Too much biohacking

2021-04-26 @Lifestyle

Is this what a blog should resemble? Plain rambling about a hot, obtuse, contrived or latent topic?

Or perhaps the circumvention thereof by means of indirect personal musing, thereby perpetuating the course anyway?

I sometimes encounter personal strategies on productivity enhancement, often through the means of clever biohacking.

I refer to the fairly innocent forms, in the abused sense of the term: not the implantation of sensors:

Then the noise-cancelling headphones and who knows what I’m forgetting … (I realize some of this entirely goes beyond bio-hacking.)

Don’t misunderstand, much of the above carries merit and confers benefits, be it universally across the board, conditionally, or within narrow constraints.

I exercise or have exercised some of the above and have occasionally written to the respect.

Though at the time of writing, I practice merely the most standard intermittent fast and the no-alcohol lifestyle. Everything else beyond basic all-around health and exercise measures, feels spontaneous and stapled together.

And that’s the point: it’s very easy for someone in dismal shape and does nothing, to learn of these enhancements (through blogs, video blogs, podcasts), feel overwhelmed by the sheer amount of options some of these guys practice simultaneously (though who knows for how long?), and abandon the entire wellness prospect.

Less divulged I find tips on which would produce most benefit for a particular person or lifestyle. Or how little of something suffices to assert the greatest results.

It’s frightening how much biohacking advice I sometimes hear from one entrepreneur on a single broadcast.

But I’ll provide a minimalist counterpoint as always, of hopefully ten bullet points or less:

  1. Elimination of the negative, benefit-wise, seems to always trample the introduction of something new.

  2. That means eliminate the alcohol, the vile nutrients, the sugars and a significant amount (or most) of the carbohydrates in general. And you’ll already feel great if arriving from another extreme.

  3. The supplements, the natural salts, the electrolytes you can learn about in due time if your situation necessitates; usually in course of a Keto or a restrictive diet.

    I don’t pay attention to any of these, and just practice a 16-hour daily intermittent fast of fairly low and slow carbohydrates (followed through intuition, some gradual learning and trial-and-error).

  4. Eliminate the distractions, the needless stimuli, and those time-wasteful activities. (So far not a penny spent.)

  5. Do body-weight exercises.

    I realize that a gym offers additional benefits. However, thinking marginally, and comparing any of these options to zero (or insufficient exercise), and the first comes far cheaper and more time efficient.

    I’ve practiced almost exclusive body-weight workouts for years.

  6. Chairs? Tables? Hundreds of dollars spent on these contraptions? Whaaat? Or expenses towards standing desks?

    Sit on the floor (on a cushion, if a hard floor). I love the floor. Traditional Japanese style … If need be, acquire one of those cheap floor tables that you can easily stash out of the way.

    Sit on an exercise ball if behind a ‘normal’ table (attainable for the cost of a few glorified coffees), or any cheap, backless stool.

    You should be standing and moving much anyway. For that matter, stack your keyboard on top of a high cabinet or some books, and you’ve got yourself a standing setup.

  7. And the exuberant methods of coffee preparation? And the custom brews? The subscriptions? The machines?

    I can only speak for myself, but any small cup of fairly fresh, pure black coffee of mid to dark-roast beans, boiled right on the stove with filtered water, satisfies my craving.

    Do any of the more elaborate alternatives actually produce substantial bio-hacking yield? I would be flabbergasted.

Of equal importance, make sure to get sufficient sleep and consume plenty of water. Though hopefully that doesn’t overwhelm, as it’s something you’ve heard since your inception on Earth.

Questions, comments? Connect.