Preventive medicine today is not what it used to be. It’s no longer just about annual checkups and blood tests. True prevention is a way of living — a daily practice of awareness, resilience, and deep listening to the body's signals.
In my experience, the people who achieve the highest levels of health — physical, mental, emotional — are those who master two ways of thinking at once. They think like biohackers and heal like monks.
Here’s what that means — and why it’s the future of preventive medicine.
Modern Tools: Thinking Like a Biohacker
The biohacker mindset is clear: test, measure, improve.
Thanks to modern science, we now have powerful tools to understand what’s happening inside our bodies before problems become symptoms.
Tests like:
- Omega-6/3 Balance Test (Zinzino): shows hidden cellular inflammation that quietly erodes performance and accelerates aging.
- Inflammation markers (hs-CRP, IL-6, TNF-alpha): reveal early stages of systemic stress.
- Microbiome analysis: uncovers imbalances in gut bacteria that affect everything from mood to immunity.
- Genetic screenings: identify personal predispositions so you can work smarter, not harder, on your health.
As a preventive medicine advocate, I encourage regular use of these tools — not to find "what’s wrong," but to fine-tune what could be stronger.
It’s proactive, not reactive. It’s about gathering data to optimize, not just to treat.
But here’s the catch: technology alone doesn’t make you healthier. Information without wisdom just adds noise.
That’s why we need the second part of the equation.
Ancient Wisdom: Healing Like a Monk
If biohacking is about measurement, healing like a monk is about presence.
Monks have always understood something modern science is only beginning to explore: the body whispers before it screams.
Through practices like:
- Breath awareness: noticing the subtle shifts in energy, tension, and emotion throughout the day.
- Meditative movement: such as yoga, Qi Gong, or even mindful walking, reconnecting body and mind.
- Inner listening: developing sensitivity to internal rhythms — hunger, fatigue, restlessness — and responding before imbalance grows.
Healing like a monk means slowing down enough to actually hear the body. To notice when your heart races unnecessarily. To recognize when your sleep is shallow. To feel when your digestion is off — long before it becomes disease.
It’s intuition strengthened through disciplined daily practice.
Monks don’t wait for a diagnosis. They prevent misalignment by nurturing a state of balance every single day.
The Bridge: Technology and Intuition Together
You don't have to choose between science and spirituality. The strongest preventive medicine strategy combines both.
- Use modern tests to uncover blind spots your intuition may miss.
- Use ancient practices to sharpen your intuition so you can catch subtle signs that even tests might not detect early enough.
When I work with individuals looking to prevent disease and boost longevity, I teach them to operate in both modes:
- Every 6–12 months: comprehensive biomarker testing (like Omega-6/3 ratio, inflammation panels, microbiome).
- Every day: breathwork, mindful movement, stillness, deep listening.
It’s not either/or. It’s both.
One grounds you in objective data. The other trains your internal compass.
Together, they create a feedback loop of high awareness and precise action. You’re not just "staying healthy." You’re building resilience at every level: cellular, emotional, energetic.
Practical Framework: How to Start
If you want to embody this philosophy, here’s a simple starting structure I recommend:
- Baseline Testing. Do a full panel of modern preventive tests. (Zinzino Omega-6/3 ratio is a good first step.) Look at your inflammation markers, gut health, nutrient deficiencies.
- Daily Mindful Practices. Start small. 5 minutes of breath awareness before meals. 10 minutes of stillness before sleep. Consistency matters more than intensity.
- Lifestyle Cycles. Treat your year like a wave, not a straight line. Build seasons of high performance (spring/summer) and deep restoration (autumn/winter).
- Quarterly Recalibration. Every 3 months, reflect:
- Where am I holding unnecessary tension?
- What does my energy feel like after waking?
- Am I nourishing my body or rushing it?
Annual Deep Review. Retest your biomarkers. Compare to last year. Adjust your supplementation, training, and routines based on real results — not assumptions.
The Future Is Integrative
True preventive medicine is moving beyond simply "early diagnosis."
It’s moving toward dynamic health literacy — where every person is their own best health expert, armed with both data and deep awareness.
In this model, we stop chasing symptoms and start cultivating health as a living process.
We stop outsourcing responsibility and start embodying mastery.
Thinking like a biohacker gives you precision.
Healing like a monk gives you presence.
Together, they make you resilient, adaptable, and truly free — not just from disease, but from the fear of disease.
Māris Žunda / Preventive Medicine & Lifestyle Optimization Expert