longevity framework

My framework for optimizing healthspan

This is my personal longevity framework — a living document of what I do to optimize my healthspan, and why. Each section outlines my practices alongside the research, books, and podcasts that shaped them.

The site is designed to be concise rather than comprehensive, and it remains a work in progress as I continue backfilling sources.

There are no affiliations, sponsorships, hidden agendas, or products for sale here. Finally, nothing on this site is medical advice — please do your own research and consult your medical team.

The Framework

My approach to longevity is built on these 8 core pillars:

Sleep icon

Sleep Quality

Habits that consistently improve sleep quality and recovery.

Intermittent Fasting icon

Intermittent Fasting

Time-restricted eating patterns I follow and why.

Diet icon

Diet

Foods I prioritize and foods I avoid, with the reasoning behind each.

Supplementation icon

Supplementation

What I take, chosen for strong evidence and difficulty getting from diet alone.

Stress management icon

Stress Management

What I do to keep cortisol in check and manage chronic stress.

Lifestyle icon

Lifestyle Choices

Environmental factors I actively manage — what I ingest, inhale, and put on my body.

Monitoring icon

Screening & Monitoring

Tests, devices, and data I use or have used to identify problems early and track progress.

Exercise icon

Exercise

Movements and types of exercise that I practice.

Sleep Quality

What I do to optimize sleep quality.

What I do

  • Zero alcohol — it destroys sleep quality, reduces REM sleep, lowers heart rate variability, raises resting heart rate, increases body temperature, and causes more wake-ups throughout the night
  • I keep a consistent schedule — same bedtime and wake time every day
  • I avoid blue light in the evenings — blue-blocking glasses and night mode on all devices
  • I use sleep-enhancing practices — sauna, hot baths, or hot showers before bed
  • I sleep with a cooler room temperature, keeping my core cooler and feet warmer
  • I keep my room as dark as possible
  • I choose mattresses, pillows, and bedding free from VOCs
  • I cut off caffeine in the early afternoon
  • I avoid triggering or stressful content in the evening
  • Stop eating 3 hours before bed

Research & further reading

Intermittent Fasting

The science on intermittent fasting is still evolving, but the general consensus is that time-restricted eating benefits healthspan. I've found a pattern that works for me and that I can sustain long-term.

What I do

  • I eat within an 8–10 hour window each day
  • Stop eating 3 hours before bed

Research & further reading

Diet

Diet has a massive impact on health, cognitive function, and lifespan.

Tip: I use Yuka to scan and assess products before buying. I avoid processed foods, added sugars, and unknown ingredients.

What I eat (positive impact)

What I avoid (negative impact)

  • Nitrites (damages DNA)
  • Processed meat
  • Carrageenan
  • Sugar
  • Fructose and high fructose corn syrup
  • Titanium dioxide
  • Silicon dioxide

Research & further reading

Supplementation

What I take — chosen for strong evidence of healthspan benefit and difficulty getting sufficient amounts from diet alone.

Stress Management

Chronic stress degrades long-term health. Here's what I do to manage it and keep cortisol in check.

What I do

  • Yoga
  • Mindful breathing
  • Music
  • Sauna (2x weekly)

Lifestyle Choices

Environmental factors I actively manage:

  • Ingestion — cooking and food storage, drinking water, and what I prepare food with
  • Inhalation — air quality, smoking, and what I breathe in daily
  • Topical — what I put on my skin, including personal care products
  • Microplastics — reducing microplastic exposure throughout daily life

Screening and Monitoring

I use screening and monitoring to catch problems early and track metabolic performance over time.

Screening

I prioritize early detection. Tests that I perform:

  • 4Kscore
  • Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) (annual to track rate of change)
  • Blood pressure (rarely, to see if anything has changed over time)
  • Colonoscopy
  • DNA analysis (one-time)
  • Gastroscopy
  • H. pylori

Research & further reading

Monitoring

What I use or have used to track performance or point-in-time health for experiments:

  • CGM (continuous glucose monitor) — useful for understanding how your regular diet affects insulin levels or for running specific experiments, but not something I use continuously; I don't see the benefit for someone without a compelling reason to (e.g. diabetic)
  • DNA tests — something I've had done once through a service to get my raw genetic data, which I then use with other services to analyze
  • Gut microbiome tests - I've done various ones to see how my baseline diet affects my gut microbiome and if I've gone through any periods of issues. I don't see a point in doing so on a regular basis if I'm always sticking to a healthy diet.
  • Sleep tracker - I've used my Apple Watch for this to get an idea of my sleep patterns while running experiments but I don't track it regularly. I don't see a point in doing so - my goal is to always stick to the same routine and lifestyle choices that optimize for good sleep.
  • Heart rate monitor - I use my Apple Watch for casual heart rate tracking during workouts and a Polar H10 chest strap when indoor cycling for Zone training.

Exercise

I treat exercise like personal hygiene — it's something that is done daily in some capacity.

What I do

  • Cycling or running (1-2x weekly)
  • HIIT routines (1-2x weekly)
  • Strength training (3x weekly)