The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka - 154. 5 Zero-Cost Biohacks: Sleep, Breath, Sun, Cold & Fasting

Starting point is 00:00:00 What if I told you the most powerful upgrades to your body and your mind cost nothing at all? This isn't hype, it's hard science. Imagine 30 days from now, you bounce out of bed clear-headed, you're leaner, you're stronger, your mood's upbeat, and you haven't even had a sniffle while people around you are catching colds. I'm talking about better sleep, sharper focus, a boosted immune system, and sky-high energy levels. No fluff, just the biological truth. I'm going to hand you the top five free biohacks that anyone can implement starting today.

Starting point is 00:00:29 In a world obsessed with expensive supplements and gadgets, you already possess the tools for radical improvement. Your body is begging for these hacks. And once you deploy them, the results will speak for themselves. These are the same strategies I use with world-class athletes, peak performers.

Starting point is 00:00:44 And let me be clear, these hacks are for everyone. You don't need permission or fancy equipment to begin. You just need the commitment to yourself. Let's start off with you. Hey guys, welcome back to the Ultimate Human Podcast. I'm starting a series on my favorite free biohacks. So here's five free biohacks that you need to know right now.

Starting point is 00:01:15 What if I told you the most powerful upgrades to your body and your mind cost nothing at all? This isn't hype, it's hard science. In the next 20 minutes, I'm going gonna hand you the top five free biohacks that anyone can implement starting today. These are the same strategies I use with world-class athletes, peak performers, celebrities, A-listers, and let me be clear,

Starting point is 00:01:35 each hack is completely free. It's backed by research and so efficient, it's almost criminal for me not to share it. So stick with me, because at the end of this podcast, you'll have a blueprint to elevate your energy, focus and longevity without spending a dime. Why does this matter? Because in a world obsessed

Starting point is 00:01:52 with expensive supplements and gadgets, you already possess the tools for radical improvement. Your body is begging for these hacks. And once you deploy them, the results will speak for themselves. I'm talking about better sleep, sharper focus, a boosted immune system, and sky-high energy levels. No fluff, just the biological truth.

Starting point is 00:02:11 Are you ready? All right, let's dive in here on the top five free biohacks ranked by public interest and proven by science. Your transformation starts right now. So let's start off with number five, optimizing your sleep by mastering your sleep hygiene. You always hear me say sleep is our human superpower, and that's because it is. Seven hours of high quality sleep isn't a luxury. It's a biological necessity for peak mental and

Starting point is 00:02:38 physical performance. If you're skipping sleep, you're sabotaging your potential. Studies show that people who sleep less than six hours a night are four times more likely to catch a cold compared to those getting seven plus hours. Chronic short sleep disrupts your immune system and ramps up stress hormones. We know that sleep deprivation is even a form of torture. It's not just about avoiding illness. Your brain literally cleans itself during deep sleep. It flushes out toxins and it solidifies your memories. Research found that about seven hours per night is the sweet spot for cognitive function

Starting point is 00:03:12 and mental health in adults. Anything less or much more correlates with impaired focus, mood swings, and even long-term risk of cognitive decline. So how do we hack our sleep for free? Create a sleep fortress. Start by keeping your room cool. And by cool, I mean 67 to 69 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep it very dark. Surgically remove all of the light from your room. And when I say surgically, kind of put your curtains together, throw a towel over your alarm clock, even take a piece of tape and put it over that little annoying light that's on your fire alarm.

Starting point is 00:03:49 Get your room as dark as you can possibly get it. Science shows that it takes very little candle wattage coming through our eyelids to raise our cortisol levels. And quiet the signals in your brain to let your brain know it's time to shut down. The second thing you need to do for sleep is set a consistent bedtime. All of the research, including what was recently published by Whoop, says that consistent sleep aligns your natural circadian rhythm. So this doesn't cost you a dime, but it allows you to keep your promises to yourself about putting yourself to bed. We think about setting alarms to wake up. I want you to begin to set an alarm to go to sleep. Avoid screen time for one hour before bed.

Starting point is 00:04:32 If you have to use screen time in bed, find the red light setting on your phone so the blue light is not as ambient at night, rising your cortisol level and causing you to wake up. Before bed, the blue light is like an anti-sleep drug, tricking your brain into daytime mode. Instead, dim the lights and maybe do some light reading or meditation. And by honoring a nightly wind down routine, you're gonna start to train your body's melatonin on cue, leading to faster sleep onset and deeper

Starting point is 00:05:04 rest. The results? You're going to wake up feeling recharged with higher alertness and a stronger immune defense. So tonight, aim for 7-8 hours. Cut off electronics 60 minutes before bed. Stop eating 2 hours before bed. Your future self energized and illness resistant will thank you.

Starting point is 00:05:23 My final tip for sleep is once you're in bed, if you don't have a sleep mask, I want you to do this easy breathwork technique. Long slow inhale through your nose, followed by a three to five second pause and out through a straw. By being consistent about your bedtime, stopping foods two hours before bedtime, limiting or eliminating screen time, cooling your room down, darkening your room and focusing on that breathwork technique at night, you can get consistent sleep at no additional cost. The final trick is to actually imagine taking all of those racing thoughts from your head, breathing them into your lungs, holding them in your

Starting point is 00:06:08 lungs and breathing them out. Just a form of visual conscious meditation. Number four, harness the power of breathwork. This is conscious breathing, drawing your attention to your breath, exercising your intercostal muscles, which are called auxiliary muscles of respiration. And here's the shocker. Something as simple as controlled breathing can flip your body from stress mode into superhuman calm within minutes, changing you from a sympathetic state, fight or flight into a parasympathetic state, rest and

Starting point is 00:06:42 digest. Most of us go through the day chest breathing in fight or flight, never tapping into the full capacity of our lungs. Remember, the top third of your lungs up here is called the apex. This is the lowest volume of our lungs. Down here at the bottom are the lobes of our lungs, big healthy sacks that we can fill with air.

Starting point is 00:07:02 Biohackers and neuroscientists alike are raving about breathwork and it's free and they rave about it for a good reason. A recent meta-analysis and scientific reports found that practicing breathing exercise significantly decreased stress and improved overall mental health. Deep slow breathing can trigger your vagus nerve which in turn lowers your heart rate and your blood pressure. Think of the vagus nerve as a turn lowers your heart rate and your blood pressure. Think of the vagus nerve as a tree in your head that drops these roots down

Starting point is 00:07:30 and spreads them all throughout your gut. It can lower blood pressure and pull you out of anxiety's grip. In fact, daily sessions of deep diaphragmatic breathing have been shown to reduce resting blood pressure levels and cortisol levels, combating hypertension and stress at their core. I know so many of you are suffering from anxiousness, anxiety, racing thoughts, ruminating thoughts, or just a really active mind and drawing your attention to your breath is one of the best ways to hack your biology for free. How does it work? Think of breath work as the remote control

Starting point is 00:08:05 for your nervous system. When you take slow deep breaths, let's say inhaling for four seconds, holding for four and exhaling for six to eight seconds, you activate your parasympathetic rest and digest response. Sometimes these breath work techniques are referred to as natural Xanax. They're that powerful. This floods your system with a sense of calm and focus. A study from 2023 confirmed that even brief

Starting point is 00:08:35 daily breathwork can boost your mood and reduce anxiety more effectively than just mindfulness and meditation. The beauty is you can do this anywhere. It's portable anytime in your car, at your desk, lying in bed. I do not suggest you do it while you're driving or you're standing. I prefer that you're sitting in a parked car or laying in bed or sitting or resting comfortably. For beginners, I recommend the four, seven, eight technique. Inhale through the nose for a count of four.

Starting point is 00:09:07 Hold for seven seconds. And exhale slowly through the mouth for eight. Make a straw like pursing your lips. Repeat this for a few cycles. Get off of your phone, preferably look outside into nature as far out on the horizon as you can. Even if it's too cold to go outside, just gaze outside into nature and within minutes, you'll feel a tangible shift, a loosened neck, unclenched jaw, and a clear centered mind.

Starting point is 00:09:43 Tomorrow morning before grabbing your phone, spend five minutes on deep breathing. Try belly breaths or the four, seven, eight method. You'll carry steady calm into your day, and with practice, you'll become virtually unshakable under pressure, and your body will begin to clue into this type of breath work as a way to relax. Number three, morning sunlight exposure. Activating your circadian

Starting point is 00:10:08 rhythm. Guys, the science is in, it's clear. We no longer think that waking with the sun and consistent bedtimes does not have an effect on your cellular biology. It absolutely does. We are circadian creatures. We are creatures of habit, our bodies crave routine. So the moment you wake up, one of the most powerful things you can do is step outside and embrace the natural sunlight. Even if it's cold and it's cloudy, this is not just about getting vitamin D, though that's a bonus. It's about setting your internal clock. A lot of the light that resets your cortisol and your melatonin receptors will come right through the clouds.

Starting point is 00:10:46 Your brain's circadian rhythm controls your energy levels, hormone release, and even how well you sleep at night. Morning sunlight is the key that winds this clock correctly. Exposure to bright light first thing in the morning sends a signal to your suprachiasmatic nucleus, your brain's timekeeper, that it's daytime, triggering a cascade of healthy hormone production.

Starting point is 00:11:07 Science backs this up. Research from Stanford shows that getting natural light in the morning strengthens your circadian rhythm and leads to better quality sleep at night. In fact, just five to 10 minutes of morning sun can help you fall asleep faster and sleep deeper the night that you get it. So here's why this is a game changer. Early sun exposure boosts your mood and focused all day long. And how? Sunlight hitting your eyes. Yes, you need to be outside at a window.

Starting point is 00:11:35 Indoor lighting is too dim triggers the release of serotonin, a neurotransmitter that makes you feel calm, positive and focused. That serotonin later converts to melatonin in the evening, prepping you for effortless sleep. Additionally, natural light inhibits the excess melatonin that can make you groggy in the morning. It's basically telling your body,

Starting point is 00:11:54 wake up, let's crush the day. One study even found that people who got ample morning sunlight had more balanced hormones and were less prone to depression and seasonal affective disorder. And get this, morning sun can even help you manage your weight. A study in WebMD noted that 20 to 30 minutes of morning light was associated with lower BMI, possibly because sunlight may help shrink fat cells and definitely because it encourages you to be more active earlier in the day. Within 30 minutes of

Starting point is 00:12:22 waking, go outside and get natural light in your eyes. No sunglasses, guys, just natural light. If you wanna put this on steroids, take a short walk or just enjoy your coffee by a bright window. Do this for a week and note the surge in your daytime energy and how much better you sleep as a result.

Starting point is 00:12:41 The sun is nature's original biohack. Let's use it. Number two, cold exposure. Ignite your body's revival mode. Ready for a wake-up call? Cold exposure is the biohack that will snap you awake, turbocharge your mood, and harden your resilience. This is one of the best hormetic stresses we can introduce to the body, all in under three minutes. Cold showers, ice baths or a brisk water swim, you can choose your own adventure. You don't need to invest in an expensive cold plunge. You can take a cold shower.

Starting point is 00:13:13 If you have a tub, you can put Tupperware containers in your freezer full of water and the next day take them out. Drop these ice blocks in your bathtub and you will have a cold plunge for free. It doesn't cost you a dime and will last you three days. It's not just about toughening up. When your body hits cold water, massive physiological magic happens. Adrenaline spikes, circulation surges, and your brain floods with neurotransmitters. One study found that immersion in 14 degrees Celsius water boosted norepinephrine by 530%

Starting point is 00:13:44 and dopamine by 250% above baseline. I will link the studies below. Dopamine is your motivation and your pleasure chemical. A 250% increase is like a natural high, translating into sharpened focus and an elevated mood lasting for hours after cold exposure. That's why so many swear by cold shower each morning to feel alert and optimistic. But the benefits don't stop at mood. Cold exposure can dramatically strengthen your immune system, it can also reduce inflammation, and in a large randomized clinical

Starting point is 00:14:16 trial at the Netherlands showed that people who entered their daily showers with a cold blast, just 30 to 90 seconds, called in sick to work 29% less than those who didn't. Think about that nearly a third reduction in illness related absenteeism just from a cold rinse. The cold essentially trains your blood vessels and your immune cells. Initially it triggers a spike in inflammatory markers that's your body mounting an immune defense but over time it leads to a reduction in chronic inflammation and increase in circulating immune cells. Athletes have used ice bath for years to reduce muscle soreness and now we know it also builds resilience at a cellular

Starting point is 00:14:57 level. Plus, cold exposure stimulates brown fat, a type of fat that burns calories to generate heat, thereby boosting your metabolism and your insulin sensitivity so it's a one-two punch. You burn more fat and you train your body to handle stress better. Now I'm not saying it's easy, I'm saying it's worth it. If you're new to this, start small. Finish your warm shower with 30 seconds of cold water. Breathe through it, slow, deep, intentional breath, let the water hit you and just deal with it. You'll go from, ah, slow, intentional breath, let the water hit you, and just deal with it. You'll go from ahhhh to I got this in a matter of days. As you adapt, try a full minute or an ice bath on the weekends.

Starting point is 00:15:36 Feel that invigoration? That's the rush of endorphins and anti-inflammatory proteins lighting you up. Tomorrow morning, take your usual shower, but end it on cold. Stand under that chilly water for 30 seconds. You work your way up to 90 seconds because you can handle it. Build up from there. Consistency is the key and daily cold dosages keep your dopamine up, inflammation down, and train you to embrace discomfort. This hormetic stress is like a gym workout for your cells and you'll soon notice an increase in energy and that mental edge that sets you apart. And finally, intermittent fasting.

Starting point is 00:16:11 I don't believe this is for everybody. Time restricted eating can reset your metabolism. The number one free biohack crowned by search trends and success stories alike is intermittent fasting, or as I like to call it, teaching your body to run on rocket fuel. Intermittent fasting simply means cycling between periods of eating and not eating. And before you panic, this isn't about starving yourself. It's about optimizing when you eat and letting your body do the maintenance. Science has revealed profound benefits when we give our digestive system a break. When you extend your normal overnight fast by just a few hours, let's say skipping late night snacks or just delaying your breakfast,

Starting point is 00:16:51 your body shifts from burning sugar into burning fat for energy, a metabolic switch with huge payoffs. You start clearing out fat stores and resensitizing your cells to insulin, which means better blood sugar control. In men at risk for diabetes, early time restrictive feeding significantly improved insulin sensitivity, lowered blood pressure, and reduced oxidative stress, even without weight loss.

Starting point is 00:17:16 That's a remarkable metabolic upgrade, guys, just from changing meal timing. Of course, weight loss is a welcome bonus. A systematic review of 40 studies found intermittent fasting can cut about 7 to 11 pounds over 10 weeks on average. But fasting isn't just about the scale. It triggers a cellular cleanse called autophagy. Nobel Prize winning research behind this. Your cells gobble up the brie and they use it to regenerate. It's like a detox for your cells, potentially slowing aging and even preventing disease. Research in animals shows lifespan

Starting point is 00:17:51 extension with fasting and emerging human studies hint at improvements in biomarkers of heart health, cholesterol, and inflammation when intermittent fasting is practiced consistently. Harvard Medical School notes that intermittent fasting can improve blood pressure, cholesterol levels, and even reduce inflammation in the body. There's even evidence that it boosts brain health, possibly increasing BDNF, brain-derived neurotropic factor, a growth factor that helps create new neurons and synapses in the brain,

Starting point is 00:18:21 enhancing your learning and your memory. No pill can do all that, and you're doing it for free. The beauty of intermittent fasting is flexibility. A popular beginner approach is the 16-8 method. You fast for 16 hours, including sleep, and you eat meals within an eight-hour window. For example, 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. Then water, black tea, coffee, until the next day at noon. During the fasting period, you're allowed water, black coffee, or teas, just no calories. At first, you might feel a little hungry or cranky

Starting point is 00:18:52 as your body adapts to that normal break in the frequent eating cycle, but by week two or three, most people feel a surge in sustained energy and clearer headspace. No more 3 p.m. crashes because your metabolism has learned to smoothly tap into the fat stores as fuel. One study in cell metabolism showed that early time restricted eating like an earlier dinner, improve metabolic health in pre diabetic men. The key is consistency

Starting point is 00:19:18 guys, pick a schedule that suits your lifestyle and stick to it. Even a 14 hour fast, say 7pm to 9am, can confer benefits if 16 feels too hard. Tonight, finish your last meal by let's say 7 or 8pm, then don't consume any calories until breakfast a bit later tomorrow. Aim for 12 to 14 hours of a fast to get yourself started. Do this a few times a week, pay attention to your body, and within days you'll notice less bloating, steadier energy, and that light yet focused feeling indicating your body is running cleaner. Intermittent fasting is a tool. Use it wisely, and you can fundamentally upgrade your biology. You've just been armed with five of the most

Starting point is 00:20:01 potent, zero-cost biohacks on the planet. But knowledge means nothing without action guys. I challenge you starting today to incorporate these habits into your life. Drink in the morning sun, breathe with intention, embrace the cold, prioritize your sleep, and try a new fasting window. Your body is incredibly adaptable and wants to heal and deserves to thrive. When you give it the right stimuli, the changes can be almost miraculous. And remember, these hacks are for everyone. Men, women, young or old, midlife, busy, parent, college student,

Starting point is 00:20:36 you don't need permission or fancy equipment to begin. You just need the commitment to yourself. Imagine 30 days from now, you bounce out of bed clear-headed, you're a leaner, you're stronger, your mood's upbeat, and you haven't even had a sniffle while people around you are catching colds. That's what's on the table. I see it every day in my clients and I live it myself. Now it's your turn. Pick one of these five and do it tomorrow morning. Experience the change. Then share this episode with someone you care about and let's create a ripple effect of empowered, healthy humans.

Starting point is 00:21:09 No more excuses or waiting for the right time or the right product. The ultimate human is already inside you, unlocked by these simple habits. You've got this, now make it happen. I'll see you on the next episode and until next time, that's just science.

The Ultimate Human with Gary Brecka - 154. 5 Zero-Cost Biohacks: Sleep, Breath, Sun, Cold & Fasting

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