Good day, dear Zig Forums.
At the beginning I apologize for this post, if it does not belong here. It is not my intention to disturb this board or waste your time.
I am a young man who has been involved in a healthy lifestyle for several years and is always looking for a human "optimization". As a teenager, I became aware of the Hollywood movie called "Limitless" and was immediately fascinated by the idea that a (fictitious) drug leads to a pronounced promotion of cognitive performance.
A pill (in this case "NZT-48") daily and you become a womanizer, full of motivation, energy, clarity, creativity and concentration. As an addition, an increase in intelligence, learning and memory. During this time, I noticed more and more forums and blogs that deal with this topic ("Biohacking" & nootropics). There was a lot of information, reports, useful hints and tips to educate yourself.
After a few months, I decided to try out the first drugs (original pharmaceutical products). Unfortunately, it soon turned out that these substances did not show any positive effects (for me), even in high doses. But please keep in mind that every person / body reacts differently. Some people are of the opinion that e.g. Modafinil or Adderall help, but the side effects have deterred me. Now, in 2019, I often read contributions from people who have had similar experiences and report the uselessness (with a few exceptions) of these medicines and dietary supplements.
I'm writing this message to ask if you've had any experience with it, and if so, how were they? There is, at least in my view, no "miracle pill" that solves all our problems, difficulties and challenges in life. But there are ways to improve ourselves. Some examples that helped me personally:
- (intermittent) fasting
- ketogenic diet with lots of wild-caught fish and organ meats such as liver, kidney, heart, etc. (as sources of fat I recommend coconut oil, red palm oil, organic *clarified* butter, or nuts that are soaked for a few hours to neutralize the phytic acid)
- healthy sleep time (pay attention to your natural circadian rhythm and avoid artificial blue light until late in the evening because it suppresses melatonin)
- Testosterone (replacement therapy if your levels are very low)
- cold showers and / or cryotherapy
- breathing exercises by Wim Hof & Dr. Konstantin Buteyko
- sexual abstinence ("NoFap / NoPorn" - semen retention / Tantra & Kegel exercises)
- Homemade probiotic foods (such as kefir, kombucha, yogurt, sauerkraut / kimchi, but please do not buy pasteurized or homogenized products in the supermarket) for a healthy gut (our second "brain", so to speak - see "the gut-brain connection")
- Decalcification of the pineal gland with chlorella, dandelion root, turmeric, bitter substances, bentonite, zeolite, etc. (produces endogenous DMT)
- (natural) nootropics, e.g. medicinal mushrooms (reishi, cordyceps, lion's mane, chaga)
- orthomolecular medicine (zinc picolinate, B3 / niacin, D3 in combination with K2, B12, for people who have a strong shortage of these nutrients)
- Microdosing of psychoactive plants (tobacco, peyote, cannabis, ayahuasca, psilocybin)
- a lot of sunlight
- meditation
- physical exercise / sports activities (combination of endurance and weight training)
- treat the causes of hair loss (prolactin, DHT, nutrient deficiency)
- natural pheromones
- Cannabidiol
- safely remove heavy metals from the body (for example, if you have amalgam fillings)
- avoid industrially processed (sugary) foods and other pollutants (plasticizers such as phthalates, bisphenol A, artificial sweeteners, chlorine, contaminated drinking water, mobile phone radiation, fluorides, aluminum, antibiotics, pesticide residues, etc.)
I would be very happy to hear your opinions and experiences on this topic. Maybe we can exchange information and expand our knowledge.
All the best.