Biohacking: The Key to a Healthy Life?
What is biohacking?
Biohacking is a healthy lifestyle that aims to extend life expectancy. There is no one right way to practice biohacking. Each person must find their own combination of activities and methods that will help them ensure the most optimal conditions for reaching the peaks of health.
While biohacking may seem like a huge life change, it doesn't have to completely change your routine. By adjusting even small habits, you're already taking a step towards a healthier lifestyle.
So, by choosing oats for breakfast instead of a bagel and a doctor's sausage, you are already engaging in biohacking. But if you would still like to change your lifestyle habits more radically, here is how biohacking is most often applied in everyday life.
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What is the origin of biohacking?
In his twenties, Dave Aspris became interested in longevity. At the time, he was suffering from chronic fatigue syndrome, arthritis, and prediabetes . After he recovered, Dave, realizing the value of health, wanted to encourage others to start thinking about how to extend their lifespan sooner . Therefore, in 2011, Dave started the biohacking movement (the term “biohacking” was officially added to the English dictionary in 2018 ), and in 2015, he started an annual biohacking conference to spread knowledge about this lifestyle.
Is biohacking safe?
Methods that can prolong life may seem harmless at first glance. After all, they are designed to improve our health, right?
However, before starting "biohacking", you should:
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Make sure you do not have any chronic diseases;
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Check if you have cardiovascular disease;
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Assess whether your current health condition is suitable for lifestyle changes;
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Consult your family doctor or pharmacist.
Of course, it all depends on how radical you intend to change your lifestyle. A small change in your diet should not cause any problems. However, if you want to try intermittent fasting or cold water therapy, you should do it in small steps and take into account your health condition.
How to get started with biohacking?
As mentioned earlier, you can start by giving up small bad habits. Replace soft drinks with water, choose less processed foods, pay more attention to the quality of sleep, etc.
However, even if you still want to make a more radical change in your life, you definitely don't need to resort to genetic manipulation or buy expensive nootropics . Here are some biohacking techniques that you can incorporate into your routine (almost) without any additional costs or tools.
Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is an eating pattern that involves not eating for a set period of time. This eating schedule is appealing to biohackers for a variety of reasons:
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Improved insulin sensitivity
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Studies show that intermittent fasting improves insulin sensitivity . What does this mean? Our bodies need to be sensitive to insulin in order to use glucose more efficiently . So the more sensitive we are to this hormone, the better our chances of avoiding type 2 diabetes and other metabolic diseases.
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Cellular repair
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Intermittent fasting promotes a process called autophagy . During cellular autophagy, the body “throws out the trash”—removing old cells and replacing them with new ones. This helps ensure homeostasis, or balance, in the body.
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Studies show that autophagy can help extend lifespan and reduce the risk of age-related diseases such as Alzheimer's and hypertension. etc.
Improving sleep quality
Quality sleep is essential to our health, so it probably goes without saying that biohackers are also looking for ways to get better sleep. By using biohacking techniques to overhaul your sleep routine, you can boost your immunity, improve cognitive function, and improve your mood . But how do you do it?
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Caffeine-free afternoons
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Many of us probably still can't avoid caffeine in the afternoon - it's hard to stay fresh and energetic during the last hours of work. Unfortunately, coffee and energy drinks should be avoided even 8 hours before bedtime . It may seem impossible at first, but over time, better sleep should automatically help you stay alert.
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Sleep-friendly environment
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Before you go to bed, make sure your bedroom is completely dark. If you don't have curtains, buy an eye mask. Remove things like electronic alarm clocks or modems from your view - even the smallest amount of light can disrupt our brains, especially while we're sleeping.
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Healthy circadian (internal) rhythm
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Do you sometimes spend a lot more time scrolling on your phone before bed than you would like? Suddenly you look at the clock and realize it's midnight? Maybe you think that if you sleep longer the next day, you can "catch up on your sleep." As unfortunate as it may be, our sleep schedule should always be the same - it's important not only to get 8 hours of sleep, but also to make sure you go to bed and wake up at the same time.
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When it comes to screens , whether it's a TV, phone, or computer screen, they should all be strictly avoided before bed . If you must use your phone, for example, if you're waiting for an important call, turn on the sleep mode (also called blue light filter or eye comfort on some phones). mode. Your brain needs to recognize that night has come. Many people report that their sleep quality improves when they stop looking at blue-light-emitting screens before bed.
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Meditation
You might be surprised to learn that meditation is part of biohacking. It's one of the easiest ways to do biohacking. You can meditate anywhere - whether you're in a hotel in Bali or at home. But how does meditation help us take a step towards a healthier life?
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Change in brain chemistry
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By practicing meditation regularly, you can change your brain chemistry. Meditation affects the midbrain, also known as the amygdala , which is responsible for our emotions. Over time, this should reduce cortisol levels, make it easier to cope with chronic pain , and make it easier to fight alcohol or food addiction.
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Help in combating cognitive impairment
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Studies have shown that meditation can help improve memory in those with cognitive disorders (Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, etc.), and also reduce their risk. In other words, meditation can be used not only to improve already impaired memory, but also as a preventive measure for these diseases.
Briefly about biohacking
Biohacking is the conscious improvement of lifestyle, aimed at better health, more energy, and a longer lifespan. This is not a set of strict rules - everyone can create an individual "biohacking" plan based on small but effective changes in habits. The most popular biohacking methods are smart devices, intermittent fasting, improving sleep quality, and meditation. All of these methods help to achieve inner balance and live a more conscious and healthy life.
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