Hack Your Hormones: Dopamine and How to Harness It
Davinia Taylor — Best-Selling Author, Founder @ WillPowders
Davinia Taylor is the dynamic founder of WillPowders and a double Sunday Times No. 1 best-selling author. After losing three stone, she embarked on a mission to counteract the misinformation from big food companies. Davinia advocates for nutrient-dense living, using her signature blend of honesty and humor to inspire others. She aims to combat issues like insulin spikes and inflammation caused by ultra-processed foods. As a biohacking enthusiast and dedicated mom of four, Davinia strives to empower others to feel truly high on life.
A biohacker mother with ADHD navigating dopamine dysregulation highlights evolutionary mismatches from hunter-gatherer times through industrial diets to modern screen addictions. She rejects medication, favoring ketogenic diets, biohacks like MCT oil, exogenous ketones, and mindful routines to manage dopamine baselines and addiction cravings. Emphasizing tribe, genetics, and epigenetics, she warns against processed foods, discusses neuropod cells' role in cravings, and promotes adaptive stress management, balanced supplementation, and diverse dopamine-boosting strategies tailored to individual neurochemistry.
"I'm a biohacker like everyone else here, thriving by embracing my unique ADHD wiring, pushing through boredom with movement and risk, because our DNA craves adventure and connection to our tribe, not the artificial highs of screens or processed foods."
Summary
- Evolutionary mismatch affects dopamine levels; modern lifestyle differs greatly from hunter-gatherer life, causing dopamine dysregulation. - ADHD and dopamine issues may stem from environment and genetics, with traditional meds often causing disconnection and dissatisfaction. - Addiction, whether to substances, behavior, or processed foods, rewires dopamine systems and impacts mental health significantly. - Ketogenic diets and exogenous ketones may help balance dopamine and support recovery from addictions and mental health challenges. - Individual biohacking, including varied routines, supplements, and lifestyle adjustments, is crucial for managing dopamine and overall well-being.
Article
'Our dopamine is out of whack': biohacker Davinia Taylor on addiction, ADHD and evolutionary mismatch
Bestselling author delivers candid insights on hormonal health and personalized wellness at HOLOLIFE Summit in Estonia
The evolutionary mismatch driving dopamine dysregulation
"I'm the ultimate multitasking, bad-tempered lunatic in the morning, and you know what? I vibe with it, because that's how my DNA tells me to thrive," declared Davinia Taylor to an enthralled audience at the HOLOLIFE Summit 2025 Europe in Tallinn last weekend.
The founder of WillPowders and Sunday Times bestselling author delivered a refreshingly honest presentation on dopamine regulation, addressing how modern lifestyles have created what she terms an "evolutionary mismatch" with our biology.
Taylor, who describes herself as a "biohacker mother with ADHD," argued that contemporary environments are particularly hostile to certain neurotypes. "Most of humanity's history, we've been hunter-gatherers. Our personalities are about seeking danger, going on adventures, and using adrenaline for the right purpose," she explained.
"Our dopamine is out of whack because we're not living how our DNA wants us to, and the addiction to instant gratification is wrecking lives, whether it's shopping, gaming, or processed food."
From screen addiction to evolutionary biology
During her Saturday presentation at the three-day summit, Taylor drew parallels between social media algorithms and slot machines, highlighting how both exploit dopamine pathways through unpredictable rewards. This comparison resonated with many attendees, particularly as she warned of "a dopamine dysregulation epidemic among ten-year-olds."
The biohacker's frank discussion of her own past alcohol addiction provided context for her approach to hormone regulation. Having been sober for 17 years, Taylor shared insights about the biochemical nature of addiction: "It was acetate, the energy molecule—lit me up, made me confident, made mundane tasks possible."
Her explanation of withdrawal experiences was particularly moving. "You can rewire your brain in thirty days, but the withdrawal feels like the blood-curdling fear of hearing you have six months to live—ultimate grief and hopelessness that comes back every few minutes."
Personalized approaches to neurochemical balance
In contrast to conventional medical approaches, Taylor advocated for individualized strategies to manage dopamine levels. She rejected ADHD medication after personal experience left her feeling "despondent, disconnected, bored—creepy, even."
Instead, she championed ketogenic diets, MCT oil, exogenous ketones, and amino acid supplementation as alternative approaches to neurochemical balance. Citing research by Dr. Chris Palmer, she explained how ketogenic diets might benefit recovering alcoholics by providing ketone bodies similar to acetate.
A particularly intriguing segment of her talk focused on recently discovered neuropod cells, which rapidly communicate nutrient information from the gut to the brain. "As an alcoholic, even a mouthful of alcohol can instantly light up my brain due to neuropods," Taylor explained, suggesting that understanding these mechanisms could transform approaches to food addiction.
Embracing neurodiversity and community connection
Beyond biochemical interventions, Taylor emphasized the importance of social structures and accepting neurodiversity. "We've been separated from our tribe, but it takes a village to raise a child and all personality traits are absolutely valuable; we're all just as important regardless of our differences," she said.
This perspective drew enthusiastic responses from the HOLOLIFE Summit attendees, many of whom were health optimizers seeking alternatives to conventional medical paradigms.
Taylor concluded with a characteristic blend of humor and insight: "You are n of one—there's no standard proof that fits everyone, so in the meantime, stay connected, keep hacking yourself, and embrace your unique path to health and wellbeing."
The HOLOLIFE Summit 2025 Europe ran from June 13-15 in Tallinn, featuring numerous presentations on health optimization, biohacking, and wellness strategies. Taylor's candid approach to mental health and addiction recovery positioned her talk as one of the event's most discussed sessions, offering a refreshing counterpoint to more clinical discussions of hormone regulation.
Part of HOLOLIFE Summit 2025 Tallinn