Oh, the age… Most people dread the thought of getting older, gradually becoming frail and possibly needing help.
The image of dwindling fullness of life, limited mobility, chronic pain and possibly impending
loneliness is just buzzing in the mind. How old can we actually get? The science of epigenetics says
it can last up to 150 years. The reality looks different.
Most people want to stay healthy and productive for as long as possible. What resources are available for this, what is possible?
A network of people has been formed who are trying to answer these questions with their own experiences. They use the latest findings in medicine and science, experiment with themselves, and are a global community.
They call themselves biohackers and are constantly exchanging ideas. Biohacking means physical and
mental self-optimization by exploiting your existing potential. Biohacking: optimize yourself!
The key to success lies in the big magic five: S- E- R- E- S:
– Sports
– Eating (Food)
– Relaxation, which includes sleep and sex
– Environment
– Supplements
In the harmonious interaction of these areas, the biological age (bio-age) can be significantly influenced.
This can differ significantly from the calendar (chronological) age stated in the ID card. The findings on these basic building blocks are not new at all, but it is their conceptual synergistic composition and their routine application that make them so effective.
Two questions arise:
1. How old do you feel?
2. How old are you really?
Do you know people who are over 65 years old, full of energy and healthy, going through life with vigor? Have you met her before? These people have often unconsciously adhered to rules similar to those of biohacking throughout their lives.
Without a doubt, it takes effort and time to integrate these principles into daily operations. But it’s worth it!
I was infected by it a few years ago and feel like I belong to the scene. I would like to share with you my favorite daily routines that I have maintained to this day:
In the Morning:
1. 10 minutes of stretching and yoga elements immediately after waking up
2. Take a 30 second hot/cold shower
3. 10 minutes of Tai Chi outside, balcony/terrace
4. Late breakfast, from 10:30 a.m. (intermittent fasting for at least 16 hours)
Midday:
1. Lunch from 2:30 p.m. or skip it
2. 30 minute walk
3. 10 minutes of meditation and breathing exercises according to Wim Hof
4. 15 minute nap (be creative with how you do it)
At Evening:
1. A sports session for 45 min, dancing or yoga, as early as possible
2. Dinner no later than 6:30 p.m. or earlier if there was no lunch
3. A hot bath/shower
4. Relaxation before going to bed (around 11 p.m.): listen to podcasts/music, read a book or Netflix etc., always with blue light blocker glasses!
“The Amino Revolution” – that’s the name of the latest book by probably the best-known internist and molecular medicine specialist in Germany – Dr. Ulrich Strunz. http://www.strunz.com
Until recently he had a private practice in Roth. His successful program “forever-young” and the concept of “happy-medicine” are just a few milestones in his moving and varied life.
When I read the book, I was truly “revolutionized”. His thesis: many diseases, even the aging processes, can be traced back to the content and utilization of amino acids in our bodies. I was astonished and at the same time hopefull for good solutions in the future.
The fact that amino acids are the building blocks for proteins, which mainly our bodies consist, is not really new knowledge. But what happens when we don’t get enough of certain amino acids? Can targeted administration of amino acids cure diseases and even slow down aging?
These exciting questions Dr. Ulrich Strunz dedicated his everyday practice for several years.
Based on the study from the Max Planck Institute listed in his book, 14 crucial laboratory blood values of a person show whether they are healthy and how long they would live. Among these 14 values are 5, which belong to the most important amino acids. The “Amino-Status”.
“Health needs the right building material” – is the title of a chapter in his book.
In addition to the amino acids, our body needs also 47 vital substances: 13 vitamins, 22 minerals and 12 micro-elements. If you don’t want to spend too much time dealing with the matter and still want to practice good prevention, you should follow a few rules.
The main message: eat lots of protein! We need at least 1 gram per kg/weight of it every day. 1.2 grams is better. Too many amino acids – it does not exist!
I can’t say enough: sports and a balanced food are of the utmost importance for a long healthy life. Sports and protein, i.e. amino acids, allow muscles to grow and fat to melt. This is the health formula!
“What you eat is about what you think” – is another maxim of Dr. Ulrich Strunz!
Here’s my 5-point plan for a healthy amino status:
1. Calculate your daily protein requirement (1-1.2 grams/kg weight) and try to cover it. Animal based protein is better utilized by the body.
2. Prepare a drink from amino acid powder after each sports session, make sure you choose a trustworthy provider.
3. If a meal is low in protein – add a tablespoon of collagen powder: it tastes neutral and provides 9 grams of protein.
5. Check your amino acid status in the blood from time to time and compensate the deficits by taking certain amino acid preparations. This is offered by designated doctors.
Staying young as you grow old doesn’t happen just like that. You have to work at it. But when you put in the effort, you can lower your biological age to the point where it’s well below the age written in your passport.
Along with a regular fitness routine, a healthy diet and getting enough rest, there’s another key component to lowering your biological age: taking nutritional supplements. In the biohacking world, supplements are a definite must!
Nutritional supplements don’t just support the body’s functional and regenerative capabilities. They can also help counteract the effects of aging. And some—like vitamin D in the winter—are indispensable.
Nutritional supplements include everything from multivitamins and skin-supporting substances like hyaluronic acid and collagen (which are naturally produced in the human body, but diminish with age) to newfangled plant extracts like fisetin and quercetin.
The range of supplements on the market nowadays is as wide-ranging as it is confusing. Determining which ones are effective (and which aren’t) depends on your reasons for taking them.
When it comes to taking supplements and lowering your biological age, it’s important to focus on the following health goals:
Preserving vein elasticity and cardiac performance
Strengthening the bones and maintaining the functionality of the joints
Counteracting micro-inflammations and rapidly disposing of bodily waste
Here’s a list of nutritional supplements I’ve had good experiences with—and noticeable positive results:
Daily:
Spermidine (6mg)
Selenium (50mg)
Magnesium (400mg before going to sleep)
In alternating 4-week cycles:
Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids
Vitamin B, C, and E complex
Glucosamine and chondroitin capsules
Reishi mushroom capsules
Ashwagandha capsules
Quercetin capsules
Amino Acids or Nucleotides
Once a month over 2 days:
Fisetin (1500mg)
In the winter months, from November to May:
Vitamin D (20mg per day), ideally in combination with vitamin K and calcium
Besides the supplements I’ve mentioned above, collagen is especially important, since it contains valuable components for skin, tendon and joint health. Due to its high protein content (9g per tablespoon of powder), collagen can be a healthy way to increase your daily protein intake: mix 1 – 2 tablespoons into soups or drinks as needed.
The same goes for CBD oil (a derivative of the cannabis plant that doesn’t contain any intoxicating chemicals), which is full of healthy vital substances and has a relaxing effect on the body. Take it as needed!
The 10 best quick meals for long-term health and fitness!
These days, when it comes to cooking, there are three important benchmarks:
It has to be quick.
It has to be healthy.
It has to taste good.
Here are 10 recipes for dishes that more than satisfy all three of these criteria. Each recipe serves 2 people and takes about 15 to 20 minutes to make.
Russian Borscht Stew with Buckwheat
Russian Stew with buckwheat
1 medium-sized head white cabbage
1 fresh red beet
1 large carrot
2 medium-sized tomatoes
1 thick slice celery root
½ a leek
2-3 large mushrooms or 1 handful chanterelle mushrooms
150 grams buckwheat grains
2 tablespoons vegetable broth powder
Olive oil
Parsley
Slice the vegetables and the mushrooms. Boil 1 liter of water and add the vegetable broth powder to dissolve. Add the sliced vegetables, mushrooms, and buckwheat grains. Cook for 10 minutes at low heat. Finish with a generous dash of olive oil and a handful of chopped parsley.
Serve with a spoonful of hummus and/or sour cream.
Fish fillet (for example, smoked mackerel, as shown here) with FriedPimientos and Blue Cheese Porridge
Fish-Filet with mush potatoes and roasted pimientos
1 smoked mackerel
Alternative: use salmon or any other fish you prefer, season with salt, pepper, a tablespoon of olive oil, and a few drops of balsamic vinegar, then bake in foil for 20 minutes at 185 °
1 bag of green pimientos (a.k.a. pimientos de padron)
2 or 3 potatoes
50 grams of blue cheese
100 milliliters milk
Salt, pepper, and olive or rapeseed oil for sautéing
Fresh tomato slices for garnish
Remove the skin and bones from the mackerel. Fry the pimientos in oil with salt and pepper. Boil the potatoes in salted water, drain ¾ of the water, add the blue cheese and milk, and mash together with a fork or a potato masher.
Serve with a few slices of fresh tomato.
Vegetable Pancakes with Herb Quark, Hummus, and Mixed Green Salad
Feel younger with healthy food
Vegetable pancakes (or potato pancakes), hummus, and herb quark from the deli counter at your favorite supermarket
Salad ingredients: organic mâche greens (a.k.a. lamb’s lettuce), ½ cucumber, 2 tomatoes, green onion
2 tablespoons olive, sunflower, or MCT oil
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Warm the vegetable pancakes in the oven at 180°C for 15 minutes. Combine the greens with the chopped cucumber, tomato, green onion, salt, pepper, oil, and vinegar.
Remove the vegetable pancakes from the oven, place on large plate, top with herb quark and hummus, and serve with salad on the side.
The Classic: Fried Potatoes with Eggs Sunny-Side-Up and Fresh Sauerkraut
Fried potatoes with eggs and sauerkraut-salad.
2 or 3 new potatoes
Organic eggs
150 grams fresh sauerkraut per person (barrel-cured is best)
1 or 2 green onions, chopped
Seasoned salt and pepper
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Caraway seeds
1 tablespoon flaxseed or sunflower oil
Rapeseed or olive oil for frying
Peel potatoes and slice them as you prefer. Place potatoes in a skillet with olive or rapeseed oil and chopped green onion and brown for 7-10 minutes. While the potatoes are cooking, combine the maple syrup, a pinch of caraway seeds, and flaxseed oil with the sauerkraut. Place the fried potatoes on a large plate with the sauerkraut on the side. Cook the eggs in the same skillet you used to fry the potatoes, sprinkling them with seasoned salt. Lay the eggs atop the fried potatoes and serve.
Red Lentil-Vegetable Soup
Red Lentil Soup with vegetables
500 milliliters organic vegetable broth
200 grams red lentils
50 grams fresh ginger
100 grams chanterelle or porcini mushrooms
200 grams broccoli, green asparagus, or another favorite vegetable
1 bunch of “soup vegetables” (1 rib celery or 1 piece of celery root, 1 leek, 1 handful curly parsley, and 1 carrot, as needed)
2 tablespoons olive or MCT oil
Parsley
Bring the vegetable broth to a boil. Rinse the lentils and add them to the broth. Grate the ginger directly into the broth. Wash and chop the mushrooms and vegetables, and add them to the pot. Cook for 10 minutes. Finish with oil and a handful of parsley.
Serve the soup with a spoonful of sour cream.
Tortellini with Jumbo Shrimp
Tortellini with Jumbo Shrimp
1 package fresh tortellini pasta
400 grams jumbo shrimp
1 green onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic
2 medium-sized tomatoes
4-5 marinated sun-dried tomatoes
100 grams whole green olives
1 chili pepper
1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder
30 grams of Parmesan cheese
Olive or rapeseed oil for sautéing
Add shrimp, vegetable broth powder, chopped green onions, olives, and chili to a wok and sauté in olive oil. Meanwhile, chop the garlic, sun-dried tomatoes, and fresh tomatoes. Bring a large pot of water to a boil, add salt, and add tortellini, cooking for about 4 minutes. Drain the pasta. When the shrimp are red and cooked through, add the rest of the chopped vegetables to the wok, and cook, stirring frequently, for about 3 minutes. Add the drained tortellini to the wok and stir to combine.
Serve in pasta bowls and garnish with freshly grated Parmesan.
Mixed Green Salad with Seaweed and Tofu
Green salad with seawead and roasted tofu
250 grams mâche greens (a.k.a. lamb’s lettuce)
2 or 3 medium-sized tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 ripe avocado
1 green onion
Seaweed salad from the deli counter
Your favorite salad dressing
200 grams firm tofu
50 milliliters soy sauce
Rapeseed oil for sautéing
Cut tofu in to large pieces and marinate for 10 minutes in soy sauce. Chop the salad ingredients and combine with the dressing. Serve on two large plates, spooning the seaweed salad over the top. Heat oil in a wok and cook the soy sauce-marinated tofu until well browned.
Arrange the browned tofu pieces over the salad and serve.
Kefir-Spelt Pancakes with Cottage Cheese
Kefir-Spelt Pancakes with cottage cheese
250 milliliters kefir
2 eggs
4 heaping tablespoons spelt flour
Cottage cheese
1 container fresh raspberries
1 tablespoon honey
Flaxseeds (about 1 tablespoon)
A pinch of salt
Butter, plus oil for cooking
Preheat oven to approximately 70°C. Combine the kefir, eggs, and spelt flour, and add a pinch of salt. In a small pan, fry the pancakes in a little oil, brush them with butter, and place them in the preheated oven on a plate to keep warm. In a bowl, smash the raspberries and combine them with honey and flaxseeds.
Serve the pancakes with cottage cheese and garnish with spoonfuls of the raspberry mixture.
Pasta with Stir-fried Zucchini and Mozzarella
Pasta with vegetables and Mozzarella
2 small zucchini
1 green onion
½ red bell pepper
100 grams of your favorite mushroom
2 medium-sized tomatoes
1 clove garlic
1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder
2 large balls of fresh mozzarella
30 grams Parmesan cheese
Oil for sautéing
Freshly ground pepper
Tagliatelle noodles for two
Cook the pasta in boiling salted water according to the package directions. Drain. Chop the vegetables, mushrooms, tomato, and garlic and sauté in a large skillet with oil, vegetable broth powder, and ground pepper. Add the cooked, drained pasta to the skillet and stir well to combine.
Divide into two pasta bowls, top each with a ball of mozzarella, and sprinkle with freshly grated Parmesan.
Sautéed Vegetables with Chicken Strips
Roasted vegetables with chicken strips
300 grams boneless, skinless chicken breast
300 grams green asparagus (or another favorite vegetable)
Green onion
1 yellow bell pepper
1 rib celery
1 clove garlic
2 tablespoons olive oil
Balsamic vinegar, approximately 1 tablespoon
1 tablespoon organic vegetable broth powder
1 medium-sized tomato
Marinate chicken breast in 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste for 1 hour. After marinating, cut chicken breast into strips.
Chop the asparagus (or other vegetable), green onion, yellow bell pepper, celery, and garlic and sauté in olive oil for 5-7 minutes. Divide the vegetables between two plates. While the pan is still hot, brown the chicken strips for 3-4 minutes over high heat. Place the browned chicken strips on top of the vegetables. Garnish with slices of fresh tomato.