Highlights From the 2022 Health Optimisation Summit
The energy at the 2022 Health Optimisation Summit was palpable. Following a three year hiatus due to the pandemic, I think it’s safe to say that events like these are being met with a renewed sense of passion and purpose. From folks interested in biohacking to early adopters of the latest health tech innovations - people had flown in from around the world to be a part of the summit.
An overall standout theme in this summit for me was the evolution in healthcare from a model of spreading generic information and awareness around certain ailments, to continuous data monitoring through testing biomarkers and biometric wearables to target specific health concerns unique to an individual’s body. Exploring these themes, here are some highlights and products from the event that stood out for me:
There was an increased emphasis on optimising one’s environment to improve physiology.
Products aiming to do this included Conscious Spaces - a range of carefully curated products to protect you from EMF (electromagnetic radiation) and blue light to enhance sleep and protect your vitality, health and fertility. Their products ranged from air and water purifiers to EMF Protection Clothing. Bahe's 'grounding' shoes have soles that allow ‘healthy electricity’ from the ground to travel through your body without having to be barefoot. Altos air monitors are designed to measure your air quality for optimal mental performance. Another interesting and futuristic looking machine, named the BioCharger sends natural electromagnetic fields to energise your cells with electricity. As a fan of the Vivobarefoot shoes for bringing me closer to nature, I can very much see the benefit of making incremental changes using intelligent products for long term health benefits, however given the expensive price points of some of these products, I am happy for example, to walk barefoot on the grass for the time being.
I think one has to strike a balance between introducing new and exciting technology for simplifying wellbeing in our fast paced lives, to sometimes just sticking to age-old practices that are known to provide long-term health benefits. Not everything needs to be replaced by expensive technology, and not every issue can be hacked with natural remedies. Balance is key.
There is an unmissable shift towards targeted treatments and more personalised healthcare.
Perhaps this is also as a result of the amount of self-monitoring and testing that we all had to do during Covid. At the summit, personalised health products combined with apps that monitor individual progress were all the hype. Products ranged from supplements to genetic testing, some of which I have put to use already. My old ‘shotgun approach’ to taking vitamins and supplements relied on the assumption that diligent research into certain vitamin supplements and their benefits was enough. However, I have now signed up for a Bioniq blood test to better understand my current vitamin and mineral deficiencies, and will receive a monthly subscription of supplements specifically targeting my needs. Using the Pnoe breath analysis equipment to discover my Vo2 max (whilst sweating on a treadmill), I discovered that I was burning more fat at lower intensity than when I was sprinting. I can now optimise my fitness training, without running out of breath!
As someone who has a background in CBT, it was great to see many products utilising technology to improve mental wellbeing.
The Sensate vagus nerve stimulator induces relaxation by toning your vagus nerve which in turn helps regulate your nervous system. Other products included headphones with binaural beats to help guide your brain from fight-or-fight to naturally restoring the parasympathetic balance. I'm a strong advocate in empowering people to use mindfulness strategies that can be applied in everyday life for calling stillness into their lives, but, if using a device makes it easier for those who usually struggle to meditate, then I'm all for it!