This Is My Beginner’s Guide To Biohacking:
Have you ever noticed that some people always seem to have everything under control?
They look good, they feel good, and they’re on top of their performance in all aspects of life.
They’re constantly focused, accomplish their goals effortlessly, stay in great shape, look fantastic, and earn a lot of money, leaving you wondering what their secret is.
Well, for many of them, the secret is biohacking, even though I am not the biggest fan of the word.
It’s about using natural shortcuts to enhance the performance of your body and mind.
Top CEOs, the wealthiest individuals, elite athletes, and leading content creators use these simple strategies to outshine the average person, even if they are not conscious of it.
I want to introduce you to the basics of biohacking so you can start using these techniques to your advantage and compete with the best.
So without further ado, let’s dive into the essentials of biohacking.
Admittedly, I am on a big longevity kick.
I’ve been researching a whole lot, reading many books (reviews to come), and thinking about how we can live longer, but better.
So with that, I’ve been exploring biohacking myself.
Initially, I wasn’t interested and was just trying to navigate life as it came.
But recently, I’ve been thinking about how to optimize my performance and decided to delve deeply into biohacking.
The results have been amazing—I’ve become much more focused and have discovered a lot of new strategies.
Now, I want to share these basics with you so you can use them to boost your chances of success.
What is biohacking?
First, what is biohacking?
Essentially, it’s about creating optimal performance within your body.
It’s about using simple hacks and cheat codes to ensure your body runs at its best. How do we fuel this machine that is our body?
How do we make sure it’s functioning properly?
Many of the things we learn in modern society are actually detrimental to our performance, harming our bodies and minds.
My goal is to set you free by providing the edge that makes success easier.
The top echelons of society are already using these techniques.
These are methods that the general public, influenced by big corporations, would never consider.
I’m here to help you achieve optimal performance and break free from these constraints.
Water
Step one: Rethink your consumption of tap water.
I used to be so skeptical about this and was a die-hard tap water drinker.
But then I actually looked at the reports of our tap water.
And many of the safety values and regulations haven’t been updated for 20 years.
Unfortunately, tap water is contaminated with fluoride, microplastics, and various toxins.
It flows through old, unclean pipes, potentially introducing rust and heavy metals into the water.
Since water makes up about 70-80% of our bodies, I do think consuming low-quality water can be a player in health status.
Despite common advice to drink tap water, it can actually harm you.
And bottled water can be worse – a lot of it is just tap water.
For an analysis of toxins and chemicals in your tap water, check out your zip code on: https://ewg.org/tapwater/.
My zip code has 11 contaminants that exceed safe levels.
My wife’s hometown zip code had dangerous levels of microplastics.
Everyone I know who is wealthy or “elite’ in some way typically uses water filters or drinks high-quality bottled water.
They avoid unfiltered tap water.
How can you ensure you have high-quality water without breaking the bank?
Evian and Aqua Panna seem to be best.
Evian, available almost everywhere, is a premium natural spring water.
Its plastic bottles are higher quality, leaching fewer microplastics.
Glass bottles are even better, avoiding any potential plastic leaching.
For those concerned about waste, consider a reverse osmosis water filtration system, which can range anywhere from $200 to several thousand dollars.
As for other water filters, a good budget-friendly option is a Zerowater Filter.
If you are a full biohacker you can check out a Berkey water filter or find one of those reverse osmosis systems that you can attach to your sink.
Investing in high-quality water is one of the best health decisions you can make.
Food
Next up is food.
Unfortunately, most of the things we see advertised in the grocery store are not healthy or nourishing our bodies.
To be honest, the perimeter of the grocery store is the only part that has relatively decent quality food.
The things advertised on TV and pushed by big corporations are ruining people’s health.
We see this in the rising rates of obesity and chronic diseases worldwide.
I truly believe a lot of this is as a result of ultra-processed foods that we are eating for cost, taste, and convenience.
And processing is a spectrum.
Generally “ultra-processed” is the food you could not possibly make at home and has added flavors to REALLY hit your taste buds. And there oddly is enough of that infiltrating society.
There is a big correlation between processed food consumption and obesity, heart disease, and metabolic dysfunction.
To protect yourself, just think about single-ingredient, quality food – basically just “real food”.
You may be wondering about seed oils or soy.
In my opinion, these things are blown out of proportion, however, they are commonly found in highly processed foods so it’s likely you’ll be avoiding them anyway with a diet like this.
We should also consider microplastics, which can be endocrine disruptors.
Microplastics are found in anything packaged in a container and processed foods like McDonald’s, KFC, or Burger King.
These foods are made for profit and convenience, not health, and are designed to be addictive.
The amount of research behind these foods is immense, they are designed to be perfectly tailored to become addictive.
Eating these foods can leave you feeling terrible – but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t have the occasional fast food.
But by no means is it a standard part of my diet, and neither should it be in yours.
I think it is essential to train your mind to see these stereotypically bad foods not as treats but as harmful substances destroying your body.
Shift your mind to food for fuel instead of food as enjoyment (but of course you can still enjoy it).
Also, be aware of non-stick pans, which even the FDA has acknowledged as toxic, especially if they are scratched.
Instead, use cast iron, stainless steel, or carbon steel pans.
So, to improve your health, change your water, be mindful of your food choices, and switch to safer cookware.
When it comes to food, like I said, opt for natural and whole foods, and avoid those laden with harmful additives and chemicals
So you may be asking now, “Alright, Christian, you want to know what you should eat?”
Let me break it down.
Now, onto the diet basics.
I think basing your foods around unprocessed meat like beef, chicken turkey, and fish like salmon are your best bet.
Eggs are highly nutritious and don’t ditch the yolk, most of the nutrients are in that.
Fruits and vegetables are highly nutritious and will provide you with plenty of the essential vitamins, minerals, and fiber, which is key for healthy digestion and longevity.
Greek yogurt, the yogurt of my people, is top tier for prebiotic bacteria for a healthy gut microbiome.
For fat sources, avocados, nuts, and olive oil are key.
I cannot recommend a high-quality olive oil enough, the polyphenols and antioxidants in olive oil are one of the biggest reasons why the Mediterranean diet is touted as one of the healthiest ways of eating.
For easily digestible carbohydrates, white rice, potatoes, and sweet potatoes form the basis of a great diet.
And of course, follow a 90/10 or 80/20 rule.
Eat healthy for most of your diet, but allow yourself 10-20% flexibility to enjoy all the things life has to offer.
Sleep Optimization
As we know, sleep is crucial for success.
Achieving your goals and completing your tasks often comes down to mastering the basics: sleep, food, water, and training.
Consistently focusing on these without distractions like alcohol will elevate your energy levels and overall performance.
Sleep is particularly essential.
Aim to stop eating three to four hours before bed.
Avoid using technology close to bedtime; instead, take time to relax, read a book, and unwind.
Create a dark, calm, and cool environment to help you fall asleep. In the morning, get sunlight as soon as possible to set your circadian rhythm, ensuring you wake up and go to bed at the same time every day.
This consistency supports your hormone function and mood, aiding your success.
Avoid using your phone in the morning to prevent disrupting your system with an instant dopamine hit.
Sleep in a cool, completely dark room, and turn off your phone at night.
Supplements that can help with sleep are magnesium glycinate and ashwagandha, which are proven to help with relaxation, muscle recovery, and stress management.
Mood and Recovery
For mood enhancement and muscle recovery, especially if you’re training and feeling sore, or if you want to improve your mood and recover from workouts more easily, here’s what I recommend:
Sauna: I’ve been incorporating the sauna in my day-to-day as of late. I’m lucky to go to a gym with a pretty cool sauna, and I also got an at-home sauna from Saunabox that I use in my garage.
There are plenty of benefits to the sauna, like the possibility of increased growth hormone levels, increased relaxation, and improved blood flow.
Saunas seem to work wonders for me and others, particularly those in Scandinavian cultures where it is part of their lifestyle.
Currently, I aim for a few 20-minute sauna sessions per week.
And beyond that, saunas could be a decent way to make friendships and connections in your gym.
Ice Bath: If you’re looking for a mood boost or struggling with low energy and depression, an ice bath could be effective too.
There is a big boost to dopamine that happens after a cold plunge/ice bath, leading to a big boost of motivation and energy for later in the day.
An ice bath could work similarly to icing your muscles, which is part of reducing inflammation in the body from an intense training session.
Make sure to keep ice baths before workouts, not directly after as it can reduce the body’s response to training.
Ice baths highlight my life philosophy: choose to do hard things, and life will be easy.
Chase easy things and comfort, and life will be hard. 10 minutes a week (2-3 minutes a time) seems to be good for cold plunges.
Get Outside: Nature is amazing.
Since moving to Colorado, I have had a massive mental shift from being in nature as opposed to the loud hustle and bustle of a city like Chicago.
Sunlight is key for vitamin D production which will help with mood and testosterone production.
Being outside is meditative on its own and allows you to slow down.
I do think a big reason why society is more depressed and anxious than ever before is because we don’t spend time outside as much anymore, and are instead glued to screens.
Cognitive Function and Enhancement
To increase brain power, concentration, and focus, consider intermittent fasting.
Breakfast was propaganda from Kellogg’s to increase sales of their breakfast foods.
You do not NEED to eat around the clock.
Many of the high-functioning men I speak to are skipping breakfast.
However, humans weren’t designed to eat this way; we evolved to hunt and gather, spending periods without food, which kept our brains sharp and alert.
I always find myself more productive when I am fasting.
When you eat all day, you dull your brain’s primal instincts, making it harder to focus and work efficiently.
Most days, I fast from 7 p.m. to 2 p.m. the next day, an 18 or 19-hour fast, consuming all my calories between 12 and 7 p.m.
This approach allows for excellent focus the next day because I stop eating three hours before bed, ensuring better sleep, the circadian rhythm approach I’ve mentioned in other posts. After fasting, you experience mental clarity, better appetite control, a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, improved heart health, better brain function, and a reduced risk of cancer.
Constant eating, especially sugar, can feed cancer cells, and we are looking for optimization here.
Start incorporating fasting into your life by taking 20 to 24 hours off from food a couple of times a week.
In the grand scheme of things, a 72-hour fast a few times a year can be helpful as well.
During fasting, drink plenty of water, and make sure to consume electrolytes.
Fasting does not work for everyone though.
Some people (usually women, speaking anecdotally) function better when eating in the morning. So experiment and find what works for you.
One supplement that helps with cognitive performance is creatine, which has benefits for memory and reasoning.
Omega 3 fatty acids, like EPA and DHA, will be essential for brain health as well.
By incorporating these biohacking basics into your life, you’ll experience a significant improvement in your overall quality of life and success.
Let me know if you found these helpful, and which ones you plan on applying in your life.
With that said, I am looking for 5 more busy professionals looking to optimize their life. My goal is not to add things to your routine, but to optimize the things you’re doing just so you can see a better return on the time and effort you are putting in. We will focus on the 4 pillars of movement, nutrition, stress, and sleep. If this is you, feel free to click the link below to apply!
Best regards
Dr. CP.