Uploaded February 2025 | Updated September 2026, 10 hours ago
For most people, caffeine is their first drug of choice, and a very legal one used in everything from energy drinks and coffee to products you wouldn’t expect (think protein bars and over-the-counter pain relievers).
That over-reliance on caffeine to provide a daily boost in energy and alertness often comes at a high cost, especially if you’re addicted to it (which many people are) or metabolize it very slowly (as a majority of people do).
So, if you could find a substitute to caffeine that provides some of the same benefits but without the health problems, would you try it?
Paul shares his very positive experiences trading his morning espresso with butter for UPDATE, an energy drink formulated with the far gentler paraxanthine (a caffeine metabolite), with its formulators Daniel Solomons and Shawn Wells this week on Spirit Gym.
Connect with Daniel and Shawn and the UPDATE community at their website at drinkupdate.com and on social media via Facebook at facebook.com/drinkupdate , LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/drinkupdate , Twitter/X at https://x.com/drinkupdate , TikTok tiktok.com/@drinkupdate and Instagram at instagram.com/drinkupdate . Learn more about Shawn and his work at his website at shawnwells.com and Zone Halo at zonehalo.com .
For Spirit Gym listeners: Save 25 percent on a 12-pack of UPDATE’s four refreshing flavors (Berry, Lime, Mandarin or Peach or a variety pack) at this website and use promo code CHEK25 when you checkout at drinkupdate.com/?influencer=chek25#try-update . (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)
Paul will also be hosting an exclusive Q&A session with Daniel and Shawn exclusively for Spirit Gym listeners at a future date so sign up for your Spirit Gym podcast membership at paulchek.com/podcast-collections/all-episodes so you can access members-only extended versions of the podcast along with exclusive Q&A opportunities with Paul.
0:00 Intro
1:01 Why Paul invited Daniel and Shawn to talk about UPDATE.
7:52 “I believe I was on the edge of death either intentionally committing suicide or unintentionally committing suicide through all my work.”
15:05 How much caffeine do you drink every day?
19:51 Today’s energy drinks over-fuel people.
32:03 A chemistry lesson in formulating a cleaner, healthier energy drink.
42:26 Allostasis, homeostasis and hormesis.
58:04 Experiencing the flow without the frazzle.
1:08:26 Could UPDATE be used as a supplement?
1:16:29 The combination of caffeine and paraxanthine can be problematic.
1:22:45 The deeper physical and mental implications of always being switched on.
1:42:54 The physical toll of caffeine on women.
1:50:50 What’s the size of your stress bucket?
2:02:34 A caffeinated consciousness.
2:18:48 Sacred ritual.
Listen to Paul's conversation with Daniel Solomons and Shawn Wells and check out the show notes page on our Spirit Gym website at paulchek.com/blog/podcast-episodes/episode-331-daniel-solomons-and-shawn-wells-life-beyond-caffeine
Thanks to our awesome sponsors!
• Wild Pastures wildpastures.com/rethinkmeat (save 20% and free shipping for life plus $15 on your first order)
• BiOptimizers bioptimizers.com/living4d (save an extra 10% on your purchase by using the code PAUL10 at checkout)
• Organifi organifi.com/chek20 (save 20% on your purchase by using the code CHEK20 at checkout)
• Paleovalley paleovalley.com/chek15 (save 15% on your first purchase)
We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz) by Brave as Bears at braveasbears.bandcamp.com
All Rights Reserved MusicFit Records 2024 at musicfitrecords.com
For most people, caffeine is their first drug of choice, and a very legal one used in everything from energy drinks and coffee to products you wouldn’t expect (think protein bars and over-the-counter pain relievers).
That over-reliance on caffeine to provide a daily boost in energy and alertness often comes at a high cost, especially if you’re addicted to it (which many people are) or metabolize it very slowly (as a majority of people do).
So, if you could find a substitute to caffeine that provides some of the same benefits but without the health problems, would you try it?
Paul shares his very positive experiences trading his morning espresso with butter for UPDATE, an energy drink formulated with the far gentler paraxanthine (a caffeine metabolite), with its formulators Daniel Solomons and Shawn Wells this week on Spirit Gym.
Connect with Daniel and Shawn and the UPDATE community at their website at drinkupdate.com and on social media via Facebook at facebook.com/drinkupdate , LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/drinkupdate , Twitter/X at https://x.com/drinkupdate , TikTok tiktok.com/@drinkupdate and Instagram at instagram.com/drinkupdate . Learn more about Shawn and his work at his website at shawnwells.com and Zone Halo at zonehalo.com .
For Spirit Gym listeners: Save 25 percent on a 12-pack of UPDATE’s four refreshing flavors (Berry, Lime, Mandarin or Peach or a variety pack) at this website and use promo code CHEK25 when you checkout at drinkupdate.com/?influencer=chek25#try-update . (Special offers from Spirit Gym guests are time-sensitive and at their discretion to redeem after 30 days.)
Paul will also be hosting an exclusive Q&A session with Daniel and Shawn exclusively for Spirit Gym listeners at a future date so sign up for your Spirit Gym podcast membership at paulchek.com/podcast-collections/all-episodes so you can access members-only extended versions of the podcast along with exclusive Q&A opportunities with Paul.
0:00 Intro
1:01 Why Paul invited Daniel and Shawn to talk about UPDATE.
7:52 “I believe I was on the edge of death either intentionally committing suicide or unintentionally committing suicide through all my work.”
15:05 How much caffeine do you drink every day?
19:51 Today’s energy drinks over-fuel people.
32:03 A chemistry lesson in formulating a cleaner, healthier energy drink.
42:26 Allostasis, homeostasis and hormesis.
58:04 Experiencing the flow without the frazzle.
1:08:26 Could UPDATE be used as a supplement?
1:16:29 The combination of caffeine and paraxanthine can be problematic.
1:22:45 The deeper physical and mental implications of always being switched on.
1:42:54 The physical toll of caffeine on women.
1:50:50 What’s the size of your stress bucket?
2:02:34 A caffeinated consciousness.
2:18:48 Sacred ritual.
Listen to Paul's conversation with Daniel Solomons and Shawn Wells and check out the show notes page on our Spirit Gym website at paulchek.com/blog/podcast-episodes/episode-331-daniel-solomons-and-shawn-wells-life-beyond-caffeine
Thanks to our awesome sponsors!
• Wild Pastures wildpastures.com/rethinkmeat (save 20% and free shipping for life plus $15 on your first order)
• BiOptimizers bioptimizers.com/living4d (save an extra 10% on your purchase by using the code PAUL10 at checkout)
• Organifi organifi.com/chek20 (save 20% on your purchase by using the code CHEK20 at checkout)
• Paleovalley paleovalley.com/chek15 (save 15% on your first purchase)
We may earn commissions from qualifying purchases using affiliate links.
Music Credit: Meet Your Heroes (444Hz) by Brave as Bears at braveasbears.bandcamp.com
All Rights Reserved MusicFit Records 2024 at musicfitrecords.com
