Biohacking and self-development

2022-01-09 22:03:01 Moving toward conscious consumption of information

Minimalism as a lifestyle, especially in all aspects of life, including the use of the Internet, is a way to think more consciously and efficiently.

How to achieve it:

Minimalism in information is the carrying over and adapting of principles and ideas from the physical world to the digital one. The goal is to remove everything superfluous and leave only useful content.

Plan:
- Analysis of flows and recommendations;
- Complete revision and cleaning of subscriptions on all social networks (leave a minimum of content, give preference to the highest quality);
- Set a timer for content consumption time. Such as 15 minutes a day to view the Instagram feed. Open / Comment

2022-01-07 22:34:17 Reduce Stress In 5 Minutes

Here's an easy and affordable method if the stress hormone (cortisol) suddenly caught you off guard: chew gum!

Experiments have shown that if people chewed gum, their stress levels would gradually drop. Just three minutes of chewing gum was enough to lower stress hormone levels. And the more vigorously one chewed the gum, the more pronounced was the positive effect. It seems that chewing increased the blood flow to the brain.

So, chew when you are multi-tasking and stressed, it will make you calmer and increase your alertness and work capacity Open / Comment

2022-01-06 18:30:30 The basis of biohacking is knowing the body and the way it works. This helps achieve the best results.

So let's start to get into more detail about, say, the brain's neurotransmitters

Dopamine is the main active substance of the reward system in the human and animal brain.

Its release is subjectively experienced as an improvement in mood, an exacerbation of desires, and an increase in motivation. This system compels us to make efforts beneficial to the body: to seek out fattier and sweeter food, to defeat opponents, to copulate with suitable partners, and to continue the lineage. The brain baits us with a premonition of pleasure. Open / Comment

2022-01-04 23:40:30 Strong or multiple social ties prolong life

From the study:
"The number of social ties and their strength are more vital for survival than short-term contact with immediate benefits or communication with individuals from other social groups.

Scientists came to this conclusion after seven years of observing three hundred macaques. Those individuals which formed a large number of weak interactions with other macaques or small - but strong ones - were more likely to live longer.

Apparently, both of these strategies can be advantageous under certain conditions. The work is published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B"

Also using the example of many elderly patients, we can say that the most socially adapted ones cope with the disease better and live longer unambiguously. However, an essential point here is that if a person is sociable but lives alone or just likes to be alone often, such pensioners are not far behind their less lonely peers Open / Comment

2022-01-03 22:11:48 Biohacking for youth: Collagen

Collagen is a glycoprotein, a fibrillar protein that forms the basis of the body's connective tissue and ensures its strength and elasticity and therefore provides firmness and youthfulness to the skin.

To keep our skin in a healthy, beautiful state, we need primarily vitamin C and collagen cofactors, which are directly collagen peptides of animal origin as well as zinc, selenium and silicon.

For those under the age of 35, experts recommend taking collagen for courses of three to six months.

But older people should switch to a permanent collagen intake.

The fact is that by this age, the digestibility of the protein necessary for youthful skin begins to decline, while collagen peptides are embedded directly into the skin. Open / Comment

2022-01-03 02:04:21 BDNF functions

Yesterday we talked about what it is and how to increase it.

Yet for those who wanna dig a little deeper, let’s sort out

BDNF acts on neurons in the central and peripheral nervous systems, helping emerging neurons survive and increasing the number of synapses and new neurons. It can be safely called the "neurogenesis hormone" as it plays a significant role in this process.

In the brain, it is active in the cortex, hippocampus, and forebrain. That is, in those areas that are responsible for memory, learning, and intelligence. Open / Comment

2022-01-02 01:21:20 BDNF is a brain-derived neurotrophic factor and is also a brain nutrition factor.

What is BDNF for?

It stimulates neurogenesis, makes the brain neuroplastic, increases long-term memory. And if you take care of the production of BDNF, you can improve your brain function in a few years.

How to increase BDNF?

Physical activity is the basis for BDNF production. According to studies, exercise causes a threefold increase in BDNF synthesis in the brain, and significantly increases cognitive function.

The best exercises for BDNF production are those that allow developing great power in a short period of time, i.e., of course, iron, sprints and intervals. 2-3 trips to the gym a week will give you not only good fitness and health, but also good brain function and productivity. Open / Comment

2021-12-31 21:48:17 How Not to Give Up After Reaching One Goal. Hacking the Brain's Dopamine System

First of all, dopamine is the substance responsible for motivation in the brain. It induces that feeling of anticipation before achieving a goal. Like when you're pushing your abs at the gym and imagining how you're going to conquer everyone on the beach with your figure – that's dopamine at work.

And what happens to dopamine after you have achieved your goals and received the coveted reward?

Well, dopamine levels usually decrease after a person reaches a certain level of success and stay at the same level for quite a long time before a new surge occurs. You surely experience that state of procrastination periodically after you've done something significant.

So, if you want to get around this neurobiological law and hack into your dopamine system, set a new goal before you reach your current one.

That way your success will grow at an incredible speed and your life will be vibrant and fulfilling. Open / Comment

2021-12-30 23:33:31 The Most "Human" Part of the Brain — Prefrontal Cortex

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the front part of the frontal lobes of the brain. It is what we use when planning and making decisions. We also need it to understand other people.

After birth, the number of synapses in the PFC increases steadily until we reach adolescence.

Experiments have shown that during tasks involving understanding other people's intentions, adolescents have rather low PFC activity. On the contrary, when thinking over one's own intentions, adolescents have even higher PFC activity than adults.

Exploring one's own abilities and searching for personal cognitive strategies is what our brain considers to be the main task of an adolescent. Open / Comment

2021-12-29 23:50:36 The Greatest Consequence of Physical Exercise is Happiness

In order to quickly raise your endorphin levels, get involved in sports or even just take a regular walk.

Endorphins have been proven to cause a kind of "runner's high" — the feeling of euphoria that occurs after a long and intense physical activity.

For half an hour of training, the concentration of "happy hormones" in the blood increases by 5-7 times, and it lasts for about 1.5-2 hours. Open / Comment