Episode 160: Heart Rate Variability Explained: How Dr. Torkil Færø's Pulse Cure Boosts Your Health

Join me for an insightful episode of the Visibly Fit Podcast with Dr. Torkil Færø, a general practitioner, emergency physician, and author of the bestselling book The Pulse Cure. We explore heart rate variability (HRV) and its role in showing how our autonomic nervous system functions.Dr. Færø shares his personal journey from being an overworked doctor to discovering how wearables can track key health metrics. He highlights the importance of balancing health instead of constantly chasing optimization and offers practical tips to manage stress in daily life.Whether you're passionate about health or just starting out, this episode offers useful advice to help you take control of your well-being.Chapter:[00:00] Podcast Preview[00:47] Welcome to the Visibly Fit Podcast[01:21] Understanding Heart Rate Variability (HRV)[02:26] Introducing Dr. Torkil Færø[05:09] The Motivation Behind The Pulse Cure[08:03] Defining Heart Rate Variability[10:37] The Impact of Stress on Health[12:02] Personal Experiences with Wearables[14:15] The Importance of Individual Baselines[16:14] The Concept of Health Normalization[18:00] Listening to Your Body vs. Using Wearables[19:09] The Role of Wearables in Stress Management[23:16] Wearables and Women's Health[26:30] Strategies for De-Stressing[30:34] The Importance of Sleep and Fitness[31:50] The Impact of EMF on Health[34:05] Eight Strategies for Longevity[36:30] The Influence of Lifestyle on Health[38:40] The Importance of Joy and Community[39:53] The Effects of Trauma on HRV[42:17] Conclusion and Empowerment[45:09] Closing RemarksResources mentioned:The Pulse Cure WebsiteVisibly Fit 7-Week Accelerator ProgramConnect with today's guest:Dr. Torkil Færø is a general practitioner, emergency doctor, documentary filmmaker, author, photographer, and globetrotter. As a medical student, he was the first to go abroad for Norwegian Doctors Without Borders when he worked in war-torn Angola in 1996. Through 25 years as a freelance doctor, he has worked in municipalities nationwide, had tens of thousands of consultations, and gained a unique picture of the diseases that plague us. He has learned that the cause is most often found in a lifestyle that stresses our body. He wanted to do something about that.Dr. Torkil is concerned with how we can get the most out of life. In the book "The Pulse Cure", he explains step by step how we can use the heart rate monitor or the smartphone to get to know our own body better and gain better control of the stress balance and the autonomic nervous system.Dr. Torkil himself has been given a new life by making several smart lifestyle changes. He hopes that everyone who wants better health and more energy to live life to the fullest will benefit from the measures he enjoys so much. He also has a big wish for the healthcare system: That it works preventively to a much greater extent and provides help for self-help than is the case today.Dr. Torkil Færø is also an award-winning photographer who has published photography art books, held exhibitions, and held photography workshops in many countries. He is an enthusiastic long-distance walker and has made the NRK films about pilgrimages to Nidaros and Santiago de Compostela. In his previous book, "THE CAMERA CURE", he combined medical and photographic knowledge into a unique book about therapeutic photography, where coping with life is combined with taking good pictures. Dr. Torkil Færø has traveled by backpack, bicycle, motorbike, kayak,...