Is bio-hacking on your checklist for a first date?

Recently Sarah Rainey of The Times interviewed, Kayla Barnes-Lentz, 34, and her husband, Warren, 36. Before the couple met in real life (they initially connected through the dating app, Raya) Kayla asked for: ‘…a detailed assessment of Warren’s health, including checks on his gut, analysis of the toxins in his body, his nutrient levels and risk of inflammation.’

Turns out he passed the test, because they are both into bio-hacking. This is a term that refers to the practice of optimizing the body and mind using science, technology, and even unconventional methods to increase performance and longevity.

Honestly when reading her daily routine, it seems exhausting, but there is no doubt that in our increasingly toxic world (I found out yesterday that even peanut butter is bad for you because of something called aflatoxin, chemicals, and hydrogenated oils added in) her hacks might be things we should take note of. For example, she only drinks loose-leaf organic tea because teabags contain microplastics. That is one I could perhaps get into. 

But bio-hacking is a little more than what tea you drink. Its goal is to achieve peak physical and congnitive performance, often beyond what is considered normal or typical. For example, Kayla says: ‘I keep biohacking gadgets at my desk so I can use them as I work, I have two red light caps - one to thicken my hair and the other to improve focus - which I alternate. I sit on a biohacking Anthros chair, which helps my posture. I also use intranasal photobiomodulation (i-PBMT), which is a red light device in my nostrils to improve focus, and a NanoVi nasal cannula, which repairs cell damage.’

Sounds expensive to me.

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Kayla says she wants to live to 150, she said: “For me, health is the foundation of building an incredible life,” 

Kayla says she wants to live to 150, she said: ‘For me, health is the foundation of building an incredible life. Sure, I think we can live to 150-plus, but it’s also about feeling great every day, having a sharp mind-set and good focus, and being there for the people I love.’

It would also appear that Kayla is a Christian. When sharing her formidable daily routine  - she starts at 5.35am with ‘tongue-scraping, brushing, flossing and oil-pulling — swilling oil around my mouth to reduce bacteria — with ozone oil, which has antifungal properties.’ She also says: ‘I pray and read my Bible, do gratitude journaling or meditate. It’s important to set my mind before the day sets it for me.’

This discipline of reading the Bible and meditating on the world is a routine that has eternal value. (Matthew 6:19)

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The Bible teaches us that we are to honour God with our bodies (1 Corinthians 6:19-20), and while seeking to improve our health is not inherently wrong, we must not elevate any practice above our relationship with God.

Spiritual disciplines, like meditation and prayer, are practices rooted in the Bible that nourish our souls and strengthen our relationship with God. 

Spiritual disciplines, like meditation and prayer, are practices rooted in the Bible that nourish our souls and strengthen our relationship with God. These disciplines—when practiced regularly—serve to align our hearts with God’s will, and in doing so, they offer us peace, joy, and a deep sense of purpose. Meditation, in the Christian sense, involves reflecting on God’s Word and allowing it to shape our thoughts and actions. It is not about clearing our minds, but about filling them with the truth of Scripture. As Psalm 1:2-3 says, “But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither.” This meditation brings about spiritual growth and mental clarity that no amount of external bio-hacking can provide.

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Richard Foster, in his book Celebration of Discipline, highlights the vital role that daily spiritual disciplines play in the Christian life. He writes, “The disciplines are, in fact, the means of grace, of enabling us to live in the world as Christ lived.” Foster emphasizes that it is not enough to understand spiritual practices intellectually; they must become a daily part of our lives if we are to grow in faith. These disciplines—prayer, meditation, fasting, and others - are tools that God uses to shape us into his likeness. The same principle can be applied to our physical routines. Just as we exercise our bodies to stay fit, so too must we exercise our faith to stay spiritually healthy.

I can only applaud Kayla and Warren for their dedication to health. If I wasn’t married would I insist my husband bio-hacks before I married him? No, but I wouldn’t want to marry someone who over-eats processed fast food, smokes and gets drunk. Each to their own!