Tag: resilience

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Biohacking

Last Saturday, I attended the first-ever Virtual Biohacking Conference. This was a very enriching day filled with talks by numerous renowned speakers. As explained by Dave Asprey, “Biohacking is the art and science of changing the environment around you, and inside of you, so you have full control of your own biology.” Biohacking goes hand in hand with human resilience. Anything you can do to help better (or maintain) your health and wellness can qualify as biohacking. It can be about focusing on improving your sleep, diet, exercise, and/or emotional balance. Tim Gray, one of the conference speakers, said that first, you need to ask yourself why you want to biohack, and then what you need to do, and finally, how.

What You Can Do

Biohacking doesn’t have to be expensive. In a blog post about Biohacking on a Budget: Affordable Upgrades You Can Do Right Now, Dave Asprey lists seven basic “hacks” for anyone to implement:

  • Change your bedtime routine. Here the main things are not to drink coffee after 2 p.m. (for most people), limit your exposure to blue and bright light at night (different software -like f.lux– and blue-blocking glasses are available), and sleep in a room that is fairly cold (around 60 to 67-68 degrees Fahrenheit) and pitch-dark. 
  • Take a cold shower. This gets your body to raise your metabolism in order to heat yourself back up. I like to do two minutes of cold water at the end of each shower and love how energized I feel after that.
  • Experiment with styles of intermittent fasting. There are different options when it comes to eating less often. I like to simply have a couple of cups of Bulletproof coffee (with ghee and MCT C8 oil) in the morning. Then a really light lunch and a regular meal for dinner. See what works best with your biology and your routine.
  • Pay attention to your gut. Your gut health is definitively linked to the types of food you eat, and even if it’s a bit gross, check your poop regularly to see how well your digestion is going. 
  • Move more, especially in the sun (light is a nutrient).

In Summary

Biohacking seems to me like a non-negotiable way of life if you want to keep your energy levels near-optimal as you get older. It’s a way of life to adopt if you want to keep on performing better, whatever your short-term and long-term goals may be. It’s about being more grounded, more in touch with nature and your biology. It’s about being happy to be alive and full of energy to do the things you want to do.

Until next time!

References

Amen, Daniel G. Feel Better Fast and Make It Last : Unlock Your Brain’s Healing Potential to Overcome Negativity, Anxiety, Anger, Stress, and Trauma. Carol Stream, Illinois, Tyndale House Publishers, Inc, 2018, p. 217.

Asprey, Dave. “Biohacking on a Budget: Affordable Upgrades You Can Do Right Now.” Dave Asprey Blog, 27 Feb. 2019, blog.daveasprey.com/biohacking-budget/. Accessed 11 Oct. 2020.

You can also find me on Instagram.

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The Unavoidable Daily Stress

Stress is ubiquitous nowadays, even more so this year with this pandemic that came upon us. And some days can certainly feel “heavier” than others. Dr. Steve Maraboli said, “Life doesn’t get easier or more forgiving, we get stronger and more resilient.” As the years go by, we can definitively become stronger and more resilient. But it is not just one thing that can help us handle stress better (and life-changing events at times). Rather it is a set of tools, such as daily meditation, exercise, and better nutrition. As mentioned in 10 Reasons You Feel Old and Get Fat, by Dr. Frank Lipman, what follows is a list of some of the things we can do that can help us unwind and better handle whatever we have to deal with every day:

Strategies to Manage Stress

  • Exercise
  • Meditate
  • Practice mindfulness
  • Use guided visualization
  • Do a breathing exercise
  • Listen to some music
  • Take up tai chi, yoga, or some other type of “moving meditation”
  • Set some limits when it comes to engagements; learn to say “no” at times
  • Set time for yourself (like two hours a week) to do something that brings you calm and fulfillment
  • Get enough sleep to strengthen your mitochondria, among other things
  • Try to limit your exposure to toxins in your food, water, and personal-care products the best you can
  • Avoid sweets and too many starches; see which foods work for you and buy accordingly

In Summary

Being equipped with the right tools like the ones listed above to handle stress better and to tackle life’s never-ending ups and downs can help in more than one way. Choose the strategies that resonate the most with your present mindset as a starting point, and then add a few more whenever it feels right to do so. Building new habits takes time. Be patient and persevere!

Until next time!

Reference

Lipman, Frank. 10 Reasons You Feel Old And Get Fat : — And How You Can Stay Young, Slim, And Happy!. Carlsbad, California, Hay House, Inc, 2016, pp. 86–7.

You can also find me on Instagram.