I’ve been interested in longevity for a while now, even though I’m only 43 and in good health. I think there are many reasons why it’s desirable to extend our lives with at least a couple of decades without this becoming a huge burden for the planet. I’ve written about longevity before in an article called Who wants to live forever?
How are whales doing it? They’re among the longest-living mammals. Photo by Todd Cravens on Unsplash.
So far my longevity regimen has been pretty non-controversial:
Don’t text while driving.
Eat mainly nutrient dense, minimally processed (i.e. low refined) plant-based food with lots of fibers. Don’t consume too much salt, gluten, or oil.
Minimize toxins, like caffeine and alcohol. Avoid nicotine altogether.
Do intermittent fasting, i.e. don’t eat or drink for 13-15h per day, mainly for calorie restriction.
Add certain natural supplements, with proven benefits for your body and brain, like Turmeric, a flowering plant (Curcuma longa of the ginger family).
Walk at least 3 km every day, preferably 5 km, and do 35 min of yoga or stretching every morning.
Sleep enough (8h for me) and meditate 2 x 10 mins per day with an app like Calm or Waking Up.
Minimize chronic stress and anxiety by not worrying about things you have no control over, and instead prioritise happiness, express gratitude, and learn to forgive.
Naturally, I’m not a doctor and I’m not giving any medical advice. I’m simply writing down what I’ve been doing with some positive results.
Recently I’ve stumbled across David Sinclair’s fascinating work on anti-aging, which he is able to explain in an understandable and compelling way. Sinclair is a Professor in the Department of Genetics and Co-Director of the Paul F. Glenn Center for the Biology of Aging at Harvard Medical School. He’s made a number of podcast appearances, for example on the Joe Rogan Experience (ep. #1234) and on Azeem Azhar’s Exponential View Podcast (Season 4, Episode 24). There’s also an interesting presentation he gave for Talks at Google.
What I find inspiring is that Sinclair says it out loud: “Aging should be considered a disease and we should treat it”. He goes on to explain how the science of aging (or rather anti-aging) has developed during the recent years and what can be done to slow down the aging process or to some extent even reverse it. To be clear, immortality or super-longevity is not on the table (at least not for a long time), but what we can achieve is gaining some extra years accompanied by good mobility, stamina, and clarity of mind.
Sinclair also talks about the benefits of calorie restriction through intermittent fasting, of minimizing chronic stress, and of eating mainly plant-based foods. Interestingly he also talks about a few molecules that could have anti-aging properties. These include Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) and Resveratrol, but the scientific research (especially with regards to lifespan) is still in early stages.
It would be great to understand more about NMN and Resveratrol, as the latter seems to be readily available as a dietary supplement in most natural foods stores. I’m probably going to be a bit more informed after having read Sinclair’s new book Lifespan: Why We Age, and Why We Don't Have To, which I just bought on Audible. Stay tuned for more on this topic later.