Elizabeth R. Ricker > Quotes

“Self-tracking and self-experimentation—the core of neurohacking—are easier to do now than they have been at any other time in history. We have smartphones with apps that can log your data automatically. We have free spreadsheet tools to document our experiments. You can order many tests and interventions from the comfort of your own home. Even if you prefer pencil and paper for tracking, you can still find online communities in which to get tips and troubleshoot. Doctors are more open to self-tracking than they were a decade ago, when I first began the research for this book. That means that you can (and should!) share your findings with your doctor as you track yourself and run your self-experiments. You can provide data that can”
― Elizabeth R. Ricker, Smarter Tomorrow: How 15 Minutes of Neurohacking a Day Can Help You Work Better, Think Faster, and Get More Done

“Self-tracking and self-experimentation—the core of neurohacking—are easier to do now than they have been at any other time in history. We have smartphones with apps that can log your data automatically. We have free spreadsheet tools to document our experiments. You can order many tests and interventions from the comfort of your own home. Even if you prefer pencil and paper for tracking, you can still find online communities in which to get tips and troubleshoot. Doctors are more open to self-tracking than they were a decade ago, when I first began the research for this book. That means that you can (and should!) share your findings with your doctor as you track yourself and run your self-experiments. You can provide data that can help them personalize their care for you. CASE STUDY #3: CLEARING BRAIN FOG In the late summer of 2014, Mark Drangsholt, a clinician-scientist and triathlete, gave a talk at a Quantified Self conference.8 He explained that he had complained to his doctor that he was suffering from brain fog—periods when he couldn’t remember words, forgot key information, and couldn’t concentrate. Because brain fog can have many causes and because Drangsholt seemed generally healthy, the doctor was unsure how to help. Drangsholt decided to take matters into”
― Elizabeth R. Ricker, Smarter Tomorrow: How 15 Minutes of Neurohacking a Day Can Help You Work Better, Think Faster, and Get More Done

“Scientific self-help involves self-tracking and self-experiments involving interventions and a/b tests. Self-experiments in particular have a long tradition in mainstream science. You’ll be using some of the same techniques that Nobel Prize winners have used in their research to upgrade your mental performance.”
― Elizabeth R. Ricker, Smarter Tomorrow: How 15 Minutes of Neurohacking a Day Can Help You Work Better, Think Faster, and Get More Done

“his own hands; he gathered genetic, blood, and cognitive test data from consumer companies. Armed with this array of data, he returned to his doctor. Together, they were able to pinpoint the likely cause of his bouts of brain fog: narrowing in small blood vessels in a key area of his brain. The doctor prescribed a statin that lowered his cholesterol levels; Drangsholt’s brain fog went away. Would Drangsholt or his doctor say everyone with brain fog should take a statin? Almost certainly not. Drangsholt’s self-tracking, however, helped support a much more personalized form of medicine. Knowledge through self-experimentation is power; Drangsholt’s self-knowledge gave him the power to finally dispel his brain fog.”
― Elizabeth R. Ricker, Smarter Tomorrow: How 15 Minutes of Neurohacking a Day Can Help You Work Better, Think Faster, and Get More Done