Biohacking and self-development

2022-01-31 23:46:21 How to Calculate Body Mass Index (Quetelet Index)

One of the basic criteria that biohackers rely on to assess their health status, namely a person's body weight.

It is used to judge many things, such as the risk of life-threatening conditions including hypertension, strokes, and heart attacks.

The body mass index is calculated using the following formula: weight (kg) / height ^ 2 (cm).

The WHO sets the following interpretation of the results:
16 or less - pronounced underweight
16-18.5 - underweight
18.5-24.99 - normal
25-30 - overweight (obesity)
30-35 - 1st degree obesity
35-40 - 2nd degree obesity
40 or more - third-degree obesity.

You can easily find out your BMI right now. Open / Comment

2022-01-30 23:39:29 Trite, yet highly effective advice — drink water

How many times have you heard it. In fact, do you really follow it?
Never neglect it, as without drinking enough water the human brain reacts to external stimuli 14% slower.

It's only natural. Our body is made up of 50-75% water. When tissues dehydrate, the brain has to work and produce the same results as when it is normal.

So to maintain a clear mind, be sure to keep track of how much water you drink in a day Open / Comment

2022-01-29 21:18:48 Why is staying up late bad for your health?

All of us are aware of this fact, but still cannot force ourselves to go to bed early. Meanwhile, the danger of this isn't abstract at all.

The fact is that deep sleep dominates over superficialone, starting from 8 p.m. and up until midnight, just that it is responsible for restoring our strength and improving our health. After 00:00, however, we enter the phase of superficial sleep.

After 02:00, the levels of growth hormone and leptin drop, and they, in turn, are responsible for recovery and fat burning. And cortisol levels rise, which is the stress hormone, it prepares our body for awakening, peaking between 04:00 and 06:00 hours.

Therefore, if you stay up late (i. e. after 04:00), your metabolism is really disturbed, and along with it hormonal imbalance "arrives".

So no matter how entertaining the show is, try to go to bed no later than 00:00. Open / Comment

2022-01-28 23:40:48 What sets green tea apart from coffee?

Even though both beverages contain significant concentrations of caffeine. Yet tea is generally perceived as a less stimulating drink than coffee.

L-theanine, an amino acid that is present in tea rather than coffee, exerts a relaxing effect. While caffeine affects dopamine levels, l-theanine provides inhibitory impacts similar to those of the neurotransmitter GABA. Theanine influences cognitive functions.

Perhaps the most well-known effect of l-theanine is to increase alpha activity in the brain! So, what is it? It's a state of peacefulness, ease, without being drowsy!

Evidence has been found in favor of the combined effects of caffeine and l-theanine in the first 2 hours after ingestion. This combination improves attention shifting accuracy and sensory awareness.

Which of these drinks is more preferable for you? Open / Comment

2022-01-27 23:37:09 Anxiety under control

Our brain contains an area responsible for fear. This is the almond-shaped body, called the amygdala, which functions as an alarm system, poking around for sources of danger.

To ancient man, it kept him alive by picking up rustlers in the forest or aggressive tribesmen. For modern man it frequently works as a "false alarm", awakening unwarranted anxiety.

Studies have shown that amygdala activity decreases when a person remains in a meditative state. These findings have been reported both in experiments with people with no experience in meditation and in trials with both healthy people and those with chronic anxiety.

The effect is comparable to that of medication, only without the side effects. Regular practice reprograms the fear center, reduces anxiety and symptoms of anxiety disorders and panic attacks. Open / Comment

2022-01-26 23:53:45 What is bulletproof coffee and benefits it has

The name of this beverage has nothing to do with shooting. Simply one of the most famous biohackers, American entrepreneur Dave Asprey, created Bulletproof Coffee — coffee with the addition of cream or coconut oil.

According to Dave, the high-fat product with caffeine increases concentration, prevents age-related diseases and improves weight loss.

Speaking of that, this fellow has spent over $1 million to live to be 180 years old (though he's only 47 so far). Well, let's see how that plays out. Open / Comment

2022-01-25 23:39:13 No need to stay up all night before a major event or exam

Everyone has faced such situations, although this strategy is highly ineffective. And even if you manage to memorize a certain amount of information in this way, it won't last long. Cause nightly wakefulness affects the hippocampus, in charge of emotions, memory and attention.

Sleepless nights may contribute to a decrease in its volume, resulting in learning disabilities and memory loss, and may also be an early sign of Alzheimer's disease.

So it's better to prepare for big events in advance — it's much more effective and harmless to your brain. Open / Comment

2022-01-24 23:40:37 The world upside down

In case you are on a busy schedule and have no wish to radically change familiar things, just look at them in a totally new way — turn them upside down!

As an example, there are objects on the shelf next to your workplace which have been there awhile (a calendar, a statuette, a framed photo). Turn them upside down.

How it works: when you look at an item, the logical part of the brain instantly processes the information, and then abstract thinking is involved. If the brain has identified the object as familiar, it does not need to activate the thought process: the thing becomes "part of the landscape" and the person does not pay attention to it.

An alien picture requires additional neural resources, connects the creative right hemisphere and analytics of form, color combinations, and qualities of the object.

This reorganization brings the effect of novelty and allows you to break the pattern of thinking. Open / Comment

2022-01-23 23:09:49 Proper bedroom temperature is the key to a good night's sleep

If you suffer from insomnia or just wish to get a nice sleep, consider this factor.

The optimal temperature for sleeping ranges between 16 and 19 °C. At temperatures above or below these limits, the duration of sleep decreases.

This is due to the temperature of the human body.
It changes throughout the day according to circadian rhythms. If your regime is intact, then in the evening, when you already feel sleepy and prepare for bed, your body temperature begins to decrease gradually due to the expansion of the blood vessels.

That is, if you sleep in your pajamas and/or under a blanket, the room should be quite cool. Open / Comment

2022-01-22 23:50:44 Useful device — Blue-blockers glasses

Modern man is surrounded by blue light day and night — artificial light, mobile devices, diodes, so our brain cannot always determine the time of day, thus disrupting or slowing down the production of melatonin, disturbing circadian rhythms.

Blue light slows the production of melatonin (the sleep hormone).

If we are surrounded by the wrong light (type of energy) and it does not correspond to the time of day, it can provoke malfunctions in our body. And this is especially true for sleep disorders. Also, LEDs, as an example, can provoke headaches.

The blue-blockers block the blue spectrum of light when needed, which allows for circadian rhythms and improved sleep. Open / Comment