Practical Longevity
Tending the tree of life
Recently, I came across Dr. Nathan Bryan, Ph.D., a molecular specialist and passionate researcher who advocates using the nutrients nitrite and nitrate to support optimal cardiovascular health. Intrigued, I dove into a handful of interviews that he has given on various podcasts.
One of the platforms was Dave Asprey’s The Human Upgrade. If you aren’t familiar with Dave Asprey, he is considered the father of the “bio-hacking” rage that aims to blend science, technology, and nutrition to optimize health. Asprey is also the founder of the wildly popular Bulletproof Coffee, Danger Coffee, and Upgrade Labs.
I confess I hadn’t listened to Asprey’s podcast before. As I listened to him interview Dr. Bryan, I was reminded why I don’t often listen to influencers. I’m personally turned off by the bio-hacking craze, not because I don’t think it has some merit, but because I find there is too much sensational noise to sift through. And indeed, over the course of the interview, Asprey dropped a bombshell. While discussing a line of supplements that Dr. Bryan has formulated based on the nitric oxide molecule, Asprey revealed that he takes 150 supplements a day, spending roughly $3,000 a month solely on supplementation.
Good grief! He’s not alone. Another well-known longevity hacker, Bryan Johnson, goes to the mind-boggling extreme of purportedly spending $2 million a year on his health and longevity initiative known as “Project Blueprint,” which involves a rigorous routine of extensive weekly diagnostic testing, 100 supplements a day, a strictly monitored calorie-restricted diet, and experimental treatments, amongst other protocols.
I’m not entirely disparaging their efforts; there will likely be useful information to be drawn from their endeavors that the average person can apply to their own lives. Rather, I fear that most people who don’t have the means or the desire to adopt these extreme approaches will either haphazardly piece-meal the protocols or assume that improving their health and longevity isn’t for them, which couldn’t be further from the truth.
Rather than the quick fix of a bio-hack, I gravitate towards a more natural model: the steady growth of a tree. I’ve shared before that I live in a lovely old neighborhood shaded by 150-year-old trees. Living amongst these leafy centenarians, I like to imagine healthy aging and longevity as an elder tree with a deep, well-nourished root system that supports a trunk with distinct layers that, in turn, produce and enhance the tree’s fruit. Fruits that are a healthspan that aligns with a lifespan. Living free of pain, medications, and physical limitations.
Planting strong roots
Growing strong trees involves tried-and-true practices. Likewise, the more time that passes, the more I am convinced of the powerful, fundamental impact of attainable, practical lifestyle choices that build and nourish the root system of longevity.
Nutrition: Consume single-ingredient, whole foods and eliminate processed foods
Movement: Walk, take the stairs, lift heavy objects, perform a full range of motion
Sleep: Carve out 7-9 hours for sleep
Toxin-free: Eliminate synthetic toxins in cleaning, personal care, and home products
Connections: Nurture relationships with family and friends
Mitigate stress: Declutter, organize, and spend time in nature
Instituting these basic principles into your life will make an enormous difference in your health and how well you live. But wait, we can do more…
Strengthening and nurturing
Once the principal tenets become second-nature habits, we can begin to hone and strengthen them to make them even more impactful.
Nutrition: Select organic, regenerative farmed foods; nutrient-dense choices; 90/10 eating rule; time-restricted eating window of at least 12 hours, fermented foods
Movement: Incorporate strength training, balance and agility exercises, jump training, cars (controlled articular rotations), high intensity interval training
Sleep: Create an evening sleep routine that includes low-level lighting, a break from devices, and a cool room
Physiological Support: Prioritize morning sun to set the circadian rhythm, morning flow exercises, tapping, and dry brushing for lymphatic drainage, fascia release techniques, and exercises
Toxin-free: All-glass food storage, stainless steel or ceramic cookware, a whole-house water filter, an air scrubber/cleaner, and house plants that clean the air
Connections: Be deliberate about creating and strengthening social connections, such as joining clubs and groups, volunteering, and being active in your community
Mitigate stress: Design your home with harmony in mind, institute meditation or prayer time, keep a gratitude journal, and adopt breathwork techniques
Learning: Keep the brain nimble and pliable by reading, learning something new, doing puzzles, and visiting different places
Growing the trunk
With a strong, established root ball, the trunk can now take shape, beginning with the core and the growth layers. We can further elevate our habits and layer in protocols and therapies that have the best chance of performing well and enhancing health and wellness, such as supplements, wearables, therapies, and bodywork, to name a few.
Nutrition: Choose specific foods to support epigenetic and gene methylation
Movement: Increase weights, add in cardio zone 2 training, and introduce new activities such as a racquet sport or dance lessons
Supplements: Consider the handful of supplements that many doctors/researchers agree upon for a longevity regime, including a multi-vitamin for overall health, Omega 3 for brain health and inflammation, and creatine for cognitive health and muscles
Toxin-free: Transition to organic material clothing, bedding, towels, etc.
Wearables: Track sleep and movement, monitor glucose, protein, etc…
Jumping into these types of conventions without first establishing a solid foundation is like planting a tree in poor soil: without strong roots, the tree will be at constant risk of toppling, and all your energies will be wasted.
Building the trunk
These are very nice-to-have adjuncts that may or may not be as readily accessible as lifestyle shifts, but they could greatly optimize your body’s systems and elevate your quality of life. These include:
Testing and monitoring through online platforms
Longevity stack supplements that work at a cellular level, such as NMN, Urolithin A, Nitric Oxide from Dr. Bryan’s company, Spermidine, Peptides
Therapies such as red light, sauna, cold plunge/showers are proving to be very beneficial and can aid in reducing all-cause mortality and disease
Protective outer bark
Lastly, there are so many incredible “next-level” treatments that could serve as the ultimate protective shield to aging. Some have already been developed, and some are taking root. Many have tremendous potential to mitigate and possibly reverse disease and aging. Though I don’t view them as must-haves, I certainly don’t pooh-pooh them either; I’d give them a shot if the conditions were right.
The future of longevity includes cellular reprogramming and gene therapy; senolytic drugs that eliminate senescent or damaged cells; regenerative exosomes and stem cell therapy; and plasma exchange, which filters the blood by separating plasma to remove accumulated age-related damage
Reaping the fruits
I often reflect on the common thread of lifestyle habits of the centenarian blue zone communities. Blissfully ignorant of current “bio-hacks,” they somehow thrive into their early hundreds on a no-frills, practical lifestyle
Although it’s very tempting to be mesmerized by the slick, quick fixes and jump on bandwagons of the latest influencers to “hack” your way to good health, the foundation for longevity is in the roots, not the leaves.
On the cusp of 65, I can honestly say I feel better than I did in my forties. As of now, touch wood, I am living proof of this practical Ageosophy—free of pain, chronic health issues, and medications. So my advice? Ignore the sensational and begin with the tried-and-true. Simple, practical lifestyle choices are the roots that will yield a fruitful harvest of good health and the ability to live well, age great.