We Are All Biohackers

Biohacking covers various techniques believed to improve people’s health, performance, and general quality of life through the use of technologies, science, and changes to one’s lifestyle. Put simply, it is a sort of DIY approach to your body and mind.

Still, some creations DIYers produce should warn us. After all, this is not about a broken cup fallen from a poorly fixed shelf. We are meddling with the most precious thing we have – our health. The good news is that you might have begun without even realizing it. The methods of “low-tech biohacking” include cold plunge, intermittent fasting, quality diet, vitamins and other supplements, breathing exercises, meditation, or harmonising one’s schedule with biorhythms.

Technology in the Spotlight

But the 21st century takes biohacking further with smart watches, fitness bracelets or rings which monitor your sleep, heartbeat, stress, movements, or the level of oxygen in your blood. Some people monitor the levels of blood sugar, some test their microbiome, or analyse their genetics. This is called “high-tech biohacking”. It aspires to use data to help us become “better versions of ourselves” – or you may say that it makes us crazy about statistics. That depends on your point of view.

And then there are methods that skirt the law. In pursuit of better performance, some resort to nootropics – substances which can boost your memory, concentration, or creativeness. Nootropics include natural stimulants, such as coffee, tea, ginseng, or ginkgo, but also high-effect drugs available only on prescription. And that is where we should be alert – are these substances really used only by those who need them?

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