If the formula for my “healthspan” plan – a better way to frame things than life span, if you ask me – were a pyramid, privilege would be at the foundation. I have the privilege to spend money on supplements and high quality food and the privilege to spend time on my body, mind, and spirit. It’s important to acknowledge up front in any discussion about health, that systemic oppression and imperialism in all its ugly forms impacts health outcomes for millions of Americans and people worldwide.
Still, there are things all of us can do throughout our lives, despite circumstances and challenges, to improve our health. There are affordable and efficient ways to eat more plants, move our bodies more, and take even just a few deep breaths.
You don’t have to be a billionaire (Like Bryan Johnson of Blueprint) spending endless amounts of money on the latest longevity biohacks to improve your health, right now. I’ve been entrenched in this topic for over a decade, following the research, trying things on, and guess what? It all, almost always, comes back to the ancient, often unspoken, lessons of people living in the so-called Blue Zones, popularized by Dan Beuttner. Eat loads more plants. Move your body. Hang out with friends. Nourish your spirit. Harvard longevity researcher David Sinclair and longevity author Dr. Hyman share similar, with some minor variance, views.
We have yet to see a modern day tech bro biohacker live as long as the people in the Blue Zones, who have never obsessively tracked their every morsel or movement. So, while I love all the new tech and research, let’s keep it all in grand perspective. Just as science is finally catching up to the immense psychological wisdom around mindfulness, compassion, gratitude, and meditation imparted upon us through faith traditions like Buddhism, science is still catching up to the lifestyle and nutritional wisdom of peoples from around the world, who have lived close to mother earth, and their communities.
So, before I do a rundown of all the things I do to nourish myself physically, mentally, and spiritually, just know you don’t have to go all in. You certainly don’t have to be crazy about it like I am. You can pick and choose, do what you can, take your time. Be forgiving of yourself!
Nutrition
The billionaires at the helm of the meat and dairy industry, riddled with their toxic masculinity, would like you to believe that it is a good idea to be keto or even, the newest youtuber trend – carnivorous. Mounds and mounds of unbiased research is catching up to what the people of the Blue Zones have already proven to be true. If you want to live a long, healthful life, eat mostly plants. Most people who try Keto, don’t even do it right. It consistently ranks as one of the worst overall diets, and yet it’s still wildly popular among many biohackers because it makes them feel and look good, I would argue – temporarily..
I am a pescatarian, you could describe my diet as mostly mediterranean, and therefore I never eat animals that do not live in the sea, however sometimes my supplements are not entirely vegetarian or pescatarian.
Breakfast: I eat breakfast 4 out of 7 days of the week and mini-fast the others. I usually have something like coconut yogurt, keto cinnamon cereal, and blueberries. Why? The coconut yogurt provides fat which helps my supplements and nutrition from the berries better absorb into my body. The protein from the keto cereal begins my day with sugar-free satiation and fuel.
It’s a Saturday as I write this. I woke up late. I had a brunch of two slices of keto protein bread one with a fried egg and sauteed baby greens, and one with almond butter and blueberries.
Wait? You just trash talked the keto diet, yet you buy keto products? Yes, I buy some keto labeled products because they are low in sugar and provide protein, but I am not a follower of the keto diet.
I drink coffee every morning. There are many promising studies about the health benefits of coffee!
Lunch: I eat most of my lunches from the Thistle meal program. I eat their vegan lunches that are high in plant based, mostly bean based, proteins. These lunches are chok-full of greens like spinach, too! Thistle’s meals come in a wide variety of flavors and influences, and I have yet to get sick of them after over a year of indulgence. Thistle’s easy-to-pan-heat, plant-based meals nicely fit within the Blue Zone way of eating for those of us who don’t have gardens and/or don’t like to cook that much.
Dinner: I eat a plant-based dinner or sometimes a dinner that includes fish, especially salmon. I will treat myself to sushi and other, mostly Asian, meals out a bit more often than I should.
Snacks & Sweets: I do not have a huge sweet tooth, so just a bite of dessert or a piece of dark chocolate (hello, health benefits!) is usually enough for me. I keep it minimal.
Alcohol: My biggest weakness…I have stopped binge drinking (Learn more about my journey breaking up with my toxic relationship with alcohol here!), and only have a few glasses of wine per week. And hey, the people of the Blue Zones do too!
Beverages: I drink green tea or matcha and cinnamon or other herbal teas off and on, throughout every day. The health benefits of matcha are endless!
Supplements & Prescriptions
Daily: Turmeric. BroccoMax (broccoli) for sulphorophane. NMN & antioxidant combo through Signal by Elysium. Finasteride prescription for hair loss (research is promising re prostate cancer prevention as well). Collagen & creatine (small dose) powders in my coffee, tea or matcha smoothie.
Every few days: CoQ10, D3&K2, Magnesium
Skincare and Treatments – Let’s Talk Beauty!
Daily: Naturium (I’m a big fan of this affordable brand!) Rice Enzyme Cleanser, Vitamin C Serum (various brands), SPF – various brands. My favorite is the wonderfully liquidy Megashade SPF from ZitSticka!
Nightly: Cleanse. Various serums on rotation such as Azalaic acid or Tranexemic acid. Retin A prescription cream, .5, every other night. Thick moisturizer such as NMF by The Ordinary.
Weekly: Chemical exfoliation such as a glycolic acid from Krave Beauty. Red light therapy bulb toward face. Microcurrent device.
The above represents my core skincare routine, but I’m always trying out new serums, masks, and such. I often try to incorporate products with various peptides in them as well.
3-6 months: Botox around eyes and forehead
1-3/year: Filler touchups (Hyaluronic acid based fillers like Juvederm) in my chin, under eyes, upper cheeks. Lasers or light treatments for skin discoloration. The BBL/Moxy combination treatment is a current fave for sunspots.
Mind & Spirit
Daily meditation practices, daily reading of books on Buddhism, daily podcasts on mindfulness and Buddhism, yoga several times a week, monthly Sangha meetings with others. Where to start? Everyday Buddhism – the book and the podcast.
Exercise
Daily stretching. Daily dancing to music at home.
Every other day: Benchpress or cables for chest, dumbbells for biceps, leg presses, ½ hour power walking with intermittent jogging. This year I’ll be slowly adding in more muscle group training. I’m easing into this, as I know if I go hard I’ll stop all together. I also will not do too much cardio, like daily running, as that actually ages you.
Every other day: a walk around the local lake or do another hour of light cardio.
You’re hot then you’re cold… I love getting as hot and cold as tolerable, as often as possible, in controlled settings. I feel a difference in both my mind (more clarity, less anxiety, more uplifted mood) and body (less achey and stiff) now that I’ve been doing this. Sauna use is linked to longer life, and more recent research continues to show the benefits of hot/cold exposure. Getting cold was a challenge at first, but now I find it addicting. I have found that as a generally chilly person, getting cold often, helps me stay warmer otherwise. When traveling, I enjoy going to the various spas to use the sauna, hot tubs, and cold plunges. I do cryotherapy from time to time, usually in a circuit that includes sauna and then a meditative float tank. Here in the Bay Area, I go to Reboot. At home, I take long hot baths to the point where I begin to sweat, and then I contrast that with cold showers.
Zzzzzz
Sleep hygiene is so important, and something I’m working on. I have tinnitus and breathing issues, swollen turbinates, so the benefits of having an air filter near the bed are twofold. This is definitely an area that I’ll update you on as I progress, because at press time I am waking up far too often. I’m going to see a specialist soon. I’m also interested in trying out the Oura ring!
That’s my current, living blueprint, and it’s working great for me! I hope it gave you some ideas of things you might want to try out. Enjoy!
