TLDR;
This YouTube video features a discussion with Palak Midha, a biohacking expert, who shares insights on optimizing health through diet, lifestyle, and supplements. The conversation covers key nutrients often lacking in Indian diets, common "healthy" foods that may be harmful, foods to boost brainpower, strategies for improving sleep, the rising incidence of sudden cardiac arrests, and secrets to slowing down aging. Palak also shares her personal biohacking journey and provides valuable tips for managing stress, healing inflammation, maintaining heart health, and achieving naturally glowing skin.
- Key nutrients lacking in Indian diets: Vitamin D, Omega-3, Magnesium, B12.
- Harmful "healthy" foods: imbalanced meals, flavored yogurts, foods in plastic containers.
- Biohacking focuses on super optimization, enhancing performance and potential.
Intro [0:00]
The video introduces the concept of biohacking as a method to gain an unfair advantage in health by using scientific secrets to boost various aspects of well-being. It highlights Palak Midha, a biohacking expert, entrepreneur, and mother, who uses these techniques to reverse chronic problems like weight gain, skin issues, and heart problems, as well as to sharpen the brain and improve body composition. The video aims to detail how to remove toxins and optimize the body for peak performance, health, and happiness.
Top 5 Nutrients lacking in Indian Diet [3:18]
Palak identifies five key nutrients often lacking in Indian diets, starting with Vitamin D, emphasizing that sunshine exposure isn't sufficient due to lifestyle and darker skin tones. She recommends a daily dose of 5000 IU for the average Indian, combined with K2 and K1 for bone health and preventing lipid calcification in the heart. The second nutrient is Omega-3, as Indians consume less fish, and plant-based sources like chia and flax seeds have poor conversion to DHA. Magnesium is third, often deficient due to stressful lifestyles that deplete it. Fourth is B12, best obtained from red meat or chicken liver, and taken via chewables or injections for better absorption. She suggests these should be part of a basic supplement stack.
3 Healthy Foods Harming Indians [13:03]
Palak discusses three common "healthy" foods that can be harmful if not balanced properly. First, Poha, which is almost pure carbohydrates, can turn into sugar in the body if consumed in excess. Second, protein sources like tandoori chicken can convert to sugar through gluconeogenesis if not balanced with other macros. Third, Dosa, while a healthy fermented food, can be problematic if it's potato dosa (double carbohydrate) without enough cheese (fat and protein) to balance it. She emphasizes the importance of balancing macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) in meals and warns against flavored yogurts high in fructose corn syrup, which can negatively impact liver function and metabolism.
Foods to Make Your Brain Smarter [21:48]
Palak emphasizes the gut-brain connection, noting that 90% of serotonin, which produces melatonin, is made in the gut. She recommends starting with fermented vegetables like cabbage to improve gut health, cautioning that curd may not be beneficial for everyone. Prebiotic fiber, found in cooled rice and potatoes, is also important. She advises limiting gluten and dairy, as they can harm the gut.
How to Get Perfect Sleep in 4 Hours [31:43]
Palak shares her sleep biohacks for achieving high sleep efficiency in a short amount of time. She avoids eating 3 hours before bed and consumes fewer carbohydrates. Taking a 15-20 minute walk after eating also helps. She biohacks lighting by removing TVs from the bedroom and using orange lights in the evening to signal the brain to prepare for sleep. She also gradually lowers the room temperature and uses magnesium biglycinate to lower body temperature and promote deep sleep.
Why Sudden Cardiac Arrests Are Rising [38:15]
Palak discusses the rising incidence of sudden cardiac arrests, particularly in gyms, attributing it to stress, overexertion, and the use of stimulants like caffeine. She emphasizes the importance of winding down, balancing the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, and avoiding overpushing the body. She also notes that many people have high cholesterol levels and blockages without being aware of them, and that lack of aerobic capacity and oxygen to the heart can lead to cardiac events.
The Secret to Slow Down Aging [47:31]
Palak reveals that aging is caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced during metabolism and exercise. She recommends powerful antioxidants to combat ROS, suggesting a supplement with polyphenols equivalent to 10 cups of green tea, trans-resveratrol equivalent to 15 glasses of wine, and quercetin equivalent to 20 apples. She advises against imported berries due to pesticide concerns, recommending frozen berries instead. Dark chocolate (80% and above) is also beneficial for stem cell regeneration.
Story Behind Palak Midha’s Biohacking Journey [1:01:41]
Palak shares her personal journey into biohacking, driven by her parents' health issues and her own postpartum depression. Dissatisfied with conventional medical treatments, she began researching and experimenting with diet, supplements, and lifestyle changes to reverse their conditions. This led her to quit her engineering job and start a business focused on helping others optimize their health through biohacking.
Top 3 Important Checkups for a Healthy Life [1:21:11]
Palak recommends continuous glucose monitoring to stabilize blood glucose levels, as high levels raise inflammation and risk of aging. She advises walking for 15 minutes after eating and consuming vegetables before carbohydrates. She also suggests replacing wheat roti with gram flour roti to avoid gluten and reduce carbohydrates.
How to Heal Your Body from Inflammation [1:33:03]
Palak discusses the rising cancer rates and the role of inflammation, noting that 70% of cancer cases are non-genetic and linked to lifestyle. She recommends eliminating gluten, dairy, vegetable oil, and sugar to reduce inflammation. She also highlights the benefits of ghee and short-chain fatty acids for hormone production and brain power.
How to Keep Your Heart Healthy [1:40:40]
Palak emphasizes the importance of lowering homocysteine levels to maintain heart health, recommending a combination of B6, B9, and B12 supplements. She also advises increasing omega-3 levels through nuts and seeds and highlights the benefits of methylated versions of B vitamins for reducing homocysteine levels.
Get Naturally Glowing Skin in No Time [1:57:44]
Palak shares her skincare routine for achieving naturally glowing skin. She emphasizes the importance of internal biohacking by working on the liver, adding antioxidants, and improving gut health. She also advises against chemical exfoliators like salicylic acid and glycolic acid, which can disrupt the skin barrier and increase pigmentation. Instead, she recommends using products with peptides and sodium PCA to boost collagen and hydration.
How to Manage Stress in Daily Life [2:07:00]
Palak discusses strategies for managing stress in daily life, recommending supplements like ashwagandha, holy basil extract, L-tryptophan, GABA, magnesium, and theanine. She also highlights the importance of breathing and meditation, as well as working on one's thought process and mindset. She emphasizes the spiritual law of maximum effort, certainty, and giving back to the community.