Biohacking: One Social & Health Trend That is Not Going Anywhere
I first came across biohacking on Social Media where influencers would claim to be boosting their performance either athletically or intellectually by changing some part of the traditional health routine whether skipping breakfast (quoted in the past by many as “most important meal of the day”) or supplementation of their diet to increase their brain productivity. After hearing Tony Robbins in a podcast talk about his own ways of optimizing health (and that man has ENERGY to the 10th degree), I was compelled to dig deeper. Here is what I found and you may like to know:
🌿 Forbes Contributor Bernard Marr described it has “human augmentation or human enhancement” that is a “do-it-yourself biology aimed at improving performance, health, and wellbeing through strategic interventions”
🌿 Biohacking interventions can take the form of supplementation (e.g. Vitamin C or glutathione), intermittent fasting, meditation, exercise regimens, cryogenics (using cold therapy), meal replacements and many other ventures.
While this blog is not intended to give medical/health advice in any shape or form, these are some ideas I have considered to optimize my health to the next level you may find interest in as well:
1) Sleep 🌛: Sleep is necessary for maintaining optimal brain function and nurturing your physical health yet so many of us fall pray to the hustle culture and “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” is thrown around more often than I can count. A lack of sleep has been linked to a higher risk for certain medical conditions like obesity, type 2 diabetes, mental health issues, and high blood pressure- not to mention lower lifespan. Sleep on an even more microbiology level can help clear toxins, metabolic wastes, from our system and help sustain our memory due the housekeeping processes that take place. One technology on the market currently helping monitor sleep hygiene is the Oura Ring, a beautifully crafted ring that tracks 3 daily scores in the form of “sleep, readiness, and activity” to understand not only what the body is feeling but it needs to optimize your waking experience.
2) Diet 🥗: What you eat is so important because you become what you put in your body from physical appearance to cognitive ability. Food Rules by Michael Pollan is a great book to pick up and start reading to get simple, actionable, and intelligent steps to change the way you think of food today. A healthy diet can consist of nutrient dense, whole foods including lean proteins, whole grains, healthy fats, and organic fruits and vegetables.
3) Movement 🏃♀️: We have all heard of how exercise can help improve the health of our heart but what is more important in my own personal life is the fundamental shift it creates for me mentally through the release of endorphins (chemical signals that can help block the perception of pain & increase feeling of wellbeing). Daily movement in a form that makes you feel good is importance in increasing joint functionality, better sleep hygiene, relieve pain, and improving mental health to name just a few. There are so many online subscription platforms currently catering to pilates, dance, yoga, barre…you name it…that make exercise easy and convenient. My all time favorite has to be Melissa Wood Health because of the energy, warm, and mindfullness she brings to make movement attainable for anyone.
4) Creating a Why ⚡️: Finding a purpose or creating goals (even if short term) that fundamentally drive you innately can bring massive shifts to way the you approach the work you engage in and bring color to relationships and life in general. Taking time to introspect and move away from distractions can help bring on this clarity for us all.
5) Fostering Strong Relationships 🤝: Research has time and time again shown deep, quality relationships cam help us live longer and deal with stressful situations better. Satisfaction in relationships can be a powerful buffer against even physical and mental health problems and often the key underlying thread amongst people with long lifespans living in Blue Zones (areas of the world where people are speculated to live longer than the global average due to their practices. diets, communities etc).