If you’ve been poking around in the health and fitness world, you’ve probably heard of biohacking. Maybe you’re a biohacker yourself, or maybe you’re a complete novice. Either way, I want to share my top 11 biohacks with you because biohacking is one of my favorite concepts.

Biohacking approaches health from the standpoint of bettering yourself with effective and practical advice. As opposed to our tendency to only deal with health when it becomes problematic.

Biohacking has somewhat of a reputation of being nerdy and expensive, but I assure you there are a lot of biohacks that are accessible, affordable, and some are even completely free.  

What is Biohacking?

So, what is biohacking technically?

Biohacking is simply the process of making impactful changes to “hack” your body’s biology, especially your energy levels. Two of the primary ways you can biohack your body are by:

1. Reducing inflammation so your body can run more smoothly
2. Supporting your mitochondria

Your mitochondria are your cells energy powerhouses, and anything you can do to give your mitochondria boost translates into more overall energy. There are many other ways you can biohack your body beyond these, those are just two important mechanisms.

An important aspect of biohacking is that it really emphasizes our individuality. Biohackers tend to view their body as an experiment. They encourage each other to try different techniques to see what works for them.

This is one of the reasons I am all about biohacking!

It’s important to listen to your body and do what feels best for YOU. That being said, here are a few quick tips to be sure you’re biohacking safely.

How to Biohack Safely

Here are my two key tips to biohacking safely:

1. Listen to your body – Seriously. This might seem obvious and you’re probably thinking, “Of course Dr. Jill!”  But it’s worth mentioning because oftentimes when people are first incorporating biohacking into their life, they end up pushing themselves more than they would normally. Thinking that the harder they push themselves, the more they’ll get out of it.  

But when it comes to biohacking, it’s actually about doing as little as possible to get the biggest effect. So, for many biohacks, a little goes a long way.

Also, if you’ve been chronically ill or you know you generally aren’t very in touch with your body, you can use health trackers to help get in tune. Things like Oura rings and Fitbits can help you become more aware of how your body is doing. And of course, you can also biohack under the guidance of a doctor.

2. Find a biohacking-friendly doctor – If you can find a doctor who is willing to help you through some of these experiments, that’s ideal. Doctors can help you incorporate biohacking techniques safely, and they can guide you through more technical options that wouldn’t otherwise be recommended.

When I was coming up with this list, I wanted to include things that have the most profound impact on your health, but were also generally safe for most people.

Dr. Jill’s Top 11 Biohacks to Increase Your Energy and Feel Great

Whether you’re brand new to biohacking or an experienced pro, this list has biohacks for everyone. I started with the more accessible biohacks first and moved on to those that are more of an investment. Everything on this list has huge potential impact on your health and wellbeing, so I really think everything on this list is 100% worth it.

1. Gratitude practice – First up is gratitude. You’ve probably heard a lot of people recommending gratitude lately and that’s because it really works. Regularly spending time thinking about things you are grateful for in your life has the power to improve your outlook and improve your relationships.  I recommend starting each day with a little gratitude journaling. It doesn’t need to take that long, just setting aside time to write down five things you are grateful for each morning can have a huge impact. Make a commitment to write five gratitudes every morning for 30 days and let me know how it feels. Share with us in the comments!
2. Meditation – Meditation is another practice that’s gaining a lot of attention, and for good reason! Meditation has such profound impacts on your health and happiness it’s the favorite of even the most seasoned biohackers. This is because meditation has been shown to reduce inflammation, boost immune cell count, reduce immune cell aging, and even influence gene expression. You can read more about meditation in my article, Be Happier & Less Anxious with 7 Minutes a Day.
3. Intermittent fasting – Intermittent fasting is when somebody goes between 12 to 16 hours without food. This may sound difficult, but if you stop eating at 9 PM at night and don’t have breakfast until after 9 AM, you’re already doing it. For intermittent fasting to be a breeze, you’re going to have to cut back on the sugar and carbs in your diet. When your body is cycling in and out of ketosis, intermittent fasting really isn’t that hard. Intermittent fasting is a great biohack because it improves your body’s insulin sensitivity, which is one of the best markers of overall health. Check out 5 Incredible Benefits of Insulin Sensitivity to find out more.
4. Sweating – Yep, good old-fashioned sweating. Sweating is an important detox pathway and can even help your body flush heavy metals. You can sweat more by exercising or by using a sauna. I love the Sauna Space zero EMF near infrared sauna! Sauna Space is like three biohacks in one. Because you get the awesome sweat of a sauna, the therapeutic benefits of the infrared light, and it’s an EMF sanctuary. There’s no other sauna like this, which is why we started carrying for sale to patients in our office. They fold up and can be tucked away unlight other saunas, which makes them way more practical. If you’d like to order one, my staff can help you and you’ll receive a discount when you call the office at 303-993-7910.
5. Quality sleep – While you probably already knew it’s good to get 7 to 8 hours of sleep,  it’s as important to get high quality sleep. This is because in your glymphatic system runs in the deepest stages of sleep. Your glymphatic system was only discovered recently, and it’s the process by which your body clears neurotoxins from the brain. Because of this, deep sleep has neuroprotective effects. I like to tell my patients to make their bedroom a sanctuary – with light blocking curtains, minimal interruptions, and an air purifier, if possible. You should also make your bedroom and EMF-free zone by unplugging your Wi-Fi and keeping your phone on airplane mode at night.
6. Vitamin D – Most people don’t realize that vitamin D is actually more like a hormone in the body. Nearly every tissue has receptors for vitamin D and utilizes it for vital processes. Vitamin D helps with energy levels, fights disease, and reduces depression.  Not only is adding a vitamin D supplement a good idea, ensuring you get enough sunlight is as well.
7. Omega 3 – Healthy fats are essential for a healthy brain, and omega-3s are one of the best! Fish oils contain EPA and DHA, which are anti-inflammatory and protect the cell’s DNA from damage. Be sure to use a high-quality Omega-3 supplement because fish oils can go rancid very easily – this is why I always recommend Thorne products.
8. Blue light blockers – Blue blockers are glasses that protect your eyes from blue wavelengths from screens and other artificial light sources. While blue blockers don’t necessarily reduce inflammation or charge your mitochondria, they can help regulate circadian rhythms – this can improve your sleep and increase your energy levels. Plus, with all the added screen time in our life, I think they are an excellent biohack especially for anyone who has to look at computer all day or watches TV at night. You can check out Swannies which block about 90% of blue light from screens and have more fashionable frames and some of the other brands I’ve seen.
9. Red light therapy – Red light therapy charges your mitochondria and reduces inflammation. Plus, it feels great! You can read more about it in my article, Turn On The Red Light! Red Light Therapy Charges Mitochondria, Revitalizes Your Skin, and Reduces Pain.
10. Photobiomodulation – Photobiomodulation is a red light therapy where you use a device called an electroencephalogram (EEG) up your nose to target your brain. Sound pretty strange? Totally, but it’s been shown to be energizing, free radical fighting, and even has promising effects on Alzheimer’s. You can read more about this in my article, Photobiomodulation and Your Brain.
11. Pure water – Not only is your body mostly made of water, it’s an important element every system needs to run smoothly. It’s important to have high quality building blocks for your body, which is why I believe having clean water is one of the best biohacks you can do for your health. I recommend Berkey filters, which are an initial investment but because they last so long, pay for themselves rather quickly. You can read more about this my article, Drinking Pure Water: An Overlooked Key to Optimal Health.

What are some of your favorite biohacks?

I would love to hear from you! Share in the comments below.

Happy hacking everyone!

Resources:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/newsletter_article/in-praise-of-gratitude

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4651462/