Bio Alchemy: The Daily Biohacking Podcast

David Krantz is returning for his second interview on the Bio Alchemy podcast, less than a week after his first appearance to talk about epigenetics, EMF, and more. Though in this episode, our focus is the body's endocannabinoid system, sound healing, and more on genetic variances that make us humans special. David Krantz is an epigenetics coach, and someone who specialises in boosting cognitive function and helping clients harness their creative and personal power. As a lifelong musician, David sees the various systems of the body as parts of a complex symphony. And, as a coach, he excels at fine-tuning those parts to create resonant harmonious health. David also serves as Director of Psychoacoustics at Apeiron Center in Asheville, NC where he develops sound-based tools for better mood, energy, and focus. Additionally, he’s an expert in the pharmacogenetics of the endocannabinoid system and has developed a proprietary genetic test for looking at individual response to cannabinoids. A biohacker by training an

Mason Taylor is a health educator, tonic herb expert, and the founder of Superfeast.com.au, which is one of the world's most prominent purveyors of potent, wild-crafted medicinal mushrooms & adaptogen herbs, designed to upgrade your body naturally in almost evcery way possible. An Australian like myself, Mason's extreme love of natural healing products and foraging for his own mushrooms, lead him to create Superfeast in order to share this ancient plant knowledge, and help others living in today's modern world support their immune system, kidney function, sex hormones, and many other aspects of their life using these compounds -- many that have been used traditionally for thousands of years, but now have advanced scientific backing showing their power on the human body. In this episode we discuss some of the potent ranges of herbal medicine, how tonic herbs can detoxify the body, the healing and immune-supporting properties of several kinds of medicinal mushrooms, details on several unique herbs including

The brain is arguably the most important organ we have. And like the complex organ it is, there are a ton of neurotransmitters and chemicals in the brain that are required to keep it functioning optimally, and one of those is the focus of today's biohacking episode on keeping your thinking meat running the best it can. BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) is a chemical that’s present in some of the most important areas of your brain, that are responsible for learning, advanced thinking, as well as memory. So based on that alone, you should begin to see its importance. One of the best ways I’ve heard BDNF described is to think of it like a fertilizer for brain cells, that assists them in growing and functioning better. This process of brain or nerve cell growth is called neurogenesis, and it’s something you want happening at optimal levels, if you want to maintain a healthy brain – both now, and more importantly, as you age. In this episode, I discuss what brain-derived neurotrophic factor (or BDNF) is, th

David Krantz is an epigenetics coach, and someone who specialises in boosting cognitive function and helping clients harness their creative and personal power. As a lifelong musician, David sees the various systems of the body as parts of a complex symphony. And, as a coach, he excels at fine-tuning those parts to create resonant harmonious health. David also serves as Director of Psychoacoustics at Apeiron Center in Asheville, NC where he develops sound-based tools for better mood, energy, and focus. Additionally, he’s an expert in the pharmacogenetics of the endocannabinoid system and has developed a proprietary genetic test for looking at individual response to cannabinoids. A biohacker by training and artist by nature, David enjoys working with others who have a deep passion for enjoying life.  In this episode, David and I discuss why the genes you were born with don't necessarily control your destiny, how several hundred thousand genes rule what foods are likely beneficial or harmful to you, the diminish

Lion's mane is a phenomenal compound that's been used for thousands of years as a tonic herb, especially in China. Though like a lot of other herbal medicines and natural compounds I've discussed on this podcast before, there's now an incredible amount of science pointing to the benefits of lion's mane on human health, which I've decided to dedicate an entire podcast episode to. While lion's mane has a ton of scientifically-backed effects, from fighting off cancer and disease, to regenerating neural activity, assisting in the growth of the myelin sheath around nerves, and so much more, many biohackers are turning to it for its effects as a nootropic compound, and something to help them perform better cognitively on a daily basis. And it's mostly for this reason — as well as for its brain-defending effects — that I integrate it into my daily practice almost every single day. In this episode, I talk about the historic use of lion's mane mushroom in traditional Chinese medicine, some of the important compounds w

David Tomen is the founder of Nootropics Expert (http://nootropicsexpert.com/) and a wealth of knowledge when it comes to smart drugs, neurotransmitters, and brain health. David's journey into the world of nootropics started when he was diagnosed with adult ADD. After years of buying self-help books, and even suffering depression over his inability to focus, ritalin helped turn his life and career around. But a few short years later, a trip to the ER saw David being tested by neurologists for early-onset Alzheimer's (which fortunately came back negative), though he went on to suffer from chronic fatigue, memory loss, and his business and personal life began to suffer severely. This caused David to dive deep into the world of nootropics, and with a methodically-researched regime of regimen of supplements and lifestyle changes, he had his brain working better than ever before. David went on to found NootropicsExpert.com, and wrote two books on the subject — Secrets Of The Optimised Brain, and Head First — all w

Dr Kári Stefánsson is one of the world's most famous and outspoken geneticists. A native of Iceland — a country I call home most of the year — Dr Stefánsson is the founder and CEO of Iceland's deCODE Genetics (https://www.decode.com/), a company that's conducted some of the world's most groundbreaking research into the topic of human genetics, and what makes us tick on the DNA level. Although you may not have heard of him, Dr Stefánsson is something of a celebrity in Iceland, due to the extensive research he's done on studying the genetics of the Icelandic population, as well as recording and collating genealogical data of Icelandic people and their descendents. It's not well known, but Iceland has some of the best recorded written ancestry data in the world, with many Icelandic citizens able to trace their ancestors all the way back to the settling of the island in the 9th century — over 1,000 years ago.   In this episode, we talk about the field of genetics, how genetic mutations impact our species as a who

Travel is becoming one of those parts of modern life that many people can't escape. And whether it's something you do for pleasure, or something for fun, many people still aren't aware of how much potential damage that could be happening to their biology when they're floating at 35,000ft above the surface of the planet, and what leads to this. I've been travelling professionally for over a decade, for about the same amount of time as I've been delving deep into biohacking. However, even so, it's only over the last couple of years that more information about how damaging air travel can be to the human body is beginning to surface, and in my opinion, not nearly fast enough. And whether it's increased radiation, additional EMF, or the increased possibility of catching a virus, there's a lot to to be worried about, but also a lot that you can do to protect yourself. In this episode, I go over the basics of the three main environmental sources of damage to biology during air travel, the kinds of radiation levels y

Victor Mifsud calls himself the Blind Biohacker, and is my guest on today's episode of the Bio Alchemy podcast. Victor is legally blind, and at one point in his life was told that he was going to lose his sight completely by the age of 30. However, he didn't accept that diagnosis, and through the power of citizen science and his own research, he sought out non-mainstream alternative therapies to heal his eyesight. Not only did his vision not degenerate further, but now at the age of 40, he's regained over 30% of his vision, by learning how to biohack his biology. Victor also suffered from learning issues from a young age, which he learned to conquer through the emerging science of neuroplasticity — basically, learning how to remap and change the brain, to make it work better than it ever has before. Neuroplasticity is also the focus of Victor's documentary "My Neuroplastic Adventure", where he records his journey of improving his learning skills, as well as bringing himself back from the brink of total blindn

We all want to look younger, feel healthier, and have radiant skin. Unfortunately though, in today's modern world, there are more toxins, and environmental factors working against us in terms of our skin health, and looking youthful. And don't even get me started on how food affects your skin health, with processed junk damaging all parts of the human body, leading to accelerated aging, and people looking older beyond their actual chronological age.Skin is unbelievably important to the human body. It contains photoreceptors which help regulate our hormones depending on the time of day, it acts as a barrier to stop things like hedgehogs and tarantulas from getting inside us, helps regulate our internal temperature,  and it protects us from things like dirt, dust, and radiation. You should love your skin – without it, you’d be toast.But, there's a lot of good news when it comes to skin health. Like any part of your body or health routine, your skin health can be biohacked to keep it more healthy, looking younge

Sebastian Mireau is the is a lifelong wellness enthusiast, as well as the co-founder and CEO of Clearlight Saunas (https://bit.ly/2VjBPNI), which are basically the biohacker's choice when it comes to infrared saunas due to their state-of-the-art tech, and ultra-lux designs. Sauna therapy is something that's been popular in the health and wellness fields for a long time, and with good reason. With literally hundreds of studies now pointing to the fact that it can heal the body, as well as maintain overall wellness, it's no wonder that people like those in Finland have been using sauna therapy for literally several thousand years. I personally almost always try and get in at least one sauna per week, though ideally more. And if it's not something that you've ever considered as part of your overall wellness routine, this episode may have you stripping off and heading for the closest sauna near you. In this episode, we talk about the benefits of infrared saunas on your skin health, recovery, and longevity, what s

Joe Cohen is someone I've been following for years online, and is someone I'm thankful to have interviewed for the Bio Alchemy podcast. Joe is the founder and CEO of SelfHacked (https://selfhacked.com/), which in my opinion is one of the most important resources for biohackers online. A phenomenal resource for research materials, informative articles, and just about everything else in between, there's almost nothing you can think of that hasn't been covered in this web-based bible for biohackers. Joe Cohen says that he won the genetic lottery of bad genes. As a kid, he suffered from inflammation, brain fog, fatigue, digestive problems, anxiety, depression, and other issues that were poorly understood in both conventional and alternative medicine. Frustrated by the lack of good information and tools, Joe decided to embark on a journey of self-experimentation and self-learning to improve his health — an approach that has since become known as “biohacking” as we now know it. With thousands of experiments and pub

What if I told you that you could implement a scientifically-backed biohacking ritual into your daily life that's proven to protect your DNA from damage, and that only contains two ingredients you may already have in your kitchen? If you think that definitely sounds too good to be true, you'd be wrong — as that's exactly what I'll be sharing with you in this episode. You've likely heard that olive oil has some incredible health benefits (that is if it's of high quality), and a recent scientific study showed that by mixing it in a tonic with only one other herbal ingredient that I'll share with you in this episode, it has the effect of supercharging your body's DNA defence system, to protect you from serious oxidative stress, damage due to reactive oxygen species, and general disease. In this episode, you'll learn why phenolic compounds are so important to get into your body, the effects they can have on fighting disease, what one study is saying about the effects of olive oil and enriched extra virgin olive o

Chris Storey is my Yoda. Chris is the founder of Primal Alchemy (http://primalalchemy.co.uk), podcaster, philosopher, and all-round "Woke AF" dude, in the most positive sense of the term. Chris' first interview on the Bio Alchemy podcast (episode #38, listen here: https://bit.ly/2HasMJZ) is by far my most downloaded episode to date, and with good reason. His knowledge and wisdom on topics physical, wellbeing, spiritual and esoteric is vast, and Chris has a way of describing some of these complex concepts with such simplicity and grace that seems to make all of you want more. And it's for this reason that Chris is the first guest to return for a second interview on the Bio Alchemy podcast, which I'm very happy to share with you all today. Be aware that for those of you who want straight biohacking information, this episode isn't one of those. And although Chris and I do touch on a few biohacking concepts in this episode like sun gazing, grounding, cellular energy, mitochondria, and a few others, this is defini

Pine pollen has been a part of my biohacker's toolkit for years, and is an extremely powerful compound when it comes to biohacking a ton of aspects of human biology. From longevity, to protecting cells, increasing mood, maintaining hormone balance, and even making your sex life better, there's almost nothing this herbal remedy seems to not be useful for. And although it's most commonly used by men, women can see some incredible benefits by integrating pine pollen into their routine as well. Containing hundreds of micronutrients and minerals, a ton of amino acids, being almost a third by weight in protein, and being absolutely packed with androgens, pine pollen truly is a superfood in every sense of the word. And because of that, it counts as being one of my absolute must-have ingredients for helping with many aspects of my life, especially things like testosterone production, and whole-body performance. And while pine pollen has been used for over a thousand years as tonic herb, modern science has begun to un

Connor Young is the founder and CEO of Ample Foods (https://amplemeal.com/). Ample Foods is a complete meal replacement product, that caters for those of normal, vegan, and ketogenic dietary observations, with an extremely high-quality product designed to either supplement your current calorie intake, or even replace certain meals altogether. Unlike many other similar products that have come before it, Ample is stands out due to their use of extremely high-quality, expensive, and nourishing ingredients. I'm normally not a fan of meal replacement products like Soylent or others due to the high levels of processed or low-quality ingredients, though Ample is definitely doing things differently in using naturally-sourced and organic ingredients. This is an interesting episode for those interested in human nutrition, as due to Connor's journey in creating Ample Foods, the company has done extensive research on not only what the human body needs, but delivering it in a way that the absolute maximum amount of nutrie

Erick Godsey is one of my favourite conversations to date on the Bio Alchemy podcast. Erick has a truly interesting mind, and is unique in his ability to express the journey of psychedelics in a way few people are able to. He's a student of psychology and the stories we tell ourselves about ourselves and the world. He has a BS in Cognitive psychology and is currently reading Carl Jung's Collected Works. This episode comes to you courtesy of the fact that one of the most requested topics that I delve deeper into is that of psychedelics, their effects on the brain, and how they can be used to experience heightened or enhanced states of human consciousness. Although it's something I've spoken about in previous episodes with guests like Cami Petyn (Supreme Banana) and Kyle Maynard, it seemed that a lot of you in my listening audience wanted more, hadn't yet delved into this world, or wanted an episode dedicated to a general overview of psychedelics. And I'm very happy that it's Erick that will be taking you on th

Sean McCormick is one of the most knowledgeable humans I've ever met when it comes to the topic of nootropics, or smart drugs as they're sometimes more commonly known. And as the host of Natural Stacks' Optimal Performance Podcast, it's something you'd definitely expect, as it's Sean's job and passion to dive deep into these topics on a daily basis. The OPP is one of the longest-running biohacking podcasts on the internet, and is one of my go-to podcasts that I use to upgrade my own knowledge on the world of biohacking and beyond. And it's for this reason I'm incredibly thankful to have Sean on the podcast, sharing his wealth of experience on nootropics, and biohacking cognitive performance. Sean is also a performance coach, who helps clients from around the world up-level in mind, body, spirit and purpose. He's founded floatation therapy centers, coached Hollywood actors, CEOs and professional athletes, but likes to be known for his work in bringing esoteric wisdom into the current day to deepen purpose and

When chatting to biohackers, top performers, or any kind of leader in the field of health, wellness, business, sports, or beyond, one thread that seems to link them all is that they almost without fail have a meditation practice. And while meditation has been touted for an incredibly long time for its benefits to the mind, body, and soul, there's one tactic that's fast replacing my meditation practice as the number one thing I absolutely must do each day if I want to be operating at my peak. And that's grounding, or earthing. In this 50th episode of the Bio Alchemy podcast, I discuss this ridiculously simple biohack that's been a part of my daily practice, and why it's something you should be implementing into your life each and every day without fail, to maintain a level of homeostasis. As I talk about in this short solo episode as well, you'll learn why it's so essential, and why the human race is so strange in our ways of disconnecting ourselves from the planet, when no other species does this. You'll lear

Matt Maruca is the king of light. Well-known in the biohacking world for his intense and deep knowledge on the topic of how natural light is necessary for optimal human life, and how junk light is a leading contributor to illness and disease, Matt has no shortage of chunks of tasty information that need to be implanted deep into your brain. He embodies this as part of his philosophy of sharing as much as he can about the fundamental reasons why the world at large is suffering from an epidemic of chronic disease, with people being at a higher risk than ever before in human history for developing conditions like anxiety, depression, heart disease, obesity, autoimmunity, and cancer. Apart from his phenomenal insights on the topic of light Matt is also the founder of Ra Optics (https://raoptics.com/), a company that produces what are in my opinion are the gold standard for blue light blocking glasses. You may have heard me talk about Ra Optics in past episodes of the podcast, due to their function of blocking dam