The Future is Female for Biohacking Blog | Zhou Nutrition

The Future is Female for Biohacking

While men have certainly been outspoken on the biohacking scene, women have begun to spearhead thought leadership in the space. It’s an unsurprising shift as we start to see wellness conquer every corner of our waking lives. From 2015 to 2017 alone, the wellness industry went from a $3.7 trillion to a $4.2 trillion market1—enter ketogenic diets, Peloton exercise equipment, and real-life versions of ‘brain pills’ a la Bradley Cooper’s ‘Limitless’.

Zhou Nutrition Wellness Industry Growth Trend

The most interesting piece of this shift is the emphasis on mind-body connection, with the fitness, mind, and body sector making up $595 billion of the wellness market. More people are seeing the value of an inside-out approach—we’re truly tuning into our bodies and leveraging natural ways to reach the next level of positive-energy juju. Adding to this revolutionary phenomenon, females are bringing an important twist to existing biohacking tips.

So, as a female, how do we harness said juju?

By lifehacking our existences (and, let’s be real, you’re probably already doing this with that daily caffeine fix). But don’t worry, it’s way easier than it sounds.

Mood

The holy grail of how your day turns out, mood can dictate our lives more than we let on. Frankly, people don’t exactly perform their best on stress-anger-sadness vibes. Stand-alone or combined, negative moods can sabotage the integrity of our work, relationships, and free-time. It’s not sustainable. Next time you feel like turning on Simon & Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence” and curling into a fetal position, don’t. Do this instead:

Soothe your stress from within. Adding herbal supple Zhou Nutrition Calm Now Supplement ments and adaptogens to your diet can make a the difference in how your body deals with stress and mood swings. Look for blends that include ashwagandha, an ancient Ayurvedic root that has historically been used for mood support2. Speaking of which, you can keep our blend, Calm Now, on deck at the office, at home, or even in your car cup holder—because you never know when road rage will rear its ugly head.

Follow the 4-8 breathing rule. Have you ever paid attention to your breathing when you’re stressed or angry? Next time, pay attention. Our bodies tend to clench up, our breathing becomes short, and less oxygen makes its way to our brains. Cue the panic attacks. If a stress tsunami is about to make landfall in your mind, tune into your breathing. Relax your body, and breathe deeply through the nose for a count of 4 seconds. Exhale out of your nose for a count of 8 seconds. You may feel the tension slide away after a few rounds of deep breathing. PRO TIP: Match breath to movement for a centering, 30-minute yoga sesh. Here at Zhou, we religiously make time for our 3pm yoga Tuesday-Thursday, and we always walk away feeling revitalized.

Zhou Nutrition Wellness with Yoga Biohacking

Cognition

You’re at the office, looking at your computer when all of a sudden it happens. The vortex of blah. Focus, creativity, and energy seem unattainable—did they ever even exist? Yes, they did, and you can get back to focused with this simple hack.

It’s called Neuro-Peak.

A nootropic supplement, Neuro-Peak is formulated to help support memory, focus, clarity, and cognition. Our thoughtful blend is one you can trust, containing Bacopa monnieri, Gingko biloba, vitamin B12, phosphatidylserine, and rhodiola rosea. Quite the stack! Here’s why:
Zhou Nutrition Neuro-Peak Nootropic Biohacking Supplement


Bacopa monnieri. An ancient herb used to help support brain function, Bacopa monnieri can help support thinking skills and memory.

Gingko biloba. Sourced from the Gingko biloba tree, this herb may help support blood flow to the brain, focus, and memory.

Phosphatidylserine. A fat compound naturally found in the brain, phosphatidylserine may help support brain health.

Rhodiola rosea. Fatigue’s worst nightmare, rhodiola rosea may support mental processing by helping to reduce fatigue.

With all those powerhouse ingredients coming together in one convenient capsule, this is a great way to dip into the world of nootropics and help support cognitive function.



Exercise

Monthly ovulation and menstruation can mean hormone fluxes virtually every week. The dips and spikes of estrogen in our bodies may make certain weeks better than others for exercise. Generally, during the first two weeks of a cycle estrogen levels are minimal, making it optimal butt-kicking time. You can use this time to do high intensity interval training (HIIT), weight lifting, and other strenuous activity.

Typically during the last two weeks of a cycle can feel like someone deflated your soul. This is when estrogen begins to spike, leaving you with less energy. The luteal phase, or week before a period, is when estrogen is at its peak. Listen to your body and be one with your PMS. Now’s the time for steady-state, low impact exercise. Your body is much more prone to soreness, so supplement with magnesium to support muscle comfort.

Coffee

Biohacking coffee? Yup, it’s a thing. Adding medium-chain triglyceride (MCT) oil and butter to your coffee may increase the impact of caffeine from good to vavoom. Buttered coffee is a common practice in the Himalayas, where guides add yak butter for a revitalizing boost. Starting your morning with this biohacked bevvy could help stimulate fat burning and brain power. This is especially friendly for anyone on a ketogenic diet.
(IMAGE: MCT Powder)

Sleep

The most beautiful thing in the world—sleep. Precious, seemingly unattainable sleep. There’s nothing more frustrating than having an exhausting day, only to find you can’t shutdown once it’s time for bed. With smartphones, computer screens, errands, and general life stress, it’s truly a feat to disconnect. No longer fear bedtime. And put. The. Cough syrup. Down. Sleep soundly with these natural tips:

Biohacking Sleeping Tips

 

Sleep in a bat cave. Or, like, not a bat cave, but a super dark room. Light affects our sleep cycle, alerting our brains to get going in the morning. Unfortunately, your brain reacts to light exposure at night in the same manner. Any light pollution in your bedroom will lend to middle-of-the-night awakenings and insufficient sleep. This means no late-night Instagram scrolling—responding to Carol’s comment can wait. Be sure to invest in blackout curtains and unplug the twinkle lights before you hit the hay.

Try an herbal sleep aid. Sleep aids may leave you feeling groggy in the morning. That’s not exactly ideal during the work week, when you might have a presentation at 8am sharp. Enter Driftoff—Zhou’s blend of valerian extract, tryptophan, melatonin, chamomile, and more that helps support a calm mood, relaxation, and may lead to some stellar sleep. So go get the best sleep of your life!

Biohacking isn’t just for the bruhs out there, it’s the forefront of wellness for all. Try making these changes and track your progress over time to identify improvements. As always, keep us updated on your journey to greatness!

 

 

 

References:

https://globalwellnessinstitute.org/press-room/press-releases/wellness-now-a-4-2-trillion-global-industry/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23439798