Biohacking made simple means doing a few inexpensive things consistently: sleeping seven hours or more, getting daylight early in the day, moving every day and timing your caffeine so it does not steal your sleep. Supplements come after those basics, and a ritual of two or three well chosen ones is enough for most people.
This guide is written for the person over 35 with a job, a family and a calendar, not for the enthusiast with a laboratory in the spare room. It covers the four habits worth starting with and shows how to build a daily ritual with Smart Strips oral dissolvable strips that takes seconds, not a shelf.
Last updated: 2026-10.
What is biohacking, really?
Biohacking is the practice of making small, deliberate changes to your daily routine to feel and function better, and noticing what works for you. The word sounds technical. Most of what it describes is old common sense with better timing.
The term became famous through a handful of public figures: Dave Asprey, who popularised the idea that anyone can experiment with their own routine; Andrew Huberman, the neuroscientist whose podcast brought morning sunlight and caffeine timing into everyday conversation; and Bryan Johnson, who turned the idea into an extreme, highly publicised daily protocol. They are useful as cultural references. You do not need to copy any of them to benefit from the basics they talk about.
The four habits that matter most
If you change nothing else, start here. All four are free or nearly free.
1. Sleep comes first
Sleep is the foundation every other habit stands on. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine and the Sleep Research Society recommend that adults sleep seven or more hours a night on a regular basis (Watson, 2015). The words “on a regular basis” matter: going to bed and getting up at roughly the same time, weekends included.
Practical moves: a fixed wake-up time, a cool and dark bedroom, the phone charging outside the room, and a wind-down half hour without screens. If you wake at 4 am with a mind running through tomorrow’s list, that is worth taking seriously, and extra coffee will not fix it.
2. Daylight in the morning
Early in the day, spend some time outside or by a bright window. Light is the main signal that sets the body clock, and morning light shifts that clock earlier (Blume, 2019). Outdoors, full daylight reaches around 25,000 lux, while standard office lighting is about 500 lux (Blume, 2019), which is why time outside counts for more than a well lit kitchen. Combine it with something you already do: the walk to the bakery, coffee on the balcony, the school run on foot.
3. Move every day, lift twice a week
Daily movement does not have to be a workout. Walking, cycling to work, taking the stairs all count. The World Health Organization recommends that adults do at least 150 to 300 minutes of moderate aerobic activity a week, or 75 to 150 minutes of vigorous activity, plus muscle strengthening on two or more days (WHO, 2020). Two short strength sessions a week cover the second part.
4. Time your caffeine
Caffeine stays in the body for hours. In healthy adults the body needs on average about four hours to clear half of it, and anywhere from two to eight hours depending on the person (EFSA, 2015), so a coffee at 4 pm can still be working at bedtime. In a sleep study, 400 mg of caffeine taken even six hours before bed reduced measured sleep time by more than one hour (Drake, 2013). A simple rule follows: enjoy caffeine in the morning and early afternoon, and leave at least six hours between your last coffee and bedtime. Some people also wait until they have been up for a while before the first cup, so it lands when they need it rather than at 6:30.
Where supplements fit
Supplements are the fifth layer, not the first. A good question to start with is “which two or three fit my day”. A tidy ritual has three qualities: each product has a clear job, it fits a moment you already have (breakfast, the start of work, training, bedtime), and you can actually keep it up.
That last part is where format matters. A shelf of jars and a glass of water at every step is what makes routines fall apart by March. Smart Strips are oral dissolvable strips that dissolve on the tongue in 7 to 30 seconds, without water. Under the tongue the lining of the mouth is only 100 to 200 µm thick; part of each dose is absorbed through it, and for that portion first-pass metabolism in the liver is significantly reduced (Hua, 2019). The QuickRelease™ format is summarised as up to 95% bioavailability, up to 4x faster absorption and up to 30% higher effectiveness. The sachets are light and compact and go anywhere with you: a pocket, a bag, a gym bag. More on the format in What Are Oral Dissolvable Strips.
How to build a daily ritual with 2 or 3 strips
Here is how the ten Smart Strips formulas map onto a normal day. Choose what fits your life; you do not need all of them. Follow the directions on each pack.
Morning: the habits you build over months
IMMUNE. Vitamin C 20 mg, elderberry juice concentrate 20 mg and vitamin D3 35 µg. Vitamin C contributes to the normal function of the immune system. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system. IMMUNE is a habit: you will not feel it, and that is the point of a daily basic. IMMUNE
NMN. 80 mg of NMN, a precursor of NAD+. Also a habit with no noticeable immediate effect, and a moderate amount next to human studies, which have used several hundred milligrams a day and more (Yi, 2023; Fukamizu, 2022). Our NMN guide sets out the research, including its limits. NMN
FOCUS, before work. You open the laptop at 9, and the first hour disappears into email. FOCUS contains alpha-GPC 20 mg, caffeine 20 mg, L-theanine 10 mg, citicoline 10 mg and phosphatidylserine 5 mg. The combination of caffeine and L-theanine has been studied for attention, in research that used larger amounts of both than one strip contains (Camfield, 2014; Giesbrecht, 2010). 20 mg of caffeine is a small amount, about a quarter of the roughly 80 mg in an espresso (EFSA, 2015), so it sits comfortably next to your morning coffee. FOCUS
Afternoon: training days
FCKN FIT, before training. It is 6 pm, you promised yourself the gym, and the sofa is winning. FCKN FIT contains L-carnitine 30 mg, caffeine 20 mg, niacin 10 mg, gamma-butyrobetaine 5 mg, tamarind extract 5 mg and chromium 100 µg. Niacin contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Chromium contributes to normal macronutrient metabolism. It is clean energy for people who have never taken a pre-workout and never want the racing heart. FCKN FIT
REFUEL, after training. Liposomal curcumin 40 mg, palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) 20 mg and NAD+ 10 mg. Curcumin and PEA have each been studied in small human trials around exercise, at doses many times higher than one strip, with mixed results (Beba, 2022; Mallard, 2020; Schouten, 2024). REFUEL
A note on timing: FOCUS and FCKN FIT each contain 20 mg of caffeine, so together they add 40 mg to your day. On days you take both, count them alongside your coffee and keep the second one well before evening, in line with the six-hour rule above (Drake, 2013).
Evening: sleep
Z-z-Zen. For the person who falls asleep and then wakes at 4 am with a mind that will not switch off. Saffron extract 14 mg, L-glycine 12 mg, L-theanine 12 mg and melatonin 1 mg. Melatonin contributes to the reduction of time taken to fall asleep; the beneficial effect is obtained by consuming 1 mg of melatonin close to bedtime (Regulation (EU) No 432/2012). The 14 mg of saffron extract matches a dose studied for sleep quality in adults (Lopresti, 2021), and glycine and L-theanine complete a formula built for staying asleep through the night. Z-z-Zen
On occasion
ANXIETY, in a tense moment. Before a difficult conversation, a presentation or a flight. L-theanine 20 mg, GABA 20 mg and saffron extract 10 mg. Research has looked at L-theanine and GABA in the context of everyday stress, mostly at higher amounts than one strip, and reviewers describe the evidence for GABA as limited (Williams, 2020; Hepsomali, 2020). ANXIETY
AFTR PARTY, the morning after. Tyrosine 80 mg and milk thistle 10 mg, as part of a sensible morning with water, food and rest. Our guide to the morning after covers the rest. AFTR PARTY
PLEASUREX, in the evening. Panax ginseng 10 mg, fo-ti extract 10 mg, L-arginine 10 mg and L-citrulline 10 mg, for intimacy and the evening together. PLEASUREX
Three example rituals
The working parent. IMMUNE with breakfast, FOCUS at the desk, Z-z-Zen before bed. Three strips, three moments you already have. The Day & Night Reset pairs ANXIETY for demanding days with Z-z-Zen for the night, if stress is the bigger theme.
The after-work athlete. FOCUS in the morning, FCKN FIT before training, REFUEL afterwards. The Work & Perform set combines FOCUS and FCKN FIT.
The long-game planner. NMN and IMMUNE in the morning as the base, Z-z-Zen at night. Nothing to feel, everything to keep.
If you want to try the whole range before deciding, the Complete Set holds all ten formulas.
What simple biohacking is not
It is not glucose monitors, cold plunges at 5 am or a pill organiser with thirty compartments. Those may suit some people. They are not the starting point, and they are not required. If a habit makes your life harder to run, it will not last, and a habit that does not last does nothing.
Food supplements are not a substitute for a varied, balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle. Consult your doctor if you are pregnant, nursing, taking medication or have a medical condition.
FAQ
What is the simplest way to start biohacking?
Fix your wake-up time, get daylight early in the day, move every day and stop caffeine at least six hours before bed. Add supplements only after those four are in place.
Do I need to track everything?
No. A simple note of how you slept and how you felt for two weeks tells most people more than a device.
How many Smart Strips can I take a day?
As a daily ritual, we recommend no more than three different strips. Follow the directions on each pack.
Can I combine FOCUS and FCKN FIT?
Both contain 20 mg of caffeine. If you take both on the same day, space them out, keep the second well before evening and count your coffee.
Which strips will I feel, and which are habits?
FCKN FIT, FOCUS, Z-z-Zen and AFTR PARTY are designed for a specific moment. IMMUNE and NMN are daily habits with no noticeable immediate effect.
Is biohacking only for young people or athletes?
No. The basics (sleep, light, movement, caffeine timing) matter most for people over 35 with full, ordinary lives.
Where can I compare all the formulas?
Each product page lists the full formula. The Complete Set includes all ten.
Sources
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- Blume C, Garbazza C, Spitschan M. Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood. Somnologie. 2019;23(3):147-156. DOI 10.1007/s11818-019-00215-x
- World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: WHO; 2020. ISBN 9789240015128. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128
- EFSA Panel on Dietetic Products, Nutrition and Allergies (NDA). Scientific Opinion on the safety of caffeine. EFSA Journal. 2015;13(5):4102. DOI 10.2903/j.efsa.2015.4102; and EFSA. Caffeine: EFSA explains risk assessment. 2015. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/sites/default/files/corporate_publications/files/efsaexplainscaffeine150527.pdf
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- Fukamizu Y, Uchida Y, Shigekawa A, Sato T, Kosaka H, Sakurai T. Safety evaluation of β-nicotinamide mononucleotide oral administration in healthy adult men and women. Sci Rep. 2022;12:14442. DOI 10.1038/s41598-022-18272-y
- Camfield DA, Stough C, Farrimond J, Scholey AB. Acute effects of tea constituents L-theanine, caffeine, and epigallocatechin gallate on cognitive function and mood: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutr Rev. 2014;72(8):507-522. DOI 10.1111/nure.12120
- Giesbrecht T, Rycroft JA, Rowson MJ, De Bruin EA. The combination of L-theanine and caffeine improves cognitive performance and increases subjective alertness. Nutr Neurosci. 2010;13(6):283-290. DOI 10.1179/147683010X12611460764840
- Beba M, Mohammadi H, Clark CCT, Djafarian K. The effect of curcumin supplementation on delayed-onset muscle soreness, inflammation, muscle strength, and joint flexibility: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Phytother Res. 2022;36(7):2767-2778. DOI 10.1002/ptr.7477
- Mallard A, Briskey D, Richards A, Mills D, Rao A. The Effect of Orally Dosed Levagen+ (palmitoylethanolamide) on Exercise Recovery in Healthy Males: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study. Nutrients. 2020;12(3):596. DOI 10.3390/nu12030596
- Schouten M, et al. Palmitoylethanolamide Does Not Affect Recovery from Exercise-Induced Muscle Damage in Healthy Males. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2024;56(12):2372-2384. DOI 10.1249/MSS.0000000000003517
- Commission Regulation (EU) No 432/2012 establishing a list of permitted health claims made on foods, other than those referring to the reduction of disease risk and to children’s development and health. Annex. https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32012R0432
- Lopresti AL, Smith SJ, Drummond PD. An investigation into an evening intake of a saffron extract (affron) on sleep quality, cortisol, and melatonin concentrations in adults with poor sleep: a randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multi-dose study. Sleep Med. 2021;86:7-18. DOI 10.1016/j.sleep.2021.08.001
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- Hepsomali P, Groeger JA, Nishihira J, Scholey A. Effects of oral gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) administration on stress and sleep in humans: a systematic review. Front Neurosci. 2020;14:923. DOI 10.3389/fnins.2020.00923
