Introduction video on LinkedIn
Hi, I'm Ken, and I work in a healthtech startup in London. Starting this page to "build" in the open, if you will, on a personal focus this year - biohacking. I'm turning 44 this year and would like to boost my mental dexterity and physical energy levels above their present limits. Let's go get 2025!
Every 2 weeks, I'll write a LinkedIn post about a protocol item to share more on it, at the same time asking for feedback from my network on tips they have on optimising health. This will let me get inputs in the first half of the year and have a good runway to experiment on myself in the second half.
| What | Why | How |
|---|---|---|
| Methylene Blue | improve cognitive function | pharma grade, take with water |
| Echinacea | improve mental clarity | tincture form, take with water |
| Coriander + Chlorella | remove heavy metals | blend together with oat milk |
| Distilled Water | reduce contaminants | use distiller at home |
| Fasting (no food) | aid detox process | 5-day fast as needed |
| Caster Oil (topical) | aid detox process | apply just below chest |
| Grounding (natural) | remove excess charges | hold tree leaves or grass |
| Oxygenating | maintain alkaline state | through breathwork |
| Meditation | remove baggages | let thoughts drift |
| Cold shower | aid blood circulation | ice water in winter |
| Avoid Caffeine | avoid crashes and lead | not even decaf coffee |
| Avoid Alcohol | avoid hangovers | only non-alcoholic drinks |
| Avoid Gluten | reduce brain fog | eg bread, noodles, pizza |
| Avoid Dairy | reduce brain fog | eg milk, cheese, pastries |
| Avoid Sugar | reduce brain fog | eg in drinks and food |
Trusted crowd-sourced ideas for selection and experimentation
| What | Why | How |
|---|---|---|
| Trampolining | aid lymphatic system | jump on trampoline |
| Avoid Seed Oils | reduce inflammation | eg oil used in food |
| Lion's Mane | aid neural plasticity | mushroom powder |
| Milk Thistle | protect liver & brain | tea or powder form |
Back in 2023 I read this book Serve To Win by Novak Djokovic, world's #1 in tennis. In his book, he outlined how dietary and nutritional changes led to outsized impact on his performance on the court. Prior to doing things like avoiding gluten, dairy, eating a plant-based diet, he just couldn't get to top of the pack despite pushing hard.
But in the 18 months after he made those changes totally unrelated to tennis training, he rose up and has stayed there for many many years. At 36, he is still outperforming younger opponents at the prime of their lives.
I'm not new to the idea that the food and nutrition we eat impact our well-being and performance. However, this was the first time I could deeply relate to someone sharing his experience on the topic. This was because despite having a highly successful career in digital technologies, I'm a seasoned player in the financial markets.
Being a retail investor and trader for 18 years, I see the financial markets as an ultra-competitive field. It's the same as professional sports. To win, an investor or trader will need to optimise every thing they can, because once we step into the market, we are competing with the best in the world - the hedge funds, the investment banks, the full-time traders etc. When 2 equally experienced traders meet in the market and one has slightly lesser mental clarity or some unresolved emotional baggage, that trader will lose. It's as simple as that.
Novak's book showed a real example of how a tennis pro's performance could be optimised outside of the courts and gym. His success story in an ultra-competitive field gave me the push I needed to take this idea seriously.
Fast forward to 2025, I'm eating a mainly plant-based diet but am still experimenting, having meat or fish once a week. I know that by levelling up my mental dexterity and physical energy, I'll perform better at my startup job. Both of which are needed when I'm 15 years older than the team's average age 😅