Biohacking & HealthSpan

Think of all the microbes in our gut - it’s pretty impressive the way our gut is thriving with life. There are trillions of microbes from at least a thousand different bacterial species living together to make up an incredible ecosystem - the gut microbiota. And those microbes aren’t just hanging out in the gut, waiting to be fed; they are actually very important for our physical and mental health! We live in symbiosis and we need each other equally.

The gut’s potential impact on physical health becomes obvious if you recognise that most of our immune cells originate in the digestive system, placing it as a key player in our immune defence arsenal. But the gut also has a (surprisingly) huge impact on our mental health. That’s because the gut and the brain are intimately connected. Anyone who’s ever been in a stressful situation has felt it: our mind takes hold of our body - we feel it in our heartbeat and we feel it in our gut.

We’ve all felt our hearts race during tense situations or exciting moments, and we’ve all used our thumping chests as proof of a good workout. So we know firsthand that our heart is tuned in to our mental, emotional, and physical states.

These states are communicated to our heart by our autonomic nervous system which regulates many organs and unconscious processes in our body. It can be divided into two branches that have opposite effects on the heart: your sympathetic nervous system kicks in during stress (like exercise) and ramps your heart rate up. Your parasympathetic nervous system slows your heart down when it’s time to relax and share a meal with the family.

I'm a Nutritionist and Ketogenic advocate, and my partner and I eat Keto six days per week but allow ourselves a carb day every weekend. We practice intermittent fasting and we weight train three to five times per week. We have both been in nutritional ketosis for six months now and it has supercharged our lives!

I've personally experienced a great improvement in body composition with a drop in body fat from 22% to 12%. Keto has given me increased mental clarity and focus, and it has brought with it a real sense of systemic calm. My blood sugar remains stable all day long and I no longer crave carbohydrates.

Hi everyone! Nurse extraordinaire here! Long time no talk. Have just come back from Thailand and have to say the plane journey was interesting. And I totally agree with Dave Asprey when he says the food on planes is toxic! Corn flakes for breakfast? Pasta meals that look like medical experiments? Not to mention the dehydration! We all know that long plane flights suck fluid from our bodies and predisposes us to dehydration. But the cabin pressure also is relatively hypoxic, which makes us drowsy on planes. It’s a natural thing…although I think it may also help to calm us down as well….when you are low on oxygen, you are not as likely to “play up” so to speak.

 

Of all the bio-hacks I have experimented with, breathing techniques has been the most phenomenal for me. Race weekends are very stressful and require extremely high levels of focus and intensity, so it is essential to take some time out to assess my coherence. Becoming present in the moment allows me to be better in control of the situation, stay focused, energised, and calms my nerves.

I’m Steve Hord. #Biohacker for life. Whether I’m BASE jumping from Europe’s awe inspiring walls, working as a #FIFO (Fly In- Fly Out) electrician in the hot, dry and secluded Pilbara region of outback Western Australia or Wellness coaching- I demand optimal performance.

In 2010 I had a bout with depression and anxiety. On top of that I still had acne from my teenage years, low testosterone and elevated blood pressure, even though I was physically fit and following the standard western diet (God bless the food pyramid haha!). Although my body looked pretty good- I certainly didn’t feel it! After one particularly low evening, I decided enough was enough and took matters into my own hands. I found natural bodybuilding as my saving grace. It taught me that if you want something you have to visualise it and put all your focus and energy on it. If you do that, and your intentions are pure, you will be unstoppable in this human experience.