# Biohacking habits to increase your performance that you can implement today!

![getbetter.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbvuuHzb8bNNwvVxuSVpfR8nwjruW4A7N1JWuWXzCABT7/getbetter.jpg)

In this article, I want to cover the habits that help me deal with daily routines, challenges and achieve my goals. I called them biohacking, because it refers to making changes to your lifestyle to feel at your best and become a better man. 

If you find hard to implement all of them or at least a few, start small. Choose one that is easier to implement into your life, and as soon as it gets a part of your life and don't require your attention to do it, proceed with another one. I am an adept of easy and minimalistic life, so to proceed you will not need any special equipment, or wait for anything to be delivered to you - all you need is your body and desire to get better.

# Sitting is the new smoking, quit it

Researchers have found that prolonged sitting dramatically increases the risk of developing heart diseases, type 2 diabetes and various type of cancer.  A good upgrade for your workplace would be a standing desk, which were proven to increase productivity. Google offers standing desk as a part of their employee-wellness program, Facebook has more than 250 employees using standing desks, and many other companies implemented standing desks as an alternative to the traditional sitting desks.

![standing.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWPch8tGV6vJHYrD83VwBe3YS2Jeq2UVNjEVYeVaXkbYp/standing.jpg)

Although standing is proved to be the winning habit over sitting, it is inevitable to sit, and when you do you want to make sure you have a good posture. There are numerous risks associated with a poor posture:
<li>Poor posture can impede the ability of the <b>lungs to expand.</b></li>
<li>Poor posture is the main risk factor in many athletic <b>injuries.</b></li>
<li><b>Increases the stress</b> on the ligaments. </li>
<li>Causes <b>Scoliosis</b> which might require a expensive and dangerous surgery. </li>
And many more, trust me you don't want that. 

![posture.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbFuaMUvgyXEZQAB7HN1tnXvuK5mKLNcK1XA9KH1c45mk/posture.jpg)

Try avoiding sitting in same position for more than 30 minutes, <a href="https://steemit.com/health/@krood/how-to-keep-fit-working-online-not-spending-hours-at-the-gym">take breaks and stretch</a>.

# Intermittent fasting  

Intermittent fasting(IF) is one of the most popular trends in health and fitness industry. It is meant to help loose weight, improve health and simplify one's lifestyle. Numerous studies has shown that it can have strong impacts on your body and brain (<a href="http://ibimapublishing.com/articles/ENDO/2014/459119/">1</a>, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3946160/">2</a>, <a href="https://jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting">3</a>).

![fasting.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmWafotTxRd8EpHfDtv1tJpQH1e91wDfJtjpJpvKkgxiee/fasting.jpg)

Intermittent fasting does not restrict *which* foods you should eat, but rather <b>when</b> you should eat. The two most common methods are daily 16 hour fasting, or 24 hours fasting twice per week. I personally keep the 16/8 fasting schedule. I move my breakfast to 12:30, and take my last meal at 20:30 so I have an 8 hour eating window. It is very convenient for people who have a lot of things to do in the morning. You can have some extra sleep and extra energy before your first meal.

Here are some main heath benefits of IF :

<li> <b>Weight loss:</b> IF can help you <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25540982">loose belly fat</a> without having to restrict your diet.</li>
<li> <b>Hormone Regulation:</b> One of the most appreciated effects is the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC329619/">increase growth hormone</a>, which is crucial for our bodies.</li>
<li> <b>Cognitive function:</b> IF increases the secretion of a hormone called BDNF and also protects from <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17306982">Alzheimer's disease.</a></li>
<li> <b>Cancer:</b> Several studies on animals show that fasting may help prevent cancer.</li>
<li> <b>Insulin resistance:</b> Fasting is helping prevent type 2 diabetes by lowering blood sugar and fasting insuling levels.</li>

The list is incomplete, but I will cover more about intermittent fasting in a separate article as it requires more attention!

# Avoid blue light before bedtime

Did you know that blue light *harms your natural sleep cycle*? *Artificial blue light* emitted from LED & LCD light bulbs are quite a problem for your sleep and health overall.

![blue_light.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmbzP8LpLD5Aryfx4Hy7wid9TSYkAnuE8HKgQhWy1mhDG1/blue_light.jpg)

Is very important that our circadian clock is synchronized with our sleep. Studies have shown that blue light suppresses melatonin which can cause a circadian delay. Modern phones and laptops have blue light filter out of the box, which can be set to start with sunset and stop with sunrise, according to your location. If you want to go more advance, there are glasses that block blue light, which are meant to be worn in the evening.

# Cold showers 

For some, it might sound wild, but cold showers are a pretty good habit to adopt. 

![shower.jpg](https://steemitimages.com/DQmaFHYPv5ht6gDa1JJUgtJM8b8iPvaAB4oSAHPqc1q6BJ2/shower.jpg)

I will simply list a few benefits of a cold shower, and you make conclusions:
<li> <b>Reduce Stress:</b> Cold showers are increasing your adaptation to stressful situations, lower uric acid and boost levels of Glutathione in your blood.</li>
<li> <b>Hair and skin health:</b> Hot water is drying our skin, when cold water helps tighten your cuticles and pores, will "seal" the pores in the skin and scalp preventing dirt from getting in.</li>
<li> <b>Weight loss:</b> Our bodies contain white and brown fat. Brown fat is considered good fat which generates heat to warm our body, respectively cold showers will activate brown fat activity.</li>
<li> <b>Testosterone increase:</b> According to <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.3109/01485018808987051">this</a> study, heat affects our DNA, RNA & protein synthesis in the male testes. This is the reason men testicles hang outside of body when it's warm, to stay cool.</li>
<li> <b>Improves blood circulation:</b> When exposed to cold, our body sends blood down to our organs to keep them warm. This stimulation is good for your overall cardiovascular health.</li>

These are the *main* reasons to take cold showers, but the list goes on. A shower is something we already have implemented in our lifestyle, we just need to adjust the right temperature. You can start little, decreasing the temperature over time.

I will cover these and more healthy habits in greater depth in future series. Appologize for the use of upvoting bots, but I want to get my articles seen to the community to gain some followers, and when I will have a followers base I will not need it.

Stay hydrated and be helpful to the ones around you!