Physical hacks (diet, nootropics) you use to be more focused mentally?

I'm into bio-hacking and would love to know what other entrepreneurs are doing to keep their body and mind in prime condition.

Which diet do you follow? Do you take any supplements / nootropics?

After several years of testing different ways of eating on myself, I've found my body to be it's best on a Paleo diet. Grass-fed beef is what I eat the most. But I try not to be a "Paleo Nazi" though. Once a week, I'll have some complex carbs like oatmeal.

Regarding Nootropics, if you're just starting with them, I'd recommend the racetam family (Piracetam or Noopept).

The most safest Nootropic (with thousands of studies backing it) is a combination of Caffeine and L-Theanine. 1 part caffeine with 2 parts l-theanine works great for clean energy without the jittery side effects of caffeine.

No discussion of nootropics will ever be complete without the grand-daddy of them all: Provigil (Modafinil). aka The success drug.

The valley is very hush hush on it's use of Modafinil. I know tens of founders who use it but wouldn't be caught dead admitting it.

If you take it on a regular basis, your body will quickly build up a tolerance.

You have to weigh your options, not just in terms of which nootropics you've decided on, but when and how much to take.

In my own personal experience, the one to safely take everyday is Caffeine + L-Theanine.

Unless you have ADD, taking Modafinil on a daily basis is not optimal. You're better off taking 100mg of it only on a day you lack motivation to get something important done.

Here are some ground rules I'd recommend you follow when it comes to Modafinil:

Q: Did you have a good night's sleep (6-8 hours) and feel refreshed upon waking up?
If Yes, then skip it.

Q: Are you energized and excited about what you're going to do today?
If Yes, then skip it.

Q: Have you made a list of things you need to get done today and under a deadline?
Only if you have a list of things to do ready, take half a pill... as long as other rules are not violated.

No list, no pill.

Q: Did you take one yesterday?
If Yes, then really evaluate if you need one today.

Q: Have you taken it two days in a row?
Don't take it or you're likely to screw up your sleep patterns.

Check out:

• Dave Asprey's Bulletproof Executive blog. You'll find anything and everything related to biohacking on there.
• Swombat's (Daniel Tenner) experience with Modafinil.
• NYMag's piece on mod.