My top 5 mildly eccentric 'health hacks'

If you can't beat the 'optimisers', join them

Hello friends.

I am not a huge ‘biohacking’ cheerleader, not least because the people who tend to advocate their detailed 2 hours long ‘non-negotiable’ morning routines have a whiff of control freakery, when the truth is life itself is firmly in the driving seat. Furthermore, I have found that once you have kids those same ‘non-negotiables’ they swear by go straight back on the negotiating table!

That said, I have tried and tested various health ‘hacks’ over the years, and here are five that have definitely improved my health and the quality of my life. I’m not saying they will do the same for you, but they could! So read on…

1. Kefir and other fermented foods

About ten years ago, and for several years before that, I was frequently bloated. I had no idea why, until my tummy started aching too, at which point I was diagnosed with IBS (a catch all terms for digestive difficulties basically). After trying various things, in around 2016 I got into making kefir (both milk and water) at home, after which my digestive issues started to clear up.

I am now IBS free, very rarely bloated and have really good digestion. My homemade probiotics (I also sometimes make kimchi and kombucha) definitely had a huge impact, as did increasing fiber (eg. brown rice, or psyllium husk if you need a helping hand). I get my kefir cultures from here (and no, I am not sponsored by them, or anyone else I mention in this article), there are instructions on their website plus the benefits are clear. If you want to give it a try, drop me an email or comment and I am happy to help with some pointers.

2. My beloved Shakti Mat

When I present on the Today Programme on BBC Radio 4, my alarm goes off at 4am, and I get picked up at 04:20, getting into Broadcasting House around 5am and then working in a high pressure, fast paced on-air environment until 9am, during which time the adrenaline is pumping. When I finish and get home, you might think that I would be tired, but actually I tend to be wired. I am full of energy, and often even a bit ‘high’, meaning sleep and a nap is elusive, and I tend to crash the next day.

That was until my wonderful wife bought me a Shakti Mat one Christmas a few years back. I lie on a bed of little plastic spikes, which can feel just a tad uncomfortable for the first couple of minutes, before the endorphins start pumping. Thereafter, I drop into a very relaxed state before invariably nodding off within twenty minutes. It has utterly changed my post Today Programme experience. The health benefits of naps are also well documented, and a shakti mat is my failsafe ticket to snoozetown.

3. Mouth Taping

A few years ago I noticed that I was waking up unrefreshed, and my wife pointed out I had a habit of holding my breath while I slept. I went to the doctors to see if I had sleep apnea, which they insisted I couldn’t have as I wasn’t overweight. (They were wrong about that, as James Nestor, author of Breath, told me).

So, about 8 years or so ago, I started to tape my mouth shut at night, using Boots microporous tape. It was revelatory. It basically completely sorted my sleep apnea, and breathing through your nose at night (and in the day) has a host of important health benefits. I never hit the hay without now taping my mouth shut, even if I have a bit of a blocked nose, as it miraculously unblocks within moments of me taping my mouth shut. Plus, as an added bonus, my wife says I look super hot, as you can see*. (*Factually inaccurate).

4. A smartphone locking case

There are very few people I know who don’t have a somewhat dysfunctional relationship with their smartphones. And it’s no huge surprise, when you remember that social media literally uses the technology of gambling to keep people locked into the ‘attention economy’. The evidence of the negative impact of smartphones on, for example, the mental health of young people is clear, and frankly, when people pipe up with protestations like, ‘they said the same about TV back in the day’, I’m amazed.

I’m as susceptible as anyone, which is why I respect ‘design power’ and try to avoid having to rely on ‘will power’. The key is to put barriers in to make negative behaviours more difficult. For example, you want to eat less sugar? Easy - don’t have chocolate and cakes in the house. So, in a similar vein, I stick my smartphone in my lock case at various times, like when I am doing deep work for example. HIGHLY recommended, and available on Amazon.

5. Grounding

This isn’t always possible all year round, as frankly during winter it isn’t much fun. But now the weather is starting to improve (barely), I like to get out into my garden with bare feet on the grass. When it is a bit hotter still, I will literally come out and lie face down on the grass for twenty minutes or longer, hugging the ground.

Before you declare me a new age sucker, there are numerous studies on the health benefits of grounding, including on things like inflammation. I definitely feel more chipper when I get on the grass, particularly when there’s a bit of sun knocking around for some much needed vitamin D. Plus I love giving Mother Earth a bit of love!

So there you have it, 5 of my top 5 wellbeing hacks, all of which have enhanced my wellbeing. Please do consider sharing this newsletter with anyone who might be interested. Also, I would love to hear your health hacks in the comments below, and I will happily road test some of the best. I will be sending out a few more top 5 listicles in upcoming newsletters, so hold tight!

In other news, I am doing a talk for the amazing Action For Happiness charity on Tuesday April 16 at 7pm online. Previous speakers include the Dalai Lama, Ruby Wax, Mo Gawdat, Laurie Santos, Andy Puddicombe, Gretchen Rubin, BJ Fogg, Kristin Neff, Rick Hanson, Angela Duckworth, Marty Seligman, Dan Goleman, Lori Gottlieb, Rangan Chatterjee, Matthieu Ricard, Jon Kabat-Zinn, Jay Shetty, Sian Williams, Oliver Burkeman and Arianna Huffington. You can get tickets here.

I hope to see you there. I’m releasing old episodes of my podcast for the next couple of weeks by the way, while I have a wee break, before coming back with a bang and all sorts of exciting plans which I am looking forward to sharing. And please consider subscribing to my YouTube channel. That’s it for now friends - until next time, goodbye!