Starting this page to "build" in the open, if you will, on a personal focus this year - biohacking. I'm turning 44 this year and would like to push my mental dexterity and physical energy beyond their present limits.
Every week, I'll write a LinkedIn post on a protocol item I do, at the same time asking for feedback from my network on tips they have on optimising health. Inputs --> Experiments --> Reviews --> Repeat.
My current biohacks with observable impacts for me, along with links to my suppliers (no affiliation)
| What | Why | How | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methylene Blue | bump up my thinking speed | pharma grade, take with water | link |
| Creatine | bump up my multi-tasking ability | powder form, mix with oat milk | link |
| Echinacea | let me think with a clearer mind | tincture form, take with water | link |
| Gingko Biloba | increase my short-term memory | tincture form, take with water | link |
| Ashwagandha | increase my mental concentration | tincture form, take with water | link |
| Turmeric + Cinnamon | let me feel mentally grounded | herbal tea blend, not tea | link |
| Black Cohosh | let me feel more calmness | tablet form, take with water | link |
| Raw Vegetable Juices | up my long-term memory | use a masticating juicer | link |
| Coriander + Chlorella | reduce heavy metals' brain fog | blend both with oat milk | link link |
| Distilled Water | reduce sluggishness from toxins | use distiller at home | link |
| Fasting (no food) | let me feel really light & fast | 5-day fast as needed | - |
| Caster Oil (topical) | give me dreams at night | apply just below chest | link |
| Grounding (natural) | give me peace at heart | hold tree leaves or grass | - |
| Sauna + Ice Plunge | boost my energy level | Finnish sauna provider | - |
| Avoid Gluten | reduce brain fog & sluggishness | eg bread, noodles, pizza | - |
| Avoid Dairy | reduce brain fog & sluggishness | eg milk, cheese, pastries | - |
| Avoid Caffeine | avoid crashes & lead toxicity | not even decaf coffee | - |
| Avoid Alcohol | avoid hangover downtime | only non-alcoholic drinks | - |
Trusted crowd-sourced ideas, either with no observable impacts for me, or impractical for me to practise
| What | Why | How | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shilajit | improve mental clarity & energy | paste form, take with water | link link |
| Saffron | protective effects on the brain | stigmas with herbal tea | link |
| Lion's Mane | aid neural plasticity & learning | mushroom powder | link |
| Milk Thistle | protect the liver & brain | tea or powder form | link |
| Oxygenation | maintain body's alkaline state | through breathwork | - |
| Meditation | remove mental baggages | let thoughts drift freely | - |
| Trampolining | aid lymphatic system | jump on trampoline | - |
| Avoid Sugar | reduce brain fog & sluggishness | both in drinks and food | - |
| Avoid Seed Oils | reduce inflammation | eg oil used in food | - |
Back in 2023 I read this book Serve To Win by Novak Djokovic, world's #1 in tennis. In his book, he outlined how dietary and nutritional changes led to outsized impact on his performance on the court. Prior to doing things like avoiding gluten, dairy, eating a plant-based diet, he couldn't get to top of the pack despite pushing hard.
But in the 18 months after he made those changes totally unrelated to tennis training, he rose up and has stayed there for many many years. At 36, he is still outperforming younger opponents at the prime of their lives.
I'm not new to the idea that the food and nutrition we eat impact our well-being and performance. However, this was the first time I could deeply relate to someone sharing his experience on the topic. That's because despite having a very successful career in digital technologies, I'm a seasoned player in the financial markets.
Being a retail investor and trader for 18 years, I view the financial markets as an ultra-competitive field just like professional sports. To win, an investor or trader will need to optimise every thing they can. Once we step into the same market, we are competing with the best - hedge funds, investment banks, full-time traders etc.
Novak's book showed a real example of how a tennis pro's performance could be optimised outside of the courts and gym. His success story in an ultra-competitive field gave me the push I needed to take this seriously.
Fast forward to 2025, I'm eating a mainly plant-based diet but am still experimenting, having meat or fish sometimes. By levelling up my mind and body, I hope to achieve more in this game of life.