Aaron This post contains the items I am using for my transformation. This is NOT an exhaustive list of all the different biohacking options; understanding what you will benefit from and ignoring the rest is part of the biohacking process. There is too much out there to list, and endless possibilities of ways to track progress, prevent disease, and maintain health. And there are infinite numbers of gadgets on the market, including things that the medical industry has been using for many years and are now available to the public. So do your research and due diligence, find what works best for you and translates to your journey, and discard the rest!
Apple Watch
The Apple Watch is well-known for being a powerful tool for biohacking, for many things it can do. I use it for my regular heart rate, sinus rhythm, sleep tracking, step count/mileage tracker, heart rate variability, and physical effort (METs). All of that reports to the Apple Health app, which tracks other linked apps.
Lingo Continuous glucose Monitor (CGM)
I am using this to track how certain foods I eat regularly affect my blood sugar and to coach myself on carbohydrate consumption to maintain stable levels. However, the average sugar content of foods can be tracked by calculating the average content when you know how the whole food raises your glucose; tracking by hand becomes obsolete, other than to track total daily calories. It’s a game-changer for losing weight and creating the optimal environment for glycogen storage without adding stored fat from sugar.
iPhone 16
While this may be obvious, I use many apps for various health-related things–primarily for organizing my day. Communication with the outside world is paramount on the phone, and I also use the video camera to record videos for university assignments. I have many apps exclusively for mobile use that I consider part of my biohacking program.
Blood Pressure Monitor
This does exactly as it says: monitors blood pressure. Although not really fancy, I used to take medication for high blood pressure and I would like to see how different activities during the day affect it. It is simple and easy to do, and provides valuable information about the health of the circulatory system.
Fitindex Body Composition Scale
This scale measures 11 different parameters of the composition of the tissues inside the body by sending a small electrical impulse through the body and compares the resistance it receives to known values of different tissues. The results are recorded in a mobile app, and saved by date to display trends in data which help me keep track of the results of my diet and exercise efforts.
Fitindex Digital Measuring Tape
This is exactly as it sounds, a measuring tape that provide digital readouts for circumference measurements. What I love about this tool is that once it provides a measurement, it automatically sends it to the same app that records body composition, so I can keep track of both in one app. Super convenient!
Aromatherapy
In addition to my massage therapy licensure, I am also a clinical aromatherapist and I will be using this to make some blends to accomplish certain things, such as for energy, mental stability, sleep, and recovery among other things. A simple yet profound addition to my arsenal.
Personal Esthetician
My wife is a Florida licensed esthetician who has created a facial care program that is second-to-none for my face. I get all the expensive products, and she performs services such as facials, microblading, microneedling, high-frequency therapy, dark spot therapy, and the ubiquitous biohacking tool red light therapy. She ensures my face stays safe by staggering treatments on schedules that keep recovery times from overlapping. Considering how much confidence I receive when I perceive my face as healthy and good-looking, it is an incredible hack. I am 46 years old, and although the hair on my beard is white, I am almost wrinkle-free, I don’t get bags often, and I don’t have saggy skin on my neck. Way to go, babe!
Natural Sunlight
I watched a documentary on biohacking, and there were 45 minutes worth of people pitching different versions of red light therapy products, all of which I presume are very expensive, and likely take a fair amount of time, and also require one to keep a regular schedule, which can create more items on a to-do list. Each of those people talked about how we don’t get enough sunlight, and red light therapy helps to replace that by supplying red light and near-infrared. So this counts. I am not working for the entire year of my transformation while I finish my university degree and work on my health and fitness business. This gives me ample time to get the daily sunlight I need to naturally receive my vitamin D and get the benefits of red light and near-infrared light from the best source possible. Plus, I am in Florida, and the sunlight is abundant, even in winter.
Regular Blood Testing
I have a medical team that I have access to and see regularly, and therefore get regular blood testing, sometimes more often than every 3 months. I had my most recent blood test a few days ago, on July 31st. So I know exactly where I stand right at the beginning of this journey. This will allow me to see how my diet is doing regularly and to laser-target my supplementation to eliminate spending on unnecessary supplements.
Pre-Screening for Cancer and Chronic Disease
This year, I will be going to specialists to check for cancer and organ health. My first stop will be a colonoscopy, and I will be evaluated for hemorrhoid surgery. Previous symptoms dictate that this is the most important test to have done.
I will also be going to an orthopedic specialist to evaluate my hand for surgery of my fifth metacarpal on my left hand which was broken last year and never got the surgery and even though it still works just fine, it is causing me pain and as long as it is in this condition I won’t be able to participate in martial arts for fear of really messing it up. Also in 2017, I fractured a few vertebrae and had early changes of degenerative disc disease with radiculopathy (arthritis on the transverse processes of the vertebrae) were noted on x-ray. I want to see what condition these regions of my skeletal system are currently in, once again, for the possibility of participating in a contact sport.
After these two appointments, I will be going to a dermatologist to check for skin conditions and get my liver scanned, prostate screen, and lungs. I will also have my pancreas checked, since my father died of pancreatic cancer and my paternal cousin was also recently diagnosed.
I also want to have my brain scanned. I will have to do a little research on what I would like to accomplish with this, but I have had a long history of alcohol use along with a few mental health issues. I think it’s essential to gauge brain health in any way I can and see its current condition compared to what a brain scan can tell me.
One last preventive appointment will be with the cardiologist. Although my numbers are good now on the various tracking mechanisms I employ, I have had high blood pressure (primarily due to heavy alcohol use) along with a history of having a less-than-stellar diet. I would like to see if I have any atherosclerosis (plaque buildup in the arteries) and to see the condition of my heart.
These tests are the plan; however, it is a lot! I can’t complete all of this in the coming year, depending on the money that insurance might not cover, or just time. But even so, I will have it all done eventually. The reason I want to make sure of all of this is because at 46, I am in the age range where health begins to go bad for males. If I can make it to 55, I’ll likely make it to 80+. Gotta get through this part, and having all of the knowledge of how my body is functioning will assure me of that.
Minor Surgeries
I know this is something that I need to do anyways regardless of whether or not I am working on a transformation, but I have been putting one of the surgeries off for 25 years and the other for 2 years. So as part of my radical transformation, I am including them as part of the program. Trust me, they will be life-changing and I will be a better and healthier person as a result. They count!
DNA Testing for Fitness and Nutrigenomics
DNA testing can reveal many factors about your body’s tendencies toward certain health and fitness-related factors. It can uncover hidden wellness insights on how our DNA shapes our natural fitness capabilities, nutrition, supplements, skincare, and sleep. Nutrigenomics studies how food interacts with your body, changing your DNA (epigenetics, or cell-signaling potential). I might not use this test, but I will do more research to see whether this would be beneficial.
I am a certified DNA-based fitness coach, and I have an affiliation with Genetic Direction. This DNA testing company formulates test results based on factors that are important to you, and they have several different reports highlighting key factors that are important for that outcome. As an affiliate, they will provide me with all the tests for one price, so I can familiarize myself with what’s on each test. Their website also has sample reports for each outcome that anyone can download. I am trained to interpret these reports instead of what the client intends to accomplish. I will be ordering this soon, and I will be offering this service shortly.
Other Biohacking Strategies
The following strategies in this section will be elaborated on in other blog posts, but it is worth mentioning here as a basic outline of having all the strategies in one section.
- Mobile Apps
- Nutrition Strategies
- Supplement Strategies
- Sleep Strategies
- Recovery Strategies
- Workout Strategies
That is all for now. I am just two days from the start of my transformation program, so this is a preliminary listing of all the possible strategies. This page will be updated regularly to reflect what I will use and the results I obtained. Feel free to use some or all of this information for inspiration. Remember that you only need to use what is meaningful to you; trying to incorporate too much might be overwhelming and detrimental to completing the transformation process. Biohacking isn’t essential, but it can be helpful to introduce tools that may benefit you in some way. Choose wisely, and enjoy your journey!
