5 Easy Biohacks for Beauty, Detox, and Better Sleep

Improve your sleep, your energy, your digestion, your mood and your brain function with these five easy biohacks.

1. Sleep and see better with F.lux

F.lux is a free plugin for your computer, iPad and iPhone that removes melatonin-suppressing blue light from your screen. You need melatonin for deep sleep, and when your sleep is wrecked, you’re more at risk for things like brain fog, weight gain and even chronic disease. [1,2]

F.lux automatically adjusts according to the time of day, usually kicking on around sunset to keep your circadian rhythm regular, but you can also use it during the day. The concentrated blue light you get from staring at a computer screen 40 hours a week can damage your eyes.  F.lux mitigates that. The only downside is a slight amber tint to your computer. You get used to it pretty quickly.

F.lux is one of the best free sleep and vision hacks available. You can download it here.

As a bonus hack for iPhone users, there’s cool new feature in iOS10 called “Color Tint.” This gives you the option to turn your entire screen red, which will reduce your exposure to that nasty blue light and help support your sleep and natural circadian rhythm.

Get details about how to enable Color Tint here.

2. Learn your chronotype

One more from the latest in sleep hacking involves finding your spirit animal.

Or, more accurately, your unique biological chronotype. Based on a targeted series of questions. Dr. Michael Brues, sleep specialist and author of The Power of When, will help you find your chronotype – lion, bear, wolf, or dolphin – so you can hack your way back to your natural rhythm.

Finding your chronotype will guide you to find the perfect time to do everything, from when to eat, work, have sex – even the best time to ask your boss for a raise.
 

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3. Digital detox

Drop the social media this weekend. A recent survey of 1,787 adults found that those who used social media more often were significantly more depressed [3]. Another study involving more than 10 universities worldwide found that college students who gave up all technology for 24 hours felt depressed, anxious, vulnerable, and addicted [4].

It makes sense. The buzz that comes with a text message, the red notification button at the top right of your Facebook page, the “So-and-so liked your photo” Instagram message – they all become rewarding cues, triggering little hits of dopamine that leave you craving more.

The trouble is that the reward you get from social media is shallow. It may feel like human interaction, but it pales in comparison to a conversation with a real, live person. There’s no facial expression, no voice inflection, no touching – none of the many social cues we’re designed to pick up on and respond to. Living with your head in the social media cloud pulls you out of real life and ultimately leaves you feeling empty.

On the flipside, digital detoxers report better conversations, deeper connections, straighter posture and improved memory and sleep.

For a true digital detox, avoid all screens, including television, for at least 24-hours and up to 72-hours.

4. Look younger with coffee grounds

Caffeine isn’t just for your morning cup of Bulletproof Coffee anymore. Caffeine is highly biologically active and able to penetrate the skin barrier, making it an effective ingredient for skin products. Caffeine can help diminish cellulite as it prevents the accumulation of fat in your cells and stimulates the degradation of fat.

Coffee has a massive amount of antioxidants, which help protect you from the harmful effects of UV radiation and can slow down skin aging. Caffeine is even used in some cosmetics to increase circulation to stimulate the regrowth of hair. [5]

There are a couple of different ways you can use your coffee grounds to up your beauty game.

1. Coffee scrub: Mix 1 cup coffee grounds (use fresh ground from already-brewed coffee), 6 tbsp. coconut or jojoba oil, and 3 tbsp. sea salt or white sugar into a jar, mix until everything is thoroughly incorporated. Apply onto cellulite in circular motions, then rinse. This is safe to use every time you shower.
2. Coffee bath: Place 1 cup of fresh or used grounds in a nut milk bag or some cheesecloth and secure with a string or rubber band. Draw a bath and place your “bath bomb” in the warm water. Add ½ cup Epsom salts for extra relaxation.

That’s right. We’re telling you to bathe in coffee. You’re welcome.

5. Coffee enemas

Coffee enemas have been used for centuries to mechanically cleanse the colon (where debris, yeast, and even parasites can fester), increase glutathione S-transferase (your body’s master antioxidant), and may increase zinc and selenium levels all while cleansing the body of unwanted chemicals.

Ben Greenfield does an amazing job of explaining the benefits and the process here.

Equipment:

• You’ll need an enema kit
• Premium coffee beans
• A bathroom
• A couple of towels to lay on.
• Reading material or your favorite podcast.

How to:

1. Ideally, do this in the morning after your first bowel movement
2. Add two tbsp. coffee grounds to 3 cups filtered water and heat in a saucepan. Let simmer for about 10-15 minutes, then remove from the heat and let cool.
3. Once the liquid is at body temperature (this should not be too hot on your finger), pour the liquid into a clean jar or directly into the enema bag. Make sure the enema spout is in the “off” position before you pour!
4. Assemble your enema kit and make sure the enema bag is placed higher than your body – on a chair or hung off the shower curtain pole.
5. Apply some coconut or MCT oil to the nozzle for easy insertion and lie down on your right side with knees drawn toward your chest.
6. Insert the nozzle into your rectum about an inch and turn the enema spout into the “on” position until the bag is empty.
7. Lie on your right side for the next 15 minutes or so. Now’s a good time to get some reading done or listen to your favorite podcast. You might feel the need to expel the coffee sooner than the 15-minute mark. That’s fine. Go with what your body tells you.
8. When you’re ready or after 15-minutes, simply sit on the toilet and let it all go!

Warning: Make sure to leave at least a 12-hour window between consuming coffee and giving yourself a coffee enema. This is important as people do absorb some caffeine in an enema and they may not be aware that this is another source of caffeine, leaving them at risk for caffeine toxicity.

Coffee enemas should be done at your discretion and aren’t for everyone. Talk to your doctor about the risks/benefits in order to make the right decision for your body.

And there is too much of a good thing. Frequent enemas can contribute to mineral deficiencies, so use these sparingly – once per week at most.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23509952
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21552190
3. http://europepmc.org/abstract/med/26783723
4. https://theworldunplugged.wordpress.com/
5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23075568 

Have you tried any of these quick biohacks? We’d love to hear about it in the comments. And for even more quick, actionable biohacks straight to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter below.