Sauna and Longevity: Healthspan Before Forever | Vitruvian

Video·Rich Roll·8 min read·June 23, 2022

A grounded tour through longevity research, Blue Zones wisdom, aging biology, and the daily protocols that protect healthspan.

Aging As Agency

Aging is not only a number. It is a perspective, a daily interpretation of what remains possible. Time can harden old beliefs, or it can refine them into wisdom. It can narrow your sense of capacity, or it can reveal a steadier form of potential.

Aging happens to everyone but allowing it to limit you is a choice.

Everyone ages. The question is whether aging becomes an excuse or an invitation. The body changes, but agency remains present in the choices that shape how you move, eat, rest, connect, and recover. Longevity begins there, in the ordinary decisions that accumulate quietly.

The strongest definition of longevity is not the longest lifespan at any cost. It is healthspan: the years you can inhabit with clarity, vitality, autonomy, and useful strength. More time matters when the body can participate fully in that time.

This distinction changes the conversation. Longevity becomes less abstract, less distant, and more practical. It moves from a future wish into a present protocol. You protect tomorrow by how you arrange today.

The masterclass draws from science, diet, mindset, and lived wisdom. It asks how long-lived communities organize their days, how aging unfolds in the body, and how deliberate nourishment can reduce the burden of chronic decline. Each thread points back to the same principle: health is built through repetition.

That repetition does not need to be severe. It needs to be aligned. A sanctuary for longevity can look like a kitchen stocked with simple foods, a walk woven into errands, a consistent sleep rhythm, and a circle of people who expect your presence. The elegant protocol is often the one you can live with.

Aging will bring change. It will ask for adaptation. The work is to meet that change without surrendering the future too early. You do not control every variable, but you can shape many of the conditions that determine how well you live.

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they say that age is just a number just a number just a number just a number a number just a number just a number [Music] [Music] but i call on that but i call on that i think aging is a perspective i think aging is a perspective aging can harden you to long-held aging can harden you to long-held beliefs that don't serve you beliefs that don't serve you or it can bring you wisdom or it can bring you wisdom aging can restrict your sense of aging can restrict your sense of possibility possibility or it can unlock your further potential or it can unlock your further potential aging can be used to excuse yourself aging can be used to excuse yourself from new experiences and challenges or from new experiences and challenges or it can be the catalyst for pursuing your it can be the catalyst for pursuing your most meaningful goals most meaningful goals aging happens to everyone but aging happens to everyone but allowing it to limit you is a choice allowing it to limit you is a choice so the question becomes so the question becomes are you going to let aging defeat you are you going to let aging defeat you or or are you going to leverage it to empower are you going to leverage it to empower you

that preface was my way of welcoming you to our fourth masterclass episode in to our fourth masterclass episode in which we share big truths from some of which we share big truths from some of my best podcast guests honing in on a my best podcast guests honing in on a single theme or subject matter and today single theme or subject matter and today we're going to dive deep into the we're going to dive deep into the subject of longevity we talk a lot about subject of longevity we talk a lot about longevity on this show from a science longevity on this show from a science and technology to diet and mindset and technology to diet and mindset perspective but beyond the amazing perspective but beyond the amazing information you're about to hear the information you're about to hear the real foundational truth i want to begin real foundational truth i want to begin with is this with is this longevity is possible because there are longevity is possible because there are choices that you can make to access not choices that you can make to access not simply the longest life span possible simply the longest life span possible but also the greatest health span your but also the greatest health span your body is capable of body is capable of there are real there are real tangible practical methods that we can tangible practical methods that we can employ to get the maximum value out of employ to get the maximum value out of our bodies and therefore our lives our bodies and therefore our lives large populations of people around the large populations of people around the world are already achieving amazing world are already achieving amazing longevity results and we know this from longevity results and we know this from the work of my first guest dan buettner

the work of my first guest dan buettner dan buettner is a bit of a longevity dan buettner is a bit of a longevity superhero he's a renaissance man he's superhero he's a renaissance man he's also a national geographic fellow and also a national geographic fellow and multiple new york times best-selling multiple new york times best-selling author but he is perhaps best known for author but he is perhaps best known for his work with the quote-unquote blue his work with the quote-unquote blue zones which are these zones which are these communities spread around the world that communities spread around the world that boast the highest per capita populations boast the highest per capita populations of centenarians essentially places where of centenarians essentially places where people not only live inordinately long people not only live inordinately long but also seem to resoundingly be living but also seem to resoundingly be living happier than their fellow western world happier than their fellow western world counterparts so in this first clip dan's counterparts so in this first clip dan's going to offer a primer on how to live a going to offer a primer on how to live a long and fulfilling life long and fulfilling life based on his many years of studying based on his many years of studying these blue zones populations around the these blue zones populations around the world and maybe not surprisingly world and maybe not surprisingly nutrition plays a key role so this is me nutrition plays a key role so this is me and dan buettner and dan buettner for those people listening or watching for those people listening or watching who who who are new to kind of your work um i who are new to kind of your work um i think it would be helpful to just kind think it would be helpful to just kind of provide a quick synopsis of what this

of provide a quick synopsis of what this whole blues zones thing you know is whole blues zones thing you know is about about so we found longevity hot spots in so we found longevity hot spots in okinawa japan sardinia italy korea okinawa japan sardinia italy korea greece nicoya peninsula of costa rica greece nicoya peninsula of costa rica and not far from here and not far from here uh that loma lean to california and the uh that loma lean to california and the seventh-day adventists seventh-day adventists and over the past 15 years i've been and over the past 15 years i've been studying these cultures in a in an studying these cultures in a in an effort to preserve effort to preserve this this interconnected interconnected set of factors that are common to all set of factors that are common to all these places that are yielding longevity these places that are yielding longevity right so amongst these populations none right so amongst these populations none of them are are of them are are striving for longevity they're not striving for longevity they're not thinking about it they're not going to thinking about it they're not going to the gym they're not dieting their the gym they're not dieting their lifestyles are set up in a certain way lifestyles are set up in a certain way that is conducive to them becoming that is conducive to them becoming centenarian right the foods they eat the centenarian right the foods they eat the manner in which they interact with their manner in which they interact with their community community uh and and interact uh and and interact you know throughout their daily lives in

you know throughout their daily lives in a physical sense all of these things a physical sense all of these things kind of contribute to kind of contribute to this um set of parameters that you have this um set of parameters that you have kind of distilled down and and canonized kind of distilled down and and canonized that's right so the i would say the big that's right so the i would say the big epiphany and it took me 10 years to to epiphany and it took me 10 years to to make this realization make this realization you know in in america we tend to pursue you know in in america we tend to pursue health we find a diet or we find an health we find a diet or we find an exercise program or we we we get a coach exercise program or we we we get a coach or we um or we um get on a supplement program get on a supplement program and we think well we got to find this and we think well we got to find this program we need the discipline the focus program we need the discipline the focus of mind and and we're going to go after of mind and and we're going to go after it you know and it you know and the vast majority the vast majority 90 plus percent of people fail at what 90 plus percent of people fail at what they start at within a year they start at within a year in blue zones in blue zones these people are these people are eating mostly plant-based foods they're eating mostly plant-based foods they're moving every 20 minutes or so they're moving every 20 minutes or so they're hugely socially connected they're hugely socially connected they're suffused with purpose suffused with purpose not because they've tried

not because they've tried it's because they're a product of their it's because they're a product of their environment they live in places where environment they live in places where the cheapest and most accessible foods the cheapest and most accessible foods is peasant food is peasant food it's whole grains it's nuts it's greens it's whole grains it's nuts it's greens it's it's uh tubers it's it's uh tubers um so and um so and it's cheapest and most accessible and it's cheapest and most accessible and they have these time-honored recipes to they have these time-honored recipes to make them taste good and their kitchens make them taste good and their kitchens are set up so they can make them easily are set up so they can make them easily so of course they're going to eat that so of course they're going to eat that it's a lot easier to eat that can you it's a lot easier to eat that can you know travel to a big city and buy know travel to a big city and buy processed foods processed foods they don't have these mechanized they don't have these mechanized conveniences in their houses conveniences in their houses um um so they're they're not turning to some so they're they're not turning to some you know power tool to do their work you know power tool to do their work they're they're needing needing uh bread by hand or grinding corn by by uh bread by hand or grinding corn by by hand they're doing garden work by hand hand they're doing garden work by hand the the option to implode into their the the option to implode into their homes onto their electronics isn't there homes onto their electronics isn't there because because within a within a day if you not showing up to day if you not showing up to uh the village center or the party or

uh the village center or the party or church somebody's knocking on your door yeah there's a certain expectation there's a certain expectation and um nobody wakes up wondering what and um nobody wakes up wondering what their position is in their community their position is in their community there's always a very clear sense of there's always a very clear sense of purpose and sense of responsibility purpose and sense of responsibility um you know the the okinawans use this um you know the the okinawans use this word ikigai word ikigai people are starting to use that word a people are starting to use that word a lot sense of purpose and it really does lot sense of purpose and it really does make a big difference when it comes to make a big difference when it comes to longevity probably eight extra years of longevity probably eight extra years of life expectancy life expectancy but the purpose experience in blue zones but the purpose experience in blue zones isn't the sort of follow your passion isn't the sort of follow your passion purpose that we think of in america you purpose that we think of in america you know we think well we we're going to know we think well we we're going to retire or you know we get we you know we retire or you know we get we you know we um i got some free time on my hand i'm um i got some free time on my hand i'm going to travel or i'm going to play going to travel or i'm going to play golf or golf or or or pursue knitting whatever it is pursue knitting whatever it is purpose in blue zones purpose in blue zones is is is spliced with responsibility is spliced with responsibility so

so when when people think of purpose it's when when people think of purpose it's always connected to always connected to um um putting the focus back on somebody else putting the focus back on somebody else it's making sure the younger generation it's making sure the younger generation um um thrives it's it's making sure that the thrives it's it's making sure that the community is taking care of making sure community is taking care of making sure certain practices are preserved certain practices are preserved there's always an altruistic element to there's always an altruistic element to purpose in the blue zones purpose in the blue zones when you look at these blue zones when you look at these blue zones pillars you know movement plant-based plant-slant diet uh faith uh faith friendship connectivity all of these friendship connectivity all of these things is things is are they are they are they relatively are they relatively evenly balanced they're certainly evenly balanced they're certainly independent they're they're independent they're they're interdependent with each other but interdependent with each other but is there one that stands out it you know is there one that stands out it you know did you write this blue zone's kitchen did you write this blue zone's kitchen book because the diet component of it is book because the diet component of it is so important or how do you think about so important or how do you think about how the interplay of all of those yes how the interplay of all of those yes they are definitely connected but the they are definitely connected but the most important variable there is eating

most important variable there is eating americans probably lose six years of americans probably lose six years of life expectancy eating the standard life expectancy eating the standard american diet this is at middle age by american diet this is at middle age by the way the way overeating say a blue zones diet which overeating say a blue zones diet which is largely beans whole grains greens is largely beans whole grains greens nuts and tubers you know and fruits and nuts and tubers you know and fruits and vegetables as well so i'll spit out a vegetables as well so i'll spit out a couple of the insights captured for blue couple of the insights captured for blue zones kitchen on how they eat zones kitchen on how they eat first of all they're cooking no matter first of all they're cooking no matter where you go they're only using about 20 where you go they're only using about 20 recipes or 20 ingredients rather over recipes or 20 ingredients rather over and over and over because they know how and over and over because they know how to combine these ingredients to create a to combine these ingredients to create a symphonic deliciousness symphonic deliciousness but not a not a ton of different but not a not a ton of different crazy foods or superfoods no superfoods crazy foods or superfoods no superfoods except for beans beans is probably the except for beans beans is probably the super food super food number two they tend to consume all number two they tend to consume all their food in about an eight hour window their food in about an eight hour window breakfast like a king lunch like a breakfast like a king lunch like a prince dinner like a pauper number three prince dinner like a pauper number three they tend to say they tend to say uh say something before the meal that uh say something before the meal that marks a punctuation between their busy marks a punctuation between their busy life and now we're slowing down to eat

life and now we're slowing down to eat like a prayer the adventists or the like a prayer the adventists or the sardinians or harahachibu which is a sardinians or harahachibu which is a confucian adage that the okinawans say confucian adage that the okinawans say before every meal to remind themselves before every meal to remind themselves to stop eating when their stomachs are to stop eating when their stomachs are 80 full 80 full they tend to eat with their family they tend to eat with their family they tend to not have electronics in they tend to not have electronics in their kitchen so they're not eating to their kitchen so they're not eating to their favorite song or eating to their their favorite song or eating to their favorite tv show favorite tv show they they they tend to cook at home as opposed to they tend to cook at home as opposed to to going out to going out these are all things that these are all things that i i would argue add to the i i would argue add to the um um ecosystem of eating that produces ecosystem of eating that produces long-lived people and the core of which long-lived people and the core of which being this this being this this make knowing how to make plant-based make knowing how to make plant-based food taste delicious food taste delicious the very clear lesson that we get from the very clear lesson that we get from blue zones is here's environments that blue zones is here's environments that we know are we know are producing producing the statistically longest lived and the statistically longest lived and healthiest populations and when i say healthiest populations and when i say longest live i don't mean they have

longest live i don't mean they have better genes that are going to make them better genes that are going to make them lived 120 what i am saying is they're lived 120 what i am saying is they're avoiding avoiding heart disease cancer diabetes and heart disease cancer diabetes and dementia dementia the diseases that foreshorten your life the diseases that foreshorten your life so they're getting the full 95 years or so they're getting the full 95 years or so which is the capacity of the human so which is the capacity of the human machine if you're listening to this machine if you're listening to this right now right now your body is right to the to the your body is right to the to the the extent we science understands the the extent we science understands the human body your body's capacity is 95 if human body your body's capacity is 95 if you do all the right things these you do all the right things these populations are achieving that 95 year populations are achieving that 95 year mark better than any other population in mark better than any other population in the world and they're doing it because the world and they're doing it because they live in the right environment they live in the right environment next up in our survey of longevity is next up in our survey of longevity is david sinclair phd who is one of the david sinclair phd who is one of the world's leading scientific authorities world's leading scientific authorities on aging and maybe even more importantly on aging and maybe even more importantly how to slow its effects how to slow its effects david is a professor in the department david is a professor in the department of genetics at harvard medical school of genetics at harvard medical school he's one of the scientific pioneers who

he's one of the scientific pioneers who co-discovered the cause of aging for co-discovered the cause of aging for yeast and in this clip david unpacks the yeast and in this clip david unpacks the science behind what aging is and science behind what aging is and provides insights into provides insights into what we can do about it what we can do about it what do you think are the most important what do you think are the most important things that people should be doing or things that people should be doing or looking after on a daily basis to kind looking after on a daily basis to kind of you know take out an insurance policy of you know take out an insurance policy against against aging given the current state of aging given the current state of knowledge and understanding that's well knowledge and understanding that's well put put we now know we all have the the power we now know we all have the the power with the scientific basis with the scientific basis to actually to actually live at least 15 years longer okay so live at least 15 years longer okay so there are actually and i there are actually and i talked about this i think on twitter talked about this i think on twitter recently that there are there are five recently that there are there are five things that are pretty obvious and easy things that are pretty obvious and easy to do to do uh that'll give you 15 years and that's uh that'll give you 15 years and that's just off the top of of my head just off the top of of my head things like you know exercise things like you know exercise the fasting don't eat too much eat the the fasting don't eat too much eat the right foods try to be uh plant-based right foods try to be uh plant-based uh get sleep have social network

uh get sleep have social network that gives you 15 years that's amazing that gives you 15 years that's amazing that's not even going that's not even going delving deep into my book which takes it delving deep into my book which takes it to another level of what the best to another level of what the best exercise and supplements probably are exercise and supplements probably are about 80 percent of our lifestyle about 80 percent of our lifestyle um 80 of our health in old age is due to um 80 of our health in old age is due to our lifestyle and how we live right and our lifestyle and how we live right and only 20 is genetic and actually that only 20 is genetic and actually that that's done uh by studying twins who you that's done uh by studying twins who you know some smoke some don't look know some smoke some don't look different do all this stuff different do all this stuff your genes are not your destiny that's your genes are not your destiny that's the good news so that what that means is the good news so that what that means is it's up to you and if you want to be it's up to you and if you want to be frail or to be honest dead at 80 go for frail or to be honest dead at 80 go for it we know how to do that it we know how to do that do everything that that the marketing do everything that that the marketing people want you to do eat the cake sit people want you to do eat the cake sit on your fat house and watch movies on your fat house and watch movies that'll get you there pretty quickly that'll get you there pretty quickly yeah but fortunately you know in part yeah but fortunately you know in part thanks to new media like this we can thanks to new media like this we can actually actually all talk about what we think are the all talk about what we think are the ways to extend lifespan and and not be

ways to extend lifespan and and not be frail frail in old age like my father i talk about in old age like my father i talk about him a lot i'm very proud of him as a him a lot i'm very proud of him as a beacon of hope beacon of hope at 80 he's still running around like at 80 he's still running around like he's 25 he's got no aches or pains he's 25 he's got no aches or pains very sharp-minded using all sorts of very sharp-minded using all sorts of high-tech high-tech um lifting more weights than i can um lifting more weights than i can literally and our trainer who's literally and our trainer who's currently training the two of us currently training the two of us together together he says you know what uh he says you know what uh i think my dad was dead lifting or was i think my dad was dead lifting or was it a something like 180 pounds something it a something like 180 pounds something a lot and he said the last 80 year old a lot and he said the last 80 year old that i trained was was learning how to that i trained was was learning how to get out of a chair he's also somebody get out of a chair he's also somebody who's been on your kind of protocol for who's been on your kind of protocol for a while at this point and to see him in a while at this point and to see him in the gym at 80 like crushing it it's it's the gym at 80 like crushing it it's it's very inspiring very inspiring well i i think most of us can achieve well i i think most of us can achieve that in life you know there will be that in life you know there will be unlucky people that of course diseases unlucky people that of course diseases still hit us still hit us but most of us are wasting our our lives but most of us are wasting our our lives uh because we're we're basically not not uh because we're we're basically not not you but you but most people uh don't think about their most people uh don't think about their longevity they think oh when i'm old longevity they think oh when i'm old i'll deal with that when it comes but

i'll deal with that when it comes but now in early and midlife is the time to now in early and midlife is the time to invest because it'll pay off dividends invest because it'll pay off dividends later in life later in life let's define our terms i mean what is let's define our terms i mean what is aging from your perspective aging from your perspective well i've come to well i've come to the conclusion that aging is a condition the conclusion that aging is a condition i will be bold and say it should be i will be bold and say it should be declared a disease declared a disease if you smoke it increases your chance of if you smoke it increases your chance of getting lung cancer by about fivefold getting lung cancer by about fivefold and we all we worry about that we try to and we all we worry about that we try to we spend billions of dollars on on we spend billions of dollars on on trying to treat cancer and prevent trying to treat cancer and prevent smoking smoking getting to the age of 60 increases your getting to the age of 60 increases your chance of cancer by a thousand fold chance of cancer by a thousand fold okay okay aging is the root cause of by far what aging is the root cause of by far what is the magnitude of all of these is the magnitude of all of these diseases that we eventually get they're diseases that we eventually get they're not separate things aging is what causes not separate things aging is what causes these and how many people do you know these and how many people do you know that get heart disease and alzheimer's that get heart disease and alzheimer's in their 20s very few the reason is in their 20s very few the reason is because the body is young enough to because the body is young enough to defend its fend off these diseases

defend its fend off these diseases so my approach to this is that so my approach to this is that if we can figure out why we get old and if we can figure out why we get old and how to reprogram the body how to reprogram the body the cells in the body to be young again the cells in the body to be young again we won't get those diseases and even if we won't get those diseases and even if we have the disease those diseases the we have the disease those diseases the body can heal itself body can heal itself like we were 20 again like we were 20 again okay so then okay so then when we age what is actually happening when we age what is actually happening on a cellular level on a cellular level all right so we in the aging field have all right so we in the aging field have come up with come up with uh eight uh eight or nine or nine uh what we call the hallmarks of aging uh what we call the hallmarks of aging the the underlying causes of aging from the the underlying causes of aging from telomere loss to mitochondrial decay to telomere loss to mitochondrial decay to proteins misfolding proteins misfolding but i think there's actually one of but i think there's actually one of those those pieces of the pie one of those eight or pieces of the pie one of those eight or nine that's nine that's above all of them that rules them all above all of them that rules them all and this is and this is what i think is that the basis of what what i think is that the basis of what i'm calling the information theory of i'm calling the information theory of aging and what aging and what we and and the team for sure deserves we and and the team for sure deserves credit for finding was that there's

credit for finding was that there's a set of genes in yeast cells and also a set of genes in yeast cells and also in our bodies as well though at the time in our bodies as well though at the time we didn't know it we didn't know it that that sense the environment so when a yeast sense the environment so when a yeast cell is hungry or it has too much cell is hungry or it has too much temperature change you make it hot you temperature change you make it hot you make it really cold make it really cold uh or you subtract out some amino acids uh or you subtract out some amino acids it will live longer and that is because it will live longer and that is because it's activating a set of genes called it's activating a set of genes called the sirtuins the sirtuins and they're called surtourings because and they're called surtourings because their first yeast gene was called cer2 their first yeast gene was called cer2 now what's key to this whole information now what's key to this whole information theory is that cer2 theory is that cer2 is an acronym is an acronym stands for silent information regulator stands for silent information regulator number two number two so just a little bit about genetics so just a little bit about genetics silent information is essentially a gene silent information is essentially a gene that's switched off and and stays off that's switched off and and stays off and in yeast and in yeast that's the genes that control whether that's the genes that control whether it's yeast cell is a male or female so it's yeast cell is a male or female so so too that gene was known already to so too that gene was known already to yeast biologists in the 1980s yeast biologists in the 1980s to silence genes to keep them off

to silence genes to keep them off okay and what okay and what the lab that i was in guaranty's lab the lab that i was in guaranty's lab discovered is that if you mutate these discovered is that if you mutate these surgeons or two and so three so four surgeons or two and so three so four genes genes the yeast cells live longer the yeast cells live longer but out came this silencing what we now but out came this silencing what we now known as know as an epigenetic right known as know as an epigenetic right regulator and that was that blew regulator and that was that blew everyone away but it was very confusing everyone away but it was very confusing why would a gene why would a gene regulator have any impact on longevity regulator have any impact on longevity but what i think now is that the major but what i think now is that the major cause of aging cause of aging is a loss not of the genetic information is a loss not of the genetic information but the epigenetic information of the but the epigenetic information of the body body the dna strand is the dna strand is very tightly packaged in other proteins very tightly packaged in other proteins called histones and those histones called histones and those histones come together very tightly come together very tightly to silence genes so that's what the to silence genes so that's what the sirtuins do they they bundle up the sirtuins do they they bundle up the genes so that they get switched off or genes so that they get switched off or the histones might be spread out and the histones might be spread out and they allow the cell to read the gene and they allow the cell to read the gene and that's what we call the epigenome it's

that's what we call the epigenome it's the system that the system that controls how the dna is packaged and controls how the dna is packaged and says to the cell these genes should be says to the cell these genes should be on and these genes should be off because on and these genes should be off because dna is digital the epigenome dna is digital the epigenome if you look at it is actually analog and if you look at it is actually analog and analog information is extremely subject analog information is extremely subject to noise over time to noise over time the main reason we switch to digital the main reason we switch to digital but being analog means that it's very but being analog means that it's very hard to copy it's also very hard to hard to copy it's also very hard to maintain in a pristine state over a maintain in a pristine state over a period of period of two weeks for a yeasel or 80 years for a two weeks for a yeasel or 80 years for a human human and so i'm fairly convinced given the and so i'm fairly convinced given the work we've done over the last 10 years a work we've done over the last 10 years a lot of it unpublished lot of it unpublished that the reason we age is that it's the that the reason we age is that it's the analog information in the body that's analog information in the body that's lost over time not the digital in the lost over time not the digital in the same way that a compact disk has digital same way that a compact disk has digital information information and if you scratch it up you lose the and if you scratch it up you lose the ability to read the right songs at the ability to read the right songs at the right time right that's super right time right that's super interesting interesting i think it's pretty clear that the food i think it's pretty clear that the food we eat has a drastic impact on our we eat has a drastic impact on our health and longevity

health and longevity but what about periods of time sometimes but what about periods of time sometimes even longer periods of time than people even longer periods of time than people might even think possible when might even think possible when we don't eat at all or in other words we don't eat at all or in other words can fasting have any impact on health can fasting have any impact on health span span well dr alan goldhamer has the answer or well dr alan goldhamer has the answer or a answer i should say an iconoclastic a answer i should say an iconoclastic pioneer in his field dr goldhamer is the pioneer in his field dr goldhamer is the founder of true north health center in founder of true north health center in santa rosa california which is one of santa rosa california which is one of the first and largest facilities in the the first and largest facilities in the world that specializes in medically world that specializes in medically supervised water only fasting supervised water only fasting over the last few decades dr goldhamer over the last few decades dr goldhamer has successfully supervised more than 20 has successfully supervised more than 20 000 patient fasts and has seen lives 000 patient fasts and has seen lives transformed wholesale transformed wholesale so in this clip from my discussion with so in this clip from my discussion with dr goldhamer he walks us through the dr goldhamer he walks us through the benefits of fasting and the power of a benefits of fasting and the power of a whole food plant-based diet to prevent whole food plant-based diet to prevent and reverse the many chronic lifestyle and reverse the many chronic lifestyle ailments that unnecessarily impair

ailments that unnecessarily impair or shorten the lives of millions of or shorten the lives of millions of people across the world people across the world how good you can become in a sport may how good you can become in a sport may largely be dependent on genetics and largely be dependent on genetics and luck how long you're going to live in luck how long you're going to live in life may be largely dependent on life may be largely dependent on genetics and love but how well you're genetics and love but how well you're going to live in the time you have left going to live in the time you have left may be dependent on what you put in your may be dependent on what you put in your mouth and the diet and lifestyle choices mouth and the diet and lifestyle choices that you make and so what we're trying that you make and so what we're trying to explain to patients is you're not to explain to patients is you're not going to live forever you're going to going to live forever you're going to die there's been die there's been a hundred over 100 billion humans modern a hundred over 100 billion humans modern humans born on the planet there's 7.3 or humans born on the planet there's 7.3 or 4 billion alive today but there's only 4 billion alive today but there's only been five well-documented people that'll been five well-documented people that'll live past 117. so the thing is you're live past 117. so the thing is you're not going to live forever but you don't not going to live forever but you don't have to spend the average 9.6 years of have to spend the average 9.6 years of debility or 17 years in poor health that debility or 17 years in poor health that the average american is spending you the average american is spending you know know giving up compromising the last decades giving up compromising the last decades of life that could be your richest of life that could be your richest decades of life because of chronic decades of life because of chronic degenerative diseases because we haven't degenerative diseases because we haven't taken control of our diet sleep and taken control of our diet sleep and exercise patterns and that's what we're exercise patterns and that's what we're trying to point is you may not be able trying to point is you may not be able to live forever but you can reduce

to live forever but you can reduce dramatically the years of debility that dramatically the years of debility that you have your vulnerability to you have your vulnerability to infectious disease your likelihood of infectious disease your likelihood of developing heart attack stroke and other developing heart attack stroke and other debilitating conditions that's where the debilitating conditions that's where the big payoff is big payoff is not living forever but living well until not living forever but living well until you die having a good life and then you die having a good life and then having a good death all right so how having a good death all right so how does the fasting come in though does the fasting come in though a pathway towards that so fasting is a pathway towards that so fasting is interesting because interesting because you're dealing with people that are you're dealing with people that are oftentimes addicted to the artificial oftentimes addicted to the artificial stimulation of dopamine in their brain stimulation of dopamine in their brain whether it's to drugs or dietary issues whether it's to drugs or dietary issues fasting is a great way of breaking that fasting is a great way of breaking that cycle it can be a very effective way of cycle it can be a very effective way of getting the person to the point where getting the person to the point where good foods taste good it's a great way good foods taste good it's a great way of lowering the blood pressure enough of lowering the blood pressure enough you can eliminate the the medications you can eliminate the the medications along with the chronic cough fatigue the along with the chronic cough fatigue the impedance and premature death that's impedance and premature death that's associated with them normalizing the associated with them normalizing the blood sugar levels so your insulin blood sugar levels so your insulin levels normalize you don't have the levels normalize you don't have the cravings and the binging and all the cravings and the binging and all the other stuff that sometimes go along with other stuff that sometimes go along with it or in autoimmune diseases oftentimes it or in autoimmune diseases oftentimes pain pain is significant inflammation swelling is significant inflammation swelling people can't be active they can't people can't be active they can't dissipate their attention they aren't dissipate their attention they aren't able to engage effectively and so when

able to engage effectively and so when you get people out of pain it's like an you get people out of pain it's like an epiphany experience and now the epiphany experience and now the motivation goes up it's hard to be motivation goes up it's hard to be motivated to make diet lifestyle changes motivated to make diet lifestyle changes when you feel like crap all the time but when you feel like crap all the time but when you get a taste of feeling good when you get a taste of feeling good again it's very motivating and now again it's very motivating and now oftentimes that's enough motivation to oftentimes that's enough motivation to help people overcome their addictions help people overcome their addictions and their tendencies the reality is i and their tendencies the reality is i found the most effective patients or found the most effective patients or those are most motivated and motivations those are most motivated and motivations that are the most powerful is pain that are the most powerful is pain debility and fear of death yeah 100 the debility and fear of death yeah 100 the only problem is you know a lot of these only problem is you know a lot of these people they get out of pain and they're people they get out of pain and they're not fearing death anymore and then they not fearing death anymore and then they might slip slide a little bit because might slip slide a little bit because they think i'm better now i don't have they think i'm better now i don't have to work quite so hard so you know to work quite so hard so you know there's there's challenges on both sides there's there's challenges on both sides but yeah it's one thing to talk about but yeah it's one thing to talk about intermittent fasting or you know a intermittent fasting or you know a fasting mimicking protocol it's another fasting mimicking protocol it's another thing altogether to talk about a 40-day thing altogether to talk about a 40-day water fast well that is a very extreme water fast well that is a very extreme moses david elijah moses david elijah jesus in our patients right you know do jesus in our patients right you know do fasting it's interesting that fasting is

fasting it's interesting that fasting is you know shows up in all these various you know shows up in all these various religious traditions isn't it religious traditions isn't it interesting the jews the genes the interesting the jews the genes the hindus the muslims the buddhists the hindus the muslims the buddhists the christians all these religions that's christians all these religions that's diametrically opposed on so many things diametrically opposed on so many things that are killing each other in the that are killing each other in the street over disagreements they have one street over disagreements they have one thing in common and that's a tradition thing in common and that's a tradition about fasting because fasting changes about fasting because fasting changes how you feel about yourself and the how you feel about yourself and the world around you it can't help it you world around you it can't help it you know these um traditions resonate uh know these um traditions resonate uh throughout history and you know the throughout history and you know the reality is perhaps is because that's reality is perhaps is because that's what works what works so you so you you approach fasting from a perspective you approach fasting from a perspective of of um weight management and also of of um weight management and also disease prevention and reversal but disease prevention and reversal but there's al also all this emerging there's al also all this emerging science around longevity and anti-aging science around longevity and anti-aging of course that's longo's you know of course that's longo's you know specific lens on this but specific lens on this but by dint of autophagy and all these other by dint of autophagy and all these other you know you know like sort of you know biomechanical like sort of you know biomechanical systems that are affected by fasting systems that are affected by fasting there's now this whole world of research there's now this whole world of research opening up around prolonging life as a opening up around prolonging life as a result of this i actually think the

result of this i actually think the people that are going to turn out to get people that are going to turn out to get the most benefit from fasting this one the most benefit from fasting this one in two week fast that we do with healthy in two week fast that we do with healthy people is healthy people healthy people people is healthy people healthy people that are looking to stay healthy too that are looking to stay healthy too for example to avoid vulnerability of for example to avoid vulnerability of infectious disease to avoid the problems infectious disease to avoid the problems that you know not waiting like my that you know not waiting like my brother did until he has a heart attack brother did until he has a heart attack but the people that are willing to use but the people that are willing to use it to prevent the problems from it to prevent the problems from beginning and interestingly enough i've beginning and interestingly enough i've been communicating with walter long ago been communicating with walter long ago recently about doing a joint study where recently about doing a joint study where we're going to use his expertise and we're going to use his expertise and access and our facility to do some look access and our facility to do some look not just at intermittent fasting but not just at intermittent fasting but long-term fasting and compare and long-term fasting and compare and contrast and see what the very best bang contrast and see what the very best bang for the buck so to speak of is in terms for the buck so to speak of is in terms of taking healthy people and helping of taking healthy people and helping them stay that way we've got a study them stay that way we've got a study that's planned for next year looking that's planned for next year looking specifically exotic biomarker changes specifically exotic biomarker changes with these dietary changes with fasting with these dietary changes with fasting and then trying to differentiate and then trying to differentiate how much fasting how frequently what's how much fasting how frequently what's the right combination that's all the right combination that's all relatively new relatively new uh territory why is it that uh why 40

uh territory why is it that uh why 40 days or 21 days like what is it about days or 21 days like what is it about that extended period that's so important that extended period that's so important well what we do is we want to fast as well what we do is we want to fast as short as possible but long enough to get short as possible but long enough to get the problem resolved and so it's not the problem resolved and so it's not like we're setting out to try to beat like we're setting out to try to beat jesus in the in fasting duration jesus in the in fasting duration we don't go over 40 days generally we don't go over 40 days generally because if you keep the fasts under 40 because if you keep the fasts under 40 days there's few metabolic complications days there's few metabolic complications as you start getting into the really as you start getting into the really long fasts the 60 days the 80 days the long fasts the 60 days the 80 days the longer fast that we're done in the past longer fast that we're done in the past it's a much more delicate balance in it's a much more delicate balance in terms of electrolyte balance and other terms of electrolyte balance and other things and so things and so the guy that i trained with alec burton the guy that i trained with alec burton in australia used to do fast as long as in australia used to do fast as long as 100 days or longer walk me through the 100 days or longer walk me through the experience of this journey that you see experience of this journey that you see with the typical patient i mean you're with the typical patient i mean you're demanding a lot of them they're going demanding a lot of them they're going through something they've never done through something they've never done before like what is the before like what is the you know what it what is that like for you know what it what is that like for that individual when they're on day that individual when they're on day three day 10 day 30 three day 10 day 30 yeah so the first a few days of fasting yeah so the first a few days of fasting are actually the most difficult because are actually the most difficult because you're adapting off the you're adapting off the uh off of glucose metabolism into a fat

uh off of glucose metabolism into a fat metabolism so the brain is changing metabolism so the brain is changing fuels from burning sugar to blurring fuels from burning sugar to blurring largely beta-hydroxybutyric acid which largely beta-hydroxybutyric acid which comes from the ketone bodies from the comes from the ketone bodies from the fat breakdown so there's an adjustment fat breakdown so there's an adjustment there there you're detoxing oftentimes a lot you're detoxing oftentimes a lot although we've learned to minimize the although we've learned to minimize the effect of detoxification by getting effect of detoxification by getting people to eat a fruit vegetable only people to eat a fruit vegetable only diet for a few days before we start diet for a few days before we start fasting that's made a huge difference so fasting that's made a huge difference so they're not coming off caffeine they're not coming off caffeine addiction at the same moment that addiction at the same moment that they're trying to adapt to the fast they're trying to adapt to the fast they've already gotten that stuff out of they've already gotten that stuff out of their system and that's actually the their system and that's actually the most difficult stuff getting the most difficult stuff getting the cigarettes the caffeine the alcohol all cigarettes the caffeine the alcohol all the the meat fish foul eggs dairy plex processed meat fish foul eggs dairy plex processed foods all the host of chemicals that foods all the host of chemicals that people are putting into their body with people are putting into their body with over-the-counter prescription over-the-counter prescription medications so we've gone through a medications so we've gone through a wean-down process and then we start wean-down process and then we start fasting and their mouth may coat up and fasting and their mouth may coat up and taste like something crawled in there taste like something crawled in there and died and they may have some skin and died and they may have some skin rashes or elimination they may get mucus rashes or elimination they may get mucus discharged they may get discharged they may get some vivid dreams they may have aches some vivid dreams they may have aches and pains and they may have difficulties

and pains and they may have difficulties with with all kinds of adaptive processes but they all kinds of adaptive processes but they go away and then something else comes go away and then something else comes along and then it goes away and then it along and then it goes away and then it becomes very empowering because they becomes very empowering because they realize that they're able to get through realize that they're able to get through this process that just because they had this process that just because they had a headache doesn't mean they have to a headache doesn't mean they have to rush out and try to suppress those rush out and try to suppress those symptoms of the pill it goes away the symptoms of the pill it goes away the body's able to heal itself body's able to heal itself and then once you get into four or five and then once you get into four or five days of fasting the body's pretty well days of fasting the body's pretty well acclimated to the fasting again at this acclimated to the fasting again at this point there's no hunger people are going point there's no hunger people are going to cooking demonstrations they're coming to cooking demonstrations they're coming to lectures they're going to the dining to lectures they're going to the dining room to socialize with people they're room to socialize with people they're five days ten days into a fast you think five days ten days into a fast you think oh my god you haven't eaten for 10 days oh my god you haven't eaten for 10 days no i just enjoy being there that's not a no i just enjoy being there that's not a problem um so then um problem um so then um depending on the patient sometimes they depending on the patient sometimes they start getting relief they're pain maybe start getting relief they're pain maybe for the first time for the first time in years the pain that they've been in years the pain that they've been suffering with is going away and they suffering with is going away and they may find that you know some people have may find that you know some people have these chronic debilitating problems these chronic debilitating problems start resolving things start falling off start resolving things start falling off tumors start shrinking they start tumors start shrinking they start getting excited like oh maybe there's

getting excited like oh maybe there's something to this idea of the body something to this idea of the body healing itself healing itself and you know we're monitoring these and you know we're monitoring these patients to go through the process and patients to go through the process and then at some point you get to the point then at some point you get to the point where there's a limiting factor maybe where there's a limiting factor maybe their electrolytes start to drop a their electrolytes start to drop a little bit or their energy is not little bit or their energy is not acceptable they're not able to maintain acceptable they're not able to maintain accurate ambulation or maybe they've accurate ambulation or maybe they've just that's how much time they've got just that's how much time they've got because you know some people have jobs because you know some people have jobs and lives responsibilities so we only and lives responsibilities so we only have so much fun here for 40 days have so much fun here for 40 days so my life completely craters on the so my life completely craters on the outside but for many people this is an outside but for many people this is an intense epiphany experience because intense epiphany experience because they've got this intense education that they've got this intense education that they're really open to they've seen they're really open to they've seen these other people sometimes what looks these other people sometimes what looks to them like miracles going on because to them like miracles going on because they're seeing people that they have no they're seeing people that they have no expectation that that could get well expectation that that could get well getting well they're experiencing getting well they're experiencing themselves sometimes for the first time themselves sometimes for the first time you know a sense of empowerment because you know a sense of empowerment because they're able to actually reverse these they're able to actually reverse these processes they were told nothing could processes they were told nothing could be done learn to live with it what do be done learn to live with it what do they expect at their age that's just how they expect at their age that's just how it is and now they're thinking wow it is and now they're thinking wow if they were wrong about that maybe if they were wrong about that maybe they're wrong about other things too and they're wrong about other things too and they start you know looking at all they start you know looking at all aspects of their life you know when aspects of their life you know when people first start exercising at first

people first start exercising at first it's not pleasant they got aches they it's not pleasant they got aches they got pains they they're fatigued they're got pains they they're fatigued they're not they're not getting the success they not they're not getting the success they can't do what they want but as they do can't do what they want but as they do it they get to the point where not only it they get to the point where not only do they tolerate they're not just doing do they tolerate they're not just doing it because they want to you know it because they want to you know maintain the weight or get the figure or maintain the weight or get the figure or whatever it is they're doing is they whatever it is they're doing is they start realizing they're getting real start realizing they're getting real intrinsic benefit from engaging in this intrinsic benefit from engaging in this consistent activity and now they don't consistent activity and now they don't want to give it up want to give it up and i think the same thing happens when and i think the same thing happens when people really get into a healthy people really get into a healthy lifestyle and they're really exhausted lifestyle and they're really exhausted they don't want to go give it up and they don't want to go give it up and feel like everybody else feels because feel like everybody else feels because of some greasy slimy convenient food of some greasy slimy convenient food they're willing to pay the price of they're willing to pay the price of trying to do the planning and do what it trying to do the planning and do what it takes to try to ensure that they can get takes to try to ensure that they can get their needs met just like i think people their needs met just like i think people that get into a regular exercise regime that get into a regular exercise regime uh realize that now this is so uh realize that now this is so beneficial they will literally structure beneficial they will literally structure their schedules around making sure that their schedules around making sure that that's an important part of their that's an important part of their activity and the same thing happens with activity and the same thing happens with sleep when you realize how important sleep when you realize how important sleep is to health and maintenance and sleep is to health and maintenance and energy you start prioritizing that and energy you start prioritizing that and you don't compromise your sleep you you don't compromise your sleep you don't compromise your exercise and

don't compromise your exercise and hopefully you don't you learn to not hopefully you don't you learn to not compromise your time lifestyle i tell compromise your time lifestyle i tell people here's what you need to do first people here's what you need to do first get enough sleep because it's your most get enough sleep because it's your most critical activity then engage in regular critical activity then engage in regular exercise so you can dissipate the exercise so you can dissipate the tension you can build fitness and have tension you can build fitness and have the time to prepare and eat healthy food the time to prepare and eat healthy food if there happens to be any time left if there happens to be any time left well fine you go to work well fine you go to work sorry to interrupt the flow we'll be sorry to interrupt the flow we'll be right back with more awesome but i want right back with more awesome but i want to snag a moment to talk to you about to snag a moment to talk to you about the importance of nutrition the thing is the importance of nutrition the thing is most people i know actually already know most people i know actually already know how to eat better and aspire to how to eat better and aspire to incorporate more whole plants more incorporate more whole plants more fruits vegetables seeds beans and fruits vegetables seeds beans and legumes into their daily routine sadly legumes into their daily routine sadly however without the kitchen tools and however without the kitchen tools and support very few end up sticking with it support very few end up sticking with it so so because adopting a plant-based diet because adopting a plant-based diet transformed my life so profoundly and transformed my life so profoundly and because i want everybody to experience because i want everybody to experience some version of what i've experienced we some version of what i've experienced we decided to tackle and solve this very decided to tackle and solve this very common problem the solution we've common problem the solution we've devised i'm proud to say is the plant

devised i'm proud to say is the plant power meal planner our affordable power meal planner our affordable all-in-one digital platform that sets all-in-one digital platform that sets you up for nutrition excellence by you up for nutrition excellence by providing access to thousands of highly providing access to thousands of highly customizable super delicious and easy to customizable super delicious and easy to prepare plant-based recipes everything prepare plant-based recipes everything integrates with automatic grocery integrates with automatic grocery delivery and you get access to our delivery and you get access to our amazing team of nutrition coaches seven amazing team of nutrition coaches seven days a week and many other features to days a week and many other features to learn more and to sign up visit learn more and to sign up visit meals.richrol.com and right now for a meals.richrol.com and right now for a limited time we're offering ten dollars limited time we're offering ten dollars off an annual membership when you use off an annual membership when you use the promo code rr health at checkout the promo code rr health at checkout this is life-changing stuff people for this is life-changing stuff people for just a dollar seventy a week literally just a dollar seventy a week literally the price of a cup of coffee again the price of a cup of coffee again that's that's meals.richroll.com promo code rrhealth meals.richroll.com promo code rrhealth for 10 off an annual membership all for 10 off an annual membership all right right let's get back to the show let's get back to the show there is no prescribable pharmaceutical there is no prescribable pharmaceutical no magic pill available that will no magic pill available that will instantly prolong our lives but

instantly prolong our lives but there is an often overlooked and there is an often overlooked and culturally undervalued tool for culturally undervalued tool for longevity that just might surprise you a longevity that just might surprise you a counter-intuitive answer to our counter-intuitive answer to our overstimulated hyper-productive overstimulated hyper-productive lifestyles that is readily available to lifestyles that is readily available to everyone everyone what is that what is that it's it's sleep sleep people sleep sleep people enter the renowned matthew walker a enter the renowned matthew walker a scientist and former professor at scientist and former professor at harvard medical school and current harvard medical school and current professor of neuroscience at the professor of neuroscience at the university of california berkeley and university of california berkeley and one of the country's leading sleep one of the country's leading sleep experts in this clip matthew will share experts in this clip matthew will share insights into the value of sleep the insights into the value of sleep the connection between insomnia and disease connection between insomnia and disease and why sleep is inseparable from and why sleep is inseparable from longevity longevity all stages of sleep are critical um no all stages of sleep are critical um no one stage of sleep you can do without one stage of sleep you can do without without suffering detriment right without suffering detriment right firstly what we know is that one out of firstly what we know is that one out of every three people that you pass on the every three people that you pass on the street is not getting the sleep that street is not getting the sleep that they need so the cdc right now

they need so the cdc right now recommends stipulates a minimum of seven recommends stipulates a minimum of seven hours of sleep uh to maintain human hours of sleep uh to maintain human health yeah one of the one of the health yeah one of the one of the striking things in the book that really striking things in the book that really hit me was hit me was the the relative lack of elasticity in the human relative lack of elasticity in the human body in that just one night of body in that just one night of dysregulated sleep a week has much more dysregulated sleep a week has much more of a profound deleterious effect than of a profound deleterious effect than you would think you would think like you would think you would think like well i sleep pretty well most nights but well i sleep pretty well most nights but you know you know once a week like my stuff got screwed up once a week like my stuff got screwed up but you know i'll recover but you know i'll recover but the downstream implications of just but the downstream implications of just a little bit of dysregulation are much a little bit of dysregulation are much more serious than one more serious than one one would suspect yeah i mean a good one would suspect yeah i mean a good example is another study where if you example is another study where if you take healthy adults and you limit them take healthy adults and you limit them to just four hours of sleep for a single to just four hours of sleep for a single night night the next day we see a 70 drop in the next day we see a 70 drop in critical anti-cancer fighting immune critical anti-cancer fighting immune cells 7-0 cells 7-0 called natural killer cells called natural killer cells now today

now today you and i have both produced cancer you and i have both produced cancer cells more than likely cells more than likely what prevents those cells from becoming what prevents those cells from becoming and manifesting as the condition that we and manifesting as the condition that we call cancer call cancer is in part these critical is in part these critical cancer fighting immune cells natural cancer fighting immune cells natural killer cells killer cells that is a dramatic state of immune that is a dramatic state of immune deficiency and it happens quickly after deficiency and it happens quickly after just one bad night of sleep and i think just one bad night of sleep and i think about this all the time when i wake up about this all the time when i wake up after an amazing night of sleep and then after an amazing night of sleep and then my experience throughout the day is my experience throughout the day is optimal optimal and then the following night i have a and then the following night i have a degraded version of that and i wake up degraded version of that and i wake up and i think why can't i just why can't and i think why can't i just why can't we figure out a way to replicate this we figure out a way to replicate this day in and day out without day in and day out without pharmaceutical intervention like i'm pharmaceutical intervention like i'm trying to do all the right things and trying to do all the right things and yet it is so elusive and part of that yet it is so elusive and part of that yes is age because when you're a yes is age because when you're a teenager you can just you know fall teenager you can just you know fall asleep in an instant and seem to get a asleep in an instant and seem to get a good night's sleep no matter what good night's sleep no matter what but i'm constantly thinking about like but i'm constantly thinking about like how do you figure this out and master it

how do you figure this out and master it because if you could it would literally because if you could it would literally change everybody's lives yeah and you change everybody's lives yeah and you know if you take the reverse of that we know if you take the reverse of that we know you know starting with this know you know starting with this recommended sweet spot of between seven recommended sweet spot of between seven to nine hours a night going in the to nine hours a night going in the downward direction there's a very simple downward direction there's a very simple truth which is that the shorter your truth which is that the shorter your sleep the shorter your life sleep the shorter your life short sleep predicts or cause mortality short sleep predicts or cause mortality right which is which is so ironic given right which is which is so ironic given that you know the hustle culture you that you know the hustle culture you know it's all about maximizing those know it's all about maximizing those daylight hours and i'll sleep when i'm daylight hours and i'll sleep when i'm dead right i'm just working that death dead right i'm just working that death yeah it's you know it's mortally unwise yeah it's you know it's mortally unwise advice anyone who tells you that um but advice anyone who tells you that um but to me i think to me i think you know sleep you know sleep sleep could be seen as the swiss army sleep could be seen as the swiss army knife of health you know whatever knife of health you know whatever ailment that you're facing sleep ailment that you're facing sleep normally has a tool in the box that can normally has a tool in the box that can help help and so for me i think the and so for me i think the the shangri-la is perhaps less about the shangri-la is perhaps less about trying to elongate lifespan sorry um trying to elongate lifespan sorry um lifespan sorry

lifespan sorry then it is really about prolonging then it is really about prolonging people's health span people's health span because when you ask most people that's because when you ask most people that's what they really want when they're what they really want when they're trying to sort of you know live a clean trying to sort of you know live a clean healthy lifestyle lifestyle they don't healthy lifestyle lifestyle they don't want to life with disease and sickness want to life with disease and sickness but when you are starting to short but when you are starting to short change your brain and your body of sleep change your brain and your body of sleep that's what you're inviting that's what you're inviting you know and the elastic band of sleep you know and the elastic band of sleep deprivation will stretch only so far deprivation will stretch only so far before it snaps before it snaps and if you fight biology and if you fight biology normally you lose and the way you know normally you lose and the way you know you've lost is disease and sickness yeah you've lost is disease and sickness yeah the the human hubris over all of this the the human hubris over all of this though is something to behold because we though is something to behold because we always think we can find a you know an always think we can find a you know an end run around these things and as end run around these things and as beautiful and and magnificent beautiful and and magnificent as the scientific method is it tends to as the scientific method is it tends to be very binary in its approach right so be very binary in its approach right so if x then y if x then y i'm controlling for variables but when i'm controlling for variables but when you're dealing with systems that are so

you're dealing with systems that are so complex complex my sense is that oftentimes my sense is that oftentimes it leads to unintended negative it leads to unintended negative consequences right like this pill and consequences right like this pill and you'll sleep well but we're not you'll sleep well but we're not realizing or looking at all these other realizing or looking at all these other things that are occurring and it isn't things that are occurring and it isn't until much later when researchers like until much later when researchers like yourself yourself can pull pull the covers on that and say can pull pull the covers on that and say this was not such a good idea yeah this was not such a good idea yeah polakova's known no pun intended right polakova's known no pun intended right right right you know but but i think right right you know but but i think you're right you're right there is a very understandable again i i there is a very understandable again i i don't want to sort of be finger wagging don't want to sort of be finger wagging or chastise people if you don't know the or chastise people if you don't know the science of sleep you know i would be science of sleep you know i would be just as as unknowing just as as unknowing but it took mother nature 3.6 million but it took mother nature 3.6 million years to put this essential thing called years to put this essential thing called you know a seven to nine hour sleep need you know a seven to nine hour sleep need in place in place to think that with hubris or arrogance to think that with hubris or arrogance that we could come along and within five that we could come along and within five or ten years if we're you know medical or ten years if we're you know medical sort of forcing medical residents to go sort of forcing medical residents to go through these ridiculous sort of through these ridiculous sort of schedules or you know if you're in some

schedules or you know if you're in some other professional industry that you can other professional industry that you can just find a way to hack that system just find a way to hack that system is unfortunately misfounded during deep is unfortunately misfounded during deep sleep our heart rate decelerates our sleep our heart rate decelerates our vascular system our vessels start to vascular system our vessels start to relax you can think of deep sleep like relax you can think of deep sleep like the very best form of blood pressure the very best form of blood pressure medication that you could ever wish for medication that you could ever wish for we also see that it's during that we also see that it's during that nighttime phase when we drop levels of nighttime phase when we drop levels of cortisol which otherwise if left in high cortisol which otherwise if left in high concentrations is a stress related concentrations is a stress related chemical it's an adaptive chemical too chemical it's an adaptive chemical too we all need cortisol but if you're just we all need cortisol but if you're just chronically high in cortisol chronically high in cortisol that is you know deathly for your that is you know deathly for your cardiovascular system cardiovascular system and sleep will actually ratchet down and sleep will actually ratchet down that level also sleep will quiet the that level also sleep will quiet the fight or flight branch of your nervous fight or flight branch of your nervous system it's called the sympathetic system it's called the sympathetic nervous system which i think is terribly nervous system which i think is terribly named it's anything but sympathetic you named it's anything but sympathetic you know it's agitating it's know it's agitating it's and it's during deep sleep that we

and it's during deep sleep that we actually shift over from that fight or actually shift over from that fight or flight branch to the more quiescent flight branch to the more quiescent calming branch called the calming branch called the parasympathetic nervous system parasympathetic nervous system and so now we can start to understand and so now we can start to understand why we see risks for heart attack risks why we see risks for heart attack risks for cardiovascular for cardiovascular disorder we published a paper um a disorder we published a paper um a couple of months ago demonstrating that couple of months ago demonstrating that short sleep and particularly not just short sleep and particularly not just short sleep but also fragmented sleep short sleep but also fragmented sleep and this is i think another important and this is i think another important point that we've learned in the most point that we've learned in the most recent years it's not just about the recent years it's not just about the quantity of sleep quantity of sleep it's also about the quality of that it's also about the quality of that sleep and we found that people who had sleep and we found that people who had fragmented sleep fragmented sleep had a higher likelihood of their blood had a higher likelihood of their blood vessels become becoming hard it's what vessels become becoming hard it's what we call atheroscle sclerosis the we call atheroscle sclerosis the hardening of the blood vessels which can hardening of the blood vessels which can then be a direct pathway to then be a direct pathway to cardiovascular disease and heart attack cardiovascular disease and heart attack as well as well that's interesting that's interesting um and is that is there a sense of

um and is that is there a sense of um where that falls in the pecking order um where that falls in the pecking order of importance when you compare it to of importance when you compare it to nutrition or exercise or these other nutrition or exercise or these other kind of contributing or ameliorating kind of contributing or ameliorating factors with respect to heart disease factors with respect to heart disease it's just as heavy a hitter you know if it's just as heavy a hitter you know if you look at the combination of quantity you look at the combination of quantity and quality of sleep and you look at the and quality of sleep and you look at the effect sizes the you know it's right up effect sizes the you know it's right up there there um um you can almost play the game and and i you can almost play the game and and i don't mean to do this because don't mean to do this because i'm someone who pays i'm i'm someone who pays i'm very dedicated to a practice of physical very dedicated to a practice of physical activity and exercise you know i'm not activity and exercise you know i'm not quite at your level but um and i eat quite at your level but um and i eat very cleanly i i too am uh i'm a very cleanly i i too am uh i'm a vegetarian um vegetarian um so i respect those things because i know so i respect those things because i know how utterly important they are for my how utterly important they are for my health span and my lifespan health span and my lifespan but but i can do a thought experiment where i i can do a thought experiment where i say i take you rich role and i'm going say i take you rich role and i'm going to deprive you of either exercise for 24 to deprive you of either exercise for 24 hours of food for 24 hours of water for

hours of food for 24 hours of water for 24 hours or of sleep for 24 hours 24 hours or of sleep for 24 hours and sleep yeah no there's no comparison and sleep yeah no there's no comparison but yeah a country mile will dwarf the but yeah a country mile will dwarf the physiological and mental deficits that physiological and mental deficits that come by way of that i think the only come by way of that i think the only other thing that's perhaps other thing that's perhaps will overtake sleep is oxygen you know will overtake sleep is oxygen you know if i starve you functioning if i starve you functioning you'll you will you'll you will i hold my hands up i lose out to oxygen i hold my hands up i lose out to oxygen right right but but you've said often right right but but you've said often that you know when you think of the that you know when you think of the pillars of health pillars of health sleep isn't a pillar it's the foundation sleep isn't a pillar it's the foundation upon which all these other pillars are upon which all these other pillars are erected essentially right yeah i used to erected essentially right yeah i used to think it was i thought about it pillar think it was i thought about it pillar but then you know the more i've done but then you know the more i've done this research over the years the more i this research over the years the more i realized that i was wrong realized that i was wrong i want to be clear about one point and i want to be clear about one point and that is that longevity isn't really just that is that longevity isn't really just about living as long as possible because about living as long as possible because the true objective is to the true objective is to live as vibrantly and as energetically

live as vibrantly and as energetically as possible for as long as possible as possible for as long as possible and my next guest the esteemed walter and my next guest the esteemed walter longo phd has devoted his life to this longo phd has devoted his life to this endeavor endeavor one of the world's leading scientific one of the world's leading scientific authorities on the subject of longevity authorities on the subject of longevity dr longo is the director of the usc dr longo is the director of the usc longevity institute as well as the longevity institute as well as the program on longevity in cancer at ifom program on longevity in cancer at ifom in milan both of which in milan both of which focus on developing a better scientific focus on developing a better scientific understanding of the fundamental understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of aging and disease mechanisms of aging and disease here dr longo shares his thoughts on here dr longo shares his thoughts on aging and many insights gleaned from his aging and many insights gleaned from his scientific research what is aging what causes it what exacerbates it aging what causes it what exacerbates it and what have you discovered can perhaps and what have you discovered can perhaps uh uh slow it down slow it down yes so yes so aging is actually aging is actually i started the book by talking about that i started the book by talking about that aging is actually not a bad thing right aging is actually not a bad thing right i mean violins age age and they get

i mean violins age age and they get better right and and marathon runners better right and and marathon runners they get better at least for a while as they get better at least for a while as they age and then uh you know maybe the they age and then uh you know maybe the big performance uh big performance uh from marathon runner peaks around 32-35 from marathon runner peaks around 32-35 which is very different from other which is very different from other athletes um senescence is really the athletes um senescence is really the word that that deals with word that that deals with changes that are detrimental so changes that are detrimental so accumulation of damage and other uh accumulation of damage and other uh dysregulation that leads to dysfunction dysregulation that leads to dysfunction right so that's the the worst in essence right so that's the the worst in essence usually we use aging because people usually we use aging because people everybody everybody uh understands that word better so it's uh understands that word better so it's fine to use aging but uh yeah so as time fine to use aging but uh yeah so as time goes by uh systems um become accumulate goes by uh systems um become accumulate damage um and they start becoming damage um and they start becoming dysfunctional why does the body dysfunctional why does the body suddenly become less than less adept at suddenly become less than less adept at repairing that damage repairing that damage well i mean well i mean there are a lot of theories of aging and

there are a lot of theories of aging and a lot of people a lot of people most people have focused on the aging most people have focused on the aging part itself part itself i i come up with a term which i call come up with a term which i call juventology or juventology juventology or juventology and the difference is that i focus on and the difference is that i focus on what is the program that keeps you young what is the program that keeps you young versus or what is the process that makes versus or what is the process that makes you all right so it's very different you all right so it's very different right so gerontology versus juventology right so gerontology versus juventology is sort of like the study and science of is sort of like the study and science of health versus the study and science of health versus the study and science of disease which is really the modical the disease which is really the modical the model of western medicine yes yes in a model of western medicine yes yes in a sense i think so because if you're sense i think so because if you're studying um studying um things going wrong aging right then you things going wrong aging right then you focus on the deterioration so for focus on the deterioration so for example if you think of a car and that's example if you think of a car and that's one of the pillars that i talk about in one of the pillars that i talk about in the book you you can study the tires and the book you you can study the tires and you can say okay i'm going to learn you can say okay i'm going to learn everything about the rubber how the everything about the rubber how the rubber gets older and older and how to rubber gets older and older and how to make it not get older and older but i make it not get older and older but i can come around with uventology and say can come around with uventology and say why are you worried about that

why are you worried about that just change your tires just change your tires do 50 000 miles and put a new set of do 50 000 miles and put a new set of tires on now all of a sudden all the tires on now all of a sudden all the research you can see how it's pointless research you can see how it's pointless right right uh you just have to find out how to uh you just have to find out how to replace it right so you got to figure replace it right so you got to figure out how the body can produce new tires out how the body can produce new tires right which gets into this stem cell right which gets into this stem cell regeneration exactly you do so what is regeneration exactly you do so what is the structure that you set up to try to the structure that you set up to try to determine what keeps the cell young or determine what keeps the cell young or what can sort of increase its longevity what can sort of increase its longevity yeah so the the beginning it was yeah so the the beginning it was use this simple organism and use genetic use this simple organism and use genetic tools at the time were only available tools at the time were only available for yeast for baker's yeast right so for for yeast for baker's yeast right so for example we are one of our first studies example we are one of our first studies that we publish in science that we publish in science in the science journal in the science journal was was let's delete every single gene in the let's delete every single gene in the genome which is about 6000 genes and see genome which is about 6000 genes and see which one is becomes most protected which one is becomes most protected against toxins right multiple toxins and against toxins right multiple toxins and then the then the the hypothesis was if something is super

the hypothesis was if something is super protected against damage it's going to protected against damage it's going to be protected against aging and that be protected against aging and that worked out very well and that led to the worked out very well and that led to the identification was probably now identification was probably now recognized as the recognized as the most important uh pro-aging path which most important uh pro-aging path which is the tor assist kinase pathway is the tor assist kinase pathway and um and and so there was one strategy and um and and so there was one strategy use the tools genetic tools that we had use the tools genetic tools that we had and the other one was because i was in and the other one was because i was in the wall for lab the wall for lab and we had some people and we had some people lots of people working on on the on the lots of people working on on the on the molecular biology of aging and the molecular biology of aging and the molecule biology of yeast not aging molecule biology of yeast not aging nobody cared about aging at that time nobody cared about aging at that time um um but uh but uh for example upstairs i had somebody for example upstairs i had somebody called fujitaminoy and he was working on called fujitaminoy and he was working on undress and we the field that described undress and we the field that described our wrath uh reacted or was activated by our wrath uh reacted or was activated by sugar right so then i started i came out sugar right so then i started i came out of the wall for lab i say if sugar of the wall for lab i say if sugar uh activate grass and color restriction uh activate grass and color restriction extends the lifespan of all these extends the lifespan of all these organisms it must be organisms it must be that if i delete rest

that if i delete rest the east is going to live longer so this the east is going to live longer so this is a biased approach versus what i said is a biased approach versus what i said earlier which is completely unbiased and earlier which is completely unbiased and sure enough you know now sure enough you know now they live a lot longer they live two or they live a lot longer they live two or three times longer just by deleting with three times longer just by deleting with this sugar this sugar gene so now gene so now the taurus is kinase is the protein the taurus is kinase is the protein pathway and the pathway and the peak eras pka is the sugar pathway right peak eras pka is the sugar pathway right you delete both of them you get 10-fold you delete both of them you get 10-fold lifespan extension wow and then you then lifespan extension wow and then you then step it up and and apply this to a rat step it up and and apply this to a rat population population yeah then then you uh apply it to a in yeah then then you uh apply it to a in another case a mouse population also another case a mouse population also knowing um that the data from from from knowing um that the data from from from cynthia kenyon gary ravikon and others cynthia kenyon gary ravikon and others in worms and flies right which was in worms and flies right which was matching so everything was starting to matching so everything was starting to make sense that was all aligned so tor make sense that was all aligned so tor was causing aging in all these organisms was causing aging in all these organisms if you activate it and if you did if you activate it and if you did protein restriction protein restriction the organism live longer right so just the organism live longer right so just protein restriction protein restriction um so

um so yes so then you do the working in mice yes so then you do the working in mice uh uh and then uh of course you do the work uh and then uh of course you do the work uh with nutrition and say well if having with nutrition and say well if having if deleting the protein gene and the if deleting the protein gene and the sugar gene makes the organism live sugar gene makes the organism live longer uh what if i just remove sugar longer uh what if i just remove sugar and proteins and then you go in proteins and proteins and then you go in proteins you say well do i need to remove all you say well do i need to remove all proteins maybe not maybe just certain proteins maybe not maybe just certain amino acids that are contained in amino acids that are contained in proteins so we remove serine trionene proteins so we remove serine trionene and valine three amino acids and show and valine three amino acids and show that those were the ones the major ones that those were the ones the major ones that control that control the tor gene right so yeah so then we the tor gene right so yeah so then we started really having a much started really having a much more sophisticated understanding of all more sophisticated understanding of all the network the controls aging in yeast the network the controls aging in yeast and mice and mice but also but also understanding of the nutrients within understanding of the nutrients within food that controls the genes that food that controls the genes that control aging you deduce from that what control aging you deduce from that what and how does that inform like the next and how does that inform like the next chapter chapter well well from that we we deduced that

from that we we deduced that it works right it's not a mouse or a it works right it's not a mouse or a yeast uh finding this this is this is yeast uh finding this this is this is going after going after cellular protection multi-system cellular protection multi-system cellular production across the board so cellular production across the board so so then um so then um these mice that could get to 50 longer these mice that could get to 50 longer life but have health for the cancers and life but have health for the cancers and protection of diabetes from prediction protection of diabetes from prediction for inflammation production from for inflammation production from cognitive decline their brain work cognitive decline their brain work better and longer and we also show that better and longer and we also show that for the humans so now all of this uh is for the humans so now all of this uh is possible you're starting to say well possible you're starting to say well we don't have to be this we don't have to be this in a western world of in a western world of living long very sick now you know we living long very sick now you know we used to live a little bit shorter and used to live a little bit shorter and healthier now we live longer sicker healthier now we live longer sicker and uh um we can live longer healthier and uh um we can live longer healthier so the opposite of what we are obtaining so the opposite of what we are obtaining now so now we're keeping people alive now so now we're keeping people alive with lots of drugs and lots of with lots of drugs and lots of intervention yeah the idea that intervention yeah the idea that extending longevity will only extend the

extending longevity will only extend the period of time in which you're sick is period of time in which you're sick is the paradigm you're trying to upend yeah the paradigm you're trying to upend yeah we want to turn it completely around so we want to turn it completely around so not only not only we don't go to higher because of course we don't go to higher because of course as soon as you start saying we want to as soon as you start saying we want to make people live 20 years longer to 110 make people live 20 years longer to 110 let's say 30 years longer than now right let's say 30 years longer than now right uh people are going to say no absolutely uh people are going to say no absolutely not because they think of all the people not because they think of all the people that they know right they're all sick that they know right they're all sick old folks home the whole time you know old folks home the whole time you know unable to walk yeah so but if you look unable to walk yeah so but if you look at emma morano who at 112 could still at emma morano who at 112 could still live in in her house alone right i mean live in in her house alone right i mean she didn't live alone but she could have she didn't live alone but she could have if she wanted to i mean she had people if she wanted to i mean she had people that came that came but i think in 120 506 she was alone but i think in 120 506 she was alone leaving alone leaving alone and and yeah and also if you saw salvador caruso yeah and also if you saw salvador caruso 110 you think that's pretty good 110 you think that's pretty good named one of the top 100 longevity named one of the top 100 longevity leaders in the world sergey young is an leaders in the world sergey young is an xprize foundation board member xprize foundation board member the founder of the 100 million dollar the founder of the 100 million dollar longevity vision fund and a development longevity vision fund and a development sponsor of the age reversal xprize which

sponsor of the age reversal xprize which is a global competition designed to find is a global competition designed to find a cure for aging you heard that right a cure for aging you heard that right he cure he cure in this next clip sergey shares a in this next clip sergey shares a profound truth and that truth is that profound truth and that truth is that technology can extend our lives but we technology can extend our lives but we have to create lives that we want to have to create lives that we want to extend extend the real secret to longevity isn't the the real secret to longevity isn't the secret it's about what we're creating secret it's about what we're creating here and now here and now how we're living our lives on a daily how we're living our lives on a daily basis and this is the foundation for basis and this is the foundation for what sergey calls growing young but i'll what sergey calls growing young but i'll let him explain further let him explain further on top of of on top of of everything in here one thing we haven't everything in here one thing we haven't gotten do yet gotten do yet in this discussion around longevity in this discussion around longevity isn't just isn't just arresting the aging process it's this arresting the aging process it's this idea of i mean it's literally the title idea of i mean it's literally the title of your book like growing young like the of your book like growing young like the reversal of aging so can you kind of reversal of aging so can you kind of parse those two things when you say

parse those two things when you say growing young like what exactly are you growing young like what exactly are you talking about yeah so talking about yeah so um remember what we started is like um remember what we started is like average lifespan on earth uh increased average lifespan on earth uh increased from what 35 to like or at least in from what 35 to like or at least in developed countries from 35 to like 75 developed countries from 35 to like 75 years but then the upper limit of years but then the upper limit of uh lifespan is still the same it's uh lifespan is still the same it's somewhere around 120 years yeah so the somewhere around 120 years yeah so the the oldest person on earth was this the oldest person on earth was this beautiful french woman who died i think beautiful french woman who died i think back in 1999 in the age of 122 years and back in 1999 in the age of 122 years and this has been unchanged through the this has been unchanged through the whole history whole history so so uh then the question is um uh then the question is um how do we change that how do we change that and so for the way we've done we and so for the way we've done we increase our lifespan and health span increase our lifespan and health span has been avoiding early deaths but has been avoiding early deaths but that's like the only thing that we've that's like the only thing that we've done and even the focus of today done and even the focus of today discussion is like well let's just not discussion is like well let's just not die from cancer let's not die from heart die from cancer let's not die from heart disease from diabetes we're facing disease from diabetes we're facing actually the next wave and next barrier actually the next wave and next barrier which is neurogenerative disease comes

which is neurogenerative disease comes which which come in a later stage of our life come in a later stage of our life somewhere around 80s or 90s somewhere around 80s or 90s which we still need to solve but it's which we still need to solve but it's again it's just so the average lifespan again it's just so the average lifespan increase because we're avoiding early increase because we're avoiding early death so that's death so that's that's the modus operandi a lot of those that's the modus operandi a lot of those stats are driven by infant mortality stats are driven by infant mortality exactly right exactly well that's that's exactly right exactly well that's that's like the biggest uh like the biggest uh problem that we've been solving um so problem that we've been solving um so but what what what is happening with the but what what what is happening with the technologies and and science technologies and and science breakthroughs which are breakthroughs which are uh available to us today and which is in uh available to us today and which is in in like a working process today in like a working process today we will soon have an ability to reverse we will soon have an ability to reverse aging even like there was a very small aging even like there was a very small studies done with you know eight people studies done with you know eight people who actually managed to reverse their who actually managed to reverse their aging based on set of biomarkers but a aging based on set of biomarkers but a very small number but agai and again very small number but agai and again it's it sounds impossible and ridiculous

it's it sounds impossible and ridiculous today but this is actually happen you today but this is actually happen you can grow young you can can grow young you can change your set of biomarkers to be change your set of biomarkers to be younger like even today younger like even today like when i st when i had my staring like when i st when i had my staring story when i'd rejected the idea of story when i'd rejected the idea of taking the pill till the rest of my life taking the pill till the rest of my life and change my diet became plant-based and change my diet became plant-based doing physical exercises doing physical exercises taking taking omega-3 and there's like even a vegan omega-3 and there's like even a vegan version of that available right um so version of that available right um so you can be vegan and take in different you can be vegan and take in different supplements um i reduce my biological supplements um i reduce my biological age by probably three to five years age by probably three to five years so that's this is already happening we so that's this is already happening we just have this lifestyle intervention just have this lifestyle intervention and this will be and this will be contributed and complemented by our contributed and complemented by our ability to influence genetic diseases or ability to influence genetic diseases or our genetic setup our ability to regrow our genetic setup our ability to regrow and replace organs actually the most the and replace organs actually the most the two most difficult ones is actually two most difficult ones is actually brain and heart brain and heart isn't it symbolic isn't it symbolic and and or having longevity and appeal right we

or having longevity and appeal right we have so many um have so many um um longevity and and age-related disease um longevity and and age-related disease kind of um drug candidates at the moment kind of um drug candidates at the moment like metformin generic drug has been like metformin generic drug has been there for 50 60 years pretty safe we there for 50 60 years pretty safe we still need to run a trial whether what still need to run a trial whether what is that what is it um in terms of is that what is it um in terms of creating uh creating uh age reversal effect right or life age reversal effect right or life extension in fact but this is still uh extension in fact but this is still uh uh in in development stage but again uh in in development stage but again there's it's a lot of ideas how we can there's it's a lot of ideas how we can reverse our aging and some of these reverse our aging and some of these species on earth they don't have an species on earth they don't have an aging process so aging process so the way they die is like metaphorically the way they die is like metaphorically like you know being hit by a bus right like you know being hit by a bus right so there's no in terms of our biological so there's no in terms of our biological setup we don't necessarily need to setup we don't necessarily need to to age but again and this and i do think to age but again and this and i do think it was the theme of our conversation it was the theme of our conversation today before today before embracing technology and science of age

embracing technology and science of age reversal there's much bigger issues that reversal there's much bigger issues that we need to solve we need to solve yeah create a life that we want to yeah create a life that we want to extend yeah 100 extend yeah 100 we like to talk a lot about the minutia we like to talk a lot about the minutia or the one percent that's gonna or the one percent that's gonna you know some supplement that we can you know some supplement that we can take but in truth the real mover here is take but in truth the real mover here is how you're living your life on a daily how you're living your life on a daily basis exactly and it's not sexy it's not basis exactly and it's not sexy it's not you know there's no there's no hack you know there's no there's no hack involved with that it's just you know involved with that it's just you know good habits it's everyday practiced good habits it's everyday practiced every single day change your mentality every single day change your mentality rather than taking responsibility and rather than taking responsibility and changing the world changing your health changing the world changing your health you just like sit and wait until you just like sit and wait until something magical will happen and i'm a something magical will happen and i'm a little bit against that i'm also i i little bit against that i'm also i i also think i'm chemical engineer by my also think i'm chemical engineer by my first degree so that's why first degree so that's why you know i just rejected the idea of you you know i just rejected the idea of you know having statins for the rest of my know having statins for the rest of my life and this is where my life and this is where my longevity journey started i just do

longevity journey started i just do believe that a lot of things need to be believe that a lot of things need to be tested tested in a proper way before we can in a proper way before we can uh embrace that and in the meantime we uh embrace that and in the meantime we just need to look at the levers that we just need to look at the levers that we can uh can uh actually control today yeah and we can actually control today yeah and we can change today so i i i think the downside change today so i i i think the downside of believing in like magic peel or magic of believing in like magic peel or magic supplement is that it's just another supplement is that it's just another excuse for us uh to be excuse for us uh to be irresponsible yeah divorcing you from irresponsible yeah divorcing you from responsibility yeah i would agree with responsibility yeah i would agree with that that if certain animal species can live if certain animal species can live extraordinarily long lives then why extraordinarily long lives then why can't humans well our next speaker on can't humans well our next speaker on longevity wants to answer that question longevity wants to answer that question enter peter diamandis peter is best enter peter diamandis peter is best known as the founder and executive known as the founder and executive chairman of the xprize foundation chairman of the xprize foundation and executive founder of singularity and executive founder of singularity university over the course of his university over the course of his storied career peter has started over 20 storied career peter has started over 20 companies in the areas of longevity companies in the areas of longevity space travel venture capital and

space travel venture capital and education education in this clip peter explains the in this clip peter explains the intriguing concept of something called intriguing concept of something called longevity escape velocity longevity escape velocity and gives a prediction as to when and gives a prediction as to when scientists will reach it scientists will reach it how long before you think we reach what how long before you think we reach what you've talked about as you've talked about as achieving longevity escape velocity achieving longevity escape velocity maybe like describe what that is maybe like describe what that is so so uh uh today today science is having breakthroughs science is having breakthroughs uh uh that are extending your life every year that are extending your life every year and on the average for every year alive and on the average for every year alive science extends your life for about a science extends your life for about a quarter of a year quarter of a year uh there is a point and ray kurzweil uh there is a point and ray kurzweil talks about it talks about it extensively extensively and and ray wrote the the preface of our and and ray wrote the the preface of our book he's one of my mentors one of the book he's one of my mentors one of the you know greatest thinkers on you know greatest thinkers on exponential technologies he's my exponential technologies he's my co-founder at singularity university co-founder at singularity university and uh and uh he's i asked him when do you think we're he's i asked him when do you think we're going to reach longevity escape velocity

going to reach longevity escape velocity which is the point that for every year which is the point that for every year you're alive science is extending your you're alive science is extending your life for greater than a year right sort life for greater than a year right sort of a departure point of a departure point and his answer about when we'll get and his answer about when we'll get there uh he said is uh there uh he said is uh about 12 years that's his guess now about 12 years that's his guess now if someone else said it i wouldn't give if someone else said it i wouldn't give it that much credence but if you google it that much credence but if you google ray kurzweil's um ray kurzweil's um accuracy on his predictions accuracy on his predictions it's like 86 it's like 86 i mean the guy is extraordinary in his i mean the guy is extraordinary in his predictions of the future predictions of the future and then i was in a conversation with and then i was in a conversation with george church george church who also write about extensively in the who also write about extensively in the book and and i asked george when do you book and and i asked george when do you think we're gonna you know george is a think we're gonna you know george is a professor of genomics at harvard medical professor of genomics at harvard medical school same as david sinclair and their school same as david sinclair and their fantastic friends and collaborators fantastic friends and collaborators and uh george said uh within the next 15 and uh george said uh within the next 15 years years wow and so i'm like wow and so i'm like that's kind of insane right so assuming

that's kind of insane right so assuming let's assume for a moment that that's let's assume for a moment that that's correct correct 15 years from now give or take 15 years from now give or take we'll be able to we'll be able to every year that you live there will be every year that you live there will be an incremental uh an incremental uh uh uh additional to your life's healthcare additional to your life's healthcare yeah sufficient enough such that yeah sufficient enough such that the perpetuation of life would seem to the perpetuation of life would seem to never cease yeah it's like um never cease yeah it's like um you know we have a 24 000 uh you know we have a 24 000 uh uh mile diameter uh mile diameter uh or circumference of the planet and if uh or circumference of the planet and if you're in a jet going at a thousand you're in a jet going at a thousand miles an hour westward the sun never miles an hour westward the sun never sets mm-hmm right and that's that and so sets mm-hmm right and that's that and so if you go faster the sun will rise if you go faster the sun will rise and so it's somewhat similar in that and so it's somewhat similar in that regard and it gets you thinking which is regard and it gets you thinking which is um um you know to use a phrase from one of you know to use a phrase from one of rey's books fantastic voyage rey's books fantastic voyage it's living long enough to live forever it's living long enough to live forever now let's put aside the idea of living now let's put aside the idea of living forever as a moment but forever as a moment but uh

uh how long can we live how long can we live when i was in medical school years ago when i was in medical school years ago rich i remember watching a uh a tv show rich i remember watching a uh a tv show on long-lived sea life on long-lived sea life and i wasn't you know didn't have much and i wasn't you know didn't have much time for for tv i would basically just time for for tv i would basically just watch star trek whenever i could which watch star trek whenever i could which was my sort of uh vitamin dosage was my sort of uh vitamin dosage and what i learned was that certain and what i learned was that certain species of sea life like the bowhead species of sea life like the bowhead whale whale large mammal large mammal can live for 200 years can live for 200 years and uh greenland sharks can live for 500 and uh greenland sharks can live for 500 years you know sea turtles similar years you know sea turtles similar multi-hundred year lifespan and so the multi-hundred year lifespan and so the question is if they can live that long question is if they can live that long why can't we right and i remember why can't we right and i remember thinking it's either gonna be a hardware thinking it's either gonna be a hardware problem or a software problem and we're problem or a software problem and we're gonna have the tools to fix that and i gonna have the tools to fix that and i think think we're on the precipice of that we're on the precipice of that and what and and from a philosophical and what and and from a philosophical point of view like that conjures up point of view like that conjures up a conversation around the a conversation around the the appropriateness of all of it does

the appropriateness of all of it does not i mean you're somebody who's always not i mean you're somebody who's always been been very optimistic very optimistic you've written you've written a couple books where you kind of canvass a couple books where you kind of canvass these emerging technologies and you these emerging technologies and you characterize them in very favorable characterize them in very favorable terms uh so you're not one to be prone terms uh so you're not one to be prone to dystopian to dystopian you know you know uh scenarios um but i can't help but uh scenarios um but i can't help but think like in the event that you know think like in the event that you know perhaps we could live to something like perhaps we could live to something like 200 years 200 years like what would that mean like how does like what would that mean like how does that impact our psychology as a species that impact our psychology as a species how does it let's how does it let's think about risk how does that impact think about risk how does that impact overpopulation overpopulation on a planet of you know decreasingly on a planet of you know decreasingly limited resources et cetera so how are limited resources et cetera so how are you wrapping your head around all right you wrapping your head around all right i know you've got a whole open store i i know you've got a whole open store i love it uh so um first of all a study love it uh so um first of all a study came out six months ago out of done by came out six months ago out of done by uh lens school of business oxford and uh lens school of business oxford and harvard that looked at the impact of harvard that looked at the impact of extending extending uh the lifespan

uh the lifespan by just one year of every human on the by just one year of every human on the planet planet the economic impact is 38 trillion the economic impact is 38 trillion dollars the global economy dollars the global economy of being able to keep you and me in the of being able to keep you and me in the game a year longer so it's a massive uh game a year longer so it's a massive uh positive impact to the global economy positive impact to the global economy i'm gonna want to keep people in the i'm gonna want to keep people in the game and why do people stop working game and why do people stop working because because they're in pain they're in pain or they're tired they don't have the or they're tired they don't have the energy energy and so but if you can if you can have and so but if you can if you can have the vitality the aesthetics the the vitality the aesthetics the cognition the mobility cognition the mobility uh at 100 years old that you had at 50 uh at 100 years old that you had at 50 or 60 or 60 you know it's an amazing time to be you know it's an amazing time to be alive alive i can't help but think i can't help but think if you could live to 200 the possibility if you could live to 200 the possibility certainly exists that you would have certainly exists that you would have multiple partners across that period of multiple partners across that period of time yeah time yeah multiple families like i had a whole multiple families like i had a whole family with two kids with this person

family with two kids with this person and now i'm gonna have two kids with you and now i'm gonna have two kids with you could do that three or four times over could do that three or four times over and multiple careers and multiple careers you know three or four times over you you know three or four times over you know the reality is that uh our know the reality is that uh our existence our societal structure our existence our societal structure our laws laws are built around a very different age are built around a very different age you know we don't have a true democracy you know we don't have a true democracy of a representative democracy because of a representative democracy because the communications didn't exist back you the communications didn't exist back you know hundreds of years ago to be able to know hundreds of years ago to be able to count everybody's vote but they do now count everybody's vote but they do now um um and and uh you know the idea of social social uh you know the idea of social social security security um was designed and developed when the um was designed and developed when the average lifespan was like 55. average lifespan was like 55. you know you know you would retire you would retire go on social security you know 18 months go on social security you know 18 months later you were dead later you were dead right uh and so all of this is changing right uh and so all of this is changing and you know for the financial advisors and you know for the financial advisors listening to us or the people who are listening to us or the people who are dependent upon financial advisors dependent upon financial advisors making sure you have enough money making sure you have enough money if you're going to add 20 or 30 healthy if you're going to add 20 or 30 healthy years

years is an important conversation to have and is an important conversation to have and it's not being had sufficiently it's not being had sufficiently because i think because i think this is the direction that we're heading this is the direction that we're heading longevity escape velocity is kind of a longevity escape velocity is kind of a fun exciting idea to ponder but i'm not fun exciting idea to ponder but i'm not sure how it applies to our lives on a sure how it applies to our lives on a daily basis there are other things that daily basis there are other things that drive our attention and focus things drive our attention and focus things like heart disease depression autoimmune like heart disease depression autoimmune disorders and how about at the top of disorders and how about at the top of that pyramid that pyramid stress stress is a big one and according stress stress is a big one and according to my next guest dr rongan chatterjee to my next guest dr rongan chatterjee it's at the heart of 70 to 90 of it's at the heart of 70 to 90 of conditions treated by primary care conditions treated by primary care doctors in regard to longevity the truth doctors in regard to longevity the truth is that bodies under chronic stress will is that bodies under chronic stress will deteriorate more rapidly than those that deteriorate more rapidly than those that are not and in the following clip dr are not and in the following clip dr chatterjee explains the science behind chatterjee explains the science behind stress and how to properly manage it to stress and how to properly manage it to promote a longer healthier life promote a longer healthier life i feel like the word stress is used very i feel like the word stress is used very cavalierly like wow we're all stressed

cavalierly like wow we're all stressed i'm stressed out i'm anxious or whatever i'm stressed out i'm anxious or whatever but perhaps it might be but perhaps it might be um beneficial to um beneficial to like define the term like when we say like define the term like when we say stress like what do we actually mean and stress like what do we actually mean and what is happening biologically what is happening biologically physiologically in the body when we are physiologically in the body when we are under this form of duress under this form of duress i mean i mean it is a perception it is perception when it is a perception it is perception when your body feels that it's under threat your body feels that it's under threat that it is in danger that fundamentally that it is in danger that fundamentally is what i think stress is is what i think stress is now how do you explain that now how do you explain that between 70 and 90 percent of all between 70 and 90 percent of all conditions that a primary care doctor conditions that a primary care doctor sees in any given day is in some way sees in any given day is in some way related to stress that's bananas that is related to stress that's bananas that is bananas but bananas but i'm going to explain i'm going to explain why i think why i think it is quite easy to understand when you it is quite easy to understand when you understand what the stress response is understand what the stress response is so let's go back again so let's go back again two million years right two three two million years right two three whatever we go back a couple of million whatever we go back a couple of million years ago and understand how our stress years ago and understand how our stress response evolved so response evolved so we were again in our hunter-gatherer

we were again in our hunter-gatherer community community getting on with our business doing what getting on with our business doing what we need to do and a wild predator is we need to do and a wild predator is attacking or approaching attacking or approaching we get scared in an instant we get scared in an instant our stress response kicks into gear so our stress response kicks into gear so what happens then well the series of what happens then well the series of physiological changes start to take physiological changes start to take place that are designed to keep us safe place that are designed to keep us safe so i can't list them all but let's go so i can't list them all but let's go through it through some of them your through it through some of them your blood sugar starts to rise blood sugar starts to rise great that means you're going to deliver great that means you're going to deliver more glucose to your brain that is more glucose to your brain that is fantastic in that in that threat fantastic in that in that threat scenario scenario your blood pressure starts to go up so your blood pressure starts to go up so you can deliver more oxygen to your you can deliver more oxygen to your brain brain your amygdala that's the emotional part your amygdala that's the emotional part of your brain right that becomes hyper of your brain right that becomes hyper reactive so you are literally hyper reactive so you are literally hyper vigilant for all the threats around you vigilant for all the threats around you your blood starts become more prone to your blood starts become more prone to clotting so that if you were to get clotting so that if you were to get attacked by that lion and that predator attacked by that lion and that predator you're not going to bleed to death your you're not going to bleed to death your blood's going to clot that's going to blood's going to clot that's going to keep you safe these are very very smart

keep you safe these are very very smart complex mechanisms that are designed to complex mechanisms that are designed to keep us safe the problem is keep us safe the problem is quite simply quite simply is that now in the 21st century many of is that now in the 21st century many of us are having our stress responses us are having our stress responses activated activated not to wild predators not to wild predators but to our daily lives to our email but to our daily lives to our email inboxes to our to-do lists inboxes to our to-do lists to the fact that we've got competing to the fact that we've got competing demands at work to the fact that um two demands at work to the fact that um two parents are working and someone's trying parents are working and someone's trying to rush home to pick up the kids the to rush home to pick up the kids the fact that actually we're living separate fact that actually we're living separate from our family so we're having to do from our family so we're having to do all the child care ourselves we don't all the child care ourselves we don't have grandparents around us so the fact have grandparents around us so the fact that we may have elderly parents now that we may have elderly parents now we're looking after as well as looking we're looking after as well as looking after a young family for many of us after a young family for many of us that is activating our stress response that is activating our stress response so what happens well those mechanisms so what happens well those mechanisms are so helpful to us in the short term are so helpful to us in the short term they start to become problematic they start to become problematic blood sugar going up is fine for 30 blood sugar going up is fine for 30 minutes if your blood sugar is going up minutes if your blood sugar is going up day in day out day in day out well that leads to fatigue obesity high

well that leads to fatigue obesity high blood pressure and ultimately type 2 blood pressure and ultimately type 2 diabetes just from being stressed and i diabetes just from being stressed and i go back to saying what i said before go back to saying what i said before what the whole conversation around what the whole conversation around health is dominated by diet and health is dominated by diet and movements talk about type 2 diabetes movements talk about type 2 diabetes it's all about which dietary tribe you it's all about which dietary tribe you subscribe to i can tell you that stress subscribe to i can tell you that stress is a very very key player when it comes is a very very key player when it comes to your blood sugar and i have put many to your blood sugar and i have put many cases of toxic diabetes since remission cases of toxic diabetes since remission yes i changed their diet for sure but yes i changed their diet for sure but when the diet plateaued the way i got when the diet plateaued the way i got the blood sugar lower was by addressing the blood sugar lower was by addressing their stress levels so blood sugar their stress levels so blood sugar problem helpful in the short term problem helpful in the short term harmful in the long term blood pressure harmful in the long term blood pressure again same thing great if you're running again same thing great if you're running away from a tiger great if you're in away from a tiger great if you're in your spinning class in the gym it's an your spinning class in the gym it's an appropriate response to that stressor appropriate response to that stressor but if that's happening to your email but if that's happening to your email inbox that's a problem inbox that's a problem what about your emotional brain right what about your emotional brain right the amygdala i just said the amygdala i just said when you are trying to escape a predator when you are trying to escape a predator you become hyper vigilant to all the you become hyper vigilant to all the threats around you that is appropriate

threats around you that is appropriate if you go to downtown la tonight and it if you go to downtown la tonight and it is dark and you are walking down a dark is dark and you are walking down a dark street and you think somebody is street and you think somebody is following you you know what you want following you you know what you want your amygdala to go on high alert you your amygdala to go on high alert you want to be hyper vigilant to all the want to be hyper vigilant to all the threats around you threats around you if that's happening day in day out to if that's happening day in day out to your life your life that's what we call anxiety that's what we call anxiety right so suddenly right so suddenly this very complex mechanism when you this very complex mechanism when you simplify it right down simplify it right down we can start to see why we can start to see why up to 90 of what i see as a doctor is in up to 90 of what i see as a doctor is in some way related to stress but some way related to stress but what about the things that it switches what about the things that it switches off right we've spoken a bit about off right we've spoken a bit about relationships so relationships so libido is a big problem these days libido is a big problem these days i've been practicing for nearly 20 years i've been practicing for nearly 20 years i'm seeing more cases of low libido now i'm seeing more cases of low libido now than i've ever seen than i've ever seen not a week goes by where i don't see a not a week goes by where i don't see a young male in their 20s complaining of young male in their 20s complaining of low libido this was not happening even low libido this was not happening even five years ago certainly in my practice five years ago certainly in my practice there are many factors to consider but there are many factors to consider but stress is probably the biggest in my stress is probably the biggest in my view view again go back 2 million years you are

again go back 2 million years you are running away from a threat running away from a threat in that moment in that moment you need to prioritize survival you need to prioritize survival you do not need to be able to chill out you do not need to be able to chill out and procreate with your partner right so and procreate with your partner right so your body switches it off right it it it your body switches it off right it it it all it almost sounds overly simplistic all it almost sounds overly simplistic but i love simplicity because when you but i love simplicity because when you understand it simply you start to understand it simply you start to realize hey i understand now why anxiety realize hey i understand now why anxiety why low memory by poor concentration why low memory by poor concentration white insomnia why low libido why white insomnia why low libido why hormonal problems why obesity why type 2 hormonal problems why obesity why type 2 diabetes can all have stress as a key diabetes can all have stress as a key player player gut problems right last mintel survey in gut problems right last mintel survey in the uk the uk showed us that 80 percent of uk adults showed us that 80 percent of uk adults have complained of some form of gi have complained of some form of gi problem in any given year problem in any given year right now right now food of course is a factor food of course is a factor but i would argue that stress is a but i would argue that stress is a bigger factor because what happens bigger factor because what happens again just like libido if you're running again just like libido if you're running away from a lion you don't need to be away from a lion you don't need to be able to digest food which gets switched

able to digest food which gets switched off just like that off just like that it's it's a time fraught with problems it's it's a time fraught with problems pressures external pressures things that pressures external pressures things that we feel that we have to do we feel that we have to do there are so many things that we can do there are so many things that we can do but the the thing that is rising to the but the the thing that is rising to the surface of me now surface of me now is is think about downtime think about downtime right right we need downtime we need downtime we thrive on downtime our brains thrive we thrive on downtime our brains thrive on downtime on downtime you simply cannot you simply cannot get up get up go on your phone consume go on your phone consume watch what the world is giving you watch what the world is giving you reacting go to after work drinks go to reacting go to after work drinks go to all these family engagements come back all these family engagements come back lie in bed consume more you simply just lie in bed consume more you simply just cannot do that without there being a cannot do that without there being a consequence you will be accumulating consequence you will be accumulating micro stress does after micro stressors micro stress does after micro stressors and you will go over and it will lead to and you will go over and it will lead to family arguments it will lead to a row family arguments it will lead to a row with your partner it will lead to you with your partner it will lead to you getting uh stressed out at work and getting uh stressed out at work and falling out with your boss falling out with your boss it is all the consequence of that

it is all the consequence of that framework of micro stress doses and framework of micro stress doses and where is your stress threshold you need where is your stress threshold you need to minimize the micro stress doses and to minimize the micro stress doses and you need to take active steps you need to take active steps to to increase your resilience so increase your resilience so well let's call it simple you mentioned well let's call it simple you mentioned a morning routine right a morning routine right i'm a huge fan of morning routines and i'm a huge fan of morning routines and the framework i create for people is a the framework i create for people is a morning routine has three m's and the morning routine has three m's and the way i see it way i see it mindfulness movement and mindset mindfulness movement and mindset so if you want a morning routine you so if you want a morning routine you don't know where to start think about don't know where to start think about those three m's now you can personalize those three m's now you can personalize them to your own life if you have got an them to your own life if you have got an hour in the morning great if you've got hour in the morning great if you've got five minutes you can still do it in five five minutes you can still do it in five minutes minutes just the act of having five minutes to just the act of having five minutes to herself in that morning herself in that morning actually transforms the rest of her day actually transforms the rest of her day have some time to yourself have some time to yourself really be mindful of that and if you really be mindful of that and if you find a morning we've seen helpful start find a morning we've seen helpful start there now the next thing i'd probably there now the next thing i'd probably say to people is say to people is think about how much you've moved right think about how much you've moved right yes we know physical activity is yes we know physical activity is important

important but but fundamentally if we go back to too many fundamentally if we go back to too many years ago when we think about our stress years ago when we think about our stress response response what is the stress response designed to what is the stress response designed to do do it is priming us it is priming us for physical activity for physical activity nowadays the stresses are coming in such nowadays the stresses are coming in such a way like you know we're sitting on our a way like you know we're sitting on our butts butts at our desk and our email inbox is at our desk and our email inbox is stressing us out or the fact that stressing us out or the fact that actually actually oh man i am exhausted today but everyone oh man i am exhausted today but everyone at work is going out tonight and then my at work is going out tonight and then my sister's flying into town tonight oh man sister's flying into town tonight oh man i just want to go to sleep right so i i just want to go to sleep right so i would say have you moved enough just ask would say have you moved enough just ask yourself have you moved if you haven't yourself have you moved if you haven't just make it a priority every day to do just make it a priority every day to do something even if it's a 10 minute walk something even if it's a 10 minute walk at lunch time put your phone down go at lunch time put your phone down go outside for 10 minutes and you will outside for 10 minutes and you will start start to burn off that stress in your body but to burn off that stress in your body but those are two simple things right when those are two simple things right when you're traveling if you're traveling to you're traveling if you're traveling to go and see your family right go and see your family right and this applies not in the holiday and this applies not in the holiday season as well that people are traveling season as well that people are traveling to work and they're getting stressed out

to work and they're getting stressed out use that travel time use that travel time to really to really look after your to really to really look after your mental health right don't put the news mental health right don't put the news on don't listen to what trump has just on don't listen to what trump has just tweeted right own your mental space own tweeted right own your mental space own what's going on in there use that time what's going on in there use that time to listen to relaxing music listen to an to listen to relaxing music listen to an inspiring podcast inspiring podcast pull up the calm meditation app on your pull up the calm meditation app on your phone and phone and put your headphones in and meditate for put your headphones in and meditate for 10 minutes i am not asking you to do 10 minutes i am not asking you to do three hours of yoga every day even three hours of yoga every day even though that will help you right i'm though that will help you right i'm asking you to just think about have i asking you to just think about have i given myself a bit of time today given myself a bit of time today if you are getting stressed out at a if you are getting stressed out at a party your family are there your mother party your family are there your mother is stressing you out right your is stressing you out right your mother-in-law let's say you know or mother-in-law let's say you know or whatever whatever check in with your breath check in with your breath it's a cliche it is the biggest cliche it's a cliche it is the biggest cliche just breathe just breathe if people understood what breathing if people understood what breathing actually does actually does on a fundamental physiological level we on a fundamental physiological level we would all be practicing every day would all be practicing every day breathing is information for your body breathing is information for your body when you're feeling stressed when you've

when you're feeling stressed when you've got deadlines that you're working away got deadlines that you're working away for you will not realize but your for you will not realize but your breathing will change breathing will change you you'll start to breathe more from you you'll start to breathe more from your chest than your diaphragm you'll your chest than your diaphragm you'll breathe quicker your breasts will be breathe quicker your breasts will be more shallow and what does that do that more shallow and what does that do that sends messages to your brain that i am sends messages to your brain that i am in danger that there is a problem and in danger that there is a problem and that gets you in a viciously where you that gets you in a viciously where you start to breathe faster now the great start to breathe faster now the great news about that is is that you can very news about that is is that you can very easily change that situation if you easily change that situation if you consciously consciously change your breathing you can change change your breathing you can change your physiology so if that's happening your physiology so if that's happening you're at a party uh whatever there's a you're at a party uh whatever there's a work do you know what maybe go to the work do you know what maybe go to the restroom restroom or go go outside and just for two or go go outside and just for two minutes minutes breathe breathe do the three four five breath if you do the three four five breath if you don't like that one do a box breath don't like that one do a box breath where you breathing for four where you breathing for four hold for four breathe out for four hold hold for four breathe out for four hold for four i guarantee for four i guarantee if you do that for one minute or two if you do that for one minute or two minutes minutes you will feel calmer and the way you you will feel calmer and the way you deal with that situation

deal with that situation will absolutely will absolutely it will change you will you will be less it will change you will you will be less reactive reactive what if we reimagined aging not as what if we reimagined aging not as something to fear but as something something to fear but as something aspirational aspirational well in this inspired clip of our master well in this inspired clip of our master class on longevity we reframe aging as a class on longevity we reframe aging as a sacred phase of life to be sacred phase of life to be celebrated an opportunity an opportunity celebrated an opportunity an opportunity to share accrued wisdom to share accrued wisdom channel it into a second act and channel it into a second act and leverage it to make your life and leverage it to make your life and relationships more meaningful relationships more meaningful leading us on this philosophical journey leading us on this philosophical journey is chip conley chip is a highly is chip conley chip is a highly accomplished individual but i want to accomplished individual but i want to draw attention to his latest endeavor as draw attention to his latest endeavor as the founder of something called the the founder of something called the modern elder academy which is the first modern elder academy which is the first midlife wisdom school midlife wisdom school dedicated to transforming aging dedicated to transforming aging here is chip conley here is chip conley what's fascinating is there's a societal what's fascinating is there's a societal narrative on aging and then there's a narrative on aging and then there's a personal narrative the societal personal narrative the societal narrative is

narrative is if you can survive your midlife crisis if you can survive your midlife crisis around 45 or 50 on the other side of around 45 or 50 on the other side of that you have disease and decrepitude that you have disease and decrepitude and then you die right and the reality and then you die right and the reality is the personal narrative on people's is the personal narrative on people's aging is very different than that and aging is very different than that and there's something called the u-curve of there's something called the u-curve of happiness it's gotten a lot of social happiness it's gotten a lot of social science research uh attention science research uh attention and the idea of it is once you hit and the idea of it is once you hit around 47.2 although your mileage may around 47.2 although your mileage may vary vary um with each passing decade after that um with each passing decade after that you get happier and happier so you're you get happier and happier so you're happier in your 50s than your 40s 60s happier in your 50s than your 40s 60s and 50s 70s and 60s and you start to see and 50s 70s and 60s and you start to see some leveling out and a decline in some leveling out and a decline in happiness around the last two or three happiness around the last two or three years of your life so if you're living years of your life so if you're living to a hundred and maybe who knows how to a hundred and maybe who knows how long he'll live you know he's probably long he'll live you know he's probably still on the stride going up yeah but still on the stride going up yeah but what's so strange is the gap between the what's so strange is the gap between the personal narrative which is actually personal narrative which is actually people do get happier as after age 50 people do get happier as after age 50 and the societal narrative which is you and the societal narrative which is you know it's all you're all downhill after know it's all you're all downhill after about age 40. the way we think about

about age 40. the way we think about aging is so aging is so unhealthy it's like this black hole like unhealthy it's like this black hole like you know there's and i know you've you know there's and i know you've talked about this there's childhood talked about this there's childhood there's adulthood and then and then what there's adulthood and then and then what like what happens for 40 or 50 years like what happens for 40 or 50 years like we don't really talk about it you like we don't really talk about it you dubbed it elderhood um but dubbed it elderhood um but short of housing people in these short of housing people in these horrible you know sort of assisted horrible you know sort of assisted living situations living situations we haven't really created any kind of we haven't really created any kind of modern modern forward thinking um forward thinking um kind of uh kind of uh programming around like how to get the programming around like how to get the most out of these many decades later in most out of these many decades later in life you know if you're going to live life you know if you're going to live till 90 which is you know very likely till 90 which is you know very likely for a lot of us my parents are 84. for a lot of us my parents are 84. neither one of them has been a huge neither one of them has been a huge athlete um athlete um and they're on a six week vacation right and they're on a six week vacation right now at age 84. so if you live until 90 now at age 84. so if you live until 90 and you're 54 which is a little bit and you're 54 which is a little bit younger than you um you're halfway younger than you um you're halfway through your adult life if you start

through your adult life if you start counting at age 18. counting at age 18. and we don't think about life that way and we don't think about life that way we very much underestimate how much we very much underestimate how much adult life we have ahead of us we also adult life we have ahead of us we also um overestimate how long we're going to um overestimate how long we're going to be an invalid be an invalid and there's something called compressed and there's something called compressed morbidity in the medical field and it morbidity in the medical field and it means that in essence the the time of means that in essence the the time of your life when you're sort of on the your life when you're sort of on the verge of death verge of death is a much shorter period on average than is a much shorter period on average than it used to be it used to be so you've got you know what what uh mary so you've got you know what what uh mary katherine bateson would call is she katherine bateson would call is she calls it the midlife atrium she says calls it the midlife atrium she says that that having additional life having additional life um having additional years because um having additional years because longevity in the year 1900 was 47 on longevity in the year 1900 was 47 on average and by the year 2000 it was 77. average and by the year 2000 it was 77. she says all of those additional years she says all of those additional years are not like having extra bedrooms in are not like having extra bedrooms in the backyard of your house like you're the backyard of your house like you're you're old longer no she says it's like you're old longer no she says it's like having a midlife atrium having a midlife atrium and the midlife atrium means there's and the midlife atrium means there's light and air and additional space light and air and additional space happening in the middle of your life so

happening in the middle of your life so you're in mid-life longer and yet we you're in mid-life longer and yet we have very little in the way of society have very little in the way of society um resources tools or even um resources tools or even thinking around what midlife is supposed thinking around what midlife is supposed to be yeah one of the to be yeah one of the critical kind of tools that you leverage critical kind of tools that you leverage at the modern elder academy that i want at the modern elder academy that i want to hear a little bit more about is just to hear a little bit more about is just getting really clear on what your getting really clear on what your mindset is so that you can begin the mindset is so that you can begin the process of deconstructing it and perhaps process of deconstructing it and perhaps you know telling yourself a new story you know telling yourself a new story yeah well so there's four key um pillars yeah well so there's four key um pillars of our curriculum the first one is of our curriculum the first one is reframing aging helping people to see reframing aging helping people to see that maybe their best life their best that maybe their best life their best years are ahead of them right can this years are ahead of them right can this be aspirational it can be and you know be aspirational it can be and you know some things get better with age i i love some things get better with age i i love that your your listeners and your that your your listeners and your community is very much about keeping the community is very much about keeping the body alive and but but you don't you're body alive and but but you don't you're certain things get actually better with certain things get actually better with age you know your emotion your emotional age you know your emotion your emotional intelligence grows with age intelligence grows with age your spiritual awareness grows with age your spiritual awareness grows with age so there's a lot of things actually get so there's a lot of things actually get better with age and yes if you work on

better with age and yes if you work on your body and your health and your your body and your health and your nutrition it might get better with age nutrition it might get better with age as well as well uh you're a great example of that uh you're a great example of that so so there's that reframing aging then there's that reframing aging then there's mindset so there's growth and there's mindset so there's growth and fixed mindset we're big fans of carol fixed mindset we're big fans of carol dweck's work at stanford and so a fixed dweck's work at stanford and so a fixed mindset is when you tend to think of mindset is when you tend to think of life as i'm here to prove myself and i life as i'm here to prove myself and i define success as winning define success as winning the problem if you have that point of the problem if you have that point of view as you get older view as you get older is is you stop playing the games you can't win you stop playing the games you can't win and that means your your sandbox gets and that means your your sandbox gets smaller and smaller and as it gets smaller and smaller and as it gets smaller smaller you actually get more bored because you actually get more bored because you're not trying new things so moving you're not trying new things so moving from a fix to a growth mindset means from a fix to a growth mindset means moving from proving yourself to moving from proving yourself to improving yourself and improving yourself and instead of focused on focusing on instead of focused on focusing on winning winning you focus on learning you focus on learning becca levy is the one who actually in becca levy is the one who actually in many ways our program is built on her many ways our program is built on her work from yale work from yale she was able to show that when you shift

she was able to show that when you shift a person from a negative to a neutral a person from a negative to a neutral mindset i'm sorry from a negative to a mindset i'm sorry from a negative to a positive mindset on aging positive mindset on aging you give them 7.5 you give them 7.5 additional years of life additional years of life what what it's actually more life than if someone it's actually more life than if someone stopped smoking at age 50 or if they stopped smoking at age 50 or if they stop started exercising at age 50. stop started exercising at age 50. so the public health benefit of shifting so the public health benefit of shifting a mindset around aging has a greater a mindset around aging has a greater benefit to society and people are benefit to society and people are happier happier and yet we have psas left and right and yet we have psas left and right about how we should stop smoking and how about how we should stop smoking and how we should we should start exercising we have no psas around start exercising we have no psas around how to reframe aging how to reframe aging one of the questions we ask at mea is one of the questions we ask at mea is what is it that you know now or have you what is it that you know now or have you done now that you wish you had known or done now that you wish you had known or done 10 years ago done 10 years ago think about that for a moment think about that for a moment and then ask yourself 10 years from now and then ask yourself 10 years from now what will you regret if you don't learn what will you regret if you don't learn it or do it now it or do it now and this is how i started to learn how and this is how i started to learn how to surf at age

to surf at age um because i live on a beach near a surf um because i live on a beach near a surf break somewhat famous one and i was like break somewhat famous one and i was like ain't gonna be any easier at 67 than 57 ain't gonna be any easier at 67 than 57 ship ship so we began this master class by hearing so we began this master class by hearing from dan buettner on his study of from dan buettner on his study of centenarians and i can think of no centenarians and i can think of no better way to end this master class than better way to end this master class than by hearing directly from a centenarian by hearing directly from a centenarian himself his name is mike fremont and he himself his name is mike fremont and he is 100 years old a 100 year old retired is 100 years old a 100 year old retired engineer turned climate activist who engineer turned climate activist who in addition to being pretty darn with it in addition to being pretty darn with it holds a slew of age group world records holds a slew of age group world records including the fastest recorded marathon including the fastest recorded marathon for a 91 year old you heard me right and for a 91 year old you heard me right and at 96 the ripe old age of 96 he set the at 96 the ripe old age of 96 he set the american one mile record for his age american one mile record for his age group what's perhaps most remarkable group what's perhaps most remarkable about mike is that his running career about mike is that his running career didn't even kick into high gear until didn't even kick into high gear until his 60s which for context

his 60s which for context was 40 years ago was 40 years ago if you may be feeling like it's too late if you may be feeling like it's too late that you missed the boat on regaining that you missed the boat on regaining fitness i would say take a cue from mike fitness i would say take a cue from mike because you because you are incorrect i love chatting with him i are incorrect i love chatting with him i consider him a new friend and i'm proud consider him a new friend and i'm proud to share his story with you this is a to share his story with you this is a never-before-published clip from my never-before-published clip from my conversation with centenarian mike conversation with centenarian mike fremont fremont i guess the first obvious question is i guess the first obvious question is how does it how are you doing like how how does it how are you doing like how do you how do you feel what is it like do you how do you feel what is it like to be to be a hundred a hundred these believe it or not are the very these believe it or not are the very best years of my life and best years of my life and [Music] [Music] no no question why is that no no question why is that things that i've worked for and worked things that i've worked for and worked on on have have blossomed out blossomed out i'm still here i'm still here i can still run so to speak

i can still run so to speak for my age i'm for my age i'm practically number one by sheer uh process of elimination but also i mean it's amazing that you still also i mean it's amazing that you still get out there you're still running get out there you're still running you're so engaged with life and you're so engaged with life and um where does the um where does the running begin running begin running um running um i was 36 i had three little children i was 36 i had three little children and my first wife and my first wife and she died of a brain hemorrhage and she died of a brain hemorrhage when our daughter was two weeks old when our daughter was two weeks old and i was uh i had started a business a and i was uh i had started a business a year before year before and uh and uh decided i was stressed and i lived on a dam and i lived on a dam and i used to run across that dam and i used to run across that dam which was leveled which was leveled right right every day after work

every day after work and it was very rewarding it was better and it was very rewarding it was better than two martinis so running was became a little part of my life and then they got me in a race and i did okay and i did okay i didn't come in last uh-huh i didn't come in last uh-huh yeah so it's it's around 60 where you yeah so it's it's around 60 where you start getting competitive though start getting competitive though as i understand is that correct as i understand is that correct not really not really i don't think i ever became competitive i don't think i ever became competitive actually until actually until i was 88. uh-huh i ran a marathon when i was 88 and i got first first first first place place in history in history in what they call the in what they call the single age single age running running and then at 90 you do it again the and then at 90 you do it again the single age world record for the marathon

single age world record for the marathon and at 90 you also set the single age and at 90 you also set the single age world record for the half marathon world record for the half marathon and at 91 the single age world record and at 91 the single age world record for the half marathon that's right so for the half marathon that's right so you have you have one two four world records one two four world records and you have a whole slew of five-year and you have a whole slew of five-year age group records going it's there's too age group records going it's there's too many to even keep you i don't even many to even keep you i don't even realize that at the time uh-huh realize that at the time uh-huh anyway there's not much competition out there there hasn't been there hasn't been because people don't understand the because people don't understand the system how your system system how your system works and contributes to being able to works and contributes to being able to do these things so maybe explain how you do these things so maybe explain how you do it like how are you how are you able do it like how are you how are you able to to not just run marathons and half not just run marathons and half marathons in your late 80s and over the marathons in your late 80s and over the course of your 90s but also set world course of your 90s but also set world records like what is the secret to records like what is the secret to longevity here longevity here the longevity part of it is

the longevity part of it is the interesting part i think the interesting part i think and the and the japanese are credited japanese are credited uh living uh living six years longer on average than six years longer on average than americans americans that's a huge amount yeah that's a huge amount yeah but here i've already as i'm 22 years but here i've already as i'm 22 years older than the average person who dies older than the average person who dies in this country right in this country right and it's been a pleasure [Music] and it's simply and it's simply simply because of what i eat simply because of what i eat and i hold that largely responsible and i hold that largely responsible for all the for all the records records that i said in old age no question in my mind absolutely it is diet that is to determine diet that is to determine my existence my continued existence my existence my continued existence and my beautiful health essentially for and my beautiful health essentially for the last 30 years you've been eating a

the last 30 years you've been eating a very strict whole a 100 percent percent no exceptions cold turkey so what about no exceptions cold turkey so what about the fitness routine what is the secret the fitness routine what is the secret to how you've been able to continue to how you've been able to continue running into your 90s and now at 100 i running into your 90s and now at 100 i was able to retire at the age of 88. was able to retire at the age of 88. [Laughter] [Laughter] so low stress free time so low stress free time stress also kills stress also kills and if you can keep your life from and if you can keep your life from distress as well as stress distress as well as stress you're very fortunate you're very fortunate my routine had been three times a week my routine had been three times a week monday monday not monday uh sunday not monday uh sunday tuesday and thursday tuesday and thursday i would run 10 miles until i was 98. i would run 10 miles until i was 98. 10 miles three times a week 10 miles three times a week ten miles three times that was ten miles three times that was 30 miles 10 miles three times a week and

30 miles 10 miles three times a week and what is it like now uh it's five miles what is it like now uh it's five miles three times a week three times a week do you do any other kind of exercises do you do any other kind of exercises uh up to this year uh up to this year i've been a canoe racer i've been a canoe racer on a a lake that's three miles away on a a lake that's three miles away so i was one of the first guys out there so i was one of the first guys out there with my racing canoe with my racing canoe and another guy in an old canoe came up and another guy in an old canoe came up to me and says to me and says what kind of canoe is that and i what kind of canoe is that and i described it and i said you want to try described it and i said you want to try it and he said yeah it and he said yeah so we exchanged canoes and he tried it so we exchanged canoes and he tried it and he became your canoeing buddy he and he became your canoeing buddy he became our canoeing buddy became our canoeing buddy and then we attracted another guy and then we attracted another guy because we're out there because we're out there plugging away plugging away and then i said you know we had we ought to start a group here he at the time was 13 years younger than

he at the time was 13 years younger than me me that was 2 000 so i was what uh um yeah he was 13 years younger he was 65. 65. i said why don't we call it the epa that's the elderly paddlers association there you go so we so we attracted a few more we probably got attracted a few more we probably got about all together marilyn is one of them is one of them who come out on who come out on monday wednesday and friday monday wednesday and friday that's 7 30 in the morning right and are that's 7 30 in the morning right and are you still doing that now yeah you are you still doing that now yeah you are well i haven't started the season yet well i haven't started the season yet it's been too cold but the epa lives it's been too cold but the epa lives lives on oh yeah okay good lives on oh yeah okay good has anybody

has anybody run a marathon at age 100 i don't think run a marathon at age 100 i don't think that that's ever occurred i don't think that that's ever occurred i don't think so so i really don't think so yeah i think i could because i think uh because i think uh a marathon the one i the one i i i set the world record in was not overly stressing mm-hmm it wasn't it wasn't no i think i could have gone further no i think i could have gone further yeah but the fact that you didn't even yeah but the fact that you didn't even kick into your highest gear in running kick into your highest gear in running until you were around 60 and that's when until you were around 60 and that's when you kind of really found your you kind of really found your competitive groove with all of this like competitive groove with all of this like it's very inspiring because that's a it's very inspiring because that's a period of time where most people would period of time where most people would feel like it's time to slow down and in feel like it's time to slow down and in in your example that's where i feel like in your example that's where i feel like you really started to get more engaged you really started to get more engaged with your life

with your life well i'm well i'm very grateful for this opportunity very grateful for this opportunity and that's a major impact i could have and that's a major impact i could have is to reach other people with this is to reach other people with this message message because i'm saying it works for me because i'm saying it works for me big time big time to be at least to be at least 22 years older than the average person 22 years older than the average person who dies who dies in america and i feel that's not long enough yet that's not long enough yet yeah yeah i sincerely hope that after hearing all i sincerely hope that after hearing all of this vital wisdom your perspective on of this vital wisdom your perspective on aging has shifted from that of aging has shifted from that of limitation limitation to a conduit to the healthiest most to a conduit to the healthiest most fulfilled version of yourself fulfilled version of yourself i trust we offered you a handful of i trust we offered you a handful of tools and practices you can implement tools and practices you can implement today to begin today to begin a renewed journey toward living as well a renewed journey toward living as well as you can for as long as you can as you can for as long as you can if you've been inspired then consider

if you've been inspired then consider revisiting or visiting a new my in-depth revisiting or visiting a new my in-depth conversations with these esteemed guests conversations with these esteemed guests the guests you've heard here will have the guests you've heard here will have their episode numbers posted in the show their episode numbers posted in the show notes so thanks for listening and notes so thanks for listening and watching and please know that i'm watching and please know that i'm wishing for all of you wishing for all of you the greatest longevity possible the greatest longevity possible until next time until next time peace peace plants plants [Music] you

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The Blue Zones Pattern

The Blue Zones reveal longevity as a pattern of place. Dan Buettner’s work identifies long-lived communities in Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Ikaria, Greece; the Nicoya Peninsula of Costa Rica; and Loma Linda, California, among Seventh-day Adventists. These are not populations chasing age as an achievement. They live inside environments that make healthier choices easier.

That insight matters because willpower is fragile. In many modern settings, health is framed as a pursuit requiring discipline, programs, supplements, and constant correction. In Blue Zones, longevity emerges from defaults. The food is accessible, the movement is natural, and social life keeps people attached to purpose.

The diet carries a clear plant slant. Meals center on beans, whole grains, greens, tubers, nuts, fruits, and vegetables. These foods are not treated as rare superfoods or luxury ingredients. They are daily staples, shaped by time-honored recipes that make simplicity satisfying.

Food culture also creates rhythm. People cook at home, eat with family, and mark the beginning of a meal with a pause. In Okinawa, the phrase hara hachi bu reminds people to stop when they are 80 percent full. Restraint becomes part of the ritual, not an act of punishment.

Movement appears in the same understated way. People knead bread by hand, grind corn, tend gardens, walk through town, and keep doing physical work because their homes and communities require it. They are not optimizing exercise in isolation. They are moving because daily life asks the body to contribute.

Belonging is equally central. In these communities, absence is noticed. If someone stops appearing at the village center, the party, or church, another person knocks on the door. Connection is not outsourced to intention; it is protected by expectation.

Purpose in Blue Zones is spliced with responsibility.

Purpose also carries a different texture. It is not a private search for passion or a late-life hobby chosen for self-expression alone. In Blue Zones, purpose is spliced with responsibility. It often means helping younger generations thrive, preserving community practices, and turning attention toward others.

This is longevity without performance theater. The lesson is not to imitate every custom perfectly. The lesson is to design conditions that support equilibrium before motivation is required. When the environment holds the protocol, resilience becomes easier to repeat.

The Biology Of Staying Young

The biology of aging brings agency into sharper focus. David Sinclair’s view is direct: lifestyle shapes much of health in old age, while genes influence only part of the outcome. Genetics matter, but they do not write the entire script. The body responds to how it is asked to live.

The core levers are familiar because they are fundamental. Exercise, fasting, not overeating, choosing the right foods, leaning plant-based, sleeping well, and maintaining a social network all appear as practical investments. None require perfection. They require consistency, because the future body is formed in advance.

Early and midlife are when longevity deposits are made. Waiting for old age to begin caring for the body misses the power of compounding. Strength, mobility, metabolic health, and mental clarity are easier to preserve than rebuild. The earlier the protocol begins, the more quietly it works.

Sinclair also reframes aging as a root driver of chronic disease risk. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and dementia become far more common as the body grows older. The point is not fear. The point is precision: protecting youthfulness in the body protects the systems that defend vitality.

His central theory turns on information. DNA holds the digital code, while the epigenome helps determine which genes turn on and which stay quiet. Over time, that epigenetic information can lose order. When the body reads the wrong instructions at the wrong time, youthful function becomes harder to maintain.

The source uses a simple image: a compact disc can hold digital information, but scratches make the songs harder to read correctly. In the body, the concern is not only the code itself, but the clarity with which cells access it. Longevity, in this frame, is the preservation of order.

This science can sound intricate, yet the implication is accessible. Your daily choices create signals. Hunger, temperature stress in simple organisms, nourishment, rest, movement, and connection all tell the body something about the world it is living in. Clearer signals support clearer adaptation.

The promise is not immunity from disease. Life still carries uncertainty. The promise is participation: you can influence the terrain of old age with deliberate practices now. That is a grounded form of mastery, and it begins before decline announces itself.

Healthspan Before Forever

Alan Goldhamer brings the conversation back to the essential prize. The aim is not to live forever. The aim is to live well, then reduce the years spent in debility, poor health, and dependence. Longevity loses meaning when the final decades are surrendered to preventable decline.

He draws a clear line between lifespan and quality of life. Genetics and luck influence how long a person lives, but diet and lifestyle shape how well that time is experienced. This is a sober frame. It does not promise permanence; it protects dignity.

Not living forever but living well until you die.

Fasting enters as a reset, especially for people caught in cycles of overstimulation. Goldhamer describes dopamine in the context of artificial stimulation from drugs or dietary patterns; when that cycle quiets, cravings can lose force and good foods can begin to taste good again. The outcome is clearer motivation, steadier appetite, and a cleaner return to choice.

He also connects fasting with changes people can feel and measure. Blood pressure can come down. Blood sugar can normalize. Inflammation and swelling can ease, allowing people to move, engage, and participate more fully. When discomfort lifts, motivation often rises because the body can imagine a different future.

The reset is not the whole protocol. After fasting, Goldhamer emphasizes whole-food, plant-based eating as maintenance. This is the daily architecture that keeps the body aligned after the more intensive intervention has ended. The sanctuary returns to the plate.

Across the episode, the pattern becomes coherent. Blue Zones show that environment shapes behavior. Sinclair shows that biology remains responsive to lifestyle. Goldhamer shows that nourishment, fasting, sleep, and exercise can reduce the burden of decline. Different doors open into the same room.

Longevity is not one heroic act. It is an ecosystem of recovery, nourishment, movement, connection, and purpose. You build resilience by making those forces ordinary. You age with more agency when your days are designed to support the life you still intend to live.

Wim's Wise Words

A second take, from someone who's lived it.

If you take one thing from this, take the pressure off living longer and put your attention on living cleaner today. Not perfect. Cleaner. A day with steadier food, enough movement, a proper pause, and sleep protected like an appointment changes the signal you send your body.

Longevity gets noisy when it becomes a project. Trackers, supplements, fasting windows, cold plunges, sauna sessions, blood panels. Some of it has value. Much of it depends on whether the foundation is already in place. None of this replaces sleep. None of this replaces strength. None of this replaces eating in a way your future self can recognize.

Where I'd Start

Start with the first hour and the last hour of the day. In the morning, get light, move your joints, and delay the rush. At night, make the room quieter, cooler, and less interesting. The body reads rhythm as safety; safety is where adaptation gets to work. If that feels too simple, read Sleep Is the First Longevity Protocol. It is the least glamorous lever and often the most honest one.

Then add temperature with respect. Sauna is not a badge. Cold is not a dare. They are deliberate stressors, and the dose matters. I like heat when the day needs closing: twenty minutes, slow breathing, no phone, then a cool rinse and a quiet evening. It creates a clean separation between effort and recovery. Cold belongs where you can meet it with composure, not panic. You are training the pause between stimulus and response.

If you want the contrast side in more detail, Thermal Stress, Cellular Longevity is the natural next read. The principle is simple: hormesis works when the stress is brief, intentional, and followed by recovery. More is not mastery. Better is mastery.

Be careful with fasting. A short overnight fast can bring structure. Longer fasts are a different matter and deserve proper supervision, especially when appetite, medication, blood sugar, or stress are already complicated. The goal is not to prove discipline. The goal is to restore choice.

The test I trust is quiet: do you feel steadier after the ritual, and can you repeat it next week. If yes, keep it. If it leaves you depleted, shorten it. Longevity is built by protocols that respect the life you actually live.