Written by Kelle Salle
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Wellness trends are really popular at the moment and there are many practices someone can follow to look after themselves properly. Wellness has evolved through the years – there was a time when it was mainly about being in good health, taking the right supplements and drinking a lot of water. While all of these things are still essential for good health, wellness now involves taking a 360 approach, with consumers spending more money than ever on products that improve their health, fitness, nutrition, appearance, sleep and mindfulness. According to Wellness Creatives, the global wellness market is valued at over $5.3 trillion and £30.6 million in the U.K.
One wellness trend that has become popular in recent years is biohacking, which is simply the concept of ‘do-it-yourself’ biology. If you want to take full ownership of your health, biohacking could be a suitable option. Before you decide whether it’s for you, we’ve asked Tim Gray, the UK’s leading biohacker and founder of The Health Optimisation Summit, to provide some insight on the wellness phenomenon.
What is biohacking?
Biohacking involves taking preventative measures to optimise your health, which includes tracking progress made and testing latest technologies paired with ancestral wisdom. In the same way athletes prioritise their sleep or nutrition for the best performance out on the field, biohackers do the same to get the most out of their daily life. By optimising your environment, you can take control of your own biology, hence why biohacking is seen as a DIY concept.
What does biohacking involve?
People biohack their lifestyle for different reasons – some do it because they want to look and feel younger while others want to reverse chronic issues. Whatever the goal, the principle remains the same. Biohacking involves fine-tuning your diet, sleep, hydration, environment etc. so that you are able to work alongside your body to produce your desired result. Technology is also used to track improvements as well as tactics from our ancestors that have been forgotten, like grounding, for example.
How can biohacking improve someone’s health and wellbeing?
Biohacking has a number of wellness benefits. Meditation, grounding and exercise are the most effective biohacking practices for reducing stress. Just 5 minutes spent meditating, a 15-minute walk in nature or a 20-minute workout can significantly reduce stress, improve sleep quality and lift your mood.
Is biohacking purely science-related?
There are a few misconceptions about biohacking. Some people think it’s only about cyborgs and chip implants, which is not the case. Biohacking is all about health optimisation. There can be a crossover, but the fundamental practices are more basic than that. It’s not about turbocharging yourself so you can perform at a superhuman level, it’s about performing how we should be naturally and restoring balance to the body.
How to start biohacking?
Biohacking is all about tracking and optimising your health – whether that be your sleeping pattern, blood glucose, gut bacteria or various blood markers – so getting a blood test can be helpful for identifying areas of improvement in your health and guiding your biohacking journey. A blood test can provide valuable information and markers about your hormone levels, nutrient deficiencies, inflammation markers, and other key indicators of health. With these results, you can supplement or implement changes accordingly, and target specific areas requiring additional support.
The final takeaway
Biohacking is a great way to take ownership of your health and wellbeing but in order to biohack, you’ll need to track your progress consistently to get a clear idea of what works and what needs to be changed during your journey. If biohacking seems time-consuming, start small by setting aside some time for meditation, ground work and exercise. If wellness is your thing, then it’s highly likely that you’re biohacking your system in one way or another already but if you’d like to take things to the next level, seek help from a registered professional.
