Bio Alchemy: The Daily Biohacking Podcast

Brittany Ford — AKA Biohacking Brittany — is a student of holistic nutrition, a biohacker, and someone with over a decade of experience in the fields of nutrition, naturopathy, health, and wellness. Her skills and education have lead to her naturally healing a ton of personal medical problems that plagued her for years, including leaky gut, candida, parasites, and sinus problems. Brittany and I agree on many things, though most importantly in my opinion, our mutual love of simple, natural-based biohacks, that are simple to implement, effective, and don’t require thousands of dollars of treatments, or crazy biohacking devices. Via her website at BiohackingBrittany.com, Brittany teaches people how to how to biohack in an affordable and accessible way, focusing on fields like sleep, stress management, herbal medicine, nutrition, healthy lifestyle choices, movement and much more. And this is one of those episodes that if you're into the most natural ways of looking after your fleshy meat suit, you'll be very well

Vegans catch a lot of flak sometimes in the biohacking world, mostly from those who tend to observe an ancestral type diet, or followers of paleo, keto, or and especially those who abide by the carnivore diet. And while I personally don't believe a vegan diet is the healthiest option for optimal human performance, I also don't believe that a diet that includes standard industrially-farmed meat is either, due to it being filled with hormones, antibiotics, and a ton of other junk. In saying all that, this episode is not an argument for or against a primarily vegan or vegetarian diet, as it's not my intention in this episode to tackle that. However, this episode has been designed to uncover what the science is saying about the compounds, elements, and minerals that someone observing these lifestyles is likely deficient in, as well as how to biohack these deficiencies to optimise your health to the best of your ability, while avoiding animal-based products as much as you can. In this episode, I cover the most com

Kiki Bosch is one of the most interesting and inspiring humans I've interviewed on the podcast to date, and someone I've been seriously looking forward to interviewing for quite some time. And while we've been working on making this interview happen for around three months now, I'm bringing this episode to you only around 24 hours after it was recorded, due to how stoked I am to get it out to the world. Kiki is a biohacker, and someone who believes in disturbing the comfort of our lives around us, to grow physically, mentally, and spiritually, which is something she's found that cold shock therapy is a perfect way to do this. One of the few certified Wim Hof Method instructors on the planet, Kiki has mastered the power of the mind and of breath to control her body's reaction to the environment, and brave levels of cold that would put many people in a state of shock, or even potentially kill those who are untrained, or uninitiated.    You may have seen Kiki on the internet before, as she starred in a viral vid

Bacopa monnieri, otherwise known as brahmi, water hyssop, or just bacopa, is an ancient Ayurvedic herb that's been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, as a powerful cognitive performance enhancer. And while herbalists and healers from the Indian subcontinent have known about its power for almost countless generations, modern science is only now catching up and studying this plant for its phenomenal effects on helping us think better, react faster, and learn more. As you'll learn in this episode, bacopa can be used for a range of things, from helping you biohack your memory recall, shorten your reaction time, assist in learning new skills, and so much more. And although it's definitely not magic as I've described in the title, there's probably not any herb that we know of that comes as close to having magic-like properties on the human mind as bacopa does. It's one of my go-to herbal supplements, and one I see myself using for a long time to come. In this episode, I talk about some of bacopa's

Lopa Van Der Mersch is the founder of Rasa Koffee (https://rasakoffee.com/), the world's first coffee alternative to offer functional benefits through adaptogenic herbs. And while there are many in the biohacking world who are hardcore coffee junkies (myself included) for reasons beyond just the morning pick-me-up effects, there are some who just can't integrate it into their lives. Not everyone is a fan of coffee. Whether for reasons of sensitivity to caffeine, allergy, an intolerance to coffee on some level, or just because it gives you a serious case of the jitters, there are many reasons you may not be a daily coffee drinker. And although there is always the possibility of turning to tea, for some, tea just doesn't cut it in giving the same nootropic, focus, and energy benefits that coffee provides. Luckily, Rasa Koffee is not only an alternative to standard coffee, but a powerful adaptogen blend that can aid your body in so many ways, beyond just stimulating effects. In this episode, we discuss the herba

You probably have a cell phone. You likely have a laptop. And if you're like the average human being on the planet, you may end most days staring into a TV. And if you fit any of these criteria, there's a good chance you're doing damage to your physical health due to artificial blue light exposure, possibly increasing your chance of coming down with diseases like cancer, and diabetes. Unfortunately, artificial blue light damage is everywhere. And in a modern society, it's fundamentally rewiring the way your body operates, and messing up the fundamental homeostasis that you should be operating in all the time. This is quite a new problem however, and something none of our ancestor cultures had to deal, as we've only been suffering because of it for not much over a century. In this episode, I talk about the shocking statistics related to an increase in cancer in shift workers, some of the jobs that are at the highest risk of circadian disruption, what artificial blue light damage after dark is doing to your bio

Cami Nicole Petyn — otherwise known as Supreme Banana — is a Youtuber, social media personality, and all-round entertaining human being who has been putting her life, messages, and content on the digital landscape for around four years now. Among also being a published author, vegan advocate, and seeker of philosophy, Cami has an interest in the biohacking mental and spiritual benefits of psychedelic compounds, which is one of the main topic we're discussing today. Not long ago, Cami experienced ayahuasca for the first time, attending a 4-day retreat in Costa Rica to sit with this plant medicine teacher. Although I haven't personally yet experienced ayahuasca, I was drawn to interview Cami for three reasons: first, I've experienced DMT (similar to ayahuasca, but smoked), I've had a desire to experiment with ayahuasca for quite some time, and I'm always extremely interested in hearing stories of people's first time with these intense psychedelic compounds. In this episode, we discuss how to escape the cycle of

Sulforaphane (or sulphoraphane if you speak the more civilised British English) is a truly exciting compound that is being shown more and more to have almost miraculous properties in terms of healing, disease-fighting capabilities, and longevity. And if there wasn't so much published science behind it, some may think it's witchcraft. But as biohackers, we don't believe in witchcraft, only data, published scientific papers, and evidence, and sulforaphane has it in spades. Found in the cruciferous vegetable family, sulforaphane is produced when these plants are crushed, chewed, damaged, or broken, as a defence mechanism to ward off insects. This is good news for us, as there's an extraordinary amount of emerging research on the compound, including its abilities to fight cancer, maintain mental homeostasis, and possibly even extend life by up to 30%. In today's episode, I'm going to talk in detail about what sulforaphane exactly is, the pathways it acts on in the human body, what the published science is showing

Todd White is a biohacker, forward thinker, and one of the owners of Dry Farm Wines (http://dryfarmwines.com), which is the ultimate biohacker's wine, because of it's completely natural composition, without the dozens of nasty additions that most commercially-available wine contains. Wine is full of antioxidants, polyphenols, and a ton of other beneficial compounds, and many say it should be enjoyed as part of a healthy life in moderation. But how healthy is wine, really? For years we've been told that one glass of wine a day is healthy, and that it can lead to longer life, less disease, and many other factors. And even anecdotally, my 96 year-old grandmother is as healthy as can be, and swears by at least one glass of red wine every day. However, it's very possible that what we've been told since the beginning of food marketing is not just slightly inaccurate, but downright misleading, as in the modern world, most wine contains many things you don't want to be putting into your body. In this episode, Todd di

Chris Storey is the founder of Primal Alchemy (http://primalalchemy.co.uk), amongst other titles including biohacker, philosopher, podcaster, ancient wisdom practitioner, and entrepreneur. And although his brand shares a similar name to mine, our organisations aren't officially linked, save for many similar interests and existing in the same industry. We were connected a few months ago by one of my previous podcast guests Blake Bowman, and have since recorded not only this episode, but one for the Red Pill Initiation Hour as well. Although this episode does fall into the usual field of biohacking, it's something that's a little different than standard episodes, as it centres more on the mind and spirit of humanity, rather than the physical. And although there may be people listening that don't necessarily gravitate towards some of the esoteric concepts discussed in this episode, I know there will be many of you that this information resonates with very specifically. If you're the kind of person who normally d

Chocolate, seriously? Yes, seriously. To many of you listening, this episode will be a dream come true, as I'm discussing the health benefits, chemistry, nootropic effects, and so much more related to that product almost all of us love, in the form of sweet, nourishing chocolate. But before you get too excited, I'm definitely not speaking about inhaling multiple blocks of sugary dairy-milk crap in a day, it's all about the cacao bean, cocoa, and stuff so dark that it would make the Galactic Empire from Star Wars blush. Chocolate has been used for thousands of years by ancient cultures as a tool for healing, as well as something modern humans have eaten in large quantities when we've felt sad or bummed, though it hasn't been until recently that we've known scientifically why it's beneficial. And as you'll learn about in this episode, the benefits of chocolate are far from wishful thinking, as there's an incredible amount of science pointing to the fact that it can help us heal, boost brain health, assist our c

Ariel Garten is the founder of Muse Meditation (http://choosemuse.com/), the brain sensing headband that allows you to practice meditation in a way you may never have before. And unlike software like binaural beats that force you into meditation, Muse is more of a training tool, to allow you to become more skilled at biohacking your meditation practice on your own. Using an EEG monitor, the Muse device tracks your brainwaves as you meditate,  giving you feedback on how well you’re doing by providing music in the background. This type of feedback enables you to not only assist you in becoming more zen-like each time you meditate, but also provides you with a ton of data after the fact, to help you understand what is actually happening when you do meditate. This interview with Ariel is one of my favourite to date, and is one I’ve been excited to share with you since it was recorded around a month ago.   CONNECT Connect with Leon The Alchemist online for more intensive biohacking, longevity, and performance advi

Creatine: it's not just for athletes, bodybuilders, or those who need to get more out of their workouts. For biohackers, and humans who want to get more out of their body, and feel like they have an abundance of energy, creatine is something that's been used for decades as an almost cure-all fix for fatigue, tiredness, or a lack of energy. As you'll hear about in this episode, I've been taking creatine almost like clockwork every day for increased energy, and is one of the very few supplements I don't cycle off on the weekends. And that's because unlike almost anything else in my biohacker's toolkit, creatine is extremely effective, safe, and one of the most researched compounds to help our bodies undergo the physical processes we need to function, and to work optimally. It's all because of adenosine triphosphate, that all-important molecule we more commonly refer to as ATP. Without ATP we'd all be dead, and without enough creatine you don't produce enough ATP, meaning your cells and muscles don't have the ba

Dr William Pawluk is one of the world's foremost experts on Pulsed Electromagnetic Field Therapy or PEMF, which is a modality of healing that despite using a machine to generate the magnetic field, is considered completely natural as it's using a force around us that we've been exposed to since birth. Our planet in itself is one huge magnetic field, and with PEMF technology we're learning to harness a more targeted and localised magnetic field to heal the body on a cellular level. Dr Pawluk turned his attention to PEMF treatment many decades ago after becoming disillusioned with some of the widely accepted side effects of pain management in the general medical field, which was the mindset of most of this peers. With PEMF, he found something that provided phenomenal natural results with no visible side effects whatsoever in many fields of healing, and made it his mission to educate the planet about what this emerging technology could do for the human body. In this episode, you'll learn how PEMF technology can

Dr Nick Berry is the founder of Essential Oil Wizardry (https://bit.ly/2OTjMwb) and one of the most genuine, kind, and warm human beings I've had the pleasure of interviewing on the Bio Alchemy podcast to date. He's someone who truly cares not only about his products and methodologies, but the wellbeing of those he is assisting in improving their lives via the power of natural herbs and essential oils. As a Master Herbalist myself, Dr Nick is someone I've been looking forward to interviewing for quite some time, so this was a treat for me, and I'm sure it will be for you as well. Dr Nick is a doctor of pharmacy, though someone who has transitioned from the world of pharmaceutical medication, into the world of herbs, powerful plant compounds, natural medicine, and supporting the body's own natural healing with what our planet produces for us in nature. Dr Nick is the perfect embodiment of someone who takes the best from the scientific and ancestral medicine worlds, and if you know anything about me, this is my

Acetyl L-Carnitine is a supplement or amino acid that your body produces naturally, though has some phenomenal benefits to the human body. From assisting with focus, task management, cognition, memory retention, blood circulation, and production of the body's master antioxidant glutathione, it does an incredible range of things to keep our bodies and minds in check. And although te Our bodies tend to use our own endogenous carnitine stores faster than we can produce it, and while you can get a boost of it from meat and dairy products, those foods don't tend to fit into everyone's daily diets, which means that's not always a great solution. And failing that, supplementation is key, which is why I've been supplementing with one gram of ALCAR (one of its many names) for a couple of years now as part of my biohacking routine, to keep my biology in check the best I can. As I mention in this episode on the benefits, usage, and main reasons for using l-carnitine in your diet, ensure that as always you test the amino

Dr James Eyerman is a pharmacologist and psychotherapist who has decades of treating people's issues of the mind, though he's especially well known as one of the world's foremost experts on holotropic breathwork. A phenomenal modality of treatment that uses nothing more than the changing of the way we breathe to activate our body's own innate healing system, it's something I've been fascinated by for years, and have been very excited to finally share this episode with the world. Just imagine if there was an all-natural, drug or medicine free, non-invasive, and virtually free method of healing your body and mind of trauma, mental, emotional, and other imbalances and illnesses, that worked in virtually every case to provide relief, and in some cases, a complete cure? That's just a taste of what holotropic breathwork can do, and is rightfully gaining steam in the health, wellness, and biohacking communities for the existing and potential healing benefits that it can offer our species. Holotropic breathwork isn't

Bulletproof-style coffee has long been seen by many in the biohacking community as the best way to start the day, and has been a staple of my morning routine for quite some time now. However, I wouldn't be staying true to my name of Leon The Alchemist if I didn't have the desire to tinker, or science the hell out of this tried-and-true biohacker's coffee, and over time I've improved it to become something that I think not only tastes better, but also works much better in my opinion. Over the years I've refined my own recipe for biohacking coffee for additional mineral content, nootropic benefits, and taste, which I now call "The Alchemist's Brew". Not that you have to call it that, but my ego wouldn't let me pass up the chance to give it my own title. It's in this form that I've been taking my morning coffee for at least the last year, and although I have experimented with other recipes, I almost always end up going right back to making it in the form you'll hear about in this episode. So even if you do decid

Peter Joosten is a transhumanist, keynote speaker, and somewhat of a forward-thinking philosopher, as someone who discusses where our species may be heading in the not-too-distant-future. An expert on biohacking, quantified self, advances in health technology, and so much more, Peter shares information on his website Superhuman Talks (https://superhumantalks.com), and has said his goal is to eventually become a superhuman himself, with extreme advances in technology that are on the horizon. The topic of transhumanism is an interesting one, and something I've been pondering ever since I first played the PC game Deus Ex: Human Revolution, which is based around a hypothetical future timeline where there's become a growing divide in humanity between those who are cybernetically enhanced — or "upgraded" to be something beyond human — and tho, se who are not. And as this topic is something that our species may have to tackle over the next few decades, it's worthwhile discussing these concepts now while we still can

Siim Land is a true biohacker in every sense of the word. Someone who not only delves deep into the fundamental learnings of how the human body operates and how to optimise it, but who goes above and beyond to make that information digestible and accessible to thousands around the world via his books, YouTube channel, Instagram, and website (https://siimland.com/). Hailing from Estonia — a stunning country I was fortunate enough to visit for the very first time last year— Siim is one of the few biohackers that almost always hits the nail on the head when it comes to providing information that you need to know, with out all the fluff and filler. I've been following Siim for a couple of years now, initially discovering him via his website, where he shares a ton of in-depth material on how to get more out of your body and mind, biohack your metabolism, uncover the truths and untruths when it comes to fasting, how to perform better via ketosis, and so much more. In this episode, Siim and I will discuss a range of