Better sleep. Better skin. Better focus. Better mood. Better metabolism. Better gut health. Better muscle. Better immunity. Better longevity. Better mitochondria. Better everything.

I could go on and on about the sun’s benefits.

It is the source of life for us humans, and it is the greatest lever that we can pull in the pursuit of amazing health.

Unfortunately, it’s harder than ever in today’s modern world.

We stay inside from 9 to 5. We eat lunch indoors. We go inside to work out, and then we come home and it’s night time.

Who knew getting outside was this hard?

As someone who has worked in private equity and at the same time wanted to live a holistic life, I know how hard this is.

But after years of experimenting, scheduling, and researching, I finally cracked the code on how to balance both.

A simple 3-step plan that anyone can do to get more sunlight into your week — without tanning all day or rearranging your life.

Think about what more sunlight could do for you:

• How much more energy and focus you would have at work

• How much better your sleep would be

• How much easier it is to burn fat and build muscle

• How much more optimized your entire life would be when you finally align your circadian rhythm with the sun

That’s what you will learn today.

Let’s dive in.

We are utilizing the greatest biohack to exist.

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Why We Need The Sun More Than Ever

1. More Energy

Our cells are under attack.

From environmental toxins, endocrine-disrupting chemicals, nutrient deficiencies, and lack of movement, we’re depriving our mitochondria of the ability to create energy.

Low energy equates to low everything.

Sunlight is one of the easiest ways to strengthen your mitochondria.

• Specifically, red and near-infrared light penetrate directly into your cells and are absorbed by an enzyme in your mitochondria called cytochrome c oxidase.

• When activated by light, this enzyme drives your cells to produce more ATP, reduce oxidative stress, and support cellular repair.

• More ATP means every system in your body — mood, metabolism, immune response, focus — runs better.

2. More Aligned Circadian Rhythm

There’s a fancy term in health called Zeitgebers.

It’s a German word meaning “time givers” or environmental cues.

These cues help regulate your circadian rhythm, the 24-hour clock that governs every biological process in the body.

When sunlight hits your eyes in the morning, specialized cells in your retina detect the photons and send a signal to the SCN (suprachiasmatic nucleus) — your brain’s master clock — to activate numerous biological processes throughout the body.

• Cortisol and adrenal activation: The SCN signals the hypothalamus to trigger cortisol release from the adrenal glands, which boosts wakefulness, blood sugar regulation, and metabolism.

• Digestive readiness: The liver, pancreas, and gut receive time-of-day cues; insulin sensitivity increases, and digestive enzyme secretion aligns with your eating schedule.

• Reproductive hormone rhythm: Morning light also helps balance testosterone and estrogen cycles by regulating gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) from the hypothalamus.

• Dopamine activation: Dopamine drives alertness, motivation, and a sense of reward first thing in the morning.

3. Better Mental Health

Depression is on the rise for everyone. That’s why it’s crucial to find ways to increase joy and happiness throughout the day.

Sunlight is one of the easiest, most accessible, and most affordable ways to boost mood and feel good.

How Sunlight Increases Mental Health

• Serotonin release: Sunlight triggers serotonin — the neurotransmitter most associated with calm, well-being, and stable mood.

• Dopamine activation: Morning sunlight increases dopamine levels, supporting motivation, focus, and a sense of reward. Regular light exposure can help protect against seasonal depression and improve daily drive.

• Vitamin D production: UVB rays stimulate vitamin D synthesis in the skin, which supports brain health and helps regulate mood by influencing serotonin and dopamine systems.

• Melatonin building: Serotonin is the raw material your pineal gland uses to make melatonin later. More melatonin= better sleep.

4. More Muscle. Less Fat

It’s remarkable that sunlight can not only increase your muscle mass but also influence how fast you burn fat.

• Muscle activation: Red and near-infrared wavelengths stimulate mitochondria in muscle cells, enhancing ATP production and improving strength, endurance, and recovery. This acts like energy fertilizer for your tissues — more light equals stronger, faster muscle regeneration.

• Fat metabolism: When sunlight hits your skin, specific wavelengths activate lipase, your body’s fat-burning enzyme. Lipase breaks triglycerides into free fatty acids and enter your bloodstream as usable fuel.

• Circadian synergy: Morning sunlight strengthens your circadian rhythm, aligning hormonal peaks in cortisol, testosterone, and growth hormone with daytime activity. This timing enhances muscle repair, metabolic efficiency, and workout performance when your body is most primed to use light-driven energy.

5. Better Gut Health And Immune Health

It’s incredible to think that sunlight not only produces vitamin D — essential for the immune system — but also directly impacts gut health.

Since about 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, this connection is powerful.

• Gut microbiome diversification: Research found that UVB exposure on the skin increases gut microbiome diversity, including populations of bacteria linked to lower rates of IBD and autoimmune disease.

• T cell calibration: UVB light modulates both innate and adaptive immune cells — those responsible for distinguishing threats from normal tissue. This helps explain why sun deficiency is strongly linked to autoimmune conditions.

Now you know why sunlight transforms "better everything" — but knowledge alone won’t rewire your biology.

The real power comes from doing it daily. Here’s your simple 3-step protocol to make it automatic...

How to Unlock the Sun’s Benefits: 3-Step Protocol

Step 1 — Morning (Wake + SCN Reset)

How to do it:

• Get outside for at least 5-10 minutes within 30-60 minutes of waking. No sunglasses. No windows.

• Take your morning coffee or water outside and watch the sun rise.

• Do 5-10 minutes of stretching and mobility while you lay in the grass.

• Write down 5-10 things you are grateful for in a journal.

• Do an energizing breathwork routine. Sun+breath= Biostack.

Personally, I step out onto my balcony and do my morning mobility and foam rolling watching the sun rise over the Dallas. I also like doing some lymphatic shaking, deep squats and breathwork all in the morning light. It sets the entire tone of my day in a way nothing else does.

Step 2 — Midday (Muscle + Metabolism Fuel)

How to do it:

• Get 10-20 minutes around noon-2pm. Expose as much skin as possible.

• Eat lunch outside (parking lot, balcony, park bench).

• Take all phone and zoom calls (when possible) outside

• Walk barefoot or do bodyweight squats/pushups in direct light.

• Take a 15-minute walk outside after eating; this also blunts the post-meal glucose spike

• If you work from home, set a phone alarm labeled “go outside” at noon

When I work from home, I love lying on my balcony at midday and doing a short breathwork session. It lets me decompress from the intense morning work session, get my vitamin D window in, and come back to the afternoon actually ready to focus.

Step 3 — Sunset (Wind-Down + Repair)

How to do it:

• Get 15-30 minutes at sunset. Eyes on orange/red horizon. No screens.

• Sip herbal tea outside or do gentle yoga/walking as sun dips.

• Practice 4-7-8 breathing while watching colors change.

• Journal 3 wins from your day (doubles Step 1 dopamine).

• Bring a family member, partner, or friend — sunset walks are one of the best low-effort relationship habits.

• Stack it with something you want to do less of screens: audiobooks, podcasts, or just silence

After work I love either playing tennis, walking the trail near our home with my girlfriend, or even just walking to Whole Foods to pick up groceries for my afternoon sunlight. Then once I get home I watch the sunset while cooking dinner. A fabulous biohacked meal!

5 Important Sunlight Considerations.

1. Can I get all of the benefits of the sun with my clothes on?

• Not all benefits, but you'll still achieve amazing results just getting outside.

• Clothing filters out most UV light, significantly reducing vitamin D production when covered up.

• Near-infrared light can still reach skin through light fabrics.

• For full benefits — especially vitamin D and metabolic effects — expose arms and legs when possible.

2. Can I “front-load” sun exposure on weekends to make up for the week?

• Weekend beach days do wonders, but daily exposure matters most.

• Your circadian clock needs consistent morning signals to stay calibrated.

• Even 5-10 minutes on busy weekdays keeps momentum going

3. How long do I actually need to be outside to see benefits?

• Sun benefits kick in faster than a YouTube video.

• 10-20 minutes midday sun on exposed skin = meaningful vitamin D.

• 5-10 minutes morning light = circadian/serotonin boost.

• Consistency beats duration — no hours required.

4. How much morning sunlight do I need to shift my circadian rhythm?

• 5-10 minutes works for general wellness and mood.

• I notice sharper focus at 20+ minutes.

• Research minimum: 5-10 minutes bright light within 30-60 min of waking (clear days).

• Overcast days: aim 20-30 minutes.

5. Does sunscreen block the benefits?

• Significantly — blocks vitamin D and most metabolic effects.

• Commercial sunscreens contain endocrine-disrupting chemicals like oxybenzone, octinoxate that absorb into bloodstream.

• Check my podcast with Zaid from . He is an incredible writer and researcher who teaches all about sunlight and circadian rhythm biology.

• Highly recommend checking out our podcast and his newsletter.

Bonus Biohack

My favorite toxin free sunscreen: Living Libations

Congrats, You Just Biohacked The Sun

Boom. 3 easy steps for more energy, focus, everything.

Your plan:

• Morning: 10-15 min sunlight (no sunglasses) within 60 min of waking.

• Midday: 10-20 min skin exposure (eat lunch outside).

• Sunset: 10-20 min walk (no phone, better sleep).

That’s it. You’re energized, focused, joyful, ready.

Share your hacks below!

With love, Jack

Subscribe now

The island lined with reverse osmosis water filters, jars of superfoods, stylish bowls, and soft amber lights.

The kitchen looks beautiful. Calm, intentional, and vibrant.

It makes you wonder:

How do I make my kitchen like that?

That’s exactly how I thought.

If food and community are the most important parts of longevity, then we should love our kitchen.

But most of us are confused on where to even begin.

• What tools help my water taste clean?

• Why are the lights so harsh?

• Why don't the fruits taste fresh?

• And why isn't dinner fun anymore?

I’m going to teach you all of that today.

The kitchen is your space to elevate health and happiness.

But it can work against you if a few key issues go unchecked.

• Environmental toxins

• Poor air quality

• Improper vibes.

Today, you'll learn exactly how to detox your kitchen, upgrade it for longevity, and turn it into a space that fuels joy and energy every single day.

Let's biohack that kitchen.

1. Scrub the Air Clean

You can’t see it, but every time you sear a steak or sauté veggies, invisible chemicals are released into your kitchen air.

The problem: Grilling meats at high temperatures creates harmful compounds like heterocyclic amines (HCAs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are being studied for their potential to damage DNA and raise cancer risk.

Gas stoves add nitrogen dioxide and carbon monoxide to the mix, while cooking oils release VOCs.

Even your cabinets and countertops can off-gas formaldehyde when heated.

How to fix it:

• Get a HEPA air purifier. Not all filters are created equal. The AirDoctor 3000 automatically ramps up when it senses smoke or particles — I can literally hear it activate when I’m cooking bacon or stir‑fry.

• Crack open the windows while cooking. The simplest (and cheapest) way to improve air quality — even a few minutes of cross‑ventilation can drop VOC buildup fast.

• Run the exhaust fan every time you cook. Keep it on full while heating and for 10–15 minutes after cooking to help clear lingering smoke and humidity.

• Simmer, don’t scorch. Lower‑temperature pan‑frying reduces harmful compounds like HCAs and PAHs without sacrificing flavor.

• Add plants that purify. Snake plants, peace lilies, and pothos naturally absorb airborne pollutants and boost oxygen while adding beauty to the space.

Clean air makes a bigger difference than you’d think — fewer odors, less fatigue, and a kitchen that truly feels alive.

2. Make Your Water Pristine

Even if your sink water looks clear, it can still hide a chemical cocktail of pesticides, arsenic, microorganisms, and forever chemicals (PFAS) among them.

These chemicals are present even in the “nice areas.”

For instance, Highland Park in Dallas is one of the richest areas in the United States. Yet there is 38x the recommended amount of arsenic and 9.6x the recommended amount of chloroform.

The fix:

• Install a reverse osmosis (RO) system. Not all filters remove toxins effectively, but AquaTru’s Reverse Osmosis System eliminates nearly all lead, chromium, copper, fluoride, radium, chlorine, and glyphosate — exceeding ANSI/NSF standards. It’s one of the easiest countertop systems to set up.

• Re‑mineralize your water. Strong filters strip both toxins and minerals. Add trace minerals or sea salt after filtering. I use Kaizen Electrolyte Minerals because they blend organic sea moss and full‑spectrum electrolytes with no fillers.

• Go nature‑style. Add a slice of lemon or a pinch of Diamond sea salt to mimic natural spring water minerals and improve hydration.

• Detox Microplastics. Store filtered water in glass jugs instead of plastic.

Clean, mineral‑rich water does more than hydrate — it sharpens your focus, supports detox pathways, and turns every sip into a longevity practice.

3. Cool Your Lighting

Research shows that most indoor lighting can suppress melatonin production, increase anxiety, and contribute to macular degeneration over time.

Following the principles of Ben Greenfield’s home‑environment design, I swapped every bulb in my kitchen for warm red and yellow tones.

During the day, I use biologically friendly LEDs that mimic the sun’s natural wavelength. At night, my kitchen glows in amber hues that feel peaceful and support better sleep.

Lighting upgrades to try:

• Replace artificial LEDs with sunlight‑mimicking bulbs or incandescent lights. Check out Bon Charge’s low‑EMF lighting for options that align with circadian rhythms.

• Use red or amber lighting after sunset. These wavelengths signal your body to wind down and encourage healthy melatonin production.

• Cover blue indicator lights on appliances. Electrical tape works perfectly and stops those tiny LEDs from tricking your brain into “daylight mode.”

• Let natural light in during the day. Open shades or eat near a sunny window to align your kitchen’s light exposure with your own internal clock.

When your lighting matches your biology, your kitchen transforms from a stress zone into a calm, energizing space that supports recovery, focus, and better sleep.

4. Deep Clean Your Fruits and Veggies

Nothing beats a crisp apple on a fall morning.

But that same apple is one of the most heavily sprayed crops in the world.

Even organic produce contains harmful pesticides which I discuss here.

How to clean your fruits and vegetables:

• Use baking soda. It’s one of the simplest and most effective ways to remove surface pesticides. Mix one teaspoon in a large bowl of filtered water, soak produce for 10 to 15 minutes, then rinse.

• Wash with Sal Suds. Add filtered water and one drop of Sal Suds to a bowl, swirl until slightly soapy, and rinse well. This kitchen trick from Sally Fallon’s Nourishing Traditions works beautifully.

• Ozone your produce. For extra purification, try an ozone vegetable cleaner that breaks down pesticide residues and bacteria. I use this step for big batches or farmers market hauls.

• Dry before storing. Excess moisture can breed mold. Pat produce dry with a clean towel before placing it in the fridge.

A quick wash routine like this keeps toxins off your plate and helps your ingredients taste fresher, last longer, and truly support your gut and immune system.

5. Get Zen Before You Eat

Most of the time, we feel bloated and sluggish after eating because we’re stuck in fight-or-flight mode.

When that happens, digestion slows and your body does not shift fully into rest, repair, and absorption.

The goal is to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, or rest-and-digest mode.

In other words, you want your body to hear: the tiger is gone, you can relax now.

How to get zen before you eat:

• Do five minutes of gentle yoga before a meal.

• Practice box breathing for two minutes while sitting with your food. Check out Breathe with sandy for guided videos.

• Sit with your meal for a moment before taking the first bite.

• Consider prayer or meditation before eating.

• Take magnesium to support relaxation and digestion. I use BI Optimizers Magnesium Breakthrough.

BONUS: Extra Hacks for a Healthier Kitchen

1. Get organic cleaning supplies.
   If you want your body to thrive, switch to non-toxic cleaning supplies. I’d use Branch Basics or Dr. Bronner’s.

2. Get glass, throw away the plastic.
   Swap plastic containers for glass whenever possible. Pyrex works great for storage.

3. Optimize your cookware.
   Use Our Place cookware instead, plus mason jars for coffee and drinks, Pyrex for storage, and a stainless steel blender.

4. Get an essential oil diffuser.
   Essential oils make the kitchen smell great and can help create a calmer atmosphere while you cook. My favorite blend is Thieves oil, which combines cinnamon, clove, lemon, rosemary, and eucalyptus.

Your Kitchen, Biohacked

The kitchen is so much fun, and we can become the best versions of ourselves in there.

So get in that kitchen, clean it up, vibe it out, and have a good one!

With Love, Jack

share this with one friend who needs a kitchen glow-up.

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In 2020, Emily Rumsey of The Paleo Diet published an article titled “The Exercise Habits of Hunter-Gatherers.”

Right out of the gate, she admits our ancestors didn’t “work out” at all.

No gyms.
No HIIT classes.
No CrossFit.
And definitely no electrical muscle stimulation suits.

And yet—they were ripped.

They had six-packs, strong arms, beautiful facial features, and supple, agile bodies—like cats. All without a single dumbbell in sight.

Even more striking? Tribes like the Hadza of Tanzania experience virtually no chronic disease. They don’t even have a word for diabetes. The concept of needing a daily insulin shot would make zero sense to them.

Sure, their environment is different. They’re not breathing in car exhaust, scrolling TikTok under fluorescent lights, or juggling back-to-back meetings under a cloud of EMFs.

But one thing stood out to me: their movement.

So How Did They Stay So Fit?

Simple: they moved because their lives required it.

No DoorDash. No Uber Eats. No Uber anything.

If they were hungry, they had to hunt or forage.

That meant walking miles through uneven terrain, stalking game, carrying heavy animals back to camp, or hauling bundles of wood and leaves for shelter.

Need medicine? Trek across the land to find the right plants.

Need a new hut? Grab the tribe, cut some trees, drag them back.

Every movement had a purpose: jumping, crawling, climbing, balancing, squatting, lifting.

Even when they rested, they were active. Their default “chair” was a deep squat. They stretched, laid flat, or propped themselves into postures that kept their spines long and mobile.

Despite spending about the same amount of time at rest as we do, Hadza adults show low levels of biomarkers linked to heart disease.

They were, in a way, the original CrossFitters, cross-trainers, and powerlifters—minus the protein powder and Lululemon.

How to Stay Fit Without the Gym

So yeah, we’re not about to stalk gazelles barefoot across the savannah. But we can borrow lessons from their lifestyle to move more, feel better, and stay in shape—without quitting our jobs or joining a nomadic tribe.

1. Leave Weights Around

If there’s a kettlebell next to your desk, you’ll feel obligated to pick it up.

Whenever I’m feeling sluggish, I can pick up these weights and do some shoulder presses or light lunges.

It allows me to keep my metabolism revved, and also at the end of the day I feel like I did a workout, so you’re not obligated to go to the gym. Try it out.

2. Set Movement Alarms

Every hour, do something:
25 jumping jacks. 25 push-ups.
By the end of the workday, that’s 225 jumping jacks and 225 push-ups—serious gains with zero gym time.

3. Walk. More.

Take calls while walking.
Pace while brainstorming.
Walk to meetings, your car, or nowhere—just move.

4. Micro Workouts

Before lunch? A quick 10-minute circuit.
Walking to your car? Sprint there (okay, maybe not over sedans—but you get it).

5. Use a Walking Workstation

I had a treadmill desk once—until my 700 sq ft apartment rebelled. The garbage man was probably confused.

Other workstation ideas: standing desk, seated pedal desk, saddle chair, or even a Bosu ball (try not to fall).

6. Blend Cardio with Strength

Feel pressured to do 5 rounds of chest press like the bros at the gym? You don’t need to.

Combining aerobic training with resistance training (aka concurrent training) improves VO₂ max and metabolic function.

Try this pattern:

• 4 minutes of sustainable cardio (rower, bike, jog)

• 1 set of a major lift to failure (chest press, squat, deadlift)
  Repeat for 3–5 movements.

It’s engaging—and kills treadmill boredom.

7. Sprint for Fat Loss

Short, intense sprints = mitochondrial upgrades. Your cells become fat-burning power plants.

Example:

• 4×30-second all-out cycling sprints

• 4 minutes rest between sets

• 2–3× per week

Even 3 sets of 5 four-second treadmill sprints with 20 seconds rest show similar effects. (Yes—four seconds.)

8. Work for Your Food (Train Like a Caveman)

Our ancestors chased dinner, then carried it home. Mimic that:

• Sprint intervals (the chase)

• Heavy lifts and carries (the haul)

• Flip tires, carry sandbags, drag sleds, swing maces

If you’re new to functional training, find a coach—it’s wild but incredibly effective.

9. Use Your NEAT Advantage

NEAT = Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis—low-level movement that fills your day: walking, standing, cooking, fidgeting.

Boost it by:

• Alternating intense workout days with light activity

• Walking or biking to errands

• Dancing while making coffee

• Taking walking breaks instead of scrolling breaks

• Stretching while watching TV

10. Go Outside

Exercising outdoors adds extra perks:

• Sunlight = natural vitamin D boost

• Nature reduces stress and lifts mood

• Uneven terrain challenges muscles naturally

Bonus points for grass, trees, or dirt.

Final Thoughts

We don’t need to quit our finance or consulting jobs to live like nomadic tribes.
But we can rethink how we move throughout the day.

Our ancestors had it right.
Movement was life.

The gym is fine—but if you want maximum results with minimal effort, build movement into your day.

Try it for a week. See how you feel.

You might never go back to the 5 p.m. gym slog.

And if you catch me doing air squats in a bathroom stall... please, just act like you didn’t see anything. 😉

I have done IVs where I have nearly passed out. I have taken supplements where I promptly vomited in my kitchen sink. I’ve been run to the hospital after Kratom overdoses. I have stabbed myself so many times with needles for subcutaneous peptides that I truly believe I have caused some serious injury to my body.

There is no world where I could sit here and say every single wellness thing that is being promoted right now is healthy.

In fact, I believe the majority of the things that you might see on social media are probably not healthy, and are outright dangerous.

Wellness Culture is a grift.

At one point, the wellness world was a place where people could unite and join together to fight the forces of Western medicine and the allopathic community, and reclaim our health and our vitality.

That still is true, but wellness has been grifting way too much to be shitting on the western medicine model.

Allopathic medicine is for a purpose. It has done wonders for our society.

Think about what would happen if we didn’t have access to heart surgeons and antibiotics and even advanced vaccines. Shocker, I know.

At the same time, there is a lot of grifting in allopathic medicine. We know all the scams with the pharmaceutical companies. In fact, the United States is the only place besides New Zealand that publishes and markets pharmaceutical ads.

We’ve heard about doctors prescribing oodles of amphetamines and Ozempic to people who don’t need them, loads of anti depressants and anti acids, as well as many other drugs. In some cases, people could take a more holistic approach and become healthier.

I’ve done both sides.

When I was fighting an autoimmune condition and had loads of chronic disease and toxicity due to mold and heavy metals, I felt like I was an 80-year-old in a 23-year-old body. I was in college at the time, and my brain just felt so off. I had energy for maybe two hours a day. My libido was disastrously low, which shocked me because at 23 you’d think you’re in your prime time. I felt like an absolute frail human body, and I needed help.

So I went the full functional medicine/biohacking route. I’m so glad I did, because I got to learn so much about the body, toxins, and healing from a comprehensive approach. I was able to fix my issues. And now I’m able to share that with you guys, and that excites me. The fact that we don’t have to take a prescription or go through surgery or go through a misdiagnosis and feel in pain for years there’s a wealth of knowledge out there that can help us find amazing foods, supplements, or practices that will restore our body to a baseline and really thrive. At the very least, it can help us see what we need.

And I am glad I got to experience everything that biohackinghas to offer.

But enough is enough.

There is way too much grifting going on. It breaks my heart to see, and as a guy in love with biohacking I have to stand up to what is right, and what is real.

After listening and studying the amazing work of , who is on the forefront leading the investigation behind all the grifters in the wellness community? I have been fully convinced that there is so much BS.

There is too much grifting. Way too much information. And not enough truth.

Definitely look into Scott’s one, because he was the one who also showed me the scans behind AG1 and all the disastrous things going on with Mark Hyman right now, as well as the dangers of Wim Hof Breathwork. His work is crucial to this space because we need to be safe. Scott was the one who coined Griftoverse, and I am glad to say I’m an astronaut within the universe that he created.

Long story short,

we have to be extremely careful with wellness.

Throughout the past five years, I have dealt with:

• Black mold toxicity

• CIRS autoimmune condition

• Lyme

• Heavy metal overdose and mercury toxicity

I’ve been through the wringer, and I’ve tried everything in order to fix it. I have been grifted. I have been healed, and I can truly tell you what has worked for me.

These 5 realizations I’m going to share are the ones that really work. They’re anti-gryphs that are rooted in holistic health and functional medicine. They don’t cost you a freaking dime. There’s no drifting here.

These are things you can do every single day that will dramatically impact your life in a multitude of ways. It’ll make you feel freaking incredible. No affiliate codes, no subscriptions needed.

I’m not one to say crazy things, but if you try some of these, your life will ultimately get better.

1. Walking

Let’s start with something as simple as walking.

On terms of a biohacking score, I’m gonna give this a freaking 10 out of 10 because walking helps us with so many things.

Let’s just start with the fact that our ancestors were hunter-gatherers. You’ve probably heard that everywhere: “hunter-gatherer, hunter-gatherer.” All the people are saying “primal” this and “primal” that.

If we descended from Africa and moved around everywhere, we probably walked.

It’s within our DNA that walking is promoting health and well-being, because it’s something we’ve always done.

The science is showing that not walking causes serious issues like obesity and heart disease and all these things. It most likely is true, not to mention the anecdotal evidence: after you walk, you always feel better. Sometimes you might feel worse in the moment, but the walking served you right.

Besides, it lets us get out into nature and do all the “biohacking” things you hear about, like grounding and circadian rhythm. In fact, we are just becoming simply more human, and that is profound.

It also:

• Boosts our metabolism

• Helps us burn fat

• Activates our lymphatic system

• Activates our creativity

• Improves brain health

• Improves longevity

There is nothing you cannot do without WALKING.

My suggestion: walk more.

Try to walk as much as you can. Try to park far away from places you need to go to. Try to walk every hour and a half, whether it’s getting up from your job and going to the water fountain or walking to errands that you could drive to.

You can walk with your friends, walk with your partner, walk during business calls, or walk any time you want to experience wellness, because that’s what walking is.

I can say confidently that walking is not a grift. It will never grift you ever, and I am a pro walker now, and I’ll hold to that until the day I die.

2. Breathwork

Breathwork is not grifting. Breathwork has changed my life.

It is not grifting because the moment I finish a breathwork session, I feel better. I know breathwork isn’t grifting because it’s free, and I can do it of my own will without having to go to a biohacking clinic. Everyone I do it with ultimately always feels better as well.

There are certain types of breathwork out there, like Wim Hof breathing, that have caused serious injury. There have also been breathwork tribes that have tried to capitalize on breathwork and make you pay a shit ton of money to learn about this special breathing technique.

Yet the thing that they are missing is the fact that doing something as simple as breathing in for two seconds and slowly breathing out for six seconds is super healthy. Breathing is one of the first things we do when we’re born, and it is a biological necessity. It helps us navigate through tough times.

Breathing is not a grift. It is something that could serve you in any situation ever.

If you are stressed, if you are low energy, if you are feeling insecure, do some breathwork. I’m not saying hyperventilate or do any crazy breathing like you see in the holistic circles. I’m saying do proper, safe, controlled breathwork in a safe environment, with maybe a blanket and some nice headphones, and you’re slowly breathing in and slowly breathing out a little bit longer than the inhale to activate your parasympathetic nervous system.

That is breathwork, and there are some amazing breathwork people on YouTube. Breathe with Sandy is one of them, and I do his breathwork every single morning. It has led me to feel amazing, really ground my day in positivity and peace, and lower my stress levels, something that we all need in life.

Breathing, is not a grift. It will be something I promote till the day I die.

If you ask me on my deathbed, Jack, “You still promote breathwork,” I will say yes. I will probably be even doing breathwork as I lie on my deathbed.

Come join me.

3. Meditation

Of course, once you do a breathwork session, you are so relaxed and so at peace most of the time (not always, but most of the time) that you want to meditate after.

Meditation is not some complicated practice that you need to work with a guru on; it is simply the art and practice of being present, learning how to relax and do nothing.

When you look into it, there is profound science on the art of doing nothing, mainly because we are always doing something in this crazy, social media-filled, work-filled, material-filled world.

The act of nothing seems to be doing something amazing for us.

Meditation is profound. It helps us activate inner peace. It helps us be more present, which allows us to have more positivity in life. We feel better about ourselves, feel more relaxed, more secure, more safe.

There is no grift about meditation, but there is grifting.

There are meditation communities that certainly want to take money from you, but meditation is free. You can do it right now. You can go to a park and simply lay in the grass, and you are meditating. The more you meditate, the better you will become at it, and once again, it is absolutely free and doesn’t require anything on your end but yourself.

This is not a grift; it’s a biohack. You are hacking your biology, and you’re not hacking it. I really believe you’re just activating systems that are always there; you’re just reigniting them.

How to do the anti grift meditation.

Meditate when you can. I like to do it in the mornings after my breathing session. I simply lay down and just practice doing nothing. That’s the one meditation hack

I will give you: the art of doing nothing meditation.

There is nothing you need to focus on: no candle flame on your forehead, no inner shoulder roll work. You are simply laying there and taking care of yourself, and there’s something beautiful in that. Please meditate more. It is not a grift; it is here to serve you. It’s here to connect you, and it is here for your ultimate well-being. Now go meditate. I’ma join you later. Peace.

4. Fasting

Fasting.

The simple act of doing nothing when it comes to nourishment on a caloric plane has become grifted.

Somehow people have made juice fast, bone broth fast, meditation while you fast, this fast, and OMAD fast. In fact, fasting simply means restraining. Everyone has been doing it for thousands of years, and it is just an act of withholding stuff and letting your body do what it knows how to do. Our bodies are incredibly smart; they do not need all these crazy supplements and gadgets. Sometimes we just need to give it space to do what it does, and fasting is a profound way to do that.

Benefits of anti grift fasting.

• It is free.

• It does not take much effort; you just have to not do anything and see that it knocks out a bunch of things at once.

• It improves your cognition.

• It improves your metabolism.

• It improves your stress levels, because, believe it or not, when you are not eating constantly and putting things in your body constantly, your body can just relax and say, “Ah, I have a break now.”

There is no grift about that. You do not have to join a fasting group. You do not have to pay to fast. You can simply fast.

How do you do it?

Eat dinner. Let’s say you finished at 7 p.m. Just do not eat till 7 a.m., 8 a.m., or 9 a.m., whatever feels comfortable. BOOM.

You have done a 12-hour fast, even if it is just 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and that has amazing, profound effects on your body! You do not have to fast till 2:00 p.m. either to activate autophagy and boost stem cells. You do not have to do any of that. Forget that advice; simply just fast!

Yes, you can drink some black coffee or some green tea or some non-caloric things; they will help with your fast. You could even biohack it, but I do not even want to go into that, because I’m not here to grift you. I’m just here to say, “Don’t eat for a bit.” You could even try not drinking water, but I recommend just starting with not eating longer than usual and seeing how you feel.

Do you feel like you’re about to pass out? Eat!

I’m not here to grift you and say this is a fix-all solution, but it can help a lot.

It has helped me reconnect with my relationship with my food. It has helped me have more energy in the mornings. It has helped me become more intuitive, and most importantly, it has helped me learn about balance in life, and that’s really important.

Fasting is not a grift. It will never be. Try it out. Try postponing your first meal by one hour and a half and see what happens. You might feel good; you might not. It’s for you to decide, but once again, it’s not a grift. I don’t have an affiliate link, and I never will. It’s something you can do, and it’s amazing.

5. Nature

Oh nature, how we’ve taken this concept and materialized it. Who the fuck has the audacity to grift nature?

What once was just the idea of going outside, the biohacking world somehow capitalized on it, which is debatable. I don’t blame them; they have incredible intentions. Some of the greatest inventions through this major component have been PEMF therapy and red light therapy. We’ll stick with those two. All the other things, like the random crystals to ground in and the frickin’ random grounding mats, as well as the EMF harmonizer things, are when it gets muddy and they are so expensive and you don’t see the benefits. I have bought so many of those things to mitigate EMF damage, only to be disappointed when my chronic illness was not getting better.

Yes, it’s true: we’re inside a lot these days, and it’s harder to get outside, even for me. It’s hard to get out sometimes. Things like grounding mats, essential oil diffusers, and crystal energy chakra things have come in, and yes, they work. Some of them. But most are grifts.

Nature is not a grift. Nature is everywhere, and the more we expose ourselves to it, the better we will feel. There is no protocol for nature. There is no science or practice, and certainly nothing you need to buy.

Anyone can get out, and I would say it’s the greatest biohack of all.

There is so much science simply because we are being more human, and I think that’s the whole point of this whole article: getting back to being human. Nature, get out there.

It helps all areas:

• Sleep

• Mood

• Inflammation

• Metabolism

• Every single component of your body

It reconnects you to you and to life. You get to see cool animals, hang out and play on trees, and it makes you feel like a kid again. Go out, get more nature. Take off your shoes. Grounding is real. Grounding is not some crazy grift; it’s simply connecting with the earth. That’s where we came from, and it will forever be where we came from. Please go outside when you can. Don’t tortureyourself about it; just get out there, have some fun, take off your shoes, and hang out in the sun.

You don’t need eight hours of it; just enough to feel really good.

Final word on wellness grifting.

All right, we have demolished the grifters.

No longer do we have to be obliged to do all these biohacks and take all these supplements because someone told us we’re going to die if we don’t take them.

We’ve said no. We are reclaiming our health. We are reclaiming our vitality.

That’s by doing these things. It’s by getting outside more. It’s by incorporating some fasting, walking more, and breathing deeper. All this stuff is anti-grift. You will never be charged for it. No one will ever tell you you are doing it wrong.

There are no techniques, practices, or modules you need to do, and there are no modalities surrounding this stuff. It simply is life.

This is health. This is well-being. This is everything I’ve always wanted to promote, and I’m glad I can now, so thank you for listening.

This is exactly what we’re going to be doing from here on out. Hope you took something out of this. If you did, subscribe. I’m not gonna grift you ever.

Peace.

-Jack

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Deep house music is slowly playing out through the white, dusty stereo speakers above me as I sit in a specialty brewery-coffeehouse fusion. I have my journal to my left, having already written down my Gratitude List, my Get-To-Do List, and my Accomplished List. My idea bank is already brimming.

I was up sharply at 4:38 this morning. I washed my face with pearl powder, washed my body with probiotic soap, did breathwork to activate my inner chi, did some red-light therapy, and then did a light full-body workout.

It’s 7:42 AM.

This morning routine has created some of the best days of my life.

It allows me to start my day bursting with energy, purpose, compassion, and yes, some amazing writing ideas.

In fact, a lot of what I do in the morning relates to better writing.

Because I truly believe when you become healthier you become a better writer.

And a better human.

This is not about becoming “tough” or winning the day while people sleep.

This is about true self care, optimizing mind body and spirit and becoming your best self.

Let’s dive in.

1. Mind

What are the thoughts entering your mind in the morning?

Over the years, I have learned that the thoughts that begin my day are the thoughts that will stay with me during the day.

So if I wake up thinking, “I am so exhausted,” or “Man, this day is going to suck,” or “Man, I’ve got to go to this bullshit job now,” I typically experience those emotions the whole day.

On the other hand, waking up and saying, “Wow, I am happy to be alive and I feel great and ready for an amazing day,” or “I am an ethereal being who is jumping with mitochondrial energy and the short-chain fatty acids are firing on all cylinders”—these thoughts prime your mind for looking for these patterns throughout the day.

So the very first thing I do when I wake up is just try and think positive thoughts.

Not every day is the best day ever, but we can always control how we are thinking about our situation, no matter the circumstance.

A few positive thoughts to steal for your morning: ☀️

• Okay, another day. Let’s do something amazing today.

• I am happy I get to wake up and drink another coffee.

• I feel well rested and happy I got to sleep in a warm and safe bed.

• Oh, this day is going to be lit, I get to see my friends today. Stuff like that.

After this, I go into my bathroom where I focus on some biohacked TLC.

2. Muscle (and the Morning Spa)

Now it’s spa time.

Time to feel like I am going into a retreat center mixed with a med spa.

This is when I brush my teeth, floss, and do tongue scraping and oil pulling.

I go in the shower and do the oil pulling while I wash my face gently as well as wash my body lightly.

This self-care act allows me to start the day fresh, refresh my skin microbiome, and focus on my oral microbiome—which is incredibly important and directly correlates with not only your gut microbiome but your heart health as well! Believe it or not.

As you know, cosmetics contain lots of endocrine-disrupting chemicals, so I focus on non-toxic and holistic products.

Note: I’ve dropped the full list of my favorite gear and the links to these products at the bottom of this post! 👇

The Morning Spa Lineup:

• Toothpaste: Dr. Bronner’s or Living Libations

• Toothbrush: PRIMALS or Feno toothbrush

• Floss: Dr. Tung’s

• Tongue Scraper: Dr. Tung’s

• Oil Pull: Living Libations

• Shower Filter: AquaTru

• Hair Care: Living Libations

• Skin Care: Alitura

From there, I turn on the red-light panel in my bathroom. I hop out of the shower and apply my moisturizer. I use Alitura’s Gold Serum. It’s my absolute favorite. It has copper tripeptide and sea marine collagen which help boost skin production.

💡 Biohack with Jack Tip: While standing in front of the red-light panel, close your eyes and massage your face and hair with this oil. It brings blood flow everywhere, improving elasticity and making sure you don’t get wrinkles.

3. Clean Like a Monk 🧘‍♂️

I head up to the kitchen where I wash dishes and scrub. I scrub the crap out of everything. The kitchen is my domain. I call myself the Kitchen Captain.

I heard a video somewhere of a girl explaining how the monks wake up and the first thing they do is clean. They believe it primes inner focus and gratitude for the day. So I like to activate my inner monk. I scrub the grill and all the surfaces with essential oils and Dr. Bronner’s—these have profound anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties.

• Favorite cleaning products: Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds and Organic Thieves Oil.

Boom. Kitchen clean, body clean, feeling goooood.

4. Movement🏃‍♂️

I figured out this profound realization when I was in my freshman year of college back.

If you stretch and move, you feel a whole lot better as the day goes on.

Before that, I literally thought stretching and doing anything of the “touch your toes” nature was bizarre and irrelevant, and dare I say, feminine.

But now I don’t go a day without it.

• The Goal: Prioritize at least 15 minutes of stretching, mobility, and foam rolling.

• The Result: When you open up your body, you really open up your mind and your heart.

• Favorite Yoga Channel: Breathe and Flow.

5. Breathwork 🌬️

Okay, my fellow guru holistic hackers. The body is open, the mind is in a positive place, the place is clean, and the body is clean. I mean dang, we already won the day, but there is much more fun to be done!

Now is a quick 10-minute breathwork routine. Remember, this is all fun to me. If this is not fun to you, do not force yourself. I am in the camp of pro-self-care, not pro-optimization.

Breathwork for me is the most profound way to clear the mind and feel really, really good.

There is a ton of amazing science on what happens when you breathe in these rhythmic patterns for a couple minutes a day.

Breathwork yields amazing benefits like:

• Reduced cortisol

• Improved mood

• Increased dopamine and serotonin

• Releasing stress and trauma

It sets my mind for total connection with myself and life. I do it every single day. I will never look back!

Biohack with Jack Tip: Try one video in the AM, see how you feel. YOU PICK! I love the Breathe with Sandy videos.

6. Microbiome

Time for self-care for the gut bugs. They need a little TLC too!

Quick 101: The gut microbiome means all the bacteria that make up your stomach. We have trillions of species in our body and the good guys—the good bacteria—live in a symbiotic relationship with us and do a bunch of useful things for us.

As we give them hospitality inside of us, they produce neurotransmitters for us, help us poop, carry 70% of our immune system, talk to our nervous system, keep us calm and cool and collected, and so much more. I talk about so much of this in my blog, so subscribe for more!

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But yes, one of the ways to take care of these bacteria is by feeding them with fiber. Fiber is their main fuel source, so I use prebiotic fiber as well as psyllium husk, which helps clear toxins and cleanse the internal system.

I’ve been using Bio.me products and they have been an absolute game-changer.

7. Nootropics 🧠

During this time I also take some yummy cognitive enhancers which feed my brain! I take some right before I head out in the morning, either their Upbeat or Dopa Drops.

• The Brand: Nootopia (The nootropic OGs).

One Last Ritual: One Set of Iron

From there, I get on the gym bro, toxic masculine attire and go bench press while I stare down dudes and hit on girls.

Just kidding, to all of that.

I literally just hit a couple of weights to warm up my metabolism, warm up the muscles, and get blood flow to my brain. It consists of:

• Hitting a couple of rows

• Maybe hitting the chest press a couple of times

• Getting on the bike

• Stretching a bit more

Done. It takes five minutes—just some nice self-care for the muscles and metabolism. Now I go in my car and head over to the coffee shop.

The Payoff

I mean, wow.

We’re in the car driving to the coffee shop for my two-hour writing block, and you could say I am peaking on life. But in this case, I really am just taking care of my mind, body, and spirit—all of which allows me to become a better writer.

This routine has allowed me to build my dream life, and it’s something I love doing every day. I wonder, what do you think about it? Anything mind-blowing to you?

Maybe try one or two of these things, or FaceTime me as we run through the biohacked morning routine gauntlet together!!!

Have a great week!

Jack

🛠️ The Biohacked Gear List

“If you can’t eat it, don’t put it near your mouth.”

Here is the exact toolkit I use to prime my mind, body, and microbiome every single morning.

Oral Care & “Morning Spa” 🪥

• Toothpaste: Living Libations Frankincense Fresh or Dr. Bronner’s All-One (Non-toxic, fluoride-free, and gut-safe).

• Toothbrush: PRIMALS or the Feno Smart Brush (20-second deep clean).

• Floss & Scraper: Dr. Tung’s Smart Floss and Stainless Steel Tongue Cleaner (The OG of oral hygiene).

• Oil Pulling: Living Libations Happy Gum Drops (Swish for 10 mins for a bacterial reset).

• Shower Filter: AquaTru Filtered Showerhead (Don’t let your skin absorb city chlorine).

• Skin & Hair Care: Alitura Gold Serum (Copper peptides + Marine Collagen = Liquid gold) and Living Libations shampoo + conditioner.

The “Clean Ship” Toolkit 🧼

• All-Purpose Scrub: Dr. Bronner’s Sal Suds (The Kitchen Captain’s secret weapon).

• The Scent: Organic Thieves Oil (Anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and smells like a fortress).

Gut & Brain Fuel 🧠

• Prebiotic Fiber: Bio.me Daily Prebiotic (Feeding the “good guys” with Sunfiber & Solnul).

• Nootropics: Nootopia Upbeat & Dopa Drops (Precision-grade cognitive enhancers to hit that 7:00 AM writing flow).

They advertise on their beautiful trillion-dollar ad campaign. Get all your vitamins, all your minerals in one serving.

I have never been into AG1. In fact, I’ve never bought it because I knew it’s a bunch of scam or BS, and I’m here to tell you why.

Plus, I’m going to give you way better superfoods that aren’t made by trillion-dollar corporations, aren’t here to steal your money, and are actual superfoods.

If you’re ready, this is a Biohack With Jack newsletter. We’re about to fucking get it.

The Hype Is Real

When you dive into the website, you see the amazing branding, the Register logo, plus, you see the words:

“The number one doctor-recommended brand for foundational nutrition supplements. Backed by four clinical trials and NSF certified for sports.”

NSF certified is pretty good. At least we know there are no steroids in there. Backed by four clinical trials. Science is wonderful, and we love approval, but I wonder who paid for it?

What AG1 Claims To Be: They say AG1 is a clinically backed daily health drink that combines a multivitamin, prebiotic, probiotic, superfoods, and antioxidants into one delicious green scoop. That sounds freaking incredible. We got stuff for the gut, superfoods, and antioxidants. It sounds amazing, but I want to dive deeper.

First and foremost, where are their organic or glyphosate-free labels?

These are industry standards among top companies today, and they invest heavily to prove their greens come from organic farms—free of harmful pesticides like glyphosate, which is known to cause a range of health issues.

AG1 is a billion-dollar company essentially and doesn’t have any of these. That’s a red flag.

Here’s What’s Actually Wrong With AG1

The 12-Gram Math Problem

This is the real issue. AG1 claims to pack 75 ingredients (83 in the new Next Gen formula) into a 12-gram scoop. But the first few listed—spirulina, wheatgrass, pea protein, and inulin—likely take up more than 10 grams on their own.

That’s not “superfoods”; that’s marketing smoke and mirrors.

That leaves maybe 2 grams for the remaining 70-plus ingredients—basically dust. For reference, ashwagandha needs around 500–600 mg to show clinical effects, and rhodiola around 200–400 mg.

There’s just no mathematical way they’re hitting effective doses.

Proprietary Blends Hide Everything

49 of the 75 ingredients sit inside proprietary blends with no individual doses listed. They tell you what’s in it but not how much. The industry consensus is that this is done to hide underdosing, not to protect trade secrets.

The Prop 65 Lead Issue

In 2015, California alleged AG1 may have been exposing consumers to lead levels exceeding Prop 65 thresholds.

$99/Month for a Glorified Multivitamin

Multiple dietitians have said this is essentially an overpriced mega-multivitamin with marketing bells and whistles.

You could get a third-party tested multivitamin, a standalone probiotic, and actual whole vegetables for a fraction of the cost.

You’re basically paying for the overpriced pee. Plus all these in extracted forms. It sounds really good. I know it’s compelling, but you’re not getting exactly what you think.

If you’re learning something, subscribe to Biohack With Jack — free, real health info that isn’t bought by a corporation.

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So What Do You Actually Do?

You actually buy a real superfoods powder, but number one, you start with a really phenomenal diet that is nutrient-dense and good for gut health, which I talk all about. For starters, it is:

• Eating a whole bunch of organic and pesticide-free plants

• Eating a whole bunch of organic herbs and fruits

• Having healthy, filtered, mineralized water

• Wild or grass-fed and regenerative beef

• Eating fun things like dark chocolate and sprouted nuts and seeds and fermented foods

• Eating a wide variety of plants

• Eating in a relaxed state

That’s number one.

Number 2. Superfood companies that actually have superfoods.

Organifi Green Juice

Organifi is my favorite superfood company because they are legit. Here are the real stats.

• 11 ingredients vs 83. Organifi Green Juice uses 11 superfoods. AG1 Next Gen crams 83 into one scoop. Less is more when it means each ingredient actually has room to work.

• 600mg of KSM-66 Ashwagandha — a real clinical dose. Organifi discloses this number on the label. Clinical research backs 300-600mg daily for cortisol reduction. AG1 buries ashwagandha inside a proprietary blend where it’s almost certainly underdosed given the 12g math problem.

• USDA Certified Organic. Every ingredient in Organifi is organic. AG1 only has “some” organic ingredients — they literally say “some of which are organic” on their label.

• Certificates of Analysis posted publicly. Organifi tests every batch for heavy metals, pathogens, and pesticides and publishes the results on their website. AG1 had that 2015 California Prop 65 lead allegation.

• Price comparison. Organifi runs about $2.30/serving (~$69/month). AG1 is $3.30/serving (~$99/month). That’s $360/year back in your pocket.

That’s just their green juice. They have a red juice, which I love. They have amazing Shilajit gummies. They have so many amazing superfoods that, if you’re going to spend your money, you might as well spend it on something that actually works for you.

If you don’t know about Organifi, here’s some other superfood companies that are legit.

Other Real Superfood Companies

Ancient Nutrition — Cofounded by Dr. Josh Axe. Organic supergreens with probiotics, spirulina, chlorella, matcha, and digestive enzymes. Strong functional medicine credibility.

Garden of Life — Certified B Corp, USDA Organic + Non-GMO dual certified, USA-farmed greens cold-dried within an hour of harvest. 1.5 billion CFU probiotics. ~$0.70-1.00/serving. The gold standard for raw organic greens.

PaleoValley — Organic Supergreens. Every raw material is USDA Organic, zero additives or fillers. They intentionally exclude cereal grasses. Fewer ingredients, better doses. ~$1.50/serving.

How To Spot the BS: Your Buyer’s Guide

Here’s what you need to know before you buy any greens or superfood powder:

Look for individual ingredient doses on the label. If you see “proprietary blend” followed by a long list of ingredients with only one total weight — that’s a red flag.

Do the scoop math. Look at the serving size in grams, then count the ingredients. If there are 75 ingredients in a 12-gram scoop, most of them are present in trace amounts that won’t do anything for you. A scoop can only hold so much. Fewer ingredients at real doses beats a long list at fairy dust levels every time.

Check for USDA Organic certification on the actual label. Not “made with organic ingredients” or “sourced from organic farms” — the actual USDA Organic seal. That means the whole product passed certification, not just a few ingredients. Non-organic greens powders can carry pesticide and glyphosate residue, which defeats the entire purpose.

Look for third-party testing. Certifications like NSF, USP, or ConsumerLab mean someone other than the company verified what’s in the product. Even better — companies like Organifi that publish their Certificates of Analysis per batch so you can actually look at the test results yourself.

Check the vitamin doses against your daily value. If a greens powder gives you 1,100% of biotin or 467% of vitamin C, that’s not a benefit — that’s excess your body will just excrete. You’re paying for expensive urine. The best powders give you whole food nutrition, not mega-dosed synthetic vitamins.

Adaptogens need real doses to work. Ashwagandha needs 300-600mg. Rhodiola needs 200-400mg. If they’re buried in a blend and you can’t verify the dose, assume they’re underdosed. Research the clinically studied dose for any adaptogen or mushroom listed and see if the label matches.

Watch for filler ingredients near the top of the list. Ingredients are listed by weight. If you see things like pea protein, rice flour, or inulin as the first few ingredients, that’s what’s taking up most of your scoop — not the superfoods you’re paying for.

Probiotics should list CFU count and specific strains. “Contains probiotics” means nothing. You want to see the exact strains (like Lactobacillus acidophilus or Bifidobacterium bifidum) and the CFU count (at least 1 billion, ideally 5-10 billion). Without that, it’s marketing.

Sweeteners matter. Stevia is everywhere in greens powders and a lot of people don’t tolerate it well. Monk fruit is generally cleaner. Anything with sucralose or artificial sweeteners — skip it entirely.

Price per serving, not price per bag. A $30 bag with 15 servings costs more per scoop than a $70 bag with 30 servings. Always do the math. And compare that cost against what you’d actually need to spend on targeted supplements to get the same result.

Have you tried AG1? What was your experience? Drop it in the comments 👇

Want more real health info? No corporate sponsors. No BS. Just science and experience from someone who spent $50K+ fixing his own health.

Subscribe to Biohack With Jack — it’s free.

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References

1. McGill University Office for Science and Society. “You Probably Don’t Need that Green AG1 Smoothie.” March 2024.

2. Zaragoza et al. “The effects of AG1 supplementation on the gut microbiome of healthy adults.” PubMed PMID: 39352252. 2024.

3. California Proposition 65, Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986. AG1 lead allegation, 2015.

4. Choudhary D, Bhattacharyya S, Bose S. “Efficacy and Safety of Ashwagandha (KSM-66) Root Extract.” Indian J Psychol Med. 2017;39(5):615-619.

5. Lansley KE et al. “Dietary nitrate supplementation reduces the O2 cost of walking and running.” J Appl Physiol. 2011;110(3):591-600.

6. Ishaque S et al. “Rhodiola rosea L. as a putative botanical antidepressant.” Phytomedicine. 2012;19(5):346-354.

7. Top Nutrition Coaching. “A Dietitian’s AG1 Review 2026.” January 2026.

This article is part of a series on Biohack with Jack called The Biohacked Writer, where I explore how health, focus, and biohacking fuel your best creative work.

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Did you know some of the most iconic books, like Hemingway’s The Sun Also Rises and Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, were written while the authors were peaking on cocaine and whiskey?

What is ironic is that these same books are taught in universities, quoted by leaders, and celebrated in creative circles, yet we rarely talk about the fact that their authors were high while pounding the keys.

Robert Louis Stevenson reportedly wrote most of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hydein a six day frenzy fueled by cocaine. His wife said the pace of his writing actually frightened her.

Ernest Hemingway lived famously hard too.

When I read his biography by Mary V. Dearborn, I was both amazed and saddened to learn how his drinking and lifestyle habits eventually caught up with him. Of course, his time in war likely played a role in his decline, but his choices off the battlefield did not help.

But this is not just about drugs.

It is about health. The thing most writers forget until their work begins to suffer. When your body breaks down, your creativity follows. And when you take care of yourself, your writing transforms.

We’ll look at famous authors who burned out on chaos, those who chose biohacks instead, and simple health tips any writer can use to unlock their best work.

Let’s dive in.

Stephen King: From Cocaine Fueled To Biohacked

In the late 1970s and early 1980s, King was in full addiction mode.

• Snorting lines of cocaine to stay awake

• Chain smoking cigarettes

• Drinking a case of beer a night

He wrote at such a manic pace that he sometimes stuffed cotton in his nose to stop the bleeding. In interviews, he has described that period as a blur of powder and typewriter keys.

He chased the myth that drugs and alcohol gave his stories their edge, that altered consciousness somehow made the words flow. Looking back, he calls that belief one of the great pop intellectual myths of our time.

By the mid 1980s, his health collapsed.Friends staged an intervention. He detoxed, went to rehab, and slowly began rebuilding both his body and his process.

He quit drinking, stopped using cocaine, slept again, ate regular meals, started walking daily, and made writing an early morning discipline instead of an all night siege.

The outcome speaks for itself. Since getting clean, King has written more than forty books. Once his dopamine stopped swinging and his stress hormones calmed down, his creative focus sharpened.

By truly taking care of his body, King did not lose his edge.

He gained control of it.

Haruki Murakami: The Biohacked Writer

Haruki Murakami is the opposite archetype.

He is the disciplined, optimized creative.

In What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, he describes the routine he has followed for decades: up at 4 a.m., write for five or six hours, then run 10 kilometers or swim 1,500 meters in the afternoon, and be in bed by 9 p.m.

He calls writing a long novel a form of survival training and insists that physical strength is just as essential as artistic sensitivity.

Imagine being truly healthy, with low inflammation, an optimized circadian rhythm, balanced hormones, a strong gut, and steady neurotransmitter production.

When all of these systems work together, they create the foundation for becoming a sharper writer and a stronger version of yourself.

What Changed When I Got Healthy As A Writer

Here’s my archetype.

Two years ago, I hit rock bottom with my health.

I developed CIRS (Chronic Inflammatory Response Syndrome) from mold exposure in an old apartment. My body couldn’t detox properly, so inflammation stayed sky high, leaving me wiped out and super susceptible to every bug going around.

Writing? Forget it.

My brain felt like a radio stuck between stations, slightly detuned. I couldn’t find the focus or energy to string a sentence together. I’d grind for hours using every hack and tool, but the words landed flat, lifeless.

That’s when I got serious about biohacking, the stuff I teach all the time here on Biohack With Jack.

I attacked the mold toxicity head-on with binders like activated charcoal and bentonite clay, sauna sessions to sweat it out, and a full gut reset.

Then I nailed these basics:

• slept a solid 8 hours

• moved my body regularly (walks, light lifts)

• got sunlight first thing in the morning

• ate an anti-inflammatory, gut-friendly diet packed with plants, wild meats, fruits, herbs, and healthy fats like olive oil

• stacked supplements like high-dose fish oil, creatine, essential amino acids, and soil-based probiotics

Health didn’t hand me euphoria or lightning-bolt inspiration.

It gave me rock-solid stability. The steady, quiet focus I needed to dig into deep creative work without my thoughts derailing.

Now when my body and mind line up, writing flows naturally. Words hit harder.

And yeah, you feel incredible doing it.

That’s the real power of fixing the root cause, not just masking symptoms.

Daily Biohacks Every Writer Should Practice

Writing at your highest level starts long before you open your laptop.

The way you move, eat, sleep, and recover sets the tone for your focus and creativity.

Here are simple daily biohacks that sharpen your brain, increase flow, and make writing feel easier.

1. Optimize Your Morning Routine

When you wake up, avoid your phone for a few minutes. Start by moving gently.

• Do five minutes of light tai chi shaking or slow joint circles to get energy moving through your body.

• Then take a 20 to 30 minute walk and focus on deep, slow breathing.

This wakes up your nervous system, increases blood flow to your brain, and sets you up for calmer, clearer thinking when you sit down to write.

2. Get Sunlight In Your Eyes Within 30 Minutes Of Waking

Morning light tells your brain that the day has started. It resets your internal clock, boosts serotonin, and helps regulate melatonin for better sleep at night.

If you cannot step outside right away, open a window and face the natural light while you breathe deeply. This simple habit can improve your mood and focus for the rest of your writing day.

3. Hydrate With Minerals Before Your Coffee

Before you reach for caffeine, drink 12 to 16 ounces of mineral rich water.

Good options include:

• Kaizen minerals added to water. Use code: BIOHACKWITHJACK

• Heavy metal free salts like Diamond Sea Salt in filtered water

• A high quality filter such as AquaTru to clean your base water

These minerals support mitochondrial energy production, which helps you stay focused and energized through long writing sessions without the jitters and crashes that come from drinking coffee on an empty system.

4. Move Often With Short Workout Snaps

Your body drives your brain. Instead of one long workout, sprinkle small, intense movements throughout the day.

For example:

• 15 squats when you refill your water

• 10 push ups before lunch

• A 10 minute walk after meals

• 30 seconds of kettlebell swings or jump squats in the afternoon

• A few minutes of stretching or mobility work before bed

These micro sessions keep your circulation and dopamine steady, which helps your imagination stay sharp and your mood stable while you write.

Also your metabolism stays boosted all day long and you keep fat burning on like a furnace!

5. Protect Your Sleep Like It Is Part Of Your Writing Process

Sleep is where creativity consolidates. During deep sleep, your brain files and organizes memories, language, and story ideas.

Aim for 7.5 to 8 hours of sleep, with a consistent bedtime and wake time. To support this:

• Keep lights dim for two hours before bed

• Avoid screens, or wear blue light blockers if you must use them

• Use magnesium glycinate or herbal teas like chamomile or lemon balm to help you relax if needed

When you are well rested, you can think metaphorically, make deeper connections, and write with more emotional clarity.

The Real Decision

It sounds simple, right? Health is wealth.

But for writers, health is something more—it’s the foundation of creative excellence. The energy, clarity, and mental endurance you build in your body are the same traits that sustain great writing.

That’s what I plan to explore here, on this blog: how to align mind, body, and creativity to produce your best work.

Thank you for reading—I genuinely love this community.

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The 7-9 a.m. Writer’s Club

Like Fight Club, but for writers.

This is me and my friend Victor.

We have been meeting at a coffee shop every day at 7 a.m. for the past six months.

Monday-Friday. Rain or shine, we show up and experience life.

It always starts simple, grab some coffee, lay our materials out for the day, talk about random stuff, make some jokes, and just settle ourselves in.

Today we were talking about IQ.

Victor will be taking the Real IQ 4 test to see what mode of processing his brain is as well as his specialties when it comes to learning. For instance you can learn if you are more of a visual learner, text style learner or more of doing in order to learn.

Then he mentioned the Hogan Personality Test which costs $1,650 and compares your personality traits in high performer situations (stressful confrontation, big meeting) with the rest of the world to determine your strengths.

Then we laughed at the idea of Elon Musk naming his kids based on engineering and math concepts. Victor has this Mexican accent that makes everything funnier, and he goes “How do you think Elon’s kids are going to grow up when they are named X Y and Z and go to meetings since they were 5 about making a rocketship to Mars?”

Victor is a real estate developer who created Santa Barbara Homes where he builds luxury homes, and he is about to drop a platform called Mindops that helps you develop the architecture of your dream life.

Summer Moon has oak flooring, a large wood coffee bar, old school glass lamps, a nice touch of boho. Different walks of life fill the place in the morning. Finance guys in suits, moms with their children and golden retrievers. The smell of oak roasted coffee and a jovial busy vibe. I have done this morning session in many different coffee shops but this one is my favorite.

And now here I am, writing this newsletter.

Coffee Shop Creative Therapy

Nothing has brought me more creativity, productivity and personal insight like my morning coffee shop work. It has been with me through tough times at work, tough times developing my brand, tough times in life in general. When I am having a hard time with my relationship with my girlfriend, when work is incredibly stressful, when family issues come up, when I am dealing with existential questions about what I am doing here in life.

The brain dump holds all of it.

The words I am typing right now is what allows me to process emotions, take the creativity out from my brain and transcribe it. Studies show this kind of unfiltered writing lowers cortisol and helps the brain process stress. I did not know the science when I started. I just knew it worked. It allows me to record beautiful moments like on the way here driving on the highway as the spring Texas sun begins gently brightening the sky, cars are beginning to come out and the excitement for the day is beginning. You feel the butterflies in the stomach, a twinge of dopamine and cannot wait for the commencement of the coffee shop day.

I love it.

One of the first things I do after we have our talk is I pull out my journal. It is a large Moleskine, 8.5x11, almost a standard piece of paper and I will write down the date, and then I will record the context of the day. For example: March 12th, beautiful Sunday and brisk day in Dallas, Texas, with my friend Victor at Summer Moon, today I feel relaxed and ready to see what happens.

This sets me up for my brain dump, which is the one thing I do every day that has allowed me to write my newsletter and create my dream life. The brain dump was an idea I pulled from Matthew Dicks’ “Storyworthy.” It was originally a way to create more ideas by simply setting a timer for 15 minutes and then writing whatever came to mind. The rules are the moment you have a new idea, you are supposed to write it down, and keep on writing down new ideas. You cannot stick to an idea if something new pops up. Hard and weird at first.

Brain Dump: Write as Many Dumb Things as You Can

I always like making up random brain dumps so here is a brain dump I will do for 30 seconds. This might also help you learn a little bit about me. Ready, go:

Well here I am, oh this beat is nice, what is this some tribal techno? Ok here we go again, lady walks up to the coffee shop, another lady pushes the baby stroller, here we go, the shaker and the techno lady, this is why it matters to eat the superfoods, the nutrients as Jack Black would say in his infamous role as Nacho in Nacho Libre, great movie, and my goodness these synths are beckoning from the realm of heavens!!!

This is what a brain dump looks like. Now imagine 15 minutes of that. The amount of thought and perception and idea transcribed onto the page is incredible.

James Pennebaker at UT Austin has studied this. When you allow someone to jot down their thoughts in this manner, not only does their creativity go up, but also their perception about themselves. Their stress markers like cortisol and adrenaline go down and they are better equipped to process tough emotions and learn new patterns.

This is how I feel as well. I have organized my whole work days around brain dump. This is where my article “Your Vibrator Is Probably Toxic” came from. I remember watching a podcast with Suzanne Bratton, the world renowned health expert on biohacked sex and having a healthy and positive sex life, and she was talking about vibrators containing microplastics. I began riffing on it and next thing you know I had a full article on vibrator health. A couple thousand people saw it. The ladies appreciated me.

I will say ah this article idea is amazing, what else should we do, oh and yes I forgot send that email here, and then we need to do that big work project here. Eventually after the 15-30 minute brain dump depending on how much time I have I will write the Get To Do list.

The Get To Do List: Change Your Perception, Change Your Reality

The Get To Do list is profound. I forgot where I found it, but I am proud to say I am an avid believer in it. The most amazing benefit of the Get To Do is the change of perception. When we have a Get To Do, we instantly transform into the frame that we get to do this task, like it is a gift that we were placed on this earth to do, like we have the privilege to do it. It takes a boring and mundane activity like work or laundry, and reframes it into, oh wait I get to do this job, that pays me money and helps support my family, or I get to do this laundry with my amazing laundry machine.

I used to not like my job. The Get To Do helped me see how profound it was. So many other kids probably wanted it. It helped me also to be proud of myself to write this newsletter, to share with the world and try to build my dream life. I get to do this. This is not what everyone gets to do. And I get to be myself. That is special.

I get to do this. This is not what everyone gets to do.

Also the Get To Do is a way to organize your day. “4000 Weeks” by Oliver Burkeman, one of the greatest books on real productivity I will add, states that we cannot get to do everything so we might as well pick the most important tasks (3-5) and stick to those, and do not do another thing until you finish one task at a time. Yesterday my Get To Do list was: 1 query, bio list stats about life and passions, chiropractor, message Paul about setting a session before his tournaments, take off Hoot Street, get booking. Read chapter 4 of the TIGER Protocol. Simple. Focused. Done.

Ah the simplicity of real productivity.

Organic Coffee Is Key

Ok, need to regain focus.

Between 7-9 a.m. this is what I am doing. Drinking organic wood roasted coffee from Summer Moon, talking with amazing people who are smart and arguably smarter than me, which makes me a better person, writing down my brain dump and my Get To Do. This practice has changed my life.

I wonder, how would your life change as a human, as a writer if you were to employ some activity like those of your own?

After that it is either time to read a chapter of a book or work on an article. Most times it is the article but if I need to learn more on something and pull some facts either for a piece about gut health or longevity I might read “Boundless” by Ben Greenfield or “Deep Nutrition” by Catherine Shanahan. This helps also prime the way I write, because by reading really good writing, you become a better writer in the process. Studies show exposure to quality prose actually changes how your brain constructs sentences.

So, this practice is beautiful. I usually finish at least 90% of an article by the time 9 a.m. is up, or at least a really strong idea. This is how I rewrote my favorite and most popular gut health article.

The original direction was not working at all, so I just took the article and did a full rewrite during my 7-9 a.m. brain dump and bam. I am not a robot, and although I love AI, I cannot get it to write for me, it is not right, but it is a great way to find your unique angle as well as create beautiful headlines at times, so AI is good, within context.

But yes, this routine is beautiful and I learned from Ryan Holiday that whatever you want to achieve, if you keep on showing up, and writing, even when you are tired and sick and even if the writing is not good, you are practicing your craft.

The Benefits of Having a Coffee Shop as a Home

The coffee shop has allowed me to literally do business in. I met some real estate leaders in there and have developed life long relationships, all from a morning coffee shop routine.

I met a girl named Victoria who has shot a ton of my photos for Biohack With Jack, including me holding the espresso shot and the ones of me working out. Just from being there drinking coffee. We even shot at a coffee shop.

You also develop a dope ass relationship with the coffee baristas and often time get to hear epic stories on their end. I love talking to the baristas, it is the greatest thing because they are my friends so I really feel like I am priming myself in a dope and beautiful way.

I have met business owners who are so nice and kind and show me the power of being kind to people. I have learned that being nice really goes a long way and buys you a ton of free coffee. I learned that business is a lot more chill than people think, and having a newsletter is a great way to connect with others.

And doing all of this has just made me a better person in general, who experiences a ton, who learns a ton, who meets a ton of amazing people, and this is what I am building my life on. My 7-9 a.m. coffee shop visit.

Sociologists call coffee shops “third places.” Not home, not work. Research shows regular presence in third places lowers baseline stress and increases sense of belonging. I did not know the term when I started. I just knew the feeling.

Ok, Conclusion

So the question I have for you is what is the routine that is building your life? Is it empowering you, filling you with love and amazing people?

Here is my challenge. Pick a coffee shop. Show up at 7 a.m. Bring a journal, a book, and a laptop. Do a brain dump. Write a Get To Do list. Write a gratitude list. Then write one article during this 7-9 a.m. window. Do it five days a week. Watch what happens.

I think you will find a lot of success and meet some amazing people along the way.

Send this to someone who needs a morning routine.

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Let’s build the 7-9 a.m. Writer’s Club together.

Drop a comment and tell me your coffee shop.

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Hey man, if you’re a guy in college or your early twenties, diving deep into biohacking and holistic health, you’ve probably already tackled a gut cleanse or detox protocol.

Great job on starting your gut health journey. I’m proud of you.

But now, those annoying symptoms keep creeping back, right?

• The bloating.

• The fatigue.

• The random trips to the bathroom.

You’ve put in the work, yet it feels like you’re starting over.

You’re not alone.

As someone who’s been there, and who has done way too many detoxes for my age (24), I know how frustrating and embarrassing it can be to admit your gut health isn’t good.

It’s not easy, especially for guys, because we often blame our health issues on low testosterone or not working out enough.

I remember when I was dealing with my health issues I did not know how to handle it.

I started doing random detox protocols and worked out more and took more nootropics and caffeine because I thought it was an energy issue.

But in fact all of this stemmed from my gut health.

Why Your Gut Symptoms Keep Coming Back

Think of it like mowing the lawn.

We just mowed the lawn, got it nice and clean, but the weeds keep growing back.

That is because when we mowed and took out the bad stuff, a lot of the good stuff from the soil left as well.

The only way to prevent SIBO and reoccurring gut issues from coming back is to have a gut environment that can monitor itself and get rid of the bad bacteria on its own.

A healthy and diverse microbiome, plus a strong gut lining, can help keep these problems from happening again.

Dr. Akil Palanisamy discusses this in The Tiger Protocol: immune cells are located right behind the gut lining, where they constantly monitor the microbiome, identify bad microbes, and eliminate them.

Since more than 70% of our immune system is in our gut, this makes a big difference.

So long story short:

You took out the bad guys, but now it feels like they’re coming back.

Now we need to create a welcoming environment for the good guys and build a strong gut lining that can prevent toxins from entering the bloodstream, which can cause inflammation and symptoms like bloating, brain fog, emotional issues, and acne.

When these two keys are in place, we don’t need to do all these intense detoxes.

Detoxes are good short term and help balance things.But too much detox and we begin to eradicate the good stuff.

Your One-Month Plan for a Microbiome Reset and Gut Lining Repair

Here’s what I want you to focus on for the next month before we even talk about testing.

1. Fiber

When I first got into the health space, I was introduced to a lot of diets, including keto, paleo, and the carnivore diet.

The people who follow the carnivore diet don’t believe in fiber. Promoters say it’s a non-essential nutrient that our bodies can’t even digest.

But after dealing with mold, candida, and CIRS, I can tell you that fiber, especially prebiotic fiber, is a great way to get rid of toxins and balance your microbiome. Research also backs this up as well.

Fiber is the food that good bacteria feed on.

It moves through the digestive tract where it:

• feeds the good bacteria

• binds toxins

• helps remove waste through stool

Fiber also helps the body produce short chain fatty acids (SCFA) like:

• acetate

• butyrate

These are key energy sources for our mitochondria and help strengthen our gut lining.

So we’re doing two things:

• multiplying and strengthening good bacteria
• sweeping out toxins and debris

I’ll tell you, I’ve tried all the detox protocols and they worked for a while. But then things took a turn for the worse.

It wasn’t until I got my fiber back on track that I started to notice a real difference.

I highly recommend giving psyllium husk and a good prebiotic fiber a shot.

Bio.me makes some awesome products.I’ve been taking both of these every single day with my morning water cocktail and I’ve felt lighter, less bloated and can finally get some decent poops in.

I gotta say — I’m feeling great.

Food Strategy For More Fiber.

What are the ways we can get more:

• cooked vegetables

• fruits

• soups

• broths

I recommend avoiding:

• gluten

• dairy

• processed sugar

Sorry bro :(

Once in a while is ok — just for now let’s get the gut back on track.

You will feel amazing.

Focus on whole foods.

Example meals:

Breakfast

Omelette with lots of fruit and vegetables.

Lunch

A big hearty soup like French bean soup or something similar.

If you end up with chicken noodle soup, add a bunch of herbs so you get a good mix of plants and broth, which can help strengthen the gut lining.

Dinner

Grass fed beef with some roasted vegetables, mashed potatoes with tallow and sea salt and lots of herbs. Yum!

Healthy Fats

Extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil are really helpful.

They’re antibacterial and antifungal, which means they help fight off the bad stuff while you eat.

Put olive oil on just about everything. Plus coconut oil.

If you can find pesto in the dining hall or pick up a jar at the store, that’s a great way to get some in your diet.

If you go grocery shopping ever message me and we can find some dope products, one of my specialties :)

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Protein Support

Besides diet, try to get some high-quality protein in.

If you’ve got the cash, I recommend grabbing some protein powders like:

• collagen

• bone broth protein

This way you’ll get a ton of amazing amino acids, collagen, and other gut-boosting molecules.

They help:

• strengthen your gut lining

• reduce inflammation

• support muscle growth

Paleo Valley makes top-notch bone broth protein powders and a ton of cool supplements.

2. Vinegars and pH: Balancing Digestion

We’re not only feeding the good guys, but we also want to make sure our pH is intact.

When we have a healthy pH and stomach acid, we can clear out the bad stuff and prevent food from sitting and rotting, which is known as putrefaction.

I recommend stocking up on vinegars like:

• organic apple cider vinegar

• organic red wine vinegar

They help:

• improve stomach acid

• support digestion

• promote bowel movements

• support the microbiome

Bitters are great too, especially for bile production and eliminating toxins.

Even if you go out to grab a drink, you can throw some bitters in.

I use Quicksilver Bitters No. 9.

3. Supplements: Probiotics for Men and More

Here’s what I’d stack right now:

Probiotics

You want to repopulate the good bacteria in your gut strategically.

I personally recommend Designs for Health.

• ProBioMed

• ProBioSpore

ProBioMed provides Bifidobacteria and foundational strains, while ProBioSpore offers soil-based organisms.

• Adding Jarrow Formulas Saccharomyces boulardii will give you a beneficial yeast component.

By using these, you’ll be covering all the bases.

Use them for a focused three-month period and feed them with fiber so they can multiply naturally.

It’s important to note that probiotics will only stay in your GI tract for about two weeks if you’re not feeding them, so fiber is crucial.

Gut Lining Support

Bone broths are really helpful for this.

But for extra support, I also recommend using a gut lining builder.

I use microbiome breakthrough from BiOptimizers and I really like the taste.

Digestive Enzymes

I recommend MassZymes.

They are the best full-spectrum digestive enzymes, which helps you digest protein more effectively.

You get:

• better digestion

• improved muscle growth

• stronger nutrient absorption

I’ve used them for over 4 years and won’t ever go back.

4. Lifestyle Hacks for Biohacking Gut Health

A few things that really moved the needle for me:

Minerals and Hydration

Minerals are essential for:

• healthy pH

• digestion

• hydration

• gut motility

My friend Jordan Berens runs a company called Kaizen, and makes one of the best electrolyte supplements out there.

It features Irish sea moss and has bioavailable magnesium, potassium, and sodium. There’s no table salt or artificial sugars. In my view, it’s far better than LMNT, and the taste is amazing. Give it a try and use my code.

Check it out and apply the code BIOHACKWITHJACK.

Fish Oil

Add in fish oil as well (DHA).

DHA helps:

• reduce gut inflammation

• support brain health

• feed the microbiome

I use Nordic Naturals.

Avoid Microplastics

Try to drink and eat out of glass as much as possible.

Plastic bottles and containers release microplastics into your food and drinks.

These microplastics can:

• harm your gut lining

• disrupt hormones

A glass water bottle and some good RO water is an easy upgrade.

Simple Daily Habits

Try to:

• get in the sauna

• move after you eat

• chew food 30–40 times

• eat in a relaxed state

Stress is a huge factor in gut health.

I restored my gut health in a powerful way — but then I ruined it because of stress.

Keeping stress low is crucial.

I do Breathe With Sandy every morning and it works wonders.

Oral Microbiome (Yes, Your Mouth Has One Too)

Try to avoid:

• fluorinated toothpaste

• microbiome-disrupting mouthwash

I highly recommend Living Libations.

They create great oral care products that support the microbiome instead of destroying it.

Your oral microbiome and gut microbiome are closely linked.

An Ayurvedic practice like oil pulling can really enhance that oral environment.

Also, if you ever go out to grab food, go to seedoilscout.com, find a good restaurant there, and keep on going.

Hold Off on the GI Map for Now

I’ll be real with you.

I want you to try this for one month first, and here’s why.

Your body can actually clear up a lot on its own when the environment is right.

Once I balanced my gut, my body started to manage things better.

It could fight off many issues without external intervention.

If you go get a GI Map right now while your gut is out of balance, you risk getting false positives.

You don’t want Doctors thinking you have something when your gut is not balanced yet.

Give your body the chance to do its thing first.

If, after a month, things aren’t where you want them, I can help.

I can connect you with integrative practitioners who will examine your gut in detail and help you understand the results.

But let’s do this first.

Let’s Make This Fit Your Life

Before I dial this in any further for you, I have a few questions.

• Are you cooking meals or mostly eating out?

• And how’s the drinking situation?

• Are you going out a lot on weekends or keeping it pretty low key?

The more I understand your daily life, the better I can help you stick to this.

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You got this, man.

Have a great one.

I know because I lived it. When I was working in finance, I was running on nootropics and four cups of coffee before 2. I had a drawer full of supplements for focus, energy, and mood and felt really good for a couple hours.

But what I didn’t have was a single afternoon where I felt sharp past 2pm, or a single night where my brain actually switched off.

Most people call this “stress.” Or “burnout.” Or “adrenal fatigue.”

Turns out my cortisol curve was completely inverted. High when I needed to sleep, flat when I needed to perform.

Once I understood that, everything else clicked.

Here’s what’s actually happening, and the 4-step protocol to get your curve back.

What Your Cortisol Curve Is Actually Supposed to Look Like

Cortisol is produced by your adrenal glands and follows a diurnal rhythm — a natural rise-and-fall pattern tied to light, time, and your internal clock.

In a healthy person, cortisol spikes sharply within 30–45 minutes of waking.

This is called the Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR). It’s your brain saying: wake up, focus, go get it. Levels then taper steadily through the day and drop to their lowest around midnight, triggering melatonin and deep sleep.

Why Your Cortisol Curve Gets Wrecked

Cortisol dysregulation has predictable causes — most of which are 100% fixable with behavior, not prescriptions.

The 4-Step Cortisol Reset Protocol

This is the exact protocol I used to fix my sleep, my morning energy, and of course, the infamous 2pm crash.

1. Get Outside Light Within 30 Minutes of Waking

This is the single most powerful lever.

Sunlight hitting your retinas triggers a cascade that locks in your circadian rhythm, boosts your CAR, and tells every cell in your body what time it is. No sunglasses. 5–10 minutes minimum.

Do this even on cloudy days — outdoor light is still 10–50× brighter than indoor light.^[2]

2. Delay Your First Coffee by 90–120 Minutes

If you drink coffee the moment you wake, you’re masking the CAR spike instead of building on it.

Wait 90 minutes, let cortisol do its job, then use caffeine to extend the focus window. You’ll feel the difference within days.

3. Protect the First 30 Minutes of Your Day

Do NOT check your phone within the first 30 minutes.

Every notification, email, and news headline is a cortisol trigger — but at random, reactive intervals. You’re not resetting your curve; you’re blowing it up.

That morning window is sacred. Use it for movement, light, breathing, or silence. Whatever grounds you.

4. Create a Hard Stop on Blue Light After 9pm

Your brain reads blue light as daylight. Keep it on after dark and your cortisol won’t drop — it stays elevated, melatonin gets suppressed, and your sleep architecture fragments.

Warm lights, red light panels, or blue-light-blocking glasses after 9pm. Not perfect compliance. Just consistent enough to signal the transition.

Layer In the Supplements (Once the Habits Are Locked)

Here’s the thing about adaptogens and cortisol supplements — they work best when your lifestyle isn’t fighting them.

Lock in the four habits first. Then layer these in.

1. Magnesium Breakthrough by BiOptimizers — a 7-form magnesium blend that genuinely moves the needle on sleep depth and morning recovery. I take it every night. Get it here.

2. Organifi Gold — ashwagandha, reishi, and turmeric in one evening drink. It’s become part of my actual wind-down routine. Get it here.

3. BiOptimizers Sleep Breakthrough — I use the cherry flavor. It’s a powdered sleep drink that supports deep sleep and HPA axis recovery. This is the one I reach for when habits alone aren’t cutting it. Get it here.

How to Know If Your Curve Is Actually Improving

You don’t need labs to feel the shift. Here’s what a correcting cortisol curve feels like in real life:

If you want the data, a 4-point salivary cortisol test (morning, noon, afternoon, evening) will show your curve in black and white. DUTCH testing is the gold standard.

Ask a functional medicine or integrative medicine practitioner — use IFM's directory to find one near you.

The Bottom Line

Cortisol isn’t your enemy. It’s your most powerful performance hormone — when it shows up on time.

The people who go through life dragging, crashing, and reaching for stimulants every three hours aren’t lazy. Their biological clocks are running on the wrong schedule. That’s a fixable systems problem, not a character flaw.

You don’t have to quit going out. You don’t have to become a monk. You just have to give your body the right timing signals — morning light, delayed caffeine, a protected first hour, and a real wind-down at night.

Start with one. Nail it for a week. Then add the next. The compound effect hits faster than you’d expect.

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References & Sources

1. Stalder T. et al. (2016). "Assessment of the cortisol awakening response: Expert consensus guidelines." Psychoneuroendocrinology, 63, 414–432. PubMed PMID: 26748791 — confirms cortisol rises 50% or more within 30 min of waking in healthy adults.
   

2. Institute for Functional Medicine. "What Do Cortisol Curves Tell Us About Health?" ifm.org — confirms normal diurnal pattern peaks in morning and bottoms at night; flatter curves associated with negative health outcomes.
   

3. Roberts A.D. et al. (2004). "Salivary cortisol response to awakening in chronic fatigue syndrome." The British Journal of Psychiatry, 184(2), 136–141. PubMed PMID: 14754825 — confirmed blunted CAR in CFS patients vs. healthy controls.

4. Patel R. et al. (2025). "An Integrative Approach to HPA Axis Dysfunction: From Recognition to Recovery." The American Journal of Medicine. PubMed PMID: 40499704 — peer-reviewed integrative medicine review of HPA dysregulation, diagnosis, and treatment.

5. Institute for Functional Medicine. "Lifestyle Changes for Shifting Cortisol Levels." ifm.org — exercise, forest bathing, and lifestyle interventions for cortisol regulation.

6. Huberman Lab Podcast. Andrew Huberman, Ph.D., Stanford. Episode: "Using Light to Optimize Health." Discusses morning light exposure and its effect on the CAR and circadian rhythm entrainment.

This content is for educational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not a substitute for consultation with a qualified healthcare practitioner.

Jack Livaditis is an independent health coach and does not diagnose, prescribe, or interpret lab results. If you suspect HPA axis dysfunction, consult a licensed functional medicine practitioner — find one at IFM's directory.

You want to keep it clean.

You also don't want to be the person asking the waiter if they use “seed oils.”

Here's exactly how I handle it.

How to Find a Seed Oil-Free Restaurant Before You Even Suggest a Place

The first thing I do is open Seed Oil Scout.

It’s a free app that shows which restaurants are seed-oil free near you.

It also shows which restaurants use canola, or other processed vegetable oils. It’s a great way to find healthy spots near year you.

Download it at seedoilscout.com

I found True Food Kitchen in Dallas through the app. True Food is seed oil-free, uses organic and regenerative ingredients, and has an amazing burger on the menu.

Other Ways To Find Healthy Restaurants

If Seed Oil Scout doesn't have coverage in your area, go old-school.

I mean that literally.

Look for an old-school, locally owned restaurant that focuses on traditional culinary methods. French bistro, Italian trattoria, a classic steakhouse. Seed oils didn't exist in professional kitchens until the mid-20th century.

Old-school chefs cooked in butter, lard, and olive oil because that's what cooking was.

The One Line That Gets You Clean Food at Any Restaurant

If I’m at a restaurant I don’t know, I keep it casual.

That’s it. That’s the whole ask.

You don’t need to explain seed oils to your server or your coworker.

One quiet request and you’ve just corrected the most inflammatory part of the meal without anyone noticing.

If you want to go one step further before you arrive, call ahead or check the menu online. I sometimes tell them I have a sensitivity to industrial vegetable oils and ask if they can accommodate. Most kitchens will.

Five Rules for Ordering Clean at Any Restaurant

When you’re sitting down with no idea what’s on the menu, run through this fast:

• Avoid anything deep fried. The fryer is where seed oils live at their most oxidized and most inflammatory. Non-negotiable skip.

• Stick to grilled, baked, or steamed proteins. These cooking methods use the least oil and give you the most control. Grilled steak, chicken, pork chop are always great options.

• Ask for butter or olive oil instead of any sauce or dressing. House dressings and sauces almost always contain soybean oil. Instead ask for olive oil and vinegar on the side, or even butter.

• Look for dishes with the fewest ingredients. A steak with a side of vegetables is safer than a pasta with a cream sauce that has twelve components you can’t verify.

• When in doubt: protein and a vegetable, skip the starch. Steak tacos with corn tortillas and guac. Minimal, clean, no one questions it.

How to Get Into a Rest and Digest State Before Every Meal

Before I eat my food, I always do air squats and breathwork in the bathroom.

Here’s why this isn’t crazy.

Light movement before a meal brings blood flow to your muscles and brain, increases insulin sensitivity, and helps shuttle glucose directly into your cells instead of storing it in your love handles.

You’ll also feel more energized, lighter and digest your food better.

Breathwork

Your parasympathetic nervous system is your rest-and-digest mode. When you’re in it, your body actually digests food.

When you’re in a stressed sympathetic state — which most of us are at a work lunch — your body thinks it’s running from a tiger.

And your body is not going to think about digesting food when it thinks you’re running from a tiger. Remember that.

So the solution is to do a quick breathwork round before you eat.

How To Do It

I like to do 2 seconds in through the nose, and 6 seconds out with pursed lips.

1. Close your eyes

2. Do 10 reps

3. 2 seconds in, 6 seconds out

4. Enjoy your meal!

If I’m really stressed, I’ll do a round of breath of fire instead — rapid inhales through the nose. It clears the head fast. Two minutes in a bathroom stall and you walk back to the table a completely different person.

The Three Things I Take to Every Restaurant Lunch

1. BiOptimizers MassZymes — I take this with every meal. MassZymes contains 100+ active enzymes including high-potency protease P3, bromelain, papain, amylase, lipase, and invertase.

That combination breaks down protein, fat, and carbohydrates at every stage of digestion, so nutrients actually absorb instead of fermenting in your gut. If you bloat after eating or feel heavy post-meal, this is where I'd start. Get MassZymes here.

2. LVLUP Complete Liver Complex — The liver runs over 500 metabolic functions and most people never support it once.

This formula includes NACET (a more bioavailable form of NAC), reduced L-glutathione, TUDCA, milk thistle silymarin, alpha lipoic acid, and dandelion root extract — the full detox stack in one product. NACET crosses the blood-brain barrier. TUDCA protects bile ducts. Glutathione is your master antioxidant.

This is the most comprehensive liver formula I’ve found. Use code BIOHACKWITHJACK at lvluphealth.com.

3. Organifi Red Juice — My first drink of the morning before coffee.

Red Juice contains acai, pomegranate, beets, blueberry, raspberry, reishi mushroom, cordyceps, and rhodiola — a concentrated antioxidant and adaptogen blend that feeds your gut microbiome before your day starts.

Beets raise nitric oxide. Cordyceps supports mitochondrial energy. Reishi calms cortisol. By the time you hit lunch, your gut already has what it needs. Get it here.

This is not about restriction.

It's not about being difficult at restaurants or making your health everyone else's problem.

It's about enjoying your life, the good meals, and feeling great while you do it.

If this helped you, pass it on

• Send this to one person. You know exactly who needs it. Forward it.

• Download Seed Oil Scout. Find one restaurant in your city you’d actually take someone to. Save it as your go-to. seedoilscout.com

• Grab your enzymes. Get MassZymes here.

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Affiliate disclosure: Some links in this article are affiliate links. If you purchase through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I personally use and believe in. All opinions are my own.

Deep inside your body, a tiny but mighty bacterium lurks, ready to take on Ozempic.

It’s called Akkermansia muciniphila, and it makes up 1-4% of your gut microbiome.

After two years of chronic fatigue, brain fog, and gut issues, I began to search for answers. The more I learned, the more I realized this bacterium was vital for my health.

Studies show higher levels of Akkermansia are linked to benefits like:

• Leaner body composition and lower fat mass

• Better blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity

• A stronger, less permeable gut lining

• Lower systemic inflammation

If you eat healthy, take probiotics, but still struggle with weight or bloating, you might be low on Akkermansia.

What I’m sharing today boosts your Akkermansia levels and helps strengthen your gut.

Here’s how to do it.

What Akkermansia Muciniphila Does: 5 Proven Health Benefits

The remarkable thing about this bacteria is that its benefits extend far beyond any single system.

Here is what the research actually shows.

1. Strengthens your gut wall and prevents leaky gut

Akkermansia triggers an increase in goblet cells — the cells in your gut lining that produce mucus. More goblet cells means a thicker, more protective barrier.

When Akkermansia is low, that barrier breaks down, allowing LPS — a toxin released from bacterial cell walls — to leak into your bloodstream and trigger inflammation throughout your body.

2. Boosts your body’s natural GLP-1 production

GLP-1 is the hormone that signals fullness, stabilizes blood sugar, and slows digestion.

Akkermansia directly stimulates the L-cells in your gut lining to produce more of it naturally. More of this bacteria means more of your own metabolic regulation — no prescription required.

3. Improves insulin sensitivity and metabolic function

A randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial published in Nature Medicine found that taking Akkermansia for three months led to improved insulin sensitivity, decreased body weight, reduced fat mass, lower serum insulin, and less liver inflammation in overweight adults.

4. Produces short-chain fatty acids that feed your whole gut ecosystem

As Akkermansia breaks down mucin (the protein that lines your gut wall), it produces acetate and propionate — two powerful anti-inflammatory fatty acids.

Propionate travels to the liver and helps regulate fat and glucose metabolism. Think of it as Akkermansia doing the first round of work so the rest of your microbiome can thrive.

5. Calibrates your immune system

About 70% of your immune system lives in and around your gut.

Akkermansia’s outer membrane protein, called Amuc_1100 directly activates immune-regulating receptors in the gut wall, helping your immune system stay calibrated rather than constantly inflamed.

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7 Hidden Causes of Low Akkermansia Levels

A 2017 analysis by Cani and de Vos found that Akkermansia is undetectable in roughly 30% of healthy Western adults — and in metabolically unhealthy populations, depletion rates are even higher.

Researchers attribute this primarily to ultra-processed diets, chronic antibiotic use, and the near-total elimination of traditional fermented foods from the modern diet.

Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe, PhD and CEO of Pendulum, put it best:

Here is what is quietly draining your levels:

Ultra-processed food. Emulsifiers, artificial sweeteners, and refined seed oils are among the most well-documented disruptors of gut microbial diversity. Akkermansia is particularly sensitive to the inflammatory environment these foods create.

Low fiber. Akkermansia feeds on mucin, the protein lining your gut wall. When fiber is low, mucin production slows and Akkermansia starts to starve — within days. Most Americans eat less than half the fiber their gut actually needs.

Antibiotics. Every course of antibiotics wipes out beneficial bacteria alongside the harmful ones. Akkermansia is one of the first species to take the hit — and one of the slowest to recover without intentional support.

Chronic stress. Studies show that psychological stress alone can reduce beneficial gut bacteria within 24 hours. Most people are running on low-grade chronic stress every day and have no idea the damage it is doing below the surface.

Pesticides and environmental toxins. Glyphosate and other common pesticides create an inflammatory gut environment that beneficial bacteria cannot thrive in. You can eat a perfect diet and still be undermining your microbiome if your produce is conventionally grown.

Poor sleep. Your gut microbiome runs on a circadian rhythm just like you do. Irregular sleep disrupts the entire bacterial ecosystem — and Akkermansia levels are directly affected by circadian misalignment.

Aging. Akkermansia levels naturally decline with age. This is not inevitable, but it does mean the lifestyle factors above compound over time if left unaddressed.

Should You Take an Akkermansia Supplement?

If you are depleted — or recovering from antibiotics, high toxin load, mold exposure, or chronic stress — supplementation is a reasonable next step.

Pendulum’s live Akkermansia product is the most clinically studied option available. I only recommend the best supplements, and I support this company 100%.

Their Metabolic Daily formula includes Akkermansia alongside butyrate-producing strains at the doses used in actual research trials.

That said, supplementation alone is not the whole picture. There are also ways to raise Akkermansia naturally.

When you feed the broader bacterial community alongside it, you create a synbiotic environment (meaning the beneficial bacteria and their food sources working in tandem) that supports digestion, mood, energy, and metabolic function. Here is the protocol I use.

How to Increase Akkermansia Naturally: The 6-Pillar Protocol

1. Eat Polyphenol-Rich Foods Daily

Polyphenols are the most researched food category for raising Akkermansia.

When polyphenols reach your gut, beneficial bacteria convert them into postbiotics — compounds produced as byproducts of bacterial fermentation that reduce inflammation, strengthen your gut lining, and protect your cells from oxidative damage.

The key is eating a wide variety of plants — not just one or two. Diversity is the whole strategy.

• Pomegranate seeds, half a cup — highest polyphenol concentration of any fruit tested

• Blueberries or blackberries, one handful fresh or frozen

• Beets, roasted or raw, half a cup

• Acai, one unsweetened frozen packet blended into a smoothie

• Red cabbage, half a cup cooked or raw

• Cranberry juice, unsweetened, four ounces

• Dark chocolate, 85% or higher, one to two squares

• Green tea, one to two cups daily — also supports fasting windows

• Fresh herbs daily — oregano, thyme, rosemary, and parsley are among the most polyphenol-dense foods per gram

I use Organifi Red Juice every morning. Pomegranate, acai, and beets in one scoop, 30 seconds, done. Get it here.

2. Eat Prebiotic Foods Daily

Prebiotics nourish your gut bacteria. Think of them as fertilizer for your gut ecosystem.

Hit at least two of these every day:

• One raw garlic clove minced into dressing or sauce — do not cook it, heat destroys the prebiotic compounds

• Half a cup of cooked onions or leeks

• Jerusalem artichoke, two tablespoons roasted or raw — the single highest inulin food per gram

• Asparagus, half a cup roasted — one of the most bioavailable prebiotic vegetables

• Green banana or plantain, half a banana — resistant starch that feeds Akkermansia directly

• Dandelion greens, one handful raw in a salad — one of the richest prebiotic sources available

For a dedicated prebiotic supplement, I have been using Bio.me Daily Prebiotic Fiber. Their Solnul resistant potato starch is clinically studied to increase Akkermansia muciniphila specifically. No bloating at all.

3. Fast 12 to 16 Hours Daily

In The Tiger Protocol, Dr. Palanisamy notes that intermittent fasting of 16 to 18 hours led to a significant increase in Akkermansia levels after just one month.

If 14 hours feels like too much right now, start with 12 and build from there.

What is allowed during your fasting window:

• Black coffee — does not break a fast and contains polyphenols that support your microbiome

• Green tea — supports Akkermansia growth and keeps appetite calm

• Water — aim for at least half your body weight in ounces daily

• Sparkling water — fine during the window, helps with hunger

• Electrolytes with no sugar — sodium, potassium, and magnesium help you hold the window

4. Eat Fermented Foods Daily

Fermented foods introduce live beneficial bacteria directly into your gut and create the kind of environment where Akkermansia can actually take hold and grow.

One serving a day is enough to make a measurable difference.

• Sauerkraut, two tablespoons with any meal — buy refrigerated, not shelf stable

• Kimchi, two tablespoons — also provides polyphenols from the cabbage and garlic

• Plain whole milk kefir, four ounces — one of the most diverse sources of live cultures available

• GT’s Kombucha, one bottle — look for low sugar varieties

• Kokuyo Coconut Yogurt — my personal favorite dairy-free option

5. Fix Your Sleep Schedule

When your sleep is inconsistent, their whole ecosystem falls out of sync.

Here is exactly how to lock it in:

• No food within three hours of bed — late digestion competes with gut repair

• No screens 30 minutes before sleep — blue light suppresses melatonin and disrupts your microbiome’s circadian rhythm

• Keep your room at 65 to 68 degrees — core temperature drop is required for deep sleep and overnight gut repair

• Take Magnesium 30 minutes before bed —Deep sleep is when your gut does its most active repair work. Magnesium is one of the most evidence-backed tools for getting there.

Use my link for a discount on BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough.

6. Reduce Your Toxic Load

Your microbiome cannot thrive in an inflammatory environment. Glyphosate, heavy metals, and environmental toxins create exactly that.

The highest-leverage moves:

• Buy organic for the Dirty Dozen

• Filter your drinking water

• swap plastic food containers for glass or stainless.

The Bottom Line

You now understand one of the most important bacteria in your entire gut — and more importantly, you know exactly how to rebuild it.

Pick one thing from this list, do it tonight, and build from there.

• Eat a handful of blueberries or pomegranate seeds with breakfast

• Stop eating by 7pm tonight and push breakfast to 9am

• Add a tablespoon of sauerkraut from a glass jar to your next meal

• Mince one raw garlic clove into your lunch or dinner

• Take BiOptimizers Magnesium Breakthrough 30 minutes before bed

Have a great day!

Jack (Founder of Biohack with Jack)

MORE FROM THE ARCHIVE

Want the full breakdown of what actually rebuilt my gut after mold toxicity and two years of chronic fatigue?

Here’s What Actually Fixed My Gut Health →

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Here is something I got wrong for years as a health-conscious shopper: buying organic does not mean pesticide-free.

The green USDA Certified Organic label is easy to trust. It costs more, it looks official, and it feels responsible.

What it does not tell you is that it permits up to 25 synthetic pesticides plus additional naturally derived chemicals.

I spent years buying all-organic everything because I believed the label meant safe. All I wanted was food that was actually free of toxic chemicals, so I went looking for real answers.

By the end, you will have a clear, simple way to reduce 90 percent of pesticides in your diet starting with your next grocery run.

Does Organic Mean Pesticide-Free? Not Exactly.

If you have ever Googled “does organic mean pesticide free,” you are not alone.

It is one of the most searched food questions online, and the answer surprises most people.

Organic is better. Significantly better. But it is not clean.

Research from Consumers Union found that organic produce carries roughly one-third the pesticide residues of conventionally grown food. That is a real difference worth paying for. But one-third is not zero.

Here is what most don’t know about USDA Certified Organic:

• It permits up to 25 synthetic pesticides plus a longer list of naturally derived chemicals

• There are actually three different organic labels. “100% USDA Organic” means all ingredients are certified organic. Plain “USDA Organic” means only 95 percent are. “Made with Organic” means just 70 percent

• Despite overseeing a $43 billion industry, the USDA organic division has only five compliance officers

So when you ask “is organic food actually pesticide free,” the honest answer is no.

And there is a problem no amount of washing solves.

Some pesticides are systemic, meaning the plant absorbs them through its roots directly into the flesh of the fruit or vegetable. Consumer Reports confirmed that rinsing only removes surface residue.

For systemic pesticides, the exposure is already inside the food before it ever leaves the farm.

What Do Pesticides Do To Your Body?

According to CDC testing, the average American carries roughly 13 different pesticides in their body at any given time. That number includes people who eat organic.

The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences Agricultural Health Study linked pesticide exposure to Parkinson’s disease, thyroid disease, diabetes and kidney disease, among other conditions.

The damage shows up across nearly every system:

• Gut: A 2023 study found exposure to insecticides and fungicides was consistently associated with decreased bacterial diversity and significant changes in 39 different bacterial species

• Hormones: The Endocrine Society found that glyphosate, the world’s most widely used herbicide, displays eight of ten key characteristics of an endocrine-disrupting chemical

• Brain: Research has linked pesticide-induced gut disruption during critical windows of brain development to autism spectrum disorder

• Autoimmune: An 18-year study found one specific pesticide compound was tied to a 70 percent elevated risk of rheumatoid arthritis

How to Reduce Pesticide Exposure

You cannot eliminate pesticide exposure completely. That is not the goal.

The goal is meaningful reduction, and the research shows it is possible faster than most people think.

After getting sick and spending over $50,000 trying to figure out what was destroying my health, pesticide exposure turned out to be a major piece of the puzzle. Now I research this obsessively so you do not have to.

Here is the exact system I use every time I walk into a grocery store.

1. Look for the Regenerative Organic Certified Label

USDA Organic is the floor. Regenerative Organic Certified is the ceiling.

ROC requires USDA Organic as a baseline, then goes further. Zero synthetic pesticides verified at the farm level. Cover cropping, no-till soil practices, and fair wages for farmworkers. It is the most rigorous food certification in the United States, and over 1,000 products now carry it.

The bonus most people do not know: a 2022 peer-reviewed study found regenerative crops had 50 percent more zinc and magnesium and 60 to 70 percent more antioxidants than conventionally grown crops. More nutrients means more flavor. More flavor means more value per dollar.

What to look for in the store:

• The brown and green ROC badge on the front of the package

• Best categories: grains, rice, cooking oils, chocolate, coconut products

• Brands carrying it: Dr. Bronner’s, Patagonia Provisions, Lundberg Family Farms, Alter Eco, Lotus Foods

• Full brand directory: regenorganic.org

Can’t find it? Fall back to USDA Organic plus the Glyphosate Residue Free seal, which we cover next.

2. Look for the Glyphosate Residue Free Label

Glyphosate has been detected in the urine of 93 percent of Americans tested. It gets into organic food through soil drift and supply chain contamination. The USDA organic label does not test for it. This one does.

Run by the Detox Project, GRF tests the actual finished product at least three times per year using gold standard lab testing, including a breakdown metabolite most certifications miss entirely.

One thing worth knowing: GRF only tests for glyphosate. Organic plus GRF together is the gold standard.

What to look for in the store:

• A small circular Glyphosate Residue Free badge on the front of the package

• Best categories: oats, protein powder, grain-based supplements, flour, cereals

• Brands carrying it: MegaFood, Truvani, Perfect Supplements, AGN Roots, One Degree Organics, Jovial Foods, Nutiva

• Thrive Market has a dedicated GRF section: shop it here

• Full certified product directory: detoxproject.org

Next up: where to spend and where to save on produce using the most trusted pesticide testing list in the country.

3. Research The Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen

The Environmental Working Group tests over 53,000 samples every year and publishes two lists. Use them every time you shop.

• Always buy organic — highest pesticide load: Strawberries, spinach, kale, grapes, peaches, pears, nectarines, apples, blueberries, blackberries, bell peppers, potatoes

• Lowest pesticide load — organic less urgent: Avocados, sweet corn, pineapple, onions, papaya, sweet peas, asparagus, honeydew, kiwi, cabbage, mushrooms, mangoes, watermelon, carrots, cauliflower

Pro tip: Frozen organic Dirty Dozen items cost 40 to 60 percent less than fresh with identical benefits.

Full updated list: ewg.org

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4. Shop Your Local Farmers Market

Many small farmers grow completely pesticide-free but cannot afford USDA Organic certification, which costs thousands of dollars a year.

The food is just as clean. It just does not have the label.

The payoff here is unique: you can ask directly. No other food source gives you that.

Find clean farms near you:

• Nearest farmers market: ams.usda.gov/local-food-directories/farmersmarkets

• Certified Naturally Grown farms: cngfarming.org

• Farms, CSAs and markets by zip code: localharvest.org

Last step: wash everything, even the cleanest food you can find.

5. How to Remove Pesticides From Fruits and Vegetables

Washing produce does work. But how you wash it matters more than most people realize.

Here are the four most effective methods ranked by research, from easiest to most thorough. Pick one and use it every single time.

1. Method 1: Running Water and Rubbing (quickest) Research found that rubbing produce under running water removes up to 77 percent of pesticide residues, making it one of the most effective household methods tested. The mechanical action of rubbing is what does the work, not the water alone. Thirty seconds of active scrubbing beats two minutes of passive rinsing every time.

2. Method 2: Baking Soda Soak (best for most produce) A University of Massachusetts study found a baking soda soak removes up to 80 percent of surface pesticide residues. Mix 1 tsp baking soda in 2 cups of water, soak 12 to 15 minutes, then rinse under cold running water.

3. Method 3: Salt Water Soak (best for firm produce) Researchers found a salt water solution effective at removing common pesticide residues. Mix 1 tsp salt per cup of water and soak for 20 minutes, then rinse thoroughly. Works especially well for apples, carrots and potatoes.

4. Method 4: Vinegar Soak (best for smooth skinned produce) Mix 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water and soak for 5 to 15 minutes. The acetic acid helps dissolve pesticide residues. Rinse well afterward as vinegar can affect taste.

5. Method 5: Ozone Cleaner (most thorough) Ozone breaks down pesticides at the molecular level, reaching residues that water cannot. Fill a bowl, drop in the Milerd Detoxer, run a 15 minute cycle. The most thorough option for Dirty Dozen items.

One honest note: washing removes surface residues only. Systemic pesticides absorbed through the root system cannot be washed off. That is why sourcing matters first and washing is the final layer of defense.

Your Pesticide Reduction Plan: Start Here

You do not need to do everything at once. Pick one step this week and build from there. Every swap you make means less chemical load on your gut, your hormones, and your nervous system.

• Buy organic on the Dirty Dozen, lowest pesticide load options on the Clean Fifteen

• Look for the Glyphosate Residue Free seal on oats, protein powder, and grain-based supplements

• Seek out Regenerative Organic Certified when you can find it

• Ask one question at your farmers market this weekend

• Wash everything with baking soda, salt water, vinegar, or an ozone cleaner before you eat it

The Bottom Line:

The average American carries 13 or more pesticides in their body right now. Most of them got there through food. And most of them can be dramatically reduced, not through perfection, but through better information.

You now have that information.

Here is what you walked away with today:

• The USDA Organic label is a good start, not a finish line

• The Glyphosate Residue Free seal and Regenerative Organic Certified label are the gold standard

• The Dirty Dozen tells you exactly where to spend and where to save

• Your local farmers market may have the cleanest food in your city with no label at all

• Washing the right way removes up to 80 percent of what is left

None of this requires a bigger grocery budget. It requires a smarter one. You do not need to overhaul your entire life this week. Pick one thing from this article, do it on your next grocery run, and build from there.

The people who feel the best, think the clearest, and age the slowest are not eating perfectly. They are just making slightly smarter decisions at the grocery store, at the farmers market, and at the kitchen sink than everyone else around them.

That is all this is. Slightly smarter, compounded over time.

Your body will notice. Faster than you think.

Have a great one guys,

Jack (Founder of Biohack with Jack)

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The United States banned polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 1979.

They're still in your fish. Your dairy. Potentially your furniture. They never left.

I didn’t come to this as an academic exercise. CIRS, a toxin-triggered autoimmune condition, forced me to learn about environmental toxins fast. PCBs were one of the first things I found.

The EPA classifies them as probable human carcinogens, linked to thyroid dysfunction, weakened immunity, heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and lower IQ in children exposed before birth.

The frustrating part?

Many people living a genuinely healthy lifestyle are still consuming them every week without knowing it.

Here’s what’s actually going on — and what you can do about it.

Why Is a Banned Chemical Still Everywhere?

How does a chemical banned over forty years ago still end up in your body?

It comes down to three things.

Persistence. PCBs don’t break down like organic material. They cycle between air, water, and soil and just keep going. Their chemical structure resists natural breakdown. Some linger in the environment for a century.

Bioaccumulation. A small fish eats contaminated plankton. A bigger fish eats that small fish. Each step up the food chain, the PCB concentration multiplies. By the time it reaches your plate, the levels have compounded through the entire food chain. That process is called bioaccumulation.

Slow clearance. Once PCBs are in your body, they don’t leave fast. They store in fat tissue and take years to clear. You can’t fast your way out of this in a week. But there are real things you can do. I’ll share them below.

What PCBs Actually Do to Your Body

Here’s the part that got my attention when I was deep in my CIRS research.

PCBs don’t just cause one problem. They disrupt multiple systems at once.

A 2022 review in PMC laid it out clearly: thyroid disruption, liver and kidney damage, neurological deficits, immune suppression, and connections to heart disease, obesity, and type 2 diabetes.

For anyone dealing with chronic fatigue, mystery inflammation, or an autoimmune condition, this isn’t a theoretical risk. It’s likely a contributing factor.

The immune system angle hit me hardest.

Animal studies link PCBs to autoimmune disorders. In humans, higher PCB exposure correlates with higher autoantibodies. Those are the markers that show up in conditions like Hashimoto's thyroiditis and type 1 diabetes.

The Biggest Sources in Your Diet

01 — Farmed salmon.

This one stings because salmon is supposed to be a health food.

But it’s the farming process, not the fish itself, that’s the problem.

A landmark 2004 study in Science analyzed over two metric tons of farmed and wild salmon globally. Farmed Atlantic salmon had nearly 8 times more PCBs than wild-caught.

How it works: Farmed salmon eat fishmeal pellets made from smaller ocean fish. Those fish absorb PCBs from contaminated water. The PCBs concentrate in the oil. The salmon eat the pellets and store the PCBs in fat. Then you eat the salmon.

Worth knowing: Norwegian monitoring data from 2006 to 2021 shows PCB levels in farmed salmon have declined as the industry shifted toward more plant-based feed. Progress is real. But contamination still exists, and sourcing still matters, especially in the U.S. market.

02 — Non-organic dairy, beef, and chicken.

Same logic applies. Conventional feed can carry PCB contamination. The fat in conventional animal products concentrates whatever is in that feed. Eating regular dairy and meat every day means a steady, low-level PCB drip at every meal.

03 — Your building.

Older buildings, especially those built before 1980, may have PCBs in caulking, paint, fluorescent light ballasts, and sealants. If you live in or are renovating an older home, this is worth knowing.

What to Actually Do About It

The goal isn’t a sterile, panicked life.

It’s reducing your total toxic load by making a few strategic swaps.

Step 01 — Upgrade Your Seafood

Wild-caught fish is a better starting point than conventional farmed. But sourcing still matters within that category.

I’ve been eating Seatopia for months.

They third-party lab test every fish for heavy metals, PCBs, and other contaminants, and their regenerative aquaculture model skips the artificial dyes and contaminated fishmeal.

You can actually see what’s in your fish before you order. The quality is genuinely exceptional. My girlfriend usually hates seafood. Now she’s practically addicted to their shrimp.

For verified wild-caught Alaskan salmon, Vital Choice is a reliable source.

02 — Filter Your Water

PCBs show up in water supplies near industrial sites, old infrastructure, and agricultural runoff.

A reverse osmosis filter handles PCBs, PFAS, heavy metals, and pesticides in one move.

If you spend money on one household upgrade this year, this is it.

I use Aquatru. Here’s why it stands out:

• Certified to NSF standards to remove 84 contaminants including PFAS, lead, fluoride, microplastics, and pesticides

• Third-party Tap Score lab rating: 96 out of 100

• Costs $0.12 per gallon — cheaper than bottled water

• One set of filters replaces 4,500 plastic water bottles

• No plumbing required — plug-and-play setup

• Remineralizes the water after filtering, which matters for hydration and energy production

Step 03 — Source Cleaner Meat and Dairy

Same bioaccumulation logic applies to meat and dairy.

Conventional feed carries PCB contamination. The fat in those animal products concentrates whatever is in the feed.

Few brands I trust:

• Force of Nature — Regenerative agriculture standard. Zero pesticides or synthetic chemicals anywhere in the supply chain. Some of the cleanest beef available.

• Frankie’s Free Range Meats — Pasture-raised, free-range, and transparent about sourcing.

• Local regenerative dairy — Find a farm near you if you can. At minimum, go organic. The goal is simple: break the contaminated-feed cycle at the source.

Step 04 — Sweat Regularly

Research confirms that PCBs, flame retardants, phthalates, and pesticides can all be excreted through sweat. Saunas, vigorous exercise, and hot yoga all help move PCBs out of fat tissue. Infrared saunas in particular are studied for their role in clearing fat-soluble toxins.

They're one of the most accessible and affordable detox tools available, and the benefits go way beyond detox. Better sleep, improved skin, muscle preservation.

I’ve written a full breakdown on saunas here

Step 05 — Rethink Your Furniture

Older foam furniture, especially pieces made before 2015, may contain legacy flame retardants linked to PCB-like compounds.

Ben Greenfield, one of the most thorough biohackers out there, uses Essentia mattresses. They’re made from organic natural memory foam, GOTS-certified cotton, and zero toxic adhesives. If you want to go deep on your sleep environment, that’s where I’d start.

For the rest of your furniture, look for GREENGUARD Gold certification. That standard confirms low chemical emissions and rules out the worst flame retardants.

Avocado and Medley are both solid brands that meet it.

You don’t have to replace everything at once. Start with where you spend the most time: your bed.

Quick Recap — Your PCB Reduction Checklist

01. Swap your seafood. Choose wild-caught over farmed. Seatopia and Vital Choice are the two I trust most.

02. Filter your water. Get an RO system. Aquatru removes 84 contaminants, costs $0.12/gallon, and needs zero installation.

03. Clean up your meat and dairy. Force of Nature, Frankie’s Free Range, local regenerative farms. Skip the conventional fat.

04. Sweat more. Infrared sauna is the highest-leverage option. Hot yoga and intense exercise work too. PCBs leave through fat-bound sweat.

05. Upgrade your sleep environment. Start with your mattress. Essentia for non-toxic organic. Look for GREENGUARD Gold on everything else.

The Bottom Line

PCBs were banned before most of us were born.

They’re still showing up in your food, your water, and your body, and they were one I never even thought about until my health forced me to.

But awareness is the whole game. You can’t fix what you don’t see.

Choose better seafood. Filter your water. Source cleaner animal products. Sweat regularly. These aren’t extreme protocols. They’re small upgrades that stack. Fewer toxins mean more energy, clearer thinking, and a more resilient immune system.

More information on toxins is coming in this series. Check back every week. We’re building a simple, real-world detox plan step by step.

Want Help Building Your Personal Detox Protocol?

I work 1-on-1 with people to cut through the noise and build a plan that actually fits your life, your budget, and your biology. No extreme protocols. No guru nonsense. Just what works.

Please shoot me a message, or comment down below and we will talk!

The Products I Actually Use

I’m building a dedicated resource page with every brand, product, and protocol mentioned across this newsletter — all tested, all vetted, all stuff I personally use. Coming soon. Check the homepage for more information.

Sources: EPA on PCBs · Carpenter DO, PubMed 2006 · Hites RA et al., Science 2004 · Benedetti D et al., PMC 2022 · EWG Farmed Salmon Study · Sweating & Toxin Excretion, PMC · Norwegian Salmon Monitoring 2006–2021 · ATSDR on PFAS Half-Life

I was the Axe kid.

I’d spray it everywhere — wrists, neck, chest, sometimes the air in front of me and walk through it like some YouTube tutorial told me to.

I thought I smelled incredible.

But in reality:

• I was also getting headaches I couldn’t explain.

• Sniffles that came from nowhere.

• A brain fog I blamed on everything except what I was putting on my body every single morning.

It wasn’t until I started digging into the research that I understood what was actually happening.

I wasn’t just choosing a bad cologne.

I was dosing myself with endocrine-disrupting chemicals, suppressing my own testosterone, and covering up the one biological signal that makes humans genuinely attractive to each other.

What the fragrance industry isn’t required to tell you is costing you more than you think.

Your Body Is Already Sending Pheromones. Cologne Is Jamming Them.

You’ve heard of pheromones.

Most people think they’re a myth, or at best, something that works on animals but not humans. The science says otherwise.

Pheromones 101

• Pheromones are chemical signals your body produces and releases through your skin.

• They’re odorless to your conscious mind, but your nose picks them up through a structure called the olfactory epithelium and sends them directly to the limbic system — the part of your brain that governs emotion, trust, attraction, and memory.

• This happens before any conscious thought. Before you’ve registered someone’s face, their voice, or anything they’ve said, your brain has already run a full biological assessment of who they are.

This is why you sometimes feel instantly at ease with a stranger, or inexplicably uneasy with someone who seems perfectly fine on paper. Your pheromone system made that call before you did.

The mechanism behind it is a gene cluster called your MHC, or Major Histocompatibility Complex.

Think of it as the biological code your body broadcasts through scent — completely unique to you, shaped by your genetics and immune profile.

In 1995, Swiss researcher Claus Wedekind proved how powerfully this system operates:

“Women consistently preferred the scent of men whose biological makeup was most different from their own. Their subconscious was doing the genetic screening.” — Claus Wedekind, University of Bern, 1995

Different MHC profile signals immune diversity. Immune diversity signals genetic strength.

Your pheromones are broadcasting your biological resume to everyone in the room, and they’re doing it whether you’re aware of it or not.

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Here’s where cologne enters the picture.

When you apply synthetic fragrance, you’re not just adding a smell on top of your own.

The chemical compounds in conventional cologne — particularly the petroleum derivatives and synthetic musks — actively interfere with how your pheromone signals are transmitted and received.

You’re not just covering the signal. You’re distorting it. The people around you get a scrambled read, or no read at all.

You’ve chemically hidden your most attractive quality before you’ve said a single word.

Side note worth knowing: women on oral contraceptives showed the opposite preference in Wedekind’s study, gravitating toward similar MHC profiles rather than different ones. Some researchers believe hormonal contraception interferes with pheromone reception entirely.

The Hidden Chemicals in Your Cologne

Under a regulatory loophole called Trade Secret protection, fragrance companies are not required to disclose their full ingredient list.

On the label, everything collapses into one word: Fragrance.

Under that single word, manufacturers can legally conceal a mixture of up to 3,000 different chemical compounds, many derived from petroleum.

The most documented offenders are phthalates. Here’s what you need to know:

• What they are: Industrial plasticizers added to fragrance to make scent last longer on skin

• What they do: Classified as endocrine disruptors, meaning they interfere directly with your hormone signaling

• The data: A study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, analyzing over 2,200 participants from the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, found significantly reduced testosterone levels linked to higher phthalate exposure across multiple age groups

• How widespread: More than 97% of Americans already test positive for phthalate metabolites in their urine, before adding cologne to the equation

You’re trying to smell masculine. You’re chemically undermining it every morning.

“Synthetic fragrance is the new secondhand smoke.” — Dr. Anne Steinemann, environmental health researcher

Dr. Steinemann’s research backs this up.

In a 2019 study spanning the US, UK, Australia, and Sweden, she found that 32.2% of the general population reports adverse health effects from fragranced products, including respiratory issues, migraines, and neurological symptoms.

This is also why your presence in a room sometimes has the opposite effect you’re going for.

A significant portion of the people around you are experiencing a low-grade stress response to the synthetic compounds you’re wearing. Their nervous system is detecting a chemical threat. They are not thinking about the Maldives.

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The Clean Fragrance Switch

The answer is not to stop smelling good. The answer is to stop blocking your biology while doing it.

Natural, plant-based fragrance works differently in two important ways:

• It calms rather than agitates. Compounds like Sandalwood, Cedarwood, and Vetiver have documented calming effects on the nervous system. Instead of triggering a subtle threat response, you make people feel more at ease in your presence.

• It blends with your skin, not over it. Plant-based oils work with your skin’s natural chemistry. Your pheromone signal stays detectable underneath. You smell great. You’re still you.

Two brands I use personally and trust:

• Alitura Presence — Sandalwood, Cardamom, Cedarwood. Sophisticated, hormone-safe, and the one that gets the most compliments

• Henry Rose — One of the first luxury fragrance brands to achieve full EWG Verified ingredient transparency

No affiliation with either. Just what’s in my bathroom.

The Sauna Protocol

If you’ve been wearing synthetic cologne for years, phthalates have likely accumulated in your fat cells.

Your skin is a two-way membrane. What goes on gets absorbed.

The protocol:

• Infrared or dry sauna, 3 to 4 sessions per week

• 20 minutes per session

• Sweating at elevated temperatures mobilizes fat-soluble compounds and pushes them out through the skin

Think of it as clearing the deck so your natural pheromone signal can actually reach the surface.

What Changed When I Made the Switch

The brain fog cleared within a few weeks. The sniffles stopped. My girlfriend noticed before I said anything — she just said I smelled different, more like me.

And I’ve received more unsolicited compliments on how I smell in the two years since switching than in the entire decade before it.

There’s something harder to quantify but worth naming.

There’s an ease that comes with knowing you’re not suppressing one of your most fundamental biological signals every morning. You’re not performing. You’re just more present.

Your natural scent is not the problem. It’s your most underrated asset.

🏁 The Biohacker’s Checklist

Three moves, this week:

• The Purge: Sauna, 20 minutes. Start clearing the synthetic buildup from your fat cells.

• The Swap: Replace your current cologne with a clean essential oil alternative. Start with Alitura Presence or Henry Rose.

• The Test: Go 72 hours without any synthetic fragrance. Track your morning clarity, headache frequency, and how people respond to your presence.

If this landed, share it with one guy in your life who still thinks his Bleu de Chanel is doing him favors.

For more weekly protocols on optimizing your biology without overhauling your life, subscribe to Biohack with Jack below.

Your bed isn’t comfortable; it’s a magnetic force field pulling you deeper into the mattress.

You hit snooze.

Ten more minutes, you tell yourself, but when the bell rings again, you feel twice as heavy.

I know that quicksand well. I spent years as the guy who couldn’t crawl out of bed before noon, convinced I wasn’t a “morning person.”

But the truth is, I didn’t lack motivation; I found myself trapped in a biological loop.

To escape the “death threat” of your morning alarm and turn your bedroom into a launch pad, you first need to understand why your bed feels so cozy.

1. The Sleep Inertia Trap

Your bed is never more delicious than at 6:30 AM.

It feels like a warm, gravity-defying sanctuary because of a phenomenon called Sleep Inertia.

Recent studies show that about 57% of adults are “habitual snoozers.” They spend an average of 24 minutes feeling groggy and half-awake.

When you hit that snooze button to buy ten more minutes of bliss, you aren’t actually resting. You are forcing your brain to reset a deep sleep cycle, only to snap it again minutes later.

Scientists call this “sleep drunkenness.” It’s why you feel more tired after 20 minutes of snoozing than when the first alarm went off.

How To Prep The Night Before

You can’t have a successful launch if your systems are glitching.

To make the 5:00 AM transition feel less like a “death threat,” you have to optimize the “shutdown” phase:

• The 3-2-1 Rule:

  • Stop eating 3 hours before bed.

  • Stop working 2 hours before bed.

  • Eliminate blue light (screens) 1 hour before bedtime.

  This allows your natural melatonin to actually do its job.

• The Temperature Drop: Your body needs to drop its core temperature by about 2-3 degrees to fall asleep. Keep your room at 18°C (65°F). A cool room makes the “quicksand” of the bed less sticky in the morning.

  ---

2. Prime Your Cortisol Awakening Response (CAR)

Your body is actually designed to wake up before your alarm. About an hour before you wake up, your body starts the cortisol awakening response (CAR). This is a natural boost that gets you ready for the day.

When you treat your alarm like a surprise attack, you disrupt this process. To turn your bedroom into a launch pad, you need to sync with this response.

The easiest way? Light.

Using a sunrise lamp or leaving your blinds cracked signals to your brain that the “launch” is near. This way, the first alarm feels like a natural transition instead of a shock.

Also, by waking up and turning on lights in the house, you signal this healthy cortisol response. I use sunlight-mimicking bulbs by Bon Charge throughout my house. They work wonders.

3. Re-Engineering the “First Move”

If your alarm is within arm’s reach, you’ve already lost. In my noon-riser days, my phone was my pillow. Now, it’s across the room.

To break the cozy bond, follow one rule: the five-second rule for your feet.

• The Proximity Hack: If you have to walk to kill the noise, the “sleep drunkenness” spell is already 50% broken.

• The Water Shock: I keep 16 oz of water next to my alarm. Drinking it right away kickstarts your metabolism. It also clears sleep chemicals from your brain.

• Morning Sunlight: Once you’re up, get outside. Five to ten minutes of direct morning sunlight helps set your circadian clock. Make sure it’s outside, not through a window. It tells your brain exactly when to start the countdown to sleep again.

The Noon-to-5 Transformation: > “I didn’t move my wake-up time from 12 PM to 5 AM overnight. I moved it by reframing the alarm. It’s no longer the end of sleep; it’s the start of the mission.”

📋 The 5 AM “Battle Station” Checklist

• Cool Room: Set to 65-67°F for deeper recovery.

• Light Trigger: Smart lights or open blinds to signal your CAR.

• Distance: Move the alarm 10 feet away from the mattress.

• Hydration: Drink 16 oz of water before your brain can talk you out of it.

• The 30-Second Move: Do 10 air squats. Physical movement is the fastest way to kill sleep inertia.

• Sunlight: View the sun within thirty minutes of waking.

The Verdict

Your alarm doesn’t have to be a death threat.

Understanding sleep drunkenness can help you improve your room for better rest. This way, you avoid the “cozy trap.”

The bed is a great place to rest, but it’s a terrible place to live. Stand up on the first ring; your future self is already waiting for you at 5:00 a.m.

If you’re tired of guessing, let’s build your protocol.

I help people ready to work with their biology, not against it.

In a free 30-minute Biohack Strategy Call, we will:

✅ Identify your morning bottleneck (cortisol, blood sugar, sleep, or nervous system).

✅ Map your current routine and find the 2-3 key changes.

✅ Create a personalized wake-up protocol that doesn’t need superhuman willpower.

This isn’t a sales call. It’s a diagnostic session. You’ll gain clarity on what’s broken and a plan to fix it—whether you choose to work with me or not.

Reply and share your biggest morning struggle. I’ll send you a personalized breakdown of what’s likely happening and how to fix it.

Coffee was my gateway into becoming a better biohacker.

That first cup changed everything because I realized: you can actually change your state. Your brain chemistry. Your energy. Your performance. All from one simple upgrade.

Since then, I’ve tested every coffee hack imaginable.

• Bulletproof coffee.

• Mushroom coffees.

• Nootropic coffees..

I’ve even made raw milk coffee frosty’s with egg yolks and collagen.

If you feel jittery, crash in the afternoon, or need a triple shot to get through the day, these upgrades can transform your coffee.

They’ll turn it from a simple cup of Joe into that performance espresso!

Let’s go!!!

L-Theanine: Kill the Jitters

This is the easiest, most affordable upgrade you can make to your coffee. If you do nothing else on this list, do this one.

• L-theanine is an amino acid found in green tea that increases alpha brain waves, which create a state of calm alertness.

• It also boosts GABA, serotonin, and dopamine. These are the neurotransmitters that regulate mood and focus.

• When you combine L-theanine with caffeine, you get all the energy and focus without any of the anxiety or jitters.

Studies show the optimal ratio of l-theanine to caffeine is at 2:1. That means 200mg of L-theanine for every 100mg of caffeine. One cup of coffee has about 100mg of caffeine, so you want 200mg of L-theanine for every cup.

The Fix:

1. Take 200mg of L-theanine with your morning coffee.

2. I use Thorne brand (clean sourcing, third-party tested, no fillers)

Instead of getting wired and anxious, I feel calm, focused, energized. My thoughts are clear instead of racing. And I don’t crash at 2pm like I used to.

What you’ll notice: Clean energy without jitters. Better focus. No anxiety spike. No mid-afternoon crash. You’ll actually feel good drinking coffee instead of feeling like you’re on a rollercoaster.

Salt + Electrolytes: Fix Coffee Anxiety

If you’ve ever felt anxious or jittery from coffee even with L-theanine, this is the fix.

• Coffee is a diuretic, which means it pushes water out of your body.

• When you pee, you lose electrolytes. Sodium, potassium, magnesium. These minerals are critical for regulating nerve signals, muscle contractions, and cellular hydration.

• When you’re depleted, your body goes into a stress response. Add caffeine on top of that dehydration, and your nervous system gets overstimulated. That’s where the anxiety and jitters come from.

The Fix:

1. Drink 16-20oz of water with electrolytes first thing in the morning

2. Wait at least 30 minutes after hydrating before drinking coffee

3. Use a full-spectrum electrolyte powder (I use Kaizen electrolytes because they have sea moss minerals and are non-GMO)

4. Do NOT use LMNT or other table salt-based electrolytes (you want trace minerals from sea sources)

My body feels way more energized and awake. Organs, muscles, everything. The coffee hits different when you’re actually hydrated.

What you’ll notice: No jitters. No anxiety spike. Coffee feels smooth instead of harsh. Your energy is more stable and sustained. You don’t feel depleted or wired.

MCT Oil + Butter: Sustained Energy (The Bulletproof Method)

This is the famous Bulletproof coffee that started the biohacking movement.

It’s also one of the most epic ways to drink your coffee for energy and longevity.

Here’s why.

• Fat slows caffeine absorption by 30-50%, which extends the effects over several hours instead of giving you a spike and crash.

• MCT oil (medium-chain triglycerides) converts directly into ketones, which are a cleaner-burning fuel for your brain than glucose. Studies show ketones improve mental clarity and sustained focus.

• Fat also protects coffee polyphenols from degradation and increases their bioavailability.

• Research from Gerard Pollack at the University of Washington shows that fat globules actually enhance the absorption of beneficial compounds.

So you’re not just extending the caffeine, you’re making all the healthy antioxidants in coffee more effective.

The Fix:

1. Make a hot cup of coffee 8-12 OZ using organic coffee like Kion coffee

2. Add to a blender: coffee + 1-3 tbsp MCT oil + 1-3 tbsp grass-fed butter or ghee

3. Optional: add cinnamon

4. Blend for 30-90 seconds until frothy

5. CRITICAL: You MUST blend this. Just stirring won’t emulsify the fats properly

This is my go-to when I’m fasting or need energy that lasts all day. The mental clarity is unreal. I can work for 4-5 hours straight without feeling hungry or tired. And it tastes phenomenal. Creamy, rich, almost like a latte but better.

What you’ll notice: Energy that lasts for hours. Mental clarity that extends into the afternoon. You feel satiated, not hungry. It’s phenomenal for fasting because it doesn’t spike your insulin but gives you tons of energy.

Real Mushroom Coffee: Not the Fake Stuff

Mushroom coffee is everywhere now. Most of it is not good.

But when it’s done right, it’s one of the best mental boosts I’ve ever had

Here’s why.

• Lion’s Mane mushrooms increase BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) in your hippocampus and cortex. These are the areas responsible for memory and focus. This means less brain fog and better cognitive function.

• Cordyceps increases ATP production by 18% and reduces lactic acid by 36%, which gives you sustained energy and reduces fatigue.

• Chaga contains beta-glucans that modulate your immune system. They boost protective cytokines like IL-6 while reducing inflammatory ones like TNF-alpha.

The problem? Most mushroom coffee companies use mycelium (the roots) grown on grain or wood chips instead of the fruiting body (where all the beneficial compounds actually concentrate).

The Fix:

• Look for “fruiting body” on the label (avoid anything that just says “mycelium”) also Avoid proprietary blends (you want transparent labeling)

• Look for Minimum 500mg of mushroom extract per serving

• I use Kaizen mushroom coffee because they use real fruiting bodies and have transparent labeling. Another good one is Nootopias

What you’ll notice: More energy without jitters. Sharper focus throughout the day. Less brain fog. Reduced fatigue. Stronger immune system. You’re not just getting caffeine, you’re actually supporting your body.

Nootropics: The Brain Stack

If you want to take your coffee to the next level, add nootropic herbs. These are natural compounds that are proven to enhance brain health and cognition.

Here’s why.

• Ginkgo biloba increases cerebral blood flow, which means more oxygen and nutrients to your brain. Studies show it improves memory and cognitive speed, especially when combined with caffeine.

• Bacopa enhances memory formation and reduces anxiety.

• Rhodiola is an adaptogen that helps your body handle stress and reduces mental fatigue.

• Lion’s Mane promotes nerve growth factor for long-term cognitive health.

The Fix:

• Use Qualia Mind (it’s hands down the best brain nootropic on the market)

• I use the non-caffeinated version with my coffee, or take it standalone

I’ve been taking Qualia Mind for 2-3 years now and it feels like upgrading your caffeine. The focus is better and lasts longer. My memory recall is noticeably sharper. Mental fatigue just doesn’t hit the same way. It’s absolutely incredible.

What you’ll notice: Better focus that lasts longer. Improved memory recall. Less mental fatigue. You can think clearer and work longer without feeling drained.

Collagen Protein: Turn Coffee Into a Recovery Drink

This upgrade transforms your coffee from a stimulant into an actual recovery and health drink.

Here’s why.

• Collagen makes up 30% of your total body protein. It’s the structural foundation for your skin, bones, tendons, ligaments, and gut lining.

• Your body’s collagen production drops 1% per year after age 25, which is why you get wrinkles, joint pain, and slower recovery as you age.

• Collagen peptides provide the amino acids your body needs. Glycine, proline, and lysine. Lysine is particularly critical for collagen formation, calcium absorption, longevity, skin health, muscle repair, and hormone regulation.

• Studies show collagen improves skin elasticity (7x better moisture retention), reduces joint pain in athletes, strengthens hair and nails, and heals gut lining.

The Fix:

1. Add 10-20g of collagen peptides to your coffee

2. Use a blender if you’re drinking drip coffee, OR add it to your Bulletproof coffee

3. I use Lineage Provisions (Paul Saladino’s company, grass-fed bovine, Type I & III collagen)

4. You can also make a coffee smoothie: Kaizen coffee + egg yolks + collagen + cinnamon, blended until frothy

I make that coffee smoothie probably 3-4 times a week and it’s absolutely incredible. Frothy, creamy, protein-packed, tastes amazing. And I genuinely notice better skin, less joint stiffness, and faster recovery from workouts.

What you’ll notice: Better skin elasticity. Reduced joint pain and stiffness. Stronger hair and nails. Improved gut health and digestion. Faster recovery from workouts. Your coffee becomes an actual health drink instead of just a stimulant.

Ceylon Cinnamon: Stop the Crash Before It Starts

This is the easiest, most accessible upgrade on this list. Cinnamon doesn’t just make your coffee taste incredible. It actually stabilizes your blood sugar and prevents the energy crash that comes a few hours after caffeine.

Here’s why.

• Cinnamon contains bioactive compounds (cinnamaldehyde and polyphenols) that improve insulin sensitivity and slow the breakdown of carbohydrates in your digestive tract.

• This means your blood sugar stays stable instead of spiking and crashing.

• Studies show cinnamon can reduce fasting blood sugar by 18-29% and improve glucose response by up to 21% after meals.

• When you combine cinnamon with coffee, you’re getting the energy boost from caffeine without the blood sugar rollercoaster that leads to crashes, brain fog, and reaching for another cup by 2pm.

Ceylon cinnamon is significantly better than Cassia cinnamon.

Ceylon has higher antioxidant content and almost no coumarin (a compound that can damage your liver in high doses). Cassia cinnamon is cheap and commonly found in grocery stores, but it’s loaded with coumarin. If you’re adding cinnamon to your coffee daily, Ceylon is the only choice worth making.

The Fix:

1. Add 1/2 to 1 teaspoon of Organic Ceylon cinnamon to your coffee

2. Blend it in if you’re making Bulletproof coffee or a smoothie

3. Just stir it in if you’re keeping it simple

4. You can go up to 3 grams per day safely with Ceylon cinnamon

Cinnamon makes coffee taste really good, especially when you’re blending it. I used to make that crazy coffee smoothie with Kaizen coffee, egg yolks, collagen, and cinnamon. The cinnamon ties everything together and makes it taste like a dessert while actually stabilizing your energy.

What you’ll notice: More stable energy throughout the morning. No mid-morning crash. Less brain fog. You’re not reaching for another cup of coffee two hours later because your blood sugar stayed level instead of tanking.

Coffee Can Be a Health Drink

Look, I get it. This list might seem overwhelming.

You’re probably thinking, “I just want to drink my coffee and get on with my day.”

Fair.

But here’s the thing: you’re already drinking coffee every single day. It’s already part of your routine. So why not make it work harder for you?

You don’t have to do all 10 of these upgrades. Even if you just add L-theanine and buy cleaner coffee, you’ll notice a massive difference in how you feel. Better focus. Cleaner energy. No jitters or crashes. Actual health benefits instead of just borrowing energy from tomorrow.

Start with one upgrade. See how you feel. Then add another when you’re ready.

Because coffee doesn’t have to wreck your sleep and spike your cortisol. It can actually be a performance tool that supports your energy, focus, recovery, and long-term health.

That’s the difference between drinking coffee and upgrading your coffee.

Remember: Wellness is about becoming aware and making choices toward a more successful existence. You have more control than you think, and every small choice adds up.

Now go make yourself a better cup.

Want personalized guidance on optimizing your coffee and energy? I help people cut through the noise and build protocols that actually work. Just reach out.

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In some crazy world I have not written a brain dump in over one year.

And that world is here!

I miss the brain dump. The 100 ideas. The perfect handwriting. Thank you technology. And thank you to my mind for making all of these crazy and obscure yet congruent connections with my thoughts.

This is the most effective way to really elaborate or develop an idea.

Claude and other AIs, they’re good, real good. I’m proud of them. But to get those ideas that really hit? Hit them with the brain dump.

15 minutes is a good start, 30 minutes is a journey.

You will be so amazed at what you find.

Frankly there are no rules to this game, but there are lessons to follow along.

Why Brain Dumping Unlocks Creativity for Writers

One: you must always be ready to switch the topic. If your brain says switch but your mind says no, still switch because what you are doing is developing your creativity muscles.

By interacting with a bunch of different ideas at once you give your brain the training grounds to create a connection to these, resulting in, well you guessed it, creativity.

Also what is so cool about the brain dump is that you can be typing away, and all of a sudden, you have a brand new article.

This can be especially helpful for writers who feel like they are in a rut, myself included. But the moment that brain dump starts, within the first 5 minutes I already have a new idea and a couple 100 words written out about that topic.

So we got our brain dump, we have jotted down our notes, wrote down some random stuff about pigs flying, and see no clue how this made us better.

The Science: What Happens to Your Brain During a Brain Dump

Let me show you the epic brain workout you just did.

By engaging in a 15-30 minute “brain dump” or journaling session you just:

• Dropped cortisol by up to 19-23% after regular practice

• Activated your prefrontal cortex while calming your amygdala (reducing fear and stress responses)

• Improved working memory by freeing up mental resources that were stuck in rumination

And it was all because of this brain dump.

How Brain Dumps Help Writers Develop Their Voice

The brain dump has changed my life.

It has made me a more aware writer. It has allowed me to develop ideas into my own way of thinking. A lot of the time we are introduced to topics and don’t know how to write about them differently from others, or have trouble expressing what we even know about it. The brain dump helps you flesh that out.

The brain dump also has helped me remember a bunch of random stories in my life.

My weird theory I just thought of is that since I am engaging in this task of offloading all this imagery and story into my mind, my brain waves are becoming more chill, and into the delta or theta state where I can really mess around with my subconscious mind and lead to more stories that have been hidden from my daily consciousness like childhood, or the random times when boom, next thing, you are thinking about the time you took MDMA with your two best friends at your high school prom afterparty in Northern Wisconsin, and you wanted to drive home around 4am because all the kids fell asleep, so you asked the Mom to drive you to the train station!

Legendary day, and that is only the beginning with what you can surface when you try out the brain dump.

So if you’re like me, a fellow writer, researcher of the mind, developer of ideas, a bit too “head in the cloud but I like it there,” or just want to be more creative, less stressed, and see yourself in a birds eye view, try out the brain dump.

How to Start Brain Dumping: A Simple Morning Practice for Substack Writers

Here is how I would get started.

1. In the morning, before you start your day, lock in 15-30 minutes for yourself.

   You can set a timer on your alarm clock. I use brain.fm binaural beats which has a built in alarm clock. So 15-30 minutes depending on how much time you have. If it’s your first time, 15 minutes. If you are going for the fences and deep into the mind, 30 minutes. Sometimes the 15 turns into 30 so it doesn’t matter.

2. Then open up a blank Google doc, Scrivener, or a piece of paper.

   I like typing out the big brain dumps because my hand often gets tired during pencil journaling, but both are incredibly good, and writing with your real hand offers a plethora of benefits as well.

The Brain Dump Writing Process

So during this brain dump you will start what I like to call pounding keys.

Start mashing sentences together like you are a horrible artist that is being forced to make something cool. Most people have no idea what that means and neither did I.

“I don’t know what to say!”

Ok, start the brain dump there. And keep going.

Consistently typing out one word at a time until you have strung together sentences. Eventually you will begin to notice the sentences starting to make sense and maybe a road map being created. Keep going.

Next: if your mind changes to a new topic, a new thought or anything, you must change the topic at hand.

“What if I don’t want to!”

Well, I am a wellness coach and as the wellness coach I am your ally, not your dictator, so I say do what you want. But in order to get maximum benefits from this exercise, we need to switch, and switch often.

Keep going, don’t stop. You are just having fun.

Make sure to take deep slow nasal breaths as they put you in a parasympathetic state, which means the rest and digest part of your nervous system which allows you to go into more calming brain wave states and can help you achieve higher states of intuition, focus, creativity and introspection.

Breathwork Exercise: 4 Seconds in. 2 Seconds hold. 6 seconds out pursing your lips like you are breathing through a straw. 10 reps.

The Results: Less Stress, More Creativity, Better Writing

After all is said and done. And you have pressed the start button. You smashed keys. You learned, you laughed, you loved, you saw the beauty in typing a ton of words, randomly, sporadically, and that is how much you helped yourself today.

You made yourself a better thinker, learner, explorer of life. You had the courage to look within and explore your extraordinary being.

Congrats. I am proud of you.

Brain Dump is a fascinating tool. I am so glad I was taught it from Matthew Dicks. You can find how this journaling exercise was made from one of the best storytellers in the world. He is like the Novak Djokovic of storytelling.

Thank you for reading, you are my best friend. Keep thriving, keep writing, keep becoming the best version of yourself.

Amen.

Jack

There’s a giant spaceship in the corner of my bedroom.

At least, that’s what it looks like when I turn it on.

The thing is so massive that my bed and the sauna are the only two objects that fit in my bedroom anymore.

The day it arrived, there was a humongous box in my living room.

A guy named Hector showed up to help me build it. Big dude with this cool bandana, probably wondering what kind of lunatic spends ten grand on a sauna for a one bedroom apartment.

It almost didn’t fit in the service elevator.

I tried to assemble the whole thing before my girlfriend got home.

Thought I could surprise her with a finished product instead of construction chaos. That didn’t happen. She came back to lumber everywhere, instruction manuals scattered across the floor, and Hector asking me if I was “sure about the placement, man.”

Her reaction? Pretty forgiving, honestly. But I could see it in her eyes. That look that said “if you make another financial decision like this without telling me, we’re going to have problems.”

Worth it though. Because what drove me to blow my entire first year corporate bonus on a bedroom sauna was simple.

I felt like absolute shit.

The Breaking Point

• Fatigue that wouldn’t quit.

• Hormonal issues I couldn’t explain.

• Brain fog that made my corporate job feel impossible.

I’d heard about sauna benefits before. The detoxification from heavy metals. The cardiovascular health improvements. The longevity boost from those Swedish studies showing people who sauna regularly have crazy low mortality rates.

But what really got me was the science of heat shock proteins.

These are proteins your body creates when exposed to heat stress. They help repair damaged cells, reduce inflammation, and basically make your body more resilient to all kinds of stress. Not just heat. Everything.

I needed that. Desperately.

So I started simple. Hit the sauna at my Lifetime Fitness after gym sessions. Felt amazing. Super relaxing. Got a nice sweat going. Then I started going more frequently. Not just after workouts. I’d go just to sit there and recover.

Eventually I found this sauna membership place. Ten different saunas. Two cold plunges. You reserve a private room for an hour. It was incredible.

It was also $150 a month.

I did the math. If I kept that membership for five years, I’d spend $9,000. Or I could just buy my own for $10,000 and own it forever. Easy choice, right?

Wrong. Because I didn’t know anything about the difference between infrared and dry saunas. All I knew was “saunas are hot and make you sweat and sweating is good.”

Turns out there’s way more to it than that.

Dry vs Infrared: How They Actually Work

Before I bought my Sunlighten infrared sauna, I thought all saunas worked the same way. You sit in a hot box. You sweat. You feel better.

The reality is completely different.

Dry saunas heat the air around you. Think hot yoga studio vibes. The ambient temperature gets incredibly high. We’re talking 180 to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. Some Russian bathhouses push even higher. The heat surrounds you, your body responds by sweating to cool down, and you get all the cardiovascular benefits of that heat stress.

Infrared saunas use light wavelength as the heat source.

Let me explain this because it’s wild. The heat doesn’t come from hot air. It comes from red light panels that emit specific light frequencies. These frequencies penetrate deep into your tissue. We’re talking way beyond surface level. The infrared light penetrates up to 1.5 inches beneath the skin’s surface, causing water molecules in your body to vibrate and create heat through friction at the cellular level.

It’s a cellular sweat versus a surface sweat.

My infrared sauna only runs at 140 degrees. But I sweat way more than I ever did in a 200 degree dry sauna. Because the heat is penetrating deeper. It’s lighting up my cells and pushing toxins out at a level that ambient heat just can’t match.

When I first turned on my SunLighten Sauna and sat inside, it smelled like cedar and oak. I made sure to get a sauna with low EMF exposure and chemical-free wood. The full spectrum red light panels glowed. I put on a YouTube video through the Bluetooth speakers.

It felt epic.

But the real magic happened over the next few months when I started understanding what was actually happening in my body.

The Science Nobody Tells You (And The Numbers That Matter)

Here’s what I learned the hard way.

Those Swedish studies I mentioned? The actual research comes from the Kuopio Ischemic Heart Disease Risk Factor Study in Finland. They followed 2,315 middle-aged men for over 20 years. The findings are absolutely wild.

Men who used saunas 4 to 7 times per week had:

• 63% lower risk of sudden cardiac death compared to once per week users

• 50% lower risk of fatal cardiovascular disease

• 40% lower all-cause mortality

Even moderate use showed results. Men who took saunas 2 to 3 times weekly had a 27% lower risk of cardiovascular death and 24% lower all-cause mortality compared to once weekly users.

Sixty-three percent reduction in sudden cardiac death. That’s not a small number. That’s massive.

The study also found that duration matters. Sauna sessions lasting more than 19 minutes were associated with a 52% lower risk of sudden cardiac death compared to sessions under 11 minutes.

But here’s what surprised me during my testing. The benefits I experienced weren’t just about detoxification or cardiovascular health. The biggest change was sleep.

I didn’t expect that at all.

The temperature rebound effect is real. When you get into a sauna, your core body temperature can rise by about 1 degree Celsius during a 30 minute session. Your skin temperature shoots up to around 104 degrees Fahrenheit within minutes. After you get out, your body has this rebounding effect where it rushes back to homeostasis. Your temperature drops. Sometimes lower than it was before the sauna.

Research shows that this drop in body temperature signals your brain that it’s time to sleep. One study found that sauna sessions increased deep sleep by over 70% during the first two hours after use, and 45% over the first six hours. The body’s natural cooling process mimics what happens when you’re falling asleep naturally.

Your body loves being cool right before bed.

So I started doing 35 to 60 minute sessions about two hours before sleep. I’d take breaks, go outside, do some lymphatic shaking to move toxins through my system. Sometimes I’d dry brush my skin to stimulate lymphatic drainage even more.

Then I’d shower, do a face scrub with Alitura products, put on a clay mask, and get back in the sauna.

Yeah. Clay mask in an infrared sauna.

The clay I use combines kaolin clay, bentonite clay, grass-fed colostrum, and vitamin C. It’s incredible for pulling toxins out of your skin. But here’s the hack. When you combine it with infrared light penetrating your face, you’re boosting collagen production at the same time you’re detoxing.

Double benefit from one session.

I learned this while consulting with Alitura. They didn’t tell me to do it. I just experimented and realized the combination was next level for skin health.

The Detox Difference: Why Infrared Works at the Cellular Level

I mentioned I was dealing with heavy metals. Let me explain where those came from and why the research on sauna detox actually matters.

Part of my exposure came from living near a construction site. But honestly, heavy metals are everywhere. Our air. Our water. Our food. I believe most of us have an overaccumulation of these metals and don’t even know it.

When I did blood work with my functional medicine doctor, my mercury levels were really high. Not “you’re dying” high. But high enough that it explained a lot of my symptoms.

Here’s where the science gets interesting. A 2012 systematic review published in the Journal of Environmental and Public Health analyzed 24 studies on heavy metal excretion through sweat. The findings were compelling.

In individuals with higher heavy metal exposure, sweat concentrations generally exceeded plasma or urine concentrations. For some metals, dermal excretion through sweat could match or even surpass urinary excretion on a daily basis.

Specific findings:

• Arsenic: Dermal excretion was several-fold higher in exposed individuals compared to unexposed controls

• Cadmium: More concentrated in sweat than in blood plasma

• Lead: Found in sweat at concentrations 10 to 30 times higher than blood or urine levels in some studies

• Mercury: In one study, 15% of participants had no detectable mercury in blood, but all of them had mercury in their sweat after sauna use

A 2011 study called the BUS Study (Blood, Urine, and Sweat) tested 20 people and found that certain toxic elements appeared in sweat even when they weren’t detectable in blood or urine. The researchers specifically noted that infrared sauna use produced better results for eliminating bismuth, cadmium, chromium, mercury, and uranium compared to steam sauna or exercise alone.

Now, I need to be honest here. The evidence on sauna detox is promising but not conclusive. Some researchers point out that sweat collection methods vary widely, and the clinical significance of these small amounts of metals in sweat isn’t fully established. Your liver and kidneys still do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to detoxification.

But for someone like me with confirmed high mercury levels, the research suggested that regular sauna use could support my body’s natural detox pathways. Not replace them. Support them.

Because the light penetrates deeper into your cells with infrared, it’s mobilizing toxins at a cellular level. Dry saunas make you sweat. Infrared saunas make your cells release what they’ve been storing.

For someone who wasn’t getting much sun exposure and dealing with heavy metal accumulation, infrared was the better choice. I was getting red light therapy and cellular detox in one session.

That said, I’m not against dry saunas at all. I love them. They get way hotter. They have their own benefits. If I’m at a gym or spa and they only have a dry sauna, I’m absolutely getting in.

But if you’re choosing between the two and you have specific detox needs or want the red light benefits, the research leans toward infrared.

So Which One Should You Actually Get?

Here’s my honest answer based on both the research and my experience. It depends on what you’re dealing with and what you can afford.

Choose infrared if:

• You’re dealing with heavy metal exposure or want to support detox pathways

• You want red light therapy benefits for skin health and collagen production

• You don’t get much sun exposure

• You want deeper tissue penetration (infrared heats up to 1.5 inches below skin surface)

• You can handle the upfront cost

• You prefer lower temperatures (120-160°F) for longer sessions

Choose dry sauna if:

• You want the traditional Finnish sauna experience with proven cardiovascular benefits

• You like really high heat (180-200°F)

• You have easy access through a gym membership

• Most of the longevity research comes from traditional dry saunas

• You want to save money upfront

Budget breakdown:

• Gym sauna: $50 to $300/month membership (but might only have dry)

• Infrared sauna club: $150/month for unlimited sessions

• Home infrared unit: $10,000 upfront (mine is the Sun Light Solo)

• Installation costs: Add another $100 to $200 for electrical work if you need a different plug

I spent $10,000 on my unit. Plus a couple hundred for Hector to build it. Plus $100 to change the electrical output in my bedroom because I didn’t have the right plug.

My heating bill definitely went up too.

Was it worth taking up my entire bedroom? Honestly, yeah. Because I use it three times a week minimum. Sometimes more. And the benefits to my sleep, recovery, detox, and overall energy have been significant.

But would I recommend everyone do what I did?

Absolutely not.

How to Get Sauna Benefits (Without Spending $10K)

Here’s what I do now and what you can adapt based on your situation.

My current routine:

1. Hydrate like crazy before sessions (I drink water with Kaizen minerals which contains sea moss, taurine, magnesium, potassium, and sodium)

2. Get in the sauna for 35 to 60 minutes at 140 degrees

3. Take breaks every 15 to 20 minutes to do lymphatic shaking outside

4. Dry brush my skin to stimulate lymphatic drainage

5. Shower and do a face scrub

6. Apply clay mask and get back in for another 10 to 15 minutes

7. Final cold shower to close everything down

I aim for three sessions per week. Sometimes I hit it. Sometimes I don’t. Life happens.

The research-backed basics: Based on the Finnish studies, optimal benefits come from:

• 2-7 sessions per week (more frequent use showed greater benefits)

• 15-20 minutes minimum per session

• Temperature at least 174°F for traditional saunas (the temperature used in the longevity studies)

• For infrared, 130-160°F for 20-45 minutes

If you can’t afford a home unit: Get a membership at an infrared sauna club if one exists near you. Reserve sessions two to three times per week. Consistency matters more than intensity.

If you can’t afford that: Your local gym definitely has a sauna. It’s probably dry. That’s still incredibly valuable based on the Finnish research. Go after your workouts. Start with 15 to 20 minutes and work up to longer sessions. You’ll still get cardiovascular benefits, stress reduction, better recovery, and heat shock protein activation.

The baseline truth: Any sauna is better than no sauna. The differences between infrared and dry matter if you’re optimizing for specific outcomes. But if you’re just trying to add heat exposure to your routine for the proven longevity and cardiovascular benefits, start wherever you have access.

The Finnish men in those studies weren’t using fancy infrared units. They were using traditional wood-burning saunas. And they reduced their risk of dying by 40 to 63 percent.

Gym Sauna/Sauna Club Etiquette: What NOT to Do

I’ve been to sauna clubs, I’ve been to saunas in public gyms, and I’ve noticed a couple of behaviors that I would say don’t elevate your sauna experience as much.

Sauna is a traditional healing practice, and I think here are a couple ways to enhance that experience.

• Don’t bring your phone in the sauna. There’s a lot of science showing that the EMFs are exacerbated when you bring it into hot heat like that, and it also should be a relaxing practice. You’re kind of defeating the purpose if you’re going on your phone and scrolling and checking. I like to just put towels over my head. If I do watch YouTube sometimes in my personal sauna, I make sure I’m not touching any devices directly.

• Don’t wear clothes, especially tight synthetic underwear. I see all these guys wearing tight underwear and all these microplastics and polyester fibers are getting heated up and directly absorbing into your skin. Studies are showing these are essentially melting into you. Don’t wear clothes, just wear towels and some loose-fitting natural fabric if anything.

• If you’re in a public sauna space, don’t talk too loudly. That’s annoying, and usually people don’t like it. If you’re in a personal sauna, fine, but don’t go on the phone or anything like that. It’s pretty annoying for others trying to relax.

• Don’t go in the wet sauna or steam room at gyms. Usually the water is tap water with chlorine, fluoride, and other chemicals. When you’re heating that up and breathing it in, you’re getting a nice dose of toxins. Stick to dry or infrared saunas.

• Do bring a towel to sit on. Hygiene 101. Always sit on your own towel.

• Do stay hydrated. Drink 16-32 oz of water before, and rehydrate with electrolytes after. You can lose 1-2 pounds of water weight in a session.

The Mistakes I Made (So You Don’t Have To)

Biggest one? Buying a massive sauna for a small apartment without measuring properly.

I can’t walk through my bedroom anymore. Every morning I wake up and have to navigate around this thing. When I had a broken ankle, it was genuinely difficult to get to my balcony.

My girlfriend has been incredibly patient. But if I made another decision like this without discussing it first, I don’t think she’d be as forgiving.

Other mistakes:

• Not factoring in the power bill increase

• Underestimating how long sessions actually take (it’s not just 30 minutes, it’s prep, session, breaks, shower, cleanup)

• Not researching EMF levels properly (some cheaper infrared saunas have high EMF exposure that can actually cause harm)

• Thinking more heat always equals more benefits (it doesn’t based on the research; consistency and proper protocols matter more)

The most important lesson: If you’re going to invest in a home unit, work with a legit company. I went with SunLighten because they use full spectrum red light, have low EMF certification, use chemical-free wood, and actually care about the product they’re selling.

Cheap saunas can expose you to harmful EMF levels or off-gas chemicals from treated wood. That defeats the entire purpose of supporting your health.

What Actually Matters

Look, I spent my entire first year corporate bonus on a bedroom sauna. I didn’t tell my girlfriend until it showed up in a giant box. I had to reorganize my entire living space around it.

Was it extreme? Yeah.

Was it necessary? Probably not.

But here’s what I learned through all of it. Heat exposure is one of the most powerful tools we have for resilience, recovery, and longevity. The research is clear on this. Whether you choose infrared or dry doesn’t matter as much as actually doing it consistently.

The Finnish studies showing 40-63% reductions in mortality don’t differentiate between fancy units and basic wood-burning saunas. They just show that regular heat exposure works.

So start somewhere. Anywhere.

If you have access to a gym sauna, use it. If you can afford a membership at an infrared club, try it. If you’re crazy like me and want to own your own unit, do your research and buy quality.

Just get heat exposure into your routine. Your cardiovascular system will benefit based on decades of research. Your sleep will likely improve. Your recovery will speed up. Your stress response will become more resilient through heat shock protein activation.

And if you’re dealing with heavy metals, hormonal issues, or chronic fatigue like I was, the deeper tissue penetration from infrared might be exactly what you need.

Remember, wellness is about becoming aware and making choices toward a more successful existence. Every small choice adds up. Even if that choice involves a spaceship in your bedroom.

Want help figuring out which sauna approach makes sense for your specific situation? I’d love to work together and create a personalized protocol that fits your life and goals. Just reach out.

I was 23 years old when the test results came back.

Total testosterone: 200 ng/dL.

The normal range for a man my age is 500-1000 ng/dL.

“I’m really sorry you’re feeling this way. I can’t quite understand why yet, but we’re going to try to fix this,” My doctor told me compassionately over the phone.

This did not come as a surprise. Honestly, it was a relief.

Finally, I had an answer for why I had been carrying what felt like a thousand pounds of fatigue every single day during my senior year of college.

During that meeting, I couldn’t help but think about all the insane health experiments I tried over the past year to fix myself.

The Supplement Spiral: I took thirty supplements every morning. The process took nearly two hours. Some were basics like fish oil and creatine. Others were more extreme, like subcutaneous NAD+ injections and peptides like BPC-157. I used Russian cognitive peptides like Semax and Selank, 200 mg of modafinil, and ashwagandha for relaxation. Monthly $250 pushes. IVs. Kratom and kava. Microdoses of psilocybin, LSD, ketamine, and more. Plus a shit ton of digestive enzymes and probiotics.

The Equipment Obsession: That year, I followed intense, rigid routines to fix my fatigue. I bought a $10K sauna for detox. A $3K red light panel I sat in front of naked at 6am for mitochondrial health. A trampoline I almost jumped off the balcony with for lymphatic activation. I even stole kettlebells from my apartment gym. Yes, I still have them.

The Dangerous Experiments: I ran some wild experiments, trying to optimize every part of my body and figure out what was wrong. I thought it was my gut, so I drank raw goat milk and ended up in the ER at 2am. I got addicted to kratom and took massive doses daily, then did two hours of hot yoga just to calm my nervous system, even leaving work early on my first day to do it. I tried parasite cleanses and detox protocols that once made me vomit at a farmers market. I took 20 mg of Adderall and grinded all day working on getting a full time job and graduating college.

But one thing the doctor said changed everything:

“Twenty percent of actions yield eighty percent of results. Once we find what’s killing your energy, everything else will heal itself.”

After this hard lesson, I had to really think about what I was doing to myself.

How could I truly fix my health?

What is the real meaning of wellness?

I grabbed my journal and did a 30-minute brain dump. I knew it was time to build the fundamentals.

6 Steps to Real, Lasting Health

1. Master Your Breath for Energy, Mood, and Health

Time required: 5-10 minutes, 2x per day
When: Morning (before work) and evening (before dinner)
Cost: $0

I started with the fundamentals. Learning how to breathe. Learning how to relax my nervous system. Learning how to boost my energy from within. It’s a 3-step process. Each link contains the guided video I used to build this foundation.

Here’s what it looked like:

Step 1: Learn the mechanics
This video will teach you how to do proper diaphragmatic breathing. This is your foundation. This video helped me teach myself how to breathe through my belly and not through my shoulders. I would do this video every single morning for 1 month straight.

Step 2: Nervous system resilience
Once you have the mechanics down, work on building your nervous system resilience. This breathwork video teaches your body how to handle stress better. It’s faster, engaging, more energizing, yet super relaxing. I would do this video 5 days a week, before a workout, or before lunch.

Step 3: Inner intuition practice (5-10 minutes before dinner)
This breathwork video helped me listen to my inner guidance. It clears my mind, restores my body and brings profound insight. A must when I was dealing with all my illness. I do it once a week.

Bonus: 5 Minute Breathwork Snacks

I would also do breathwork snacks during the day.

Chronic stress is a killer, so the goal is to stay relaxed but energized and keep cortisol in check. Here is my favorite video for a quick session.

• Box breathing: 4 counts in, hold 4, out 4, hold 4. Repeat 5-10 times.

To start, use the “How to Breathe” video in the morning or whenever you have time, and try that for one week straight. See how much better you feel throughout the day.

2. Eat Real, Nutrient-Dense Foods Instead of More Supplements

The greatest lesson I learned when rebuilding my health from the ground up is that nutrient-dense foods teach your body more than any supplement ever could.

Supplements are designed to target specific deficiencies, but real, whole foods deliver thousands of nutrients and biochemicals that your body knows how to use naturally.

Later, I use blood work to pinpoint any remaining deficiencies, which you’ll learn about below.

The simple principle: Eat the highest quality whole foods, and your body will do the rest.

Nutrition Fundamentals to Boost Health and Lifespan

• Eat the rainbow daily – aim for 5–7 different colored plants each day. Each color delivers unique phytonutrients your body can use.

• Prioritize fiber – 30–50g per day from a mix of vegetables, fruits, and soaked legumes. Soak or sprout your beans, lentils, and nuts to improve digestion and nutrient absorption.

• Choose organic for the Dirty Dozen – strawberries, spinach, kale, apples, grapes, and more. This reduces pesticide exposure, including glyphosate.

• Eat protein with every meal – at least 30g per meal. Focus on grass-fed, regenerative meat when possible. Resources like Force of Nature can guide you to clean, high-quality sources.

• Fermented foods daily – sauerkraut, kimchi, kefir, or yogurt to support gut health and digestion.

• Wild-caught seafood 2–3x per week – prioritize low-mercury, sustainable options. Check Seafood Watch for best choices.

• Avoid seed oils – stick to olive oil, avocado oil, or grass-fed animal fats for cooking.

• Chew your food 20-30 times to increase nutrient absorption

3. Move Your Body All Day Long

When I was struggling with all those health issues, the irony was that I was already working out 1–2 hours every single day.

What I didn’t realize was that I was overdoing it. I was stressing my body, spiking my cortisol, and not giving myself enough recovery time.

Recovery isn’t optional. Your body requires it.

I was wrecking my health thinking that more workouts would help me feel better.

What changed everything was a lesson from Ben Greenfield: our ancestors didn’t train like modern gym rats. They moved throughout the day in small, natural bursts and rested just as much.

A balanced approach looks like this:

• Short morning workouts: 20 minutes

• Mini workouts throughout the day

• Resistance training 2–3x per week

• Occasional sports and long walks

Here’s a practical protocol I follow every day:

Morning Mobility (10 min): 5 min yoga/stretching while coffee brews + 5 min mobility (hip circles, arm circles, neck rolls)

During work (2-3 min every hour): Set a timer for every 60-90 minutes. When it goes off, do ONE “workout snack”:

• 20 push-ups

• 20 squats

• 30-second plank

• 60-second dead hang

• Walk up and down stairs twice

• 10 lunges per leg

Lunch break (15-20 min): Walk outside. This is your daily cardio.

After work (10 min): Foam rolling while watching TV or stretching on the living room floor.

2x per week (30 min): Lift something heavy. I have a kettlebell at home. 3 sets of kettlebell swings, goblet squats, and rows.

By the end of the day, you’ve done 6-8 sets of different movements, walked 15-20 minutes, and stretched for 20 minutes. This is the foundation for your movement.

4. Train Your Focus for Health and Energy

One quote that guides my life is: “Your thoughts create your emotions. Your emotions create your actions. Your actions create your life.”

Through the work of Joe Dispenza, I learned that every thought has a direct impact on your body.

Your emotions guide your energy throughout the day and ultimately shape your life.

When I was struggling with chronic health issues, I was trapped in a state of lack and desperation. I was doing every crazy health experiment I could think of without understanding how to really help my body.

Stress was running my life, and my efforts were doing more harm than good.

Goal: Train your focus, train your awareness, and train yourself to be present. Focus on one thing at a time.

This is a core foundation for health, energy, and longevity.

Morning (5 minutes)

• Gratitude journal while coffee brews (3 min): Write 5–10 things you are grateful for

• Set an intention in the shower (2 min): “Who do I want to be today?”

During commute (10–20 minutes)

• Listen to audiobooks or podcasts on philosophy, spirituality, or biographies

• Or repeat affirmations while driving: “I am healthy, strong, and energized”

Throughout the day (2–5 minutes)

• Micro-meditations between meetings: Three deep breaths (inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 6)

• Box breathing during stress: Inhale 4, hold 4, exhale 4, hold 4. Repeat 5–10 times

• Brain dump when overwhelmed: Stream-of-consciousness writing to clear mental RAM

After work (5 minutes)

• Transition ritual when you get home: Sit down, close your eyes, take 10 deep breaths, mentally close the door on work

Evening (5–10 minutes)

• Journaling: What went well today? What can I improve tomorrow? What am I grateful for?

Zero extra time practices

• Protect your inputs by limiting news and social media

• End your shower with 30 seconds of cold exposure

• Practice gratitude while brushing your teeth

Total extra time required: 15 minutes per day. Everything else happens during time you are already spending.

5. Connect with Nature for Health, Energy, and Longevity

Science shows that spending time outdoors can reduce stress, support your body, improve longevity, and boost mood. Research from the Blue Zones confirms that people who spend more time in nature and community feel healthier and live longer.

This was one thing I was missing in my busy lifestyle.

But life isn’t always a beach. I had a degree to finish and a corporate job in Dallas, working 9–6. I had to bring nature into my life strategically.

Morning (10–15 minutes)

• Get sunlight within an hour of waking. This sets your circadian rhythm and improves sleep better than any supplement or biohack I’ve tried.

• How I did it:

  • Drink coffee on the porch (10 min)

  • Walk around the parking lot when I arrive at work (5 min)

  • Park farther away and walk in the sun (5 min)

Lunch break (15–20 minutes)

• Walk outside.

• Take off your shoes and walk on grass if possible (grounding reduces inflammation).

• This is your daily nature dose and daily cardio.

After work (10–15 minutes)

• Catch sunset light when possible. Low-angle evening light helps melatonin production for better sleep.

• Sit on the porch with a book or simply stand outside and look at the sky.

Weekend (2–4 hours)

• Schedule one longer nature activity: hiking, park visit, beach day, bike ride, or reading under a tree. Treat it like a meeting.

Micro-practices (zero extra time)

• Leave your phone inside when outside

• Open windows at home

• Grow herbs on your windowsill

• Eat lunch outside whenever weather permits

Total daily nature time:

• Morning sun: 10 min

• Lunch walk: 15 min

• Evening: 10 min (optional)

• Total: 25–35 minutes, almost all of it fits naturally into your day

If you follow these steps, you will feel healthier, more energized and have the foundations, for real, sustainable, amazing health and joy.

But my low testosterone and fatigue was only part of the story. I was dealing with complex chronic health issues that I had no idea about including Black mold, Lyme, heavy metals, and the auto immune condition CIRS. I could not have discovered this on my own.

If you feel like you’ve done all the searching and are still feeling off, please read on. I will teach you how to find a doctor who can address your root causes.

You are in control, and these steps really work.

6. Working with a Functional Medicine Doctor

Read more