Primal Hacker is on a mission to give people control over their environment both internally and externally so they can take charge of their life and live longer, healthier lives.
“Biohacking meets Ancestral Health. Learn how to live a more primal life while still embracing modern culture and technology.” — PrimalHacker.com
In this episode, we sat down with PrimalHacker co-founder, Thaddeus Owen, a biohacker and writer, who “takes control of his own biology” by optimizing the world around us and inside of us to have better health, look better, and live longer.
Thaddeus spent 10 years studying biohacking through Dave Asprey’s Bulletproof Coach program, nutrition through a Master’s of Holistic Nutrition, movement as a Personal Trainer, Martial Artist and former triathlete and corporate lifestyle through interactions with multiple large and small companies.
Thaddeus shared with us how Primal Hacker came to be, after he left chemical engineering in pharmaceuticals, when he realized he was in disagreement on the potentially harmful compounds being used for products directed at children. Thaddeus also talks about his training background in martial arts, sharing common applications of powerlifting and kettlebells, why we should be training outdoors and barefoot, and much more.
Enjoy!
– Ryan and Yaya
Optimizing your life: Light exposure to recovery
Thaddeus explains the impact that various wavelengths of light have on our health and gives strategies on how to arm ourselves against harmful forms of light. In addition to light, he talks about the importance of avoiding non-native electromagnetic frequencies and potentially harmful waves emitted from cell phones.
Thaddeus also runs us through his process of optimizing sleep in his bedtime routine, which includes using his own homemade toothpaste. He explains that initially, there was a negative reaction to his introduction to biohacking because he got stressed by the volume of information. As he progressed, he noticed a massive reduction in anxiety and increased his sleep quality.
“If you are eating after dark, it is light eating when your cells are asleep and they are very poor at processing that nutrition.” — Thaddeus Owen
Key Takeaways
- The ideal training is done outside and barefoot — Sunlight gives us NO2, a natural pump. According to Thaddeus, when training indoors, you are far more prone to injury, because we are working under toxic blue light. We could be training barefoot in order to build up positive charge through “grounding”. We dump static electricity in our bodies through grounding in order to get rid of inflammation.
- All the devices we use, including TV, laptops, and cell phones are constantly emitting blue light — Blue light disrupts our circadian rhythms and circadian biology. When we turn on an LED light in the middle of the night, it takes 15 seconds for our circadian biology, which stops melatonin production and can have serious health impacts. It will also hinder recovery and muscle growth. It is important to block our eyes from the blue light emitted from screens using blue light blocking glasses.
- Our bodies recognize red light as darkness — In order to optimize sleep and not disturb circadian biology, we should be using red light exclusively in the bedroom. It is important to look for a red light with a wavelength of 600–800nm, not just an LED light with a red filter.
- 1/3 of the U.S. population has trouble going to sleep — In order to help unwind at night, Thaddeus has a very specific routine that helps him achieve optimal sleep. He wears blue light blocking glasses religiously when the sun goes down, uses the app Iris on his phone and computer, turns on red lights in the house, stops eating after dark, applies topical magnesium and turning off the WiFi.
- Block non-native EMF — Waves are entering and disrupting our bodies more than ever in the history of our species. Turning off WiFi router is an excelled way to reduce our exposure. Although we are getting some exposure from neighbor’s WiFi routers, our own routers are effecting us the most. It is also critical to not keep your iPhone in your pocket or let it touch your skin.
- SARMS — Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, designed to act like a steroid without any of the downside. They are said to increase muscle mass, increase bone density, with no fat gain. According to Thaddeus, he ran 3 different types of SARMS and with 2, found no increase in muscle mass, no increase in fat, significant increase in strength and significant increase in bone density. When experimenting with the 3rd SARMS stack, MK677 RAD 140 — he gained a 14 pounds of muscle mass.
- Microdosing — Many believe that the only true nootropics are psychedelics. Taking 1/10 of a dose of either LSD or psilocybin to make you feel more connected, creative, with little to no side effects. It is believed that if you want to be dialed in and productive, LSD is better. If you are looking to increase creativity and connection, psilocybin is more effective.
“Implement one strategy at a time that you will stick with and be successful.” — Thaddeus Owen
Connect with Primalhacker and Thaddeus Owen

Connect on social: Primal Hacker Instagram, Primal Hacker Facebook, Thaddeus Owen LinkedIn
Resources: Primal Hacker, Light Hacking TED Talk, The Biohacker Tribe Facebook Group
Recommended book: Epi-paleo Rx: The Prescription for Disease Reversal and Optimal Health

The post Real Chalk — Hack Your Life w/ PrimalHacker — 25 appeared first on Shrugged Collective.