Longevity Fundamentals 🔑🧬

Over recent years, I’ve been passively learning about longevity. On the way, I have wished for a concise, clear and simple resource to guide me through the basics. Now, being more acquainted with the topic, I have decided to share some learnings.

My approach is very scientific and recommendations are based in research, not beliefs.

In this post, I will concentrate on the 80/20 set of actions for longevity. In subsequent posts, I might delve deeper into sub-topics.

1. Sleep 💤

Sleep is crucial to longevity. Opt for 8+ hours of rest in a pitch-dark room, aligning your sleep with the sun’s rhythm. Ensure a steady bedtime and a room temperature of 19°C. Avoid eating or drinking 5 hours before sleep and limit screen exposure to at least 3 hours prior. Abstain from caffeine, alcohol, and sugar before heading to bed. Monitor your sleep with tools like the Oura ring for optimal results.

2. Food 🍛

Avoid sugar, dairy, and meat, opting instead for plant proteins like tofu, lentils, nuts, seeds, and quinoa. If muscle gain is your goal, consider increasing protein intake — albeit in moderation for longevity’s sake. Explore intermittent fasting routines, such as a day-long fast weekly or 16-hour daily fasts; the optimal fasting pattern is still under research.

Protein sources, in order of preference, are plant protein > fish > chicken > pork/beef. Aim for a moderate caloric intake (~2000 for men, ~1800 for women), just enough to quench hunger without overeating.

Learn about and include superfoods in your diet — Berries, Green Tea, Legumes, Nuts and Seeds, Garlic, Olive Oil, Ginger, Turmeric, Salmon, Avocado, Mushroom etc. Additionally, choose whole-grain bread, pasta, and rice to help control glucose spikes, contributing to heart health.

3. Supplements 💊

Supplements can be an effective way to fortify your longevity-enhancing regimen. Here’s a list of some key supplements:

• Vitamin D3 (4500 IU/day): This is generated by our body when exposed to sunlight, essential for numerous internal processes. Supplements help cover sunlight deficiency. (https://tinyurl.com/4dhh7d37)

• Fish Oil (1g/day): Contains omega-3, crucial for brain, heart health, and more. Available in direct oil form or capsules. (https://tinyurl.com/4e8y9fva)

• Resveratrol (1g/day): Found in red wine, it aids various biological mechanisms and reduces heart attack rates. (https://tinyurl.com/4kekxjm9)

• Creatine (5g/day): Naturally produced in the body, beneficial for brain function and muscle strength. (https://tinyurl.com/7s3auy8k)

• NMN (1g/day) or alternatively NR (less expensive): Shown to reverse age-related effects in numerous animal studies. With promising results in the first human studies over the past few years. (https://tinyurl.com/a4cjdrp2)

• AG1 (1 scoop/day): A mix of vital vitamins, minerals, and probiotics. (https://tinyurl.com/mr3ed6np)

• Whey: While not significantly impacting longevity, it doesn’t seem to harm and aids muscle development. (https://tinyurl.com/33fep3us)

4. Exercise 🏋️‍♀️

All forms of exercise can contribute to overall health, but High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) has been proven particularly beneficial for longevity or, more generally, any type of exercise triggering a high heart rate for a short amount of time. Regular stretching, too, is a key part of maintaining flexibility and preventing injuries (https://tinyurl.com/4y52t4vr). For optimal benefits, aim for at least 45 minutes of exercise four times a week (https://tinyurl.com/yf3dn524).

5. Hydration 💧

Stay hydrated, aiming for 6–8 glasses of water (2–3 liters) daily.

6. Temperature Exposure ❄️🔥

Get regular exposure to both cold and heat. Practice cold exposure through methods like cold showers or plunges. Similarly, seek regular dry heat exposure, ideally through sauna sessions three times a week for approximately 15 minutes each.

7. Environment Monitoring 🖥️

Maintain a healthy environment. Keep CO2 levels below 1000ppm and humidity between 45%-55%. Consider tools like Aranet4 for accurate monitoring (https://tinyurl.com/az36a46s).

8. Self monitoring 📊🔍

Keeping track of your health metrics is invaluable. Use devices like Oura for detailed sleep monitoring (https://tinyurl.com/2wsyx44v), Apple Watch for heart rate and various health statistics (https://tinyurl.com/mppdy6d7) A Whoop can be used for granular activity-related measurements (https://tinyurl.com/bde28jf6). You can also use a glucose monitor to discern your body’s unique blood sugar reaction to diverse foods (https://tinyurl.com/yd4xtnze), the goal being to avoid spikes of glucose which have been associated to decrease in longevity.

9. Regular Medical Checks 🏥🔁

Stay vigilant about your health by scheduling regular eye exams to gauge screen impacts, dental checkups for oral hygiene, and hearing tests.

Opt for regular blood tests and upload them to services like InsideTracker for deeper insights (https://tinyurl.com/yzbehwub). Don’t neglect comprehensive body health and fitness tests for overall wellbeing.

10. One-off Medical Checks 🥼

Consider some one-time procedures for preventive health and longevity. Stem cell extraction could offer future therapeutic benefits. Opt for a genome analysis (https://tinyurl.com/8wyhcey3) to identify any predispositions to certain diseases.

Lastly, testing with companies such as Tally can help establish your biological age versus chronological age (https://tinyurl.com/58zkcyd2).

11. Body 🚶‍♂️

For maintaining a healthy back, remember to keep a good posture, specifically, a straight back. For ear health, prioritize using headphones over earphones, and control the volume.

For skin care, ensure regular sun exposure while using sunscreen to guard against UV-induced DNA mutations that can accelerate aging. Limit unnecessary exposure to X-Rays when possible, such as during airport checks.

Put in place a basic skincare routine for the face including moisturizer and, optionally, oil, toner and serum (https://tinyurl.com/2k2rwads). For overall wellness, aim to reduce stress and maintain a healthy body fat percentage — ideally, a BMI of 18.5 to 24.9.

12. Phone 📱

To avoid undue distractions and minimize stress, curtail the attention-grabbing ability of your phone. Automate the ‘Focus Mode’ to minimize notification windows daily.

Restrict any unnecessary alerts and consider moving unavoidable notifications to batch alerts, preferably scheduled for one batch in the morning and one in the evening. Set a daily time limit on social media and entertainment apps.

To reduce eye strain, ensure your screen is always set to night mode.

13. Work Setup 🖥️

Set up your workspace to minimize strain and improve posture: a split keyboard (https://tinyurl.com/yc4kr6pw), a standing desk paired with a foot mat (https://tinyurl.com/4nrzx4dz), and a monitor positioned at eye level for blood circulation and posture.

Opt for a high FPS (60+), high-resolution screen to lessen eye strain. Employ the night mode setting on all devices to further alleviate eye fatigue.

14. Drugs and Alcohol 🥃

Limit alcohol and smoking. Also, minimize caffeine consumption, especially before sleep.

Conclusion

This concludes our short 80/20 walkthrough for longevity. Keep in mind that this is an ongoing research area and a lot of those advice are subject to change. But hopefully most of it remains relevant and helps you grow older healthier.

Recommended Readings

https://blueprint.bryanjohnson.co

https://www.amazon.com/Lifespan-Why-Age_and-Dont-Have