Shark Attacks On Goats, The Ethics Of Hunting, Human Stress Resilience & Much More! (Special Hawaii Hunting Episode)

In today's podcast, I am joined by my friends Kyle Thiermann, Chris Ryan and Mark Healey for witty banter, philosophizing, and intellectually stimulating conversation straight from the island of Hawaii, where we - along with several others mentioned in this podcast episode, such as Dr. Peter Attia, Kyle Kingsbury and Hawaii hunting guide Justin Lee - took a break from hunting, hiking, spearfishing and dressing meat to gather round the podcasting mics.

In this conversation, you'll hear... -Recap of the trip...6:47

• Chris was a last minute substitute
• Primal surroundings: goat head in the back of the pickup
• They were all dropped off by helicopter on various spots on the Big Island
• Ben engaged in spearfishing; caught Hawaiian lobster, opi'i fish
• Impossible to replicate their meals in a restaurant

-Ben is asked about consuming energy bars while facing dehydration...12:17

• If you're in an extreme dehydration situation, you're probably starving to death, so don't throw them out
• They could potentially be used as a water filter because they're so thick
• Coffee and beer don't actually dehydrate you
• Energy bars have moisture in them
• Depends on salt content, moisture level, etc.

-How ranchers on the island of Kaho'olawe used goats to prevent sharks from attacking their herd...14:05

• Sharks would attack as they were loaded onto ships for transport
• Ranchers pushed a herd of goats tied to each other off a cliff
• The cattle was transported while the sharks feasted on the goats

-Discussion about the sustainability of humans hunting their own meat in the modern world...15:30

• Hunting is necessary in Hawai'i for sustainability of the land
• It's not cheaper when you factor in ammo, time spent hunting, obtaining permits, etc.
• Large amounts of money from hunting is invested into environmental sustainability
• Eradication vs. management
• Killing an animal is a deeply personal experience
  • Everyone who eats meat should hunt at least once
• We are what we eat: cruelty, apathy, torture, etc.

-How do our thoughts shape our health?...

• Book: The Biology of Belief by Dr. Bruce Lipton
• Book: Mind to Matter by Dr. Dawson Church
• Epigenetics: Behavior of parents/ancestors affects their children's behavior and instincts
• Do humans have instincts?
  • Going for the nipple
  • Fear of snakes
  • "Comparing notes" after a hunt separated humans from other animals
  • Coordinated hunting

-Our understanding of human history as it pertains to resilience toward stress...

• Research suggests we become more sensitive to stress rather than more resilient
• Chronic stressors (business responsibilities) our ancestors didn't deal with
• Experiencing stress without realizing it, or thinking you're relaxed
  • Practice makes automatic
• Difference between stress and excitement
• Alpha vs. beta brain waves
  • Alpha: what you experience in "the flow"; familiar, happy, focused
  • Beta: Higher level of excitement; less predictability
• Parasympathetic vs. sympathetic nervous system
  • Sympathetic: fight and flight nervous system
  • Parasympathetic: rest and digestive nervous system
  • Vagus nerve feeds into the sinoatrial node of the heart
• You want high heart rate variability (HRV)
  • Vagus nerve is operating the parasympathetic system properly
• Meditating, chanting, cold water assist with maintaining high HRV

-How stress affects rigor mortis (in hunted game) and cramping

• Deer reach rigor mortis in 20 minutes when corralled (stressed) and over an hour when killed in the wild
• You cram