Biohacking: Our Way Back to Nature?
Written by Melissa Barall, CFA, Content Writer, FemHealth Insights
I spent some time this weekend at Biohackers World Austin, a boutique biohacking event focused on the latest tips, tricks, and gadgets for longevity. As an experienced biohacker myself, I love going to these events and searching for the extra 1% edge that people are often able to squeak out.
However, time and time again, I am reminded of what I know - returning as close to nature as we can and mastering the basics is the only hack there really is. Given today’s modern challenges and technologies, often we need to use hacks to get back to baseline, but these aren’t magic tricks. These techniques often play on the body’s innate intelligence and adaptive physiology.
One noteworthy speech by Dr. Kyle Hardwick commented on the body’s intelligence, and how when we are out of literal physical alignment, our bodies communicate it to us. He went over how chiropractic care can help regulate the nervous system, and provided simple ways for us all to combat “tech neck,” such as looking at our phones up at eye level. It may seem silly, but it could save us 20 years from now!
I find myself at these events often spending a significant portion of time at the booths, chatting and people watching, as well as checking out the latest tech tools. At this event, I recognized a lot of brands from previous events, but two standouts caught my attention for their impact on women’s wellness:
First, Good Psyche is an immersive care company making personal care products with mushrooms and medicinal plants for "inner and outer beauty." The "inner beauty" product, Sidekick, is a euphoric mouth spray spotlighting a succulent plant native to South Africa, kanna, which can act as a natural mood stabilizer, empathogen, and aphrodisiac. The "outer beauty" is delivered by Glisten Up! A tremella mushroom face and body mist. Tremella, also known for centuries as the beauty mushroom, is regarded for its deeply hydrating and nourishing properties. As founder Trish Mock describes on her site, these products focus on beauty, sexual wellness, and cognitive wellness.
Second, My Vital C, a product that uses a high concentration of ESS60 dissolved in olive oil, has products focused around general health and wellbeing, as well as menopause support. Chris Burres, the company’s chief scientist, created the menopause support product after his wife Marissa, a now-influencer known for her videos on menopause, took the product and had extreme relief of some of her worst symptoms. ESS60, a pure form of carbon 60 processed for human consumption, has been known to extend lifespan 90% in rats in at least one study (see cheeky sign displayed by My Vital C below).
Some of my predictions after this event and recent conversations and trends:
CPG brands focused on women’s wellness, especially sexual wellness, will be the next big product trend to emerge.
Kanna and kava, two herbs known for their mood-boosting effects, will continue to rise in popularity, and legal “plant medicines” will start to gain momentum while drug development continues for traditional psychedelic therapies.
Chiropractic care will become noticeably more important as we become more sedentary and use our screens increasingly.
A growing number of practitioners will move towards reversion to nature - grounding, circadian regulation, movement, photobiomodulation, breathwork, time away from screens; addition by subtraction will continue to grow as a movement.
Until next time - see you at the next event!
About the Author:
Melissa Barall, CFA, is a dedicated finance and health professional, with experience in the private and public markets. She began her career on Wall Street in 2018 and has been a health and wellness advocate, angel investor, and superconnector along the way. Her mission is to bridge the gap for women in both investing and health care, and is passionate about mental health, wellness / biohacking, and psychedelics.
