The Biohack Diet: Fuel Performance, Balance Hormones, and Reduce Pain After 40

As we age, optimizing energy, improving body composition, and reducing pain become less about working harder and more about working smarter. That’s where the concept of biohacking comes in.

Biohacking is the empowering practice of using targeted lifestyle interventions to ‘hack’ your biology for better performance. It’s not just about cutting carbs or counting calories—it’s about taking control of your body’s potential at every level, starting with your diet.

If you’re over 40 and live in the Denver, Arvada, or Wheat Ridge area, this guide is tailored specifically for you. We understand your unique needs and are here to explain how specific nutritional strategies can enhance your performance, reduce inflammation, and support healthy aging. We’ll also explore how chiropractic care, dry needling, and bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) can be additional biohacks to take your health to the next level.

What Is the Biohack Diet?

The biohack diet is a functional, performance-based approach to nutrition that goes beyond calorie counting or food trends. It’s about aligning your food intake with your biology to optimize energy, cognitive function, metabolism, and overall vitality. It’s especially beneficial for adults over 40, as it can counteract the natural metabolic and hormonal shifts that occur with age.

The Biohack diet style of eating emphasizes nutrient-dense whole foods that reduce inflammation, stabilize blood sugar, and support mitochondrial health—the energy-producing structures in your cells. It also supports hormonal balance, often in combination with therapies like bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) when needed. Unlike restrictive fad diets, the biohack diet is adaptable and rooted in long-term healthspan and resilience. It’s about using food as both fuel and medicine to help you thrive—not just survive—as you age.

Core Principles of the Biohack Diet

The core principles of the biohack diet are the key to its effectiveness. These principles guide your food choices and eating habits to optimize your body’s performance. Your mitochondria convert food into energy. A biohack diet prioritizes nutrients that support this process:

• Healthy fats (avocados, olive oil, fatty fish) to enhance fat oxidation
• Polyphenols (berries, dark chocolate, green tea) for mitochondrial protection
• Fasting windows or Fasting Cardio to improve energy efficiency

2. Controlling Blood Sugar to Prevent Energy Crashes

Chronic spikes in blood sugar cause inflammation, weight gain, and fatigue. The biohack diet:

• Emphasizes low-glycemic vegetables and complex carbs
• Prioritizes protein at every meal to reduce cravings
• Avoids hidden sugars and refined grains

3. Supporting Hormone Balance Naturally

After 40, hormones like testosterone, estrogen, and DHEA naturally decline. Diets rich in:

• Cruciferous vegetables (broccoli, cauliflower)
• Healthy fats
• Adequate protein and micronutrients (like zinc and magnesium) …can help maintain hormonal balance, especially when combined with bioidentical hormone replacement therapy.

4. Reducing Inflammation

Chronic inflammation underlies joint pain, brain fog, and degenerative disease. Anti-inflammatory foods include:

• Turmeric, ginger, omega-3-rich fish
• Brightly colored fruits and vegetables
• Spices like cinnamon and garlic

Want to fast-track this anti-inflammatory support? Dry needling and chiropractic adjustments both reduce local and systemic inflammation—more on that shortly.

What Makes the Biohack Diet Different From Other Diets?

Unlike trendy diets that often focus on aesthetics or weight loss alone, the biohack diet is:

• Evidence-based
• Adaptable to your goals (energy, longevity, pain relief)
• Focused on function and performance, not just weight

It’s ideal for people who want to feel sharper, sleep better, reduce joint pain, and live life with vitality—even after 40.

Biohack Diet for a 175 lb, 40-Year-Old Male

Goal: Optimize testosterone levels, support mitochondrial health, reduce inflammation, and maintain or build lean muscle.

Estimated Caloric Intake: ~2,300–2,500 kcal

Macronutrient Ratio: ~35% fat / 30% protein / 35% carbs

Key Nutritional Focus: Zinc, magnesium, omega-3s, high-quality protein, cruciferous vegetables, intermittent fasting window (~16:8)

Morning Routine (Fasted Phase – water, supplements only)

• Upon Waking:
  • 16 oz filtered water with a pinch of sea salt and fresh lemon
  • Supplements: CoQ10 (100 mg), Vitamin D3/K2, Magnesium glycinate (200 mg), Ashwagandha (adaptogen for stress/testosterone)

Meal #1 (12:00 PM – Break-Fast)

High-Protein, Anti-Inflammatory Lunch

• 6 oz grilled wild salmon (omega-3s, selenium, vitamin D)
• 2 cups steamed broccoli & cauliflower with ghee
• 1/2 cup cooked quinoa (complete protein, low-glycemic carb)
• Mixed greens with olive oil, lemon juice, and pumpkin seeds
• Optional: Glass of unsweetened green tea or sparkling water

Snack (3:30 PM)

Mitochondrial Boosting Snack

• 1 scoop whey protein isolate or collagen protein in unsweetened almond milk
• 1 tablespoon almond butter
• 1 small apple or 1/2 cup blueberries

Meal #2 (6:30 PM)

Hormone-Supportive Dinner

• 6 oz grass-fed beef or bison burger (zinc + iron for testosterone)
• Roasted Brussels sprouts and asparagus (sulforaphane for detox)
• 1/2 baked sweet potato with cinnamon
• Small avocado with lemon and sea salt

Optional Light Snack (if active or needing more calories)

• 1 boiled egg + 1 square (85–90% dark chocolate)

Evening Supplements

• Zinc (15–30 mg)
• Magnesium glycinate (200 mg more)
• L-theanine (100–200 mg) or GABA if stress impacts sleep

Biohack Diet for a 145 lb, 40-Year-Old Female

Goal: Support estrogen/progesterone balance, reduce inflammation, improve energy, and maintain lean mass.

Estimated Caloric Intake: ~1,800–2,000 kcal

Macronutrient Ratio: ~40% fat / 30% protein / 30% carbs

Key Nutritional Focus: Omega-3s, magnesium, vitamin B6, DIM-rich cruciferous vegetables, moderate intermittent fasting (~14:10 or 12:12)

Morning Routine (Optional Light Fast)

• 12 oz warm lemon water with a pinch of pink salt
• Optional: Black coffee or unsweetened green tea
• Supplements: B-complex (with B6), Omega-3, Magnesium (100–200 mg), Vitamin D3/K2 Meal #1 (10:00 AM)

Hormone-Balancing Brunch

• 2 eggs + 2 egg whites (choline + protein)
• Sautéed spinach and mushrooms in olive oil
• 1/2 avocado
• 1 slice sprouted grain toast or 1/2 cup cooked steel-cut oats
• Sprinkle of ground flaxseed (lignans support estrogen balance)

Snack (1:30 PM)

Nutrient-Dense Mid-Day Snack

• Handful of walnuts or Brazil nuts (selenium for thyroid health)
• 1/2 cup berries
• Optional: 1 square dark chocolate (high flavonoid, low sugar)

Meal #2 (5:30 PM)

Anti-Inflammatory Dinner

• 5 oz grilled organic chicken or tofu (depending on preference)
• Roasted carrots and beets with rosemary
• Arugula and baby kale salad with olive oil, lemon, and hemp seeds
• 1/2 cup wild rice or small baked sweet potato

Evening Support

• Herbal tea (e.g., chamomile or reishi mushroom blend)
• Optional light snack if needed for sleep or hunger:
  • 1 scoop collagen peptides in warm almond milk

Evening Supplements

• Magnesium glycinate (200 mg)
• DIM or Calcium-D-Glucarate (if on BHRT or experiencing estrogen dominance)
• Adaptogenic herb (e.g., Rhodiola or Maca) if under stress

Notes for Both Plans

• These meals prioritize blood sugar stability, anti-inflammatory nutrients, and micronutrients that support hormonal and mitochondrial function.
• If you are also receiving chiropractic care or dry needling, these diets also support tissue repair through adequate protein and anti-inflammatory compounds.
• If either individual is on BHRT, these diets aid hormone metabolism and reduce the burden on the liver and gut.

Bonus Biohacks That Pair Perfectly with Nutrition

A truly optimized lifestyle goes beyond diet. If you’re over 40 and ready to perform at your best, here are three powerful add-ons that amplify the effects of a biohack diet:

1. Chiropractic Care: Realign for Better Function

While often associated with back or neck pain relief, chiropractic care is a powerful intervention for improving overall neurological function. As we age, postural changes, muscle imbalances, and joint degeneration can interfere with the spine’s role in protecting the nervous system.

Chiropractic adjustments restore alignment and motion to the spine, directly affecting the nervous system’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body. Studies show that chiropractic manipulation can reduce inflammation[3], improve proprioception[4], and enhance neuromuscular control by modulating sensorimotor integration in the central nervous system[5].

This makes chiropractic useful for pain relief and improving balance, coordination, and physical performance. For individuals over 40 who want to stay active, avoid injuries, and keep their bodies functioning optimally, chiropractic care is a foundational “biohack” that enhances mobility and resilience from the inside out.

2. Dry Needling: Biohacking Muscle Tension and Pain

Dry needling is a targeted, science-based treatment that addresses chronic muscle pain, restricted mobility, and neuromuscular dysfunction by releasing myofascial trigger points—commonly referred to as “muscle knots.” Dry needling stimulates healing responses in the tissue, increases blood flow, and disrupts pain-signaling pathways through the insertion of thin, sterile acupuncture needles into specific areas of muscle tension,

It also decreases chemical mediators of pain, such as substance P and CGRP, which are often elevated in people with chronic musculoskeletal complaints[7]. Research supports its effectiveness in reducing pain and improving range of motion in both acute and chronic conditions[6].

Unlike massage or other manual therapies, dry needling can reach deeper layers of tissue and produce a more immediate release of tension. When used alongside chiropractic adjustments and proper nutrition, it serves as a highly effective biohack to enhance physical performance, accelerate recovery, and reduce the discomfort associated with aging muscles and joints.

3. BHRT: Replacing What Time Takes Away

One of the most impactful changes that occur after age 40 is the gradual decline in hormones like estrogen, testosterone, progesterone, and DHEA. These shifts can lead to weight gain, reduced libido, poor sleep, fatigue, and decreased mental clarity—all of which can be profoundly disruptive to daily life and long-term health.

Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy (BHRT) offers a personalized solution by restoring optimal hormone levels with compounds that are chemically identical to the hormones produced by the human body. Unlike synthetic hormones, bioidentical versions are better recognized by the body and may carry fewer risks when prescribed and monitored correctly. Clinical evidence shows that BHRT improves lean muscle mass, sexual function, bone density, mood, and cardiovascular health[^8][^9]. A 2021 review published in Post Reproductive Health affirms the safety and efficacy of bioidentical hormones when appropriately administered, noting their positive effects on quality of life and risk reduction for chronic disease in aging adults[^10].

At Integrative Health and Rehabilitation, we offer in-depth consultations, in-house blood testing, and ongoing monitoring to ensure that hormone therapy is both effective and tailored to your unique needs. Combined with nutritional support, chiropractic care, and physical recovery tools like dry needling, BHRT is a powerful internal biohack that can help you look, feel, and function your best.

Can Supplements Help? Yes—But Only the Right Ones

Many biohackers love supplements—but not all are created equal. To supplement your Biohack Diet, we recommend physician-grade brands like Pure Encapsulations.

Supplements we often recommend for patients on a biohack diet include:

• Mitochondrial support formulas (CoQ10, L-carnitine, PQQ)
• Anti-inflammatory blends (Curcumin, Omega-3)
• Adaptogens (Rhodiola, Ashwagandha) for stress and hormone balance

Visit our supplement store or ask your provider about personalized recommendations.

Start Biohacking Your Diet—And Your Life

Whether your goal is more energy, fewer aches, or better sleep, your body has an incredible capacity to heal and perform—especially with the right tools. The biohack diet gives you the foundation. At Integrative Health and Rehabilitation, we help you build the rest of the system.

Ready to upgrade your health after 40? Schedule Your Consultation Today

Schedule an appointment and let us help you feel your best 5 Star reviewed Chiropractic, Dry needling, and Bio-identical Hormone therapy. Serving patients in Denver, Arvada, and Wheat Ridge, Colorado.