Written by: Meghan Jarvis, Executive Contributor
Executive Contributors at Brainz Magazine are handpicked and invited to contribute because of their knowledge and valuable insight within their area of expertise.
Biohacking is not as fringe as you might think. Many people are doing these biohacks without even realizing it. You can start simply by focusing on the core pillars of health – sleep, nutrition, exercise, social connection, and stress management.
What is biohacking?
Biohacking means manipulating your brain or body to improve your performance, health and wellbeing or extend your life. It covers everything from diet and lifestyle changes to headline-grabbing medical procedures such as computer chip implants.
The movement has a raft of high-profile devotees, including Bulletproof coffee founder David Asprey, who hopes to live to 180 with a regime of supplements and stem cell injections, and Elon Musk, who is trying to create an interface between computers and the human brain.
“For me, biohacking is a way of living that encompasses lifestyle modifications to gain full control over my biology and be the best version of myself,” biohacker Lucas Auon of Ergogenic Health explains. “Things like adjusting your light exposure and food intake, modifying your training schedule or sleeping patterns, supplementation (and) exercise hacks.” Biohacking allows you to personalize your approach to nutrition and fitness, helping you optimize your health and wellness.
Here are my six top at-home biohacks you might like to try:
1. Mental fitness
While keeping your physical fitness up will not be essential, 2023 will be the year for mental wellness. The term has gone gangbuster on social media this year, with mental fitness garnering more than 100,000 posts on Instagram and 58.5 million views on TikTok.
Mental fitness is like physical fitness, where you regularly engage in mind-body strategies, like meditation. By blending fitness and mindfulness, we can have profound, long-lasting effects and changes in lifestyle. This results in handling better life’s challenges and more days in which you’re performing your best.
Find all our easy, step-by-step mindfulness programs and a lot more at the WellCorp website.
2. Intermittent fasting
At the top of my list is intermittent fasting due to its $0 cost factor and the benefits backed by science that is coming out about it. Many studies show this low-tech biohack may improve many health conditions, including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. Take a look at the work Michael Mosley has been doing for more information on how to get started. His research on intermittent fasting has taken the world by storm.
3. Meditation
This is one of the most common forms of biohacking and has been practised for centuries. Studies show mindfulness meditation can help reduce anxiety, stress and pain. Enter; the AtOne App provides virtual reality meditation in a new and exciting way to meditate, which we are setting up in our corporate gyms across Australia, allowing for a true blend of mindfulness and fitness in the workplace. Try downloading the One Giant Mind app and go through 30 days of free meditation practices for ten minutes; it’s the perfect kick starter and what we give all our clients.
4. Wearable wellness technology
Channel the biohacking ethos and track and measure your health and fitness performance with wearable technology. Any wearable or smartwatch is excellent, and you can now purchase them for less than $50 that monitor steps, heart rate, etc.
Fitness trackers and watches might seem like old news. Around $90 billion was spent by people around the world on wearable tech in 2022. This year it will be the rise of rings, belts and even underwear in the wearable wellness tech space that tracks everything from your heart rate, sleep patterns, and calorie burn.
We’re hearing more and more about the vast health benefits of getting a good night’s sleep. Enter: the Oura ring. Wearing this ring daily and to bed tracks your sleep quality and stages with research-grade sensors. Capturing all the information and storing it in its mobile app, you can see your sleep quality score, which is calculated based on your quality and duration of deep sleep, REM sleep and light sleep. It’ll then let you know how to improve. Not bad!
5. Recovery clinics
2023 health trends number two. We all know the importance of exercise and moving our bodies to maintain our health and wellbeing. And while this will forever be a priority, 2023 is going to see a further rise in recovery-style gyms and centres.
This includes treatments and experiences like infrared saunas, red light therapy, ice baths, cryotherapy, compression recovery, hyperbaric oxygen therapy and float tanks.
Ensuring your muscles are recovering properly not only helps improve building muscle mass, but avoiding injury. It also brings focus to caring for and nurturing your body just as much as using it to workout.
6. All about collagen
Let’s meet number one of the 2023 health trends. Collagen supplements have been on a very steady rise and will continue to grow in popularity in the new year.
In fact, the global collagen market is expected to reach $5.77bn USD by 2028, so it’s clearly a trend to jump on as soon as possible!
Collagen is most often associated with hair, nails and skin health, which are just some of its incredible benefits. But in 2023, we see collagen’s other significant health benefits getting some of the limelight. And while you should always aim to get your nutrients from your diet first, using supplements can assist in boosting your collagen consumption.
Our go-to collagen supplement and number-one partner is Saname. Saname is the first & only Australian-owned collagen and bone broth specialist. This product contains unflavored bio-active collagen peptide powder that offers nutrition for the tendons, ligaments and skin. Always speak to your health professional before making changes to your diet and supplements.
Why should I start biohacking today?
We live in a highly pressured modern world, and more of us than ever before are frantic. As a result, we experience various mental, emotional and physical health issues ranging from allergies and asthma to anxiety and depression. It’s no wonder that so many people are looking for ways to improve their wellbeing to avoid the stress that today’s way of living can bring.
While there is plenty of advice out there about ways to minimize the problems associated with modern living, some of the options suggested can be difficult to put in place and can be more trouble than they’re worth. That’s why we’ve developed these quick and simple ideas that will improve your life.
The biohacks that we’ve suggested here represent some of the most effective ways to give your life an overhaul for the better. You can enjoy better wellbeing and a healthier approach by implementing small and simple changes in different areas of your life.
Meghan Jarvis, Executive Contributor Brainz Magazine
A former World Class BMX bicycle racer, Meghan came to Australia to play professional basketball and stayed as a lead lecturer at the Australian Institute of Fitness. Meghan's passion for fitness and entrepreneurialism led her to found WellCorp Health and Wellness and Buzvil, a global health and fitness app. She most recently appeared as an actor and stunt woman in the new Blockbuster 'Elvis', the Portable Door, Aqua Man and has been a 'Ninja' on Channel Nine's Australian Ninja Warrior. She is also the head of Total Gym Fitness Equipment Australia, Suspension Training and Altitude Training International Master Coach, making her an authority on peak performance and an international speaker. Her experiences as an athlete, educational portfolio (Masters of Education and Coaching Science, Kinesiologist, Sports Scientist), entrepreneurial ventures, and enthusiastic character have shaped her as a formidable leader in health and fitness. She believes strongly in the importance of redefining and bridging the gap between physical and mental health. Meghan has guided many people to achieve complete personal breakthroughs and phenomenal mind, body, and business growth.
