Nicotine’s Effects On The Brain & Body & How To Quit Smoking Or Vaping | Huberman Lab Podcast #90 [fd9718]

Post Time: 2025-07-29

Maintaining a healthy blood sugar range is crucial for overall well-being, but it can often be challenging. One of the consequences of unmanaged or fluctuating blood sugar levels is its impact on daily activities and hobbies. When your body's ability to regulate glucose is compromised, you may start experiencing symptoms that disrupt even the most enjoyable outdoor pursuits.

Blood Sugar Swings: The Uninvited Guest at Your Outdoor Getaways

Have you ever noticed how your energy levels plummet after a few hours of hiking or cycling? Or perhaps you've experienced an overwhelming sense of fatigue during long walks with friends and family. These feelings are often linked to fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which can cause dips in glucose supply to the brain and muscles. This is particularly true for people living with diabetes but also applies to those without a formal diagnosis.

Staying Active: Why Blood Sugar Control Is Essential

Regular physical activity plays a significant role in regulating blood sugar levels by increasing insulin sensitivity. However, overexertion or pushing beyond one's limits can lead to stress on the body and increased cortisol production – both of which contribute negatively to glucose control. For outdoor enthusiasts who are mindful about maintaining healthy blood sugar ranges, incorporating regular exercise into their routine is not just beneficial but essential.

Diet: A Key Player in Blood Sugar Regulation

Your diet is a critical component when it comes to managing your blood sugar range. Certain foods can trigger rapid spikes or drops in glucose levels due to the way they are processed by our bodies. Recognizing and understanding these food groups will enable you to make informed choices that support stable energy throughout the day, thereby improving outdoor experiences.

The Hidden Enemies of Blood Sugar Regulation: Stress and Sleep

Stress is another common disruptor when it comes to blood sugar regulation. Increased cortisol production associated with stress leads to insulin resistance – making it harder for glucose from food sources to enter your cells. This can manifest in a host of symptoms, including the fatigue that outdoor enthusiasts experience during or after activity.

Nourishing Your Outdoor Lifestyle: Healthy Blood Sugar Range Tips

By implementing diet changes and integrating more mindful physical activities into our routine, we are better equipped to manage blood sugar fluctuations. These small steps taken today contribute significantly towards enjoying active days without unnecessary disruptions from an unpredictable blood sugar landscape – allowing for a richer experience outdoors as the reward for maintaining good health in the long run.

Key Takeaways: Monitoring and Maintaining Your Blood Sugar Range

• Monitor your diet, keeping track of how certain foods affect you personally.
• Incorporate regular exercise to increase insulin sensitivity and overall well-being.
• Practice stress-reducing techniques like meditation or yoga. Maintain a healthy sleep schedule for better glucose control.

Final Thoughts: Empowering Change Through Knowledge

Educating oneself on managing blood sugar levels empowers individuals with the ability to make informed choices. With this knowledge, outdoor enthusiasts can enjoy their favorite activities without fear of an unpredictable and sometimes debilitating fluctuation in energy supplies – all thanks to simple diet changes and regular physical activity that stabilizes overall glucose regulation.

Tips for Outdoor Activities:

• Eat balanced meals or snacks before starting any exercise.
• Incorporate strength training into your workout routine twice a week. Practice relaxation techniques like yoga, meditation, or deep breathing exercises daily.

In this episode, I explain how nicotine impacts the brain and body, including its potent ability to enhance attention, focus, and alertness, increase blood pressure and metabolism and reduce appetite. I discuss nicotine’s ability to can glucosamine affect blood sugar increase the action of neurochemicals, including dopamine, norepinephrine, and acetylcholine and activate sympathetic (alertness-promoting) neural circuits. I also discuss common nicotine delivery methods, such as cigarettes, vaping, dip, and snuff, and how they each create their own unique experience and how they, but not nicotine itself, cause cancer and other adverse health effects. I also explain science-based tools to permanently quit smoking cigarettes or vaping, including peer-reviewed clinical hypnosis tools, antidepressants, and alternative nicotine replacement (patches, lozenges, gums etc.). As nicotine is one of the most widely used substances with billions of users — most of whom report wanting to quit — this episode ought to be of interest to former/current nicotine users, those who want to quit smoking or vaping and/or those interested in learning the biology behind how nicotine impacts the brain and body. #HubermanLab #Science #Health Thank you to our sponsors AG1 (Athletic Greens): Thesis: InsideTracker: ROKA: Supplements from Momentous Social & Website Instagram: Twitter: Facebook: TikTok: LinkedIn: Website: Newsletter: Articles Predictors of smoking abstinence following a single-session restructuring intervention with self-hypnosis: Effect of hypnotic suggestion on cognition and craving in smokers: Pharmacological Approach to Smoking Cessation: An Updated Review for Daily Clinical Practice: Resources Reveri: Timestamps 00:00:00 Nicotine 00:02:47 Momentous Supplements 00:03:41 Tool: Brief Daily Meditation & Focus 00:05:59 The Arrow Model of Focus, Alpha GPC & Garlic Supplements 00:10:43 Thesis, InsideTracker, do sugar substitutes raise blood sugar ROKA 00:14:35 Nicotine Effects vs. Methods of Delivery, Acetylcholine 00:19:55 Where is Nicotine Found? Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors 00:25:12 Nicotine & Effects on the Brain: Appetite, Dopamine & GABA 00:30:58 AG1 (Athletic Greens) 00:32:11 Nicotine, Acetylcholine & Attentional “Spotlighting” 00:37:29 Nicotine, Norepinephrine & Alertness/Energy 00:41:10 Nicotine & Effects on Appetite & Metabolism 00:46:47 Nicotine & Effects on Body: Sympathetic Tone 00:51:29 Nicotine & Cognitive Work vs. Physical Performance 00:55:08 Nicotine Delivery Methods & Side Effects, Young People & Dependency 00:58:35 Smoking, Vaping, Dipping & Snuffing: Carcinogens & Endothelial Cells 01:02:34 Smoking, Vaping, Dipping & Snuffing: Negative Impacts on Lifespan & Health 01:09:23 How to Quit Smoking, Nicotine Cravings & Withdrawal 01:13:56 Vaping & Nicotine, Rates of Effect Onset, Dopamine, Addiction & Depression 01:25:06 Tool: Quitting Smoking & Clinical Hypnosis, Reveri 01:30:16 Bupropion (Wellbutrin) & Quitting Smoking 01:36:24 Tool: A Nicotine Replacement Schedule to Quit Smoking, Nicotine Patch/Gum 01:41:52 Tool: Biological Homeostasis & Nicotine Withdrawal, The “First Week” Strategy 01:51:39 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Momentous Supplements, Neural Network Newsletter, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook The Huberman Lab Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of 125 mg/dl blood sugar medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. Title Card Photo Credit: Mike Blabac - Nicotine’s Effects On The Brain & Body & How To Quit Smoking Or Vaping | Huberman Lab Podcast #90 [fd9718]