09: Biohacking Tools That Actually Help in Midlife — Red Light, PEMF, and More

In part two of their biohacking series, Alicia and Nicole share their favorite biohacking tools, including red light therapy and PEMF devices. They also discuss hydrogen water and grounding mats, offering wellness advice on how to use these tools. 

✨ This isn’t about overcomplicating your wellness routine. It’s about discovering simple, powerful tools that can work with your body, not against it.


00:00 Introduction to Biohacking Tools
00:55 The Power of Red Light Therapy
09:00 Exploring PEMF Therapy
16:38 Grounding Mats: Connecting with Earth
18:25 Hydrogen Water: A Molecular Marvel
19:51 Mouth Taping for Better Sleep
22:15 Wearables and Data Tools
25:04 Hot and Cold Therapy
32:08 Honorable Mentions and Final Thoughts


👉 Don’t forget to tune into part one: “08: Simple Biohacks for Perimenopause Relief (No Expensive Tools)” 

🎧 Subscribe for more wellness, hormone, and beauty support in midlife!


📌 Resources Mentioned:
🧰 Our Favorite Biohacking Tools & Resources → https://dailyglowlife.com/top-biohacking-tools-for-midlife-the-devices-and-tech-that-actually-help/

📥 Free Daily Glow Rituals Guide → https://stan.store/thedailyglowlife/p/daily-glow-rituals-guide
🧘‍♀️ Radiant Rest Yoga Nidra Sessions → https://stan.store/thedailyglowlife/p/radiant-rest-yoga-nidra-sessions

Transcript

Alicia : 0:00

Welcome back to Midlife and Glowing. I'm Alicia

Nicole: 0:02

And I am Nicole, and today we're diving into part two of our biohacking conversation. This time it's all about our favorite tools, from red light and PEMF to hydrogen water and grounding mats and beyond, we're gonna talk about our favorite biohacking tools and tech.

Alicia : 0:18

If you missed part one, we focused on lifestyle based biohacks that you can do without buying a single thing. So if you haven't yet, make sure to listen to that episode.

Nicole: 0:27

But today we're geeking out on the tech and tools we personally love to support our hormones, mood, sleep, and glow. Now there's no way to cover all biohacking strategies because there's an infinite number of things that you can do to optimize your biology, but today we're gonna hit on our top seven. Just to quickly get you up to speed, if you didn't catch last week's episodes, biohacking is basically just a fancy term for intentional lifestyle choices that optimize your biology.

Alicia : 0:55

Today we definitely have to start with the one that you've got our family hooked on, red light therapy. Tell us more about why it's so powerful and your go-to for so many of our ailments.

Nicole: 1:05

Yeah, it's definitely a joke in our family. Like if someone comes to me with an ailment of some sort, I almost always say red light before then diving into other options. But in fact, the other day Chris was complaining about his wrist and he's like, I know, I know red light. So it is a tool that I really just love because it's so amazing. So let me tell you why I feel it's so amazing. Red light therapy works by delivering specific wavelengths of red and near infrared light into the skin where they're absorbed by your cells, specifically by your mitochondria, which are your little powerhouse organelles inside of your cells that actually make cellular energy. So the light stimulates your mitochondria to produce more ATP, which is your body's cellular energy. So the benefits of red light therapy that are well supported in the research are increased ATP production, so increased cellular energy production. Skin rejuvenation, so increase in collagen production, reduced wrinkles, wound healing,

Alicia : 2:09

That's speaking my language.

Nicole: 2:10

Totally. it's definitely a reason that I love to do red light therapy as often as I can. It also reduces joint pain and inflammation. It enhances muscle recovery and reduces soreness. It stimulates hair growth too. So there has been multiple randomized controlled trials that have shown that red and near infrared light can increase hair density and thickness, stimulate follicular activity, and prolong the growth phase of the hair cycle. Improve scalp circulation, which can support follicle health, and it can be as effective as Minoxidil in some studies without the same side effects. So the benefits that are moderately supported in the research are things like improved mood and cognitive function. So there are some small human studies on depression and traumatic brain injury showing benefit. It's been shown to improve thyroid function. Small studies showed that red and near infrared light reduce inflammation and improve thyroid hormone conversion. Metabolic improvements like improving insulin sensitivity and fat loss. It improves sleep and circadian rhythm Regulation morning is generally best for circadian rhythm regulation and improved sleep later in the day. Red and near infrared light exposure early in the day reinforces your natural circadian rhythm, helping your body know it's daytime and prompting melatonin production later at night. It mimics the sun's natural spectrum in the early hours, which signals your brain that it's time to be alert and awake, and this can improve sleep onset and quality in the evening. That said, I have also seen research that using it in the evening supports improved sleep as well. So

Alicia : 3:49

Could you do both? Could you use it in the morning and at night? Or is there a limit of how many minutes you should limit yourself to every day?

Nicole: 3:57

Yeah, you definitely could. You could use it in the mornings for overall circadian rhythm health, and long-term sleep regulation, or you could use it in the evening as a calming screen free ritual. Use it with the extended exhale breathing practice that we shared in our glow bite three episode, or with yoga nidra for a super combo to support your parasympathetic nervous system activity, which is that rest and digest mode. But yeah, you can actually do red light therapy twice in a day if you want, if you have the time. I would say 15 to 20 minutes at a crack would be a good timeframe because there's no downside for using red light therapy for 40 minutes a day. So yeah, you definitely could do it twice a day if you wanted to.

Alicia : 4:39

Do you need to make sure you have your eyes closed or can it help with ocular health?

Nicole: 4:45

Yeah. It can help with ocular health, but I would have your eyes closed. The red light that I really like and recommend is from a company called Platinum Therapy LED, and it comes with a set of goggles so you can wear the goggles. I actually don't ever wear the goggles, but I always have my eyes closed. You don't wanna look directly into the red light lights. It's not gonna cause blindness, but you just don't wanna do that. It's actually best if you can keep your eyes closed when you're doing red light therapy.

Alicia : 5:15

And it's best to remove whatever clothing you can as well. Correct?

Nicole: 5:19

Yeah, great question. Absolutely. Yeah. If you can get it directly on your skin, that's ideal. But I will say

Alicia : 5:26

But not touching.

Nicole: 5:28

correct. Yeah. The best distance from your red light is about anywhere from like six to 18 inches is a good distance to be from the light. So yeah, you don't wanna be touching it necessarily. But it is best if you can get the red light directly on your skin. Definitely. But I will say that it is pretty good as far as penetration. The waves can actually penetrate bone, so it's even good for brain health. And the other reason I like red light therapy is it's really accessible. So when we think about easy ways to support our health or strategies that we can be consistent with, red light is great. Our health is a result of the things that we do daily, not occasionally. And red light is a really easy thing to incorporate on a regular basis. I mean, 20 minutes of red light therapy is a pretty easy thing to squeeze into your day at some point. So I really like it for that reason because you're able to be consistent with it and it's also super relaxing and you can stack it with other biohacking tools too.

Alicia : 6:29

Right, and yes, it is an investment, but it's a one-time cost and it will last you for years. And also not all red light therapy machines are created equal. Some are better than others. And if you get a good one, you are gonna spend a little bit more.

Nicole: 6:45

Yeah, definitely As the saying goes, you get what you pay for. The ones that I like, yeah, they're a little bit on the pricier side. They're definitely nowhere near there's some that you can spend a hundred thousand dollars on a red light. It's nothing like that. I think I spent, you know,$1,100 on the really good one that I have. I got it like four years ago, so it's a little bit older at this point, but they might be a little bit more expensive at this point, but the company that I like has seven wavelengths of light in it, which the one that I got, because it's an older model, has five wavelengths, which is still more than most others on the market. And you're getting more benefit because you've got benefits from a number of different wavelengths in there. So you definitely get what you pay for. And it's a bit of an investment, but one that is well worth it given all the benefits that Red Light Therapy has. I mean, it reduces inflammation. It basically acts as an antioxidant and it can support so many different aspects of your health. So I think it's definitely one that's worth it.

Alicia : 7:46

Yeah, and it has definitely gained a lot of popularity as a very powerful beauty tool. And that's one of my favorite reasons for using it. You know, as we're getting into our midlife, it's nice to have a tool that's not Botox or, Some of those more invasive, toxic procedures.

Nicole: 8:05

Yeah, definitely. I love the fact that it increases collagen production. It's shown to reduce wrinkles. And it's like, what a great way to do that. It's relaxing, it's doing other amazing things for your body. So, it's really just a overall wonderful tool. I will also say so my husband Chris, he had a tooth issue. He had gone to the dentist and they did some work, and all of a sudden he started having pain in this tooth, and the dentist was like, well, you're gonna need a root canal. And it was just like, super painful. I was like, okay, red light. And he did red light therapy for like three days in a row, which for him, you know, he doesn't use it as often as I do, certainly. But he used it for three days in a row. Tooth pain went away. It never came back. He didn't need a root canal. So, I mean, it is pretty amazing, how powerful this therapy is when you're using it consistently.

Alicia : 8:59

All right. Let's move on to number two, PEMF therapy.

Nicole: 9:03

So PEMF stands for pulsed electromagnetic field. So PEMF therapy works by delivering low frequency electromagnetic waves to the body, which supports cellular healing and repair. So these gentle pulses stimulate electrical activity at the cellular level, especially in the cell membrane and your mitochondria, which I mentioned earlier. So in addition to red light therapy, PEMF therapy also works by supporting mitochondrial health. It helps improve circulation, reduces inflammation, enhances energy production, so that ATP that we talked about earlier, that cellular energy and it supports overall cellular repair.

Alicia : 9:44

You know, I find this technology to be really fascinating, and I find it so interesting that it really originated with nasa. They were studying the low frequency electromagnetic fields on the astronauts who suffered from bone density loss, and muscle atrophy in microgravity, and they did see benefits.

Nicole: 10:02

yeah. So PEMF therapy is actually approved by the FDA for non-union fractures. It stimulates bone growth and repair because it's shown to enhance osteoblast activity. So osteoblasts are the cells that actually produce bone in your body, and it's been shown to increase bone mineral density. It does show promise for osteopenia and osteoporosis in midlife. So it's a great therapy for midlife women because as our estrogen declines at this time of life, we are more at risk for bone density loss. So I love that about NASA and using it initially on astronauts, that's pretty cool. It also improves muscle recovery and performance, it accelerates healing of muscle injuries and strains, and it can reduce muscle soreness too. It's great for pain relief. It reduces chronic pain and inflammation. It's effective for arthritis and fibromyalgia and musculoskeletal pain. It improves blood flow and reduces pro-inflammatory cytokines.

Alicia : 11:02

Now that's a word I've never heard of. What is a cytokine?

Nicole: 11:05

So cytokines are a little chemical messengers, basically. And they can either be anti-inflammatory or pro-inflammatory. So basically in this case PEMF therapy actually reduces the pro-inflammatory cellular chemicals or cytokines. So it also increases circulation and blood flow. It helps improve microcirculation and oxygenation of your tissues. It helps with nutrient delivery and waste removal at the cellular level, and it supports wound healing and tissue regeneration. It's also great for your brain and your nervous system. It supports neuroplasticity and mental clarity. Some studies suggest benefits for mood, focus, and mild depression, and it can help regulate autonomic nervous system balance. So your parasympathetic nervous system that we always talk about, that rest and digest mode is one part of your autonomic nervous system. The other part that we've talked about is your sympathetic or your fight or flight mode, right? So PEMF therapy helps regulate balance between your fight or flight, and your rest and digest. It is also great for sleep support. It improves sleep quality and duration. It's shown to increase deep sleep cycles and it can help regulate melatonin production and circadian rhythm. Great for cellular energy and repair, it boosts mitochondrial activity for that ATP production. That cellular energy production. Helps cells recover from stress and oxidative damage, and it enhances cell membrane function. It's great for your immune system too. It can enhance immune response and reduce inflammation. So I actually, you know, we both lay on a PEMF mat while we're doing our red light therapy. So we really do like to stack this with our first biohacking tool that we talked about, and it's just super relaxing. So the setup that we both have is we have our PEMF mat laid out on a table. I have a chiropractic table at my house that I have my PEMF mat on. Alicia uses one that's on top of a massage table. And we lay on top of our mats while we have a red light over us. So we've got our red light horizontally above us. So it's kind of a great setup because it's just super relaxing. And then usually while I'm laying there, I'll either do some visualization exercises or a yoga nidra session so you can do some deep breathing while you're in there. But it's super relaxing and just a great way to support your overall health in a really relaxing way.

Alicia : 13:39

I like to listen to music or audio books maybe a podcast while I'm laying on mine as well And this is another one that is, kind of an investment piece, you know, well worth it. It has so many powerful benefits. And again, you're gonna get more benefits from having a higher quality mat.

Nicole: 13:57

Yeah, definitely. I will also say for people that have an FSA or an HSA account, often you can use your FSA or your HSA to pay for the red light therapy and the PEMF mats, I actually did that myself, so they are often approved purchases through your HSA and your FSA.

Alicia : 14:17

Oh, that's good to know.

Nicole: 14:19

Okay. Quick pause. It's probably clear by now that we're huge fans of Red Light Therapy and PEMF therapy, and hopefully you can see why. These are powerful tools that help make perimenopause a transition into our strongest, healthiest years yet. But when it comes to biohacking, quality matters. So we wanted to share what we personally use and love.

Alicia : 14:41

We use the platinum LED Biomax series for our red light therapy because it combines seven different therapeutic wavelengths, so you're getting skin, mood, mitochondrial, and cellular benefits all in one session.

Nicole: 14:55

These panels deliver higher irradiance than most consumer grade options, which means more energy reaches your cells, and that translates into faster, more noticeable results. It's clinical level power right at home.

Alicia : 15:09

They're also certified low EMF and flicker free, which is crucial since daily exposure to flickering light or high EMFs can trigger nervous system dysregulation or headaches, a lot of cheaper red light panels skip that, which is a deal breaker for us.

Nicole: 15:25

And for PEMF, we each use something slightly different. I use the higherDOSE mat. It has four PEMF coils, infrared heat, and natural crystals like amethyst and tourmaline, which release negative ions and enhance relaxation.

Alicia : 15:41

And I use the Healthy Line Pro Platinum, which adds far infrared heat uses tourmaline, jade, obsidian amethyst and quartz crystals for negative ions. It has 12 pre-programmed settings plus photon light therapy, and it feels like a spa moment and a cellular upgrade.

Nicole: 15:59

I do this stack almost every morning. It's become a non-negotiable for keeping me energized and my nervous system regulated throughout the day, and I'll often do a second PEMF session at night to fully unwind and shift into deep relaxation.

Alicia : 16:15

Same. It's one of those rituals that just makes you feel more grounded, glowy, and energized for the day. I even consider it part of my beauty routine. If you've been curious about high quality, high performance biohacking tools that are easy to integrate into your routine, these are the ones we stand behind.

Nicole: 16:30

We'll drop all the links in the show notes so you can check'em out.

Alicia : 16:33

Now, back to the episode. Alright, moving right along. Let's get into our third biohacking tool, grounding mats.

Nicole: 16:41

Yeah. Grounding mats are interesting, so they work by simulating direct contact with the earth's surface allowing your body to absorb the Earth's natural electrical charge. So when you plug the mat into a grounded outlet, it allows free electrons from the earth to flow into your body. So these electrons are thought to act as antioxidants, neutralizing excess free radicals, reducing inflammation, and just promoting balance in the nervous system overall, the idea is based on how walking barefoot on natural surfaces, like grass or sand can help regulate the body's electrical state. So grounding mats, make it possible to experience similar effects while you're sitting, sleeping, or working indoors. So benefits of grounding include reduced inflammation and pain, improved sleep quality, lowered cortisol levels, better heart rate variability and stress regulation, enhanced recovery after exercise or injury. So we both use a grounding mat when we sleep. I've got mine at the foot of my bed, and I know you do too, Alicia, and it's just basically like, you know, charging your battery while you rest, essentially. It's a super easy way to do it. In last week's episode we talked about the fact that, you know, it's great if you can find and use tools that are easy to use, don't require a ton of extra time or effort, right? And a grounding mat is perfect because, like literally you just stick it on your bed or you can put it on your desk or have it on your chair. Uh, as long as you have direct skin contact with the mat, you can just put it anywhere and you're supporting your health in a really great way.

Alicia : 18:18

Right. And they also have grounding sheets. If you wanna just lay on your sheets, go to bed. That's another way to do it too.

Nicole: 18:25

Definitely.

Alicia : 18:25

All right, next up, number four is hydrogen water.

Nicole: 18:29

hydrogen water is regular water that's been infused with molecular hydrogen gas. So molecular hydrogen is a powerful antioxidant that can neutralize harmful free radicals in the body, especially those linked to inflammation and oxidative stress. So unlike typical antioxidants, hydrogen is a really tiny molecule and it can easily penetrate cells and cross the blood-brain barrier. So it really is great because it can work at the cellular level and it can support brain health as well because it can cross the blood brain barrier. Key research backed benefits include reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, improving endurance and reduced fatigue post exercise, supports metabolic health, like glucose and lipid regulation, shows neuroprotective effects in early studies, helping with brain fog and cognitive aging. It's safe and well tolerated with no known side effects. So like the grounding mat and other biohacking tools, you'll see changes, but the improvements are often subtle and take consistent use to see those benefits. These aren't miracle pills. You know, these are intended to be things that you work into your life on a consistent basis to support your overall health. And a lot of biohacking is

Alicia : 19:46

Is really a lifestyle.

Nicole: 19:48

Yes, absolutely. Exactly.

Alicia : 19:51

All right. Now on to number five, mouth taping.

Nicole: 19:54

So mouth taping became popular thanks to functional dentists like Dr. Mark Burhenne and then breathing experts like Patrick McKeown, they helped bring it into the mainstream by showing how it supports nasal breathing, sleep, and even oral and dental health. As you might expect, mouth taping is the practice of gently taping the lips closed during sleep to encourage nasal breathing instead of mouth breathing. People usually use a small piece of skin safe tape across the lips. Mouth breathing, especially during sleep, has been linked to poor oxygenation and disrupted sleep, increased risk of snoring and sleep apnea, dry mouth and dental decay, inflammation and fatigue, and then mouth taping encourages nasal breathing, so it's gonna filter and humidify the air, supports better oxygen exchange and nitric oxide production, and it improves sleep quality, reduces snoring and supports nervous system regulation actually. I wanna just really quick touch on nitric oxide, so it improves circulation. It boosts oxygen delivery. It supports your brain and your heart, and it even helps your immune system. And the wild thing is your body produces more of it when you breathe through your nose So, that's one of the hidden benefits behind nasal breathing and practices like mouth taping.

Alicia : 21:11

So is mouth taping safe for everyone to use?

Nicole: 21:15

For most healthy individuals, yes, when it's done properly with breathable skin safe tape, and not used in cases of untreated sleep apnea or nasal obstruction, it really is best to consult with a healthcare or dental professional if you have breathing issues at night to make sure that it's right for you.

Alicia : 21:34

Since I've been using it, I find I sleep better. I used to wake up with a sore throat, so I was obviously doing some mouth breathing. But since I've been mouth taping, I don't find that happening anymore. And also a bonus, it prevents you from eating spiders in your sleep. I don't remember what the, what the statistic is to how many, uh, spiders you, you eat in your sleep, but I am definitely taping it up. So no more spiders here.

Nicole: 22:02

isn't it something crazy like eight to 10 spiders a year or something?

Alicia : 22:05

I don't

Nicole: 22:06

just like

Alicia : 22:06

think I wanna.

Nicole: 22:07

I, right. I know as somebody that definitely has a fear of spiders, I am all about the idea of mouth taping.

Alicia : 22:14

Absolutely. Trucking right along into number six, wearables and data tools. Now as a former analytics specialist, I find this one fascinating.

Nicole: 22:24

Me too. I absolutely love data. Data is so fascinating. As a functional medicine physician, I love to look at data, like labs and all the things we often say. Test, don't guess. Because when you have the data, you know what your biology is telling you, right? So there are tools, wearable tools that you can use to get data about your biology. Things like the Oura Ring. I have a ring called the RingConn. There's something called the Garmin Vivo Smart. There's various other tools, the Whoop band, I think maybe even the Apple Watch tracks a lot of the same things. They will track things like sleep. So you'll get data on how much deep sleep you're getting, how much REM sleep you're getting, how many times a night you're waking up, what your heart rate is, what your heart rate variability is, oxygen saturation, and then a lot of them will use these data points to tell you about your stress and your recovery. So it's really helpful for a number of reasons. Number one to know when you need to dial it back on certain things. You know, like if you're just kinda like pushing through and you're just barreling through life super stressed. It's helpful to have that stress and recovery data so that you can know when you need to, really tune into your nervous system recovery and regulation. But it's really great as a tool to understand how these other biohacking tools are working too. So with this data, you can see, okay, is the mouth taping supporting my oxygenation at night? Is deep breathing, supporting my heart rate variability and my heart rate? you have the data to cue you into how your body is responding to these different lifestyle changes and tools. CGM's are another one, so CGM stands for continuous glucose monitoring. And basically it tells you how your blood sugar or your glucose is responding to your lifestyle. So different lifestyle factors, certainly food obviously impacts your blood sugar levels, but also things like sleep and stress impact your blood sugar. So having a wearable that tells you how these different lifestyle pieces are impacting your glucose levels is another really fascinating piece of information and it can really help you kind of hone in on your lifestyle that is most supportive to you. The data is a really great way to really give you feedback so that you can tweak things with confidence, knowing whether or not they're gonna work for you instead of guessing.

Alicia : 25:03

Absolutely. And last but certainly not least, hot and cold therapy.

Nicole: 25:08

Yeah, so here we're referring to sauna therapy and cold plunging. So sauna therapy involves spending time in a heated environment. There's different types of saunas. You could do traditional saunas, which are typically heated to like 150 to 195 degrees. Or you could do an infrared sauna, which are typically a little bit lower temperature, around 120 to 140 degrees Fahrenheit and you do these things to activate the body's natural stress response in a controlled way. This heat exposure mimics the effects of moderate exercise and the heat really triggers a series of beneficial changes in your body. It improves cardiovascular health, supports detoxification. It enhances recovery and reduces muscle soreness, boosts mood and brain health improves sleep, they can support metabolic health. One of the major symptoms of perimenopause menopause are hot flashes and night sweats. And I was listening to Dr. Stacy Sims she's a leading exercise physiologist and she specializes in women's health. And she was talking about the fact that, you know, you would maybe think that going into a sauna would make hot flashes or night sweats worse because it's heat therapy. Right? Well, she was indicating that it actually supports improvement in those symptoms. So I found that really interesting. And then the other side is cold plunging. So, cold plunging involves immersing the body in cold water, typically between 50 to 59 degrees for a short period, usually two to five minutes. The exposure activates the body's stress response, triggering adaptations that support physical and mental resilience. So really hot and cold therapy. Yes, they're stressors to the body, but they are meant to support, adaptations that improve your overall health. Exercise is the same, right? Exercise is a stressor on the body, but it supports adaptations that improve your health. So. Dr. Stacey Sims also was talking about cold therapy, and she expressed that for women, ice baths actually aren't ideal, and choosing those really cold temperatures are not actually great. Instead, she recommends that women probably should stick to temperatures no colder than 55 to 56 degrees, which is where the metabolic benefits and recovery are gonna be most beneficial for women because it triggers shivering, metabolic adaptation and resilience without overstressing the body. And I was actually like super happy and excited to hear this because for me, the idea of cold, um, doesn't sound super appealing. Like I'd much rather sit in a sauna than plunge into cold. Like I always have hesitation to jump into anybody of water just because I hate being cold. So the fact that, you don't need to go to those super extreme temperatures for women. In fact, it's better not to

Alicia : 28:10

Yeah, i'm right there with you on not loving to be cold. I'd much rather be warm than cold. And, and that kind of reminds me of when we were in Aruba and we did snubaing. I think that's what it's called. And you and I could, the water was freezing and all of our family, like, you know, our, our siblings and their spouses and our parents, we were all there. We were all doing it. And they were all down swimming with the fish and you and I were like, at the surface because we were just freezing. So we obviously cannot hang with the, with the cool cold kids. Uh. We do not do well in the cold, which is really interesting that we live in the Midwest because we get some real cold, but definitely thrive in more warmer and, uh, I don't think I'll be trying snubaing again.

Nicole: 29:02

No, no. Chris is, uh, a little bit bummed out about that.'cause he really wants me to do like scuba i'm like, um, I'm gonna let you do that and I will love to hear about your adventures scuba diving because I Yeah. Take pictures please. But so in extremely cold water, women experience intense vasoconstriction and sympathetic activation without triggering shivering. So shivering is a key metabolic defense mechanism that increases metabolism, glucose tolerance, and fat burning. Without it, the plunge becomes more of a stressor than a benefit. So the warmer temperatures around 55 degrees, women will experience manageable vasoconstriction and shivering. So you're enabling that metabolic and recovery benefits and it's less shocking and easier to maintain regularly for those of us that are not thrilled about the idea of being super cold. I mean, the other side of it is that you don't need to be in there for very long, but I gotta say even two minutes at super freezing cold temperatures sounds like a lifetime to me. So, yeah, I like the idea of not having to do the super cold temperatures, but, so research backed benefits of cold plunging? It does have a lot of really amazing benefits. It reduces inflammation and muscle soreness. It's often used for athletic recovery, it boosts mood and mental clarity. Cold exposure stimulates dopamine and norepinephrine leading to increased alertness, focus and mood elevation. Some studies show effects comparable to mild antidepressants. It supports nervous system regulation it trains the vagus nerve and improves stress tolerance by shifting the body into that parasympathetic rest and digest mode, after the initial stress response, it improves metabolic health, so cold exposure can activate brown fat, which increases calorie burn and supports insulin sensitivity, and it enhances resilience and discipline. Repeated cold exposure trains your body and mind to handle discomfort which can improve stress resilience over time.

Alicia : 31:12

I find that really fascinating that it stimulates dopamine because I guess I don't see that, like when I'm cold, I'm sure not happy.

Nicole: 31:24

Yeah, I hear you.

Alicia : 31:26

I mean, I, I suppose, I suppose it can be exhilarating. Like, you know, you jump in a cold lake and you got the initial like, woo, you know,

Nicole: 31:35

Mm-hmm.

Alicia : 31:36

That is surprising to me.

Nicole: 31:37

So my friend Katie has been doing it for the last year and I saw her not too long ago, and she was like, oh my gosh, you do this. And it's like, you can't be in a bad mood after you do a cold plunge. So, yeah, she, she loves it. And you know, definitely it sounds like that's the effect that it has on her for sure. But I will say that cold plunging isn't ideal for everyone, especially those with cardiovascular conditions. So it is important to ease in and consult a healthcare provider, especially if you have medical conditions. So, because there's not enough time in a day to talk about all of the ways that you can biohack, we wanted to give just a shout out to a few honorable mentions as well. Other tools that you can consider using for biohacking would be things like vibration plates, weighted vests, castor oil packs, swapping out plastics with glass or stainless steel, the types of fabrics that you're using in your clothing. Non-toxic cleaning products, non-toxic body care and hair care.

Alicia : 32:39

You don't have to buy everything or do it all. Just start small. I started with red light therapy and mouth taping, and I did see benefits in doing those. So, you know, it makes me really excited to try other things and finding ways to really incorporate it into my life and really making it a lifestyle. It's something that I'm very passionate about you know, getting healthier and supporting my health as I age. Um, so, I think, in general, just start with what excites you or solves the problem that you're having right now.

Nicole: 33:11

Absolutely. Biohacking isn't about being perfect. It's not about achieving perfection. It's about becoming more in tune with your body and using simple tools to support your wellness in this season of life.

Alicia : 33:24

If you wanna check out the tools we actually use and love, head to the show notes and we'll have our resources linked there. And grab our free glow rituals guide if you haven't already. One small shift at a time. It adds up.

33:35

Thanks for hanging out with us on Midlife and Glowing. If you love this episode, it would mean the world to us. If you'd follow the show, leave us a review or share it with a friend who's glowing through midlife right alongside you. Let's make it our best era yet. We'll see you next time.