Every morning a veteran hockey player in the US named Duncan Keith spends 45 minutes to do what he calls, ‘a bunch of little things’ he does to stay healthy. According to his interview with The New York Times, he douses himself with infrared light, lies in electromagnetic mats for 8 minutes a day, and ingests pills and herbal medicine like ashwagandha.
Sometimes at night, I’ll sleep with a hydrogen inhaler,? Keith added. ?I?m a biohacker and a part-time hockey player. It?s basically better living with the help of science. But Keith is an experienced biohacker who had long since known its efficacy. As a beginner, you might think it’s a big of a jump to go from zero to biohacking hero, so we’ve got 5 biohacks you can try first.
SLEEP
A good sleep can help prevent pretty much every desease, even the infectious ones. We all know that sleep deprivation basically shred your immunity defenses, that’s why sleep is one of the most important hack out there. It requires no effort and cost you nothing.
When sleeping, we are in a deep meditative state where we explore our subconscious and the dense ball of neurons in our heads wash themselves, clearing out the metabolic by-products (‘toxins’). In short, a brain cleansing, as much as your skin needs it, your brain does too! The key to maximizing the health benefits of sleeping is having a ‘cool down period’. During this time you are saving the last few hours before you sleep and do non-work related things. This means no phones in be, no cafeine and no alcohol before sleeping, because they mess up your sleep cycle. Last few tips is try to sleep with a fixed scheduled and surround yourself in darkness, trust us, you’ll sleep much better.
TIME IN NATURE
Spending time surrounded by nature has been found effective in decreasing brooding and healing after surgery among other benefits. Ecotherapy for example, is a great way to improve your mental and physical well being through outdoor activities and contact with nature. Because of nature’s calming and mind-quietening effect, our minds process a lot less information than normal, and they don’t wear themselves out by concentrating.
Awakening the feelings and senses by participating in the natural world can be a powerful way to begin this process. That doesn’t have to mean heading off to forests and mountains. Go to the nearest park or places with a lot of greenery and just spend an hour or two relaxing and observing the nature around you.
MOVE YOUR BODY
Find what’s right for you, do something you enjoy and what’s sustainable and possible within your physical dominion and time schedule. Don’t worry about the latest trend or the need to belong to the most overpriced gym with the nicest soaps or the pressure to break a sweat every time. If you?re moving, you’re doing it right. Move as much as possible. The most important thing is you move your body everyday. It’s vital for our mental health, our strength, and for healthy skin. By getting ourselves moving a little more each day, we are helping our bodies and minds function at their best. You get benefits like better blood circulation, boosted energy, better mood and regulated digestion among others.
EAT GOOD FOOD
When we say good food, we’re talking about minimally processed, plant-based things which help people live long and lead healthy lives. You can also try eating socially by taking the time to cook and eat slowly or with an environmental conscious perspective, appreciating all the energy and labor in every bite you take. This is all part of what we call mindfulness. It suggests that the mind is fully attending to what’s happening, to what you’re doing, to the space you?re moving through and even the food you’re eating. By doing this, it helps you gain control over your eating habits. It also promotes weight loss, reduce binge eating, and help you feel better.
CONNECTION TO PEOPLE AND PETS
Humans form relationships to up our time on Earth. Sometimes even forming one with material things. But our relationship with people and animals, althought requires hard work, is necessary for health and survival. Social isolation is linked to heart disease, arthritis, type 2 diabetes, dementia, and suicide. Isolated people are more likely to stop grooming and cooking and doing even the most basic biohacks that constitute life. That’s why humans seek connections, even at the risk of being rejected and heartbroken. Even that despair and loneliness people sometimes go through is a way to be smarter and better off.
Study shows that connecting with pets can help reduce heart disease risk factors and greater longevity. Although the research leans toward one type of pet in particular, dogs. Yes, those cute furry friends. “I think the data are pretty compelling that people with dogs have better health,” says Dr. Thomas Lee, a cardiologist and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Aside from keeping you active, dogs also reduce stress and prevent loneliness. Pets are no means a prescription for better health, but if you already have a pet, you can take advantage of the health benefits.
Did you know your dog is at risk of cancer too? Find out how you can biohack to prevent it! Make sure you and your furry friend are both healthy.