Old age, says Borges in In Praise of the Shadow, “can be the time of our happiness”. It is not always easy to accept the passage of time, but whoever does so develops wisdom and joyfully keeps memories, experiences and accumulated treasures that no one can take away.
Reaching the age of 50 should not be experienced as a regret, especially today, where life expectancy has increased and there are methods that help redefine daily habits to prolong physical and mental well-being. This is what concerns psychologist and biohacker Marcos Apud, a reference in the world of well-being and a specialist in longevity.
His journey began more than 20 years ago, at a psychotherapy conference in Rome, where he was shocked to hear that “if you are a psychotherapist, you will live 10 years less.” After overcoming the shock, he set out to demonstrate that this statement was not necessarily true. Apud, author of “Much more than human” and “Neurolongevity: a brain that lasts a hundred years”, spoke to LA NACION to reveal the principles for hacking the brain and improving quality of life.
How do you define biohacking?
It’s a way of life: we change habits related to our fundamental pillars of well-being, such as sleep, nutrition, physical activity, stress management, supplementation, connection with nature and electromagnetic hygiene.
We aspire to three things:
- Have a foolproof immune system;
- Increase productivity levels while maintaining high levels of well-being;
- Extend longevity with vigor: it’s not about living longer, it’s about living better.
What are the main objectives?
Biohackers seek to rediscover ancestral habits – such as exposure to cold and heat, sun and nature – by combining them with modern technology. That’s what biofeedback is: science, technology, and ancestry combined to maximize your biology and mindset. We use the body as a personal laboratory, measuring with *trackers* the impact of different changes in diet, sunlight, training, supplementation or sleep on our biology. The idea is to combine science with practices that our grandparents already knew: cold showers, walking barefoot or a light dinner. We now know that these routines improve immunity, mental clarity, inflammation and rest, and are part of a lifestyle aligned with our natural rhythms.
Brief interventions, small shortcuts that most people can do and that have high systemic impact. They produce changes in all spheres of being: body, mind, emotions, energy and spirit.
Fasting is a very powerful trick, which involves leaving a window of time without food intake. It has physical, mental and emotional benefits and can be applied at any stage of life. Its impact is systemic and benefits the body, mind and soul.
Why is biohacking important?
It seeks to recover ancient ancestral habits that our own natural design provides us with, but which, due to a sort of ancestral amnesia, we have forgotten over the last 40, 50 or 60 years. These were decades during which we ruined our natural strength as a species with urban lifestyles, in an excessive search for comfort.
With different types of sedentary lifestyle: immobility, thermal (avoiding extreme temperatures) and cognitive, with the loss of mental and cognitive abilities which, with the help of technology — such as artificial intelligence — can worsen if we do not take care of our abilities. A super ability that a human will have in four or five years is the ability to think.
What is the habit or hack that has the biggest impact on quality of life?
Sleep on an empty stomach. To do this, you need to eat three hours before going to bed. In biohacking, we believe that by resuming the habit of sleeping on an empty stomach, we will regain a great capacity for regeneration and maintenance that occurs during these magical hours of sleep and rest. The ideal would be to have dinner at 7 p.m. and sleep between 10 p.m. and 10:30 p.m. We thus respect the circadian cycle and can wake up naturally between 6:30 and 7 a.m. It’s not just about sleeping the necessary number of hours, but doing so in accordance with the circadian cycle. If we stop sending signals to the body that “it’s daytime” when in fact it’s already dark – through screens and blue light – we significantly improve the quality of our sleep.
It is recommended to use blue blockers?
Yes, these glasses block some artificial blue light. They come in different colors: orange or red ones are for nighttime use, while transparent or lightly tinted ones are used during the day for working on the computer. They help keep your circadian rhythm more stable. Altering these cycles affects natural melatonin production and prevents adequate recovery. This is why we live exhausted: without energy, waking up physically and mentally tired, with a “mental fog”. This happens because we maintain high stress levels without being able to recover at night.
How to increase productivity?
To be more productive, it is essential to use efficient methods to accomplish tasks throughout the day. This requires a high cognitive level. The idea is to finish the most demanding intellectual work before 6 or 7 p.m. The circadian cycle works roughly like this: from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m., everything goes up; Now is the perfect time to give it your all. From 4 p.m. to 4 a.m., on the contrary, everything deteriorates; The so-called liquidation begins, which consists of reducing the pace. First, productivity and cognitive demand decrease, then physical demand decreases. It is therefore not recommended to train at night. It is also recommended to gradually reduce exposure to light. Additionally, it is best not to consume liquids within an hour before bedtime.
Why limit fluids at night?
There is no need to moisturize at night. We are designed to hydrate well throughout the day.
Are there any other key habits?
One of the most recommended habits is smart fasting, which involves fasting from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m., and not from 11 a.m. to 11 a.m. Another very effective tip is exposure to cold: a cold shower for 1 to 3 minutes at the end of your morning shower. This strengthens the immune system, increases energy, improves concentration, improves mood and reduces anxiety. This can be an ice bath, dipping your face in a container filled with water and ice, or even placing your wrists in cold water. These strategies activate the vagus nerve, improving calm, relaxation and stress reduction.
What type of training do you recommend?
Vigorous and systematic physical strength training. After age 40, many people enjoy Zumba classes, swimming, running, or using the elliptical trainer. All of this is good for your heart, but if you don’t strength train, sarcopenia – loss of muscle mass – increases significantly with age. Nearly 5% of muscle mass is lost each decade. The goal is not to do 40 repetitions with little weight; The important thing is to perform between 5 and 8 repetitions with a demanding weight. You can do strength training three times a week, with sessions lasting around 30 minutes.
What is the relationship between longevity, biohacking and brain health?
When we talk about the longevity of an organ as important as the brain, we know that certain practices promote its long-term health and functioning. One of them is an anti-inflammatory diet; another, the systematic practice of fasting; in addition to strength training, which not only improves physical fitness, but is also associated with the prevention of aging-related loss of brain mass.
Does strength training increase brain plasticity?
Yes. Strength training stimulates the production of BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor), a protein that increases brain plasticity, promoting neurogenesis and the creation of new neuronal connections. Neuroscience shows that brain youth depends more on physical exercise than cognitive work. As I usually say: “less sudoku, more sweat”.
What else can be done to improve longevity?
Increase cognitive reserve, which functions as a kind of “savings” for the brain. By training our cognitive functions, we strengthen them. It is essential to exercise visual and auditory memory and expand your vocabulary by learning new words. A strong cognitive reserve can delay the symptoms of neurodegenerative diseases such as dementia, Parkinson’s disease or Alzheimer’s disease, allowing the brain to function optimally for years, even when it is already showing signs of deterioration. This is a key discovery in neuroscience.
How to build a solid cognitive reserve?
It is necessary to constantly challenge the mind: learn new things, have stimulating intellectual conversations, and seek out activities that are mentally stimulating. Exposure to cold also plays an important role in brain longevity. Another powerful practice is contrast therapy, which involves alternating heat and cold. For example, using a sauna to detoxify the body, eliminate heavy metals and improve the immune system, followed by exposure to extreme cold. This can improve vital functions and protect the cardiovascular system. It is recommended to use the sauna for at least 20 minutes, three times a week.
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