How can you use regular blood testing to biohack?.
Blood work is a key to effective biohacking. It can tell you a lot about your body’s levels of various nutrients and components like plasma and cell count. Blood tests can tell you if a new food you’re eating is affecting your vitamin levels or helping you to achieve a specific biological process. For example, getting a blood test before and after taking vitamin B12 supplements for greater cognitive function can show you whether the supplements have affected your B12 levels. You can biohack without regular blood tests. Changing your diet or habits can have noticeable effects on your overall sense of well-being, or it may affect specific symptoms you’re targeting, like digestive concerns or headaches. But blood tests give you raw data to work with. They can tell you whether your biohack is working at a cellular level.
What’s the difference between biohacking and biotechnology?
Caffeine is well-known as a productivity booster. If you don’t use it already, start with an 8-ounce serving of black coffee, green tea, or caffeinated foods like dark chocolate. Have your caffeine at the same time every day and keep a journal of how it makes you feel in the minutes or hours afterward: Do you feel more focused? More anxious? Tired? Try tweaking the dose until you find the amount that works best for your goal. There’s even coffee with a biohacker twist, known as bulletproof coffee. The coffee contains compounds like medium-chain triglycerides (MCT) oil, known as an energy booster and weight-loss toolTrusted Source. There’s debate on the safety of bulletproof coffee. If you’re interested in biohacking your coffee, talk to your doctor first, especially if you have underlying health conditions.
2. Try an elimination diet
An elimination diet is exactly what it sounds like. With an elimination diet, you’ll get rid of something from your diet and then slowly re-introduce it to see how it affects your body. This is a popular option if you think you’re allergic to a food or are concerned that a food may be causing inflammation, such as dairy, red meat, or processed sugar. There are two primary steps to an elimination diet:
Remove one or more foods from your diet completely.
Wait about two weeks, then reintroduce the eliminated foods slowly back into your diet.
Guide to Biohacking: Types, Safety, and How To
3. Get some blue light for a mood boost
Blue light from the sun can help you boost your mood or enhance your cognitive performanceTrusted Source. Get a few extra hours of sunlight each day (about 3-6 hours, or whatever’s realistic for you), and see if you notice any changes. But keep in mind that sunlight contains the same blue light that’s emitted from phone and computer screens. This light can keep you awake by interrupting your circadian rhythm. Also remember to wear sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher when out in the sun. That can protect your skin from sun damage.
4. Try intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting is a type of dieting method that involves only eating between certain times, then fasting for an extended period until the next designated time to eat. For example, you may only eat during an eight-hour period from noon to 8 p.m., then fast from 8 p.m. until noon the next day. Fasting in this way has several proven benefits:
lowering insulinTrusted Source levels so that your body can burn fat more efficiently
helping your cells repair any damaged tissuesTrusted Source
protecting you from diseases like cancerTrusted Source
Talk to your doctor before beginning an elimination diet if you:
have diabetes or problems regulating your blood sugar
have low blood pressure
are taking medications
have a history of an eating disorder
are pregnant or breastfeeding
The Takeaway
Biohacking does have some merits. Some forms are easy to do at home and easy to reverse if something goes wrong. But in general, be careful. Experimenting on yourself without taking all the proper precautions can lead to unexpected side effects. Talk to a doctor or nutritionist before making any significant changes to your diet. And make sure to do your own research before putting any foreign substance into your body.