Biohacking is a new popular topic. If you are not familiar with the term, biohacking is the manipulation of your body, brain and environment to optimize your physical and mental performance. It can include a variety of things from gene therapy to vitamins to sleep manipulation.
While there are many complicated and expensive biohacks, there are also many effective biohacks suitable for beginners that are free or nearly free.
Use these strategies to biohack and perform at a higher level:
Elimination Diet. The elimination diet is simple but super powerful. All you have to do is eliminate a certain food from your diet and see the results. You can even reintroduce the food into your diet to check.
You're eating fewer foods than you think, and chances are good that at least one of them is having a negative effect on your body. Eliminating just one bad food can have a huge impact on your life.
Meditation. Meditation is very challenging, yet simple and rewarding. Meditation has so many emotional and physical benefits that it should be taught in school. Since it is not, the responsibility falls on your shoulders.
The internet offers many ways to learn meditation, from how-to guides to YouTube videos of guided meditations. Take your pick and dive in!
Caffeine. Caffeine is great for increasing focus and stamina when taken in the right amounts. It can also be addictive and cause insomnia. Caffeine needs to be used responsibly, but it is a very effective and simple way to boost performance.
Intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is simply restricting calorie intake to a specific time period each day. This window is usually between one and eight hours. For the rest of the time, you restrict yourself to non-caloric beverages.
Intermittent fasting does a lot of great things for your body, including weight loss, increased insulin sensitivity, and increased autophagy.
Blue Light. Your body needs blue light to regulate its circadian rhythm. Common artificial light sources can disrupt your circadian rhythm and your sleep. Blue light also affects your mood, memory, and overall alertness. Exposure to blue light is best done during the day.
Avoid using any technology with a screen (TV, tablet, phone, computer) for an hour or two before bedtime.
Music. Just by listening to music, you can change your mood, heart rate, blood pressure, concentration, and many other things. You already know that certain songs or styles of music will energize you, while others will calm and relax you. But have you ever used music intentionally to your advantage?
Make a list of your favorite songs and the effects they have on you. What song would you listen to if you were feeling down? What song makes you feel like you could stand up to a room full of professional boxers? Which song relaxes you the most?
Cold Therapy. Sitting in a tub of cold water, taking a cold shower, or simply sitting outside in cold weather when you are underdressed can put a positive strain on your body if you don't make it through. Your body will become stronger by coping with this stress.
Exercise and intermittent fasting are similar in that they can bring positive stress to your body.
Saunas. Heat can be another positive stressor for your body if used responsibly. Regular short sessions in a sauna or hot tub can boost your health. Unlike cold therapy, it's also pleasant.
Biohacking is here. At some level you have already participated in biohacking. If you've ever exercised, experimented with changing your sleep patterns, or tried to gain or lose weight, you've been a biohacker! Biohacking is interesting and effective.
A few simple practices can change your life for the better. Biohacking is a tool to help you give your best performance.