Unravelling bio-hacking

Encountering the term biohacking instantly reminds us of seemingly complex treatments like stem cell therapy prolotherapy and VSEL treatments However did you know that simpler practices like limiting your screen time before heading to sleep or consuming organic meals also fall under the umbrella of biohacking As this term creates a buzz in the fitness market with several lsquobiohacking outletsrsquo making an appearance in the country midday sits down with Hrithik Roshanrsquos trainer Kris Gethin an advocate of several hacking techniques to understand how biohackingmdashdescribed as doityourself biologymdash serves the massesEdited excerpts from the interviewHow would you describe this term to a laymanBiobiohacking is combining ancestral wisdom with todayrsquos technology Irsquoll give you an examplemdashnowadays we stay awake till 2 am watching the screens of our phones or computers and exposing ourselves to artificial blue lights Our ancestors didnrsquot do that The candlelight would go out and they would go to bed The body produces melatonin which would calm them and help them sleep better Today for most of us the levels of cortisol in our bodies is high even at 11 pm This is why we canrsquot sleep So blocking out the blue light that penetrates our retina with appropriate glasses is a form of biohacking If I go to bed early I am practicing a biohacking technique that we have learned from our ancestors If I wear bluelightblocking glasses thatrsquos a technique I can use due to technological advancementWhat are some promising biohacking techniques yoursquove triedOne that is inexpensive is sleeping earlier I sleep early donrsquot drink or eat fried foods and have completely eliminated sugar from my diet I eat organic food as much as I can try to manage my stress and meditate every morning and at night Apart from using the bluelightblocking glasses we spoke about I also earth myself which means I take my shoes off and head to the beach in the morning Irsquoll even block the EMF radiation that is emitted from our phones by carrying an EMF blocker When I am in the USA I also do ice baths and a sauna for 30 minutesThere are other biohacks Irsquove tried such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy and stem cell therapyHaving said that people often discount inexpensive methods and are fascinated by shiny objects Itrsquos like assuming yoursquoll be favoured by taking a variety of supplements even if you donrsquot adhere to a good nutrition and exercise plan Do the free stuff first look at the shiny objects laterFor the layman a lot of the terms yoursquove used may appear like you called it too fancy If someone wants to dig deeper into this how should they beginIt always begins with nutrition You are what you eat Look at our ancestors and the things they ate and try to consume them Look for foods with ingredients that you can pronounce and those with minimal ingredients Also make sure that you are capable of fasting Also perform any exercise that you enjoy If you donrsquot like resistance training do bodyweight exercises at home At the beginning do something you enjoy Later you may need to get comfortable being uncomfortable A lot of people say lsquoI didnrsquot feel like doing thisrsquo Well donrsquot do what you feel like doing because yoursquoll probably have a short lifespan with that approach You have to get comfortable being uncomfortable like our ancestors did Which is why therapies like ice baths and intense exercise bouts are important A lot of people miss their meals and then have a massive meal later which may affect their blood sugar responseHydration and sleep are other important factors Without adequate recovery you cannot dictate your exercise planGoing back to our discussion on stem cell therapy how does it help in recovery for athletesThink of stem cells as a bank Each time you are injured or havenrsquot eaten healthy or have had alcohol you have been using stem cells from your own bank itrsquos like making a withdrawal But you have to make investments as well While I specifically had it to treat an injury it has an antiageing effect as well As we get older we cannot produce healthy stem cells If you require it it does improve the quality of life I know a lot of top wrestlers and basketball players whorsquove tried itWhich therapy has worked for you wellYoursquoll probably think I am biased but Irsquod say Vipassana was the best Irsquove tried a lot of things and Irsquove travelled overseas for different experiences to learn to be present mdashpresent in this conversation and enjoy it I want to hear what you have to say before I respond And my mindset changed a lot after I tried Vipassana It is important for our bodies to be in a sympathetic state when we are working out but for the rest of the time we need to have control over our breath We need to be present and this experience helped me enhance every aspect of my life Being in a recovery state has helped me perform better in the gymTherapies Gethin discussesHyperbaric OxygenHBOT is used as a performanceenhancing tool by athletes because it hastens recovery after bouts of intense physical exertion or injuries The therapy aims to increase the amount of oxygen that reaches the bodyrsquos tissues The process involves breathing pure oxygen in a pressurised chamberStem Cell TherapyReferred to as master cells stem cells are the cells that develop into blood brain bones and organs and have the potential to repair restore and regenerate cells While it could possibly be used to treat medical conditions and diseases athletes use it to gain a competitive advantage Stem cells are injected into affected areas to promote tissue repair and reduces inflammation Athletes are able to return to training quicklyVipassanaDescribed as a way to achieve selftransformation through selfobservation Vipassana focuses on the interconnection between the mind and body It aims to bring about awareness through mindful meditation