If you are active on social media, you may have seen a growing trend of people “biohacking their health.” While it can sound sci–fi, biohacking isn’t some fringe movement for cyborgs – it’s about taking proactive control of your well–being, and anyone can do it, especially those of us over 40.
What is Biohacking?
Biohacking is an approach in which a person makes incremental changes to their body, diet, and lifestyle to improve and optimize their health.
While biohacking is a tremendously buzzy term, integrative and functional medicine experts have been “biohacking” for decades. Biohacking is essentially a functional medicine blueprint for optimal aging.
Integrative approaches consider the benefits of conventional medicine and treatments that would fall outside traditional medicine and have been formally classified as holistic or alternative.
Today, they can include novel therapies and approaches many conventional physicians have not yet adopted, but they have demonstrated success in treatment data.
Functional Biohacking
Functional medicine emphasizes addressing the root causes of health issues through a personalized approach. This aligns well with biohacking’s core tenet of optimizing health and well-being.
Here’s how:
- Focus on Biomarkers: Instead of generic incremental changes, functional biohacking starts with identifying biomarkers that indicate underlying imbalances in your body. These imbalances could be related to your hormones, gut health, nutrient deficiencies, or genetics.
- Personalized Plan: Based on your unique biomarker profile, a functional medicine practitioner will create a personalized plan to address those imbalances. This plan might involve targeted dietary modifications, stress management techniques, sleep optimization strategies, or supplementation with specific nutraceuticals.
- Continual Monitoring: A functional approach to biohacking is iterative. Your progress will be continuously monitored through follow-up appointments and repeated biomarker testing. This allows for adjustments to the plan as needed to ensure you’re on the right track.
- Root Cause vs. Symptom Management: The goal is to address the root causes of dysfunction, not just manage symptoms. By optimizing your body’s internal systems, you can achieve a state of true well-being and resilience.
Forget What Your Assumptions About Healthcare
We’re not destined to succumb to the aches, pains, and chronic illnesses often associated with aging. By embracing a functional medicine approach, we can optimize our health and prevent, not just treat disease.
There are cornerstones of the Nava Method and how we approach root cause medicine that help us achieve optimal states.
- Bioidentical Hormone Replacement: Our bodies are intricate hormonal orchestras. As we age, these hormones can become imbalanced, leading to a cascade of problems – fatigue, weight gain, sleep issues, and more. Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) provides a foundation for optimal health. BHRT uses hormones biochemically identical to what our bodies produce, promoting stability and restoring a youthful hormonal balance.
- Advanced Diagnostics: We can’t optimize what we don’t understand. Functional medicine utilizes advanced diagnostic testing to go beyond basic checkups. Blood tests, hormone panels, and even genetic testing can reveal underlying imbalances before symptoms arise. This allows for personalized treatment plans that address the root cause of issues, not just the symptoms.
- Functional Nutrition: Food is more than fuel; it’s information for your cells. A functional nutrition plan considers your body’s unique needs and biochemistry. This might involve eliminating inflammatory foods, incorporating gut-healing protocols, or personalizing your diet to address specific deficiencies. By treating food as medicine, you optimize nutrient intake and create a foundation for optimal cellular function.
- Complementary Therapies: Functional medicine embraces a holistic approach. Alongside BHRT and functional nutrition, complementary therapies like acupuncture and IV micronutrient therapy can play a powerful role. Acupuncture can address imbalances in energy flow, promoting better sleep and pain management. IV micronutrient therapy delivers essential vitamins and minerals directly into your bloodstream, ensuring optimal cellular function and reducing deficiencies.
Nava Can Assist in Biohacking Your Health
Biohacking isn’t a quick fix; it’s a commitment to proactive, personalized healthcare. By combining BHRT, advanced diagnostics, functional nutrition, and complementary therapies, you’re taking control of your health and optimizing your body’s ability to function at its peak.
Don’t wait for symptoms to dictate your health journey. Embrace functional medicine and biohacking your way to a vibrant, healthy life – at any age.
Consult with our qualified functional medicine practitioner to create a personalized plan for your unique needs. At Nava Health, we will work together so you can ditch the conventional, reactive approach to healthcare and become the architect of your optimal health.
Nour Amri is a Licensed Integrative Nutritionist, a Certified Nutrition Specialist, and a Certified Ketogenic Nutrition Specialist. She earned her Master’s degree from the Maryland University of Integrative Health. She also received her certification for mind-body medicine facilitation from Georgetown University School of Medicine. In her approach, Nour applies the principles of Integrative and Functional Nutrition, which emphasize healthy eating personalized to the client’s genetics, environment, lifestyle, and health concerns.