Never attempt to test your breath-hold limits or free dive without expert instruction and supervision. Pushing past the natural urge to breathe underwater can lead to sudden unconsciousness and death due to unreliable oxygen sensors.
Be aware of the dangers of sleep apnea, which involves holding your breath during sleep and can lead to low oxygen levels (hypoxemia) and other health complications. Ensure you are breathing properly at night, especially if you snore or have a large neck.
Understand that your mindset significantly impacts your health and performance. Believing that stress is beneficial, or that you are capable of improving, can lead to better health outcomes and measurable biological changes, regardless of actual genetic predispositions.
To potentially boost oxygen availability, hold your breath and immerse your face in cold water (around 10°C/50°F). This triggers a physiological response that slows heart rate, constricts blood vessels, and contracts the spleen, releasing oxygen-rich red blood cells into circulation for an oxygen boost of about 10% during the breath hold.
When choosing a partner, be aware that your attraction to their natural body odor may unconsciously signal genetic compatibility. Humans tend to be drawn to mates whose immune system composition is most different from their own, which is beneficial for offspring diversity.
Avoid reproduction with closely related individuals (e.g., siblings, cousins) to prevent the increased risk of offspring inheriting deleterious genetic variants and developing diseases.
Consider incorporating swimming or other water-based activities into your routine, especially as you age. It is a low-impact and natural way to move and exercise, contributing to overall fitness and health.
Eyes can darken with increased sunlight exposure, particularly to ultraviolet light, due to changes in pigmentation.
Recognize that dedicating intense focus and training to become highly proficient in one specific skill or area often means less development in other potential abilities due to neuroplasticity’s inherent trade-offs.
Do not subscribe to the belief that your genes alone predetermine all aspects of your capabilities, potential, or life outcomes. Human traits are a complex interplay of genetic, environmental, and behavioral factors.
Do not let the perceived intelligence of your family members dictate your own intellectual potential. Current scientific evidence suggests that intelligence is not highly heritable.
Shift your understanding of ‘fitness’ in an evolutionary context from being ’the most capable’ to being ’the best adapted to your specific environment.’ Evolution favors the best fit, not necessarily the strongest or fastest.
Be aware that significant environmental stressors, such as trauma or starvation, can induce epigenetic changes (modifications to gene expression) that may be passed down through generations. These changes can be adaptive in the original environment but potentially maladaptive in new conditions.
Understand that diet is a powerful driver of natural selection. Historical dietary patterns have led to rapid genetic adaptations in human populations, influencing metabolic abilities and overall health over generations.
Recognize that increased globalization and inter-population mating are leading to novel genetic combinations in humans. This can result in both enhanced resilience and the emergence of new disease susceptibilities in offspring.
Understand that the vast majority of genetic mutations are harmful or neutral, with beneficial mutations being rare and taking a very long time to become established within a population.