Health Optimisation Summit London 2022 Review: The 20 Most Exciting Ideas And Innovations

So I decided to fly out to London, from the Netherlands, to attend the Health Optimisation Summit 2022. In the days after the summit, right now, I created this blog post as fast as possible so that you, as reader, can enjoy the most important findings of this summit.

Here you can see me at the summit:

 

Below, I've listed the 20 most exciting ideas and innovations of the Health Optimisation Summit 2022. You can pick the ideas that interest you the most as well if you're short on time.

My goal is to provide you with the most important lessons learned and products viewed even though you weren't present at the event.

And, of course, thanks for giving me the opportunity to attend this event, Alex. Let's see what biohacking innovation has to offer in 2022:

 

1. Biohacking Is Always Evolving!

What a change a few years make. After attending the Health Optimisation Summit in 2019, the virus hit and now it's 3 years later. Fortunately, during this time, the biohacking space has continued to develop itself.

Not only did I come across many new and different ideas and innovations during this 2022 event compared to earlier years, the space itself is also growing. The Health Optimisation Summit intuitively looks twice or three times as big as the event I attended three years ago. And that's a good thing, because a growing audience is not only great for biohacking companies but also for humanity. 

The more people interested in this space, the more money will flow towards the development of new technologies, supplements, foods, and health techniques. And, because you and I are voting with our dollars (well, British Pounds in this case), we're depriving less effective and efficient systems for supporting our health of their ability to affect us. Examples here are the seed oil industry, drinking culture, junk food, and other markets.

Creative disruption for the win!

 

2. Exposing Your Body To Healing EMFs - Biocharger

So, let's begin with an extremely weird but extremely interesting product - the "Biocharger":

The Biocharger is a device that creates natural EMFs that affect the human body at the cellular level. If you've been biohacking for a while you probably know that human beings don't just depend on chemical reactions for their physiology - electricity and the interaction between electricity and chemistry play a major role as well. Also, other physical processes such as quantum mechanics play a major role as well, giving rise to the field of "quantum biology".

But, without further complicating this dynamic, let's explore what the Biocharger fundamentally achieves...

Apparantly, the Biocharger, when activated, creates voltage around it that affects your physiology. I tried a session and I had to sit at about a 1-foot distance during a 15-minute session. I did very much feel energized after my session. The female friend who joined me in my 15-minute session, however, didn't respond too well and actually experienced some sleep problems during the next two nights from this session. I, however, slept like a baby and felt great. 

According to the Biocharger website, the effects of using this device are similar to grounding yourself to the Earth. As a result, the electro-magnetic dynamics of your physiology should be optimized. I can be 100% sure the device was "doing something" during the 15-minute session because my smartphone malfunctioned to a great extent while the device was activated. After the 15-minute session, the smartphone worked perfectly again.

If I'm extremely honest, I'd have to do way more research into this product to give a proper assessment of it. The Biocharger does intrigue me though, as it's another modality next to PEMF and the Neuvanalife Xen that use electricity specifically or EMFs, in general, to promote health instead of detracting from it. The Biocharger is very expensive though, which is a downside, but has raving reviews from many people who have used it (long-term).

Next up, a very unique product that aims to change mainstream drinking culture:

 

3. Edi - Getting "Drunk" On CBD, Adaptogens, Vitamins & More

Not everyone loves alcohol! And, those who love the feeling of alcohol often wish they hadn't ingested any alcohol-containing products the next morning. So, you'll enter a double-bind: either you don't drink and don't feel the high of alcohol, or you're drinking and you'll regret it later. For that reason, Edi Spirits have developed a new product to deal with this eternal conflict. The Edi drink has been designed to mimic the effects of alcohol without containing any alcohol.

Here you can see a lineup of Edi bottles:

 

If you'd make a very wild guess and assume that CBD is contained inside the product you'd be right. Also, the product doesn't contain any of the more psychoactive THC - read up on my guide on cannabis about the difference between these compounds.

I can say from tasting a small sample that the product works and that you feel a little bit "boozy" and more relaxed. I also consumed a very small sample though, and the employees of Edi assured me that if I drank 3 full shot glasses (I consumed about a half-one), I'd experience a similar high as being drunk, without any of the side effects. So, what are the ingredients of Edi - short for "Endorphin Dealer Institute"? Let's check the ingredient list:

Vitamin B5

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B12

L-Carnitine 

N-Acetyl-L-Tyrosine

5-HTP

CBD

Guarana

Unfortunately, the exact mix of the ingredients is proprietary so I don't know about the dosing of some of the ingredients like 5-HTP and tyrosine. Overdosing on these ingredients can be problematic, 

Nevertheless, the company claims that you should be feeling good and euphoric after drinking it. I can confirm this is the case, even though the company also states that the effect differs from person to person. That difference in outcome after consuming this product is easy to logically explain, as different persons have a different predominance in neurotransmitters, among others. You might be naturally dopamine-dominant while having lower serotonin levels, or vice versa.

The compounds within Edi aim to affect neurotransmitters (tyrosine and 5-HTP) and the cannabinoid system in your body (CBD). The end result is feeling a high without a hangover, and, potentially, improving your overall health instead of countering it as is often the case with alcohol.

But, as you can also overdose on adaptogens and on the neurotransmitter precursors, the company recommend no more than 5 doses per day to avoid side effects. And, if you don't feel well during the use of this product, the company also advises you to stop drinking it. So, once again, how you individually respond to a product is extremely important.

Overall, I highly support Edi in finding alternatives to drinking that are less damaging to human health. Arguably, marijuana (including the lovely THC) can be such a plant offering that benefit. Psilocybin, perhaps, too, although it's far more complicated than that. But, I love the direction Edi is going with their drink.

Next up, I'll explore a product with a similar goal - reducing hangovers and managing (or altering) human drinking habits: 

 

4. Dry Farm Wines - You Better Know Where Your Alcohol Comes From

Many of us love some wine or alcohol from time to time. But, it turns out the wine industry has been misleading for very long - more on how later! Fortunately, there's a solution: Dry Farm Wines. 

Dry Farm Wines are not only 100% organic but also what are called "natural wines". The key here is to understand that all natural wines are organic, but that not all organic wines are natural.

The natural wines of Dry Farm Wines are produced with so-called "biodynamic farming methods". That farming method doesn't rely on plowing and ensures that you build the soil year after year. Dry Age Farms relies on 600+ family farms for their business model, thereby having tens of thousands of acres of organic vineyards under their direct control.

The benefit of the natural wine vineyards is that, as the name already tells you, the product is created in a much more natural way. Plants and insects are present around the vines and no artificial irrigation with water is used. The end result is wines with a lot lower alcohol and water content, and a more "punchy" grape. Such grapes grow slower than organically farmed ones that are irrigated throughout the year, but, the consequence here is that you'll end up with wine that has fewer sugars and is less likely to give you hangovers.

What makes Dry Farm Wines different from almost all of the competition is that you're getting pure wine, without any additives.

Even many organic wines on the market still contain tons of additives, ensuring that you're not consuming a pure product. So, now you know how the wine industry is regularly misleading you - making you think you're drinking a single-ingredient product while in reality, you're taking in 5 or 15 different ingredients, in addition to wine!

And, even though Dry Farm Wines is selling you wine, the company actually promotes mindful alcohol consumption. Mindful here not only means that people should be consuming less alcohol but also higher quality alcohol.

Because, let's face it: if you're drinking wine, you'd better drink a product that contains as few additives as possible. And, if you're consuming a conventional wine product that has an ingredient list like Beyond Burger - with a list of ingredients you cannot pronounce - then the health risks of consuming that product probably go up exponentially.

So in the end, you're improving the soil, you're not using tons of water to create the product, you're consuming a much more pure product that contains as few ingredients as possible, and you're consuming a wine that contains less alcohol. Win-win-win-win!

 

5. The Stem Cell Therapy Revolution Is Evolving

Stem cell therapy is extremely fascinating to me. I actually wrote one of my Master's thesis projects in college on the topic of my Health Science studies. But, that was in 2017, and in 2022, the field has changed a lot!

"Stem cells" are undifferentiated or barely differentiated cells that can specialize in many different roles inside the human body. These stem cells can be sourced from different regions of the body, such as the umbilical cord at birth or your bone marrow. 

The science of stem cells is actually evolving extremely quickly, meaning that new applications and new methodologies for applying stem cells are found every single year. In time, the applications can be extremely multifaceted, such as regrowing teeth and heart tissue, reversing the degeneration of nerve and brain tissue, allowing for wound healing without the formation of scar tissue, and much more.

Currently, stem cell therapy is used for joint pain issues, countering chronic pain, and anti-aging purposes. 

What's my take-home message here?

I'm not going to pretend that I've read up on the latest science of stem cells in 2022 like I did for my Master thesis in 2017. Instead, my message is that many biohackers and celebrities, like Dave Asprey and Joe Rogan, are already integrating stem cell therapy into their health and wellness routines. Harry Adelson gave a presentation about this phenomenon whereby he explained that stem cell therapy barely used to be considered in the health and wellness space 10 years ago, and is now an extremely hot topic:

And, no, most stem cell treatments are not funded through health insurance. That fact means that you'll have to find a private clinic and doctor to work with yourself and pay for the treatment if you want to use stem cells. Fortunately, Harry Adelson who now works with many biohackers through his Docere Clinics is a great trusted source for expanding your options.

Many biohackers like Ben Greenfield are already using stem cells and you could explore the topic too, if you've got an issue that's unresolved or difficult to heal. Or, alternatively, you might want to stay young(er). I highly recommend exploring the stem cell topic for biohackers and love that it's finally hitting the biohacking mainstream.

Moving on:

 

6. AquaTru: Pure H₂O And Nothing More

Not all water is created equal. Most tap water, no matter where you live, is horrible for your health. Sure, there's a difference between the drinking tap water from Flint, Michigan, and tap water sourced from spring water.

And yet, if you want absolute control over what you're putting into your body, you'll want to consider what is called "reverse osmosis" (RO) water. 

RO is where "AquaTru", as a company, comes in:

During the Health Optimisation Summit 2022, Aquatru showcased a countertop RO water filter. According to their website, the product filter

"83 contaminants, including Lead, Chlorine, Fluoride, Nitrates, PFOS, PFOA, and many more."

A four-step process ensures that contaminants, whether they're leftovers from prescription medicine or heavy metals, are removed from the water. What you'll end up with is pure H₂0, nothing else. Filtration levels range around the 99% range. For some substances, the filtration rate is 95% at the lowest, and other substances, 99%> are filtered.

Why would you care? Well, the reason it matters that you're drinking pure H₂0 is that there's nothing going into your body that should be there.

You might then ask "but Bart, what about the minerals I get from spring water?" Sure - you can add these minerals back in after the RO process and then completely control what's going into your body. This level of control is even impossible if you're drinking spring water because you don't have 100% control over what's ending up in your spring water or not.

Sure, most of the time spring water is harmless, but not always.  So, if you want the perfect water intake, use a countertop AquaTru filter or an under the sink model and upgrade your health effortlessly! Then, later on, you can add minerals back in so that you don't develop deficiencies.

Moving on to an entirely different topic:

 

7. SpermidineLIFE: Award-Winning Anti-Aging Supplement In A Bottle

A supplement that's very different than it sounds. The company spermidineLIFE offers a spermidine product that's aimed at cell renewal and removing cellular waste. 

The company offers several different formulations that pair the spermidine ingredient with different vitamins and minerals for optimal outcomes. For the best results, the product needs to be used over long periods of time, with two 1-month phases through the year wherein higher dosages of the product being promoted. During the other 5-month phases, you take a regular dose.

So here's how to conceptualize this product:

Many people already try to optimize the cell renewal and recycling process called "autophagy". Fasting and improving sleep quality are two of the main strategies to increase the amount of autophagy you're experiencing on a daily basis. This spermidine product facilitates the autophagy process.

Usually, I'm not a fan of promoting and hyping supplements as a first line of intervention for people entering the biohacking space. Instead, I think 99% of people should focus on the basics, like integrating sunlight into their lives, drinking healthy water, moving throughout the day, consuming adequate natural food that's high in micronutrients, and optimizing sleep quality, etcetera.

However, this SpermidineLIFE product has an impressive array of scientists behind its name and also won several awards at universities for its anti-aging purpose. Professor David Sinclair has attached his name to this product, for instance - he's one of the most prominent anti-aging experts out there who initially got famous for his research on resveratrol. So, if you want to give your autophagy a boost, consider this supplement - but I only recommend doing so if you've got the basics in place.

Next up:

 

8. Upgraded Consumer-Grade Ice Bath Technology 

At this website, we're a huge fan of ice baths. Fortunately, many companies are now bringing products to market that make your cold bath and ice bath experience a lot better. 

(Read my guide on the topic HERE.)

So here are some of the products I came across at the Health Optimisation Summit 2022:

First up, the Monk product hasn't been brought to market and there's a waiting list. But, the sleeky design and style, with the bathtub-like look, ensure that you've got a great option to upgrade your bathroom for functionality.

The benefit of the Monk is that you can set the temperatures of the water. Hence, you can opt to always use 3 degrees Celsius water, or 5 degrees Celsius, and adjust the intensity of your cold bath sessions. The Monk bath has already been called the "Peleton of recovery" in the media. 

Not everyone has access to a cold lake or the sea for cold thermogenesis, and therefore this cold bath is an extremely welcome invention! The design is also great, meaning that the product will look amazing in a bathroom. Long gone are the days I had a super ugly polyurethane tub in my garden

But, Monk was not the only product within this niche offered at the HOS in London 2022. Next up, there's the "Iced Tub":

The Iced Tub company offers products of different sizes and shapes, such as round models and oval ones.

Prices range from several thousands of USD to just under the $10K range. The product looks extremely sturdy and is very nicely designed. The company actually claims a 20-year product life, which is great and becomes an amazing investment if you're using cold thermogenesis regularly. Sure, spending $5,000 is a lot of money but if you can use it for 20 years and save a lot of time, it's an absolute steal. 

I felt the 3-degree Celsius water and it's the same that I got when I did cold plunges in the Dutch winter. 

Both the Ice Tube and Monk automatically filter the water through different means, such as ozone and UV treatment. These filtering methods ensure that there's no buildup of bacteria or other pathogens over time so that the water stays clean for much longer. In theory, the water should thus be clean for an extremely long time without refreshment. In practice though, the story is a little bit different as there's still dust that enters the water on a regular basis, as well as dead cells from your skin and other sources that pollute the water. Therefore, the water does need to be regularly refreshed.

Both products have a drain so that you can easily remove the water when necessary.

I'd love to have one of these products when I'm in a warmer country because cold water is simply not available. The generators attached to these products assure that you have ice cold water available 24/7 independent of the climate, which is great.

 

9. Blood Flow Restriction Training With Kaatsu

There's a huge amount of science published lately on the effects of restricting blood flow, such as for improving athletic performance and for quicker injury healing. Blood flow restriction is very simple to explain: by using bands around your extremities, you're making it harder for blood to flow through your vascular system, thereby challenging your body in new ways.

Simply applying pressure to your blood vessels and constricting them leads to poorer oxygenation and greater remains placed upon your vascular system. Muscle mass, strength, and endurance can all improve as a result. These gains subsequently also translate into better performance for athletes. The combination of regular strength training and blood flow restriction here leads to the best outcomes. 

Blood flow restriction training also has benefits if you want to rehabilitate after an injury. The reason for that benefit is that you can use lower loads and still place very high metabolic demands upon different tissues with blood flow restriction.

So, how do you easily apply these principles in your gym routines? Enter "Kaatsu" - the company offering easy to use blood flow restriction products for consumers. 

Kaatsu offers different wraps for the lower and upper extremities, which can be wrapped around the upper arm or upper thigh. Apparently, you'll still get systemic benefits from this blood flow restriction, even if you're only moving your arms or legs. Systemic hormonal improvements are also a result, such as human growth hormone (HGH). HGH levels go down with aging and Kaatsu might be one of the ways to keep your levels up, next to fasting and using infrared saunas.

Kaatsu cannot only be applied in the gym but also during swimming, track & field, running, water polo, and many other sports.

And, given that the product is very small and easy to store, as well as easy to use, I highly recommend checking out the Kaatsu website if you want to gain an edge! Next up, another potential game-changer:

 

10. Minimalist Gym With X3 Bars

Yes, yes, I know: in an ideal world, we'd all have an extensive home gym like Alex. You'd have a powerrack, multiple bars, different dumbells and kettlebells, an infrared sauna, red light therapy lights, a climbing wall, and much more.

Unfortunately, not all of us have unlimited space. If you're living inside a small apartment, building a home gym is usually not an option. 

The good news is that the X3 Bar offers a great opportunity to challenge your body to the extreme while taking up very little space. X3 has taken the engineering and design of bands to the next level and developed a product that allows you to easily use different resistance bands at almost any given level of strength:

Source: X3 Website

 

Each X3 Bar comes with different resistance bands that can be used by both the weakest and strongest person in the gym. The strongest bands that can be used with the X3 system will build up to a pressure of 600 pounds at the end range of motion.

These bands can be used to perform all of the standard gym movements, such as rows, deadlifts, squats, chest and overhead presses, biceps curls, triceps extensions, upright rows, and more. But, contrary to a barbell or dumbell, the X3 Bar and the resistance bands that come with it are very easily stored almost anywhere in your house. 

Also, the X3 product has several benefits over regular resistance training. First, the product allows you to overload your muscles and bones in the position where you're biomechanically the strongest. So, at the top of an overhead press, squat, or deadlift, you're usually the strongest, and this is where the X3 system maximizes the tension. 

Secondly, the system allows for the extremely simple application of intensity techniques such as partial repetitions once you've achieved failure with full repetitions. As a result, a few sets per day, according to one of the prescribed programs that are located on the website, are sufficient for great long-term results.

Lastly, the X3 system is even made for travel, and can be transported if you're flying due to its low weight.

 

11. ARX For Next-Level Strength Training

Alex has already extensively reviewed the ARX strength training equipment in 2017. And yet, I had not yet viewed these devices before so I was really impressed with them. Basically, the ARX machines allow you to overload the "eccentric" portion of the lifting phase. An example of that eccentric portion of the lifting phase is when you're lowering yourself during a squat or when you're lowering the bar during a bench press.

During that eccentric phase, you're much stronger, because you don't move the weight in the opposite direction of gravity.

What the ARX machine does is putting a much higher pressure on your system during the eccentric phase, while lowering the amount of work you have to do during the concentric phase.

Let's say, for instance, that you can bench 100 kilograms. The ARX machine subsequently puts 120 kilograms of pressure on your arms during the lowering portion of the lift, and 90 kilograms during the concentric phase. This principle of varying pressure is only possible while using a machine though, as it would become far too dangerous if you were using free weights.

There are two main ARX machines on the market today, one machine that allows for a leg press, row, and chest press mainly, as well as some other exercises such as calves and your core. And, secondly, a pulley ARX system that allows for the application of many different exercises.

Over the last few years - since Alex first used the product - ARX has been slowly upgrading their product.

The firmware and software guiding you through the workouts has massively improved, as well as the engineering of the product. In the past, some very strong persons could still apply more force than the ARX machine could handle, such as thousands of pounds of pressure during leg presses. ARX has upgraded their machines so that even world-class strongmen have a hard time failing on the machine! 

Lastly, because of the extreme intensity of the ARX workouts, you don't need much time every week to challenge your system. The system is therefore great for people who love to manage their time.

The ARX machines are pricey though, starting at $40K USD - but, if you're a high earner, the time saved going to the gym and the time spent there will be saved, potentially justifying the price. Elite athletes might also gain a great edge by the overload potential of these ARX machines.

Moving on:

 

12. Stylish Grounding Shoes By Bahé

You've probably wanted to spend more time grounded to the Earth, and yet, don't have an easy option. The grounding shoes by Bahé are an excellent option here, as they combine both functionality and style:

Yes, grounded shoes have been on the market for a longer period of time. For instance, our team member Aedon reviewed the GoST running shoes in 2020. I would personally not wear these chainmail shoes, to be honest, because they look too far out of the norm. 

But, the Bahé shoes look very normal and can therefore be worn anywhere.

The shoes give you the ability to ground by connecting electrically conductive materials from the bottom of the shoe to the inside of the soles. Even if you're wearing cotton socks - and I've asked the manufacturers - you will be grounded when walking on these shoes. That principle is explained in this picture:

The company claims improved sleep, reduced inflammation, and better performance and recovery as a benefit. In theory, I agree, although the research on grounding, and better yet, earthing, is somewhat lacking right now and potentially biased.

Nevertheless, it's amazing to see that people in cities finally have an option to earth in a park without looking like complete weirdos.

Sure, looking like a weirdo is part of being a health freak - I'm spotted with blue-blocking glasses sometimes as well - but many people wish to blend in and lead a normal social life. With the Bahé shoes, you can now walk your dog in the morning, look "normal", and get grounding benefits in the morning.

Speaking of innovation in shoes:

 

13. Trendy Minimalist Footwear By Xero Shoes

I'm noticing a trend: biohacking products are going mainstream. How long before you and I see the first innovative blue light blocking glasses that look totally normal? Well, you might have to wait a while for normal-looking blue light blocking glasses to hit the market, but for minimalist footwear, the market already offers what you need!

Xero Shoes offers minimalist shoes - i.e. shoes that mimick barefoot walking - in many different styles:

Sure, many of the models are aimed to be worn at athletic events, but, some of the models also look good casually. I've seen a few men's models that I would personally wear during the daytime, when not exercising.

Again, call it stupid, but people who like to look good such as me really care about such developments and welcome it with open arms. Looks and function can go together, and if you're interested in the topic, I recommend checking out the 10-part video series by on going "barefoot" and minimalist by Xero Shoes.

Next up, I'm heading back to the topic of EMFs - which is actually related to the topic I've covered in the previous two sections:

 

14. Somavedic - Creating A Schumann Resonance For Natural EMF Support

And, you and I are back to the topic of EMFs...

One of the reasons you'll want to be barefoot and connected to the Earth is because the planet is emitted a very low frequency of electromagnetic radiation: the Schumann resonance. That Schumann resonance occurs at 7.83, 14.1 and 20.3 Hertz. 

The presence of tons of EMFs in the environment, however, interferes with your body's ability to get in contact with that Schumann resonance. Cell towers, DECT phones, smartphones, WiFi, and other sources of EMF all create a toxic soup in your environment that causes constant stress on your body.

Adding healthy EMFs to your environment, in turn, should counter some of the negative consequences that artificial EMFs have on your health. The Schumann resonance is such a healthy EMF. Somavedic has developed a specific product that emits that Schumann resonance.

The company claims that people feel more energized, focused, productive and calm when using this device. I'm very much interested in testing whether this is actually the case and whether I would be able to quantify any benefit. Currently, I'm writing this blog post from an AirBNB location in south London, with tons of different WiFi networks and cell towers present. This situation makes me feel worse than I normally do in the rural Netherlands or Latin America where I spend much time.

As billions of people live in cities worldwide, and urbanization is still not finished, Somavedic has found an incredible customer base if their products work. With 5G coming, and WiFi everywhere, everyone living in a city can potentially benefit from these products. However, me or Alex still need to test this product to know for sure whether it really works, of course. 

Below you can view some of the different Somavedic devices:

The devices are quite simple to use - you just plug them into the power and they'll start working. Depending on the device, the Schumann low frequency EMF is projected towards greater and greater distances. 

The only downside about the product is that it's quite pricey. The Vedic Model bestseller costs $950 USD. The strongest model in the lineup, Amber, costs $2,420 USD and projects a Schumann resonance that reaches 4 times as far as the Vedic model. The Vedic has a projection area of 30 meters around the unit.

If you're interested in learning more, check out the science page of Somavedic above all. Several interesting studies are included on that page showing very dramatic health improvements. 

Next up, another very interesting innovation:

 

15. Personalized Multivitamins With Bioniq

I've extensively written about micronutrients in the past. For instance, I've written long guides about iron, magnesium, and zinc. On this website, we also talk extensively about optimizing the micronutrient intake throughout the day. 

The problem, however, is that if you're taking a multivitamin or multimineral supplement, you're using a shotgun approach. Most people don't really know whether they're deficient in iron or have an overload, or whether they're ingesting sufficient vitamin B₆ or too little. This is where Bioniq comes in. 

Bioniq offers personalized multivitamins and minerals. Before buying any supplement from them, they first lab test your vitamin and mineral status. Next up, they design a multivitamin and multimineral that's targeted solely at your deficiencies. You then use the product for a couple of months and lab test yourself for your vitamin, mineral, hormonal, and many other biomarkers again.

So, if you're deficient in vitamin B₁, zinc, and selenium, the multivitamin and multimineral combination will contain these ingredients in higher quantities. Bioniq achieves this feat by creating capsules whereby individual nutrients are contained in bullet-like substances:

These individual bullets - containing all the individual vitamins and minerals - are then put into capsules. A bottle with your name on it with a 3-month supply of the personalized multivitamin and mineral supplement will then be shipped to you. The bottle even contains a personalized label that tells you what dose of each vitamin and mineral is contained inside your personalized supplement. 

I truly love this approach as you're at a far lower risk of overdosing on vitamins and minerals that you're already adequate in. Functional medicine has become more accessible through the Bioniq product. 

And, there's more:

 

17. The Next-Generation Sleep Masks With Z Lab

I've got a confession to make: I'm addicted to my sleep mask. I'm travelling around a lot and therefore I don't always control the light that comes into my bedroom. For that reason it's extremely important to ensure that you're sleeping in a dark room, but, taking blackout curtains with me on my travels is not an option.

Sleep masks, however, fix the problem perfectly but not all of them are created equal. We've seen some great improvements in sleep mask technology in the last few years - I'm currently using the BLUblox Classic Blackout Sleep Mask that has eye patches so that there's no excess pressure on your eyes while sleeping. A new company called "Z Lab", moreover, is currently bringing even newer designs to market. You can view the product here:

I've tried the mask at the stand and it was really comfortable. If I needed a new mask I would have definitely bought a Z Lab mask, but, I already have a backup for my current mask so I don't want to own too many of them.

The design of the Z Lab mask is definitely better than the eye patch generation mask that came before it a few years ago. While the eye patches of the BLUblox mask that I'm using right now are still amazing, this Z Lab design is better because the pressure of the mask is applied to your forehead and a lot further down your eyes, increasing comfort. The Z Lab mask also blacks out the light in the environment extremely well.

I can't wait for what types of sleep masks hit the market in 5 or 10 years' time...

 

18. Functional Medicine Is Evolving With Justin Maguire

Just like listening to Harry Adelson on stem cells and hearing Todd White on his Dry Farm Wines is extremely inspiring, the same is true for listening to Justin Maguire from Autonomic Coaching.

Justin was one of the speakers at the Health Optimisation Summit and I listened to three separate talks of him. The talks concerned minerals and health, detoxification, and making bodybuilding healthier.

It's interesting to see ideas that I learned during my own functional medicine training at the Balance Protocol Institute go more into the mainstream, such as:

• Most people shouldn't primarily focus on detoxing if they're first improving their health. Instead, the focus should be on adequate nutrition and building health in the sense that there are no nutritional deficiencies. Only then, after nutritional deficiencies are fixed, should you focus on detoxification. Why? Simple: detoxification places extra stress on the body. I've actually heard from a few people at the conference who were hurt by detoxification protocols that were too extreme.
• Hardcore bodybuilding - even without taking any illegal and unhealthy performance-enhancing drugs - isn't always healthy. Many of us in the sport (although I mostly focused on building strength and never competed) have the "more is better" approach, but in time, we're slowly killing ourselves by training for 2 hours a day, 6 days a week. If you're not recovering well, with great sleep scores on your Oura Ring or Biostrap, and very low stress levels, there's no reason why you should ever exercise like a maniac. People should master recovery first before putting extreme stress on their bodies.
• Where you live matters a lot. Justin lives in South Africa and I've lived in Mexico, Brazil, and Peru in the 2021-2022 period. I can definitely tell after these experiences of living in different countries for a few months that where you live affects health greatly. While I'm doing great here in London right now, typing this blog post, I'm personally not getting the "high" of living in warm weather near the equator. Some of these places were also very low in EMFs, making the deal even sweeter. Both Justin and I talked about how we longed to return to an environment with lots of sunlight and hot weather. There's something "off" about dark cities like London for me, although I also know from experience that many people do well in these environments. Having said that, we agreed that "environment" as a category is very important for all health endeavors. 

If you need a good coach for improving your health, check out Autonomic Coaching for functional medicine support. Let's move on to the next topic:

 

19. Bella & Duke: Our Pets Need Biohacking Too!

What's next, stem cell therapy and drinks to give the boozy feeling without alcohol for cats and dogs? Those biohacks have to wait, but right now, natural and raw food is becoming a big idea for our cats and dogs. 

Bella and Duke offer frozen raw food for our pets that are stored in your fridge. The 4-kilogram boxes take up about half of a freezer drawer and are therefore easy to store and manage. Each 4-kilogram box makes up 8 tubs for dogs and 16 tubs for cats. These tubs, in turn, can be used to create individual meals. That way your little loved ones will always have access to the freshest and most natural foods.

Why?

In the same way your body thrives on foods you were meant to eat, the same is true for your loved pets.

So, if you've got a cat and that cat is eating supermarket food, that's the human equivalent to eating junk food every day that's drenched with seed oils, sugar, and additives. And, just like your energy levels, digestion, well-being, sleep, joint health, and other areas suffer greatly if you consume the wrong food, the same is true for your pets.

Hence, cats, as carnivores, shouldn't eat supermarket pet food that contains tons of grains. For that reason, Bella and Duke are offering a great product because it gives you access to easy to use and store natural pet food that's perfectly healthy for your little loved ones. 

Then, lastly:

 

20. Honorable Mentions

I've met too many interesting people over the last few days, and for a few of them, I'll only briefly mention them here:

• Thanks so much for the great vagus nerve stimulator developed by Sensate and the nice talk we had, Michelle. The Sensate attempts to replace meditation - which is often hard to properly learn or maintain as a practice for many people. It was really nice talking to you, Michelle from Sensate!
• Meeting Bryan from Red Light Rising, arguably the most prestigious red light therapy company in the UK right now. For the first time, I experienced using a red light therapy mega panel, the humongous Advantage XL. I love to see that extremely large red light therapy panels are developed that cut treatment time by a lot.
• Robert from Nordic Kings, who are the first to offer 100% organic organ meat supplements. More products will also be coming from this company, such as bone broth powder and a few others.
• Great to see my friend Johannes Kettelhodt from Clearlight Infrared Saunas. Nice to be talking about innovation in the space and being the first company that offers red light therapy panels inside a sauna.
• Bone Strong is a UK-based company that specializes in simplifying strength training the same way the aforementioned ARX does. The Bone Strong offers only isometric resistance at the part of the range of motion where you're the strongest. An example is the lockout of a chest press. ARX, on the contrary, uses a full range of motion while overloading the eccentric part and is a little bit more useful in my opinion. Still, the studies carried out by Bone Strong are very promising, but the company does not offer the product to consumers yet. You can join the Bone Strong waiting list on their website though.

Also, if you're one of the many people I spoke to and I forgot you, it's nothing personal. I just included the most important ideas and innovations from my personal perspective - yours might be just as valid as well. 

And with that being said, let's conclude:

 

Finishing Thoughts: 2023 And Beyond - Here We Come!

Very happy to see all the developments in the biohacking space in 2022. Stay tuned as the Biohacker Summit in Helsinki will be held in a few days and I'll also give you an update about that event. 

It's great to see more customers entering the space and to see the space growing. As a result, you and I should have many more new options in the years and decades to come! 

Also, if you've got any questions, make sure to comment below and I'll happily answer them.