Is biohacking an unhealthy obsession?

In recent years, biohacking has become more mainstream: influencers on social media, apps and tracking devices that we can use to monitor everything from stress levels, sleep and blood glucose levels, books, supplements, and even a Netflix documentary about an anti-aging advocate who spends millions every year to live longer.

Biohacking is essentially an approach to achieving optimal physical and mental health by making changes to your diet and lifestyle that allow you to not only be healthier but live longer.  This can include things like making changes to your diet, dipping in an ice bath every morning, taking a stash of supplements, breathwork or meditation, strength training or sitting in a red-light sauna.

On the surface, there is nothing inherently wrong with wanting to be healthier and most of us could probably do with making a few more changes, but what is concerning is the extremes some people are now going to. 

At what point does biohacking become unhealthy?  Could biohacking be a form of orthorexia or exercise addiction?

An example of what a day in the life of a biohacker may look like:

·       Wakes up at 5am

·       Hydrates with electrolytes

·       Has a morning green drink

·       Black coffee with collagen and keto powder

·       At the gym by 7am – weights, VO2 max training or cardio

·       Post-workout sauna for 20-30 minutes

·       Followed by a 4-5 minute cold shower

·       Morning meditation, reading and prayer

·       Lunchtime 20-minute meditation

·       Eating 500g of vegetables, all different colours, either raw or lightly cooked a day

·       100g protein a day sourced from local farms

·       Evening walk

·       Breathwork and infra-red sauna

·       In bed by 9pm

·       Mouth tape and weighted sleep mask on

The concern is that biohacking is being perceived as healthy when in fact some biohackers may be so hyper-focused on their food that they wouldn’t eat a slice of cake or a bowl of pasta because it is deemed ‘unhealthy’ or ‘impure’, or they may miss a social engagement because it would break their 'routine'.  This is rule-bound thinking that we see all the time in our clients who are struggling with an eating disorder, here at Urban Wellness.

Another biohacking 'influencer' online promotes how she lives on her own range of supplements and powders all day, in a bid to lose weight and live longer. For example:

• Electrolytes on waking

• Collagen & keto powder in coffee

• Protein powder for breakfast

• MCT oil and collagen in coffee mid-afternoon

• Protein powder, bone broth and keto powder for lunch

• More powders and MCT oil mid-afternoon

• Then food - she has dinner!

This is not nutrition. Using supplements and powders instead of whole food to fuel your body for the majority of the throughout the day is not how our bodies were designed to operate.

Improving your health is about making sustainable diet and lifestyle changes to support your physical and mental health but it is also about balance – it is not about it being perfect 100% of the time, or using 'food substitutes' to nourish yourself.

We also know that social isolation or loneliness has higher risks for a a range of physical and mental conditions including heart disease, obesity, lower immunity and depression.

Life is for living!

Get good health foundations in place – eat well most of the time, get a good night’s sleep, move daily - but also make sure you live.  Do more of what brings you joy otherwise life will pass you by.  For you can biohack your way to live to be 105 but did you enjoy the ride?