Health Hacking
Every once in a while the stars and my cycle and who-knows-what-else align and I feel like I have it all together. For a few hours anyway. Then T goes down for a nap like the amicable Dr. Jekyll and wakes up like the maniacal Mr. Hyde and I am left to question my togetherness, life choices, and sheer existence.
The concept of biohacking has simultaneously intrigued and frustrated me for years now. Though I am not totally on board with all of it (and not for lack of trying, just ask J about the l-theanine incident of 2018….) I would love to figure out a way to live life a la Bradley Copper in Limitless (damn you l-theanine supplements and your false promises of calm focus….).
In my own experience and in observing those I work with, furiously trying to control the body does not usually end well. It’s a jungle in there, not a computer system. Like any ecosphere, the body seems to respond better to supportive cultivation rather than forceful coercion.
As American Tibetan Buddhist Pema Chodron says “We think that the point is to pass the test or overcome the problem, but the truth is that things don’t really get solved. They come together and they fall apart. Then they come together again and fall apart again. It’s just like that.”
The following are some health “hacks” you can do whether you have it all together, are falling apart, or your son takes on the personality of a villain in a classic book. They may not reboot your computer system, but they will support your ecosystem:
-Water: Drink water first thing in the morning before your feet hit the floor. Keep it by your bedside and chug, sip, or savor with lemon. However you consume it, your lubricated muscles and joints will thank you.
-Feed: Vary your fruits and veggies. Switch up the ingredients in your to-go salad, grab a different piece of produce at the grocery store, or grow your own in your backyard. Variety of fruits and veggies, more than any other factor, has been shown to improve the gut microbiome.
-Grow: Novelty ignites neuroplasticity. Drive a different route to work, listen to a new song (bonus points for dancing to it), or embark on a trip to foreign lands. New experiences help keep the brain supple.
For more tips, tricks, and musings on health, head over to the Joyful Gym Rat page on Facebook!
And he looks so innocent…..