Anti-Aging Expert on How Missing This Vitamin Is As Bad As Smoking, and What You Should Know About Creatine!

1. Prioritize Vigorous Exercise

Engage in vigorous intensity exercise where your heart rate reaches 80% of its maximum, making conversation difficult. This type of exercise is more effective than 10,000 steps for improving cardiorespiratory fitness, which is a key predictor of longevity and can reverse heart aging by 20 years.

2. Implement HIIT Protocols

For optimal cardiorespiratory fitness, try the Norwegian 4x4 protocol (four 4-minute intense intervals followed by 4 minutes of recovery) or a 1-minute on, 1-minute off protocol repeated 10 times. These methods significantly improve fitness and brain health by generating lactate, a ‘miracle molecule’ that acts as ‘miracle grow for your brain’.

3. Optimize Vitamin D Levels

Aim for blood levels of vitamin D between 40-80 nanograms per milliliter, as this range is associated with the lowest all-cause mortality and a 40% reduced risk of dementia. Most deficient individuals can achieve this by supplementing with approximately 4,000 IUs of vitamin D3 per day.

4. Boost Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Maintain a high omega-3 index (8% or higher) through diet or supplementation, as a low index carries a mortality risk comparable to smoking and is linked to a five-year reduction in life expectancy. Supplementing with 1-2 grams of purified fish oil daily can help achieve a high index and avoid contaminants found in whole fish.

5. Supplement Creatine for Brain Function

Consider supplementing with creatine, especially if you are vegan or under cognitive stress. While 5 grams daily benefits muscle health (with resistance training), 10 grams or more can increase brain creatine levels, negating cognitive deficits from sleep deprivation and enhancing overall cognitive function.

6. Increase Magnesium Intake

Ensure adequate magnesium intake, as nearly 50% of the US population is deficient, and it’s essential for over 300 enzymes, DNA repair, and energy production. High magnesium levels are linked to a 40% lower all-cause mortality and 50% lower cancer-related mortality.

7. Adopt Intermittent Fasting

Practice intermittent fasting, ideally with a 16-hour fasting window, to promote cellular cleanup (autophagy) and improve metabolic parameters like glucose regulation and blood pressure, even beyond calorie restriction. Combine fasting with adequate daily protein intake (1.2-1.6g/kg body weight) and resistance training to preserve muscle mass.

8. Eat Earlier, Stop Before Bed

Consume your meals earlier in the day and aim to stop eating at least three hours before your natural bedtime. This practice improves sleep quality and glucose regulation, as melatonin production later in the day can impair insulin’s effectiveness.

9. Use Traditional Hot Saunas

Engage in frequent traditional hot sauna sessions (4-7 times a week for 20 minutes at 175-180°F) for significant reductions in cardiovascular-related (50%) and all-cause (40%) mortality. Sauna use mimics moderate-intensity exercise and can enhance cardiorespiratory fitness when combined with workouts.

10. Take a Daily Multivitamin

Supplement with a standard multivitamin daily, as studies show it can improve cognition, processing speed, and episodic memory, equivalent to reducing brain aging by five years. This fills crucial micronutrient gaps often missed in diet.

11. Consume Dark Leafy Greens & Blueberries

Incorporate dark leafy greens (like kale and broccoli) for magnesium, folate, vitamin K, and sulforaphane, which increases brain glutathione and detoxifies pollutants. Blueberries, rich in polyphenols, also improve cognition and blood flow to the brain.

12. Avoid Refined Sugars and Carbs

Minimize consumption of refined sugars and carbohydrates to prevent heart stiffening due to glycation and reduce brain atrophy. Even high-normal blood glucose levels are associated with more brain shrinkage.

13. Filter Drinking Water

Use a high-quality water filter, such as reverse osmosis, to remove pesticides and other contaminants, especially if living near agricultural areas or golf courses. Pesticides are known mitochondrial toxins linked to increased Parkinson’s disease risk.

14. Minimize Microplastic Exposure

Actively reduce exposure to microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals like BPA/BPS by avoiding hot beverages in plastic-lined paper cups, using loose-leaf tea instead of plastic-containing teabags, and opting for foods/drinks not stored in plastic-lined cans.

15. Increase Dietary Fiber

Consume more fermentable, soluble fiber to help reduce the absorption of microplastics in the gut. Fiber creates a viscous gel that encapsulates microplastics, preventing them from entering circulation.

16. Prioritize Deep Sleep

Ensure sufficient deep sleep to activate the glymphatic system, which clears amyloid plaques from the brain. Poor sleep over decades increases the risk of Alzheimer’s disease.

17. Pregnant Women: Ensure Choline Intake

Pregnant women should aim for high choline intake (around 930 milligrams daily) through diet (e.g., egg yolks) or supplementation. Studies show this can lead to higher IQ scores in children.

18. Consider Early Fertility Preservation

For women, consider freezing eggs or embryos at a younger age to preserve fertility options. This provides flexibility for family planning later in life, mitigating potential regrets about career focus delaying childbearing.