A Bio-Hacking Discussion: Cold Showers, Nicotine, Cryo, Float Tanks...

[AristotlesPupil]

Meditation really is effective. Not hours of it, just 10 minutes a day is plenty. It changes the the frequency of the electric current inside your brain, literally. My second one is keystone habits, from the book The Power of Habit, which are also scientifically validated. I haven't tried cold showers long enough to notice any benefit apart from the adrenaline rush that lasts maybe an hour. I do have a friend that swears by them.

 

[MTF]

Well looks like they posted new reviews, and only the good ones.

My negative review is, of course, missing.

What a bunch of frauds.

I once left a bad/average review of something I bought on the manufacturer's store (where I bought it from). They also never posted it. I lost my respect for that company.

 

[Bert77MD]

GROUNDING/EARTHING MAT. Will post more about it soon. But in short, safe and inexpensive. Claims are reasonable. New to the forum, but not to MJ's books. Long time fan finally getting around to spending more time on the board.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Well looks like they posted new reviews, and only the good ones.

My negative review is, of course, missing.

What a bunch of frauds.

Still waiting for my refund RMA... and I asked why my review was not posted.

Response:

Our Return Form system is currently down and all tickets are being processed manually. We ask that customers continue to remain patient as we work efficiently to resolve this. Once your pre paid return label is delivered you will receive two emails.

Notice how my review question was ignored.

 

[MJ DeMarco]

Is anyone using a continuous glucose monitor for non diabetics? What have been your results if so? I haven’t made the leap yet

I am, trying to see how certain foods react in my system.

 

[S.Y.]

Few here asked about meditation; here is a good thread: 60 Days of 60 Minutes of Meditation

For sleep (@MJ DeMarco ), here is what I found about my sleep:
- the closer to bedtime I eat, the worst my sleep is. My sweet spot is to have my last meal 2h30 - 3h before bed
- if I get an alcoholic drink within 5 hours to bed, my sleep is affected. My resting heart rate is usually around 50bpm, but when I drink, it goes up to 55-60 range. (Lower RHRs are better)
- if my room is not cold enough, my sleep is off.
- Disconnecting (no electronic devices) at least 45 min before bed makes a difference. I read, have a conversation and do a stretch before bed
- when dehydrated, I have trouble staying asleep. It will get up multiple times during the night

I suggest that everybody gets an oura ring. That thing is very useful to get sleep data. One of the best purchase of my life.

 

[biophase]

Interesting that other people in the network had the same issues with the product and returned it. I'm guessing the bulk of the expenses this company is enduring is in their return department, and their marketing department. Too bad they couldn't put that money into an app that actually had a chance to allow its product to work.

MJ,

Stop waiting for an RMA and just open a case with your CC company. They will get a chargeback and most likely never contest it because they are a big company and won’t even see their charge backs. I had to do this with an HID light company because they wouldn’t send me an RMA number. Just tell your credit card company that they are not honoring the return policy or that you never received it. I doubt there will be any opposition in the chargeback case since they are telling you that they can’t even get to their manual tickets.

Regarding your sleep, my Oura ring tells me I get about 20 minutes of REM sleep a night and very little deep. But then I just figured that if I don’t feel tired during the day I must’ve got very good sleep. I also know that I am having 5 to 7 dreams each night so I’m getting that deep sleep.

This night it told me I slept 6.5 hours and 20 minutes of REM. My nights are usually like this but I feel great every morning!



Lastly, I used to have a product called the Muse, which is supposed to help you meditate. The problem was that it took 5 to 10 minutes to get it perfectly aligned on your head to read your brain waves. It was so frustrating that by the time you started your meditation series you were in a bad mood. So it basically did the same thing that your product did. It was so frustrating that it did the opposite of meditation.

And regarding the product reviews, unfortunately anybody who runs their own website can’t delete any reviews that they want. You should post your review on Amazon if it’s being sold there. They won’t be able to get bad reviews removed. That’s why I think Amazon has the best data set of product reviews. I always check for Amazon reviews on a product before ordering directly from their website.

I’d start a new thread and call in Apollo Neuro Bad Review on the forum.

 

[socaldude]

Finally got a hold of some Psilocybin chocolates. I've suffered from clinical depression my whole life. I've heard just a one time use is enough to rewire the brain. We'll see what happens.

 

[McAdam]

Weed hasn't helped, but thanks for the suggestion! BTW, I have no trouble falling asleep, but according to my Fitbit, I get very little deep sleep, and below normal REM.

Depending which Fitbit you have, some are more accurate than others - but also their accuracy changes depending on the person!
1 tip is to make sure the strap is nice and tight!

This guy does amazing reveiws of every possible sleep tracking device VS proper medical devices for tracking.
Maybe you'll find something else you wanna try @MJ DeMarco : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChNWxrTlmh4IRSevon1X93g

----

I recently discovered that I very likely have ADHD (Family member was diagnosed, and im waiting for a remote test slot), but have known for years about being Bi-Polar.

In 2019 I spent 4 months with a KETO and OMAD (One Meal a Day) diet whilst taking a nootropic stack.
It was the best 4 months of my life, but possibly due to some additional reasons.
Covid hit, and living on a remote island meant that I couldn't order them again - then I forgot until recently as shit has been going downhill a lot.

I've just reordered a nootropic supplement that I'm hoping will help significantly, obviously preceded by hours of research for each and every ingredient!

I'll post back in a few weeks once they have arrived.

 

[advantagecp]

Also, never forget that winning is the ultimate "bio-hack". Hitting some business goal, picking up an attractive person, winning a fight (physical or verbal) will do wonders for your biochemistry.

Go out there and win.

Win or lose, I get tremendous benefits from sparring in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. For those of you who are unfamiliar, BJJ does not allow striking, so you can spar at 100% without risk of head trauma.

I am 62 years old and the only time of the day when I am not feeling pain is when I am on the mat and the hour or two afterward. The mental benefits are just as profound. You learn to be calm in stressful situations. There is always a way out, but it requires knowledge and a clear plan. Sounds kind of like business, doesn't it?

 

[socaldude]

I’ve been supplementing 100mg of DHEA for about a month. I’ve noticed a significant improvement in memory, mood and energy. I don’t know enough about it, but it’s a pro-hormone for testosterone. The government tried to ban it a long time ago and it’s prohibited in a lot of pro athletic sports.

If you struggle with depression it might be worth trying out. Take 100mg in the morning and hit the gym while fasting. You’ll feel great all day.

 

[Vas87]

Quick tip on meditation, I got from Andrew Huberman's podcast: make sure to choose the correct type of meditation depending on your present need. 2 main types he covered are interoceptive and exteroceptive meditation, and you want to do the opposite of what your present mental state is.
If you're too in your head (interoceptive), you'd do an exteroceptive meditation. So for example just stare at a leaf in the distance or listen to a bird chirping outside.
If you're too scatterbrained and having trouble focusing on the task at hand (exteroceptive), do an interoceptive meditation. For example, do a body scan or focus on your breathing or "3rd eye" (forehead).

 

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[heavy_industry]

How a Man That Looks 20 at 50 Lives and What His Diet Is Like

Chuando Tan is a photographer from Singapore who attracted the attention of the whole world to himself by not only taking photos of other people but his own photos too. Why is this so interesting, you ask? Chuando was born in 1967, which means he is 51 years old now but he looks as if he is 20...

brightside.me

Perfect example of what happens if you live your life the right way.

Natural human lifespan is estimated at around 120 years, on average.
That's the age most of us would reach if we stopped destroying our bodies every single day.

60 years old should be mid life and you should look like 40.
At 100 years old you should look like 70.

 

[Simon Angel]

Story time...

Many, many years ago a famous Roman botanist called Antonius Musa helped a very young and very ill Augustus Caesar recover with cold compresses and baths.

Augustus Caesar, plagued by chronic illnesses throughout his childhood and early adulthood, used to be so ill at the time that Rome's enemies mocked him and did not take him seriously at all – probably because their spies told them things were looking dire for the young emperor.

He recovered, obviously, and ordered a statue to be erected in the center of Rome to honor the healer. He also promoted him to "equities" or "knight" which was only second to the Senate in the Roman hierarchy.

Oh, and he made all Roman doctors exempt from taxes.

A friend of mine got this from a book, but there's some info online, too:

Antonius Musa was a Greek botanist and the Roman Emperor Augustus's physician; Antonius was a freedman who received freeborn status along with other honours.

When the emperor was seriously ill, and had been made worse by a hot regimen and treatment, B. C. 23, Antonins Musa succeeded in restoring him to health by means of cold bathing and cooling drinks, for which service he received from Augustus and the senate a large sum of money and the permission to wear a gold ring, and also had a statue erected in his honour near that of Aesculapius by public subscription. (Dio Cass. l.c. ; Schol. ad Horat. Epist. 1.15. 3; Sneton. August. 59, 81; Plin. Nat. 19.38, 25.38, 29.5.) He seems to have been attached to this mode of treatment, to which Horace alludes l.c.), but failed when he applied it to the case of M. Marcellus, who died under his care a few months after the recovery of Augustus, B. C. 23. (Dio Cass. l.c.)

The emperor likely suffered from a liver abscess or typhoid fever.

So Augustus recovered with cold therapy but his nephew didn't.

Unexpectedly, Marcellus fell ill and died in Baiae in 23 BCE. As often happens in such unexpected situations, there were voices about the assassination. There were rumors that Livia had poisoned Marcellus. This version of events was supported by the boy’s mother, Octavia. Most likely, however, the reason for the death was natural. Marcellus became ill with an infection of the upper respiratory tract, which was unskilfully tried to heal. Hydrotherapy (cold baths) was fashionable at that time, which only accelerated the development of the disease and led to death. Octavian, despite his family tragedy, kept searching for his successor.

Interestingly, there are quite a few inconsistencies when it comes to what they were actually afflicted by. Some sources state that Augustus Caesar likely had a liver abscess or typhoid fever while in the paragraph above it's stated that Marcellus, his nephew, suffered from an upper respiratory infection.

Wikipedia, on the other hand, has this to say:

That year, an illness was spreading in Rome which afflicted both Augustus and Marcellus. Augustus caught it earlier in the year, while Marcellus caught it later, after the emperor had already recovered. The illness proved fatal and killed Marcellus at Baiae, in Campania, Italy.

So what's the truth? Who knows, this happened 2000 years ago, lol.

But it looks like cold therapy isn't as novel as people perceive it to be.

 

[NervesOfSteel]

I'm not an expert in this topic by any stretch of imagination, but isn't salt really part of hydration?

I meant to say "Table salt".

 

[StrikingViper69]

Isnt this highly dependent on your diet?

If you eat a lot of processed food you probably don’t want to add salt to it, because then you’re getting too much. Which ignores the real problem, which is processed food.

If you eat clean, you probably want to add a bit of salt when you cook/eat.

If you eliminate salt entirely you’ll become highly fatigued (at best) - it’s an essential mineral.

 

[Vinz]

Otherwise from cold showers and various supplements, one thing I discovered lately are hot showers and baths. They seem to assist and heal symptoms like ADHD.
When you target hot water on the head, the brain activates heat-shock proteins, which simulate a state of fever.
Fever can be actually good for the brain as it goes in repair mode.
This seems to have increased my focus, also a hot relaxing bath can be very good to put out the stress

 

[mdot]

Anyone here with cool experiences on the float tank to share?

NOTABLE! - Buy a float tank. Change your life.

Check link.... I think this is an incredible fastlane tool. I started floating about 3 months ago(at float centres) and I just purchased a float tank and use it for relaxation, problem solving and creativity. Best 22k CAD that I've ever spent. I can't even begin to explain the benefits...

www.thefastlaneforum.com

I remember there was this thread from a while back.

 

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[Guyfieri5]

Jumping from a sauna into a cold shower/pool... Ohhh baby!

I love the sauna. I find that the sauna has much more of a relaxing effect following a session than the cold showers.

 

[WillHurtDontCare]

I recently ordered one of these (LINKED BELOW) because the quality of my sleep is poor. I've tried various strategies thus far with no real improvement. They offer a 60 day guarantee so I figured it was worth the risk.

Touch Therapy Band for Stress, Sleep & Performance | Apollo Neuro

The Apollo stress relief touch therapy wearable helps you relax, sleep better, and feel better. Uncover your best self today.

apolloneuro.com

Also, once or twice during the week slap a nicotine patch to my arm to increase focus. This has been recommended by several neurologists. It seems to work for me when I do it as I seems to help me be more productive. However, I limit this tactic to once or twice per week as (obviously) I don't want to get addicted to nicotine, although I haven't noticed any type of addictive response to it. It also seems to curb appetite.

I like nicotine pills and I still take them, but because I'd wager that someone here will start taking nicotine and overdo it, I'll mention that nicotine can be fatal. Though, 50 mg is 13-25 pills depending on the dose that you're taking.

One of the best pieces of advice that I was ever given was "if you're going to take drugs, make sure you know what they do." Read the labels guys.

"According to the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, the lethal dose of inhaled nicotine is 50 to 60 mg/kg in a 70-kg adult (154 pounds)."

Nicotine Poisoning: Can You Overdose?

Yes, you can overdose on nicotine. Find out from WebMD why, what to do, and how you can protect yourself and your family from tobacco and nicotine products and e-cigarettes.

www.webmd.com

Nicotine does curb your appetite. It also makes listening to music more enjoyable.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

Correction, it is 7mg I use.

 

[Pink Sheep]

Meditation really is effective. Not hours of it, just 10 minutes a day is plenty. It changes the the frequency of the electric current inside your brain, literally. My second one is keystone habits, from the book The Power of Habit, which are also scientifically validated. I haven't tried cold showers long enough to notice any benefit apart from the adrenaline rush that lasts maybe an hour. I do have a friend that swears by them.

I tried meditating, but it felt like a chore, and I didn't feel any benefit. What's the trick?

 

[MJ DeMarco]

MJ, you're having trouble sleeping? I had something that gave me the best sleep I've had in years. I've got cancer, and there is a lot of well-supported research that says THC kills cancer cells. Since there's almost no decent medical research with cannabis (in the US), there are "word of mouth" protocols to treat cancer with THC.

Weed hasn't helped, but thanks for the suggestion! BTW, I have no trouble falling asleep, but according to my Fitbit, I get very little deep sleep, and below normal REM.

 

[Albert KOUADJA]

MODERATOR NOTE: Use this thread to discuss bio-hacking techniques, a proactive approach to improve performance.NOTHING IN THIS THREAD SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL ADVICE, BY MYSELF, THE POST CONTRIBUTOR, OR MY COMPANY. THIS SIMPLY IS A DISCUSSION ON STRATEGIES OR TACTICS THAT YOU HAVE FOUND HELPFUL, OR NOT HELPFUL.

This thread is starting to get pretty good, so I here is a quick summary of the themes mentioned so far for your convenience:
-Cold shower + Sauna
-Breath exercise, for example the Wim Hof method.
- wearable tech. Ive seen great things about whoop strap, oura ring, fitbit
-take the right version of supplements. See post #5
-use a standing desk
-get 30 min real sunlight
-fasting is great. I believe around 3 days is enough to empty your liver.
-float tank
-nicotine
-meditation


Original post below:

Just wanted to share a really simple and absolutely terrible, yet immensely effective practice.

Cold showers really do work, but you have to go all the way, so your muscles and vessels constrict, pushing your blood and lymphatic fluid out of their positions. As i understand, it also shocks your mitochondria (your cells' energy pretty much), and increases their effectiveness. If you want the details, there is tons of research on exactly what happens around the internet.
If its too intense for you (it was for me), you can try targeting one bodypart at a time. I found just cooling my leg, then the next, and so on, was more manageable, and then work your way into the real deal.

If you have any kind of inflammation, fatigue, or brainfog, I highly recommend giving it a try for a few days. Even if you just flash cold/hot/cold/hot for a few seconds, it does help a lot.

What other simple health tricks do you do?

Very interesting thread. thanks to for posting it. since he's talking about stress and lately I've been stressed. I tried several methods to calm him down but to no avail. I tried wim hof's method but alas. Currently I am trying another one which consists of:
.1- wake up very early 5h or 6h00min
2- Quickly get out of my room without a cell phone.
3- meditate for at least 10min
4 do some push-ups
5- reading
6- shower
7- and finally I set myself three daily objectives to achieve.


I started this a month ago. .my stress level a bit, I don't know if it's a good method to reduce stress.

MODERATOR NOTE: Use this thread to discuss bio-hacking techniques, a proactive approach to improve performance.NOTHING IN THIS THREAD SHOULD BE CONSTRUED AS MEDICAL ADVICE, BY MYSELF, THE POST CONTRIBUTOR, OR MY COMPANY. THIS SIMPLY IS A DISCUSSION ON STRATEGIES OR TACTICS THAT YOU HAVE FOUND HELPFUL, OR NOT HELPFUL.

This thread is starting to get pretty good, so I here is a quick summary of the themes mentioned so far for your convenience:
-Cold shower + Sauna
-Breath exercise, for example the Wim Hof method.
- wearable tech. Ive seen great things about whoop strap, oura ring, fitbit
-take the right version of supplements. See post #5
-use a standing desk
-get 30 min real sunlight
-fasting is great. I believe around 3 days is enough to empty your liver.
-float tank
-nicotine
-meditation


Original post below:

Just wanted to share a really simple and absolutely terrible, yet immensely effective practice.

Cold showers really do work, but you have to go all the way, so your muscles and vessels constrict, pushing your blood and lymphatic fluid out of their positions. As i understand, it also shocks your mitochondria (your cells' energy pretty much), and increases their effectiveness. If you want the details, there is tons of research on exactly what happens around the internet.
If its too intense for you (it was for me), you can try targeting one bodypart at a time. I found just cooling my leg, then the next, and so on, was more manageable, and then work your way into the real deal.

If you have any kind of inflammation, fatigue, or brainfog, I highly recommend giving it a try for a few days. Even if you just flash cold/hot/cold/hot for a few seconds, it does help a lot.

What other simple health tricks do you do?

 

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[DougRMR]

Cold showers + meditation + wim Hof Breathing Methods are life-changing. If you take nothing from this thread, at least try these things. They take 20 minutes of your day, tops, but it is well worth it.

 

[Deleted70138]

Update on B12 supplements.

There are 4 major forms of of Cobalamin (aka B12 vitamin):

Synthetic form- Cyanocobalamin
Natural form - Hydroxocobalamin
Active Coenzyme forms - Methylcobalamine & Adenosylcobalamin

In simple terms, Cyanocobalamin is crap, but is still used in most of the supplements, due to it's low cost.

Methylcobalamin is mainly found in dairy products and could lead to overmethylation (with pre-existing methylation disorder) in high doses.

The most prevalent B12 form in the body is Adenosylcobalamin, mostly found in meat products and is stored in the liver

Hydroxocobalamin is produced by micro-organisms and body can convert it into Methylcobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin. By far, it's the best storing form, as it binds well with body's transport molecules and can also be taken intravenously.


The best combination of pills I've found is 1000mcg of Hydroxocobalamin and Adenosylcobalamin together, though some sources suggest taking both with Methylcobalamin could be much more potent. "Pure Encapsulations" has very good options, but don't take B Complex as they have synthetic B1, Niacin & B6.

If still want to get B complex, "Thorne" has Methylcobalamin form with other active coenzyme forms of B vitamin.

Which Food to eat with the highest B12?
Beef liver, calf liver, lamb liver, caviar, oysters, rabbit, mackerel, mussels, lean beef, wild boar, trout, tuna, camembert cheese.


Later will write about increasing B12 levels through gut bacteria.

 

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[MJ DeMarco]

And now I'm telling everyone in the Unscripted Network.

Interesting that other people in the network had the same issues with the product and returned it. I'm guessing the bulk of the expenses this company is enduring is in their return department, and their marketing department. Too bad they couldn't put that money into an app that actually had a chance to allow its product to work.

 

[garyfritz]

Weed hasn't helped, but thanks for the suggestion! BTW, I have no trouble falling asleep, but according to my Fitbit, I get very little deep sleep, and below normal REM.

I wasn't really serious, because you would NOT want to take the doses I took to fight cancer. 700mg is a f***ton of THC. Even with the "alternate" delivery method preventing probably 95% or more of the psychoactive effects, I was still practically a drooling idiot. I wasn't exaggerating when I said my IQ probably dropped 30 points or more. I was almost totally non-productive for anything more challenging than scrolling through yootoob videos. But I DID get the best sleep I've ever had!

 

[Pink Sheep]

I tried binaural beats a while back and I got a very strange headache/buzzing. Looked up the science couldn't find anything conclusive.

What benefits do you gain from using it?

It's an interesting topic. I never used binaural beats myself, but I see the potential in it.

When you listen to certain frequencies, in this case different in left and right ear, your brain is able to make its own frequency, and I believe this is where the mental benefits come in.

This album is apperently designed to provoke that effect fully. No "feel powerful" just tones in your head.

View: https://vimeo.com/88559973

 

[Bert77MD]

I tried binaural beats a while back and I got a very strange headache/buzzing. Looked up the science couldn't find anything conclusive.

What benefits do you gain from using it?

When I first started it 15+ years ago, I noticed not being annoyed as easily. I agree with a prior post here about meditation not necessarily being relaxing. It can open up a can of worms so to speak. But through awareness comes change if that makes sense.

 

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