Western medicine puts almost all of the focus on emergency care, and preventive measures are often overlooked or not emphasized enough in the traditional treatment paradigm. However, biohacking and longevity medicine helps us to achieve optimal health over a lifespan and is actually less expensive than treating illness in the long run.

Biohacking is the process of optimizing our health, wellbeing and performance with the help of science, technology, and lifestyle practices. It’s synonymous with preventative care and longevity medicine; when we systematically and consistently put our health first and nurture those practices that elevate our wellbeing, we’re taking a proactive approach to whole-body wellness and mental health.

This journey of self discovery allows us to explore the tools and techniques that work best to support our unique constitution and needs, nurturing the relationship with the self; when we become inquisitive about our health and dedicated to cultivating resilience, we grow more aware of our needs and tend to those areas where we experience imbalance or dis-ease. 

Implementing several dietary, mindset, lifestyle and biohacking practices simultaneously creates a synergistic effect that supports holistic wellness more powerfully. This interaction of various methods enhances the benefits of each technique, as the various systems work together to create a framework of cellular information that optimizes health and vitality.

 

5 Biohacking Techniques You Need to Implement

1. Dry brushing – Not only a great exfoliator for skin, dry brushing is also helpful in encouraging proper lymphatic flow. The lymphatic system plays a key role in supporting the immune system by recognizing toxins, viruses, and bad bacteria and removing cellular waste. It’s also responsible for producing lymphocytes, which play an important role in fighting infection. Blockage of the lymph vessels can cause swelling, recurring infections, brain fog, and more difficulty in playing its role in the body’s natural detoxification process.

Get a body brush with medium-firm bristles and gently massage your skin in the direction of your lymph nodes – neck, armpits, groin and around the gut – to stimulate your lymphatic system, get rid of dry skin, and improve circulation. For most of us, it’s best to dry brush the skin with gentle pressure two to three times a week, for five to 10 minutes at a time.

 

2. Fasting – There are a host of health benefits that come with different methods of fasting, including a boost in metabolic activity and reversal of some of the effects of aging. A study conducted by scientists at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University in January 2019 found that fasting caused an increase (between 1.5- to 60-fold within just 58 hours) of important metabolites for antioxidant activity and muscle maintenance. The findings of this study show that fasting may be effective in preventing metabolic disease and prolonging lifespan.¹


Science backed benefits of fasting:

  • Enhances metabolism
  • May boost cognitive function
  • Increases production of human growth hormone
  • Helps decrease chronic inflammation
  • Reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease
  • Promotes insulin sensitivity
  • Increases autophagy
  • Encourages stem cell renewal
  • Supports hormone optimization
  • Alters gene expression for healing
  • May promote longevity

 


3. Movement – Movement keeps the body supple and the brain healthy. The physical aspect of regular exercise has the obvious benefits of improved muscular fitness and endurance, but there are also proven mental health benefits, as well as a number of indicators of longevity that come with a movement practice. Listening to your body and choosing the type, frequency and intensity of exercise you do will always yield the best results. Some people benefit from higher intensity or endurance exercise while others need a gentler mobility-based practice, and for most of us, these needs will change at different points in our lives.

Studies have shown that regular exercise boosts the immune system, improves bone density, and lowers the risk of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon and breast cancer, stroke, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes and premature death. It also helps with depression and anxiety, balancing hormones and improving cognitive function.


4. Oiling body and hair – This ayurvedic practice improves the health and appearance of hair and skin, but also helps with headaches, improves sleep, and improves circulation. Skin oiling has also been said to help reduce inflammation, relieve pain and reduce fever. The navel is a particularly interesting point to focus on when performing self massage. Belly button oiling is an Ayurvedic therapy that’s been practiced for centuries to support detoxification and nurture the body. Traditional Chinese Medicine also utilizes navel massage for its warming effects and digestive support. Skin is the largest organ of the body and nourishes your cells by absorbing nutrients from the oil.

Self massage is a relaxing practice and an act of self love. Choose a high quality oil that’s best for your dosha and consider any imbalances you may be experiencing.

 

5. Sleep hygiene – If you’ve ever suffered from poor sleep quality, then you already know how difficult normal, routine tasks become; the body simply cannot function properly without sufficient sleep. Consistently getting enough sleep (and achieving high quality sleep) reduces the risk of cancer and disease; helps to regulate hunger, stress and sex hormones; improves cognitive function; elevates mood; boosts performance and enables faster recovery. Proper sleep supports the immune system and is critical to restoring the body and mind.Sleep hygiene consists of all of the habits that affect our sleep patterns. Here are some healthy practices that will improve your quality of sleep:

  • Avoid caffeine 8 hours before going to bed
  • Avoid foods containing tyramine that keep you awake (potato, sauerkraut, cheese, chocolate, wine, sausage, tomato)
  • Drink chamomile or Passion flower tea before bed
  • Journal, meditate, or practice breathwork to release the day
  • Avoid blue spectrum light an hour before bed (from TVs, computers, phones)
  • Take a magnesium threonate supplement


The Sleep Fix is a brand new program that takes you on a deep dive into different obstacles to achieving quality sleep, nutrition and supplement suggestions, yoga kriyas for improving sleep, diagnostic testing options and biohacks for getting a good night’s sleep. This mini course gives you the tools you need to support your sleep, maximize healing and increase longevity. Click here to learn more about this powerful program or sign up now.

At Divine Elements we treat each individual as a whole and develop a comprehensive wellness plan that is uniquely tailored to you. We encourage curiosity and proactivity with longevity medicine, putting you at the center of your relationship to health and wellness. Exploring different elements of biohacking and taking a proactive approach to your wellness won’t only lead to improved longevity, but will also empower you to continue taking control of your health.

Explore the different biohacking tools and techniques in our Longevity Lab, and reach out to book a session or start with an assessment and personalised wellness plan developed by one of our naturopathic doctors.

 

Sources:
1. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-018-36674-9 – Teruya, T., Chaleckis, R., Takada, J. et al. Diverse metabolic reactions activated during 58-hr fasting are revealed by non-targeted metabolomic analysis of human blood. Sci Rep 9, 854 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-36674-9