How to Vet Health Products with Gary Binkow

Natalie Tysdal (02:00)

Gary, thank you so much for taking the time. We have a lot in common, one kind of in the media world, but second in just our passion for holistic health.

Thanks for having me now.

GB Videos (02:11)

thanks for having me, Natalie.

I'm excited to talk to you and your audience.

Natalie Tysdal (02:14)

Well, I want to start with something I know you are really passionate about in this new company, or maybe not so know, you'll have to tell me. And that is the safety, the ⁓ contents of what we buy for vitamins and supplements.

Yes.

GB Videos (02:30)

Yeah, so

we have a big problem ⁓ and I'm always surprised because I live in my own little bubble. The people aren't really aware of this, but ⁓ you know, the supplement industry is unregulated. It's not that I'm a huge fan of regulation, there's zero regulation, which means it's a wild west. So you have supplement brands that can actually make crazy claims or making, you know, basically saying there's ingredients on the bottle that actually aren't

Natalie Tysdal (02:56)

saying there's a green from the.

GB Videos (02:59)

enough of an ingredient to have a, you know, therapeutic benefit. And then you also have this problem we have on Amazon and other big box retailers where we have all of these, you know, resellers that are copying brands. So that looks like the brand you want. Label looks really close. And Amazon is actually not that sort of restrictive in terms of where the product is shipped from. It wants to ship the product to the closest, from the closest distribution center to you.

Natalie Tysdal (03:10)

Yeah. really close ⁓ and Amazon is actually not that sort of restrictive in terms of where the product is shipped from. They want to ship the product from the closest distribution center to you

and so if it's fake product they don't really care. They don't seem to care about regulating.

GB Videos (03:28)

And so if it's fake product, they don't really care. They don't seem to care about regulating that.

⁓ Or if it's the real product, they don't really pay attention to it either. So I think it's a really scary thought that you might order a product from a brand that you thought was great, and then all of sudden you get it home and it's not exactly right to label a little off and it's not the right product. So those are some of the big issues that

Natalie Tysdal (03:33)

the real product they don't really pay attention to either so I think it's a really scary thought that you might order a product from a brand you thought was great and then all of a sudden you see you get it out not exactly right the label

Those are some of the big issues

GB Videos (03:51)

of us are facing right now.

Natalie Tysdal (03:51)

all of us are facing right now.

and to take even a step back, one of the biggest issues is, what do I need to take? Like, you know, I hear that I should be taking a B vitamin. I hear I should be taking fish oil. And so figuring that out first. And then you just go online thinking you're just buying something that's good for you. So how do we get around this? What do we need to do?

GB Videos (04:14)

Well, this is the trickiest part. I've been, you know, interested in alternative, integrative, holistic health for my entire life. I said, this isn't something new, although it's gaining a lot more momentum since the pandemic. Obviously people are way more, you know, kind of concentrated, unfocused on their health because we want to be optimal. We want our immune system to be, you know, functioning properly. So the tricky part is that everybody's different. So what may work for me may not work for you.

Natalie Tysdal (04:38)

So the tricky part

GB Videos (04:43)

But there are some pretty big consistent sort of themes that you know the scientific literature has uncovered which is one many of us are deficient in magnesium Vitamin D ⁓ is almost essential to us for our immune and health So I think you need to get some from the Sun too much Sun can be DNA damaging and cause problems ⁓ and then we have other sort of areas like creatines now kind of exploding because they're showing so much benefits not just for

Natalie Tysdal (04:44)

big consistent sort of themes that, you know.

now kind of exploding because they're showing so much benefits not just for

GB Videos (05:13)

you know, muscle synthesis, which a bodybuilders have been taking creatine forever. But now they're showing neurological benefits, which is amazing, you know, that you can actually help Alzheimer's patients or people that are having cognitive decline, either

Natalie Tysdal (05:13)

you muscle synthesis which the bodybuilders have been taking creatine forever but now they're neurological benefits which is amazing you know that you can actually help Alzheimer's patients or people that are having cognitive decline either

GB Videos (05:27)

halt or reverse the decline by taking creatine. So there's some supplements, you know, and depending on your age, as you get older, we start to lose the, you know, the bioavailability, some of these nutrients. So vitamin B12 and...

Natalie Tysdal (05:29)

So there's some supplements, know, and depending on your age, as you get older, we start to lose the bioavailability.

GB Videos (05:42)

protein becomes more important to supplement than when you're younger. But of course, eating a ⁓ healthy, balanced, nutritious, whole food diet is always the best approach. Just sometimes we can't always get the best nutrients out of our food system these days, because it's been neutered through the ⁓ agricultural

Natalie Tysdal (05:45)

when you're younger. But of course, eating a healthy, balanced, nutritious, whole food diet is always the best approach. Sometimes we can't always get the best nutrients out of our food system these days because it's been neutered through the agricultural

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I mean, you say, let's lower our toxins. That's such a buzzword right now. How do you even do that when we live in America and it's hard to

pay for and find and source all of the right things so that we're eating without the pesticides and without all of those problems. staying on the supplement topic, tell me about the company that you formed and how you vet some of these products.

GB Videos (06:33)

Yeah. So I had my own health journey.

I got diagnosed with a blood disorder about 15 years ago. was getting my colonoscopy, you know, my ⁓ first colonoscopy and I was ⁓ trying to sort of stay ahead of the health game. And then they discovered that I have this blood disorder that was, you know, ⁓ creating platelets that too many platelets that my bone marrow was generating. So of course I went into a panic. I'm like, wait, I'm the healthiest person. I don't understand.

So there is a genetic variation of what I have, and then there's the environmentally acquired variation. And so I went down this rabble hole to find out what it is in my environment that is creating havoc in my body. How can I reverse this? And so I found a lot of misinformation out there. found it was I spent hundreds of thousands of hours reading articles, trying to find research, Googling. Everybody goes to Doc.

Natalie Tysdal (07:04)

There is a genetic variation of what I have and then.

GB Videos (07:27)

Google right away and there's just not a really clear understanding. My doctors certainly didn't have any ⁓ insights for me because they're not built for that. They're built for like, okay, here's a pill, take the pill, it's gonna treat the issue, not the root cause. So I think I found that there's a need for a marketplace or at least one platform people can go find vetted and trusted products, everything from saunas to mattresses.

Natalie Tysdal (07:34)

insights for me because they're not built for that. They're built for like, okay, here's a pill, take the pill. I'm going to treat the issue, not the root cause. I think I found that there is a need for a marketplace or at least one platform to go find bedded and trusted products.

GB Videos (07:56)

bedding, air and water filtration, and supplements from brands that are being committed to transparency and are committed to testing. if you find a brand that's not willing to share the test, their COAs, their certificate of analysis on their products, wouldn't support it or wouldn't purchase that product. ⁓ These brands have been hiding under this sort of lack of regulation and promoting ⁓ fake cures and fake

Natalie Tysdal (07:57)

air and water filtration and supplements from brands that are being committed to transparency and are committed to testing. if you find a brand that's not willing to share the tests or COAs or certificate of analysis on their products, wouldn't support it or wouldn't purchase that product. ⁓ These brands have been hiding under this sort of lack of regulation.

fake ⁓ cures and

GB Videos (08:26)

you know, benefits for products that actually do no good and probably don't even have what they say they have in it. So for us, we have a medical review team. We look at every product, not just from a brand-wise,

Natalie Tysdal (08:27)

benefits for products that actually do no good and probably don't even have what they say they have in them. So for us, we have a medical review team. We look at every product, not just from a brand line.

GB Videos (08:39)

but every skew from that brand. So some brands we carry, we don't carry all of their products because some of them didn't meet our standards. We look for heavy metals, which is a big problem. We look to make sure the nutrient panel has what it says it has. Does it have the right amount of vitamin B and other ingredients?

Natalie Tysdal (08:40)

few from that brand. So some brands would carry, we don't carry all of their products because some of them didn't meet our standards. We look for heavy metals, which is a big problem. We look to make sure the nutrient panel has what it says it has, does it have the right amount of vitamin B and other ingredients.

And then we also look to make sure that they're testing frequently, meaning almost every batch should be tested, not just once a year or once every three years.

GB Videos (08:56)

⁓ And then we also look to make sure that they're testing frequently, meaning almost every batch should be tested, not just once a year or once every three years

or once when they created the product, because the formulations change, the ingredients change, and so you want a consistent pattern for that. So we do that. Then we had a toxicologist review all of our personal care items and, you know, everything from shampoos to skin, sunscreen. We look at all of the ingredients to make sure there's no

Natalie Tysdal (09:05)

they create the product because the formulations change, the ingredients change, so you want a consistent pattern for that. ⁓ we do that, then we have a toxicologist review all of our personal care items and everything from shampoos to skin, sunscreen. We look at all of the ingredients to make sure there's no...

GB Videos (09:26)

you know, toxic ingredients that could potentially have disruptive impact. So hormone disruptants, carcinogenic products, or anything else that might actually adversely harm your health. Nothing is 100 % foolproof, but we try to lower our risk. We want to lower our toxic body burden. That's our mission and what we're trying to do. Just even 15 to 20 % can have a massive impact on your health.

Natalie Tysdal (09:27)

you toxic ingredients that could potentially have disruptive impacts. So hormone disruptions. ⁓

Yeah,

wow. It's like taking all the products out there. think sometimes I walk into Whole Foods and I think

Are all these things good just because they're at Whole Foods? Not necessarily. Or any store. It can be so overwhelming when we don't know what the ingredient list is all about, what these big words are. And so for you to do that research for people, and you said you have a group of people, doctors, others, like how does that process work in vetting these things?

GB Videos (10:23)

Yeah, so we

researchers and basically people who sort of live their lives geeking out on ingredients and also contraindications. This is a big issue also. It's like if you're taking medication and you're taking a supplement, that supplement actually might be harming you more because of the medication you're taking. So we always recommend check with your doctor if you're on medications because there are a lot. Also,

Natalie Tysdal (10:32)

Yeah.

Yeah.

GB Videos (10:51)

you know, what's the best time of day to take certain ⁓ supplements and matters as well. But we do have a team of people that kind of look at everything. Now we've kind of consolidated into this digital AI process. We built our own sort of LLM to evaluate products so we can kind of do it more automated. And, you know, the good news is there's a lot of voices out there also promoting this. Like we want cleaner, we demand better. ⁓ And I just want to...

Natalie Tysdal (10:51)

you what's the best time of day to take certain supplements and matters as well. But we do have a team of people that kind of look at everything. Now we kind of consolidated it into

And you know the good news is there's a lot of voices out there also promoting this like we want clear we demand

GB Videos (11:18)

point this out because if I'm listening to this podcast, I'm probably hearing some of your audience say, no, here we go. I can't eat this. I can't do that. I shouldn't sleep here. I am not doing that. Like everything that's harming us in our environment. ⁓ And I look at it as like, this is like a citizen science ⁓ endeavor. So we all, you know, can make a difference with consumer activism by letting brands know that we don't stand for red dives in our kids.

Natalie Tysdal (11:19)

because if I'm listening to this podcast, I'm probably hearing some of your audio.

I look at it as like this is like a citizen science ⁓ endeavor. So we all can make a difference with consumer activism by letting brands know that we won't stand for red dyes in our kids'

and we won't stand for...

GB Videos (11:48)

foods and we won't stand for ⁓

preservatives and glyphosate spraying, which is round up on our crops. And we won't stand for unhealthy ingredients because the more pressure you put on these CPG companies and supplement companies and brands, the more they're going to listen because they want to sell products. So if they feel like they can get away with putting crap ingredients, they're going to get away with it because no one's holding them accountable. So I think that's where we all.

Natalie Tysdal (11:51)

Yeah brands the more they're ⁓ going to listen because they want to sell products so if they feel like they can get away with putting know crap ingredients they're going to get away with it because no one's holding them accountable yeah that's where we all

have a goal to play and sort of bang the drum and what you're doing with your podcast

GB Videos (12:16)

have a role to play and sort of bang the drum and what you're doing with your podcasts.

And even if you're out there, you don't have a podcast, you have a role. You can write letters, can DM brands on Instagram, you can ask them to show their transparency and commitment to clean ingredients. That makes a difference.

Natalie Tysdal (12:28)

show their transparency and commitment to clean ingredients, that makes a

Yeah, I couldn't agree more. It's really one of the goals I have here is just to educate people. Because if you don't know, you're just eating the same thing that you grew up eating, which has all of these things in it. So the more we can do, the more we can learn, the better off we all are. So I mentioned ⁓ in the introduction your backgrounds.

GB Videos (12:52)

Yeah.

Natalie Tysdal (12:58)

But can we pivot for just a minute and talk about how the background that you have in Hollywood and in media, how that has helped you in this new venture? I mean, I'm a storyteller, so I know that that's where you come from too. And that can help us in getting this word out.

GB Videos (13:17)

Yeah, you know, it's

amazing. I think, ⁓ I coach people and businesses on this as well, which is that everybody has a story to tell. And it, the question is, are you able to articulate your story? Do you have your voice? You know, have you channeled your voice by the way, which is also really important for your health. It's not just taking supplements and you know, exercising and sleeping. It's also about your, you know, your mental and emotional wellbeing. ⁓ but I think.

My story is, don't know how or why it happened, but I have my whole life, you know, wanted to sort of tell stories on a grand scale. And so I was always obsessed with movies and wanting to be in the movie business. I spent many, many years in the business, produced a lot of movies, had a lot of success. And at the peak of my success, I realized that ⁓ if I could make a bigger impact on the world, I needed to do something that was more directly connecting.

Natalie Tysdal (13:46)

My story is, I don't know how.

And at the peak of my success, I realized that ⁓ if I could make a bigger impact on the world, I needed to do something that was more directly connecting

to people. was at that time, this is 20 years ago, the sort of early days of social media. And we didn't know what this was. This is the early days of Facebook and YouTube and...

GB Videos (14:15)

to people and it was at that time, this is 20 years ago, the sort of early days of social media and we didn't know what this was. This is the early days of Facebook and YouTube and Twitter

Natalie Tysdal (14:27)

and these social platforms were revolutionizing not just the way people consume content, it revolutionized the way creators could connect with their audiences. we wound up, I

GB Videos (14:27)

and these social platforms were revolutionizing not just, you know, the way people consume content, it revolutionized the way creators could connect with their audiences. So we wound up,

Natalie Tysdal (14:43)

left the movie business to kind of help artists manage their digital careers. We work with some of biggest digital creators on the planet.

GB Videos (14:43)

You know, I left the movie business to kind of help artists manage their digital careers. We work with some of the biggest digital creators on the planet and

we help them find their voice on digital and also monetize their audiences. So I think for me, I started with telling long form stories, know, two hour movies. Then I went into social where I had to turn, learn how to coach people and how to tell six second stories, which is the early days of Vine was a six second platform.

Natalie Tysdal (14:53)

find their voice on digital and also monetize their audiences. So I think for me, I started with telling long form stories, you two hour movies, then I went into social where I had to learn how to coach people how to tell six second stories, which is literally the volume of a six second.

Yeah,

yeah. And it's actually quite remarkable and difficult to do if you watch TikTok like I do. There's some really, really talented people out there that have mastered this craft of how to get engaging storytelling done.

GB Videos (15:14)

And it's actually quite remarkable and difficult to do if you watch TikTok like I do. There's some really, really talented people out there that have mastered this craft of how to of get engaging storytelling done in

a very short period of time. And I think that's an art form that people don't really

Natalie Tysdal (15:31)

art form that people don't really

Yeah. So that then led to a completely different, but yet you're still telling a story, a completely different business in holistic health.

not really.

GB Videos (15:44)

not really.

I, I got hired by this very famous doctor, Walter Longo, who, from the university of Southern California. He created a product called ProLum, which is a fasting mimicking diet, a five day fast program. And I got kind of recruited by him and his CEO to come help them build their direct to consumer business. And the reason why they wanted me to do this is because

They had a product called the fasting mimicking diet. So these are the three worst words you could probably put together in a product. It's a fasting. Nobody wants to fast. Mimicking. What does that mean? It's fake and diet. Nobody

Natalie Tysdal (16:15)

It's fasting, nobody wants to fast. Minicking, what does that mean? It's break. And diet, nobody

GB Videos (16:21)

to diet. So I'm like, Oh my God, this is like, it's the most difficult thing I've ever come

Natalie Tysdal (16:21)

to diet. So I'm going to to This all has to change. It's the most different.

GB Videos (16:26)

And so they, they go, need to tell our brand story. You have to help us figure out how to tell our brand story.

to consumers and that lit me up. I was like, that's really exciting because it combines my experience in storytelling, my love for marketing and brand messaging and selling, because I also believe that's a real art form as well. And combining it with health, which is something that I've like, this is another passion of mine. So to me, this was like the perfect alignment that sort of catapulted me into, I spent two years with him, helped him build that from, you know,

really tiny business to over a billion dollar valuation within two years. And then I started this company, The Swell Score, with my partner to help a wider array of people improve their health outcomes by getting access to better products. there is a connection to it all.

Natalie Tysdal (17:11)

score.

people improve their health outcomes by getting access to better products. So there is a connection to it all.

So the Swell Score is the company that vets the products and it is membership based as the research that I've done. So a small price to then get access to all this information.

GB Videos (17:35)

Well, you don't have to be a member. didn't want to sort of exclude people from purchasing, but we were, we're battling a few things. One, we want to find evidence-based solutions. Is there enough science and research to support it? And sometimes that's anecdotal. So, ⁓ if, if enough people, when you asked me earlier about which vitamins and supplements should I take, like if you, if you try something and you feel good, it's improving your well-being.

Natalie Tysdal (17:55)

Yeah.

GB Videos (18:02)

whether part of that's placebo or not, I don't know why people even debate that. Placebos are very impactful, ⁓ you know, benefit of, you know, health benefits. So I think those are all very viable ways that we can help people in their health outcomes. And so, yeah, that's why we have the swell score. So everything from saunas to cold plunges to...

Natalie Tysdal (18:08)

Hmm.

benefit of health benefits. So I think those are all very

Yeah, that's why we have the swell score. So everything from saunas to cold plunges to,

as I said, air and water filtration, all can impact your health in really profound

GB Videos (18:29)

you know, as I said, know, air and water filtration all can impact your health in really profound

Natalie Tysdal (18:34)

So you can purchase those things on the swell score website?

Yeah. mean, again, you don't have to be a member, but- Okay.

GB Videos (18:39)

Yeah. I mean, it's again, you don't have to be a member, but with a

membership, this is what I was getting. We're trying to battle the access and cost. So these brands, don't sell our own brands. only curating other products, other ⁓ brands. They don't like it when you sell it for less than what they advertise their product for, because it impacts their whole ecosystem.

Natalie Tysdal (18:46)

Yeah. ⁓

They don't like it when you sell it for less than what they advertise their product for.

GB Videos (19:02)

So the way that we get around that is we have a membership program. So it's almost behind a pay while you get access to exclusive pricing. And these prices are even lower than you'll get on Amazon. We'd love to encourage you to not buy an Amazon. So I can compete with Amazon on price without making the brands angry or getting upset about us offering at such a low price. What that means is we make a lot less money on this. We're trying to pass along the access to more people.

Natalie Tysdal (19:28)

Yeah, most importantly, though, I think as ⁓ a health journalist and trying to get people this information is you're only giving the stuff that's good because everybody's just buying off the shelf or just going on Amazon or another website. We keep throwing Amazon under the bus. But, you know, to know that it's vetted, to know that you can get what you really need. If you're going to spend the money on it, you're to take the time to do it. You want to know that it's good stuff.

Yeah.

GB Videos (19:56)

Yeah, I mean,

I think the other ⁓ thing, the other lesson I've learned, this has been, ⁓ you know, almost four years since we started the swell score is that there is no, there are no absolutes, you know, there's no, there's no, you know, absolute truth. There's somewhere in the middle in terms of what works and what doesn't work. There's, there's certain things, you know, I've done metformin, I've done almost everything you can possibly imagine, NAD, ⁓ you know, injections and I've done everything.

And some things worked for me and others didn't. So just because some billionaire is ⁓ trying to live to 120 and what he does is working for him doesn't mean it's gonna work for you. And you don't need to be a billionaire or a millionaire to try and optimize your health. There's so many things you can do that are so free basically, it don't cost anything. And so I've discovered a lot of this. So some of the stuff we sell works. ⁓

Natalie Tysdal (20:46)

you free basically, it don't cost anything. And so I've discovered a lot of this. So some of the stuff we sell works

for some people and some of it doesn't work for other people. We try to play in the sort of field of like, is there enough preponderance of evidence to support its use? Is this a brand that's committed to ⁓ help, you know, in terms of like their ingredients or even like with saunas, are they low EMS saunas?

GB Videos (20:54)

for some people and some of it doesn't work for other people, but we try to play in the sort of field of like, is there enough preponderance of evidence to support its use? Is this a brand that's committed to ⁓ health, you know, in terms of like their ingredients or even like with saunas, are they low EMS saunas? There's a lot of

people selling like sauna blankets that are super high in EMF. So while you're detoxing in a sauna blanket, you're exposing your body too high.

Natalie Tysdal (21:14)

sonoblankets that are super high emf so while you're detoxing and it's on like you're exposing your body to high

GB Videos (21:20)

electromagnetic frequencies, which can cause another form of harm. So we're trying to give people the best choices that we can

Natalie Tysdal (21:20)

electromagnetic frequencies which can cause another form of harm. We're trying to give people the best choices.

Well you just mentioned there are things that we can do overall that are going to start to help this process and I appreciate that that you're promoting that not just products on your website so thank you. But let's talk about some of those things. Let's talk about

detoxing. ⁓ That's really big for me right now. Like I've learned a lot from me personally, my own health and my genes and that detoxing is harder for me in the genes that I have than it is for other people. So what are some ways and my doctor gave me this, I'm sure you've heard this analogy, but I think it's important for people to hear that we're exposed to toxins no matter what we do. We just are from EMFs or what's in our food that we can try to eliminate ⁓ all around us.

So if the bucket's filling up, how can we be sure it doesn't overflow? How can we just try to minimize some of these toxins? So talk to me about ways that you do that or that you would advise people or promote just lowering the toxins in your life.

GB Videos (22:31)

That's a really big, that's probably a whole nother podcast because I'm also obsessed with our homes and our environmental toxins because I have a condition that was caused by environmental toxic exposures. There's no question. I just did a function health panel and you know, I've done it for the last, I've done it for the last six or eight months. And, one of the indicators came back that I have a lot of, not surprising, a lot of PFAS or these sort of plastics that are in my system, right?

Natalie Tysdal (22:35)

of steps with our homes and our environmental.

today.

and

GB Videos (23:00)

So almost all of us have now our higher exposure to plastics. They're everywhere in our environment. So I think to me, our home environments, where you sleep and where you spend the most time is, you know, in your home are the place that I would start first, which is, well, before sleep, I would make sure you're filtering your water, you have some sort of water filtration. And then the air that you breathe, which is also the most, you know,

Natalie Tysdal (23:07)

think to me our home environment is where you sleep and...

Make sure you're filtering your water.

And then.

GB Videos (23:30)

kind of impactful way to inhale VOCs. In our homes today, we have over two to five times more VOCs, which are called volatile organic compounds. They're inside our homes

Natalie Tysdal (23:30)

impactful way to inhale VOCs. In our homes today we have over two to five times more VOCs which are called volatile organic compounds. They're inside our

GB Videos (23:42)

they are outside of our home. So, well, like, you know,

Natalie Tysdal (23:42)

than they are outside. Wow. Examples of that. Yeah. What would that be?

GB Videos (23:47)

looking at your couch and in your background, it depends on the textiles. If you have a carpet, you know, have carpeting all throughout your home, there's how is that carpeting made? Is it made through acrylics and polyester and those?

you know, if you have pets, come knock those up into the air. And if you notice that all the dust that accumulates on your shelf space, those are all volatile organic compounds that you can actually see, but there's a lot that you can't see. If the paint that you used in your home has some sort of ⁓ you know, gases that are coming off when it gets hot or when you're trapping the air inside. So ⁓ your mattress, you know, we used to make mattresses to be, ⁓

Natalie Tysdal (24:05)

based on

if the paint you used in your home has some sort of a gap that are coming off.

So ⁓ your mattress, we used to make mattresses to be ⁓

GB Videos (24:26)

fire retardant, know, flame retardant in mattresses

Natalie Tysdal (24:26)

fire retardant, flame retardant mattress.

GB Videos (24:28)

is probably the most toxic thing you can have. That flame retardant is also in your couch, you know, it's like formaldehyde based. And these can have very difficult impact on your respiratory health and your brain health. So I'm a big believer in trying to lower that exposure. So there's a few things that I recommend you do, even if you can't afford anything, there's a few things you can do that are free.

Natalie Tysdal (24:31)

flame return is also in your couch. You it's like a formaldehyde base. And these can have very difficult impact on your respiratory health and your brain health. So I'm a big believer in trying to lower that exposure. So there's a few things that I recommend you do even if you can't afford it.

GB Videos (24:57)

⁓ One is highly recommend you donate blood. So there's been a number of studies, especially one out of Australia where they had firefighters that are exposed to that formaldehyde fire flame retardant because they spray it all day long and they had them donate blood once a month for three months, actually plasma, blood plasma. And they were able to lower their blood toxicity, the plastic toxicity in their blood.

Natalie Tysdal (24:57)

⁓ One is highly recommend you donate blood. So there's been a number of studies, especially one out of Australia where they had firefighters.

and they were able to lower their blood toxicity, the plastic toxicity in their blood

GB Videos (25:24)

by 20 % or more. So I actually did this. So when I mentioned I got the function health test and I saw my high BPAs, I went and did this protocol for three months and I retested. And of course I had a 25 % reduction. So I'm like, I didn't do anything else

Natalie Tysdal (25:24)

by 20 % or more. So I actually did this. So when I mentioned I got the functional test and I saw my high BPAs, I went and did this protocol for three months and I retested. And of course I had a 25 % reduction. So I'm like, I didn't do anything else.

GB Videos (25:41)

except that. Giving blood is free and they need blood. So I recommend you give blood.

Natalie Tysdal (25:48)

I just did something similar because my iron levels were high and I went to my functional doctor and they're like, you're going to feel better if you just go give blood tonight. I went straight over. She said, you're going to have more energy if you get rid of some of that iron. Sure enough, worked great. And I'd never had high iron my life. Most of my life I've had low iron levels. So to be tracking that.

and for the reasons that you're saying. That's great.

GB Videos (26:11)

Yeah, I mean, I

women, you know,

have less of an issue because you're giving blood every month to a certain degree, but it's a different, to give plasma, I think it's a different impact, but I recommend, regardless, donate blood. I think it's a healthy thing to do. And another thing you can do, which is actually really interesting, it doesn't cost a lot of money, is eat more broccoli sprouts. Broccoli sprouts are a great detox, or they detox benzene, which is a...

Natalie Tysdal (26:18)

Yeah. ⁓

GB Videos (26:41)

a pollutant, an air pollutant that comes from car exhausts and we're exposed to it everywhere. And they've discovered that eating broccoli sprouts can have a huge impact on detoxing

Natalie Tysdal (26:47)

And did they discover that eating broccoli sprouts can have a huge impact on detoxing your

GB Videos (26:54)

body.

Natalie Tysdal (26:54)

body?

Not just broccoli, but broccoli sprouts, which by the way, I'm growing some. I just did this yesterday. It's funny that you're mentioning this because I bought a kit and I'm growing broccoli sprouts in my kitchen as of yesterday.

GB Videos (26:56)

Rock with Rose.

I

that. I grew, I grow sprouts. grow all sorts of things. It's so easy to grow. have, I have like a brown thumb. So if I can grow sprouts, anybody can do it. It's actually really fun. It's fun to do with your kids, to teach them how to grow your own food. super for, for pennies on the dollar. You can get some amazing benefits, but if you don't want to grow, you can also take a product like this, which is Avamacall, which is kind of like a concentrated broccoli sprout pill. Um, but I think eating sprouts is the best. Um.

Natalie Tysdal (27:11)

Yeah.

You

Yeah.

GB Videos (27:37)

And then the other things that you can do to improve your health that don't cost a lot of money is ⁓ sleep. If you can optimize your sleep, it has such a restorative impact on your health. If anything you can do to sleep better, whether it's making sure the room is dark or maybe wearing a sleep mask, lowering the noise pollutants that may be coming into your room, because those little noise sounds keep you waking up. ⁓

Natalie Tysdal (27:43)

is ⁓ sleep. you can optimize your sleep, has such a restorative.

sleep better whether it's making sure the room is dark and or maybe wearing a sleep mask lowering the noise pollutants that may be coming into your room because those little noise sounds keep you waking up yeah and

for those of us who had kids and our sleep forever disrupted by having kids because you sleep with one eye open I'm waiting here the kids are crying yeah I've now had disruptive sleep but you have to try to repair that and another way you can improve your

GB Videos (28:03)

For those of us who've had kids and are sleep forever disrupted by having kids, because you sleep with one eye open, I'm waiting to hear if the kids are crying, is there something wrong? I've now had disruptive sleep, but you have to try to repair that. And another way you can improve your, as we get older,

melatonin production, because we lose melatonin as we get older, is eating walnuts. Walnuts is one of the greatest superfoods on the planet. Walnuts can help...

Natalie Tysdal (28:21)

Melatonin production because we lose melatonin as we get older is eating walnuts. Walnuts is one of the greatest superfoods on the planet. Walnuts can help,

they produce melatonin. It's also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is something we're a lot of.

GB Videos (28:31)

They produce melatonin. It's also a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which is something where a lot of us

are deficient in as well. But that also can help you optimize your sleep.

Natalie Tysdal (28:39)

But that also can help you optimize your sleep.

And before bed or anytime just eat walnuts.

GB Videos (28:44)

it doesn't

matter when you're eating them. I mean, you only need a cupful, maybe it's 20 walnut halves. ⁓ And then if you can afford it, my one protocol that I will take with me on a deserted island is a sauna, our personal sauna. If you can afford to sweat out the toxins, then you are...

Natalie Tysdal (28:47)

Yeah.

Yeah.

to sweat out the toxins, then you are,

there's so many metabolic benefits to doing weekly saunas.

GB Videos (29:10)

There's so many metabolic benefits to doing weekly saunas

and there's so much research on it. And it doesn't matter if it's infrared or finish or whatever. Even doing hot baths or doing ⁓ hot tub can have a similar impact, but sauna is fantastic. It helps you loosen your muscles. It helps you with your cardiac health. It helps you release the toxins from your ⁓ sweat glands. So I think that's something I

Natalie Tysdal (29:20)

hot baths.

But sauna is fantastic. It helps you loosen your muscles. It helps you with your cardiac health. It helps you release the toxins from your sweat glands. think that's something

GB Videos (29:37)

recommend as well.

Natalie Tysdal (29:36)

would recommend. What's kind

of a base level? Like I'm hearing so much about saunas. I've done them on and off. what's a base level price for someone if you're going to buy it? Obviously in your home is going to be a lot easier. is that if you have access to a sauna, I'm always a little bit weirded out by shared saunas.

So what's kind of a base level you'd have to buy for your home?

GB Videos (29:59)

Well, of course

biased because we sell a personal sauna that's called the Sauna Doctor, which is our lowest model. And we also have the TheraSage 360. These are tent saunas. So your head sticks out, which actually is shown to be more beneficial because you can stay in it longer. When your head is under the sauna, your head absorbs the most heat. So you can't stand the heat because of your head. That's why people wear sauna hats.

Natalie Tysdal (30:22)

Yeah.

GB Videos (30:25)

But in this tent sauna, which they retail for about $1,400, we're often doing sales

where they're 20 to 25 % off. So we want to make them more affordable to people. With a membership, you're getting the cheapest price as well. So I think the personal tent sauna, as long as it's not, you can find them on Amazon, also cheaper, but they're high EMF. Some of these companies just put these electro infrared panels in them and they're actually causing more harm.

Natalie Tysdal (30:33)

So we want

⁓ I think the personal tent sauna, as long as it's not, you can find them on Amazon.

red panels in them.

GB Videos (30:55)

We like their massage because they actually mitigate the EMS by shielding all of the electrical components in it. So I personally love that sauna. And I also own a cabin sauna too. So I have a full sauna, but I use my portable tent more often than I do the cabin because it's so convenient.

Natalie Tysdal (30:55)

like they're it's not because they actually mitigate the EMS by shielding all of the electrical components in it. I personally love that sauna and I also go to cabin sauna too so I have a full sauna but I use my portable tent more often than I do the cabin.

And you do it every day?

I try to

GB Videos (31:14)

⁓ I try to do

it every day. Certainly it's a lot easier to do in the winter time than it

in the summertime. ⁓

Natalie Tysdal (31:19)

Yeah, yeah.

GB Videos (31:21)

but at least three or four times a week can have a three or three to four times sauna use a week at 20 minutes of a sauna session can have a 40 % all cause mortality reduction.

Natalie Tysdal (31:29)

⁓

GB Videos (31:33)

There is not a drug on the planet that can do that for you.

Natalie Tysdal (31:37)

But you think of how much we spend, which some of it good, on things and supplements and food to try to do all these things that if you spend $1,200 to $1,400, it sounds like a great Christmas gift. I'm thinking ahead to Christmas. That could really, really help you. And what you're trying to do is sweat it out. You're trying to just detox through sweat. Is that what happens?

GB Videos (31:59)

Yeah, mean,

Natalie Tysdal (32:00)

naturally is really good for you.

GB Videos (32:00)

naturally is really, it's good for you, you know,

because of your sweat glands, but the infrared sauna in the sauna tent, and I don't want to come off like a salesman, but this is sounding like an infomercial, but that's not my goal here. But it's just the thing I'm most excited about. And I've been doing it for eight to eight years or nine years. So I know the benefits, but as you get older, your muscles ache. I wake up, I'm a little stiff, you know, going in the sauna for 20 minutes loosens up my muscles.

Natalie Tysdal (32:23)

Yeah.

GB Videos (32:27)

They've also done studies to show you that the post workout recovery is better by going into sauna. So if you do a hard workout, if I'm on the bike or I'm doing a hard workout and I go into sauna, my muscles are going to recover better. And then if you can't work out, this is the most amazing thing. Saunas are mimetic for exercise, which means that even if you can't exercise, just sitting in the sauna has metabolic benefits and cardiovascular benefits as almost as good as exercising. So.

Natalie Tysdal (32:32)

better.

Saunas are mimetic for exercise, means that even if you can't exercise, just sitting in the sauna has metabolic benefits and cardiovascular benefits as almost as good as exercising. So

I don't know if you could afford it. This would be the one device.

GB Videos (32:57)

I don't, if you could afford it, this would be the one device that

I

invest in.

Natalie Tysdal (33:01)

Wow,

yeah. Okay, now I'm really intrigued. So I'm going to have to go look. There's so much. We talked so briefly about so many things that could be full podcast episodes. We talked about sleep. That could be a whole episode. The sauna is like, we're just going to have to do another episode and go deeper into some of these issues. I love it. I'm going be a regular. Yeah, that's good. I'm full of good information and a good storyteller too.

GB Videos (33:17)

I it. I can be a regular.

Well, I appreciate you having me on and I'm just excited about trying to help more people. Having a mission, there's a great book called The Second Mountain, which is sort of my story also from the movie business to this. Having a mission based, which is wanting to help other people is much more enlightening and joyful and.

satisfying than building a company, which I've also done and sold it for nine figures and having a big financial exit. There's really nothing satisfying about that, believe it or not. Doing what I'm doing now is actually much more satisfying. So I hope people can find their second mountains and their mission in life. And it doesn't have to be changing the world. can be small, you know?

Natalie Tysdal (34:06)

Yeah, when it means something deep to you, it's just a whole different thing. Gary, thank you. I really appreciate your time, and I look forward to doing it again. Where can people find you? And some of the things that you mentioned, your website and so on.

GB Videos (34:19)

Well,

do

have website called the swellscore.com. I'm going to create a special code for you. can put the link in notes, which will give your followers access to the membership, but a discount membership. also, because I want to help people, I'm willing to donate a $25 gift card towards their first purchase also, so the membership is almost nothing. And then,

We have a social media on Instagram, the swell score. We're also on TikTok. We're on YouTube. You can find us everywhere in all the

Natalie Tysdal (34:46)

We feel so.

All right. I'll be following and following a few of places, but I didn't know you had TikTok and a few others. So I'll be following along continually learning. Thanks again. Thank you.

GB Videos (35:04)

Awesome. Thank you..