July 7th 2024.
Is this what my evening will look like? As someone who works in the media, I occasionally receive freebies here and there, but nothing too exceptional unless I'm at the top of my field. A donut at the office, a bottle of Peroni at an event...you know, the usual. Oh, except for that dusty old poncho with Joe Pasquale's face on it that I got as part of a TV goody bag over a decade ago. Not too shabby, right?
But a couple of weeks ago, something different came my way. Metro asked if I would like to have a three-course fine dining experience, with the catch being that someone else would be footing the bill. Of course, there were a few conditions. The dinner would take place during the first game of the Euros, no plus ones were allowed, and the menu was going to be "biohacked."
I'll admit, I had no idea what that meant at first. But as it turns out, it was a dinner focused on organic and health-optimized food, which meant no gluten, seed oils, grains, soy, or corn. And there was even biohacked wine! I could handle watching a football game alone, but the rest...well, I was curious to see how it would go.
Some people might be skeptical about biohacking, but it's actually backed by a lot of science. This dinner was just a prelude to one of the biggest events in the biohacking world, the 2024 London Health Optimisation Summit. Over 1,500 people were expected to attend, as 35 industry leaders and experts took to the stage to share their knowledge on how to live forever.
Everyone at the dinner had either purchased tickets to the summit or was a speaker, so it was meant to be a casual and relaxed evening, filled with biohacking conversations. I had no clue what biohacking was at this point. The last time I heard that term was back in 2003 on MySpace, when someone changed my profile music to "Gay Bar" by Electric Six without my knowledge.
But as I arrived at the fancy venue, I was determined to learn more. I didn't know anyone there, so I decided to try my hand at networking. I spotted another man who seemed just as awkward and lost as I was, and we struck up a conversation. It reminded me of my first day at university, except we were sipping on biohacked Taittinger instead of cheap beer.
That man turned out to be from Prague, in his early 20s, and had traveled all the way to London for the conference. Like many in the health optimization scene, he took his health seriously and was in great shape. In fact, he was probably half my age. But as the evening went on, we were joined by another temporary friend, a university lecturer who was also tall, fit, and glowing. He had driven down from the Peak District to attend the summit.
As we chatted, another man joined our group. He was quiet and unassuming, but it turned out he was one of the speakers, Dr. Jim McCarter, an expert in glucose monitoring and the health benefits it can bring. It seemed like everyone in the room was tall, fit, and healthy. I couldn't help but suck in my stomach a little bit, feeling self-conscious in comparison.
But as we continued talking, I realized that these people were all passionate about biohacking and living a healthy lifestyle. Maybe there was something to it after all. As I looked around the room, I couldn't help but think that there was more fat in an Activia yogurt than in the entire group of people there.
I was intrigued by this concept of "biohacking" and the potential it held for improving one's health. And as I turned 40 this year, perhaps it was the perfect time for me to break out of my unhealthy habits and try something new. I couldn't wait to see what the rest of the evening and the summit had in store.
Have you ever received a freebie at work? As someone in the media industry, I occasionally get small perks like a donut in the office or a free bottle of beer at an event. But let's be real, it's not anything extravagant. However, I do have a dusty old poncho with Joe Pasquale's face on it that I received in a TV goody bag 13 years ago. Not too shabby, right?
Recently, I was approached by Metro and asked if I would like to have a three-course fine dining experience at no cost. Of course, I was interested, but there were some conditions. The dinner would take place during the first game of the Euros, I couldn't bring a guest, and the menu would be "biohacked".
To break it down, the dinner would consist of fully organic and health-optimized dishes, meaning no gluten, seed oils, grains, soy, or corn. And to top it off, there would be biohacked wine. I was a bit hesitant about the football game and not having any company, but I was intrigued by the concept of biohacking.
Now, some people may be skeptical about biohacking, but it is backed by scientific research. In fact, the dinner was a precursor to a major conference called The 2024 London Health Optimisation Summit. This event would bring together 35 leaders and experts in the biohacking field to share their knowledge on how to live forever.
Everyone at the dinner had either purchased tickets to the summit or were scheduled to speak at it, making it a relaxed and casual gathering for biohacking enthusiasts. At this point, I had no idea what biohacking even meant. The last time I heard the term was back in 2003 when someone changed my MySpace profile music to "Gay Bar" by Electric Six.
But after a quick Google search, I learned that biohacking is all about optimizing one's physiology and nervous system to function at their best. It also involves using cutting-edge technologies and techniques, like injecting oneself with young blood, to stay youthful and healthy.
As a 40-year-old man who is slightly overweight and not particularly concerned about my health, I wasn't sure if biohacking was for me. But with my milestone birthday approaching, I started to wonder if it could help me get out of my unhealthy habits.
When I arrived at the fancy venue for the dinner, I knew absolutely nothing about biohacking or anyone else there. So, I decided to take on one of my assigned tasks for the evening - networking. I approached a tall, slim, and alert-looking man who seemed just as nervous as I was. We struck up a conversation and bonded over our mutual awkwardness. I regret not asking for his name, but let's just call him "Czech Mate" for the sake of this story.
Czech Mate had traveled all the way from Prague specifically for the conference. Like many others in the biohacking community, he takes his health and the latest technologies very seriously. He was in great shape and had clear skin, but then again, he was half my age. I couldn't help but feel a bit envious of his youthfulness.
Soon, another man joined our conversation. He was a university lecturer named Daniel who had driven down from the Peak District to attend the conference. Unlike Czech Mate, he was closer to my age, making me wonder if there was something to this whole biohacking thing after all.
Our little group was then joined by another man, who turned out to be one of the speakers - Dr. Jim McCarter. He was a doctor and scientist who specialized in the health benefits of glucose monitoring. As we chatted, I couldn't help but notice that everyone in the room seemed to be tall, slim, and fit. I found myself subconsciously holding in my gut, feeling a bit self-conscious. But hey, there's more fat in an Activia yogurt than in this whole room, I thought to myself.
The conference may have been about biohacking, but it seemed like everyone there was already living a healthy and optimized lifestyle. And as the night went on, I couldn't help but wonder if biohacking could be the key to breaking out of my unhealthy habits and turning my life around.
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