The delicious looking Kinetic Kitchen doughnuts are the first all Organic Keto Dessert Company in the UK
Good grade Keto Snacks are hard to come by here in the UK unless you have the money to order Bulletproof/Dr. Mercola/Perfect Keto bars online. Luckily, there’s a company in Bristol that’s looking to change all that with the release of their new Keto Doughnut snacks. The Kinetic Kitchen has become the first UK company to release an all organic Keto snack (with the exception of Planet Organic’s Keto Bar). I ordered around 24 of these and tried them out, and here’s what I have to say. Many snacks in the health field rarely get everything right. For example, they can be low sugar yet contain omega 6 oils like rapeseed oil. They can be “keto” but contain non-organic substances like glyphosate etc.
What are Keto Doughnuts?
Doughnut shaped snacks made out of all organic ingredients including almond flour, coconut oil, baking soda, and a range of other ingredients depending on what flavour you get. They all have 1g of sugar and won’t spike your insulin. They come in around 9 different flavours, at the time of writing this, with a few vegan varieties too, all of which are sweetened with Erythritol. They do DPD delivery from Bristol for £4 extra cost and usually have some discounts running for between 10-20 percent off. They are delivered in fully recyclable and eco-friendly packaging, which is a nice touch.
The Fudge is made out of double cream and collagen peptides.
Pricing:
Depending on the flavour, prices range from £16-20 for a set of 6 with a special Keto Cake for £75, and the Keto Fudge comes in at £4. In terms of pricing compared to other Keto products considering a pack of 12 Perfect Keto bars costs around £40, it’s pretty much on par with other Keto products in the UK in terms of pricing. Planet Organic’s Keto range is priced from £2.99-7, so it’s certainly cheaper than the average Planet Organic Keto snack, which is good to see.
Pros:
Great example of British entrepreneurship finally releasing a health snack that meets the criteria of the modern day “biohacker”, a doughnut that’s all organic as well as Keto. In the UK, we really lack companies that make products Keto-friendly as well as all organic. So it’s nice to finally have a small business in the UK that’s hitting that criteria. We are still very behind the US in that regard.
Delicious – out of the 5 flavours I tried, only 1 failed to hit the spot (the Black Charcoal), which showed that this company was capable of making extremely healthy snacks without compromising on taste.
Knocks Planet Organic’s Keto products out of the park in terms of taste, making this, I believe, the tastiest UK made product.
Compared to the leading Keto based products, it’s roughly the same price if not a bit cheaper. The average price of a Keto health bar online is somewhere between £2.70-7, so these are roughly on par with them.
Good Longevity- Their shelf life is around 6 days upon receiving them, which is far higher than the average doughnut.
Cons:
Erythritol is extremely harsh on the digestive tract and may cause diarrhea if over consumed, so eat them slowly. The coconut oil in addition might be harsh on the guts of people who aren’t usually used to eating Keto products, so eat slowly.
Keto Fudge and the Charcoal Doughnut lacked flavour.
I’d still place Perfect Keto and Dave Asprey bars ahead of them in terms of taste.
Conclusions:
As someone who’s lived in the UK my whole life, it’s been hard for me to find any UK-based companies that sell organic Keto products. It’s great that there’s a small business that has set out to meet even the fussiest of biohackers needs, and I greatly appreciate that. Support small UK businesses that don’t compromise health, and buy Kinetic Kitchen’s Keto Doughnuts and Keto Fudge today!
The ChiliPAD is a device based on accumulating more deep sleep with cooling down body temperature. I felt that while the idea was good and with the science behind it, there’s a serious product flaw. it’s just really too loud, and the fact that they have had 6 years to fix this and haven’t is really inexcusable. We know that cooler temperatures can enhance deep sleep, improving memory, cognitive repair, and human growth hormone, but what also harms sleep quality is noise, and the chiliPAD is inexcusably loud. I was waking up constantly at night due to this loud noise, and I’m not the first person to complain about this. There are numerous reviews on Amazon that complain about the same thing.
We know there’s a lot of science behind loud noise disrupting sleep, so why would you create a device that fixes one problem but causes another? It’s just somewhat bizarre that a company which prides itself on enhancing sleep quality makes a device that will disrupt your sleep due to the large amount of noise. It’s a huge shame, and I’m pretty gutted to be honest.
I think to study chiliPAD’s flaws, you should look at the impact of that loud noise. Interestingly, Ben Greenfield did an interview with a South African Sports scientist who was responsible. https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/lifestyle-podcasts/shayamal-vallabhjee/ Whilst looking after their students, they made sure they located their hotel rooms in areas where there was no sound at all coming in, e.g. not having a room next to an elevator. I think this illustrates the importance of having a silent room as well as a pitch black dark room in order for optimal sleep. Many respect light and room temperature when it comes to optimising sleep temperature but seem to forget about sound. It’s pretty odd that the makers of this product seemingly did the same.
Pricing:
£499 for half a unit but there are often sales for between 15-25 percent off, so be on the lookout.
Pros:
Can enhance deep sleep quality—heavily endorsed by such Biohackers like Dave Asprey, The Life-stylist Podcast, and Biohacker Tim for doing so.
Very easy to set up—even if you’re not heavily into tech, this is extremely simple and easy to get going.
The customer service was on point—item delivered very quickly, now with UK sourcing, meaning that there are no import taxation fees anymore
Low EMF which is extremely important considering you’re going to be sleeping on this .
90 day sleep trial and any pads returned are donated to veterans with PTSD disorder, which was a fantastic touch and makes investing in one of these risk free—worse case scenario, you’re donating to charity.
Cons:
Extremely loud, I was waking up 4-5 times per night using this device even after locking it up in my cupboard and moving it around in my room. This was extremely disappointing to say the least, more so because I’d expected the company to know about the impact sound can have on deep sleep.
Materials feel cheaply made, would’ve been nice if the base of the surface fibres of the chiliPAD were made out of Organic Cotton instead of non-organic flame retardants. It would’ve been a good extra step for the company to make.
Conclusion:
Overall, due to my sensitivity to the loud noises this machine emitted, the chiliPAD was sadly not for me, but I still recommend anyone who is keen on using it to do so as the benefits of extra deep sleep is priceless and many big names of the health sphere have said great things about this product. You have 90 days to make your mind up about it, whether it’s good for you or not. I believe this to be enough time to make judgement on this product.
BrainTap were sponsors at last year’s virtual biohacking conference, so this company were big endorsers and have gained a lot of popularity, from not just Dave Asprey but several other leading health experts like Tim Biohacker,Luke Storey( The Life Stylist Podcast) etc. I decided to purchase both the headphones and a monthly subscription to see if their meditation enhancement device would work. Usually the headset comes in at around $600, however, there are frequent discounts offered on various biohacking communities like the Bulletproof Diet Support Group on Facebook, on the Dave Asprey Podcast, and on events like Black Friday. Import taxation wasn’t too bad with this item, coming in at around £25. They’ve been endorsed by many high-end sports teams like Sporting Kansas City.
How It Works
When you think about the brain, everything is different. All physical stress is brain stress. Delta should be very low while you’re awake and very high when you sleep.
In just 20 minutes, people who used BrainTap showed real improvements in meditation and that the brain can go out and achieve with high levels of beta and alpha. In order to get the most out of our meditations, the frequency we meditate at is extremely important. Why do we meditate on top of mountains? Because they happen to resonate at 7.8hz. This is why the monks are there, and your body sinks to theta, the best states of recovery. Most people are 18 hz frequencies, and this causes your body to burn out your neurotransmitters at a faster rate, which makes it harder to absorb nutrients and supplements. Thus, using these background sounds helps for more optimal mediations and more relaxation.
Before and after a BrainTap induced meditation
Dopamine drives behaviour and is responsible for addiction; you want to get your brain out of that addictive state. People are not getting enough theta brain wave and aren’t producing enough GABA, so they aren’t getting the sleep that they need. When you’re going through enhanced meditation with BrainTap, you can go through the full sympotheny of brain waves and enhance your neurotransmitter bank account and benefit more parts of your brain.
BrainTap uses a combination of epigenetics and binaural beats similar to that of EEG neurofeedback training. Not everyone gets the same impact from binaural beats though; it depends on the ear. They layer in isochronic tones that resonate frequencies; there’s a certain rhythm and cadence that can layer that in, so the brain follows the isochronic tones like ocean sounds in conjunction with the binaural beats and words. One study showed they got 49 percent neuroplasticity change which woke up the brain and made it act years younger 55-65 (who already have the onset of dementia) after they used the device . So it’s made some huge impacts on those already with underlying brain issues.
Neuroacoustic harmonics are also added in exercising the brain through the right and left side. Music creates the environment where the brain can harmonise along with the Epigentics, binaural beats, isochronic tones, and neuroacoustic harmonics.
They then stack these four with light therapy using 470 nanometer light, which is blue light. With your light close, it is the shortest incrim of light which means it hardly penetrates your light. The sleep studies on BrainTap show that 90 percent of people who use this device achieve deeper sleep. LED laser light is absorbed by our mitochondria which increases ATP, improves nitric oxide in the body, and it goes in through the eyes with the eyes closed, so it absorbs the light, circulates through the hemoglobin, finds the cell that’s in apoptosis, and it absorbs that which increases energy consumption within the brain.
Words can change up to 2300 gene expressions and have epigenetic control of your genetics (up to 80 percent) . So during the meditations, you’re guided by words which can enhance your brain waves, and using NLP moves your meditations to the next level.
Optimizes GABA waves and gets the theta brain wave in motion, which can enhance deep sleep. If you’re getting 1 hour of deep delta sleep and 2 hours of REM sleep, you’re going to be fully optimal and detox well. The device has worked well in the Airline industry. According to their studies for jet lag, they were able to reduce pilots’ jet lag recovery time from 3 days to 4 hours just by using BrainTap Training. They were able to bring down their biological age through the enhanced meditation and habitual mediation from BrainTap.
Long story short, BrainTap claims to save time with more optimal meditation. From their studies, they were able to bring down the biological age of the brain to 34 due to repeated brain tap meditations on the Gerontological Health Curve. We absorb the light the device emits and put it out into the world by producing the ATP that we need.
Advantages:
Easy setup—unlike a lot of meditation enhancement devices like EEG devices, there are no gels or anything.
You definitely get some sort of meditation enhancement.
There’s a large range of tracks available that can aim to enhance anything from relationships to sleep quality, using a combination of NLP and binaural beats along with light therapy.
An efficient way to get your mind and body resonating at the right frequency to optimise meditation. Especially for those living in cities, this is an easy hack to recreate a peaceful environment in the mind.
App can be used without the headset for those who don’t want to splash out on the device. Granted, the “light benefits” won’t be included but actually using better quality headphones might enhance the experience.
Helps improve your Biorhythm scores.
Disadvantages:
For $650, you’d expect something to be included as a bonus, but instead, you have to pay an additional £12 per month for subscription to the App, which is just pure greed from the developers to pair subpar headphones with a monthly subscription. This is showing the negative direction which I think companies are heading in the biohacking sphere. Hapbee did something similar with their subscription based model. Seems like these companies are almost trying to suck in mentally ill individuals to be dependent on their products to ensure long-term profitability.
The App would sometimes cut offline and require the internet to log on again, which is a bit annoying to use while travelling.
You have a huge $100 to pay for shipping costs outside of the US along with additional import taxes which add to the cost of an already expensive product.
The study which showed 90 percent improvement of sleep was done on ill people who already had extremely low REM sleep of less than a couple of minutes, so to show huge improvement and marketing like that will be the same for everyone is probably untrue. A lot of people with average health still manage 30-60 minutes of REM sleep and are just not going to get this “90 minutes” marketed improvement in sleep quality.
You’re limited to 4 tracks per day, which with the $650 headset and the £12 month subscription is just additional greed coming from the makers. Although I can understand why they’ve done this, (so that people don’t use the same username and password to share their accounts with family members), but for someone looking to do above an hour and twenty minutes of meditation a day, you’re unable to go above that time with this app, which compared to other meditation devices is a shame. With EEG and HEG brain training devices, you’re allowed unlimited sessions, but with this app, you’re not allowed even after paying for the subscription and headphones.
Headphone build quality is cheap and plastic. There’s even a Chinese voice saying “line in” whenever it connects to the phone, which is a sign of just how cheaply made these headphones are. For $650, you expect class headphones that are well built, but it seems that there’s a real profit and greed motive behind the design. They’ve definitely cut costs in the production of this item. The headphones are terrible quality for the price. $650 dollars, and they feel like $20 ones, maybe even worse. Not great at noise cancellation at all which means they’re pretty useless in noisy environments. They could’ve spent so much more on the product design, but instead, it looks like they’re cutting corner after corner on these things.
Headphones constantly disconnect after about 40 minutes, showing again a sign of poor quality that I wouldn’t expect from $600 dollar earphones.
Headphones were uncomfortable on the ears, really another example of how cheap they were, and the flashing lights on the inside of the ears seem almost gimmicky and make it impossible to do the meditation at night using them if you’re in bed with your partner as the lights coming from the ear buds can potentially wake them up. Another example of just how poorly thought out these headphones are.
Battery time is very low despite the expensive costs of headphones. Only lasts around 2 hours which makes it inconvenient for travel. Again compare this to $100 wireless headphones on the market, which have much longer run times with their battery. This is once again an inexcusable problem with a device this expensive.
The part for the eyes emits blue light albeit not as strong as the blue light from your devices/phones/laptop, but the thought of taking the meditations for sleep enhancement whilst using something that harms sleep quality (blue light seems a bit far swung).
The light flashing in the eyes seems to be a bit annoying at times also probably won’t be fully experienced due to having your eyes shut like in most meditations and just seems like you’re paying for nothing much more than poor quality headphones that flash light in your eyes .
Customer service was slow to respond to my questions, took almost a 1 week of pinging back and forth via email and then eventually got my answer.
The meditations didn’t feel that strong an effect. I did certainly feel an impact, but was it enough to justify the price paid for the poor quality headphones? Not sure this had as much of an impact as EEG.
Conclusions Drawn
BrainTap has the studies to back itself that it can improve and optimise meditation, which is a huge plus, but the execution of the headphones has been substandard at best and left me feeling a little bit that I’d been conned out of my money by purchasing it due to poor quality of the headphones and lack of sturdiness of the device. It’s a shame that on top of the hugely overpriced headphones, you then have to pay an indefinite monthly subscription, which strikes me as extremely greedy, but I see this subscription based model is the way a lot of businesses are heading towards. But overall, if you’re disciplined and use this device regularly, it can be beneficial and can put you into deeper states of meditation. If you don’t already own any HEG and EEG devices, it could be what you’re looking for. I believe putting the money towards a solid HEG or EEG device which you have unlimited sessions for you and your family and could be the better long-term play rather than investing in this device, but then again, that’s just my opinion.
A lot of this information was accumulated from Dr. Alicia Galvin during her podcast
Why Liposomal? Bovine Colostrum is best absorbed in Liposomal form, so I would recommend everyone to purchase it in this format. As far as I’m aware, there’s only one website in the UK that’s not Amazon that is selling it at the moment.
Colostrum can make a big impact on a person’s health with those with Chronic GI conditions and those with autoimmune problems. Liposomal form bypasses and protects the proteins while helping the colostrum dissolve in liquids, allowing it to remove directly through the bowel wall and circulate throughout the body, so it can remain bioavailable at the cellular level. High heat pasteurisation can destroy up to 60 percent of the IGG in colostrum, so a preferable method is a technique that is high temperature or short time pasteurization because it remains that the bioactivity of the colostrum is high while destroying pathogens.
Bovine Colostrum comes before the true milk comes through and tapers off 72 hours after birth. The first 24 hours of collection of colostrum is the most nutrient dense.
Culturally, it’s considered very sacred in ancient India, and it was widely used. In places like Kenya, it’s extremely popular. It’s been used throughout history to support human health and has many lifesaving properties when consumed.
There are many antibodies found in our immune system that are also found in colostrum. During embryo development, the baby’s immune system is not fully developed at birth. The baby is protected in the womb because the potential harmful agents cannot pass the placental barrier, but at birth, the baby will lose this protection from the mother. In mammals, like cows, the young are passively immunised with colostrum, so in these mammals, it’s a vitally important part of the birthing process.
It’s not human colostrum that has the most benefit to humans. Bovine colostrum is the only colostrum that contains all of the growth factors that are found in other species, so their colostrum contains a lot of immune and health factors. Bovine colostrum has 30-40 times the amount of beneficial colostrum than which is produced by humans. Because the human placenta allows the passage of the IGGS, but the placenta of the cow does not allow the passage of IGGS from the mother to calf.
Human colostrum has more IGA while bovine colostrum has more IGGs. We as humans can really benefit from the higher IGG systemic immune system function. The signalling peptides PRPs inter-sculling signalling molecules can turn the immune system up when it’s time to help the immune system or turn it down when it’s time to fight an autoimmune condition (when the immune system is overreacting). PRPs, or proline rich polypeptides, peptides are short chain amino acids. The immune system wants to be balanced between its TH1 and TH2 helper cells. Autoimmune diseases usually occur when there’s an imbalance between TH1 and TH2. They will stimulate the suppressor T cells or stimulate the other side. Colostrum can really help balance the immune system.
Times you DON’T WANT TO USE COLOSTRUM:
If you’ve had an organ transplant
If you’re trying for a baby
If you’re currently pregnant
If you have a serious sensitivity to dairy – if a lactose intolerant person can tolerate hard cheese they may be able to tolerate colostrum. Colostrum is only about two percent lactose. Colostrum is pre-milk, not mature milk, which means it has a higher concentration of immune balancing properties, so if someone has a dairy sensitivity, it helps to lessen those effects. If someone has a true aggressive reaction to dairy, they should still not consume it.
Good for those with:
Psoriasis
Eczema
Crohn’s disease
Leaky Gut
Can be used for acne too
Colostrum is there as a “perfect food” for any mammal to consume, so for survival of the species, colostrum is very important.
Lactoferrin 6 percent binding protein, it will bind up the free iron and has the ability to penetrate cell walls, causing the cell to burst. Lactoferrin is a potent destroyer of viruses like hepatitis B and C and protects the offspring from potential pathogens.
The growth factors in colostrum help to repair the damage in the intestinal permeability which is what causes leaky gut. Leaky Gut is seen as a key factor to a lot of autoimmune conditions, so colostrum is seen as one of the best supplements to nip this problem in the bud. This growth factor helps maintain proper permeability and decrease rising leaky gut rates.
Advantages:
Food based intervention because its derived from milk
Typically very well tolerated
Can be consumed orally or applied topically directly on the areas of skin which are inflamed (Cyst, wound etc.)
Sovereign Labs have a great reputation and are endorsed by a good number of doctors, biohackers etc. (I have no affiliation with them)
Felt my bowel movements massively improve after taking colostrum. Fantastic for bowel regularity.
Was an easy way to improve the taste and creaminess of my bulletproof coffee.
Can help patients with Celiac disease, depending on where they’re starting from. For someone newly diagnosed with celiac, colostrum can close those gut permeability junctures and can help to improve things.
Lowering skin irritation
No adverse effects with taking them long term
Liposomal, even though being more expensive, requires less doses than the normal form.
The packaging was very weak, and it unfortunately had several holes before it was delivered to me.
Price:
Reasonably priced at £81.95 for 454 grams (90 servings), you’re looking at a decent 3 months supply, coming in at less than £1 a day. A bit more expensive than non liposomal forms, but as mentioned beforehand, this price is offset by the larger rate of absorption.
Moral Questions: Many people on health forums often have moral questions as to the usage of Liposomal Colostrum, thinking it’s unfair to rob a calf of its food, and these are pretty reasonable concerns. You must do your research on colostrum brands yourself and ensure that the brand you’re using sources their colostrum ethically.
Mature dairy cows produce 80 – 100 pounds of colostrum in the first four days. The general rule is a calf needs 5-6 percent of its body weight the first 24 hours (4 pounds). The average calf consumes 16 pounds in the first 24 hours, and the calf’s gut will then close, becoming more impermeable after 6 hours the calf will absorb less of the nutrients. In total, there’s a net amount of colostrum left over.
Conclusions:
At the time of writing, we are still dealing with the effects of Covid-19, and many are searching for alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs and vaccines. The studies out there support that colostrum is good for leaky gut, and for me, personally having suffered from this condition before, I’ve found it to be very useful in enhancing my gut and bowel health. If you have chronic gut, parasite, and other health issues, colostrum can be an invaluable weapon in your arsenal against it. At £80 for a 3 month supply, it’s definitely worth a punt if you’re struggling with bowel problems to give Sovereign Labs’ Liposomal Colostrum a try.
The CBD oil industry in the UK has long been an industry famous for its corruption and poor quality products with many companies like Holland and Barrett getting a reputation for pulling out poor quality products. So, where do people in the UK go for good quality products? I spent 6 months working at a CBD store in London, and I pulled together a list of the top quality CBD products available in the UK.
What’s the most important thing to consider when thinking about what CBD to get?
Does your workplace require frequent drug tests?
Full spectrum CBD contains 0.02 percent THC, which is still enough to fail a drug test, so if your occupation involves drug tests (e.g. police officer or pro athlete) you really don’t want to be consuming Full Spectrum CBD oils, stick to the broad spectrum and isolate. Don’t risk ruining your career with a negative drug test just because you consumed some CBD oil.
That this is not a cure all.
Perhaps the most important thing to realize when considering CBD products is that this product will not be the be all and end all. During the CBD hype cycle in the US, people have been going crazy for it. I don’t think it deserves all the hype it gets. I believe the supplement can be good when used in conjunction with other products, but it shouldn’t be over valued, and I believe in the modern day setting it certainly is.
If you have sleep problems?
Buy blue light blocking glasses. In the long term, you’ll get a better yield from them than CBD drops.
Have stress or anxiety?
Start a heavy metals detox and buy a clear light infrared sauna, which have both shown to decrease cortisol in the long run more effectively than CBD can.
CBD should be a tool in your arsenal. From my personal experience, too many people look to CBD as a cure all which it isn’t. You really need to analyse your environment properly for Mould, EMF, junk light etc. first.
Shipping:
Ordering full spectrum products from America to the EU will hold risks that your product might be held in customs, so please be cautious, due to their low THC content they might fail customs checks. Typically full spectrum CBD oils must contain around 0.02 percent THC or less. During my time working with a CBD store, we had some shipping issues distributing between EU countries and the US, so it’s worth taking note of this. Try, if you can, to have the product shipped within your country to avoid these issues.
Where the CBD Oil Comes from
The problem with cheap CBD oils from Amazon or Holland and Barrett is it’s difficult to source which country the hemp comes from. The majority of hemp is grown in China which is known for its notorious high use of pesticides, large amount of environmental toxins, mycotoxins, and is usually grown under artificial lights which can make the hemp mouldy and difficult to digest. Hence, this is why a lot of people who start off their CBD journey usually have bad reactions and blame it on the CBD industry being “corrupt” or an “entire placebo”. You need to be very aware of where your CBD is grown because the hemp plant absorbs everything in its environment. You need your hemp to be grown in a clean environment, pesticide and toxin free with no artificial lights. The USA seems to be the country best for this. However, there are organic brands coming from parts of Europe that are emerging. If the CBD brand you’re buying from cannot identify where the Hemp is grown or whether they are tested for mycotoxins and pesticides individually, then it’s most likely that this CBD is going to cause more harm than good. Either take the premium quality or none at all. Ingesting a product with mycotoxins will most likely do more harm than good to you in the long term, and you really don’t want to be consuming any health products from China.
Whether the brand does individual batch tests?
The hemp plant is so susceptible to toxins in its environment that you must choose a brand which does individual batch tests and can provide tests for pesticide residue, mould, and toxins. I’ve compiled a list of brands in this review that does this here.
Make it vape, pills, or oil?
All three have their advantages and disadvantages. With vaping, there’s the fashion appeal which can help the younger generation get into the habit of taking CBD. Vaping CBD can also make it act faster in the body. The endocannabinoid system is located throughout the body including the lungs . Vaping CBD can be a great way of getting over a smoking addiction by replacing cigarettes with something healthier. People looking to get over cannabis addiction, CBD can also be a good idea.
For some people who dislike the taste of the oil, pills can be seen as the next best substitute, or for those who are older who do not enjoy swallowing pills, oils are seen as the quickest, most effective way to get CBD into your system. A few drops on the tongue is the most optimal way of getting that CBD into you. The issue with pills is that the bulk of the CBD is most likely going to be destroyed by your stomach acid during the digestion process, so be mindful of this when making the choice.
Vaping
Bloom Farms – Bloom Farms CBD does a variety of vapes and has a big reputation in the US. There are 5 different flavours available in the UK: Rose, Blackberry, Stone Fruit, Sequoia Mint, and a natural CBD flavour. With good variety and available for £45, this broad spectrum blend is a delicious start for anyone who wants to start vaping CBD.
Pros:
Great flavours and variety – something for everyone getting started with CBD oils
Broad spectrum CBD with a company that has a long standing reputation for delivering quality products.
One of the few actual UK based companies that I’ll be reviewing is Lady Lova, which is a brand that derives its broad spectrum CBD from Colorado. This brand also promises to be one of the first in the UK to produce top quality CBD oils . I’ve enjoyed using their vapes which come in three flavours: Uplift (Citrus) , Unwind (Strawberry), Balance (Orange). An example of real British entrepreneurship innovating the market with healthy, organically grown products that are tested for mycotoxins and pesticides.
Pros:
Great value at £28 for 200 ml broad spectrum is a good price. The best value vape pen I’ve seen on the market.
Easy to use
Fantastic flavour
A good opportunity to support British Entrepreneurship in the CBD space. There is a huge lack of British based CBD companies, so it’s amazing to have a company that’s UK based bringing out good quality CBD products. Our favourite UK based company by far.
Cons:
Disposable vape pen, not the best for the environment.
The Rational Biohacker Rating: 9/10
Please support British entrepreneurship and buy these products!
From San Francisco by my personal favourite Full Spectrum CBD brand from the USA. With third party batch testing, this brand has definitely had the most positive impact on my health. Despite being hard to source for UK readers, there is still one site stocking it, albeit, in small supply.
.
Pros:
Fantastic quality CBD oil, my favourite, the most effective that I’ve tried.
Great tasting vapes with watermelon and blueberry flavours that combine well with the CBD flavour and terpenes for a really relaxing vaping experience.
High strength for those looking to get a bit more out of their CBD, preferred as a step up to those taking Broad Spectrum CBDs for a while.
Cons:
High strength might be too potent for people beginning to take CBD.
Hard to source in the UK unfortunately
Ordering 0.02 percent THC CBD oil can be tricky in the UK from the US. During the delivery process sometimes the oil can be confiscated or held up, so be careful when sourcing due to this low THC level. Proceed with caution when ordering.
CBD Vape is disposable, which is not the best for the environment.
During my time working at a CBD store in London, Kiskanu was the top selling brand. They sell a variety of broad spectrum oils staked with terpenes and herbs. The Day drops include Calendula which is a proven antiviral. The night drops are stacked with Passionflower and perfect for sleep.
Pros:
Was the best selling product during my time working at the CBD store in London which customers found the most effective against sleep apnea.
Organically sourced, batch tested broad spectrum. The day drops stacked with calendula is a powerful antiviral, great for dealing with Covid and other viruses and colds.
Good stack for enhancing sleep quality with additional herbs like passionflower added
Long standing strong reputation amongst the CBD community with batch testing done, tested for moulds, organic etc.
Cons:
Coming in at £100, it’s quite pricey for those starting off on their CBD journey, but with 1000 mg it’s a decent return. This should last the average person around 2 months if they consume 15-20mg a day
Night drops won’t be as effective as red light blocking glasses. If you have sleep troubles please try red light glasses first and THEN CBD drops.
Quicksilver Scientific is a company that has long been praised by people in the Biohacking community for providing good heavy metal detox supplements, but they also provide a wide range of other high quality liposomal vitamins amongst other things. I first came across their CBD range when suggested to use it when parasite cleansing, and it didn’t disappoint. They have a Hemp oil and broad spectrum CBD oil, and both are good to use. Only one online store in the UK stocks them – Aggressive Health Shop.
The Organic Colorado Hemp Extract delivers a nanoemulsified oil that is 40% Phyto cannabinoids, including CBD (<0.3% THC). The nanoemulsified format improves bioavailability, allowing for rapid absorption orally and via the lymphatics. The precision pump accurately delivers 3 mg of phytocannabinoids and 30 mg of essential phospholipids per 0.5 mL pump.
Pros:
A fantastic high strength oil good
Liposomal technology has faster absorption rates.
Company that creates high quality supplements all round
Stacked with Quicksilver’s Bitters blend, it can be a potent blend against parasites. Visit the parasite cleansing groups for more information:
A great Starter brand for anyone early in their CBD journey. A company based in America that stocks a variety of CBD products from bacon flavoured CBD for dogs to delicious chocolate bars. Having worked in a CBD store for a while, this brand has always been the preferred go to starter when recommending to customers, and we received great feedback when selling them. Their brand is quite easily obtainable in the UK, but US based members can benefit from visiting their store in New York too. Gron also sells an elixir that can be fantastic for baking and stacking with bulletproof coffee. The problem with conventional products is they don’t diffuse properly throughout the drink. Gron solves this issue by diffusing throughout the drink using their elixir technology.
Pros:
Good starter product for anyone looking to get into CBD oil. Their single isolate formulas can be a welcoming introduction compared to the broad and full spectrum.
Their elixir is great technology for those looking to add CBD to bulletproof coffees or baking.
Reasonably priced compared to a lot of other high end CBD brands
Suitable for pets too with flavour profiles to suit them – e.g. Bacon flavour CBD for dogs.
Has face and neck cream, eye cream, and CBD face masks using all organic products
Cons:
Their sweets and chocolate bars contain very high amounts of sugars which sort of defeats the point of being “healthy” although they have an amazing taste.
Dave Asprey has been publishing books for a while now since his 2011 publishing of the Better Baby Book. He treats us to another book this time about the science of fasting and why we should incorporate it into our daily lives.
Dave’s books (and I’ll be providing another comprehensive blog post about all of them) have been “Game Changers” focused on health. In fact, both the Bulletproof Diet and “Headstrong” contained recommendations about fasting, so for this book to once again be about fasting is nothing revolutionary and new here. There have also been previous books written about the benefits of fasting from a more scientific perspective, most notably Dr. Berg’s Intermittent fasting and the health benefits of doing such.
There’s nothing wrong with writing a book about a subject someone else has covered, but if you’re going to do so, at least provide more unique scientific insight than the previous person did. Dave doesn’t do this. Instead he chooses to go down the route of storytelling , a bit of showing of his brand and product placement, and not much else. What made Bulletproof Diet, The Better Baby Book, Headstrong, and Superhuman decent reads was that they offered some preparatory information that hadn’t been seen before in the mainstream. The Bulletproof Diet had a useful roadmap that separate good fats and bad ones, The Better Baby Book offered clear advice on things that can influence birth like diet and EMF radiation, Headstrong looked deeper in the effect light has on our mitochondrial health, and Superhuman looked at supplements like C360, which was a real game changer for my health personally…
Here in Fast This Way, there’s nothing new that really wows you or makes you come out of the reading thinking you’ve really added to your knowledge base. If you already have experience with fasting and know the scientific benefits of it, you’ll be left somewhat disappointed by this book in comparison to the others.
His personal stories about fasting are in nearly every chapter of the book, which help reinforce the importance of the “psychological battle” that is fasting. This can be seen as entertaining, storytelling marketing, but I think those expecting more scientific proof on the benefits of fasting will be left pretty disappointed, and that’s the main problem with Dave.
He’s a marketing entrepreneur guy. He isn’t a doctor or someone who writes books with a lot of science to back up his points. Instead, he chooses to simplify everything, and I think that’s why his books sell so well in the New York times. Simple sells and is most relatable, which makes this book enjoyable for people with little scientific background who just need a bit of guidance and a Tony Robbins-esque self help and guidance.
But for people who are from a science background, it would be nice to include more scientific studies, and there just aren’t enough scientific studies in place to back the points he makes. Just phrases like “you don’t need to eat” and references to religion, I don’t think are enough solid proof points to long-term benefits of fasting. He could’ve gone more into the benefits like Stem Cell Regeneration.
The mentioning of guidance to women offers some really invaluable information for which I was unaware of beforehand. For me, this was one of the most unique aspects of the book and was interesting. He built on this in the final few chapters, showing advice for those for young people below age 25 and for those with eating disorders. This aids the book in helping a variety of people, not just the biohacker lovers.
Then there’s the product placement that’s annoying, but it’s come to be expected by now as he does it every single book with the exception of The Better Baby Book. He does this way more than other mainstream authors do, and it may alienate some readers. Of course, he’s a businessman first and scientist second, and he needs to make sales. But not everyone can fast with bulletproof coffee, and a lot of people can’t afford the $15,000 40 Years of Zen. His mention of TrueDark glasses is worthy as I feel excessive blue light causes terrible sleep, which can lead to more hunger cravings, but again the constant product placement gets tiresome. To his credit, though, there were opportunities to bring more Dave Asprey products into the equation, which he didn’t do. For example, where he talk
about vitamin A, D, and K, he could’ve endorsed his own ADK Products, but he chose not to which at least shows he has some limit to his product placement.
Aside from the pointers on sleep and psychology, Dave never really goes deep on the reasons why fasting can be difficult for people. There’s too much emphasis on psychology, willpower etc. and not enough on other important topics like candida and parasites. Parasites are an epidemic in our society, and there has been very little mention of them in his books in the past.
Although in a recent interview with the “Radical Roots” CEO, he mentioned the book “Your Brain on Parasites”. Dave hasn’t spoken that much on the issue. It’s common that parasite infestations and candida can cause sugar cravings. For me personally what made my fast a lot easier was a disciplined parasite cleanse with Mimosa Pudica. After I removed several large rope worms from my body, my sugar cravings subsided.
I believe a lot of people struggle with fasting purely because they are too infested with candida and parasites causing them to crave food which is zapping their willpower up and causing them to eat garbage foods. It’s well known that these parasites/candida cause food cravings for sugar, dairy etc., so it would’ve been nice for Dave to add guidance for candida and parasite cleanses for those who are struggling with fasting. This, in my opinion, would’ve been a lot more useful than his frequent psychology pep talks, which I found added little to those who already fast.
The supplement section of the book is pretty much all products which he’s mentioned before—Magnesium, D3, K2, and Iodine all made appearances in the early Bulletproof Diet books. There is no mention of C60, which is ironic as I found this to be the best supplement for minimising food cravings and which helped me during my own fasting journey.
Dave even mentions Serrapeptase, which is in the blend of C60 for the company he has stake in (C360 Health), which makes it even more ironic as to why he didn’t mention the company. I’d much rather he adds in affordable products that actually help with fasting like C60 rather than products that are too outside people’s budget like 40 Years of Zen.
He mentions digestive enzymes from Biooptimizers, one of the few products he’s mentioned here that haven’t been in previous books, but everything else has already been mentioned beforehand, and personally, I’ve found that not many of them, barring MCT oil, had an impact on my fasting. This is information that those like Sayer Ji and Ben Greenfield had covered in their releases last year. There’s nothing new here in this section that makes
Pros
Simple and easy to understand like the majority of Dave Asprey’s books
Offers a good insight to the psychological challenge of fasting
Good insights into sleep which would be useful for those with no prior knowledge of Dave Asprey’s work
Offers valuable information to women on their fasting journey
Cons
Lacks scientific studies to really back up the points he makes
Not enough on illness that can be causing sugar cravings like candida and parasites
Too much on religion and spirituality which may put off readers looking for more scientific insight
A bit too much product placement (although this is already a known issue in all of Dave’s books and podcasts—the guy needs to make sales, and he’s a businessman first, so it’s somewhat understandable)
Nothing mentioned here that hasn’t already been mentioned in other health books of the past 3-4 years
The constant self help pep talks sprinkled in will leave those looking for scientific answers frustrated
Could’ve made more of an effort to link in environmental toxins and weight gain
Conclusion
Dave Asprey cannot seem to put a foot wrong, and I personally have enjoyed his books and podcasts. Each one of them has impacted me in positive ways and helped to progress my health to the next level. Unfortunately Fast This Way has to be my least favourite book of his. It lacked the suss of new ideas that made his previous books special. For those new to fasting and Dave’s ideas, there’s still a lot of useful information here for beginners. For those struggling with fasting, I find it incomplete. He could’ve gone into candida and parasites and what causes sugar cravings more which would’ve offered more support to those struggling with fasting diets.
Dave Asprey cannot seem to put a foot wrong, and I personally have enjoyed his books and podcasts. Each one of them has impacted me in positive ways and helped to progress my health to the next level. Unfortunately Fast This Way has to be my least favourite book of his. It lacked the suss of new ideas that made his previous books special. For those new to fasting and Dave’s ideas, there’s still a lot of useful information here for beginners. For those struggling with fasting, I find it incomplete. He could’ve gone into candida and parasites and what causes sugar cravings more which would’ve offered more support to those struggling with fasting diets.
As I’ve said before, Dave’s a businessman first, scientist second. You’re not going to get a comprehensive list of scientific articles backing up each and every last one of his points. Instead, you’re going to get more of a “self-help Tony Robbins, let’s high five” style book. that’s a good thing for the people of a non-scientific background and for those starting out on their journey to change their diet or start a weight-loss protocol. But it’s a bad thing for those who’ve read similar books to this before like Dr. Berg’s intermittent fasting who might grow tired of the motivational talk and product placement and instead would want some more science on the long-term benefits of fasting and how it can help detox from parasites and mould of which there’s more science starting to emerge that prove useful to those struggling on their wellness journey, but Dave provides little of this.
And this begs a bigger question: Are Dave’s standards slipping? He stepped down as the CEO of Bulletproof, and some of the newer products he’s released this year including the rebranded coffee, omega 6 oil containing bars, and canned coffee to go have received criticism from those on the Bulletproof facebook group with many believing the brand is going in the wrong direction. He also posted some bizarre views on vaccines during March 2020, in which he hoped to see the whole of the US vaccinated, which most biohackers would probably not agree with seeing as the majority of them promote holistic medicine as well as Big Pharma. Fast This Way, Dave’s first book since the rebranding of the company he founded, is probably proof that this could be the case.
Always consult a doctor or a physician before taking supplements like this.
Tru Blue Caratine is a combination of several nootropics designed to boost cognition and creativity. This stack itself is a blend of Nicotine, Methylene Blue, and CBD. For the best possible impact, I’d stack this with EEG neurofeedback (an hour session) and 15 minutes of HEG for maximum performance.
What is Methylene Blue?
Methylene blue, also known as methylthioninium chloride, is a medication and dye. First used in the 1800s, it was originally used to stain jeans, blue but then there was a paradigm shift when it became used as an antifungal, antiviral and antiparasitic drug. Nowadays in the biohacking sphere, there is a push for Methylene Blue as a Nootropic with numerous other health benefits. Of course, it’s regularly found in industrial grade fish tank cleaner. However, they are known to carry heavy metals and other impurities as well, so please don’t start chugging down fish tank cleaner. One of the big companies to emerge from its popularity is TroScroptions, which released their Two Blue Cannatine TX stack and recently has been made available in the UK. This stack has proven to be very popular and endorsed by famous biohackers like Dave Asprey and Tim Gray. I chose to review Methylene Blue simply for it’s high reputation.
Where can I buy it?
Fortunately for us UK people, it’s now available to buy at xbrain.co.uk, which, although slightly more expensive than the US, comes in at around £35. At time of writing this, it was the only UK website selling this nootropic is xbrain.co.uk.
Place the Troche under the tongue for around 5 minutes. Do not chew. Your tongue will be stained for a period of 4-5 hours. Usually effects should be achieved in the space of 10-15 minutes.
Dose according to how you feel. Methylene Blue can be toxic if over consumed, but the level supplied in this supplement is extremely low. Half milligram a kilogram of body to 4-5 mg per kilogram are the varying dosage of Methylene Blue according to Dr. Francisco Gonzalez-Lima in his interview on the decoding superhuman podcast.
Advantages:
Finally for once, we are seeing in the UK the chance to get Nicotine in a non toxic format, which I absolutely love. As a writer personally, it’s been hard for me to find a nicotine supplement that isn’t chopped full of ridiculously toxic filler or crap that outlays its benefit. This nicotine itself is just straight nicotine.
Methylene Blue provides a good cognitive boost that can last from 4-5 hours. I found myself focused for an extended period of time even during my writing sessions or difficult language learning. I’m currently at the time of writing this blog post learning Chinese, so stacking Methylene Blue has been extremely useful for me to stack the two together.
Other additional benefits of Methylene Blue can be found here
CBD has a host of additional benefits.
I found that this stack worked a little bit more productively than just Methylene Blue on its own.
Nicotine has been found to boost creativity as well as has numerous other benefits. Nicotinic channels mediate the majority of fast excitation in autonomic ganglia. Nicotine is made from aromatic amino acids that absorb UV light.
It accelerates oxygen consumption, which will accelerate energy production and act as an antioxidant. It can donate electrons. Methylene Blue becomes an “artificial cycler”. It can donate but also take away if there are too many electrons but has to be taken in a low dose to allow it to continually provide its positive effects.
Can help prevent cognitive decline. See the interview with Dr. Francisco Gonzalez- Lima below for more info. Even Jack Kruse who doesn’t often advocate the use of supplements praises Methylene Blue. He states in his blog:
“I briefly mentioned Methylene Blue as part of a biohack for people with neuro-degeneration and various types of traumatic brain injury like concussion, photosensitive seizures, autoimmune brain diseases, migraine headaches and exercise induces changes in neuro-cognition.”
Can help decrease the load and side effects of Non-Native EMF. Again, another interesting point from Jack Kruse’s blog: “Methylene Blue (MB) is an inhibitor of nitric oxide. Synthase and guanylate cyclase have many uses in medicine. MB’s main effect is on proton spin in the TCA cycle. Few people realize the main defect of nnEMF is a loss of H+ recycling in TCA intermediates because of a change in proton spin fractionation.
Studies have shown it can potentially reduce skin damage. Also mentioned from Jack Kruse’s blog is the fact that Methylene Blue combined with sunlight has been used “to treat resistant plaque psoriasis, AIDS-related Kaposi’s sarcoma, West Nile virus, and to inactivate staphylococcus aureus,[used it in a biohack] HIV-1, Duck hepatitis B, adenovirus vectors, and hepatitis C. It is now being used in autoimmune conditions, neuro-degenertion, TBI, and diabetes.” Phenothiazine dyes and light have been known to have virucidal properties for over 70 years. This is why Methylene Blue works in combating many viral diseases.
Methylene Blue is a monoamine oxidase inhibitor. MAOI’s act by inhibiting the activity of monoamine oxidase, thus preventing the breakdown of monoamine neurotransmitters and thereby increasing their availability. Thusly, Methylene Blue increases dopamine, melatonin, serotonin, and melanin levels on our surfaces to increase our ability to deal with sunlight properly, so stacking this in conjunction with sunlight is crucial if you want to get the best out of your Methylene Blue.
From David Sinclair’s book Lifespan, it can also stimulates glucose metabolism in conditions without oxygen and increases the amount of NAD + produced by mitochondria
Disadvantages:
Be careful if you have braces as it can permanently stain them. It can also stain your clothes, and just in general, you don’t want this getting anywhere near stuff you care about.
The amount of CBD is minimal, at 5mg. Having worked in a CBD store for a long period of time, I find customers did best optimally on between 15mg-30mg. Of course CBD’s impact depends entirely on the person, but for the sheer amount of money paid for this product, 5mg is really not much at all in the grand scheme of things.
Uses a lot of packaging. The new age biohacking minded individuals should to some extent be caring for the environment. We are seeing a lot of products in this sphere which have good packaging. Unfortunately, this small product contains enough plastic to choke a pigeon. For the small 8 servings, you’re getting a lot of packaging here and there. Granted it’s understandable as Methylene Blue is a product that can stain quickly and needs to be kept tightly sealed, and unfortunately that means a lot more plastic is going to be used .
Expensive, outright it is coming in at £35 for around 8 servings. It’s pricey stuff. Of course it depends on the individual. The 4 troches can be divided into 16. Although, I felt it was most optimal for me at half a trio a dose. You’re, therefore, looking at around £2.50-7 a serving, which, for a nootropic, is definitely on the high end. I expect this price to come down in the future though as other brands get approved and competition in the free market expands, but right now, there are only a few companies that have been allowed in this space.
Not practical for business situations. Ironically, the biggest issue with me is the issue that it makes your tongue visibly blue, which can be extremely annoying for real life situations like business meetings, sales meetings etc. You might get in trouble for being seen with a visibly blue tongue, so keep that in mind.
Taking it at too high a dose can take away oxygen. It becomes an oxidation agent and can drain your electrons of oxygen. If you keep increasing the concentration of Methylene Blue, you can have a hormetic dose response, so make sure you keep at half a mg per kg of body weight to start off with.
If you’re taking SSRIs, please don’t take Methylene Blue as the two can interact with one another.
Blue Cannatine on it’s own comes in small sachets like these whilst the Nootropic stack comes in a white plastic packaging above this one
Conclusions
The Nootropic scene is packed with hundreds of different stacks promising a lot and delivering a variety of effects depending on the person. For me, it really did help during long periods of language learning, but the fact that it stains your tongue for up to 4-5 hours can be problematic for people who work in corporate environments where this would be looked down upon or can get you into trouble. All in all, I found it a bit overpriced for what you’re getting, but this depends on how much you yourself need as a person and how your body reacts. Some can feel the effects with very little whilst others need a lot more, so whether it’s “good value for money” depends really on the quantity a person needs in order to feel the optimal effects. The addition of CBD and Nicotine was a nice touch, but the quantity of both were low and can be found at far better value elsewhere. I would like to see another company stack a bit more both. Overall, if you have a large wallet and don’t mind splurging out a fair bit for a cognitive boost, then it’s worth a try to see how you feel, especially seeing as it has a lot of other positive side effects beyond cognition, aiding skin health and boosting. NAD being two examples of many, but if you’re tight on a budget, this can be skipped. I’d recommend seeing other articles about HEG and EEG first before investing into this nootropic if you can.
For more detailed info on what Methylene Blue is, please check out these podcasts. Numerous Citations and pubmed articles linked at the bottom of those articles:
Ben Greenfield has been a hugely popular writer, blogger, podcast host and instagram influencer who seems to do it all from ultra marathons to cold showers. A former bodybuilder and 13 time Ironman triathlete, Ben has been voted America’s top personal trainer by the National Strength and Conditioning Association. He has provided us with his new book “Boundless” which came out in March this year to provide a huge amount of value to those reading it. Featuring anything from Diet to Infrared Sauna Usage, Ben Greenfield seems to offer something for everyone in this book. If you want a cheaper way of getting the knowledge of this book, I recommend Amazon Audible, which has the book available at around £6 as UK users can buy three audible credits for £18. Alternatively you can buy this book off amazon.co.uk when at time of writing, it was available for around £35 .
This book is huge. Even the audiobook version comes in at a massive 41 hours long, which is the longest audiobook I’ve personally purchased ever. I recommend listening to it slowly, taking it at 1 chapter every other day. Reading this all at once will leave you feeling a bit overwhelmed and unable to digest the information properly. The book is divided into 22 Chapters, each one delivering advice about functions of health from air quality and EMF to diet optimisation. It covers a wide array of supplements and biohacks in clear format that is easy for the average joe not from a scientific background to understand. This, in Ben’s own words, is not designed to be read as a normal book but rather to be divided in the sections that you yourself want to read from it. I.e. If you want to learn more about air quality, go straight to Chapter 20. This is a New York Best Seller that I’ve found has had this intention, which might seem a bit alien to some people who usually expect to read a health book from start to finish.
Pros
It’s refreshing to see a biohacking book focus so much on light, water and EMF rather than the usual health book that goes into detail about diets and rambles on about the power of plants rather than what I believe has a greater impact on our health, which is light and non-native EMF. I see more books on health and wellness moving in this direction, and Ben certainly sheds detailed light (mind the pun) on the situation with thorough guidelines on the best blue light blocking strategies and the impact certain light bulbs have on our health. I’ve yet to see a mainstream biohacking book go into this much detail. Head Strong by Dave Asprey did to an extent, but Ben has gone into some more additional detail, which I think is extremely important as I believe light, water and non native EMF will play far bigger roles in our health in the future.
The book’s layout is nice and clear, similar to a science textbook but a bit more colourful and insightful, which makes it user-friendly. There are no real overwhelming science equations.
For those who are massively into health and wellness, this is definitely a book that will provide those additional tips and info that can help you get your health to the next level. If you’re past the stage of reading books like the Bulletproof Diet or Superhuman by Dave Asprey, then this will give you the foundation for that next level.
Provides a great overall blueprint in the modern day Biohacking Sphere. Whoever you are, whatever your knowledge level, you’re bound to learn something from Boundless.
Really good to see an author in the health space write about air quality and mould and how they impact your health. I thought chapter 20 was a terrific insight into this on a topic that’s often lacking in other modern health books that fail to look into the impact mould from food, mycotoxins and poor quality air can have on our health.
As far as I’m concerned, this the first “all in one” modern health book I’ve come across, and it’s done a decent job at covering most things the modern day biohacker will find important, and at £38, it’s still a good value for the amount of information you’re getting.
Each chapter has follow ups with additional interviews from top scientists in the health space as well as additional information about his podcasts. As said before, I recommend the EMF chapter and the follow up interviews with Jack Kruse.
The detail and in-depth analysis that Ben provides can be extremely useful where he provides diet advice based on inflammation markers. IN Chapter 21, he offers diet plans that match your blood, urine, stool, genes and symptom markers as well as additional daily meal plans, which can be very useful for those who are having differently finding a diet that fits them.
One of the first books I’ve read that’s provided a proper in-depth analysis between a vegan and meat-based diet and goes in quite clearly about the advantages and disadvantages of both. It also looks into the disadvantages of carnivores in a clear way, which I believe was definitely required. The points of debate are laid out clearly, which makes them very easy to understand.
There’s the additional classic “self routines” and rituals which some may find useful.
Thought one of the best parts of the book was the explanation on Nootropics, which was clearly and coherently laid out, being easily understandable.
Cons :
Felt his viewpoint on parasitic treatments were unfair and unjust. Didn’t mention Mimosa Pudica, which has been a game changer for me in terms of combating parasites. Could have mentioned the Microbe Formulas brand, which has been a very prominent brand in helping people to cure from them. I felt his assessments on parasite cleanses were a bit harsh and dismissive. I personally believe that everyone could benefit from them, and the fact that Ben left them out all together is extremely disappointing.
A few products mentioned in the book have caused more harm to me than benefits, most notably “Restore” supplement, which was meant to be used to fight off the damaging effects of glisophate, but instead caused more harm than good for me personally with issues like digestive pain and insomnia. It felt that a few of the products in here were being mentioned due to partnerships rather than them being the best possible solution.
Some products recommended have had a host of negative reviews. One being the “Molekule” Air filtration ,which had a host of negative reviews on amazon.com. I really wish he’d done his research and offered a fairer assessment before providing recommendations on products.
He also endorses several products in the EMF space that have also been controversial too, like The Blu Shield, which at the time of writing this had no real human studies on their website. The one animal study was done on chickens rather than humans. How can you endorse a company’s product without taking the time to see whether or not there are real human studies. He could’ve instead promoted some Anti-Emf devices, which actually do have human studies to back up their claims (albeit small ones) like CMO systems or the Vivobase.
The book’s sheer size means it’s not practical to carry around; you’re not going to be able to read this on the way to work. I wish he could’ve divided the book into several smaller books and released them gradually rather than dumping a life’s work into one book.
I felt some parts were unnecessary like the story where he went and bought “gas station dickpills” to enhance his sex life. There’s a lot of unnecessary tail offs to this, which personally for me, I found boring and irrelevant. I wish Ben has spent less time on these topics and more providing more in-depth high quality supplements instead.
There were times when I felt he wasn’t really recommending the best supplements out there. For example with CBD, he could’ve mentioned some better brands like Gron or Farmacy Bliss. He could’ve also gone more into quality sourcing of CBD, forgetting to mention that 95 percent of all CBD products come from China, which tend to be high in heavy metals, moulds and other toxins. Whilst he’s very strict when it comes to toxins on his food and water, he’s quite careless when it comes to recommending supplements that can and often have been known for their contamination problems in the past. CBD being the most prominent ones without offering any real solutions to these problems. He repeats this issue in his recommendations of Lion’s Mane. He could’ve gone into more detail about the problems sourcing medicinal mushrooms mainly that the bulk of them (again 95 percent ) come from China ,which have been laden with moulds, heavy metals and various other toxicants. He could’ve name dropped a brand like Life Cykel, which tests individually for heavy metals and other toxicants .
Just too much Information for the average person to find relatable to. The average middle class American might not be able to afford the host of biohacks that Ben is offering here and may find the constant recommendation of hundreds of supplements and herbs just too much to take all at once and all too expensive. Would’ve been good if the book had a breakdown list of biohacks that could be done from cheap to expensive at the end of each chapter to help out those on a budget more.
This book is huge and may be overwhelming for people starting out their health journey. For people beginning on the journey towards better health, I would recommend more simplistically designed book, like The Bulletproof Diet Book which are easier to digest and understand and move on to Dave Asprey’s Headstrong before embarking on this book.
– There are clear inconsistencies in the information displayed. For example on page 84, Ben tells us to get curcumin, the active substance in turmeric which has powerful anti-inflammatory effects. – Page 534 we learn that “an effective dose is 1,000 mg but doses as high as 1,500 mg can be absorbed without any negative side effects”. Page 102 tells us that “an effective dose is up to 8g a day”. That’s quite an increase between 1,000 mg to 8,000 mg. Which is it? Page 156 tells us then that the dose for this product is 1,000 mg.
Conclusion
Ben Greenfield has accomplished a huge amount in his glittering biohacking career and Boundless is no different. It offers a concise guide to everything you need to enjoy the world of Biohacking but lacks consistency in terms of supplement recommendations and could be more thorough with the quality control of some of his recommendations like the “Molekule” filter and the Blu Shield. Whilst being an advocate for good meat quality and organic vegetables, he shows little consistency in recommending the best quality supplements and biohacks, recommending some, which I personally found ineffective or in the case of Restore supplement made things worse. All in all, it’s still great that those in the biohacking and health optimisation sphere finally have one book they can call on that will always provide at least a small quality of value to those that need it.
Dave Asprey Box launched around 2016 and featured a variety of Dave Asprey’s favourite new biohacks priced at $100, but all the products tend to reach the $300-400 dollar value mark. The subscription box comes out every quarter, and you’ll be billed for them automatically around a week before they’re shipped to you. I’ve been receiving the boxes for around two years now and wanted to write a review about my experiences with them.
The boxes vary each time in terms of what they stock but usually contain items designed to combat modern problems that most biohackers face in relation to air quality, EMF radiation, Keto diets and junk light. The items will appeal to those more experienced in the biohacking sphere, so before purchasing, I recommend studying more by reading Dave Asprey’s book HeadStrong or Ben Greenfield’s Boundless to learn more about this aspect of biohacking, so you understand a little bit more about the reasons as to why some of these products were released.
There’s been disputes as to whether the boxes are worth the money or not, and I wanted to write a short blog post as to my thoughts. Shipping varies for those in the UK, starting from around 25 dollars but for the larger, bulkier boxes will be between 65-75 dollars. This is expensive, but in comparison, taxation is a lot lower, ranging from 5 dollars-25 dollars, which is nowhere near as bad as what the taxation of the boxes would have been and a lot cheaper than what they would be if you ordered everything separately.
A lot of boxes feature products from Dave’s Own Companies like TrueDark
Pros:
In the end, you get more than what you pay for. Regardless of whether you like what’s in the box, which is extremely subjective, the total value of what’s inside the box is always cheaper than if you were to go out and have each individual item shipped to you.
European/Australians/people outside the US save an absolute ton. I think the biggest advantage about the Dave Asprey Box lies in taxation. The level of tax on each box as customs has always been between the £5-20 mark as opposed to the £70-80. I would most likely be charged if I ordered each item individually from their respective websites in the US. It serves as a great opportunity for those living outside the US to get the newest biohacks at a far lower price in total compared to beforehand. Many EU members have to pay astonishing tax and shipping from the US. For example, if I wanted to buy the Hypo Air direct from the website from the US, I would’ve had to pay $150 plus the $30 international shipping and additional taxation, meaning the $100 Dave Asprey box is already saving you a load of cash.
You get to be the first mover and even have some products before they’re released to the general population, which is a huge bonus for those who are always passionate about getting the newest and latest biohacks. Such examples of these have been from Dave’s company Trudark, which released its night light as part of the biohacking box before it was made available to the public.
You get additional discounts off the products in the little manual he provides with each box. This gives big additional savings for those interested in buying either more of the product or more advanced versions of the product. For example, with the Hypo Air Filter, you can get 10 percent off the larger devices.
Customer service has been fantastic for me. Personally, I experienced quick delivery on all items despite Covid19.
Also, everyone who purchases a subscription will be entered in a competition to win additional biohacking gear.
It can be a fun experience to learn new things. This might seem a bit cheesy, but having the ability to try the latest biohacking technologies for me has been extremely entertaining. Especially living in the UK where our “biohacking” innovations are not nearly as grand as those done in the US, it gives me an opportunity to receive items that are really hard to source and unique in comparison to what I’m usually used to.
Cons:
Not everything is for everyone, which seems to be the case with disappointed members of the box subscription on the Dave Asprey Box forum. You can get an occasion where none of the box items appeals to you. Of course it’s about patience. You’re still saving money in the long term, and you can still learn to use and adapt to the items that the box provides. At the end of the day, it is really about being as open-minded as possible to new technologies and understanding that sometimes somethings just aren’t useful for us.
Sometimes there have been faults with the items in question. For example, the Truedark Bulb that came with the fall box turned out to be faulty and the True Dark night light had some quality issues, but the customer service team has been quick to replace them.
I found a few items to be utterly useless, most notably Dave Asprey’s “Placebo Pill”, which turned out to be just an empty pill… Again, it’s subjective how you react to each individual item, but this one seemed just very lazy.
Conclusion :
Overall, having been a subscriber to the biohacking box for two years now, I’ve really enjoyed the experience. I’ve learnt a lot about very innovative technologies that would’ve cost me a lot more to source and order on my own due to shipping and taxation. I recommend the Dave Asprey Box to anyone who wants to learn more about innovations in the health industry and has an open mind to learning more. Anyone with ridiculous expectations that each box is going to be perfect should try and reduce them as there will be some subscription boxes that will be a bit disappointing and fall short, but that’s part of it. It’s subjective and different. People have different wants and needs, so it’s impossible to find a random assortment of biohacking items that will please everyone. If you’re open-minded and willing to take in a bit of disappointment occasionally, then the Dave Asprey Biohacking box is for you.
The inventor said on the Luke Story Life Stylist podcast that he was looking for long term sustainable food products . Life Cykel has grown massively in popularity from being mentioned in the Joe Rogan podcast to the company receiving investment from the world’s most famous biohacker Dave Asprey. The company has been growing globally with bases in the US and Amsterdam as well as as their main HQ in Byron Bay, Australia.
Why supplement Fungi?
Fungi are very flexible. They can help with stress, immunity, energy, sleep, relaxation , and are extremely safe as you can consume 5kg and not overdose.
The oldest living organisms on planet earth are mushrooms. They’re the only organism that can break down rock and create soil, so they form the foundation of nature and society today. A healthy ecosystem has a lot of mycelium mushrooms heavily enrolled in life and death of nature . When trees die in forests, they’re usually covered with mycelium . Mushrooms are fundamental to nature .
Mushrooms have always had medicinal properties. In terms of Chinese medicine, the problem is 95 percent of medicinal mushrooms are sourced from China, which has huge problems in regards to pesticide residue , heavy metals and moulds.
Nothing grows as quick as mushrooms as they grow within 14 days. With 300 different edible strains, mushrooms are the absorbers of their environment. These mushrooms are grown in Byron Bay in many untouched environments since it’s crucial that you source your mushrooms in a clean environment.
Random mushroom powders which come in from China are grown in heavily polluted environments. 95 percent of mushrooms from China are grown in these environments, and there is very little transparency in the Chinese market in terms of sourcing. The quality assurance process is extremely important. A lot of products are repackaged and resold.In addition, they are in a powder form, which isn’t as bioavailable.You also don’t know about the heavy metal or mould content because there is no transparency . 45 percent of farmable land in China is now not farmable due to pollution, so the quality of farmable land itself is going down hill. Understanding the Carbon source of the food is also necessary.
Powders can be a very good entry level mushroom supplement, but liquid extracts tend to be more popular for those who really want a better/more powerful feeling.
Pricing:
• The Turkey Tail, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps, Turkey Tail Shiitake all come in at £19 a 30 dose bottle, whereas the Chaga mushroom comes £28 a bottle, which is understandable as it has to be forged in the US, whereas the others are grown in Byron Bay. Each bottle is 60ml per bottle.
• Alternatively, you can purchase the biohacker set at £75 which includes the Turkey Tail, Reishi, Lion’s Mane, Cordyceps and Shiitake. This will save you around £20 in comparison to buying them individually, or you can purchase them in 60 ml bottle format for £112, which will give you a 2 month’s supply, saving roughly £40. They also have additional subscription services, which can save you more money in the long run.
• You can swap in Cordyceps mushroom for Chaga in the biohacker set for £15 extra.
• The Australian Activation Set comes in slightly pricier at £80 but contains the more expensive Chaga Mushroom.
What Makes Life Cykel Special
• Liquid Dual Extraction Process; Water and a fat soluble alcohol extract; 25-40 percent from powder. Through ethanol extraction, you can pull more nutrients from the mushroom like poly-sacarrides.
• Lab results testing for heavy metals, mycotoxins, amino acids and moulds.
• Grown in Byron Bay for freshness, showing the whole supply chain of where it was farmed.
• All have Kakadu Plum from Northern Australian, which is one of the highest concentrations of vitamin C. It has around 100 times more Vitamin C than an orange. The vitamin C helps amplify the effects of the mushrooms. When you can put that in an extract form, the vitamin C is also a catalyst for collagen and skin health, so it can work well with the Chaga and Shitake for skin care. Koreans also put and Kakadu Plum in their skincare products. No other mushroom products can be purchased with the Kakadu Plum.
The Biohacker Set features 5 beautifully bottled tinctures
Lion’s Mane
• This mushroom is known as the lobster of the woods.
• Dave Asprey said that taking a tincture before bedtime can enhance deep REM sleep and improve dreaming (Luke’s Story also noticed improved deep sleep).
• Crucial for enhancing BDNF
• Improved REM sleep leads to improved memory the next day, which is great for the older population to ward off mild cognitive impairment.
• Helping neurogenesis
• Decreasing Neurodegeneration
• Optimising brain health, it improves focus and memory.
• Dual usage you can take in the morning to get mental clarity and focus, and you can take it in the evening to help your REM sleep.
• Closest thing to magic mushrooms in terms of their impact on the brain.
• Remillanate the nerve cells – within the NGF nerve growth factor, it helps stimulate the myelin, which is the insulation around your nervous system . As we get older, that myelin wears away like an electrical cord wearing away, so the impulse is not as smooth. With lion’s man, the remilination is fast, so it gives you a huge mental boost and protects your brain from ageing.
Cordyceps :
• Great for Pre-Work out.
• Great for Boosting Testosterone.
• Gives a good buzz.similar to caffeine but with no adrenal fatigue, which you see with coffee, and it won’tkeep you up at night
• Increases ATP production (energy levels from coffee for example), helps cellular repair, helps penetrate the DNA, infecting viruses and bacteria and stops them from replicating.
• Cordyceps and lion’s mane can fight off the addictiveness of coffee and, offer some variation.
Reishi:
• Seen as a gift in Chinese culture to keep away bad spirits.
• Good in a stack with other supplements like CBD.
• Immunomodulator-Reishi has many benefits to helping the immune system.
• Very calming mushroom if you’re very stressed.
Chaga:
• Good to balance drinks and makes them more Alkaline. A lot of people suffer from diets that are too acidic.
• Restoration of the pineal gland by detoxing
• One of the most antioxidant rich foods in the world
• Not Farmed but foraged for more sustainable sourcing.
• Sourced from Canada, US and Lithuania
• They do have a production facility in Wisconsin as Australia is too dry for birch trees and cold for birch trees.
• Chaga grows for 10-20 year period in a very cold climate
• Dual Extract is extremely important for chaga
• Most chaga comes from questionable sources., amount of Birch trees no burn-off used to having fire, temperatures are higher so less 1 in everyone 1000 trees Chaga. The Chaga grows on the tree over a 10 years, so its trace minerals are very high.
• The melanin in Chaga can have potential benefits against the effects of radiation.
Shitake Mushroom:
• Helps with the elasticity of your skin
• UV radiation protection, cardiovascular health
• Antiviral protection.
• D2,D3,D4 full spectrum D vitamins.
• Good for hair, skin and nails.
• Liquid extract for 10 times increased absorption. You wouldn’t be able to eat the equivalent amount that you’d get from consumption.
TurkeyTail:
• Sourced from the Blue Mountains in Australia very pristine area of land low in pollutants
• Improves gut health by being a prebiotic.
• Activates good gut bacteria.
• Helps with indigestion.
• Helps stimulate the immune system
• Helps with breast cancer remission. PSK compound is used for breast cancer remission (see Luke’s Story Podcast listed below for more sources of information on this topic ).
• Good Mood Stabiliser
• PSB compounds help the good bacteria.
The New Ancient Activation Mushroom Set:
This set was introduced in early September and features the two best- selling mushrooms of the Life Cykel’s brand: Chaga and Lion’s Mane . Life Cykel has combined them with various famous nutrient dense bush foods to create unique flavour profiles, perfect for making a healthy mocktail, good for kids, religious people who can’t drink alcoholic tinctures. In addition, those with past alcohol problems often can potentially have problems with alcohol based tinctures too, so this product is perfect for those people.
This set doesn’t have a strong mushroom taste, which is good for those who find mushrooms difficult to eat. They taste a little bit more on the sweet side due to the glycerin and the added foods. These come with some unique world bush foods (all information was taken from the Life Cykel website).
• The Davidson plum has, powerful antioxidant effects and is also packed full of essential vitamins and minerals. This beautiful crimson coloured fruit is native to the tropical rainforests of Northern New South Wales and Queensland and has a tart and slightly sweet flavour
• Finger Lime, which is a native Australian Citrus has“caviar like pearls” with fresh and zesty flavours. It has been regarded as a valuable food source by Australian indigenous people for thousands of years due to its anti-inflammatory and antiviral activities.
• Lemon Myrtle : Australian Indigenous people have used Lemon Myrtle leaves for centuries. Lemon Myrtle is a beautiful native Australian aromatic shrub that provides a fresh fragrant aroma and taste. It was traditionally used to treat mild illnesses such as coughs, colds , and stomach sickness.
• Lavender, has fantastic anti- inflammatory and antibacterial properties, which ismost loved in France with a sweet floral and woody note.
• Native River Mint-wellness herb from Southern Australia
• Echinacea- Antiviral plant
Pros:
• Very good taste, not too strong.
• Absorption is stronger as, liquid extract works quicker than powdered extract, especially if you put the liquid extract on the tongue,
• Alcohol/ethanol is better for vasodilation and will help absorb more of the compounds.
• The products look absolutely beautiful in terms of the way they’re packaged, especially the new Ancient Box edition, making it the perfect gift for a biohacking enthusiast.
• Ancient Aviation Box has a great different combination of flavours, which are delicious and are a really innovative product
• Price wise, it’s still on par with brands like Four Sigmatic per say.
• Can be stacked together or with other supplements for a more impactful health effect for example for sleep reishi mushroom can be stacked with CBD oil for more effectiveness .
Cons:
• Taxes-despite the free shipping, people ordering from Europe and Australia will be hit with taxation for importing this product, but as I’m aware, they are working with online retailers in the UK to have them stocked here.
• Delivery can be slow compared to products from the US. You’re looking at around 2 weeks if you’re based in the UK receiving these from Australia.
• Glycerin in the Ancient Activation Mushroom Set isn’t as absorbing as the Alcohol based tinctures are, so there is some sacrifice in terms of bioavailability.
Conclusion:
Life Cykel is my favourite mushroom product on the market right now. I absolutely love everything about this company in terms of its impact on my health. I’ve noticed improved sleep and cognitive benefits from taking these products compared to the typical powdered mushrooms. The company as a business really cares for the quality of its product in terms of heavy metal, mycotoxin testing, and safe sustainable sourcing methods really make you believe that they are putting ethics ahead of profit . I recommend everyone give the “Biohacker Set” a try and see what it can do for your health. It’s ethical businesses like these that really need supporting in the modern world.
The Rational Biohacker 