What the heck is a bio-hack? And, yes, we drink coffee….

A dear friend of mine read my first blog post and was puzzled by the term bio-hack. So before going too far I wanted to address her question and explain how bio-hacking relates to health, performance and happiness.

I listen to Dave Aspery’s podcast on becoming “Bulletproof” and like his definition of the term.

Biohack: (v) To use systems thinking, science, biology, and self-experimentation to take control of and upgrade your body, your mind, and your life. (n) The art and science of becoming superhuman.

Becoming superhuman sounds a bit exhausting to me at the moment, but upgrading my body, mind and life is my passion.

I use the term bio-hack to refer to techniques and behaviours we can adopt to better ourselves by improving our state of well-being. For example, what we eat and drink has an enormous impact on how we feel and therefore how we show up in the world. Anyone who has experienced a hangover can attest to the fact that what you put in your body has an impact on energy levels.

To have better results, be happier and healthier we need to enhance the way we live; that includes how we eat, breath, sleep, relax, exercise, socialize, pray and love.

This week please become aware of what you put in your body and the effect it is having on your state of being. Are you energized or more tired after consuming it? I noticed for example that coffee sometimes gave me the jitters and other times it didn’t. I love my coffee and was unprepared to give it up. Upon conducting my own scientific experimentation, I realized that I was jittery when my coffee did not have enough fat in it. That one tweak made all the difference and now I enjoy my cup of java with either a dollop of purified butter (ghee) or coconut oil.

Tune into your body and become aware of how you feel throughout the day. What can you tweak?

Until next time - holistically yours,
Monica

p.s. COFFEE

Coffee is a controversial topic. It does contain a host of antioxidants which is justification enough for me to keep it in my diet. Here are some tips to take into account to maximize your coffee experience.

1. Choose an organic and, where possible, mold-free coffee bean. Conventional coffee beans tend to be highly sprayed with pesticides. At our house we use Kicking Horse Coffee beans as, upon doing my research, I found it was organic, fair-trade and the company claims to have meticulous quality control when it comes to fungus, mold and production in general.
2. Avoid low-fat milk, use full-fat organic cream instead. The fat will help with the jitters, coat your stomach and also keep you satiated. I avoid non-organic cream because it often contains ingredients such as carrageenan. I myself use homemade almond milk and add organic ghee (a purified butter.) You could also use coconut oil. To avoid the fat floating to the top of the cup, I use a frother to blend it all together. You could also throw everything in the blender if you have the time and inclination.
3. Avoid industrial nut milks. As mentioned above, cartoned almond, coconut, cashew milks tend to have all sorts of fillers, thickeners and preservatives. They also tend to be made with very low quality nuts. It is so easy to make your own at home and they taste great. Stand by for my almond and coconut milk recipes. They last in the fridge for 4 days but usually are fully consumed on day one in our house.
4. Learn to drink your coffee unsweetened. Refined sugar is a killer but I will leave that for another post. If you must sweeten your coffee, try a touch of honey or maple syrup. Stevia tends to be bitter and most people don’t love it in their coffee. It goes without saying that artificial sweeteners such as aspartame are highly toxic and should be avoided.
5. Finally, don’t drink your coffee first thing upon waking. Please hydrate first. We start our day with lemon water. I squeeze half a lemon into a pint glass of warm water. I add a pinch of salt for electrolytes. Sometimes, if I run out of lemon, I add 2 tbsps of organic apple cider vinegar instead. These beverages are hydrating, alkalizing and apparently cleanse the liver nicely.

Want to learn more about how to become healthier, happier and stronger? Consider our ICF Accredited Certified Resilience Coach Program to learn how to embody and cultivate resilience in self and others.