A Day With Eli Abela Part 1: Self-Geeking

We sat down with one of the founders of UNLTD and the first Bulletproof “Human Potential” coach, Eli Abela, to learn more about biohacking and to find out how she maintains a body age of 30 despite being in her mid-40s. 

So we drove on over to her place in Pasig City, where the green of her plants stood out against the grey buildings. Who knew her place was right in the middle of the busy Metro, right?

Once we all settled down to start the interview, one of Ms. Eli’s cats decided to join us for the interview as well. 

Asia: Good morning. First of all, can you tell me what Biohacking is and how you decided to take on your current practice?

Eli: The Bulletproof course is a Human Potential certification course. So we cover everything from food to exercise to sleep, stress, sex, to the biochemical makeup of the body. It’s everything. It’s the whole person. And we also deal with psychoemotional states. We cover all of that. 

Dave Asprey founded it. I like the term self-geeking for it because, with this lifestyle, you get to take the rein in taking care of your own body. You control and you track your progress. For me, it’s the ultimate kind of self-care, and the machines and methods we use have virtually no side-effects. It’s all about the good stuff and being responsible and accountable for your own health. But of course, people still have to remember that their bodies and their minds are different, so what works for someone may not necessarily work for you. It’s about building your own accountability, and responsibility for yourself. 

A: And how did you branch out from there to your other certifications?

E: From that course, I became curious about other modalities, so I kind of branched out into, for example, the psychoemotional course. I looked into EFT because also in the Bulletproof podcast, where [Dave Asprey] interviewed several guests, he also had EFT practitioners like Dawson Church, who’s the head of EFT Universe. 

From there, I gleaned a lot of ideas about health. His podcast is about health and maximizing human vitality and defying aging and disease. Church talked about biohacking and how you can do it on your own without seeking professional help or the doctor. I’m not saying all, but nowadays, conventional medicine has this name-blame-tame game where they treat the symptoms of diseases without caring to address the deeply-rooted and emotional cause.

A: What was it like to go through EFT training and how is it related to biohacking?

E: During that 2-year process of being certified in EFT, a lot of my issues came up. During that course, I realized that it’s not just about or sleep or stress, but a lot of it is an emotional blockage that’s been embedded and cannot get out of your energetic system. If that’s not addressed, there’s no way to maximize your health and your biological state. So I realized that if the subconscious does not function well to move you forward because it’s still stuck in the past, then you’re not maximizing its output because it’s still protecting you from that trauma. 

It took me 2 years to clear all of that. It’s so hard to face your own demons, and it’s equally difficult to admit you still have things to deal with. You may think you’re mature and that you’re over it, but it’s just like hearing an old song and remembering what it meant to you.  Triggers really do come forward in weird ways. In biohacking, to achieve your best self and to be at your prime in health, you need to address all these dramas and trauma that’s been holding you back. 

A: Wait, how does EFT work?

E: It tries to address limiting beliefs. You see, limiting beliefs are there to pull you back. It’s the core of excuses. Skipping exercise is an example. Not trying new things is an example. And all of these can most likely be traced back to a time when someone told you that you’re never getting fit, that you’re never going to be good at a new hobby. That’s why I always tell people to be careful with their words because these affect your own and other people’s energies as well. 

A: Do you have a specific diet along with your Bulletproof lifestyle? If so, can you tell me more about it?

E: Sure! Definitely. For starters, the Bulletproof course is centered around making the most out of your biochemistry. You need to balance your satiation and your hormones. You need to know when to start eating and when to stop. Most importantly, you need to be aware of the things you consume. 

A: I’m interested in the machines that you mentioned. Do you use any of these biohacking machines? How does it work to make you feel 30 years old?

E: I’m just going to enumerate things on the top of my head. The gadget I love most and the one I find most useful is my HeartMath EMWave2. It measures heart rate variability and detects patterns in your cardiac and respiratory activity. It trains and helps maintain your body in a state of coherence–a state that minimizes stress and promotes emotional wellbeing. I noticed that this worked during a time my gardener cut one of my trees without my permission. Instead of keeping the anger and frustration all to myself, I felt the anger slowly fading away. 

Another helpful machine I use is NeurOptimal Neurofeedback. It’s different from the EMWave2 because it trains your brain instead of using audio cues and bleeps played throughout a video clip. The software records and analyzes your brain’s activity patterns. It’s so easy to use. Personally, I use it at least once a day. 

Humans sleep for most of their lives, and for good reason. Sleep is the greatest healer, so as much as possible, I try to track my sleep activity and create a routine around it so I can get the most out of it. I use a tool called the Oura ring, which has sensors that monitor the duration and quality of sleep. It logs the information in the app and from there, I can pinpoint which things I did the previous day that affected the way I sleep. I try to keep the practices or food that made me sleep better, and I try to avoid everything else that made me sleep poorly. 

 NanoVi helps with cellular repairs in my body. It uses water in the form of vapor to stimulate cellular activity and to reduce oxidative stress which destroys cells. I use this machine whenever I feel tired. Note that these are just some of the machines I use on a regular basis, but these are also definitely my top favorites. 

(This has been part 1 of Eli Abela’s interview. You can find part 2 in the blog section of the Eli Abela website. )


For more information, visit UNLTD at 123 Pioneer St., 2/F Guerrero Compound, 1550 Mandaluyong, Philippines. Visit our Facebook page (facebook.com/UNLTD.PH) and follow our Twitter account (@UNLTDPH).

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Eli Abela