Aim for balance, not extremes

Biohacking is fast becoming a tool for engineering human performance and improving health. It’s being adopted by wellness warriors, influencers, scientists and chief executives alike. In a form of self-experimentation, the process of biological augmentation — hacking — includes a suite of growing biological and psychological interventions. These range from fitness to supplementation, superfoods and starvation, otherwise known as intermittent fasting.

Fasting can be considered a close cousin to a detox or cleanse. But the idea behind it is to restrict the amount of food and fluids you’re consuming at given intervals throughout the day or across the week — perhaps during set hours, known as fasting windows, or on alternating days. Some people fast for up to 20 hours a day, and eat during a four-hour time slot, or consume just one meal a day for a specified period of time.

It was only in the 18th century, with rising affluence, that three meals a day became the norm. Since ancient times, people have fasted for a variety of reasons — seasonal variation and availability of food, culture and custom, during periods of mourning, for religious purposes or spiritual purification, and for therapeutic health benefits.

Greek physician and father of modern medicine, Hippocrates, believed that for certain illnesses, limiting the consumption of food and drink, can help speed the process of recovery. We see this happening naturally when the body responds to illness through appetite suppression. Though, it’s not always healthy.

But generally speaking, in the Western world where the risk of illness and disease from overconsumption of food and food addiction is far higher than starvation, could intermittent fasting be beneficial? If you’re healthy, fasting can help optimise your biology. It has been found to improve focus, increase energy, improve digestion, boost immunity, reduce inflammation, aid in weight loss and slow down the process of ageing. But it’s not suitable for everyone, particularly people with some medical conditions and pregnant women.

Further, many people who aim to lose weight through dieting or fasting, alone, find that they regain the same body mass within five years — mixed strategies are required. And fasting can also be dangerous and deprive your body of vital energy, lead to nutrient deficiency, and affect blood sugar regulation, hormone balance, bone strength, hydration, sleep, and increase stress in the body. So it’s important to do your research and seek professional or medical advice before you jump in.

Former Twitter CEO, Jack Dorsey is an advocate of fasting. Though he has previously cited hallucination as an initial side effect when his body adjusted to the extreme levels of deprivation he subjected it to. Much criticism has been levelled at the Silicon Valley tech-heads who have pushed the limits of their own performance and health.

These kinds of behaviours can set a precedent for imbalance and false perceptions of success, but under the sneaky guise of optimal performance and wellness. And when a young person or woman, generally speaking, restricts their caloric intake or is hyper-focused on their food and appearance, body dysmorphia and eating disorder alarm bells ring.

Living in balance is fundamental. We have to know the difference between loving and caring for our body as a temple and pushing it to the extreme. About 9 per cent of Australians will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime. And a health kick should not be confused with patterns of disordered eating. If you’re obsessing about body image, dieting often, restricting calories and feeling anxious about food and meals, it’s advisable to seek help.

Butterfly Foundation Helpline: 1800 334 673

This article was first published in The West Australian in Renée Gardiner’s weekly column in Agenda, 27 August 2022.