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The Hidden Puppet Masters

The Hidden Puppet Masters

James Altucher

Posted October 25, 2024

James Altucher

Naveen Jain is trying to help humans live to 300 years old.

And you know what's really crazy?

He might actually do it.

Nine years ago, I interviewed Naveen Jain about mining the moon.

Yesterday, I had him back. We talked about poop transplants. And somehow, the poop thing might be even bigger than the moon mining.

Not kidding.

Naveen broke my brain.

He revealed why every fad diet is a lie… why the “bad genes” narrative is total BS.… and the real puppet masters inside your body.

Your Genes Are Fine

Let me back up.

I’ve interviewed a TON of health experts for my podcast.

Everyone has their thing. Keto people tell me carbs are killing me. Vegan people tell me meat is killing me. Fasting people tell me eating itself is killing me.

I've changed my diet probably 500 times in the past decade based on podcast guests.

But Naveen said something that stopped me cold: "Your ancestors lived to 22 years old. If you want to eat like your ancestors, fine - but you'll die like them too."

Boom.

Here's the really weird part: You know how everyone talks about "bad genes"? Like "Oh, heart disease runs in my family" or "Everyone in my family gets diabetes"?

Total BS. And he proved it.

Less than 5% of diseases are actually genetic. The other 95%? It's all about what's happening in your gut. And here's where it gets sci-fi level weird: 99% of the genes operating in your body aren't even yours.

They belong to trillions of bacteria living inside you.

These bacteria are basically puppet masters. They control your mood, your cravings, what foods are healthy for you (different for everyone), even how you think.

One thing Naveen taught me…

I Don’t Know Anything

I've interviewed over 1,000 entrepreneurs.

The great ones all have something in common - they don't just think outside the box. They build a new box, then think outside that one too.

Most people: "How do we make better supplements?"

Naveen: "How do we reprogram the trillions of bacteria controlling our bodies?"

Most people: "How do we live to 100?"

Naveen: "How do we live to 300?"

Most people: "How do we grow food on Venus?"

Naveen: "What if we could modify human genes to eat radiation instead of food?"

(Yes, he actually talked about this.)

I'm getting my gut analyzed next week.

Will it help my chess game? Will it help me live longer? Will it help me build better businesses?

I don't know.

But I do know this: Every time I think I've figured life out, someone comes along and shows me I know nothing.

And that's exactly when things get interesting.

Click here for the full episode with Naveen.

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