Aging IQ is a news aggregate designed to create a location for all of your senior news from holiday meal ideas to cutting edge research. The below article was originally posted on their website by the author below.
Author: Maureen Lake | June 11, 2022
Years ago I had the pleasure to attend The Feel Good Summit hosted by Dr. Mark Hyman. There were many amazing masterminds and lectures, but as a woman suffering from fatigue, one stuck out for me.
Dave Asprey took the concept of biohacking mainstream with his bulletproof coffee and vibration plates. According to Dave, “Biohacking is the art and science of changing the environment around you, and inside you, so you have more control of your biology.”
I had the immense pleasure to attend two of his sessions. I left both of them thinking that you don’t need fancy gadgets and expensive memberships to take control of your life. But can biohacking work for women?
Come to think of it, women are the original biohackers. I’d say that we are more in tune with our bodies for many reasons. Heck, we have manipulated our hormones to control pregnancy starting thousands of years ago using moon cycles to control fertility!
So, what’s the least expensive way to hack our bodies and take control of our energy and vitality? Below are three easy ways to biohack your health today.
Hack Your Sleep
Lack of sleep is a public health problem. Millions of Americans report difficulty with sleep. Did you know that one bad night of sleep compromises your blood sugar so much that your body wakes up in a pre-diabetic state? I know it’s crazy, but it’s true.
Lowering your stress level is imperative to getting a quality night of sleep, and women are more stressed than men! Plan your self-care routine, so you are actively participating in your health. Try deep breathing exercises, meditation and yoga. They do wonders for helping your brain to shut off for the night.
Improve your sleep hygiene and it will increase your quality of sleep. Sleep quality is way more important than the quantity or number of hours that you sleep. Keep a sleep diary to track what works and what doesn’t.
Try to decrease your exposure to blue light. This is the light that comes from your phone, LED lights and, yes, your computer. Blue light at night will change your circadian rhythms and impact your melatonin production.
Stay off all electronics at least two hours before bed time, use a blue light filter or download f.lux to your computer. Also, our smartphones have a night shift function for a reason. Why not use it?
These tools are great because they signal to your body that it’s time for bed. The outcome is a higher quality of sleep, and a better mood the next day.
Hack Your Diet
What you eat has a direct relationship to your gut microbiome, which is directly related to your health. The latest anti-cancer drug is bacteria! So how do we maintain good bacteria in our gut? Fiber!
Fiber is the key player which feeds the good bacteria in your gut. You need at least 25 grams of fiber a day and if you eat processed, inflammatory foods, you’re not reaching this goal. Eat healthy fats, lots of veggies, high-quality protein, Kimchi, Kombucha or take a probiotic and you’ll have more energy throughout the day.
One thing we know is that our bodies like variety and change and this is one reason why intermittent fasting became such a rage. The idea is to simply fast about 14-16 hours a day once or twice a week.
Before you freak out over this idea, it’s simple to do. If you don’t eat after 7 pm and wait until 11 am for your first meal, you’ve completed a fast!
Why would you even consider an intermittent fast?
Why wouldn’t you? The benefits of intermittent fasting are many. It decreases your sugar storage and caused your body to burn fat instead.
Intermittent fasting is very well-researched and has many benefits including weight loss, increased focus, preventing chronic disease, reducing triglycerides, and improving brain health. Pretty fantastic outcome by not eating after dinner and waiting for brunch the next day!
Supplements
In our world, even when you eat a healthy diet, the chances that you’re getting the amounts of vitamins and minerals from your food is pretty iffy.
Walk into any grocery store, and you’ll find a plethora of vitamins to pick from. Unfortunately, the vitamins you see on the shelves are not required to go through the same tests for quality from the FDA.
Vitamins come with fillers, are shipped under conditions that change their quality, and some companies actually add in false ingredients. Before taking any supplement, consult your doctor. Besides, doctors often have access to high-quality supplements.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is an essential supplement for all woman, but sadly, we do not get enough of it when spending time in the sun. Thanks to sunscreen and clothes the effects have decreased.
However, the benefits you might gain in bone health are beyond compare. Take your vitamin D in the morning because it’s inversely related to melatonin and can keep you up at night.
Magnesium
Magnesium is a wonder mineral. Stress depletes magnesium as do some medications, processed foods, and alcohol. Magnesium has so many benefits!
It may help to reduce insomnia, aids with constipation, calms your nerves, prevents migraines, and relieves muscle cramping and pain. When looking for magnesium in a supplement form, try to find magnesium glycinate as it’s less likely to affect your bowels.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids DHA & EPA
I know I don’t eat enough fish to get the recommended amount of Omega-3 in my diet. Did you know that the membranes that surround your cells are made of fat? Because of that it’s important to eat the right kind of fat to keep your immunity and cell growth occurring.
Plus, Omega-3 lower inflammation. This is said to be beneficial in preventing and treating diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and Alzheimer’s.
I learned so much from attending The Feel Good Summit, and I’m grateful to be able to share some of the insight I gained with you.
