Aim for 7 to 9 hours of sleep per night, as this range is associated with the lowest risk for type 2 diabetes and improved metabolic health, whereas consistently sleeping less than 7 hours increases risks like elevated fasting insulin, higher HbA1c, and increased visceral fat.
Meet physical activity guidelines of 75 minutes per week of vigorous exercise or 150 minutes of moderate intensity exercise, as this can mitigate higher all-cause mortality risk even if sleep is suboptimal, effectively ‘forgiving a lot of sins’ related to poor sleep.
Incorporate HIIT into your routine at least three times a week for at least eight weeks, using intervals of 60 seconds or less of intense effort (at least 75% max heart rate) followed by about 90 seconds of recovery, as it outperforms moderate exercise in improving metabolic health, insulin sensitivity, body composition, and mitochondrial function.
Finish your last meal at least three hours before your natural bedtime, because melatonin production, which starts around this time, quiets the pancreas and makes the body less insulin-sensitive, making late-night eating detrimental to metabolic health and sleep quality.
Consume all your daily food within a restricted window of 6 to 10 hours, as this can improve glucose regulation, insulin sensitivity, and blood pressure, and often leads to reduced calorie intake, weight loss, and decreased visceral fat, even without intentional calorie reduction.
For more profound metabolic benefits, aim to end your last meal around 4 PM within a 6-hour eating window, as this aligns with peak insulin sensitivity and significantly improves insulin levels, blood pressure (equivalent to some anti-hypertensive treatments), and reduces oxidative stress more robustly than later eating windows.
Perform short bursts of vigorous intensity exercise (1-2 minutes) throughout the day, such as 10 bodyweight squats every 45 minutes, or sprinting up stairs, to improve glucose homeostasis, break up sedentary time (an independent risk factor for diseases like cancer), and significantly reduce cardiovascular, cancer, and all-cause mortality.
Perform exercise snacks either 30 minutes to an hour before a meal or 30 minutes to an hour after a meal to improve postprandial glucose regulation and glucose disposal, which reduces the burden on your pancreas to produce insulin.
Expose yourself to bright light for at least 30 minutes first thing in the morning to help reset your circadian rhythm, promote timely sleepiness at night, and hasten the clearance of melatonin upon waking.
After sunset, avoid bright blue light exposure from screens and other sources, or use dimmers, red/orange lights, or blue light filtering glasses, because blue light inhibits melatonin production through melanopsin signaling and can disrupt sleep.
Sleep in a completely dark room, as even a little ambient light can disrupt sleep, and manage your bedroom temperature to be cool, as lowering core body temperature is an important part of the circadian rhythm for good sleep.
After waking up, wait about an hour before consuming your first meal, as your body is still producing some melatonin during this period, and bright light exposure can help inhibit this and hasten its clearance.
Be mindful of caffeine consumption, especially in the afternoon, as caffeine can shift your circadian clock by approximately 45 minutes per cup, potentially delaying your natural bedtime.
If you are a short sleeper (getting fewer than seven hours of sleep), adjust your bedtime to go to sleep earlier or wake up later to increase total sleep time, as each additional hour can improve insulin sensitivity, normalize hunger hormones (leptin and ghrelin), reduce appetite, decrease sugar intake, and aid in weight loss.
If you suffer from insomnia, explore CBTI, which involves practices like stimulus control (bed is only for sleep), temporary sleep restriction (getting out of bed if unable to sleep), sleep hygiene recommendations, sleep education, and relaxation techniques, as it effectively improves sleep quality, HbA1c, and blood pressure.
Consider taking an omega-3 supplement to support neurodevelopment, cognitive function, reduce cardiovascular mortality, dampen chronic inflammation, and promote healthy aging, especially since over 90% of the global population does not meet recommended intake levels.
When selecting an omega-3 supplement, prioritize factors like purity, freshness, the bioavailability of different forms, and dosing strategies that can elevate your omega-3 index to a level linked to a five-year increase in life expectancy.