Longevity 101

Living better for longer, not just longer

Longevity is a buzzword that’s often associated with extreme biohacking or expensive anti-ageing trends. But at its core, it’s much simpler and far more achievable. Dr Peter Attia, physician and longevity researcher, defines true longevity as the intersection of two essential goals:

• Lifespan - how long you live

• Healthspan - how well you live

In other words, the aim isn’t just to add years to your life, it’s to add life to your years.This focus on quality means you don’t need futuristic tech or radical regimens. You can start with the basics: movement, nutrition, sleep, emotional wellbeing, and prevention.

The Four Horsemen of Chronic Disease

In his recent Longevity 101 podcast episode, Dr Attia highlights the four key disease areas that most impact both lifespan and healthspan. These are the conditions most likely to shorten our lives and, more importantly, reduce our vitality and independence along the way.

1. Cardiovascular disease – heart attack, stroke, and vascular inflammation

2. Cancer – particularly those with strong lifestyle or hormonal links

3. Neurodegenerative disease – dementia, Alzheimer’s, and cognitive decline

4. Metabolic disease – diabetes, insulin resistance, fatty liver, and obesity

   
   

While genetics play a role, Attia stresses that most of what determines healthspan lies in lifestyle and early detection. Small, consistent improvements can dramatically reduce risk across all four areas.

The Longevity Toolkit

Dr Attia’s “five-pillar toolkit” is a practical, evidence-based way to approach longevity and it fits beautifully with an integrative, naturopathic model of care.

1. Movement: build your Centenarian Decathlon

Attia often talks about training for the “Centenarian Decathlon” - imagining the physical abilities you’d like to have at 100, then training for them now.That might mean building strength, stability, balance, and aerobic capacity, not to chase a number, but to stay capable, independent, and active for decades to come.

2. Nutrition: fuel, don’t restrict

Nutrition is about supporting your metabolism, hormones, and energy, not deprivation.

Attia encourages:

• Adequate protein intake to preserve lean muscle (especially important through perimenopause and ageing).

• Stable blood glucose and nutrient-dense foods for long-term metabolic health.

• Flexibility — there is no one perfect diet, but quality, consistency, and balance matter most.

  
  

3. Sleep and recovery: the foundation for repair

Sleep is not a luxury; it’s where the body restores, detoxifies, and recalibrates hormones. Poor sleep is strongly linked to insulin resistance, inflammation, and cognitive decline. Prioritising a dark, cool room, consistent sleep hours, and calming pre-bed rituals (such as herbal teas, mindfulness, or magnesium) can transform how you age.

4. Emotional and cognitive health: your overlooked longevity lever

Dr Attia often reminds listeners that emotional health may be as important as physical health. Longevity isn’t just about biomarkers, it’s also about relationships, purpose, stress management, and joy. Chronic stress, loneliness, and burnout are among the biggest hidden accelerators of ageing. Herbal nervines, meditation, community, and meaningful goals all play a role in resilience.

5. Prevention and precision: testing early, tailoring wisely

Finally, Attia is a strong advocate for proactive screening and personalised medicine.This might include:

• Regular blood tests for metabolic and cardiovascular markers

• Cancer screening appropriate to your age and risk profile

• Genetic and DNA testing to guide personalised nutrition and prevention

• Genetic and DNA testing to guide personalised nutrition and prevention

A personalised approach: where DNA testing fits in

Modern DNA and nutrigenomic testing (like DNA Life or myDNA) can reveal how your genes influence key pathways such as methylation, detoxification, inflammation, and metabolism.Understanding these subtle genetic variations can help guide lifestyle and nutritional choices for a more targeted longevity plan.

For example:

• If you metabolise caffeine slowly, reducing intake may improve sleep and stress resilience.

• Certain gene variants can affect vitamin D activation, methylation (MTHFR), or cholesterol metabolism, each can inform your prevention strategy.

Genes are not destiny; but they can illuminate where your body may need extra support.

Making longevity practical

You don’t need to overhaul everything overnight. The key is compound consistency, small habits, done regularly, that accumulate over time.

Start with:

• Move every day – mix strength, stability, and aerobic activity.

• Eat to nourish – protein, fibre, colour, and variety.

• Sleep deeply – make recovery your foundation.

• Connect and calm – build stress resilience and community.

• Test and tailor – stay informed through regular health checks and, if useful, genetic insights.

Longevity isn’t a one-time project. It’s a lifelong investment in health, independence, and vitality; the art of living well for as long as possible.

Interested in creating your own personalised longevity plan?

Book a consultation to explore how lifestyle, herbal support, and DNA testing can help you live not just longer, but better.