unconscious, and then he fell another 20 feet, and he he had a second injury. So this kind of double injury that that was certainly on the order of of at minimum a moderate traumatic brain injury, if not severe. And he the this is a kid that I thought, oh my gosh, I mean, he's we have to, you know, medavac him and get him to you know to hospital. He's gonna need brain surgery. I mean, it was a life-threatening, very, very scary situation. And this guy walked into my clinic six months later, like nothing had happened. So the the reason I bring that up is to say that the there's still a lot we have to learn about the mechanisms that underlie traumatic brain injuries and I mean, force, uh, you know, angles, uh, genetics, inflammation, um, recovery. I mean, there there's so many facets to think about. Um, so really I'm I'm I'm thankful that that there's been more research, but there's still a lot to learn, um, then to your point and obviously what what you've been through.

SPEAKER_01: 7:57

Before we cover the next topic in this episode, I want to introduce you to the adventure sports lifestyle with what I call a micro story about an adventure that I've had. The adventure sports lifestyle and my deep connection to nature is essential to my good health. So here's the story. On a daily basis, it is sometimes difficult for me to process information quickly. So if someone is talking too fast, I sometimes have to ask them to slow down. But what I've learned is that as a whitewater kayaker, especially if you're in fast-moving water, like at 10,000 feet in the mountains of Colorado, and there are boulders coming at you quickly. There are other boats, especially other rafts that you want to avoid. So I'm in a small kayak, and there are lots of rafts on the river, and you want to make sure that you don't come up on a raft and go under it and wind up upside down under a raft, having to swim your way out of your boat and out from under the raft because that's a very dangerous situation. However, a lot of things are happening very quickly when you're whitewater kayaking. The beautiful thing that came out of this experience is that when I'm kayaking, I am in the zone. All that I'm thinking about is reading and running the river, deciding where I'm going to take my path downriver. It requires processing a lot of information very quickly and making good decisions about paddle strokes to make, to avoid obstacles, catching an eddy, and getting back out into the current. I did that. I hope this inspires you to challenge your brain processing capabilities through adventure sports like whitewater kayaking. It's definitely a sport you have to enter into slowly, but once you get there, you can level up your cognition, your memory, your ability to retain and process information and make decisions quickly by whitewater kayaking. I hope this inspires you to get outside and adventure alone with friends, family, or the people you love most. Now back to the show where we're talking to Dr. Ryan Williamson. So, Dr. Williamson, you've done a lot of really interesting work after leaving the military as well. Can you tell us how you came to develop your personal philosophy on treating patients?

SPEAKER_00: 10:37

Absolutely. Excuse me. Um, so my the paradigm that I like to think about when it comes to our just an idea of total wellness is the uh for us to all understand the disconnect between our modern world and how we evolved as people. And what I mean by that is that when we think about what our ancestors used to do, you know, and that this was not that long ago, by the way. We're not talking about, you know, millions of years ago. This was, you know, maybe, maybe on the order of, I don't know, just even a couple hundred years ago, that life was very, very different for all of us. Um, but let's let's go back to the hunter-cather hunter-gatherer cave dwellers, because that's that's kind of the example that I like to give. But our ancestors woke up with the sun, and they lived together in tribes. And when they woke up, they they probably felt hungry because maybe they had something to eat the day before, maybe they didn't. But one thing was for sure, they would go, they'd go walk, they'd have to go move to find food if they didn't have anything in camp. So, you know, provide a sense of daily movement to go find something, maybe, you know, small game, excuse me, a handful of blueberries or whatever it was. And and then they would, you know, maybe come back to camp and and then bed down for the night. Nothing really stressed them out too much. And they weren't worried about, I don't know, what their their stock portfolio was doing or what their boss or their emails were were telling them, right? They just sort of got back together, told stories, and then went to sleep. And you know, when the sun when it got dark, and then they woke up the next day and did it all over again. And to state the obvious, Antoinette, we, you know, life is not like that at all. I mean, we we live in comfortable climate-controlled environments. You know, we we wake up to alarm clocks, uh, we we live in artificial, artificially lit environments, uh, food is abundant. I mean, you just have to go to the pantry and you can grab whatever you want or Costco or wherever. And as we are both sitting here and enjoying a podcast together, we we sit all day. We're sedentary. We don't we don't move like we're supposed to. And the reason I paint that picture and that that difference is that this this is not congruent with our biology. And when we think about how our brains work, how our bodies work, um, how we're designed to heal, how we're designed to recover, just how we're designed to function, um, modern life has rapidly, or our social evolution has rapidly outpaced our biology. And again, modern life uh does not set us up well to be healthy. So so that that's the paradigm that I like to at least educate people on, and I want I want your listeners to think about. And uh when we look at the medical evidence, what we know actually helps with brain health and body health long term, it respects those pillars that that do respect our biology and and is closer to what again our ancestors were doing. Um, namely, you know, eating a nice whole food, balanced diet, keeping in mind our caloric needs, not overconsuming, you know, moving regularly, lowering our stress, connecting with people, having you know, groups or this sort of tribe-like mentality, uh, getting quality sleep, getting getting exposure to light early in the day. I mean, all of these things we know have a massive, massive impact on our biology and our ability to actually heal ourselves and to be well, uh, and especially after something like a traumatic brain injury, this becomes even more important. Um, so that's that's sort of it in a nutshell. And I'm I'm happy to go any any number of directions there.

SPEAKER_01: 14:00

You talked about a lot of concepts, and it's going to be really difficult for people to remember. Like you, everything that you talked about is what I practice, and it's why I can have this conversation with you. Normally, on a day like today, after one business meeting or one podcast interview in this case, my brain is done for the day. I'd have to use my alpha brainwave stimulator, maybe go take a nap, take a walk, maybe lie down a little longer. But I I definitely could not do anything for the rest of the day that uses my brain, um, you know, extensively, like for writing or having a deep conversation about anything. I'm I would be lucky to make sentences, but I practice what everything that you said, I practice that. And people, I can tell you, you won't find better advice. And you made it simple for us to follow with your first book, The Incredible Brain. Can you tell us what you can find in this book?

SPEAKER_00: 15:05

Yes. Uh thank you for the opportunity to talk about the book. Um, so very humbled that we uh hit we we launched the book last month, hit bestseller. And I think that's a reflection of uh actually helping people. And that has been the feedback. Uh, people that have picked it up have really gotten something out of it and enjoyed it. Um, but I have I've tried my best to distill what I know uh from the medical literature and what I have been telling my patients for years about how to take care of themselves and into one resource that anybody can have, whether I see you as a patient or not, or a client, or whether we never meet, I hope we do, but even if we don't, uh just a resource to hand somebody to say, here, try it, try this because we we know this helps. And uh the way that it's organized, before I get into the first um bit of science on brain structure, function, or you know, what could happen with traumatic brain injuries or or um, God forbid, Alzheimer's or strokes or heart attacks or any of that, the first chapter is called Find Your Why. And Antoinette, I think it is so important, and especially as a veteran community here, where we're all used to knowing what the mission is, or to having a target or a goal or a purpose. Um, if we don't have that, and and by the way, most of us or many of us lose that when we when we take off the uniform, as I'm sure we we have all experienced and your communities experienced. And if we don't find a new direction and a new purpose, it it can become very difficult to really thrive or succeed in life. And so I want everyone to spend time on that first, which is why it's again that's the chapter one. Um, because without that, we just you know we we're reacting to everything and we end up kind of like a you know a ship off course just blowing around in the sea or in the wind. And I mean, you know, life life's hard, right? We have we have injuries and we have unexpected events that happen and and we we you know we lose people we love and they're just they're they're terrible circumstances we have to deal with. And if we don't have that that end goal in mind, it's it's very tough to get there.

SPEAKER_01: 17:04

That's why I promote the adventure sports lifestyle, because on the times when I'm having flare-ups and I could hardly walk and hardly make sentences, and I can't even pull my 75 pound, I can't draw my 75-pound bow to do some archery, which helps to retrain my brain for things that require focus and attention. That's how I recovered my ability to speak and to remember the rules of the road and the foreign languages that I've learned is through archery. And when I can't do those things because I'm having a flare flare-ups of health challenges, my brain is not in a depressed mode because I'm thinking about what little bit of exercise can I do today that propels me forward to be able to get back to doing the things that I love, right? Being outdoors, being active. And so um I highly encourage you to think about your passion and purpose in life because that will keep you from falling into those dark holes that's a very difficult to climb out of later.

SPEAKER_00: 18:16

That's exactly right. And and again, for anyone listening, uh, I mean, Antoinette, your your ability to find purpose, meaning, and and also to engage in not just physical activity like archery or movement, but but also in learning a new language or learning multiple new languages in your case, uh, these these are all activities that stimulate neuroplasticity, which is the amazing property that we can take advantage of to help retrain our brain in the setting of an injury or in the setting of maybe a mood disorder. If somebody's feeling depressed, you know, we can undergo certain types of therapies or activities to help rewire our brain. And even with specific activities, which we'll, I guess we'll talk about in a minute, like meditation or mindfulness, you can actually increase the connectivity and strengthen the connections in your what's called your prefrontal cortex, so the front part of the brain here that allows us to have our highest and best function. And not only are you helping yourself feel better in the moment or learn a language or whatever, whatever the given activity is, but you're increasing the propensity to be able to function at a higher level in the future because you're training your brain to anticipate more of that same activity, not just today, but tomorrow and next month, the next year. Um, so so by exercising your brain in that way, especially if you've had a traumatic brain injury of any kind, uh that this makes a massive difference in the long term, even though it can feel very difficult to get started at first. But once you overcome that inertia and start to build more of those connections, I mean, it is, it makes a massive difference on where we end up, hence having that goal or that purpose in mind to march towards, regardless of the journey and how we get there.

SPEAKER_01: 19:56

Um how effective is uh therapies like EFT tapping on uh being able to get into your meditative state.

SPEAKER_00: 20:06

So EFT is one that I'm not familiar with the literature, the data on specifically, um, but but I know a lot of people that have done it and and I I have heard anecdotally from many people, patients, friends, clients, that that they that they like it and it works. Um, so uh so yeah, I mean I I again I I can't speak to it specifically, but but people do really seem to enjoy it.

SPEAKER_01: 20:26

Um I've gotten a lot of benefit out of it, and we recently did a podcast episode on it. So if you want to learn more about EFT tapping, make sure you uh take a look at that episode or listen to that episode if you're not on YouTube. So uh Dr. Williamson, tell us more about what we can find in your book.

SPEAKER_00: 20:47

Um so I said chapter one's fine, you know, find your wife, so that's all that purpose. And then really the the book is broken up in into two parts. Um so what I call the the mechanisms and then the interventions and the the mechanisms are the first half of the book uh deals with uh how is your brain structured, how does it work, uh, you know, what what can what can go wrong essentially. I mean, so what are the what are the pitfalls that that are so common? And you know, I I didn't realize this while I was active duty. It wasn't until I left the military in 2022 where I went back to the to civilian medicine where I was seeing really older patients. Um, but you know, uh by definition, our service members pre-injury of any kind are healthy people, right? We we have to be because we're screened to be healthy, to do that job. And I didn't realize how much I actually enjoyed helping people elevate their performance or help helping healthy people elevate their performance or stay on the battlefield in the case of Marines and sailors. Uh, but when we fast forward to the you know later half of life, and you know, if people have been dealing with chronic disease for 10, 20, 30 years or more, you know, this is when we see problems like heart attacks, strokes, dementia, all these terrible things that show up or traumatic brain injuries. It doesn't take that long necessarily, but um, and and you know, these are these are very debilitating, as you know. And so uh it just seeing largely preventable conditions uh made me very sad after doing this for a period of a few years. And I said there's there's gotta be a better way to help more people, and and surely, of course, there is, and what we know about the medical literature and all these interventions that we've discussed and many of the lifestyle uh uh factors that you've put in place, i.e. the movement, the the light, the sleep, you know, nutrition. So anyway, I I walk people through all of this in the first half of the book to talk about what could go wrong, uh, you know, how do these things happen in our body? And then the the last half of the book uh on the intervention piece is just how do we avoid it? And and you know, how can we all ensure that we live a long, healthy, and impactful life, and just walking people through step by step uh sort of what to do. So that's that's sort of a nutshell.

SPEAKER_01: 22:54

I love that you do that, Dr. Williamson, because what I find is that people get great information from podcasts like this and others, and then they're get a little stuck with how do I put this into practice in my life? So I love a step-by-step plan. I'm all about it. I'm really glad to hear that.

SPEAKER_00: 23:12

And and to take that a step further, Answin, uh, you know, I I started writing the book over a year ago. So this was September of 2024 that I really sat down to put this together. And as I said, we launched it last month. And again, been very overjoyed with the positive feedback. However, uh, I've realized that I probably could have made it even more simple uh in terms of what to do. And it took me a while to kind of come up with this idea or at least distill it down to something that I think is even easier for people. Um, so I'm not discouraging, of course, if people want to get the book, that's great. I think it will be helpful. Um, but since then, I've even created a free resource for people on Facebook. Um, so you and we can provide links for this, of course. But uh we we have a Facebook group that's 100% free to join. And I've created what I call the BRAIN protocol. And Brain is an acronym that I have modeled after a military SOP. Surprise, because you know, we all know how many acronyms we have in the military, how much we love those. Um, but when we go through B B R A I N, so it's all these pillars that I talk about that are evidence-based that we know actually helps with long-term brain and body health. And we don't need to run through all of them, but just at a high level, you know, B stands for breath work, so it's all these, you know, all the things meditation, mindfulness-related, breathing exercises, uh, R is for rest, so all things sleep related, letting your body heal and recover. A is for activity, so all things movement related, exercise related. I is for intake, so all things nutrition, supplementation, uh, staying away from, you know, the again, being mindful of caloric balance, staying away from ultra-processed foods, things like that. And then N is for nurturing. And so this is all about that community, that tribe, that support. And I've just got a free there, I think it's eight videos that are like five to seven minutes each. They're they're quick, they're easy. I just walk people through each letter, what to do, and then they get a free companion guide along with that to be able to write down their you know, their favorite letter, where do we start? And and again, this is especially if somebody's faced an injury of any kind or a brain injury, it as you know, it can be really hard to start somewhere and like I said, overcome that inertia to get going. And so my approach, which again is evidence-based, you know, don't we we don't want people to try the whole thing or or to start with, or even even the hard letter. You actually start with what's easy or what you're already good at. You you you optimize that thing because that creates a little momentum and a little win. You know, so you already sleep really well, and or maybe you sleep okay, but you can do a little better. So you put in, you know, some sleep hygiene and the right sleep protocol, and within a week or two, you you wake up, you're feeling better, you're sharper, you know, you're you're more ready to take on your day. And then maybe the next one is, well, I've done a little activity, but but I I could move more. And so you you focus on letter A and you, you know, you you maybe walk 20 minutes or you know, start going to the gym or whatever the thing is very quickly. But you know, within, I mean, in my experience, within a period of 60 to 90 days, I mean, this is transformative for people. And you know, maybe longer if you've got a serious brain injury. Um, but but still, people make meaningful progress in a short order, and they can actually stack these habits, and then it becomes just part of your daily routine. And I mean, your your performance is elevated, your focus is improved, you feel better, uh, your mood tends to be better, people lose weight, uh, not to mention it's gonna help you live longer. I mean, it's just a it's a positive feedforward cycle, and it's it's just amazing to watch people go through this transformation.

SPEAKER_01: 26:39

Thank you so much for making this available for people. I will definitely link to the Facebook group and also promote your protocol on my XSpace and other social media. Wow, that's really a really incredible resource that I wish I had when I was recovering, but I'm going to use it for maintenance to keep my brain as healthy as it feels today.

SPEAKER_00: 27:06

Yes, yes. And a a quick um, maybe I don't like the term hack because I don't believe in in like biohacks or short-term, you know, quick fixes. I believe in long-term solutions and maintenance, as you said, Antoinette. I think it's a great way to put it. Uh, but if there is one intervention that I think could be super high yield for for your audience and especially for somebody that that's had a traumatic brain injury, uh, that would be to consider creatine monohydrate as a supplement. Pip, have you do you have any experience with that, Antoinette?

SPEAKER_01: 27:35

I I do. I'm a former competitive bodybuilder and powerlifter in the army, so yes.

SPEAKER_00: 27:41

Have you have you seen any of the literature or even used it since you've had your brain injury, just out of curiosity?

SPEAKER_01: 27:46

I have not, so I'm definitely taking note on this.

SPEAKER_00: 27:49

Yes. So the so again, creatine in in my opinion, and creatine monohydrate specifically, because they're there are multiple forms. So monohydrate in particular, I think has the highest quality data. Um, I, like you, Antoinette, if it took it years ago for for sports. I was never a bodybuilder or that competitive, but uh I was a rower in high school and played a little rugby in college. Um, but um, but I, you know, for for muscle building, for strength gains, absolutely uh data are very clear for you know for for years, decades even. Um, that that's that's the the majority of literature that we've been familiar with. In the last 10 to 15 years, there there's been new emerging data on on not just uh muscle health, but on, you know, uh maybe liver health, uh, kidney health, bone health, heart health, but in particular brain health. And when we take a dose high enough, so typically that I think the recommended sort of weightlifting dose has been on the order of maybe five grams of creatine monohydrate per day, just kind of a scoop of this stuff, you know, that you dull out and drink in your water and go work out. Somewhere between five and 10 grams. And I think 10 grams, this is this is really weight-based. So it depends on your body mass index, or you're male, female, how much muscle do you have, that kind of thing. But as we get closer to that 10 gram threshold, uh there's a transporter called the the CRT or the creatine transporter that actually helps shuttle creatine across your blood-brain barrier, which is a semi-permeable protective covering around the brain that lets certain things through and keeps other things out. And we can actually shuttle creatine into the brain. And just like it works in the muscles to help with an increasing energy production, so helping manufacture more ATP, which for anybody that has a background in physiology, like Antoinette here, uh, you know that that actually is the energy currency in the body. But it turns out our neurons use this too, which is really interesting. And so we can actually provide more uh more energy substrate for the brain. And in particular, in the setting of a traumatic brain injury and lowering neuroinflammation and helping turn on some of these uh signaling molecules that help the brain heal. Uh, this is this is a game changer for people. Um, and even people that that don't have a traumatic brain injury. Injury, notice cognitive benefits. You know, there's even some data, early data in Alzheimer's, that patients that have early dementia actually function better with creatine on board. And there have even been doses above and beyond 20 grams a day for in the setting of an acute traumatic brain injury. So if somebody's brain's really inflamed or they've got a really massive injury that we can infuse creatine or feed it to people and they actually tend to recover faster. So anyway, like I said, don't like the word hack, but uh if if there is such a thing, I really I think considering creatine monohydrate as part of a supplement stack can be can be highly beneficial for people.

SPEAKER_01: 30:35

Is there a certain time of day that it's more effective? Should people use it in the morning, evening?

SPEAKER_00: 30:40

That's a great question. So most of the literature I'm familiar with would suggest that you know a dose once once a day and in the morning. Um I I personally break it up twice a day. Um, you know, once those receptors are saturated, in in theory, you can excrete some in the kidneys or in the urine if it's not being absorbed or you know, you're you're if it's not going to the muscles or enough getting across the blood-brain barrier. I'm I'm not, again, I would have to review the literature to know if that's scientifically sound or not. Um it's just my kind of my my hunch. I don't, I don't know. Uh, and perhaps there is data to support that. But I I personally take five grams in the morning, five grams at night, uh, and and I do notice a cognitive benefit throughout the day. Not to mention, like I went for a little five-mile run this morning up here in the mountains. Uh, and so that that seems to help with my workout performance. And then as some of your audience members might know, uh, when we sleep, this is part of why quality sleep is so important. That's actually the only time that our brains and our bodies heal and recover either from injury or from exercise, we get to break down and rebuild the muscles. So if we've got some on board in the evening time, um, you know, I again in theory that that would help with that process. Again, is that scientific or is that just me? Uh, you know, uh, I don't know, um being being idealistic, I'm not sure.

SPEAKER_01: 31:54

Well, in my research on methylene blue, which I use and I credit to my ability to uh have multiple meetings in a single day, I could not have done this before. And if you've listened to some of my earlier episodes of the podcast, and from time to time, you can hear little brain glitches where I'm in the middle of a sentence and my brain just kind of reboots itself, or I don't know what to call it. That's what it feels like. And I have a lot fewer of those incidents. So I think your theory on creatine is sound for what it's worth.

SPEAKER_00: 32:30

You give me some homework here because I I should know the answer to that. Um, but uh I'll have to check it out. So maybe I can circle back when uh when I get some more um information on the studies.

SPEAKER_01: 32:40

You're in bat, you're invited back here anytime, Dr. Williamson. I appreciate it. When you're planning an adventure camping, rafting, Rving, or mountaineering, you'll need quality food with sufficient vitamins, minerals, and nutrients to fuel your adventure. My partner Ready Hour is here to help you ahead of time. Ready Hour has a long history of providing calorie-rich, reliable, and delicious nourishment for life's unexpected situations and adventures. They're part of a family of companies that have served millions of people like you for decades. My family and I use Ready Hour products for camping, mountaineering, and disaster preparedness for five years now. They're not just reliable, they're also your affordable option too. Long-term storable food shouldn't break the bank. That's why they have great sales and payment options for you. It's your bridge to safety and survival when you're on an adventure. So make your next decision, your smartest decision. Be ready for adventure tomorrow, today. Trust ready hour. Ready to shop? Use my affiliate link in the show description. So, how about a few questions from our listeners? Of course. All right, I've been so excited, and I'm just going to read them as they wrote them. I love this first question because I can tell this person listens to me a lot because they're using a phrase that I coined fight, flight, freeze, fawn, or foun, or photograph. So the question is the male human brain continues developing well into adulthood, generally until around age 25 to 27. What does being in a combat zone do to a still developing brain, specifically when it comes to constantly activating the general adaptation syndrome, fight, flight, freeze, photograph, or fawn?

SPEAKER_00: 34:28

That's an excellent question. Um I I don't know that there are any studies that have looked directly at that. Um, and and you know, this is a certainly a relevant topic, you know, being that um obviously active duty recruits can be, you know, eight, eighteen to uh well, really in any any adult age, but from 18 on, and most of our active duty population, of course, is you know, 18 to mid-20s. Um, so at that time when our brains are still uh forming, at least the the frontal lobes, uh, which is correct. We you know, we develop into our mid to late 20s. Um, and and perhaps some males never fully develop. It's a it's a joke. Um but we all know people that you know it's questionable, right? Um again, I I don't know that I can speak in an informed manner on this without having clear evidence because that that is always the paradigm that I do my best to approach topics like this from. However, um, you know, we we know from uh let's say early childhood studies that that early adverse child events uh can have a massively negative impact on healthy brain development, and and that that has potential uh limiting uh effects to put it euphemistically later in life. Um so meaning, you know, we we can see all kinds of mood disorders or neuropsychiatric disorders develop as a result of early uh adverse childhood events. And uh, you know, in my opinion, I mean there's there's no more stressful job on the planet than being deployed to an active duty combat zone when you're in fear for your life, um, not to mention the the predictable PTSD, depression, anxiety, all of these things that can result as a you know from from being exposed to active duty or to combat duty to combat, excuse me. Um so surely that this this is uh this is something that should be investigated and I would think would be would have a negative lasting impact. Um now, is that permanent uh or not? Uh again, remains to be seen. Um I am of the the cautiously optimistic mindset that again, the right types of therapy, the right types of activity that engage that neuroplasticity mechanism that we talked about to help restructure, rewire the brain to overcome uh you know PTSD or anxiety uh or chronically negative thoughts, uh, or even in the setting of a lost motor function, and you know, in the setting of a brain injury, or people can actually recover from how to walk, talk, or or maybe even in some cases see. Um the brain's pretty amazing and it's pretty resilient. Um I'm giving a long winding answer here, and the the short story is that you know, I don't know that we have the data to support that. Um, some sort of thinking out loud, but um, again, my my hunch would be likely has a negative impact, but also likely very recoverable with the right interventions.

SPEAKER_01: 37:21

Our next question from a listener is one that hits home because the love of my life is a uh double IED survivor, explosion survivor uh with a traumatic brain injury. So the question is, are you able to explain why it appears that time slows down after being involved in an explosion explosion such as an IED?

SPEAKER_00: 37:47

So d during the event or uh like reliving it in the setting of PTSD?

SPEAKER_01: 37:52

No, I I think what they're asking is um after the explosion happens, keeping track of time and feeling like uh time slows down for them. And so maybe the rest of the world is at this speed and they're at this speed, you know, and it's kind of hard to keep up. I think it's that feeling of time being slower.

SPEAKER_00: 38:19

I see. There's well, the the reason I ask specifically is that when when people are in the middle of uh of an acutely stressful event, um, there's a phenomenon where time does appear to slow down for people as as they're reacting to something. And, you know, time's interesting. It's a it's a relative measurement, right? Even I Einstein proved this is sort of a relative concept, and it's relative to how fast we're going and where we are and what we're dealing with. And in the middle of a stressful event, again, people tend to react and process more quickly. Um, I mean, that your brain's burning through more resources on, you know, at a faster rate to do this. Um, so uh in the middle of again, combat or uh, you know, or uh some sort of something that triggers that fight or flight mechanism, we we can feel like time is slowing down when in fact people around us or in another situation uh who are in fact, you know, uh in a situation for the same number of seconds, minutes, or or however long you know you want to mark that time experience it as happening much more quickly. Um but after an injury or after a blast uh you know exposure or something like this, um, we we we now know that that that exposure to to uh to concussive forces that that aren't that don't cause direct contact. So meaning, you know, if you think of a a piece of shrapnel or you know, a fist uh or uh a bullet or or some you know some horrible thing that could that could indirectly injure our brain, uh we now know that that it being adjacent to a a blast wave or a shock wave can actually penetrate the skull in the brain and cause an injury this way. Um so I you know, i.e. if if somebody's exposed to an IED or or they're on an EOD team or something like that, and a bomb goes off nearby, this this can injure the brain. As a result of that, uh my again I'm I'm uh hypothesizing here, but as a result of that, if somebody had a brain injury and they are not processing information as quickly or efficiently as they did pre-injury, uh that might make it feel like, wow, like this this person's talking at a million miles an hour, and I'm I'm not able to fully absorb the conversation or the information like I was, and that might make it feel like they are slowed down relative to somebody else who's keeping up at a higher rate, a higher pace. Um that's how I'm interpreting that question, um, uh Antoinette. So I hope that's correct for your listener. Um, but but again, uh very common phenomenon after an injury like this, um, whether it again is a blast exposure, direct trauma, et cetera, uh, and again, in many cases, recoverable with with the right interventions in place.

SPEAKER_01: 40:54

That's good to know. And I do experience that too. Sometimes it feels like the pace of life is much faster than I'm capable of processing. And surprisingly, a lot of people are not um understanding or compassionate when I say something very simple. I'm sorry, I've had a traumatic brain injury. Would you mind talking just a little bit slower because I'm not able to follow the conversation? I've even had doctors become angry with me, and one even told me, I talk how I talk. And a lot of people don't understand that I look like I can keep up with you, but I cannot if you're talking too fast. Uh, and they don't have empathy for the fact that a senior citizen or a person with a hidden disability might be struggling.

SPEAKER_00: 41:45

I'm so glad you said that, Antoinette. And I just want to validate every one of your listeners and in your audience who is dealing with a silent wound where you you don't appear to look abnormal to people. Um, I actually just put a post on on LinkedIn uh yesterday about this because you you mentioned us connecting on LinkedIn. Um, but you know, even even I didn't realize what I was dealing with and carrying as a result of my time as an active duty service member. And I'm a brain doctor for crying out loud. I mean, I, you know, so uh there we we all deal with things that to to the untrained eye or to someone who doesn't know you, um, they think you just look like a normal person when in fact internally you could be at war with yourself or you know, barely string a sentence together. It takes all the effort in the world to just, you know, get get a thought out. Um, so I just I just want everyone to know that that, you know, to to to normalize that and and to know that it's okay, that there is hope, and to just try to brush that off as best you can. Uh, and I'm just I'm sorry that you and other people have dealt with that, especially for medical providers, because we we really do know better.

SPEAKER_01: 42:52

Absolutely. Thank you for that. I really appreciate it. I have one final question. Dr. Sonja uh uh Dr. Sonja Lubomirsky, she has this theory, which I subscribed to. I created my whole new normal big life process before learning the theory. After learning the theory, I I saw, wow, I already did that in my life, so it's great. But her hypothesis is 50% of what makes you who you are comes from your genes that are turned off or on. And then 10% is environment, things that happen to you, like a brain injury, for example. But 40% of what makes you who you are is within your control because it's lifestyle changes. So if you could uh leave us with your top three, four, or five, however many you think is important, lifestyle changes that we all can do, whether you have a healthy brain, an injured brain, or an aging brain, to have good cognitive ability throughout our lifetime so that we have not just a longer life, but a more active, happier, healthier life.

SPEAKER_00: 44:06

Absolutely. Well, I would uh I would challenge the assertion that only 40% of our uh health outcomes are lifestyle based. And this this may be splitting hairs here, because we know that that any lifestyle intervention interacts with and changes genetic expression in the body. So, you know, there's uh again, there's some overlap here. But the data that I'm familiar with, and this is something I do try to keep up with, uh that that number is more like 70 to 90 percent of our health outcomes. And I've even read some recent studies that may be a little ambitious, and again, depends on how you interpret all these things, that that it's like 95%, meaning that that let's just say that the majority or the vast majority of your health outcomes are within your control, period. So incredible. It it really is. And and I think that again, the the narrative around, oh, I I'll never do that because it's just my genes, or I'll never overcome this injury or this thing, or my parents had this, therefore I will that that's we we we know that's not true in 99% of cases. I mean, yes, there are some rare heritable genetic conditions for sure. And and again, this is a complex landscape, but uh 70 to 90 percent, perhaps more of all health outcomes are lifestyle based. Um, so with that in mind, um, that that is that is why I have spent so much time trying to simplify this, as I said. And when we look at the brain protocol again, that I went over a minute ago, so the breath work, rest, activity, intake, nurturing, those are the pillars. And that those are the pillars that are evidence-based, that are lifestyle-based, that actually do meaningfully move the needle on our health. Um, so again, we can run through those again uh if you'd like. Um, and if I it's really hard for me to pick even two or three of those because they're all so impactful. Um, I maybe if I had to pick one, uh, you know, if there's if there's one intervention that that turns on the most genes, mechanisms, et cetera, um, probably regular movement or or exercise or different types of exercise are perhaps the most impactful. Um, but that that can't be at the expense of not sleeping, uh, that can't be at the expense of not taking in the proper nutrition or having healthy relationships or lowering our stress or whatever else. So that's it all matters. I mean, it really does. Um, but but maybe exercise first and then the rest kind of on down from there.

SPEAKER_01: 46:33

Well, Dr. Williamson, it has been an absolute pleasure and an honor to get to know you more. And thank you so much for God's work that you're doing. I truly mean that from the bottom of my heart. Where can folks get your book, find you, and connect with you through social media?

SPEAKER_00: 46:54

Absolutely. Well, Antoinette, first off, thank you for having me and and thank you for using your story, your voice, and your platform to help empower others to live a healthy, impactful life because it is just so important, I think, for people to know what's possible and you're you're providing that. So, so thank you for for what you're doing. Um, for for the book, it it's on Amazon. That's probably the easiest place to go. So if you just open up Amazon and type in the incredible brain, that should get you there. Uh we've got all forms from ebook to audiobook. If you want to listen to me talk for 10 hours, which as my wife says, there's no way she'd do that. But if you like the paperback or the hard copy, that's there too. Um, I mentioned the Facebook link, which again we can provide and uh or on all things social media. But but if people go to our our main website, uh that that's Transcend Health Group. So Transcend Healthgroup.com, um, that that'll link to everything, to the book, to you know, our Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, all that good stuff.

SPEAKER_01: 47:52

Perfect. There will be links in the show description. You can also download the transcripts. Thank you so much for joining me today from your cabin in the woods to my cabin in the woods.

SPEAKER_00: 48:03

Yes, Antoinette. Thank you.

SPEAKER_01: 48:05

Until next time, friends, I'm Antoinette Lee, your wellness warrior here at the New Normal Big Life Podcast. I hope one day to see you on the river, in the backcountry, or in the horse vine living your best life. Struggling with health problems or seeking natural health solutions, we've got you covered. Don't miss our latest podcast episodes, exclusive blog posts, and free ebooks packed with life-changing wellness tips. Be sure to help others find this great information by leaving us a star rating and a review wherever you get your podcasts. Magnesium, an unsung hero, fuels over 300 bodily reactions from heart health to stress relief. Magnesium expert Natalie Girado, founder of Rooted In, found freedom from anxiety, insomnia, and pain through topical magnesium. It transformed my life, she says, inspiring her mission to share this mineral's power. Cardiologist Dr. Jack Wolfson calls magnesium essential for heart health, helping regulate rhythms, blood sugar, and reduce inflammation. Up to 80% of people may be deficient facing issues like depression, migraines, insomnia, or muscle cramps. For women over 40, magnesium eases menopause symptoms, boosts energy, and supports bones. Choosing the correct type of magnesium matters. Real stories, Natalie's and mine, highlight its impact. After interviewing magnesium expert Natalie Girado, I became a customer. I was already a magnesium fan, having been told by two cardiologists to take magnesium for a minor heart arrhythmia. Natalie explains it best in the Magnesium the Mineral Transforming Lives episode of New Normal Big Life, number four in Alternative Health on Apple Podcasts. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Fast forward after the interview, I bought the Rooted Inn bundle for sleep, tranquility, and pain relief. As a spine injury survivor with several other health challenges, I'm in constant pain. However, I don't take any pain medication. Rooted in is now one more source that nature provided to give our bodies what it needs when it needs it. You can find magnesium in natural bodies of water like lakes and rivers and in soil. But modern farming practices have stripped magnesium out of the soil and our food. That's why today, Rooted In's rest, relief, and tranquility are part of our afternoon and nightly sleep routine. My guy who did two tours kicking indoors in a rock with the Marines now has no trouble falling asleep. I no longer have to take melatonin before bedtime to fall asleep. So after I became a customer and saw how well these products work, I applied to become an affiliate.