Harvard Professor: The Science Behind Losing Belly Fat, Avoiding Cancer & Living Longer

In this episode, Jake meets with Daniel Lieberman, a renowned researcher in human evolutionary biology and a Professor at Harvard University, to discuss the profound impact of exercise on our health and longevity.

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Daniel delves into the evidence revealing how just a moderate amount of physical activity can significantly lower our risk of death from numerous diseases, including cancer. He challenges the notion of exercise as a modern demand, highlighting its importance for human well-being throughout history.

He also shares personal strategies for staying active, emphasising the social and enjoyable aspects of physical fitness. Daniel also highlights the physiological benefits of exercise, from combating inflammation to promoting mental well-being.

Touching on the importance of sleep, Daniel explains how society can better support healthy lifestyles through public education from a young age. He discusses that improving our exercise habits and diet could drastically enhance our quality of life and reduce chronic diseases.

With insights grounded in evolutionary biology and supported by compelling evidence, this episode challenges us to rethink our relationship with exercise and prioritise health in a sedentary world.

0:00 Introduction
1:00 What Is High Performance?
2:43 21 Minutes a Day
6:49 Take The Stairs
9:17 How Do You Change?
14:10 Fat Is Important
21:39 Brain Repair
23:12 Humans Are Lazy
26:55 Muscle Wasting
29:55 Effects On Mental Health
34:37 Finding Balance
37:09 The Power Of Sleep
41:06 Exercise Makes You Less Tired
46:44 Illness Is Preventable?
48:51 The Optimal Diet
51:19 There Is No Perfect
52:06 Quick-Fire Questions

#HighPerformance #DanielLieberman #HarvardProfessor

[carolpessin]

I’m 79 going on 80 is everything moving your body is the key every couple of hours thank you

[FatiB-pf]

Sometimes people make it complicated although it's much easier than we think. Thank you Daniel Lieberman for your honesty and integrity.

[EgoPlacebo]

I hated sport at school, and it instilled in me a hatred for intentional exercise because I was forced to do sports I hated, with peers I didn't get along with. On the rare occasion that I enjoyed a sport, we'd play it 1 term and never again.

Exercise as part of school is a great idea in theory but if approached wrong it just turns a lot of people off exercise in general!

(at 41, I've finally found some forms of exercise I enjoy, yay!)

[ronsample]

I find Dr. Lieberman to be incredibly knowledgeable and level headed when it comes to exercise and nutrition. I have read both his books and am looking forward to reading the next one.

[drsvs]

Correct your diet first. That gives you energy that you want to use. Activity, especially focused exercise, makes you stronger and happier with your physical image. It takes very little exercise to achieve visible improvement. At age 81 I am amazed at the rejuvenation I have experienced.

[kathynewkirk]

I love to exercise, as a kid I was very active. As an adult, always gone to the gym. Lifted, ran, swam, biked. Did races, did triathlons. At 66, I’m walking, biking, lifting, hiking, dancing…l

[SongbirdRanch]

I’ve been always very active, but I still got colon cancer 🤪 fortunately I’ve been cancer free for almost five years now. 🙏🙏

[joelonsdale]

I'll tell you what I think about Huel - it's highly processed, repulsive artificial muck and you demean yourself by taking their money.

[LEDewey_MD]

Dr. Lieberman's book, "Exercised: Why Something We Never Evolved to Do is Healthy and Rewarding" is an amazingly well written, thorough and humorous read that is packed with useful information and research sources. :)

[kimberleylouiseprance]

After weeks travelling around the UK I find being able to eat healthy very very hard. I have found over the years that if you want to eat healthy you have two options, live in a more prosperous area or shop in a more prosperous area, the cost of food from grocery stores or fruit and vegetable shops isn't much higher but the choices and abundance of less processed foods is. Look at McDonald's etc and they concentrate around lower socioeconomic areas and schools, and grocery stores in those areas have a higher content of unhealthy and 'fast' foods.

[chazwyman]

Exercise is a piss poor way to lose weight. Exercise makes you hungry. It is important to eat the right food. You cannot outrun a bad diet. And out obesity problem is not because of lack of exercise. Exercise is important but that is not why we are all fat. Eating processed food designed to increase hunger has turned us into machines for the food industry. Highly refinded foods based on carbs switches off satiation. This means that the more you eat the more you want to eat. Hunter/Gatherers, even in times of plenty never got overweight because they were evolved to be satified with the food available to them. So eat meat, fish, eggs and greens. Remember that we are not evolved to eat wheat, - pasta, bread, cakes. Root vegetables were rare and fruit was tart and small. But also seasonal. Honey was a one in a blue moon treat. Sugar was otherwise unknown. The supermarket system presents fake food; over grown fruit and veg all year round, and food-like substances in plastic and crdboard packets.

[tunatony]

If you aren't physically active you can count on a shorter life with less vitality. That's the science.

[prakashnarismulu]

This is an amazing conversation thanks 🙏

[thestrongcarnivoress]

High performance is possible with optimal nutrition. Without the nutrients we can’t function as well. We have come away so far from what is natural.
Proper human diet.

[HighPerformancePodcast]

What are your thoughts on the episode? 🤔

[lisengel]

Exercise is Great for energy balance, hormones go up, and for spending more energy and avoiding being fat but if you are not spending energy it causes inflammation, heart disease, arthritis, cancer and keep your brain fit, but irs not enough for loosing weight you will have to be aware of calories density. ❤

[Johnson-xxpm]

Loved this, but the biggest problem we face is that there is no money to be made from promoting healthier lifestyles v billions made in food and healthcare sectors. Strong political lobby from these sectors adds resistance.

[lorraine]

Exercise might on average lower the risk of death from colon cancer but not always. My husband was a fit, strong mechanic, on his feet all day, who regularly went hunting in a nearby mountain range for pleasure and would rather chop thistles on our hilly farmlet than watch TV. Yet he was diagnosed with Stage 4 bowel cancer at 54 and died aged 61. Misdiagnosis by 3 incompetent GPs meant the cancer wasn't picked up much, much earlier. So exercise and fitness isn't a cure-all.

[judiechamblee]

Get a couple of dogs to run with everyday..it is something to watch /interact with as you run..and the dogs love it..especially if you have two or three becase they play ..dogs really love to run with you..swim.and play games with you..

[kerrissedai]

I work with women who have gestational diabetes. It's been my observation that if a woman is physically active for at least 1 hour a day for 5 days...they never had problems keeping their blood sugars under control.