This post is about what I learned at the Biohacking Conference, hosted by Dave Asprey, in Dallas, TX. I appreciate being provided with a press pass to attend this incredible experience. You can read my first review of the Biohacking Conference here.
(and yes, this includes things you can do at home!)
Hello friends! How is your weekend going? We’re in full dance recital mode here. Don’t forget to attend this week’s giveaway!
Today I wanted to share a summary of some of the most important things I learned at the Biohacking Conference. As you can imagine, I learned A LOT and felt like my brain was buzzing for days afterward. I finally had a chance to let everything simmer and had time to review the 19 pages of notes. Of course, I can’t share EVERYTHING here on the blog. You have to go in person!! – but these are some of my favorite points from some of the talks I attended while I was there. (I could post a lot more, but like I said, you really have to go in person!)
Courtesy of the 10th Annual Biohacking Conference
What I learned at Dave Asprey’s Biohacking Conference
The end of mental illness Dr. Daniel Amen
I have been a big fan of Dr. Amen for years and years, so I was excited for the opportunity to learn from him in person. During his talk, he shared that psychiatry is the only medical industry that doesn’t actually examine the organ before prescribing medications. If you have heart problems, they take an image. If you have kidney pain, they take an image. With your brain, they make an educated guess and prescribe medication without actually looking at your brain.
At their clinic, they perform SPECT scans that allow providers to look at the surface of the brain, blood flow, and brain activity. It’s pretty fascinating: they have a new clinic in Scottsdale! – and it was amazing to see images of brains healing after trauma, drug use, OCD, etc. through lifestyle, supplements and medications, if really necessary.
The main message of his talk was that You can heal your brain and you won’t be stuck with the brain you currently have.
Factors that DAMAGE your brain:
– Altered blood flow, through things like high blood pressure, caffeine, sedentary lifestyle, low cholesterol levels, nicotine, caffeine.
– Head trauma
– Retirement/aging – no longer having a purpose or suffering from loneliness
– Toxicity – alcohol, mold, heavy metals, THC, drugs, products
– What he calls “diabesity”: high blood sugar levels, prediabetes, diabetes, overweight or obesity.
– Inflammation from processed foods, sugar, leaky gut, gum disease.
– Sleep bad
– Genetic factors, such as methylation problems.
– Infections/immunity
– Gluten and dairy were also mentioned here with a question mark. I know that for me these foods are inflammatory and don’t brighten my body in general, so I skip them.
Habits that can HEAL your brain:
– Test and optimize neurohormones.
– Protection against head trauma
– Increase blood flow through exercise and nutrition.
– Detox – sauna, hydration, fiber
– Retirement/aging: learn something new, donate blood
– Reduce inflammation
– Stress reduction and mental health.
– Good quality sleep, 7-8 hours per night.
– Know your genetic risk
– Promote healthy immune system function.
*Some of the supplements and foods she mentioned included B vitamins, vitamin D, lion’s mane, omega-3, ginko, beets, cocoa, garlic and onion.
It’s been on a ton of podcasts (linking to my favorites here and here), and has written many books. I added The end of mental illness and Raising mentally strong children to my collection.
I also had the opportunity to meet him! It’s worth mentioning here that he was at the END of a line that lasted about 2 hours, and he was still kind, genuine, and wonderful, even after signing books for about 2 hours.
Courtesy of the 10th Annual Biohacking Conference
David Asprey on how to be indisputable
The very father of Biohacking guided us through a powerful meditation on letting go of triggers. Parts of the meditation included:
– Remember the last time you were triggered and how you felt inside.
– Find a small moment of gratitude in that moment – anything you can be grateful for
– FORGIVE the other person. “It’s their problem, not yours.”
– Breathe into your heart as you forgive them. Let it go and share this calm, forgiving energy.
He also gave a full rundown of his current routine, but I don’t want to post spoilers here since it’s probably in his next book.
Courtesy of the 10th Annual Biohacking Conference
Jim Kwik about being unlimited
It was the first time I saw Jim Kwik live and it was AMAZING. He is dedicated to helping others improve their learning ability, including reading speed. He also has a book (I’ll add it to my collection) and a featured podcast with quick tips.
My favorite quote from him was “if you fight for your limitations, you can keep them.”
We were labeled with the acronym ALFA:
A- consciousness; know who you are, have a clear vision and principles
l-learning
P- prioritize; mind and priority management
H- health (meditation, exercise, diet, supplements, sleep)
A- action – “knowledge in itself is not power)
He also talked about animal brains and how our learning styles can correlate with various animals. This made a LOT of sense to me, and I did your test to discover that I am a cheetah. I’m excited to learn your strategies for reading faster… I came home from the conference with 9 new books.
Some of the selection:
Another great tip: When you wake up, fast forward to the end of the day when you go back to bed. What are three things you want to accomplish personally and professionally before that happens?
Dr. Jill Carnahan spoke about how to build resilience in a toxic world
I am currently in the process of devouring his book, but she has an incredible story of resilience after a childhood toxic exposure and a breast cancer diagnosis in her early 20s.
He talked a lot about toxic load, how to reduce it, promote detoxification, biotoxins, gut and lymphatic support, and toxic stress.
Some conclusions you can make at home:
– Eat at home as much as possible.
– Filter your water and air.
– Aim for foods that are organic, free of chemicals and pesticides.
– Get rid of non-stick pots and pans. Use stainless steel or cast iron.
– Avoid microwave popcorn and regular stovetop popcorn.
– Move your body
– Practice gratitude
– Look for the sun
– Set limits
I love that many of the speakers gave real-world examples of things you can do at home.. Sure, some of them may seem more *external* than others, but I think biohacking is really about taking things to the next level when you master the fundamentals. I am always excited to learn new strategies and ideas to potentially increase longevity and health.
My next post at the Biohacking Conference will be about the devices I tested, plus some simple things you can try and do at home, at a variety of price points.
Have a wonderful weekend and see you soon!
hugs and kisses
gina
