The Red Bulletin June 2020 (US)

89
Andreas
Breitfeld
Biohacker, 46, GER.
Breitfeld knows how to hack your body to improve
your health, fitness and performance.
How to
outsmart stress
Seeing red: Breitfeld bathed
in infrared light.
Difficult situations can take our brains back
500 million years, according to Germany’s
top biohacker. But these simple everyday
hacks keep him present.
“Stress triggers danger warnings in the oldest
part—from an evolutionary point of view—of
our brain: our 500-million-year-old reptilian
brain,” explains Andreas Breitfeld. “And it’s not
called that for nothing: We’re neither smart nor
creative in our reptilian brains. Up there, it’s all
about bare survival: breathing, heartbeat,
digestion, hunger, reproduction—and fear.”
He says the reptilian brain isn’t all that smart,
but in exceptional situations it becomes the boss.
“There’s nothing wrong with that in principle,
but it’s important that we can also effectively
immobilize the little crocodile in our head.
That way we’ll think better, sleep more deeply,
recover more quickly and get to grips more
easily with pathogens of whatever sort. Adopt
a few hacks. It’s not rocket science.”
Write a diary in the evening
An insanely powerful tool. A way to get a head
start digesting the experiences and emotions of
the day. It helps your brain take better advantage
of your deep sleep and REM phases for recovery.
Turn off your Wi-Fi at night
Sleep strengthens our immune system, makes
us more resistant to stress, repairs cells, heals
wounds and transforms what we’ve learned over
the course of the day into knowledge. My sleep
is sacred. The basics when it comes to improving
your sleep are: a cool and pitch-black bedroom,
and turning off the bloody Wi-Fi at night! Sleep
deprivation is a real stressor.
No phone first thing in the morning
The first half hour of the day is analog: no
mobile phone, no computer, no news, just light,
air and the cool of morning. I have a large glass
of filtered water, look up at the sky and feel the
elements. Let the crocodile in your head sleep in
and it’ll be more chill the whole day.
Cuddle
Another way to relieve stress in the mornings is
to bathe in oxytocin. Oxytocin is the so-called
cuddle hormone and works as an antagonist to
stress hormones. If you live with your family,
start the day with some TLC. (It’ll work with
a cat, too.) But if you don’t have family or a pet
close by, get an echobell [a handset that emits
sounds and vibrations]. Those things work!
Meditation and infrared light
Nothing brings greater structure to my thoughts
than daily meditation. I also take advantage of
the time I’m meditating to shine infrared light on
myself. I use professional devices (currently, I’m
using devices available from theflexbeam.com),
but even a simple infrared lamp will activate
your cells and boost your energy level.
Stay hydrated
Drinking water—filtered, of course—is a must.
You need 0.3 liters (10 oz) per 10 kg (~20 lbs) of
your body weight.
Go outside
Fresh air is always better than recycled air,
and natural light is always better than the
artificial version.
Breathe through your nose
Your mouth is there for talking, eating and
kissing. But for breathing you have your nose.
Breathing through your nose will change your
life for the better.
breitfeld-biohacking.com
ANDREAS BREITFELD STEFAN WAGNER
88 THE RED BULLETIN