Why You Should Biohack With Nature First

Biohacking is defined by Mirriam Webster as a “biological experimentation done to improve the qualities or capabilities of living organisms working outside a traditional medical or scientific research environment.”

In other words, hacking your biology and environment to improve your health, outside of the paradigm of conventional medicine.

Biohacking Lifestyle

Even with an heir of rebellion and the desire for autonomy, biohackers know the limitations and risks of biohacking. So before altering their biology with the latest technology, supplements, or even drugs, lifestyle is the first area they optimize. Things like sleep, nutrition, exercise, breathing, and meditation are all areas of focus for biohackers. But how they approach each of these is the key. 

According to biohacker Siim Land, biohacking is a way of getting away with things that do not serve us, like eating that piece of birthday cake or that after-work cocktail. Oftentimes it takes a more robust intervention to mitigate the damage of these decisions. But for health optimization and longevity, lifestyle is the best form of biohacking.

Why Biohack With Nature

Natural hacks are not only cheaper (if not free), but are easier, more accessible, and generally safer. Vitamin D is a great example of a vitamin that “we all need more of.” Yet supplementing with vitamin D has its own risks. Poor quality, excess, and toxicity are not uncommon for this particular supplement. 

Although some hacks or some supplements they can work, they can be a shortcut, they are not sustainable as the lifestyle itself. So, if you follow the right lifestyle, if you did it as naturally as possible, then you don’t necessarily need to go for the other route.  

– Siim Land

Conversely, who can argue with the benefits of getting 20 minutes of sun exposure every day? Sun exposure, especially in the morning, raises vitamin D levels, promotes circadian rhythm, and releases neurotransmitters like serotonin that boost our mood for the day. Sunlight is essentially risk-free and poses great advantages for physical and emotional health. So before reaching for the bottle of pills, consider a natural approach first.

Some Natural Biohacks

Other natural biohacks include fasting, grounding, breathwork, and light exposure.

Fasting for any amount of time, prolonged, spontaneous, or intermittently, causes some incredible changes in the body. These can include decreasing biological age, promoting better sleep, improving cognitive function, and healing. Fasting works primarily by inducing autophagy, a type of hormetic stress that evokes ketosis and increases human growth hormone (HGH), and the production of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+). Check out our fasting overview for the numerous types and benefits of fasting.

The practice of conscious breathing is nothing new. Even though it has become trendy in the world of biohacking, breathwork is a fundamental element of ancient practices like yoga and meditation. Conscious breathing exercises have been linked to the alleviation of pain, stress, depression, anxiety, trauma, addiction, and anger. Controlled breathing can also boost the immune system, cardiovascular health, self-awareness, creativity, productivity, energy, and happiness. Read our article for a full breakdown of breathwork practices and benefits.

Grounding, or earthing, is the practice of placing your bare feet on the earth. By doing so, you create a closed circuit for energy transfer from the earth to your body. In this practice, the earth supplies you with electrons that neutralize the excessive positive charge. This infusion of electrons supports your body in achieving healthy homeostasis. For more on negative ions, read our article, Negative Ions as EMF Protection.

Biohacking for Health & Optimization

Biohacking at its core is about health and optimization. And what creates health may be natural or it may be artificial, but the sustainable hacks are what make the greatest impact. It’s the things we do every day that contribute most to our health and longevity.

About Siim Land

Siim Land is a content creator, public speaker, biohacker, and coach. His focus is on human optimization, optimal nutrition, and peak performance. He is the author of Metabolic Autophagy, Stronger by Stress, and co-author of The Immune Fix and The Mineral Fix. A professional self-development coach, Siim’s concept of body-mind empowerment enforces that non-stop physical and mental personal development will lead to spiritual growth.