Biohacking on a Budget (for people who aren't rich)
Covering all your bases.
I saw a post the other day that sparked a train of thought on performance/biohacking protocols, from dr abud bakri, his point was that health protocols should be accesible to everyone nomatter the price and I genuinely agree with him
So I wanted to make it a point to write a quick article on where I would spend my money IF i didnt have MUCH to spend, ranging from everything from mitochondrial health, the gut, and sleep, and diet.
To start ill go with a meal combination, rice and deer mince/venison mince with sauerkraut
The Core Meal: Venison, White Rice, and Sauerkraut
This is a genuinely strong combination when you look at it across multiple axes simultaneously rather than just macros.
Venison mince
Wild or farmed venison is one of the leanest, most micronutrient-dense red meats available. The key advantages:
Iron (haem form) — highly bioavailable, critical for oxygen-carrying capacity and VO₂ max.
Zinc and selenium — essential for testosterone synthesis, thyroid T₄→T₃ conversion, and immune modulation. Venison outperforms beef per calorie because its lean-to-fat ratio favors micronutrient density closer to organ tissue.
Creatine — supports phosphocreatine resynthesis between hard intervals, improving muscular power output.
CLA and omega-3 profile — grass-fed/wild venison demonstrates a superior n-6:n-3 ratio versus grain-fed beef, helping lower baseline inflammation.
Carnosine — intracellular pH buffer and AGE inhibitor, relevant to glycation and HbA1c control.
White rice
Often maligned, but mechanistically smart in a biohacking context:
Low FODMAP — no fermentable substrate competing with gut bacteria.
Rapid glucose availability — high GI suits post-training glycogen resynthesis and cortisol smoothing.
Low antinutrient load — stripped of phytate and lectin, so mineral absorption (iron, zinc) from venison remains unhindered.
Resistant starch potential — cooking and cooling shifts a portion to RS2/RS3 forms, feeding butyrate-producing bacteria and compounding gut benefits when paired with sauerkraut.
Sauerkraut
The keystone for gut and immune axis regulation:
Live Lactobacillus strains (L. plantarum, L. brevis) — acid-tolerant enough to survive gastric transit; compete with dysbiotic species and regulate mucosal immunity via TLR2.
GABA production — L. brevis synthesizes GABA, influencing the HPA axis with measurable anxiolytic and cortisol-modulating effects.
Organic acids (lactic, acetic) — improve mineral absorption and stabilize intestinal environment.
Vitamin C — assists iron uptake by reducing Fe³⁺ to Fe²⁺.
Glucosinolate metabolites — Nrf2 activators with hepatoprotective properties that tie into the liver–heart axis.
Combination logic
Haem iron + vitamin C/organic acids → maximized absorption.
Resistant starch + Lactobacillus → synbiotic pairing, prebiotic + probiotic arriving together.
Zero antinutrient interference → minerals absorbed efficiently.
Low inflammation → lean protein, no seed oils, fermented over processed.
If eaten post-training, you get rapid carbohydrate replenishment, complete amino acids, key micronutrients, and gut support — all without digestive friction when the parasympathetic system is still catching up.
