The Science of Supper: Transform Your Health Through Family Meals – Shawn Stevenson

Dave Asprey

Mar 12, 2024

Episode description

Today’s guest is none other than Shawn Stevenson. If you’re not already familiar with Shawn’s work, he’s the author of the USA Today National bestseller Eat Smarter, the international bestselling book Sleep Smarter, and the creator of the widely popular health podcast, The Model Health Show.

Shawn is one of those guys who embodies peace and calm, after an impressively transformative journey stemming from a background of health challenges at least as severe as mine. After recovering, he became a researcher and nutritionist experienced in biology and nutritional science.

We dive into a crucial element of biohacking I am always keen to highlight—friendship, or in this case, community.

Based on research from Shawn’s latest book, Eat Smarter Family Cookbook, we talk about his current mission on the path to wellness: creating a culture of wellness around the dinner table, how communal meals impact our health and longevity, and filling the void of connection we all so desperately need these days.

Shawn shares insights from his own family’s dinner table, his tips for implementing family meals into your weekly routine, and the encouraging science and data behind how it supports physical and spiritual nourishment, nervous system regulation, stress management, and more.

If you like this episode, I encourage you to go pick out a good cut of meat and cook food for someone you care about—or simply do anything that's an act of service that nourishes another human being. Here’s to cultivating strong relationships, imbuing our food with love, and honoring the act of nourishing ourselves and our families.

(00:01:16) Cultivating Peace & Presence Through Nervous System Regulation

(00:10:00) Cultural Connections to Health, Longevity & Childhood Obesity

(00:25:20) Family Dinners for Nourishment, Mindfulness & Building Stronger Bonds

(00:43:45) Kids in the Kitchen: Fostering Enjoyment, Skill & Service in Cooking

(00:59:48) Heart Meditations, Trauma Healing & the Science of Emotional Exchange

Mindsip insights from this episode:

Establish a healthy microculture within your household

Instead of trying to change the broader culture, the most powerful way to create change is by establishing a healthy 'microculture' within your own household first.

#culture

#family

Prioritize social bonds over diet and exercise for longevity

A massive meta-analysis from Brigham Young University found that healthy social relationships were a greater determinant of longevity than beating obesity, smoking, or exercise.

#longevity

#relationships

Surround yourself with positive nervous systems to elevate your mindset

A modern take on a classic saying is that you are the average of the five nervous systems you spend the most time with, as brainwaves sync up during conversation.

#mindset

#nervous-system

Acknowledge lasting impact of your DNA on energy

In a 'phantom DNA' experiment, biophotons in a vacuum conformed to the shape of human DNA and remained in that structure even after the DNA was removed, suggesting our energy has a lasting impact.

#DNA

#energy

Hum to boost nitric oxide production and regulate your nervous system

The simple act of humming can trigger your body to produce more nitric oxide and create a vibration that can help sync your cells and regulate your nervous system.

#nervous-system

#nitric-oxide

Protect endothelial glycocalyx to safeguard vascular health

The endothelial glycocalyx is an ultra-thin lining protecting your 60,000 miles of blood vessels, and it can be restored and protected with a product called Arterosil HP.

#endothelial

#glycocalyx

Boost ATP production and accelerate healing with Leela Quantum Block

The Leela Quantum Block is a product backed by randomized, double-blind studies showing it can boost ATP production by 20-29% and accelerate wound healing.

#ATP

#healing

Prioritize family dinners to manage work stress

A study on tech workers found that consistently eating dinner with their family allowed them to better metabolize high work stress, keeping morale and productivity high.

#family

#stress

Instill leadership and kindness by serving others first

A way to teach children leadership and kindness is to instill the rule that they must ensure everyone else at the table is served before they take their own food.

#children

#parenting

Prioritize three family meals weekly to reduce childhood obesity risk

Research in the journal Pediatrics found that eating just three family meals per week was the minimum effective dose to significantly lower a child's risk of developing obesity or disordered eating.