Shaping the Future Me (the "Me" I want at 90+), today.
If you want to live longer and better (and who doesn't?), you can "biohack" yourself, just as I do.
Let's define Biohacking:
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Biohacking is the process of making intentional changes to one's lifestyle, diet, and environment with the goal of enhancing physical and mental performance. And that will entail a wide range of practices, from optimizing nutrition and fitness routines to experimenting with cutting-edge technologies and inventions. (Let me be honest: I research, like, a lot, and utilize the latest research, but don't really use the "inventions" (gadgets) part of the aforementioned "cutting-edge technologies and inventions".) One of the core motivations behind biohacking is the desire to challenge so-called "traditional" ageing paths (the scary downslide) and achieve a better quality of life. As we envision our future selves at 90 and beyond, the question arises: Can I influence my ageing trajectory and redefine what it means (for me in particular) to grow old? |
So, okay....
Looked at in a generalised way, that's pretty much what I do, everyday.
Honestly, my angle on "biohacking myself" is to not so much to simply live longer. It is more about wanting to be healthier, more capable, more independent, even dynamic, contributing and staying relevant as long as I live. (This "obsession" has been triggered in me because of the quality of ageing that I see around me, in the previous generation: seriously, something I don't want for myself, in any way). And, generally speaking (I reckon), longevity & quality of life should tack itself onto that list of benefits.
For quite some time, now, I have developed a lifestyle for myself where I continue to learn, research, and then put into practice (yes, do!) the "right things" for this body of mine, because I know that it's what I do right now (yup, today, tomorrow and the next day ) that's going to help me for my future.
(And you get the benefit of those learnings/research, in this site and in the groevolve.com site.)
Knowing what you want:
To start off, it's vital to know what I want for my Future Self: I have a long-term Vision for myself, as me, but moreso, for that Future Me (who''s going to be quite different -definitely a new-improved version - of me).
Sadly, most people don't even start with that "vision" step, being so caught up in the stresses and demands of their daily lives (and we all have these, don't we?) so much so that strategizing about their Future Self is the last thing they have the time or inclination for.
In fact, those verging-on-the-50s folk who need to juggle their rents & mortgages and/or who have younger children who need constant/regular investment of time and energy, have pretty much no time (and consequently, the inclination) to venture down this path.
Time is a crucial factor when it comes to ageing well.
How much investment do you need to put into this "healthy setup activities" for the future? (And, while weighing up the pros and cons of this biohacking gig), NOT putting in this investment beginning right now, means that somebody has to pay the price -in real dollar terms (the state, your family and/or you?) as well as you eventually: in pain/quality-of-life, etc- down the track, when you are older.)
How long can you (or should you) wait till you start seriously fortifying yourself for the older years? Do you call this obsession with being healthy and strong as some "craziness" and move on to doing the "more urgent & important" things of today: the dusting the shelves or mowing the lawn?
Should (or can) you wait till you're 65 or 70 before taking up building up your legs, back and general musculature? Or can you kick that can even further down the road? (Answer: no you can't.)
The thing is (and this is something I realize daily as I see some of the older people around me at the gym working hard, almost in desperation, struggling to improve their failing body-parts), the older you get before you get to work on setting up your "bodily infrastructure" (about which I will come to later in this article), the harder it becomes to make any visible headway.
It's part of what the diagram below indicates:
That "Disability Threshold" lies at a very individual and personal juncture for each of us. For some, because they have been developing some serious muscle and strength, they will stay on the green area, unlikely to ever hit that disabled state before they drop. For others (and unfortunately, that means most people that you see around you), that red-band can be very close to 'today'. (I see that in people even in my so-called "educated and informed" social circle, one falling --actually tumbling over-- at barely a year over 60. And here's what the CDC says about falls in the elderly).
Once you pass that Threshold, it becomes virtually impossible to lift yourself back up to capability, and you're unlikely to be able to put in the preemptive creation & setup of the kind of body-foundation that you desperately need in the later years to ward off those scary diseases of Sarcopenia, Dynapenia and their running-mate, Osteopenia. We'll leave the discussion about Dementia for another day.
While I mainly talk about biohacking as a physical activity (in my case, it's weight training and supportive nutrition), to get to where I am at, you need to make more than a few big changes, in order to overcome the hurdles that lie between where you currently are and where you need to be.
It takes a "village" of care to biohack this child (you) into an energized, capable, independent, and indeed, magnificent older human being.
Let's look at what biohacking ourselves for our older years involves:
Start by getting tested: I always recommend that your doctor gives you clearance before undertaking any of the Biohacking strategies that I subscribe to (yes, do) -- might be a nice time to tell you that I'm not a medical practitioner.
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Your doctor may put you through a fat, muscle, bone density, bodycomposition test but that's highly unlikely. Instead, they will take your bloodpressure, perhaps measure your fitness level, and then decide if you're up to getting into any serious kind of workout practice. They may even recommend that you start walking the block to build up your fitness! Whatever the case, get your medical professional to check you out first.
Now let's get into what we need to do to biohack our bodies for the older years that are fast approaching us:
A. Overcoming our inbuilt obstacles: Cultivating a Long-Term Vision; long-standing Psychological/Cultural habits. This is actually a long list which I will discuss elsewhere.
B. Nutritional Strategies: Low inflammation, High Protein, High Fibre, Low/No Sugar, To Fast/Not Fast
Low inflammation: So vitally, many of the foods that we've grown to love have proved to be the worst kind of intake for the welfare of our bodies. I've switched over to unrefined foods by and large, dropping pastas and white flour products, as well as the sugar-laden cakes & pastries that I've been so addicted to. (Yes, that has been one hard struggle, but I feel that I've pretty much arrived, as I write this). Basically, the strong blood sugar spikes create trauma for our cells; not good for their long-term welfare.
Encouraging autophagy in my body is vital (that's the body's inbuilt garbage collection process, which helps reduce the incidence of cancer). I do that mainly via my regular exercise schedule, while I also fast for 12, 14, or 16 hours quite regularly (mostly, on days when I don't weight-train. While on this topic, having long bouts of fasts between meals is another path you can take, to the benefit of your circulatory system.
C. Physical Foundation Strategies: Strength, Muscularity, Mobility.
In my humble opinion, staying strong in these years is crucial. I'm quite aghast that too many people don't seem to have learnt the hard lessons from watching the state of their older folk: that staying capable and independent in the years ahead cannot be left up to lucky genes (yes, I've met a few of these lucky souls too). Because I personally have never hit the jackpot in any lottery, I'm just as unlikely to get the same kind of luck in my older years; hence my strong focus on taking personal responsibility, and doing the work myself. I'm in the gym 5-6 days a week, working on my musculature, building what I call "the foundation of a better quality of life in my older years: a powerful body".
I train to increase muscle mass and strength. It's as simple as that, and as hard as that, too. But it's fun for me, honestly, a challenge I'm happy to accept each day I exist because I have taken the trouble to lay the foundation for that kind of ethos in me.
Mobility is something all who strive for strength and muscle have to strive for too, for two main reasons:
a. A deeper stretch in each muscle paves the way for better muscle growth and
b. muscle growth tends to make for stiffer muscles due to their shortening.
So take the time out to stretch, stretch, stretch your muscles. Your body will thank you for that. (While I preach this, I'm strapped for time, and too often, this activity goes by the wayside!)
D. Medical Strategies: Blood test once or twice a year, and a full body MRI every 5 years or so.
You need to know how you're doing with your diet strategy, and the best feedback you can get about:
a. Your muscle growth (or decline) and
b. Your blood sugar levels through the HbAc1 test, and your cholesterol levels
will tell you if you're treating your body right, keep that dreaded inflammation at bay, and helping your all-vital circulatory system.
E. Other Lifestyle Hacks: Sleep Quality, Stress Management: Enough Eustress (training, icebaths?), reduce bad stress.
F. Exploring Cutting-Edge Technologies: Though I wear an iWatch, with its apps to track what I do, how I sleep, etc, I don't really depend on it or utilize it as a tool to help me decide where I am at in my fitness. Regular visits to my doctor, learning/researching nutrition and a never-ending workout/fitness regime is what I depend upon. Yes, maybe I'm old-fashioned.
G. Cultivating a Long-Term Vision:
Biohacking oneself to redefine aging requires a commitment to long-term vision and lifestyle adjustments. It involves embracing a mindset that prioritizes health as an ongoing journey rather than a destination. The decisions made today lay the foundation for the vitality and well-being of the future self at 90.
Yes, though the journey is as important as the destination, I'm determined to make the best of what is available to me, through the science that is so readily available, to all of us.
All we need to do, is take consistent action
Mel Drego
