Establish a consistent routine of physical activity, as it is the most important thing for healthy aging, staving off dementia, cancer, and cardiovascular disease, and can even mitigate negative effects of sleep disruption.
Engage in short bursts of vigorous intensity physical activity (VILPA), such as 1-3 minutes of burpees or sprints, three times a day, which is associated with 30-40% lower all-cause and cancer mortality and provides unique brain health benefits through lactate production.
Perform resistance training to build and maintain muscle mass, which is crucial for aging well, as it becomes harder to gain muscle mass later in life.
Incorporate aerobic exercise, especially intense forms, as the sheer force of blood flow can kill circulating tumor cells, reducing cancer recurrence and mortality.
Ensure your exercise routine gets your heart rate up, makes you sweat, and leaves you feeling tired, as this indicates effective engagement in physical activity.
Regularly expose your body to controlled, low-level stressors like exercise, fasting, or hot/cold therapies to activate beneficial stress response genes that promote antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, autophagy, and DNA repair mechanisms, which are crucial for healthy aging.
Incorporate periods of not eating around the clock (fasting) to robustly activate autophagy genes, which are responsible for clearing out damaged components within cells.
Engage in heat stress therapies, such as using hot tubs or saunas, to activate beneficial stress response genes like heat shock proteins.
Focus on a food-first approach by eating diverse whole foods to obtain all essential micronutrients, which are crucial for metabolism, enzyme function, immune function, and neurotransmitter function.
Eat a variety of plants rich in phytochemicals (e.g., sulforaphane from broccoli, resveratrol from grapes/blueberries, curcumin from turmeric) to activate stress response genes and support cellular health.
Actively increase intake of marine-sourced omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), as deficiency is a top preventable cause of death and comparable to the harm of trans fats.
Get your omega-3 index measured, which reflects long-term EPA and DHA status in red blood cell membranes, to assess your levels and aim for an index of 8% for increased life expectancy and health benefits.
Incorporate fatty fish like salmon, mackerel, and sardines into your diet, as they are good sources of omega-3s and are low in contaminants, with omega-3s protecting against any potential toxicity.
Supplement with 1.5 to 2 grams of omega-3 (EPA and DHA) daily to raise your omega-3 index from 4% to 8%, which is associated with a 5-year increased life expectancy.
Pregnant women should not avoid eating fish due to mercury concerns, as the omega-3 fatty acids in fish protect against neurotoxicity and are correlated with improved intelligence in children.
Select omega-3 supplements in triglyceride form for better bioavailability, ensure low oxidation status, and verify purity (low mercury/PCBs) through third-party testing sites like IFOS.
Consider supplementing with vitamin D, especially if deficient (below 20 ng/mL), as 70% of the US population is inadequate. Aim for around 4,000 IU per day to reach sufficient levels (above 30 ng/mL), which is linked to lower all-cause mortality and improved immune function.
Get your vitamin D levels measured before and after supplementation to determine if you are deficient or insufficient and to ensure the supplement is effectively raising your levels.
Aim to increase magnesium intake, as 50% of the US population is inadequate. Magnesium is crucial for over 300 enzymes, including those for DNA repair and synthesis, and higher levels are linked to lower all-cause and cancer mortality.
Prioritize dietary sources of magnesium such as dark leafy greens, legumes, almonds, and oats, as most people do not consume enough.
If dietary intake is insufficient, consider supplementing with a bioavailable form like magnesium glycinate, malate, or citrate, being mindful that higher doses can cause GI problems. The speaker takes 125 mg of magnesium glycinate.
Drink electrolyte drinks after physical activity or sauna use to replace lost magnesium, sodium, and potassium.