Biohacking can sound extreme, but for me it is mostly about doing simple things consistently that support better sleep, metabolic health, strength, cardiovascular fitness, recovery, brain health, and healthy aging. I am much more interested in habits that can fit into everyday life than chasing every new supplement or technology that comes along.

Most of my routine comes back to the same principle: create the right environment for the body to function well. That means light at the right time, movement every day, good sleep, nutrient-dense food, resistance training, stress management, and carefully chosen supplements when they actually serve a purpose.

Biohacking Day 1: Light First, Coffee Later

I wake up around 5:00 AM, often well before sunrise. Because natural morning sunlight is not always available, I use a bright Verilux light shortly after waking to help reinforce my circadian rhythm and signal to my brain that the day has started.

Bright light in the morning can support alertness and help regulate sleep-wake timing. Once the sun is up, getting outside provides the additional benefit of natural outdoor light.

I also wait around 90 minutes after waking before drinking coffee. Rather than immediately reaching for caffeine, I give my natural morning wakefulness response time to occur first. Delaying caffeine is not mandatory for everyone, but I find that separating it from the first moments of waking creates a more deliberate morning routine.

Biohacking Day 2: Build Muscle on Purpose

Resistance training is one of the foundations of my longevity routine. I train around five times per week, focusing on slow, controlled repetitions and progressive loading.

Instead of simply moving a weight from point A to point B, I try to control both phases of the movement. This helps maintain form, keeps tension on the target muscles, and makes it harder to rely on momentum.

Progressive overload means gradually giving the body a reason to adapt. That could mean adding weight, increasing repetitions, improving technique, increasing range of motion, or progressing to a more difficult variation.

Maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important with age. Resistance training supports strength, physical function, metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, and bone health. I do not just want to live longer—I want to remain physically capable while doing it.

Biohacking Day 3: Red Light Therapy

I use full-body red and near-infrared light therapy as part of my morning routine.

Red and near-infrared wavelengths are being studied for their effects on mitochondrial function, cellular energy production, skin health, recovery, circulation, and inflammatory signaling.

It is not something I view as a replacement for exercise, nutrition, or sleep. Instead, I think of it as an additional recovery tool layered on top of the basics.

Like most biohacking interventions, consistency probably matters more than using it occasionally and expecting a dramatic result.

Biohacking Day 4: Running and Cold Exposure

Cardiovascular fitness is another major priority for me. A typical workout might include a four-mile run followed by a cold shower.

Running supports cardiovascular fitness, endurance, insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial health, and overall physical capacity. Maintaining strong cardiorespiratory fitness is one of the most important things I can do for long-term health.

Cold exposure provides a completely different type of stimulus. A cold shower can create a brief controlled stress response, increase alertness, and stimulate norepinephrine.

There is also a mental component. Choosing to remain calm while doing something physically uncomfortable can become a form of resilience training. I do not use cold exposure as a cure-all, but I enjoy how it makes me feel and how easily it fits into my routine.

Biohacking Day 5: Time-Restricted Eating

I typically eat between about 9:00 AM and 2:30 PM and then fast for the remainder of the day, creating roughly an 18-hour fasting period.

Time-restricted eating may support insulin sensitivity, metabolic flexibility, blood-sugar regulation, and weight management. Longer fasting periods also activate cellular nutrient-sensing pathways associated with repair and autophagy.

Autophagy is the body’s cellular recycling system, but it is important not to oversimplify it. We cannot say that a specific number of fasting hours automatically produces a particular amount of autophagy in humans.

For me, fasting is less about deprivation and more about giving my body a long period each day when it is not continuously digesting food. I also prefer eating earlier rather than consuming large meals close to bedtime.

Biohacking Day 6: Supplement Wisely

Supplements can be useful, but I believe they should actually supplement a healthy diet rather than become the diet.

My goal is to get as much nutrition as possible from whole foods and then selectively supplement where it makes sense.

Because I eat a vegan diet, I need to be especially thoughtful about nutrients that can be more difficult to obtain in adequate amounts exclusively from plant foods.

The important question should not be, “How many supplements can I take?” It should be, “Why am I taking this?”

Every supplement should have a purpose. More is not automatically better, and supplements should be periodically reconsidered as diet, health goals, bloodwork, and scientific evidence change.

Biohacking Day 7: Protect Your Sleep

You can optimize almost everything else and still undermine your health if you consistently sacrifice sleep.

I aim for seven to nine hours of sleep and try to keep my bedtime and wake time as consistent as possible.

Regular sleep timing reinforces the circadian system and can improve sleep quality. Sleep itself supports memory, mood, immune function, metabolic regulation, cardiovascular health, hormone regulation, and physical recovery.

One of the biggest mistakes in wellness culture is treating sleep as time that can be traded for productivity. I view sleep as part of the training program.

Biohacking Day 8: Walk After You Eat

One of the simplest habits I practice is walking for 10 to 15 minutes after eating.

Post-meal walking helps muscles use circulating glucose and can reduce the size of post-meal blood-sugar elevations. It also adds movement throughout the day without requiring another formal workout.

This is the kind of biohack I like most: free, easy, low risk, and practical.

You do not necessarily need another gadget. Sometimes you simply need to go for a walk.

Biohacking Day 9: Yoga, Stretching, and Balance

Strength and cardiovascular fitness matter, but so does being able to move well.

I incorporate yoga, deeper stretching, mobility work, and balance exercises to maintain flexibility, coordination, range of motion, and body awareness.

Mobility becomes increasingly valuable with age because strength is less useful if you cannot comfortably move through normal ranges of motion.

Balance deserves special attention as well. Maintaining balance and coordination helps preserve functional independence and can reduce fall risk later in life.

My goal is not simply to be strong. I want to remain strong, mobile, coordinated, and capable.

Biohacking Day 10: Train Your VO₂ Max

VO₂ max is a measure of how effectively the body can take in and use oxygen during intense exercise and is one of the strongest markers of cardiorespiratory fitness.

I incorporate higher-intensity intervals to challenge my heart, lungs, and circulatory system.

The purpose is not to perform exhausting workouts every day. High-intensity training works best as one component of a larger program that includes resistance training, lower-intensity aerobic exercise, walking, mobility, and recovery.

Improving cardiorespiratory fitness can increase endurance and physical capacity and is strongly associated with long-term health.

Biohacking Day 11: Feed Your Gut

Healthy aging is not only about what we eat—it is also about what our gut microbes are eating.

I try to consume a diverse range of plant foods, including vegetables, legumes, berries, whole grains, nuts, seeds, herbs, and other fiber-rich foods.

Different plants provide different fibers and phytochemicals, helping support a more diverse microbial ecosystem.

Gut bacteria ferment certain fibers and produce short-chain fatty acids that play roles in intestinal health, metabolism, and immune regulation.

Fermented foods can add another layer of dietary diversity. Options include sauerkraut, kimchi, miso, tempeh, and plant-based fermented foods.

The goal is not perfection. It is diversity.

Healthy Fats Matter Too

Healthy fats are another important part of my diet.

I focus on foods such as avocado, nuts, seeds, and extra-virgin olive oil.

Dietary fats help provide essential fatty acids, support cell membranes and hormone production, and allow the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.

The quality of the fat matters more to me than simply trying to eat a low-fat diet.

For a longevity-focused diet, I would rather emphasize whole-food sources of unsaturated fats than fear fat altogether.

Biohacking Day 12: Stress Regulation Is a Physical Health Tool

Biohacking should not only focus on what happens to the body during exercise. It should also consider how effectively the body can transition back into recovery.

Meditation, controlled breathing, yoga, and periods of intentional relaxation help me regulate stress and shift away from constantly operating in a high-alert state.

Chronic stress can influence sleep, blood pressure, mood, concentration, immune function, metabolism, and recovery.

That is why I consider nervous-system regulation part of biohacking.

Being able to activate yourself is useful. Being able to calm yourself afterward is equally important.

Biohacking Day 13: Creatine for the Brain and Body

Creatine is one of the supplements I find particularly interesting because its role goes beyond bodybuilding.

Creatine helps rapidly regenerate ATP, the energy currency used by cells. It is well established for supporting strength, power, exercise performance, and gains in lean mass when combined with resistance training.

There is also growing interest in creatine and brain health because brain cells also rely heavily on energy availability.

Research has explored potential effects on memory and cognition, particularly under conditions such as sleep deprivation, stress, or low dietary creatine intake.

Creatine is especially relevant for people eating vegan or vegetarian diets because dietary creatine is found predominantly in animal foods.

For me, supporting both muscle and brain energy makes creatine particularly interesting from a healthy-aging perspective.

Biohacking Day 14: Sunlight and Air Quality

Sometimes the environment around us is one of the most overlooked health interventions.

When I travel, I pay attention to both sunlight exposure and air quality.

Getting outdoor light—particularly earlier in the day—can help synchronize circadian rhythms, support alertness during the day, and improve sleep timing at night.

Air quality matters because chronic exposure to particulate pollution and other airborne pollutants can affect respiratory and cardiovascular health.

I cannot completely control the environment, particularly while traveling, but I can be aware of it.

Biohacking is not just about changing your body. Sometimes it means changing what your body is exposed to.

Biohacking Day 15: Embrace the Cold

Cold showers are one of the simplest forms of controlled hormetic stress I use.

The sudden cold creates a strong physiological response and can rapidly increase alertness. Cold exposure can also increase norepinephrine and may influence mood and stress tolerance.

There is also something valuable about voluntarily practicing discomfort.

Standing under cold water while controlling your breathing teaches you that an unpleasant physical sensation does not automatically require panic or avoidance.

That mental component is one of the biggest reasons I continue doing it.

Cold exposure should still be used intelligently. More extreme is not necessarily better.

Biohacking Day 16: Small Foods, Big Benefits

Some of the foods I add to my meals may look insignificant, but they contain interesting nutrients, fibers, and phytochemicals.

Wheat Germ and Spermidine

Wheat germ is a particularly rich dietary source of spermidine.

Spermidine is a naturally occurring polyamine involved in cellular growth, maintenance, and signaling. It has attracted significant longevity research interest partly because of its relationship with cellular housekeeping and autophagy-related pathways.

This does not mean that eating wheat germ switches on some magical anti-aging mechanism. However, spermidine-rich foods are an interesting area of nutrition and longevity research, and wheat germ is an easy food-based way to obtain it.

Psyllium Husk

Psyllium husk is mostly soluble fiber.

When mixed with liquid, it forms a gel-like substance that can help support bowel regularity and digestive health.

Soluble fiber can also help reduce LDL cholesterol, moderate post-meal glucose responses, and support the gut environment.

Fiber remains one of the least glamorous but most consistently useful nutritional tools available.

Nutritional Yeast

Nutritional yeast is a staple in many vegan diets because it provides protein, savory flavor, and a range of nutrients.

Many commercial versions are fortified with B vitamins, including vitamin B12, although this varies by product and the label should always be checked.

I use nutritional yeast as another easy way to add flavor and nutrition rather than treating it like a supplement or medication.

Oregano

Oregano contains numerous plant compounds, including polyphenols and volatile oils.

These compounds have antioxidant and antimicrobial activity in laboratory settings and are being studied for their potential effects on inflammation and cellular health.

That does not mean sprinkling oregano on dinner is a medical treatment. It does mean herbs and spices contribute far more than flavor.

Regularly using different herbs and spices is another easy way to increase dietary phytochemical diversity.

Rosemary and Brain Health

Rosemary is particularly interesting because researchers have looked at both its dietary compounds and its aroma.

Some small studies have found associations between rosemary aroma and changes in attention, memory, or cognitive performance. Compounds in rosemary—including 1,8-cineole and several polyphenols—are also being investigated for antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and neuroprotective properties.

This has led to interest in rosemary in the context of brain aging and Alzheimer’s disease research.

However, smelling rosemary has not been proven to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s disease.

That distinction matters.

I still find the research fascinating because it shows how compounds from an ordinary culinary herb can interact with biological pathways related to cognition and brain health.

The Bigger Picture: Biohacking Should Start With the Basics

The biggest lesson I have learned is that the most powerful biohacks are often not the most exciting ones.

Sleep seven to nine hours.

Build muscle.

Train your cardiovascular system.

Eat a diverse, nutrient-dense diet.

Walk frequently.

Get daylight.

Manage stress.

Maintain healthy relationships.

Avoid smoking.

Keep alcohol low or eliminate it.

Then consider the supplements, devices, cold exposure, sauna, red light, fasting protocols, and other optimization tools.

Biohacking should not become a competition to see who can follow the most complicated routine.

For me, it is about creating sustainable habits that allow my brain and body to function well today while hopefully preserving as much health, energy, and independence as possible for the future.

There is no single food, supplement, exercise, or device that guarantees longevity. The real advantage comes from stacking dozens of small, evidence-informed decisions consistently over years.

That is the kind of biohacking I believe is actually worth doing.

For more on biohacking, longevity, mental wellness, and healthy aging, visit myselfspectrum.com.