Introduction video on LinkedIn
Hi, I'm Ken, and I work in a healthtech startup in London. Starting this page to "build" in the open, if you will, on a personal focus this year - biohacking. I'm turning 44 this year and would like to boost my mental dexterity and physical energy beyond their present limits. Let's go 2025!
Every week, I'll write a LinkedIn post about a protocol item that I do, at the same time asking for feedback from my network on tips they have on optimising health. This will let me get inputs in the first half of the year and have a good runway to experiment on myself in the second half.
My current biohacks with observable impacts for me, along with suppliers I use (no affiliation)
| What | Why | How | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Methylene Blue | improve cognitive function | pharma grade, take with water | link |
| Echinacea | improve mental clarity | tincture form, take with water | link |
| Gingko Biloba | improve brain blood flow & memory | tincture form, take with water | link |
| Ashwagandha | testosterone boost to increase focus | tincture form, take with water | link |
| Turmeric + Cinnamon | improve cognitive function | herbal tea blend (not tea) | link |
| Black Cohosh | beneficial to mental health | tablet form, take with water | link |
| Raw Vegetable Juices | increase brain white matter | use a masticating juicer | link |
| Coriander + Chlorella | remove heavy metals | blend both with oat milk | link link |
| Distilled Water | reduce contaminants | use distiller at home | link |
| Fasting (no food) | aid detox process | 5-day fast as needed | - |
| Caster Oil (topical) | aid detox process | apply just below chest | link |
| Grounding (natural) | remove excess charges | hold tree leaves or grass | - |
| Sauna + Ice Plunge | improve cognitive efficiency | Finnish sauna provider | - |
| Avoid Sugar | reduce brain fog | both in drinks and food | - |
| Avoid Gluten | reduce brain fog | eg bread, noodles, pizza | - |
| Avoid Dairy | reduce brain fog | eg milk, cheese, pastries | - |
| Avoid Caffeine | avoid crashes & lead | not even decaf coffee | - |
| Avoid Alcohol | avoid hangovers | only non-alcoholic drinks | - |
Trusted crowd-sourced ideas without observable impacts for me, or impractical for me to implement
| What | Why | How | Supplier |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shilajit | improve mental clarity & energy | paste form, take with water | link link |
| Saffron | protective effects on the brain | stigmas with herbal tea | link |
| Lion's Mane | aid neural plasticity | mushroom powder | link |
| Milk Thistle | protect liver & brain | tea or powder form | link |
| Oxygenation | maintain alkaline state | through breathwork | - |
| Meditation | remove baggages | let thoughts drift freely | - |
| Trampolining | aid lymphatic system | jump on trampoline | - |
| Avoid Seed Oils | reduce inflammation | eg oil used in food | - |
Back in 2023 I read this book Serve To Win by Novak Djokovic, world's #1 in tennis. In his book, he outlined how dietary and nutritional changes led to outsized impact on his performance on the court. Prior to doing things like avoiding gluten, dairy, eating a plant-based diet, he just couldn't get to top of the pack despite pushing hard.
But in the 18 months after he made those changes totally unrelated to tennis training, he rose up and has stayed there for many many years. At 36, he is still outperforming younger opponents at the prime of their lives.
I'm not new to the idea that the food and nutrition we eat impact our well-being and performance. However, this was the first time I could deeply relate to someone sharing his experience on the topic. That's because despite having a very successful career in digital technologies, I'm a seasoned player in the financial markets.
Being a retail investor and trader for 18 years, I see the financial markets as an ultra-competitive field. Just like professional sports. To win, an investor or trader will need to optimise every thing they can. Once we step into the market, we are competing with the best in the world - hedge funds, investment banks, full-time traders etc.
Novak's book showed a real example of how a tennis pro's performance could be optimised outside of the courts and gym. His success story in an ultra-competitive field gave me the push I needed to take this seriously.
Fast forward to 2025, I'm eating a mainly plant-based diet but am still experimenting, having meat or fish once a week. I know that by levelling up my mental dexterity and physical energy, I'll perform better in my startup job. Both of which are needed when I'm 15 years older than the team's average age 😅