I figured since our Facebook family has grown so much lately that we should all get to know each other better. It’s awesome to see so many great posts and questions in the group, but each question I read from people makes me more and more curious as to what the “why” is behind their biohacking. [Spoiler alert I really want to see one comment per person from this entire group sharing a snippet (or a story) about your “why” after you read mine. That’s over 4,000 stories to look forward to. Don’t let me down!]
Let’s face it, if I had to tell you whether I actually “like” (as in the way I like ice cream) all the things I put myself through with biohacking (not to mention the cost of everything), I would have to say “no, not really.” Of course a lot of it is enjoyable and cool, and I’m definitely not doing anything I hate, but sometimes the routine just gets tiresome, I feel like just taking some time off of it, and at times I do. But there’s always something in the back of my mind that snaps me back into it. I can’t explain it fully but it feels almost like duty or responsibility to myself and to my loved ones. A responsibility to always be there for them. And through biohacking and a bit of luck (living till 2060 when we see longevity escape velocity and enter an age where we can choose life over death) I actually think that there’s a possibility I’ll be able to fulfill that duty, that responsibility. So I thought I’d kick off a little sharing session among us all. Who knows what someone’s story in this group might inspire. So, if you read this post, make sure you respond in the comments with your own brief story. Ok…the story behind my “why” is…
In a nutshell, my “why” began with my parents. Growing up in the 90s it wasn’t really popular to eat whole foods or go organic, or anything trendy like that. And, coming from a very average middle-class working family living in Los Angeles, we could usually only afford salads, canned soups, white bread, pasta, and a whole lot of snacks (jello, twinkies, ding dongs, PB&J sandwiches, lunchables, you name it)…if it was unhealthy I was eating it…Not to mention fast food and soda. If I had to guess I probably had McDonalds twice a week and was always drinking sodas and fruit juices. The only thing that saved me at that time was my fast metabolism and my Dad’s stellar athletic genes. Were my parents to blame for this unhealthy lifestyle? I don’t think so. I really believe they were doing what they thought to be right at the time with the information they had available to them, and I’ve never felt any differently about that.
But then when I went off to college I saw my parents begin to age, rapidly. Even my Dad, who had me when he was 50 and was a super athlete who stayed in better shape than a 30 year old all the way through his 60s, was slowing down. They stopped going out for exercise, continued eating the same stuff we had always been eating, and also drank alcohol moderately. And before you know it, my Dad got diabetes, had three strokes, two heart attacks, and got prostate cancer. This was when he was in his mid-70s and he’s still alive at 83 today, but things are rough…The diabetes left him unable to walk very well, and he mainly got around in a wheelchair or by using a cane. I always felt bad for my mom, who had to spend her retirement taking care of him, all the while continuing to neglect her own health. I know she wouldn’t have wanted it any other way, though. Then, before you know it, my mom got breast cancer. Unfortunately 1.5 years after the surgery the cancer returned. By the time we knew what hit us she was too far along for any more surgeries, and all we could do was watch for the next 5 months as she faded away. We tried everything, but it was too late. She passed away young, at 70 years old, on December 13, 2019. I’ll never forget the pain I felt that day. I’ll never forget the mix of emotions and thoughts swirling in my head. Myself, now, being a very healthy individual, why didn’t I try to help more? Why didn’t I give them advice like I try to do in this Facebook group? Why wasn’t I there to make sure they went to the gym? And looking at my Dad now, alone, unable to walk, sitting in the dark, alone in an elderly care facility just waiting to meet my mom again…the one thing I felt strongest of all was that I never wanted anyone else I loved to have to go through this, and I never wanted to go through it myself either. I also know I would do anything to make sure I am always around for my wife and my younger brother.
I realized too late that it was indeed, too late. One thing the doctor told me about my mom that stuck with me was that she had her cancer for at least 10 years before it really manifested into something she felt like she needed to see someone about. While she was still alive I asked her when the last time was that she had a blood test done, or anything for that matter. She said just about 10 years…and all the feelings I had about her situation and that of my father’s were instantly validated. I knew that I had to get this right while I was still young. I knew I had to do something, anything. I knew I had to continue to take action. And so I do, simple as that. When I don’t feel like drinking my 2L of water per day, I think of my “why”. When I don’t feel like taking that cold shower, I think of my “why”. When I don’t feel like fasting 20 hours a day, and I would rather eat a large pizza with an even larger beer, I think of my “why”. And so the days go on…
Nobody can tell the future…people who never smoke get lung cancer…bad things happen to good people. Do vitamins help? Who knows. Do daily trips to the steam room help? Who knows. (I know we all know anecdotally that these things are good for us but my point is that at any time, anything can happen.) But the one thing we can all control is how we try to at least prevent the bad from happening to us and those around us. That’s what I tell myself every day. That’s what helps me keep my motivation. That is my “why”.
I hope to see all of your stories in the comments section. I think this exercise will help all of us understand how we can help each other even more, and pave the way to making this the strongest community of biohackers out there! So, until next time, biohackers…
