Биохакинг за жени: Трикове за повече енергия, по-малко стрес и поддържане на оптимално здраве

by Molly Maloof, Д-р Моли Малууф, Борислава Ангелова (Translator)

Чувствате се изтощени от въртележката на живота?
Имате нужда от дрямка (или от двойно еспресо) по средата на деня?
Чудите се кога магически ще ви дойде още енергия?

Тази книга е знакът, че е време да заредите батериите.

Във всяка ваша клетка има искрица, която захранва тялото ви с електричество. Като жена, вие имате уникална енергийна сила – независимо дали я използвате, за да имате деца, да основете компания, да дадете изкуство на света, или да вършите друга смислена работа.

Биохакингът е начин да увеличите този творчески потенциал. Той е съвкупността от трикове, с които може да преодолеете съсипващите фактори като стрес, замърсена среда, преработена храна, заседнал начин на живот и самота, които гасят вашата искра. Названието „биохакинг“ е ново, но насочената към оцеляване, към решения и към подобряване на здравето същност на процеса е стара, колкото човечеството.

Д-р Моли Малууф предлага конкретни насоки за действие, с помощта на които отново ще запалите искрата. Защото не заслужавате просто да съществувате мимоходом, а да живеете истински.

Ще откриете трикове за...

- Физическа активност – как да увеличите силата и издръжливостта си
- Хранене и приемане на хранителни добавки – какво „гориво“ е най-подходящо за вашето тяло
- Регулиране на кръвната захар, подпомагане на храносмилането и метаболизма
- Възстановяване от стреса – как да сте по-устойчиви към ситуациите
- Балансиране на хормоните – как да се грижите за себе си в различните периоди на биологичния си цикъл
- Подобряване на сексуалния живот – повишаване на сигурността и удоволствието
- Свързването и обичта – как да си взаимодействате с повече разбиране

Тази книга може да ви помогне да се справите с хронични състояния или да прескочите границите на човешките възможности. Искрено я препоръчвам на жените, които искат да живеят живота си в пълния му потенциал.
Дейв Аспри

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Audiobook, Ebooks, Lifestyle

392 pages, Paperback

Published December 6, 2023

Reviews

[Alicia Bayer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is written by a doctor who specializes in biohacking. It primarily focuses on AFAB bodies and hormones, and is especially devoted to women in their reproductive years. Maloof talks about ways to optimize health, longevity and energy. These include things like diet (whole foods, avoiding seed oils and sugar, lots of fresh fruits and veggies, nuts, seeds, healthy fish and free range meat and eggs, etc.), exercise (especially weight lifting), supplements, connection, etc. A lot of the information is fairly new stuff so don't assume you already know all the ways to be your healthiest and most energetic.

Chapters include topics like fertility, sexual health, etc. too. Post-menopausal women are sort of an afterthought other than brief mentions. She advocates hormone replacement starting at menopause, but more natural types? You can tell that she's in her 30's, as it's really written for women in her stage of life.

I've read a lot of health books so most of this was not new to me, but if you are not an avid health reader this will be great information. It's easy to follow and each chapter ends with bullet points of all of the key takeaways.

I read a digital advanced copy of this book for review.

[Kevin S · Rating 3 out of 5]

Skimmed at a bookstore to make a purchase decision. It was pretty clear that Molly Maloof is bad at writing from the Amazon preview, so I needed to see the entire book to make a purchase decision. (Kara Fitzgerald can write a banger as a physician with no previously published books, so "she's not a writer by trade" is not an excuse.)

What I wanted from this book:
- How to read the routine lab tests that I get from my doctor
- Which supplements I should consider taking, and how to know which to take
- How to read a blood sugar monitor

What I actually got was a surface-level overview of a bunch of health-enthusiast practices. "Let's talk about mitochondria," she says, "but I won't get into too many specifics because I don't want to bore you."

Girl. I'm reading your book for the specifics. Tell me what you know! You read textbooks and I don't. This book is written as if the average person will stumble upon it on the central table in B&N (where Kara Fitzgerald's book was during launch), but there was only one copy of Molly's book, hidden away at the bottom shelf.

I have listened to maybe 70% of Molly's interviews on YouTube. At least once a month I search for her on YouTube with the results filtered to "last month." She's said that she's trying to figure out how to scale herself so that technology can assess people like she does her patients, and she could have put her entire diagnosis program in this book. She could have put all her professional secrets in this book like Marie Kondo did.

Books like this are why I don't introduce myself as a biohacker to new friends. I call myself a nutrition nerd instead. This book makes Molly sound like a blogger instead of a physician.

Molly Maloof gives such disorganized interviews. I was hoping that a book would force her to systematize her understanding, but it did not. Ultimately organization is the main problem of the book. I would be okay with the bad writing voice if the content was good.

I walked into B&N yesterday to buy Younger You and The Spark Factor, and I walked out with just Younger You.

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genres: Nonfiction/Health

I heard this author being interviewed on a podcast promoting her book. She and her message sounded interesting. So I picked it up through my library.

She gives several ideas on improving one's health and sleep through diet, exercise, supplements, etc. A lot of this was not new to me but I'd recommend this to anyone with the desire to level up on their health.

I liked that she didn't forget who her target audience was. Without getting too science-y she made this easy to digest. But with that said, when I finished the book, I thought I had to put it in my reread pile. There were some things I wanted to research on my own. So 4 stars for now.

[Mili Dimitrova · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[Carey Henderson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This seems more of a beginner’s guide to me. The author told me things I already knew and left me with an array of different, more specific things I could look further into and test, but for a high price. It did dive into a deeper understanding of our mitochondria, however after finishing the book, I can’t say I necessarily have any specific knowledge that I didn’t come in with already. I would recommend this for a person just starting out on their journey for better health and wellness, yet it may leave you with too many options or even confusion of exactly where to begin.

[Brit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting but that made this book that much better!

I went into this book assuming there would be a lot of information and research pertaining to the various biohacking tools best for women. While this is exactly what the book contained I love that rather than focusing on niche practices like cold plunge, PEMF and other expensive and exclusive therapies, Dr Molly explores the 'big rock' items. The practices that are at the core of health, the importance of these and how to optimise your efforts.

So yes, there is a lot of information about nutrition and exercise which I found fascinating, but what blew me away was a major focus on stress, the menstrual cycle and connection with others. I found these topics (which I have not engaged with as deeply in a holistic health sense) to be incredibly interesting and I am excited to incorporate actionable steps to enhance these areas of my life.

I would recommend this book for any woman who is looking to expand their knowledge of health and wellness, for any woman who is feeling exhausted and looking to find more vitality and finally for any woman who is doing all the 'right' things but seeing no results!

A brilliant book!

[Cia007 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book provides a solid, holistic framework for women to work with when being introduced to biohacking. Women’s bodies are different than men, and the author really tailors both the sharing of knowledge of these differences as well as provides a basic list to get started integrating principles into your daily habits. Each of these topics presented one could take a deep dive into after reading the book, but I love the summaries at the end of each chapter that are actionable and to the point. Fantastic framework for getting started- gives the reader a bit more information to work with than many books I have seen but not so much to overwhelm.

[kaylasbookishlife · Rating 3 out of 5]

Probably a 3.5. It is one of those books where you might find some new information but mostly good reminders that you have heard before. I liked the chapters that focused on women's hormonal cycles and health plans to practice during different phases.

I skipped the food chapters. Just another person saying white pasta and rice are bad for you...meanwhile, over in the blue zones, guess what they are eating? White pasta & rice! Also the line about eating dessert only if you think it is worth it? Um, a chocolate lava cake is always worth it, and I will continue to get one every time I see it as an option...same goes for baklava.

[Anelia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Got this book as a gift with high praise from a friend, so I did try to give it a faire shot.

There are some solid life advice (such as getting good quality sleep and strength training, etc.), but together with that, there are some pseudoscientific recommendations, lots of exclusive/expensive lab test suggestions, the occassional "consult a functional doctor" even on topics such as bacterial infections, as well as and a bit of fear mongering around certain foods, which makes me doubt some of the provided advice on topics i'm less familiar with...

[Natalie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really interesting information about bio hacking health, was pleased to know I already engage in many of these healthy habits because the information could have been very overwhelming otherwise. Would be good to keep a copy as a guide to refer to as needed rather than reading once from beginning to end.

[AK · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lot of stuff I knew, a lot of stuff I did not. Some of the potential measures seem too tedious for me personally, but she outlined many interesting approaches/ideas/techniques on health improvement and I think everyone can take away a lot from this. Wasn't sure what the book was going to be like and if it was more spiritual or scientific and it is written by a doctor who is a 'professional biohacker' herself. I really enjoyed it.

[Stinne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice book if you are new to biohacking. I've been paleoista (which is a higher level of biohacking than this book) since 2010, so I didn't really get any new stuff. But I have read most paleo/biohacking books out there.
Easy read.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciated the broad range of topics in this book (self-help, health), but was irritated at the number of times the author wrote, "See my website" for more information to learn more. I bought this book so I would not have to be on my computer going down rabbit holes and having 50 tabs open. At times, this book felt like I had multiple tabs open. I appreciated the long reference list in the back, but in the book itself, it seriously lacked depth and context to studies cited. Sometimes it was very surface-level and there was so much, it was overwhelming. The author does a nice job recognizing that she is presenting a lot and it may not be accessible for everyone. Time and cost alone is prohibitive to many of these "hacks", in addition to availability of functional physicians and naturopaths in the U.S. in many locations, having to pay out-of-pocket, etc. She also mentions a growing issue of orthorexia; however, I think the book contradicts itself at times with some of the advice feeling a little like "influencer" advice (sometimes with more science, but sometimes not). The lists are long for various supports (e.g., supplements, tools, tests); I'd like to see a cost breakdown and think people should be cautionary as each piece of advice may also have side effects not described. "See a doctor" is not that helpful (similar to "see my website"). The part that was the best was about community and connection. That seemed to be newer information, possibly more accessible to all, and a good reminder rooted in research. It's a good one to have on the shelf as a reference, but it may have your head spinning and have you working 24/7 to try out all she presents (even though she does say to not tackle everything at once).

[Elena Simeonova · Rating 5 out of 5]

какво е биохакинг? От една страна това е метод, който ни дава знания как да подобрим умственото и емоционалното си състояние. От друга, буквално е начин как да "хакнем" биологията и да не се чувстваме и изглеждаме толкова стари. Биохакингът стъпва върху предствата за вътрешна енергия, която ни е позната от много култури - при някой бива наричана “чи".
Авторката разделя съдържанието на книгата на пет части, в които подробно разглежда въпросите от къде започва загубата на енергия и умората, как може да го предотвратим и как може да обърнем процеса. Разбира се, всичко започва вътре в нас и от нас зависи да променим случващото се. Понякога това се случва бавно, но въпреки всичко не трябва да се отказваме, защото резултатите идват с постоянство.
Д-р Моли Малууф стъпва върху древните практики и успешно успява да ги съчетае с модерното ежедневие, така че не просто да се борим с болестите, а да култивираме здраве. И да, това може би звучи малко високопарно, но е важно, че авторката ни показва причинно следствените връзки за всички процеси, които ни се случват и ни ги обяснява по прост и разбираем начин. Иначе казано - няма как да очакваме да берем плодове, ако не сме посадили семена. 🫶
Не на последно място, книгата дава ясна и систематизирана представа за приоритизирането и времето, което трябва да отделяме на нас самите. Със сигурност ще бъде полезна на хора, които тепърва навлизат в темата, но ми се струва, че и на вече поназнайващи това-онова ще бъде от полза. Все пак зависи и колко сте навътре в нещата.

[Brandie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is about biohacking to improve health. Molly admits she is obsessed with mitochondria, which is quite a new topic for me. I have heard the term in a few podcasts and was beginning to catch on what it was. I am still learning and I am interested so I got the book.

Biohacking is basically shutting off the autopilot. In order to optimize our health, we must do things that challenge the mitochondria to increase energy production, and then allow sufficient recovery time for the mitochondria to respond. This practice is called hormesis. Hormesis refers to the positive effect of stressors. When dosed properly stress is beneficial because it sends signals to your mitochondria that they need to step up energy production. You have a greater capacity to handle stress and more resilience.  Some examples of stressors are cold plunges, weight lifting, fasting, ketosis, breathwork, sauna. The book also has quite a few supplement information. One of the most important things for healthy mitochondria is movement. Followed by a healthy diet, sleep ect; common sense stuff. But it did give me a better insight on how all these things can affect mitochondria  and tools of how to biohack for optimal health. 

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent overview of functional health in an easy to understand guide that sends you on the path to true wellness. While framed as “body hacking” it addresses the fundamentals of health. And while it does have sections on female specific topics, it is good information for anyone.

Some people have criticized the author for too much “check my website” or the requirement to go through expensive individualized testing, however this is exactly what functional medicine is… specifically identifying levels of deficiency and finding out the exact details in your body at a given time to properly address and modify using highly personalized regimens.

I have read a lot on this subject over the past 10 years (a family member is a functional medicine provider) and this summarizes a lot of the concepts and approaches.

Highly recommend this as a primer before you seek functional medicine to maximize the appointment or better understand why you may want to see one. It’s also a great book to use as an “owners manual” to learn how health can be significantly impacted by simple lifestyle choices and behaviors, addressing the source of the underlying issues and not just the symptoms.

[Mahna Ghafori · Rating 3 out of 5]

As someone who has read a lot about the world of wellness, biohacking, energy, this wasnt necessarily game changing for me but I would say for someone who does not have a lot of information on the subject, it can be a helpful handbook. The most helpful sections for me were on hormone tips specifically for women, at the end of the book. I had hoped more of the book would circle on that as it pertains to women. Agreed with the main point that by "biohacking" or caring for your health, you can surpass having to rely on the faulty US healthcare system and only reserve needing that system for emergencies.

[Mafalda Viana · Rating 4 out of 5]

I must confess I was really put off when I realised this was so focused on biohacking. I cannot hear another white middle aged man or travel influencer turned wellness guru talk about the nonsense they put themselves through in the name of biohacking.

But this was actually a great introduction to what I imagine biohacking is actually about. It covers a wide range of topics - from nutrition to hormones - and it particularly focuses on how to approach it as a woman. Dr Molly explains scientific concepts in a very understandable and engaging way and only offers advice based on solid research.

[Jasmina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am a functional medicine doctor so much of the information in this book was not new to me. My main motivation to listen to it was to pick a few additional gems I can share with my patients. It did achieve that. Dr Molly is a very good communicator but the book covers a very broad range of topics and the sheer volume of recommendations is likely to overwhelm someone new to the topic. If you are reading it as a “how to” manual to health, I would recommend that you focus on 2 or 3 main priorities at the time, make them into firm habits and then move into the next area.

[Katharina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Important Informations if you want insight on how to get your energy back, really loved the insight on fatigue syndrome. But I am going three stars down because of the of the use of the words BMI and obesity. It just shows that there is a bias and I expect a professional in this field to know that BMI and obesity are proven to have faulty scientific research and are extremely fatphobic and actually racist too. Please read more about that in the book "Fearing the Black Body" by Allyson Johnson.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very reckless advice from a physician. Treatments can be much more simplified, less stress provoking and provide better results in order to maintain a calming balance. The "up and down" shock treatments, are disturbing, possibly even dangerous for some people who may have undiscovered frailties such as a weak heart, or immune system.

[Annie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a huge fan… I didn’t think this book contained any earth shattering advice. It’s nothing I haven’t heard before with regards to fitness and being healthy.
As a neurologist, I also had a problem trusting any medical advice she said after she said “proprio-reception” several times (it’s “proprioception”)

[Meredith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Somewhere between 3 and 4. Interesting information and really loved the focus on women specifically. Just didn’t love how the author inserted herself (for example, it’s a pet peeve to casually drop in the word trauma), and some of the interventions were pretty extreme. But overall, would recommend if you don’t take it as gospel.

[J]

Several aspects of health span, with biohacks. Includes actions and supplements to support the body. Will be familiar to those who’ve read a lot in this field. Still, the hacks are quick references, and that’s convenient.

Key areas:

- Exercise
- metabolism, the gut
- recharge from stress (vagus nerve, hrv, more)
- hormones (estrogen dominance, sexual spark)

[Ronel Janse van Vuuren · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent overview about biohacking and having more energy – especially for women.

I enjoyed the look at how mitochondria influence everything in the body and how to make them function at optimum capacity.

I liked the quotes at the opening of chapters and summaries at the ending of chapters that tied everything together.

A good book.

[Trish Gross · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is very detailed and has lots of information about how to improve your health from supplements to understanding your cycles. It’s intense but I took notes to help digest it. It starts with basics and gets more complex, which is helpful to me since I already receive the benefits of a good diet and exercise.

[Kirsten Mueller · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was lent to me by a friend and man am I glad she let me borrow it! It is chalk full of info that I didn’t know I needed. Everything from Gut health, to emotions, and to social medias effects on society. Might have ti buy my own copy to re-read and take notes.

[Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

Comprehensive, accessible, and well researched introductory book to biohacking (tailored to women). Well written and an easy read. For the more involved biohackers out there this book may not contain anything new.

[RashidaReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book but it was super surface level. Like it gave a a little information about a ton of topics. Great for an intro to biohacking and deciding what you want to try but you can’t take this book alone and make any actionable changes.

[Reni R · Rating 5 out of 5]

Хареса ми. Научих нови неща, които преди не знаех. Особено ми хареса частта за обяснението на хормоните. Смятам, че е полезно четиво и със сигурност нищо не губите, а напротив, може само да спечелите, ако му обърнете внимание. Препоръчвам.