Biohacking, or “life hacking”, involves making scientifically-backed lifestyle adjustments to improve both health and performance. Dave Asprey is widely considered the “Father of Biohacking“, having founded Bulletproof Coffee and Upgrade Labs with a mission of helping individuals become healthier versions of themselves.
Asprey’s goal of living to 180 is shared via his podcast, Human Upgrade, books (Smarter Not Harder), and Upgrade Labs across the United States.
How did you get started?
Dave Asprey–known as “The Father of Biohacking“–has spent decades working alongside internationally acclaimed doctors, researchers and scientists to uncover cutting-edge methods of improving mental and physical performance. He’s spent millions taking control of his own biology while pushing human possibility forward towards scientific revolution and progress.
Asprey began using his technical mind to optimize both his body and health. He spent hours reading PubMed, purchased experimental supplements, consulted with navy seals, bodybuilders, powerlifters, astronaut trainers and medical professionals as part of this endeavor.
He now shares his insights through podcasts like The Human Upgrade, books like Smarter Not Harder and Head Strong, as well as a multi-million dollar home biohacking lab. In addition, he founded a company, hosted an annual biohacking conference, and created an exclusive mentorship collective called Apollo Group.
Asprey’s unconventional philosophy can sometimes be disconcerting to traditional health and wellness practitioners, yet he defends his approach by drawing parallels between longevity science and other technological advancements such as cars and mobile phones that initially received some skepticism but ultimately proved themselves more widely accepted than expected.
One key characteristic that sets biohackers apart from those simply seeking to feel better is their commitment to scientific data-gathering and evaluation of progress. They do so using tools like InsideTracker, which provides ultra-individualized analysis of blood, lifestyle factors, fitness tracker data and DNA in order to pinpoint nutrition, supplements, exercise and lifestyle interventions which have the most significant effect on suboptimal biomarkers such as cholesterol, inflammation and methylation levels.
Asprey recommends starting small when beginning biohacking. He suggests beginning with adding simple supplements such as NMN (methylation support) to your morning routine as an easy way to assess how diet changes impact health before investing in more advanced tools such as IV drips and cryotherapy sessions.
Learn the fundamentals of biohacking by listening to or downloading the full interview below, available via Apple Podcasts, Spotify or SoundCloud. Be sure to subscribe if you enjoy the show!
What are your goals?
Biohacking can help you reach both of these goals quickly. But to find success in biohacking, you must first invest the time and energy in yourself – as well as identify what practices will best benefit your body and lifestyle. In this episode of the podcast, Dave Asprey — widely considered to be “Father of Biohacking“, author of Bulletproof Coffee bestseller and creator of Upgrade Labs — joins us to share his tips for improving performance and overall well-being.
Dave describes how he’s tailored his lifestyle to maximize performance and longevity, including discussing his favorite foods, supplements and techniques for improving cognitive function, sleep quality, muscle growth and fat loss. Additionally, he provides strategies to manage stress as well as finding balance between work/family obligations and self-care activities.
As well as offering advice for getting started in biohacking, he also shared advice for getting into biohacking. His suggestions for getting started include running small experiments and making adjustments accordingly while keeping a journal to record results and stay motivated.
Asprey’s goal is to live until at least 180 years old, using various technologies and practices such as fasting, cold therapy and supplement use (including his favorite brain-boosting formula) along with personal development practices like meditation. He hosts his annual biohacking conference called Human Upgrade as part of this goal.
He shares with Jay Shetty his belief in the necessity of abandoning the traditional notion that hard work alone leads to success, and instead emphasizing “working smarter, not harder”. Additionally, he stresses the significance of optimizing for laziness; according to studies showing more lazy people have higher performance levels.
And finally, he discusses Upgrade Labs as the world’s first biohacking facility available to the public – offering medical-grade equipment that can analyze cellular health and offer insights into body composition analysis. He highlights how this revolutionary technology could change how we approach health and wellness.
What are your current habits?
Biohackers employ various wellness-oriented tools, in addition to exercise, sleep and nutrition. Asprey’s million-dollar home ‘biohacking lab’ features an infrared sauna, hyperbaric chamber, cold plunge and power plate or similar vibrational device – plus organic mattresses to reduce chemical exposure as well as neurofeedback meditation practices available through his company Upgrade Labs (which he sells through).
Asprey details his approach to improving health and performance through hacks such as chelating heavy metals, fasting, intermittent exercise and eating the appropriate fats. He also shares some cutting-edge tech innovations such as biohacking-friendly mattresses, smart sleep trackers and an innovative form of deep brain stimulation called rTMS.
To better identify which habits are assisting with the achievement of long-term goals, writing them down can be very useful. A great way to do this is with a habit scorecard – rating each habit on a scale from + to – is useful. Once complete, look back over your score and decide whether there are any necessary improvements or eliminations that need to take place.
Biohacking may be an expensive hobby, but if your goal is improving both mental and physical wellbeing it may be worth investing in some basic equipment like an infrared sauna or foam roller before moving on to more advanced techniques like running electricity through your head or injecting stem cells into yourself. According to Asprey’s advice it would be prudent to start small – like investing in an infrared sauna or foam roller – before expanding onto more involved techniques such as running electricity through your head or injecting stem cells directly.
What are your goals for the future?
No matter our pursuits may be–whether at work, in business, achieving healthier bodies and greater energy–we all want maximum returns from our efforts. That’s where “working smarter” comes into play–to maximize this strategy you will need an energized body which may require biohacking techniques or some form of intervention in order to get optimal results from biohacking efforts. Mindvalley spoke with Dave Asprey of BioHacking World about what really takes to feel your best so we could all reach our potential!
Asprey, a former Silicon Valley tech executive, has spent millions trying to take control of his own biology–and has discovered which methods work better than others. Dubbed the “Father of Biohacking,” Asprey has tried everything from running electricity through his brain to injecting stem cells into his reproductive organs and has even opened Upgrade Labs across the country (with their first one opening this month in Austin!), his annual biohacking conference 40 Years of Zen and elite mentorship collective The Apollo Group as ways of accomplishing his goals.
Asprey’s accomplishments are impressive, yet he doesn’t shy away from admitting his journey hasn’t always been easy. He admits being traumatized by negative reviews and social media trolling – which he credits as the driving force behind why biohacking conferences–of which his first one held with just 100 attendees 10 years ago–remain the premiere event for those seeking longer and healthier lives.
Mindvalley also dives deep into Asprey’s favorite biohacks for feeling your best–including nutrient timing and sleep, noise-canceling headphones and True Dark glasses, noise-canceling headphones for brain energy and focus maximization and cold plunges to reduce inflammation and accelerate muscle growth. If you want to start optimizing your life right now, tune in now for this fascinating episode of Mindvalley!
