Wellness trends come and go but biohacking is continuing to grow in popularity. But what actually is it?

Basically, biohacking is a way of saying you’re observing and then responding to your body, making changes accordingly, often with an end goal in mind.

We’re talking thongs like a morning routine incorporating natural sunlight, a cold shower or similar to help boost energy level, or even changing your supplement rotation to help your hormones.

Intrigued? Dean Henry, functional medicine coach and Managing Partner of Dubai-founded supplements brand, UAE Peptides and Clean Living Company breaks down to Cosmo ME what exactly biohacking means and how YOU can get in on it.

What is biohacking?

It may sound a little Sci-Fi, but actually, biohacking is a new buzzword word for something which we have been doing for decades. Put simply, biohacking is health optimisation, but we now have more innovative tools to identify what we need to change and observe if our hacks are helping. And no, you don’t need to spend $2million a year like tech tycoon Bryan Johnson, who claims to have biohacked his biological age to that of a teenager.

Many of the approaches people are deploying are actually tried-and-tested methods that have long been shown to be effective. For example, combating brain fog by getting better sleep, improving muscle and heart health by moving more, spending adequate time outdoors to keep vitamin levels up, and ensuring our immune systems are working at their best by eating a balanced diet.

Some of the more advanced methods include boosting circulation with cryotherapy such as ice baths; using red light therapy to help inflammation; and boosting heart health, immunity and gut health by intermittent fasting which sometimes means eating for small windows of as little as four hours a day.

How do I start biohacking?

Nowadays, wearable tech such as FitBits and Oura Rings tell us how many calories we have burned, our heart rate, if we should stand up and stretch a little, and if we have had enough – and the right kind – of sleep. All helpful tools to inform our lifestyle tweaks.

Though there are an ever-growing number of technologies, supplements and extreme schedules and diet plans out there, I believe that the fundamentals of good health involve going back to basics.

Prioritise sleep

Aim for seven to eight hours of good quality sleep a night. You can use an app or wearable tech to tell you a bit more about your sleep quality – and you should aim for REM sleep – but simply practising sleep hygiene and avoiding screens and getting the lights off at a sensible time is a good place to start.

Eat whole foods

Keep your diet as natural as possible and top up with supplements in the areas you are lacking in. Aim for a mix of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes and avoid processed foods, especially meats, where possible.

Move daily

Movement is essential and we should move away from the all-or-nothing sense that this needs to be a long gym session or run. Just 10 minutes of movement a day has enormous health benefits.

Cultivate a healthy mindset

We should not underestimate the impact of the content we consume and the people we surround ourselves with. The more conscious an approach we take to this, the healthier our mental well-being will be.

Breathwork

It’s gained popularity in recent years with methods such as Wim Hoff and it is a simple and cost-free way to begin biohacking. There are plenty of free guided breathwork sessions available online. Its benefits range from enhanced self awareness to an altered state of consciousness.

Meditation and mindfulness

Similarly to breathwork, meditation involves stopping and training yourself to be in the moment and block out distractions. Its benefits are far reaching, from bringing a sense of calm and reducing feelings of anxiety, to improved cognitive function and productivity. The idea of mindfulness encourages us to become more aware of our feelings, actions and thoughts. This more conscious approach to what we are doing changes the amygdala the part of the brain that manages our emotions, and can help people process challenging thoughts with more objectivity rather than let emotions take over.