A longevity doctor has revealed the morning routine that he claims helped de-aged him by 20 years.
Dr Mark Hyman is now 63 years old — but his biological age (the age of his cells) is the same as that of a 43-year-old.
Dr Hyman believes that aging does not have to be an inevitable decline of the human body, but is rather a ‘treatable condition’.
He heralded exercise as the ‘most powerful’ anti-aging drug, working out for three hours a day.
While he doesn’t expect everyone to have that flexibility in their schedule, he’s shared his morning routine that almost everyone can follow:
Pictured above is the morning routine followed by Dr Mark Hyman, a longevity expert who is trying to live to be 180 years old
Revealing his routine to the Insider, he said that he always makes sure to wake up at 6am every day.
He then settles down for 20 minutes of meditation, before having a coffee with his wife and taking some time to write for his website.
Next, the doctor does 30 minutes of strength training, using both his body weight and weight lifting, to help maintain his muscles.
He then has a steam shower — which involves using a steam generator to surround the body with water vapor rather than a traditional shower — and takes a three-minute cold plunge in water at 40 Fahrenheit (or four Celsius).
Afterward, Dr Hyman has his first meal of the day, a ‘health aging shake’ filled with blueberries, whey protein powder, zucchini and chia seeds.
Blueberries are a well-known ‘superfood’, packed with antioxidants that can reduce inflammation, improve blood pressure and even delay cognitive decline. Chia seeds contain fatty acids that can boost heart health, zucchini is filling while being low in calories to help avoid weight gain while protein powder helps to support the growth and maintenance of muscles.
‘The most important things are exercise and a diet with healthy fats and plant foods,’ he said.
‘No amount of supplements can replace those.’
Asked which part of the plan was most important, he said: ‘Resistance training really transformed my body and my health.
‘People don’t realize those problems occur with things that we can change, that are reversible. It’s a treatable condition, as opposed to an inevitable decline.’
Muscle mass drops by about three to eight percent every decade after someone hits their 30s, and drops by 10 to 15 percent every decade in the 50s.
Bones also get weaker, which makes falls more severe.
This has led many experts to urge older people to undertake strength training to boost bone and muscle strength and stop the decline. Several studies, including a paper from last year, suggest that older people who lift weights have a lower risk of an early death.
Meditation may also be able to help slow aging by reducing stress and levels of stress hormones like cortisol in the body, which can damage to cells.
One paper in 2020 that tracked Buddhist monks for 18 years found that meditation slowed brain aging by up to eight years among those that did it daily compared to those who did not.
Another meta-analysis from 2021 suggested that regular meditation slowed signs of aging in cells.
There are also signs that cold showers can help to slow aging by reducing inflammation in the body and, therefore, also reducing cell damage.
A steam shower can also help to counteract the signs of aging, experts say, by hydrating the skin to help someone to appear more youthful. good
Dr Hyman is also a ‘pegan’, which means he is an adherent of the paleo diet as well as a vegan. Daily, he focuses on having mostly plant-based whole foods.
Studies have shown that while non-meat diets keep inflammation low, adherents may miss out on key nutrients and minerals found in meat.
This is why vegans often need to take supplements like iron in order to ensure their diet is nutritious enough.
In terms of supplements, he takes creatine to support muscle and brain health. He also takes the fatty acid C15:0 to help improve his sleep and lower stress.
In his book, ‘Young Forever’, published in February, Dr Hyman says he is aiming to live to 180 years old.
He writes: ‘I plan to live to be 120, maybe even 180, in good health, savoring the miraculous gift of this life every day.’
In 2004, he was recruited as a doctor for Bill Clinton following the former president’s quadruple bypass surgery.
He became friends with the Clintons and, in 2014, was reported by the New York Times to still be part of their inner circle.
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