Any interesting Health Hacks to share?

[thelerner]

Stuff I do..

Lately after eating, I'll continually rinse out my mouth, ie gargle w/ water, repeatedly (3 or 4 times) til no little bits of food come out.

I assume it's these little bits that turn acidic and hurt mouth health.  Perhaps long rinsing also knocks down some of the acidic nature in the mouth for a little bit.  Anyhow since I've been doing this I've gotten good dental reports.  

I use Sensodyne toothpaste.  Otherwise my teeth are sensitive to hot and cold.  This is controversial but at night after brushing I'll spit out the toothpaste and foam, but not rinse out, ie leave a thin coating on my teeth.  To my mind it strengthens them.

 

I'll often do Wim Hof breathing, an unique form of body stress that might turn on some good hormones.  Likewise take cold showers  In winter they'll get real.  Why?  Again, a unique form of stress that 'exercising' circulation and releasing some good hormones.  

 

Tracking my sleep w/ Oura Ring.  It records sleep time and depth.  Heart rate, temperature, movement.. using the data to plot to show how well you sleep.  A nice tool for an insomniac like me.  Best motivator to change something is to keep records of it.

 

 

Any unusual health things you do??

 

 

[C T]

Lately I've been playing around with Chinese mugwort as its growing quite profusely in my garden. Seems to be working quite nicely. Not sure if I'm saying this right, but I've managed to hack around a feeling of lethargy after each meal. And I'm a very light eater, like 3 spoons of rice (as a base) for dinner sort of light. So I realised maybe my digestive system is on the wane and some perking up was in order. Apparently the whole plant is edible, and its claimed to have a number of health benefits. The roots are meant to be great as an energy booster as it inhibits the build-up of lactic acid and also the ridding of it. Its also a potent inclusion in most moxibustion treatment. 

 

Artemisia absinthium, or wormwood, a close relative of mugwort, is used in the production of absinthe. Good stuff when taken in moderation.

[Toni]

Lately I have been doing the keto diet, lowering my carbs intake, and intermittent fasting. I can tell you this works well

[Encephalon]

I gave covid-19 to my family for Christmas and we've dropped meat consumption ever since.  We just felt like eating lightly and mostly sleeping it off.  We're basically on the "How Not to Die" eating plan, and the cookbook that goes with it is packed full of really good recipes.  Going veg was the culmination of decades of aspiration. 

 

  https://zen12.com/  is the third and final brain entrainment program I've tried and the results are exactly what the science promises if you use it consistently.  I'm going into my tenth year and can't express the difference by any and all criteria.  I never had much success maintaining buddhist meditation but this really worked.  Of course, it is a passive exercise; you're not getting the practice of renunciation and discipline that comes with regular zazen.

 

https://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/  fixes your shit.  Period.  20-minute hypnosis sessions designed for virtually any area of your life you want to improve.  I've used a couple dozen different recordings, everything from improving focus to discipline to will power.  Check out the website and grow!

 

Cold showers have already been mentioned.  It's easier to begin in the summer, obviously. I'm a little over the top with it; I get into the shower stall, aim my face directly at the shower head, and reach down to yank the cold water on.   There are many claims made about the health benefits but I mostly use it as training for becoming less reactive.  Remaining motionless when the blast hits you is good training. It still doesn't stop me from yelling at the other morons on the freeway but it feels great after you dry off. 

 

I recently discovered Brain Elevate by NOW FOODS and find it the most cost-effective cognitive enhancement formula on the market.  Of course, the cheapest is a cocktail of 100mg caffeine with 200mg theanine.  But it's often necessary for caffeine users like me to flush it out before bed, and there ain't nothing better than Daily De-Caffeinate https://dailydecaffeinate.com/

 

Who has enough time to read everything you want to?  Not me.  I use this speedreading program, the best $80 investment I've ever made.  It's really fun to use, just 15 minutes a day to triple your reading speed.  

https://www.7speedreading.com/

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by Encephalon
forgot link

[C T]

One of the biggest threats to pristine health is the accumulation of phlegm in the body. This build-up is caused by many of the common foods consumed on a daily basis, for eg dairy products, fried products, cold drinks, carbonated drinks, foods of a damp nature, etc. Many people unconsciously or reflexively ingest phlegm - this is very bad. Phlegm is gunk that inadvertently chokes up the subtle channels too, with many harmful repercussions.

 

One of the simplest ways to assist the natural dispersion of phlegm is the regular inclusion of monk fruit (lohan fruit) in one's diet. 

 

"According to a 2011 study, monk fruit has been used in TCM for centuries to make hot drinks that relieve sore throats and reduce phlegm. The fruit's mogrosides are said to be anti-inflammatory, and may help prevent cancer and keep blood sugar levels stable."

 

Edited October 2, 2021 by C T

[Goddodin]

I’ve spent years waking up at five, doing breathwork, cold showers and then fasting.  Stopped all that. These are things I swear by now which come with a solid backing;

 

having eight hours in bed minimum each day.

 

breakfast.

 

drinking within government alcohol guidelines.

 

walking everyday. 
 

talking to my wife every evening.

 

 

wish I’d settled for these years ago. They work.

 

[Eduardo]

I have been using acupressure in the morning and before sleep on kidney 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, spleen 6 and also liver 2 and 3.

 

Lowering the heat, strengthens the yin of those meridians and helps you sleep soundly.

[Pyramidalcow]

Go vegan. Calorie deficiet. 2000 cwlorie for adults is a little to much.

[silent thunder]

Fasting.  Regular fasting.

 

Really beneficial for so. many. aspects of health.

[daojones]

peptides 

 

[Seeking]

Oh goodie! This is my favourite area. I'll share a few hacks I especially like:

 

Keto -  Its hard to shift to because everyone is carb addicted but once you do (use an electrolyte drink, its essential to avoid Keto Flu) you will find your body and mind run spectacularly well. I've tried Vegan, Vegetarian etc.. everything you can name but Keto beats them all as it automatically leans you out as it uses your fat reserves for energy. Anyone with any kind of metabolic syndrome should really look into it.

 

Ashwagandha - Specifically the KSM-66 type, is a huge help when it comes to excess Cortisol production and how that has a knock on effect on the body. Its also quite cheap. Life changing supplement.

 

Caffeine - Cut it out of your life all together. You'll be so much happier without the up and down effect it has. That is once you get over the withdrawal symptoms. It will also take your meditation to another level as your nerves don't have that residual low level excitement in them any more. Lets you get way deeper into the experience. 

 

Massage - Get one at least every week. If you can't afford it shuffle things around and make it a priority. So many health benefits. We are made to touch and be touched.

 

[liminal_luke]

Lots of great ideas here.  The tricky part is often that works for one person might not work for another.  We´re all so individual.  I like to try things and see.  One unusual suggestion I´ve played with is mouth taping before sleep, putting a piece of surgical tape over my lips to encourage nose breathing.  

Edited November 1, 2021 by liminal_luke

[el_tortugo]

17 minutes ago, Seeking said:

Caffeine - Cut it out of your life all together. You'll be so much happier without the up and down effect it has. That is once you get over the withdrawal symptoms. It will also take your meditation to another level as your nerves don't have that residual low level excitement in them any more. Lets you get way deeper into the experience. 

 

 

I agree! I had cut out caffeine and cut back to a vegan, mostly raw diet for a few months. I slowly reintroduced cooked foods and soups with chicken broth and pork broths when I began feeling drained. I need to look into keto. I've been maintaining calorie reduction and its great! 

 

About caffeine, what do you think of green tea? I had cut that out, but have been drinking it again for a few weeks. 

 

 

17 minutes ago, Seeking said:

Massage - Get one at least every week. If you can't afford it shuffle things around and make it a priority. So many health benefits. We are made to touch and be touched.

 

 

This is such great advice! I don't do it, but thanks for the reminder. Massage is a miracle. My favorites are Thai and Shiatsu. What kinds do you recommend? 

 

 

 

 

[Seeking]

1 minute ago, el_tortugo said:

 

I agree! I had cut out caffeine and cut back to a vegan, mostly raw diet for a few months. I slowly reintroduced cooked foods and soups with chicken broth and pork broths when I began feeling drained. I need to look into keto. I've been maintaining calorie reduction and its great!

 

The Vegan thing is such a con. Sure it has some upsides but downsides are bad. Earth now isn't Earth thousands of years ago when you could do that. The food has no vitality so the bodymind can't maintain its spark correctly. It does feel pretty awesome for a while but thats the carb high as Veg diets are so carb heavy. Keto on the other hand is a pain to get into because your body will fight it so badly because it wants the carb hit. Once Ketosis kicks in though its like you've been upgraded to 4K from a 240p video. Everything is just so much crisper/sharper. Probably due to the the link between fats, nerves, the brain etc.. I highly recommend it.

 

4 minutes ago, el_tortugo said:

About caffeine, what do you think of green tea? I had cut that out, but have been drinking it again for a few weeks.

 

I personally cut out all caffeine. If I do have a treat of some dark chocolate I can immediately feel the difference. It also hangs around in my system at the root of the nerves and oscillates. That is what I think makes it so addictive and effective in terms of a boost as it "pulls" your energy out. When you detox from it "pushes" your energy like a band of resistance so it can't flow freely. Once its fully out of your system however you feel a stable equilibrium that really benefits sitting still. 

 

1 minute ago, el_tortugo said:

This is such great advice! I don't do it, but thanks for the reminder. Massage is a miracle. My favorites are Thai and Shiatsu. What kinds do you recommend?

 

Its essential and totally overlooked, sadly. Thai is the best for me. They really know what they're doing as full body for full body is perfect because of varying conductivity, energy points and pressure. Also because over there its part of the lifestyle and not something they went to school for a year to learn they just "get it" on a visceral level. The intuition on display from a good masseuse is a thing of beauty as its a great form of bodywork.

 

People buy a Starbucks every day and it costs nearly £5. Get rid of that and suddenly you've got £100 per month which means 2 massages and a much calmer nervous system. Everyone I've recommended this to said they can feel the difference and wouldn't go back to their old ways so give it a try..

[el_tortugo]

17 minutes ago, Seeking said:

The Vegan thing is such a con. Sure it has some upsides but downsides are bad. Earth now isn't Earth thousands of years ago when you could do that. The food has no vitality so the bodymind can't maintain its spark correctly. It does feel pretty awesome for a while but thats the carb high as Veg diets are so carb heavy. Keto on the other hand is a pain to get into because your body will fight it so badly because it wants the carb hit. Once Ketosis kicks in though its like you've been upgraded to 4K from a 240p video. Everything is just so much crisper/sharper. Probably due to the the link between fats, nerves, the brain etc.. I highly recommend it.

 

I only shift to a vegan diet for a few months at a time. I could do it longer term if it didn't make me weak. I was vegan in my 20s for three years until one night I ate some seafood and dairy to be polite as a guest. I felt much better after that and reintroduced some dairy into my diet. I think I didn't have enough money or a nutritionist or a chef to make that work. I still don't. I'll look into keto and see if its something I can do right now. Sounds good. 

 

17 minutes ago, Seeking said:

I personally cut out all caffeine. If I do have a treat of some dark chocolate I can immediately feel the difference. It also hangs around in my system at the root of the nerves and oscillates. That is what I think makes it so addictive and effective in terms of a boost as it "pulls" your energy out. When you detox from it "pushes" your energy like a band of resistance so it can't flow freely. Once its fully out of your system however you feel a stable equilibrium that really benefits sitting still. 

 

Oh, I forgot chocolate. Dang! I'm going to test this out further. It's a good time since I've turned my diet upside down this summer and am still messing with stuff. 

 

 

 

 

[Seeking]

1 minute ago, el_tortugo said:

 

I only shift to a vegan diet for a few months at a time. I could do it longer term if it didn't make me weak. I was vegan in my 20s for three years until one night I ate some seafood and dairy to be polite as a guest. I felt much better after that and reintroduced some dairy into my diet. I think I didn't have enough money or a nutritionist or a chef to make that work. I still don't. I'll look into keto and see if its something I can do right now. Sounds good. 

 

Oh, I forgot chocolate. Dang! I'm going to test this out further. It's a good time since I've turned my diet upside down this summer and am still messing with stuff.

 

Vegan works great as a short term "cleanse". It has benefits in that sense but long term I found it draining. Very unsustainable. After going Keto I discovered that was due to the insulin yoyo effect it creates. Apparently you can do Keto Vegetarian but I shudder to think what that would be like.

 

Also caffeine is hidden in so many things. I found it in so many medicines/supplements as well as things like Kombucha which is easy to overlook.

 

Its funny how people turn their food choices into ideologies and reference for the self identity. Such fragile egos as anything externally rooted is bound to be.

[el_tortugo]

8 minutes ago, Seeking said:

Its funny how people turn their food choices into ideologies and reference for the self identity. Such fragile egos as anything externally rooted is bound to be.

 

My only food choice self-identity points these days is fresh, local, in season, as much as possible, and as minimal meat as possible. I'm not super strict, but I do stick to this pretty well, especially since this summer shift. I was having some health concerns and I just did it. It reminds me of when I was younger. It feels good. I have a hard time rooting my ego into much of anything, but the basics of life. 

[Eduardo]

A trick to sleep very deeply, already in bed put a hand in the area of the stomach (Ren 15 to Ren 12 acupuncture points is the area of the solar plexus)

The chi of the hand will induce a deeper sleep as it calms the nervous system.

[silent thunder]

5 minutes ago, Eduardo said:

A trick to sleep very deeply, already in bed put a hand in the area of the stomach (Ren 15 to Ren 12 acupuncture points is the area of the solar plexus)

The chi of the hand will induce a deeper sleep as it calms the nervous system.

Agree.

 

Stronger effect I was taught, is the hand and abdomen are skin to skin as well.

[Seeking]

Light - Install dimmer switches with warm, filament bulbs at home. Turn them down gradually as it gets closer to bed time. You can take it further with blue blocking glasses (Shooting frames are cheapest and best) and activating the blue reducing "Night Mode" on your computer/phone. Artificial light in general really messes with your hormone rhythms which is why going for a walk with sunrise and sunset is so good.

 

Walk - Quite simply the best overall exercise, ever. Its benefits are immense and in many ways its the original moving meditation. Can really delve into your embodiment when you combine a simple stroll and one pointed awareness. A lot comes up which you can just witness and let go. Not to mention the physical benefits and social as well.

 

Glass - As in store your food in it. Plastics are terrible things for us and the planet. Totally ubiquitous though. I shudder when I see people microwave things in plastic containers. Double whammy of dumbness. 

 

 

[Seeking]

On 10/30/2021 at 5:59 AM, daojones said:

peptides 

 

 

I would like to hear more about this please. I know a couple of guys that take them but they are bodybuilders. What are the benefits for the rest of us? What do you take and why? What have you gained from them?

 

The bodybuilders use them for their sport. To give them a competitive edge. I kind of grasped the science behind it but it was all presented with a heavy dudebro slant and didn't seem relevant to me. First time I've heard anyone mention them on a spiritual forum so am intrigued.

[S:C]

what's been of use to me - lately:

 

ginger water

black tea with milk

 

reishi - THE one thing that gives me focus and stability these days

acaia gum - as dietary fiber

guarana

ginseng

 

 

zeolite - in case of detox need

 

ashwagandha - also for concentration and nerves

vit b12

iron

kalium

vit d3 in oil

vit k2 in oil

 

rubia cordifolia - agains burning skin issues

pomegranate juice

a mixture of dry fruits, flower pollen, legumes, herbs

 

herbs in tea, depending on the current conditions.

very rarely black chocolate

 

apart: clean eating. meaning no processed foods and absolutely no  only few sweets.

Edited November 11, 2021 by questionmark
nothing absolute crossed out

[Eduardo]

In case of a sudden rise in blood pressure that can generate different health problems, I have always recommended to massage (or puncture in case you are an acupuncturist licensed to practice) the heart 3 point (Shaohai) the sea of qi of that meridian, located at the end of the fold of the arm near the elbow, together with the stomach point 9 (Renying) located in the throat area.

The effects are amazing.

 

[anshino23]

Sorry I haven't been of much benefit to this thread. Chiming in now though... all scientifically proven methods to improve health. Whether they're 'health hacks' depends on your definition of hack, but I'd say they are: 

• Aerobic, anaerobic and resistance training fitness
  Each act on a different system in the body providing a host of incredible benefits. This is covered in so much scientific literature that I won't go through why or how here. If you're doing the YJJ training in a strict Daoist setting then avoid the resistance training but include things like physical conditioning and body-weight level of "resistance training" such as push ups, squats, jumping squats, running up and down stairs, plank, animal walks, etc etc. 
  I personally enjoy martial arts because I find running absolutely boring and need the social stimulation to really push myself. I would recommend a martial art if you're having a hard time exercising frequently and consistently. 
• Proper sleep. Aim for at least 7-9 hours per day depending on activity levels. The 7-9 hours should be of high quality. Ways to ensure that are manifold and too lengthy to go into. If you need more than 9 hours of sleep consider yourself in very poor health unless you're doing extreme levels of physical exercise which are necessitating that level of repair. In most cases it is poor health, poor cardiovascular health and poor physical energy levels and a wrecked endocrine system. 
• Metformin. 
  Short explanation: It increases insulin sensitivity, helps balance your microbiome and its a longevity promoter. 
  Long explanation: If you're to the heavy side or your HbA1c is above 38-40 mmol/mol you're entering so-called pre-diabetic range (which starts at HbA1c at 43 -- type II diabetes is diagnosed at a HbA1c >48 mmol/mol over two readings) which means you most likely have metabolic syndrome or disease. This simply means that if you're moving away from metabolic health you're now operating at a level of suboptimal 'cellular health' and your energy metabolism is strongly affected. This means that your body's cells now have issues converting energy substrates in the form of glucose or fatty acids, etc., into cellular ATP (the 'energy currency in the cell') in an efficient and effective way. While the disease or syndrome occurs at the cellular level at the level of the organism metabolic syndrome manifests in the form of things like high blood pressure, high blood glucose, high blood lipids and generally an inflamed state in the body (measured by hs-CRP). Metabolic disease is the major driver of the three diseases that literally kills 80% of the population: (1) cardiovascular disease (stroke and heart attacks, 50%), (2) cancer (25%) and (3) neurodegeneration (e.g. Alzheimer's, 5-10%). 
  Metformin is an incredibly powerful tool to improve your metabolic health. Can use low dose (500-1000mg) and avoid GI side-effects. Most times GI-side effects are adaptation to improved gut health. 
• Fasting. Twice monthly. Preferably 24-48 hours.
  Fasting is one of the best ways to have a period of controlled temporary 'catabolism' (break down) which leads to known autophagy (literally 'self-eating') where dysfunctional cells are cleared from the system. When you then eat again and enter anabolic window you can then literally create and build new healthy cells. Fasting is one of the best methods for longevity known in all longevity research. The strongest senolytic agents we have are all related to the mechanisms of fasting, by regulating cellular growth, autophagy and much more that would take pages upon pages to describe and elucidate. 
• Cold therapy. Make sure to cover this with your Daoist teacher as it can depend on kidney health. What we know from the scientific literature however is that just 11 minutes per week of cold water exposure can increase brown fat levels in the body which leads to higher basal core metabolism (which also helps you burn fat) and makes you more comfortable in the cold over time. 
• Red and infrared light therapy. This is literally as close to a 'hack' as you can come. If you live in a cold and dark environment and can't just get sun exposure every day (even though you should always try), this is almost a must. Red and infrared light therapy helps brain function, helps improve energy levels, decreases pain, combats hairloss, fights oxidative damage, helps with inflammation and even reverses signs of skin aging making you look younger. The way it does this is through two main mechanisms one of which involves stimulating ATP production in cells by interacting with something called cytochrome c oxidase and secondly through the mechanism of hormesis which is a "beneficial stressor" not unlike exercise and fasting. 
• Diet. For most would be recommended a low glycemic index diet usually low grain and low inflammatory type diets. I do not recommend veganism or even vegetarianism at all from a health standpoint. 
• Supplements. Just a list I recommend, I won't go through them individually and explain, but definitely look into fish-oil, specifically EPA at 1000mg shows great benefits. Taurine. Creatine (if you don't get bloated). Curcumin. Magnesium. Vitamin D (5000IU). CoQ10. PQQ. L-carnitine. Melatonin (very low dose, sub 0.5mg). 

Hope this helps some  

Edited November 11, 2021 by anshino23

[S:C]

Don't intend to conquer and drive the thread away, but would anyone know a less invasive resource for metabolism regulation (= balance?) for those who don't react that well towards modern medicine ?

Spoiler

well... that's it.

 

 

? Yes, I know, if serious I should see doctor or TCM practicioneer. But just in case, that'd be great!
 

Edit: never mind

Edited November 12, 2021 by questionmark
edit