Even if you haven’t heard the term ‘biohacking’ before, you’ve probably encountered it in many places. Maybe you have heard of Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s intermittent fast routine. Or maybe you have heard of former NASA employee Josiah Zayner injecting DNA using gene-editing technology. You also might have heard of dopamine fasting, which has become an emerging and spreading trend in Silicon Valley. If you have heard any of these things, then you have an idea of what biohacking is. Which many people around the world have started to adopt as a lifestyle.
Dave Asprey, a Silicon Valley investor and the author of The Bulletproof Diet was the first person to talk about biohacking. It is an extremely broad and amorphous term and since there are different types of biohacking it is hard to define it as only one thing. You can roughly define it as people intervening with their body, both internally and externally, to better control their biology, life and body. Biohacking, which Dave Asprey defines as “the art and science of changing everything that negatively affects the quality of life”, can be applied through a lot of different methods.
Biohacking is basically hacking our body, our biology, the same way you would hack a computer. Using science and data to improve the quality of life, to stop ageing and to live a longer life. Dave Asprey claims that he can live up to the age of 180, using his biohacking methods. So let’s take a look at some biohacking methods people use to live longer and healthier lives.
Biohacking Methods
There are many different forms of biohacking. Most of it is based on educating yourself and trying out methods that work for you. To get the best out of your body and to live a long life, you have to be in touch with your body. These methods might not work for everyone since we all have unique bodies.
- Nutrigenomics
This method focuses on what you eat and how your body, your genes react to it. There are a lot of people who practice this and doing this the right way can help you become a much healthier and happier person. Taking the DNA Nutrition Analysis test to see how your body reacts to different kinds of food is a crucial step here. You might have food allergies that you do not know about or your body might be lacking something that most people do not. By taking this test you can see what your body needs and plan your diet accordingly.
This method is suitable for most people but especially if you are looking to get in shape as you will not be starving yourself but you will only be eating what your body needs. It is also scientifically proven that the foods you eat affect how you think, feel and behave. By eating healthier foods you can change the way you look at life to be a lot more positive and bright.
- DIY Biology
Another form of biohacking is DIY (Do it yourself) Biology. DIY Biology is a growing movement in the biohacking community where individuals, small groups or organizations study biology by using the same methods used by traditional researchers and institutions. The goal of doing this is of course biohacking. By better learning about biology, the science of life, you can start to understand what really goes on in our bodies. This type of biohacking is lead by people who are experts on the matter and is followed by a large spectrum of people, some not having any kind of experience in any scientific field.
- Cryotherapy
Cryotherapy is the use of low temperatures, locally or generally. By applying extremely low temperatures, diseased or abnormal tissue gets destroyed. By doing so you can stop the signs of ageing, hydrate and plump the skin to give it a youthful look. It is also used by athletes to boost their recovery after exercising. It is used to relieve sprains, muscle pain and also swelling after surgery or soft tissue damage. After the body turns to normal temperature, you get an endorphin rush. Which is caused by the blood rushing back to the tissues and along with it it brings lots of minerals and nutrients, making you feel as lively as possible.
- Infrared / Red Light Therapy
This type of biohacking uses low levels of red or near-infrared light to help muscle tissue, skin or other parts of your body heal faster. Studies are showing that our body responds well to near-infrared lights. These light range from 600 to 900 nm. It is believed that by exposing the skin to light between those wavelengths, the mitochondria can produce energy quickly and therefore heal faster. It also increases blood circulation, reduces joint pain and has an anti-ageing effect on your skin.
- Supplements
Eating right is very important. But sometimes some of the vitamins or minerals we need can be unavailable to us. Or you might need to eat a lot of food to take the needed amount of that said vitamin. This is where supplements come into play. These supplements can be in the form of shakes, drinks, pills or bars and they can help you reach the performance that you seek. Let us take NADH for example. It is naturally produced by our body and it is a very important coenzyme that is responsible for generating energy. It is found in every living cell but as we age, that production slows down. Even though it is found in some foods like meat, fish, poultry or bread, our stomach acid does not allow it to pass to our bowels where it is supposed to be absorbed. Therefore you do not have a lot of choice but to take a supplement to keep your NADH and energy levels up.
- Intermittent Fasting
You have probably heard of intermittent fasting as it has gained a lot of popularity over the last couple of years. While it is important to eat the right foods, it is also important to eat at the right times. And intermittent fasting is all about letting the body rest to boost your metabolic reactions. Fasting reduces your insulin resistance, which leads to your blood sugar getting low. When your blood sugar is low, your body is more likely to burn the stored body fat.
There are a lot of different ways to fast and you can easily find one that suits your schedule. You can fast for 16 hours and then have an eating window of 8 hours, which is known as Leangains protocol. You can fast for one day and eat normally the next day. Listen to your body and find what kind of fasting is the right one for you.
- Music
We all know by now that the music we listen to affect our mood. Whether you are at the store looking for something to buy or when you are working out at the gym, there is always music playing in the background. Different kinds of music can make your body react in different ways and by using this you can change your mood anytime you want with the right kind of music. There are also binaural beats that are specifically made to make you feel a certain way. These tones and beats synchronize with your brain by repeating certain patterns. Whether they work or not may vary as not all of our brains respond the same way to these sounds.
- Body modification
This one is a little different from the others as it involves the actual implantation of devices in bodies. People who follow this movement call themselves “Grinders.” This group includes people who dedicate their lives to either become cyborg-like humans or people who dedicate their lives to invent such products to make these sort of devices available to everyone. This kind of biohacking can be dangerous and illegal and it is not recommended unless the operations are done by medically trained and certified professionals.
- Gratitude
This interesting form of biohacking is mainly focused on the mindset and how to view life. It is about being grateful for everything that happens to and around you. It is basically about seeing the glass half full. Thinking this way might be hard for some people as life is not always easy and we do not live in a fairytale. But there are some ways that you can use to Biohack your mindset and be more grateful. Such as keeping a gratitude journal or beginning the day with meditation.
In short, biohacking is the way to live a healthy and happy life. You can identify potential health problems that you are genetically predisposed to by taking a DNA Nutrition Analysis test. Or you can try Cryotherapy to improve your skin texture and quality. You can also try supplements to boost both your mental and physical performance. By using the methods that are right for you, you can start living a better life today.
