With a heart rate monitor and stepometer on her wrist and a light sensor clipped onto her jumper, Dr Alka Patel looks like an astronaut preparing for a mission to the International Space Station. But for Dr Patel, this is ordinary.
Putting on her collection of wearable tech is simply part of her morning routine, alongside brushing her teeth, doing her hair and applying make-up.
And she’s not the only one – around 3.65 million Brits own a smartwatch. The Duchess of Sussex has even been spotted wearing an anti-stress patch, which claims to slow down the body’s response to stress by sending signals to the parasympathetic nervous system. Wearable tracking devices to monitor our daily steps or activity levels are also proving popular.
The difference lies in the data, as a YouGov survey found just 54% of Brits understand all of the metrics on a wearable device. Now, Dr Patel is on a mission to get people using this information to their advantage as part of what’s being dubbed “biohacking”.
“The hacking bit is about looking at the principles and processes that take place in your body. The bio bit is biology. What you’re doing is finding a shortcut to take over your biology,” she explains.
“I also like to refer to it as biosynergy. That’s about how you integrate your body, brain and beliefs. Nothing in your body works alone. Nothing hurts alone. Nothing heals alone. Everything has to be integrated, so it’s about making everything come together.”
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Denne historien er fra September 25, 2023-utgaven av OK! UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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