Biohack Your Health

A handful of natural tricks can help you tap into the power of biohacking—the new buzzword for anything that improves mental performance and energy, and “hacks” your genetic makeup for a more vibrant life.

- Lisa Turner

Electrical muscle stimulation, cryotherapy at –250°F, headbands that encourage blood flow to the brain—they’re all part of the new world of biohacking, a movement that aims to “hack” biology with the goal of quickly and dramatically improving performance, thoughts, behaviors, and vitality. In some cases, the practices are so extreme— magnets surgically inserted into the fingers, wireless tattoos that track vital body stats, mini computers implanted under the skin, injecting genes to promote muscle growth—that there’s talk of regulating biohackers. But you don’t needto go to those lengths; just try these simple tips that anyone can do at home.

PRACTICE EARTHING

Also called “grounding,” this practice involves walking barefoot for 20 minutes per day—even in the winter—as a means of connecting with the natural electrical charges produced by the Earth. It may sound odd, but research suggests that direct physical contact with the vast supply of electrons on the surface of the Earth can promote physiological changes and benefits that include better sleep, reduced pain, enhanced wound healing, improved immune response, and prevention and treatment of chronic inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

The theory is that the slight negative charge from the Earth helps improve normal functioning of all body systems and resets the biological clocks that regulate body rhythms. Some earthing or grounding practitioners even walk barefoot in the snow for a few minutes, which hints at another common biohack: ice baths or freezing-cold showers are thought to decrease muscle pain, increase fat burning, and even improve mood and sleep.

INTERMITTENT FASTING