Biohacking.
While it may sound like some futuristic term straight out of a science fiction film, simply put biohacking is a method of optimizing health by leveraging the power of nature and technology.
Think of it as your DIY tool kit to optimize both how you feel and function. 🛠
The term may be new, but the actual practice of biohacking has been around for centuries. An example of this is the ancient use of herbs and botanicals.
Yet, with the many recent advances in technology and science, biohacking has become more sophisticated too.
We see this with wearables like a continuous blood glucose monitor or even a fit bit helping us track our food, movement and sleep.
Gratefully, biohacking is also simple and that’s good news!
Below you will find three such simple yet impactful strategies to biohack your way to better health.
#1 Live in rhythm.
With the invention of the light bulb, we now stay up longer into the night and are less tied to the rising and setting of the sun. This connection is tied to our circadian rhythm, our bodies’ internal clock. As we become less tied to this natural rhythm, it can impact our ability to sleep, our mood, our energy and so much more.
Think about jet lag and how awful that feels, that is an example of an acutely disrupted circadian rhythm.
If you struggle with sleep, you likely have a dysregulated circadian rhythm or inner clock.
Did you know our ability to sleep actually starts with how we begin our day?!
Morning exposure to sunlight (ideally outdoors) helps communicate to our brain the time of day. This then sets our inner clock so we can fall asleep 16 hours or so later.
Additionally, this is further supported with afternoon exposure to sunlight as well.
So, what does this look like in your real day to day life?
It’s actually quite simple and with a little bit of intention, you can support your inner clock.
☀ Upon awakening – get morning exposure to sunlight. Open curtains. Turn on overhead lights if there is no sunlight. Get that light signal to your brain. Ideally, step outside even if just for a few minutes, natural sunlight seems to be the best.
🚶♀️ Mid-day (after lunch or so) step outside and take a walk (even if it’s just 10 minutes). The natural light exposure combined with a connection to nature and movement will orient your brain and body to the time of day.
🌒 In the evening, support signaling that communicate to your brain it is evening and time to prepare for rest. Use low level lights, nothing overhead. Minimize screens and blue lights. Create a night time routine with calming rituals such as meditation, prayer, and/or reading.
It will likely take some time to unwind and retrain your brain and body.
Remember, our bodies were designed to live in rhythm as evidenced by our natural internal clock.
You can further support your circadian rhythm by keeping these practices close to the same time each day:
– When you get up
– When you go to sleep
– When you eat
– When you exercise
#2 Don’t Eat Like A Snake!
In the words of a physician friend of mine “chew your food first, you are not a snake!” 🐍
“Busy” has become a term that describes the majority of our lives these days.
With that busyness we have adopted poor eating habits such as eating while we work, drive, etc.
What we eat is very important (see my last blog) and so is HOW we eat.
We have two main parts of our autonomic nervous system – the parasympathetic and the sympathetic.
The parasympathetic has been coined our “rest and digest” portion.
The sympathetic has been coined our “fight or flight”.
Supporting our parasympathetic mode supports our body’s ability to rest and digest well.
Think of it this way, would you sit down for lunch while a tiger was coming at you?
My guess is a resounding NO!
This is essentially what we do when we eat rushed or stressed.
Simply, slowing down when we eat calms our nervous system supporting healthy digestion and a healthy gut.
What does this look like in real life?
– Sit down when you eat. 🪑
– Refrain from distracted eating, working while eating, being on devices, etc. 💻
– Aim for about 20-30 chews per bite of food to help train your brain on what is an adequate amount of time to spend chewing. This supports nutrient absorption too! 💁♀️
– Before even starting your meal – take a few deep breaths which will help activate your rest & digest nervous system. 🧘♀️
#3 Practice Gratitude.
Seriously, is that a biohack?
Yes – it most certainly is!
Honestly when it comes to our health, few things matter more than our mindset.
We are not merely a bag of bones and flesh.
The thoughts we keep in our head influence our emotional, spiritual, and physical health.
I am hardly saying this will make all your bad days good or vice versa but it does train our brain to see the good around us even in the midst of difficult times.
We can acknowledge the challenges yet also affirm the positive.
This is NOT toxic positivity.
Intentionally training our brain towards gratitude is an effective biohack to rewire our brain towards the positive. (Somedays it may be simply the fact we can breathe and that is ok.)
What does this look like in real life?
📝Try writing down 1-3 things each day that you are grateful for, the effects just may surprise you! (The act of writing it down specifically seems to have the biggest impact)
While far from a complete list of biohacking tools, I hope this gets you thinking more about natural approaches we can all lean into for better health.
Remember, the things worth pursuing generally take our time, our intention and some practice but they are worth the effort!
if you found this helpful, please like, comment or share!
⭐ If you need more support with your health – reach out, I would love to help!
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drjen@hopehealthwellness.com