Tim Gray is the founder of The Health Optimisation Summit and one of the UK’s leading biohackers. Peak wellness performance wasn’t always a part of his story though; years ago Tim found himself in and out of doctor’s offices and running on empty with no answers. Sick and tired of being sick and tired, he mapped out all of his symptoms, started researching and concluded his problems were linked to mercury toxicity, which led him to the worlds of holistic dentistry, gut health and biohacking. We talk with Tim about his wellness journey, top health optimisation tips, link to bulletproof coffee and more.

How did you get started on this journey? Was it an epiphany or have you just always been really interested in health and wellness?

Really, I got ill. […] I was burning the candle at both ends, running multiple seven-figure companies and loving it, but I wasn't respecting my sleep or the energy I put out.

I didn't know anything about biohacking until […] one day someone told me about bulletproof coffee and I started looking into it and heard about Dave Asprey. Then I started the podcast and the next thing you know he’s invested in my summit and he’s my business partner, which is pretty cool.

So do you see yourself as a biohacker, or do you see that as a phenomenon that is now becoming a bit more mainstream?

I would say a professional biohacker; I mean, it is my life. Health optimisation is the goal and obviously the Health Optimisation Summit just brings in the best of health, fitness, wellness, nutrition and biohacking.

Do you think the media are trying to change this into kind of a sci-fi story?

I start all of my talks with defining what biohacking is and what biohacking isn’t. It’s not chip implants, it’s not CRISPR editing your cat’s genes so it glows in the dark.

Biohackers are just people [who] quantify what they do health-wise and try things that are outside the typical mainstream pharmaceutical mindset. I guess you could call it functional health really. […] Ultimately it’s [about] the results that we get versus people who are chronically ill and have been for so long and haven’t found answers.

I guess it’s understanding the science and how your body works, right?

Biology, yeah.

When you are measuring change, is it a case of going by feel? How have you measured change in the past?

It depends on what you’re working on, you know. How do you measure your car’s performance or how […] your child is growing up?In which respect – mentally, physically, height, body weight?

It’s important to [quantify change] – track it with data – because that gives you the best, fastest route towards optimising. The Oura Ring [sleep and activity tracker] is the biohacker’s staple.

In part two – up next week – Tim talks sleep, tips for families and the future of biohacking.