OPTIMIZED

The Roadmap to Living Younger as You Age

Craig Tschirhart, MASc

Dan Vitale, DC
 DISCLAIMER: The information presented in this book is provided as a resource only and is
not to be used or relied on for any diagnostic or treatment purposes. It is not the intention of the
authors to give readers medical advice but rather provide information to better understand their
health.

The presence of a reference article does not reflect the endorsement of, or concurrence with any
illegal products, processes, services, or activities.

When participating in any exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you
engage in any exercise stated, you agree that you are voluntarily participating in these
activities, assume all risk of injury, and agree to release and discharge the authors from any and
all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising out of the contents of this book.

The authors advise you to take full responsibility for your safety and know your limits. Before
practicing the skills described in this book, be sure that your equipment is well maintained and
do not take risks beyond your level of experience, aptitude, training, and comfort level.

This book is not intended to act as a substitute for consultation with a licensed practitioner.
Please consult your healthcare team before implementing any strategies outlined herein.

Copyright © 2022 by Craig Tschirhart and Dr. Dan Vitale

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be transmitted or reproduced mechanically,
electronically, or by any other means, including photocopying, without permission in writing
from the copyright owners.

Illustrations © 2022 by Craig Tschirhart and Dr. Dan Vitale

Modelling & Photography by Made Quay and Devin Morgan
Copy Editing & Book Cover Design by Dexter Bryann Dichosa

First printing: February 2022

2
 Craig’s Acknowledgements
Thanks to my incredible partner, Madé, who has supported me every step of
the way. Thanks to my parents, Ed & Pauline, who have continually done
everything in their power to support me personally and professionally. Thanks to
everyone who has trusted me to improve their fitness and well-being over the past
10 years.

…
Dan’s Acknowledgements
Thanks to my amazing and supportive wife, Cynthia, for putting up with all my
new-found ways to eat, move, think, and self-experiment. Thanks to my five
children for being open to trying new things and joining in on all the adventures.

3
Table of Contents
Introduction...............................................................................................................................................7
PART 1: A New Evolution .........................................................................................................................10
Chapter 1: The Death Roadmap ............................................................................................................10
Chapter 2: A Rational Pipedream..........................................................................................................13
PART 2: A Path Towards Optimal ..............................................................................................................16
Chapter 3: Defying Aging 101 ...............................................................................................................16
Chapter 4: Optimal Mobility – Resolving and Preventing Joint Pain ...................................................... 20
What is Mobility? .............................................................................................................................21
Why Mobility Matters ......................................................................................................................21
The Five Pillars of Mobility ...............................................................................................................23
M1: Release .....................................................................................................................................23
M2: Open .........................................................................................................................................27
M3: Lengthen ...................................................................................................................................27
M4: Align ..........................................................................................................................................27
M5: Activate .....................................................................................................................................27
Pillar Order .......................................................................................................................................28
Test-Retest .......................................................................................................................................28
Duration ...........................................................................................................................................28
Timing ..............................................................................................................................................28
Mobility Work as Warm-up & Tissue Prep ........................................................................................29
Mobility vs. Muscle Mass .................................................................................................................29
Combining Pillars for Super-Mobility Exercises .................................................................................29
Mobility Programming and Prioritizing .............................................................................................31
The Ultimate Weekly Total Body Mobility Routine ...........................................................................32
Chapter 5: Optimal Conditioning – Training for Energy While Preventing Cardiovascular Disease ......... 69
What is Conditioning? ......................................................................................................................70
Conditioning Foundations.................................................................................................................70
Heart Rate Zones ..............................................................................................................................72
Human Energy Pathways ..................................................................................................................73
Variability Viability ...........................................................................................................................74

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 Perpetual Playtime ...........................................................................................................................74
The Risks of Chronic Cardio ..............................................................................................................75
Conditioning RX’d .............................................................................................................................76
Chapter 6: Building Functional Strength to Optimize Energy & Longevity ............................................. 79
Why Strength Matters ......................................................................................................................80
Strength Training Foundations..........................................................................................................80
Functional Movements .....................................................................................................................82
Load Appropriate .............................................................................................................................85
Balanced ..........................................................................................................................................85
Rest & Recovery ...............................................................................................................................86
Periodization & Deloading ................................................................................................................86
Recommended Assistance Movements ............................................................................................86
Sample Program ...............................................................................................................................89
Chapter 7: Discover Your Personal Nutritional Prescription for Fueling Sustainable Supreme Energy.... 90
Key Universal Truths.........................................................................................................................92
Macronutrients ................................................................................................................................93
Common Dietary Strategies ..............................................................................................................94
Paleo(lithic) Diet ...............................................................................................................................95
Vegan Diet........................................................................................................................................98
Vegetarian/Pescatarian Diet........................................................................................................... 100
Carnivore Diet ................................................................................................................................ 100
Caloric Restriction and Fasting ........................................................................................................ 103
Food for Thought ............................................................................................................................ 105
Chapter 8: How to Fight Cognitive Decline and Build Mental Resilience .............................................. 106
Healthy Body Equals Healthy Brain ................................................................................................. 107
Emotional Harmony ....................................................................................................................... 108
The Mental Power Habits ............................................................................................................... 108
The Mental Derailing Habits ........................................................................................................... 119
Final Thoughts ................................................................................................................................ 120
Chapter 9: Biohacking Your Way to a Long, Healthy & Energetic Life .................................................. 121
Heat Therapy.................................................................................................................................. 122
Cold Therapy .................................................................................................................................. 122

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 Light Therapy ................................................................................................................................. 123
Grounding ...................................................................................................................................... 124
Muscle Stimulation......................................................................................................................... 124
Magnetic Therapy .......................................................................................................................... 125
Prolotherapy .................................................................................................................................. 125
Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP).............................................................................................................. 125
Stem Cell Therapy .......................................................................................................................... 126
Young Blood ................................................................................................................................... 126
Continuous Glucose Monitor .......................................................................................................... 127
Limited EMF Overexposure............................................................................................................. 127
Breath ............................................................................................................................................ 128
Chew .............................................................................................................................................. 130
Biohack Wrap ................................................................................................................................. 130
Conclusion ............................................................................................................................................. 131
REFERENCES........................................................................................................................................... 133
Chapter 1: The Death Roadmap .......................................................................................................... 133
Chapter 2: A Rational Pipedream........................................................................................................ 133
Chapter 3: Defying Aging 101 ............................................................................................................. 134
Chapter 4: Optimal Mobility – Resolving and Preventing Joint Pain .................................................... 134
Chapter 5: Optimal Conditioning – Training for Energy While Preventing Cardiovascular Disease ....... 135
Chapter 6: Building Functional Strength to Optimize Energy & Longevity ........................................... 137
Chapter 7: Discover Your Personal Nutritional Prescription for Fueling Sustainable Supreme Energy.. 138
Chapter 8: How to Fight Cognitive Decline and Build Mental Resilience .............................................. 142
Chapter 9: Biohacking Your Way to a Long, Healthy & Energetic Life .................................................. 160
ABOUT THE AUTHORS ............................................................................................................................ 170

6
 Introduction
I want you to meet Mike, Dominick, and Frank. Growing up, they were inseparable best friends.
They hung out, played sports, and chased girls together. The three of them had a pretty similar,
typical North American middle-class upbringing. After high school, they followed different
paths. Mike moved to the west coast to pursue a career as an accountant. Dominick moved to
the east coast to follow his dream of becoming a teacher. Frank took on a job at a local factory.

Shortly after settling out west, Mike found himself mainly preoccupied with his studies. He
made some new friends in university, joined an intramural softball team to keep in shape, and
budgeted some social time and partying 2-3 times per week. He would drink fairly heavily once
per week with his floormates. He followed a fairly typical student diet. He occasionally cooked
but survived mainly on campus take-out.

Dominick was also adjusting to his newfound lifestyle. He kept on top of his studies enough to
keep his grades up for teacher’s college. He got a gym membership with his roommate, Kyle,
who was studying medical science and had a fascination for human performance and longevity.
They often prepared healthy meals together and still made time to party at least once per week,
but never had much interest in hard drugs or heavy drinking.

Frank spent most of his time with his other friends from high school. He worked long hours,
partied at least 3 nights per week, and found he didn’t have the energy for cooking, sports, or
working out. He survived mainly on take out and was hungover at work at least twice a week.
His new friends from work had introduced him to some party drugs, which was becoming more
of a regular habit.

As the years went on, they did their best to stay connected but continued to drift apart.

Soon after graduating, Mike started a successful accounting firm. He married a woman he met
in university, and they started a family. Between his career and family life, he found he only
had time for running a couple of times per week as a means to stay in shape. Mike and his
family followed a typical North American diet. Most meals consisted of meat, potatoes,
vegetables, bread, pasta, and something sweet a few times per week. Being forced to sit at work
for long hours had caused some joint issues that occasionally kept him up at night.

By the age of 40, Mike had grown fairly out of shape and had put on 30 pounds. He woke up
most days with a sore back and achy knees. As his business continued to grow, the mental stress
continued to mount, and he found his energy slipping more by the day.

Dominick made it through teacher’s college and landed a gig as a gym teacher. He also married
a woman he met in school, and they started a family. Dominick’s career and family life were
quite demanding, but he made sure to book regular time at the gym. His friend, Kyle, became a
health coach and would regularly hook him up with the latest tips on keeping in peak health.
Dominick and his family were quite diligent with their nutrition and supplementation. He and
his wife followed a cyclic ketogenic diet with regular intermittent fasting.

7
After some self-experimenting, he found this was the best routine to optimize his personal
performance. Under Kyle’s guidance, he learned to track his key biomarkers to better monitor
his health status and how his body was responding to his nutrition and lifestyle habits. He
learned how to live virtually pain-free and sleep well into his 40s by keeping a regular routine
of meditation, preventative mobility work, and some select biohacking routines. Based on his
appearance and energy level, Dominick was often mistaken for being 10 or more years younger
than his chronological age.

Frank grew unhappy with his job, especially after learning about the lives that Mike and
Dominick had built for themselves. He struggled to hold a meaningful relationship with a
woman for more than a few months. He got very little exercise and followed an unhealthy,
high-sugar diet.

Before long, Frank was obese. He regularly woke up in physical pain and started to struggle with
the physical and mental demands of a regular workday. To cope with the pain, he often resorted
to alcohol and drugs. By the age of 40, he looked like he was 55. He was diagnosed with Type II
Diabetes and fell into a deep depression.

As the men reached retirement age, the disparity in their lifestyle habits became more and more
consequential.

At the age of 65, Mike was waiting for a hip replacement the first week into retirement. He was
no longer able to run, and most physical exercise caused him severe pain. Not being able to
remain active with his family caused stress and tension with his wife. He felt he was failing to
set a good example for his children and grandchildren. The mental strain weighed heavily on
Mike, which ultimately derailed his energy and physical health even further.

After retiring from teaching at 65, Dominick decided to pursue an online consulting business.
He kept up with an ever-evolving routine to keep mobile, fit, and strong. He maintained a clean
diet that fueled him the precise amount to stay lean and energetic. Dominick’s favorite pastime
was playing tennis with his grandkids.

Meanwhile, Frank had fallen to severely compromised health. He had been admitted to assisted
living. He had lost both of his legs due to complications from diabetes. His health fell to an all-
time low, and he was given months to live.

Despite the aches and pains Mike had been feeling most of his life, he actually survived long
into retirement. By the age of 85, he was wheelchair-bound and admitted to assisted living. In
the last 10 years of his life, he lost control of his bowels and suffered from dementia. Mike
passed away at the age of 100.

Dominick stayed quite active and mentally sharp well into his retirement age. He actually never
stopped working! He kept learning and following new passions. His exercise routine changed
over the years, but he never let himself fall off track. He knew exactly what exercises helped
him optimize his energy and meet the physical demands of his everyday routine. By the age of
100, he was regularly mistaken for being in his 60s. Not only was he able to walk and use the

8
 washroom without assistance, but he was still able to play tennis with his great-grandkids!
The world has seen billions of Mikes and Franks walking the earth in this century. Dominick,
however, was essentially a new breed of human. Dominick completely changed how the world
perceived the possibilities of living into triple digits. He had spent most of his adult life
functionally living decades younger than his chronological age. He never suffered the same
physical and cognitive decline of his childhood friends, and it allowed him to live a much more
rewarding & prosperous life for much longer.

As you have likely guessed, the story of Mike, Dominick, and Frank is illustrative fiction.

Truthfully, the world has

not seen a Dominick yet.
The centurions living
today have lived half their
lives ignorant to some of
today’s universal truths
about health. They were
told that grains and dairy
were critical pieces to
maintaining a healthy diet.
They grew up without
access to fitness coaches
or even a gym. They were
unaware of the benefits of
regular exercise and the
dangers of smoking.

Technological
advancement over the past
100 years has brought us
countless treatments,
procedures, and drugs that
have increased human life
expectancy by nearly 30
years.

Today, world leaders in the

field of Aging Science are
predicting that there are humans living today that will live to be more than 150 years old.
However, the number of years spent in a wheelchair and diapers versus the number of
years spent playing tennis with your family is determined by the lifestyle choices you are
making today.

The purpose of this book is to provide a step-by-step guide on how to progress from living the
life of Mike or Frank towards living the energized and optimized life of Dominick.

9
PART 1: A New Evolution
Chapter 1: The Death Roadmap

Despite the breakthrough research and medical advances, the odds are heavily stacked against
us living a fully optimized life.

10
 Causes of Death to Americans in 20171

Chronic disease is by far the top killer in the world today. This is no surprise, considering that
more than 70% of Americans are overweight and the obesity rate is now upwards of 40%. But,
this goes far beyond just a weight problem.

The global adherence to optimal physical activity level is abysmal. Less than 5% of adults
participate in the recommended 30 min of physical activity each day.2 More than 80% of adults
do not meet the guidelines for minimal aerobic and muscle-strengthening fitness level.3

Average American diets are in excess of the recommended intake levels or limits in 1) calories
from solid fats and added sugars; 2) refined grains; 3) sodium; and 4) saturated fat. Over the
past 50 years, the average daily calories per person in the marketplace increased by
approximately 600 calories.2

11
There are multiple layers to this epidemic. Since the 1970s, the number of fast-food restaurants
has more than doubled.2 Today, we can order virtually anything we need from our phone and
have it delivered to our door within a couple of days. Manual labour is gradually replacing
machines. We are losing necessary functional reasons to stay active by the day. Not surprisingly,
Transparency Market Research is projecting the cardiovascular drugs market to be worth
US$91.0 Billion by 2025.

Cancer is on the rise. The International Agency for Research on Cancer has flagged 109
environmental factors that can increase cancer risk in humans.4 This includes a range of
chemicals, physical agents, biological agents, and lifestyle factors (e.g., processed foods and
smoking). The global oncology/cancer pharmaceutical narcotic market was valued at $97,401
million in 2017 and is projected by Allied Market Research to reach $176,509 million by 2025.

Education systems have systematically phased out physical education which then creates an
early sedentary pattern.

These industries are capitalizing on a progressively sicker population resorting to drugs in an

attempt to reverse the effects of their own lifestyle choices.

The issue is compounded by the spread and impact of mass misinformation. Seventy-five
percent of Americans believe they follow a healthy diet.5 It remains unclear what portion of the
75% following a ‘healthy diet’ is comprised of the 70% of Americans who are overweight or
obese.

Consequently, our lifespan is increasing much faster than our healthspan (ie, the number of
years we live with health and function). At this rate, we can look forward to doubling our
diaper-wearing years before long.

But, it doesn’t have to be that way. Nor should it be that way.

As the authors, we have collectively completed 4 health-related university degrees and read
dozens of books on modern health optimization. We have learned a lot. There is still some
debate on what constitutes healthy behaviour. It is somewhat specific, person to person.

The key universal take-home message that we can tell you is true without a shadow of a doubt
is that…

You are not a victim of your health.

Your health is a product of your genetics and your lifestyle.

Wherever you are on the health spectrum, your lifestyle will catch up with you.

Every misstep along the way is a small step towards reducing your energy today and your
healthspan tomorrow.

12
 Chapter 2: A Rational Pipedream

While there are no Dominicks walking the earth in 2022, there most certainly will be by 2082.
Even though the odds are stacked against society improving its lifestyle as a whole, there has
never been more opportunity to live a more youthful, energetic, and longer life.
We have access to an ever-expanding vault of information taken from the world’s most
intelligent scientists and biohackers on what the research tells us works best to completely
optimize human performance in every aspect.

We have the technology to measure virtually every lifestyle input and the resulting output. We
can measure and track our caloric input, our workout intensity & duration, our resistance
training loads, our mobility routine, our meditation practices, and even environmental exposure.
We can measure our functional mobility, pain scores, cardiovascular fitness, strength, body
composition, blood composition, and sleep quality.

We have access to longevity coaches who have dedicated their lives to optimizing their own
health and devising specific plans to meet individual needs.

There are humans living relatively independently today into their hundreds. Imagine how
functional they could be today if a longevity coach could go back in time 60 years and create a
step-by-step guide for how to eat, train, and revamp their lifestyle habits to completely optimize
their energy and healthspan. I’m sure you’d agree we could make a pretty significant
improvement on what their life could look like today.
13
Now, imagine you sent a doctor with all the state-of-the-art technology we have available today
back in time with a longevity coach to essentially give them access to today’s best healthcare to
work in concert with the lifestyle guide. We’d most definitely see a decrease in the likelihood of
this 100-year-old needing help wiping his own butt, right?

Now, imagine the same scenario, except we start optimizing a 40-year-old today, and we get
access to all of the new knowledge and technology that await us over the next 60 years.

100
in
2022
VS
100
in
2082

This is where things get exciting!

The field of geriatrics was founded in the early 20th century by an Austrian medical doctor
named Ignatz Leo Nascher. Nascher’s pursuit of geriatric research is particularly interesting,
since he was a contemporary of William Osler, a famous ageist Canadian physician. Osler, in
his final address, called “The Fixed Period,” stated that men over 40 years old were relatively
useless, as they were beyond the golden age of 25 to 40.1 Needless to say, there has been a
slight paradigm shift in the past 100 years.

In 1972, Friedmann and Roblin published the first paper on human gene therapy.2 In 1990, the
first gene therapy treatment was performed in the US. The first Clustered Regularly Interspaced
Short Palindromic Repeat (CRISPR), a series of DNA sequences found in the genomes of
prokaryotic organisms, was discovered in 1987 by Dr. Ishino and colleagues.3 It played a key
role in the antiviral defense system and detection of subsequent infections found in similar
DNA bacteriophages while providing a form of acquired immunity. This finding sparked mass
development in the field of gene editing. Today, CRISPR technology is being used to alter
genetic sequencing as a means for treating cancer.

14
 As technology continued to advance into the 21st century and our knowledge base for the
science of aging progressed, there became a movement to classify aging as a treatable disease.4
Then, in 2018, the World Health Organization added an extension code to classify ‘aging-
related’ as a disease.

What does this mean, exactly? Well, it means that we can expect the speed and depth of
knowledge in the field of aging research to expand exponentially. With greater knowledge,
greater technology will follow. That means we can expect technology to expand our lifespan
that much more in the future.

As this technology continues to develop, we can expect a plethora of moral questions

surrounding it. If history has taught us anything, the moral questions will eventually be drowned
out by the potential upside of the science. However, the trickier question will be, who will get
first access to this technology? And who will be the candidates that will benefit most?

At this point, it is all conjecture, and it will depend on the logistics of the particular healthcare
system. However, a reasonable assumption is that those with the financial resources to pay for the
technology will get first dibs in regions of private healthcare. As for those who will benefit most,
you could make an argument that those who are extremely ill would benefit by prolonging their
lifespan. But you could also argue that we are just talking about a more advanced version of life
support. Technology can keep us alive, but it will never serve to correct poor lifestyle choices.

In order to give ourselves the best chance of living fully and benefiting the most from
technological advancement, we need to make the decisions and follow a routine that allows us
to function younger than our chronological age. In other words, we need to decrease our
functional age.

Decreasing functional age is synonymous with increasing healthspan, which is the number of
years we live independently in good health.

Functional age refers to the average age at which your body and mind perform. Are you 48 with
the pain, energy level, and anxiety of a 70-year-old? Or are you 48 with the pain, energy level,
and anxiety of a 27-year-old? Let’s face it; those two 48-year-olds are living very different lives.

Unlike actual age, functional age is malleable. Meaning, in terms of functional age, you can
indeed age backwards.

Functional age is based on a person’s physical and emotional health and is determined by
evaluating one’s well-being based on a specific set of both physical and emotional check points.

The younger your functional age, the greater your energy, and the greater your potential to
expand your healthspan.

The remainder of this book is dedicated to sharing our top tips and tactics with you on how to
optimize your functional age so you can live with as much vitality as possible for as long as
possible.

15
PART 2: A Path Towards Optimal
Chapter 3: Defying Aging 101

The general principle of anti-aging is to continually expose yourself to a sufficient amount of

stress to stimulate optimal adaptations. Insufficient stress fails to stimulate positive adaptations.
The same can be said of excessive stress.

16
 The key is to establish the optimal amount of stress to apply to your body and mind in order to
stimulate optimal adaptation to slow or reverse the effects of aging. At a cellular level, the
stress response can be viewed as an adaptive response for the maintenance and defense of the
cells’ structural and functional integrity.1 We can apply this model to virtually any form of
stress, including mental stress, nutritional stress, physical stress, cardiovascular stress, and so
on. When you find the optimal stress stimulus, you can successfully slow or even reverse the
effects of aging.2, 3, 4, 5

In practice, reversing aging is synonymous to reducing your functional age (ie, living with the
youthful vitality of someone younger than you). In order to reduce your functional age and live an
optimized life, we need a clear definition of the specific result in order to track progress. Our result,
functional age, can be broken into five categories:

1. Mobility
2. Cardiovascular Health
3. Functional Strength
4. Body Composition
5. Mental Resilience

17
Each of these categories typically decline with age. Each category has measurable inputs,
outputs, and can be strategically optimized with tactical planning.

The design of an intelligent mobility program allows us to refine and maintain more optimal
range of motion. This enables us to live with less joint pain and keeps us capable of completing
a broader range of physical activities, including those typically only possible for a younger
population.

The design of an intelligent cardiovascular program allows us to refine our heart health and
overall cardiovascular strength. This enables us to live with more energy and become more
resistant to the number 1 killer: cardiovascular disease.

The design of an intelligent strength program allows us to move more efficiently by requiring
less perceived exertion in everyday tasks. This enables us to live with more energy and maintain
our physical efficiency and independence for longer as we age. Building functional strength
early in life also provides us with more ‘reserve’ strength so we will be more likely to preserve
basic functions like walking, using stairs, and protecting ourselves from falls as we age.

The design of an intelligent nutrition program allows us to dial in the precise macronutrient and
micronutrient balance for our specific needs. This enables us to live with an ideal body
composition and fuel ourselves to optimize energy and performance.

The design of an intelligent cognitive resilience program allows us to refine our brain health
and reduce the risk of cognitive decline as we age.

In order to design the most effective programming, we extract the principles and concepts
developed by the world’s top researchers in their respective fields and combine this with
strategies used by the world’s top performers in their respective fields. Then we apply this in a
manner that allows us to completely optimize our performance and effectively slow or even
reverse the aging process.

“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”

- Lao Tz

For example, in order to design an optimal conditioning program, we start by studying the
findings of the world’s best exercise physiologists. Then we consider what the top endurance and
strength athletes in the world are doing. Obviously, our goals as longevity-focused individuals
are different than an ultramarathon athlete. Our top priority is to live with as much energy and
function as possible for as long as possible. But learning from world-class researchers and
athletes allows us to extract what is working and scale down to a practical routine for optimizing
health and energy that we can fit into our schedule.

18
 Then we test the methods on ourselves, measure the outputs, and continue to refine as we go.
This book is a compilation of the methods that have served the best at reducing functional age
for us and our clients over the past 15 years.

19
Chapter 4: Optimal Mobility – Resolving and Preventing
Joint Pain

By the end of this chapter, you will have learned:

• Why Injuries and Joint Pain Are Not a Normal or Necessary Part of Aging
• The Most Effective Field-Tested Exercises for Resolving and Preventing Joint Pain
• The Ultimate Easy-to-Follow, Step-By-Step Mobility Routine for Optimizing Joint
Function
• A Practical Template for Designing a Customized and Effective Mobility Program
to Fit Your Specific Needs

20
 What is Mobility?
Craig’s Mobility
First up, what exactly is mobility? Mobility is Notes
essentially the span of your controlled range of
motion through a joint. This differs from I spent a good portion of my
flexibility, which is simply our passive range of teen years and young adult life
motion. It is how far a joint can be pushed into a dealing with sports injuries. I’ve
position by external force. In other words, dislocated my knees &
flexibility allows us to get to the position, but not shoulders. I’ve broken bones,
necessarily own or control the position. There is sprained joints, and damaged
value in having flexibility, but there is also connective tissue. I regularly
potential risk. If we can get to a position with woke up in pain. By the age of
force, but we can’t fully own the position with 27, I was told by an orthopedic
control, we lack stability. In positions lacking surgeon that I had the knee of
stability, we are at risk of injury. This is a 75-year-old and that I would
especially true for joints that are designed for need a knee replacement
multiple plane movements, like the shoulder or before long. I decided that was
hip. not going to happen. That is
when I went full tilt into
Stability stems from mobility, which is the understanding the
amount of active range of motion we have. It is pathomechanics of knee
how far we can use a joint’s respective muscle injuries. I enrolled in a PhD to
group to force it into a position without external study the mechanics of knee
assistance. When we develop joint mobility, we arthritis. I learned pretty quickly
increase stability and decrease injury risk. that the treatment options are
not particularly promising. But
There will always be a gap between how mobile prevention is actually possible
we are and how flexible we are. But with in most cases. Prevention
intelligent mobility work, we can absolutely comes down to intentional
close the gap to optimize movement and general joint health practice. It
drastically reduce our chances of experiencing comes down to stability, which
joint pain or getting injured. starts with mobility. If you
combine mobility with quality
movement mechanics, the
Why Mobility Matters joints function much better.
Learning this was enough for
How long in life do you want to be able to tie me to shift from academia to
your own shoes? Wipe your own butt? That full-time coaching. Today, at
might seem like a crazy notion, but the mobility 43, I am just as active as I
work you are doing today (or lack thereof) is have ever been and my injury
what is deciding that for you. Mobility loss is rate is the lowest it has been in
the primary reason for independence loss as we my entire life. And I owe to the
age.1 We’d like to keep that skill set for as long mobility principles I’ve
as humanly possible. And if your personal developed over the years,
healthspan is even remotely important to you, which are outlined in this
so should you. chapter.

21
If that isn’t motivation, let’s talk about why this
matters to your current quality of life. Lacking
sufficient mobility in prime movement joints, like
the hips, causes other joints to start to compensate,
creates imbalances, and increases injury risk. One
of the most common examples affecting men over
40 is lack of shoulder mobility, leading to
overarching of the back when reaching overhead.
This puts unnecessary load on the spine and
increases the risk of disc injury. Lack of shoulder
mobility is also a prime reason why shoulders
make up 36% of gym-related injuries.2

Lack of mobility increases your risk of:

• Strength Loss
• Shoulder Impingement
• Muscle Tears
• Joint Pain
List of Mobility Equipment Essentials
The importance of mobility goes beyond just
avoiding injuries, though. When we fully optimize
mobility, we fully optimize our energy and
performance.

The benefits of optimizing mobility:

• Improved sleep
• Increased mental health
• Faster recovery
• Reducing chance of Injury
• Reversing Joint Pain
• Longer healthspan

Recommended Tools

Our list of mobility essentials and recommended

extras is illustrated to the right. Start with the
essentials, and feel free to add to the collection to
get the most out of your mobility work.
List of Mobility Equipment Bonus
Recommendations

22
 The Five Pillars of Mobility

There are 5 Pillars for improving mobility:

1. Release
2. Open
3. Lengthen
4. Align
5. Activate

Each of these Pillars has a specific role in improving movement. This is the framework for how
we develop the best mobility programming possible.

M1: Release

The first focus for improving mobility is releasing the soft tissues surrounding the joint. One of
the most effective methods of releasing soft tissue is to apply massage-like pressure. That
pressure allows for tense intertwined muscle tissue to realign itself for better movement around
the joint. Generally speaking, the higher the pressure, the stronger the release. However,
excessive pressure can lead to muscle cramping or seizing. This will take some trial and error.
Breath work and consciously working at finding a state of calm during the exercise is extremely
helpful in releasing muscle tension.

Start with the prime movers of the joint, as these muscles have the greatest impact on how the
joint moves.

While releasing tissue, be mindful of the position you are working on. If possible, release the
tissue in or near the position of restriction. For example, if attempting to improve overhead
shoulder mobility, release the muscles while your arm is in an overhead position. An added
advantage here is that it is easier to feel which muscles are most restrictive in the position of
interest. An effective strategy is to start off with the biggest limiting muscle and then switch
muscle targets as it starts to release. It works a little like peeling layers of an onion. Adding
some type of joint motion in that position can increase the effect as well.

If you are restricted in shoulders, start with some soft tissue work on the pecs and lats. Look for
areas of tension, but avoid areas of pain. Follow the hierarchy structure and respective locations
outlined below.

23
 Shoulder Release Hierarchy
Order Muscle Order Muscle

1 Pectoralis Major 7 Infraspinatus

2 Latissimus Dorsi 8 Subclavius

3 Trapezius 9 Serratus Anterior

4 Rhomboids 10 Teres Minor/Major

5 Subscapularis 11 Supraspinatus

6 First Rib 12 Levator Scapula

Shoulder Anatomy

24
 Pectoralis Major Release with Lacrosse Ball

A similar approach will work well for the lower body. If you are restricted in the hips or lower
back, start with the quads and follow the structure and muscle locations shown below.

Hip Release Hierarchy

Order Muscle Order Muscle
1 Rectus Femoris 8 Psoas
2 Gluteus Maximus 9 Iliacus
3 Tensor Fasciae Latae 10 IT Band
4 Piriformis 11 Semitendonosis
5 Quadratus Lumborum 12 Semimembranosis
6 Vastus Lateralis 13 Biceps Femoris
7 Gluteus Medius

25
 Hip Anatomy

Rectus Femoris Release Using Foam Roller

26
 M2: Open

Once the tissues are released from soft tissue tension, the next strategy is to unglue the joint and
reduce joint pressure to improve movement. The simplest approach is to apply a bit of force to
distract the joint to pull the articular surface away from its contacting surface. This effectively
frees the joint from excess friction, compression, and allows it to increase range of motion.

M3: Lengthen

After the tissues have been released and the joint has been opened, the next strategy is to
physically lengthen the muscle with various forms of stretching. This could be static or
dynamic, passive, or active. There is a wide range of stretching to choose from and each
technique works to varying degrees, depending on the individual and respective goals and
objectives. Essentially, lengthening muscle tissue opens up another layer of range of motion for
the joint.

M4: Align

After releasing the joint, creating space, and lengthening the muscle tissue, the next strategy to
optimize mobility is to consider the joint alignment. This is the most technical Mobility Pillar. If
you are not extremely in tune with your own anatomy and joint structure, you are likely best
finding some help from a chiropractor, osteopath, or physical therapist. A licensed therapist is
not only skilled at assessing alignment; they are also able to adjust the joint back into its proper
alignment.

Self-alignment strategy will look a little different for each joint. For shoulders and hips, we can
help with alignment by using gravity to help the joint find its position, while some joints can be
realigned by using your own muscular structure to pull the joint into better alignment. We will
discuss this briefly, but your best course is typically to seek a good therapist for finding joint
alignment.

M5: Activate

The final Pillar of Mobilty is to activate the tissue in its newly found range of motion. This is a
critical step for establishing active range, joint stability, and injury resistance.

There are a few different strategies we can adopt here.

The simplest approach is to apply muscle contract-relax cycling. In this technique, you simply
tense every muscle around the joint for a 10-second count while holding the position of interest.
On the relax cycle, you can often find that you can force the joint deeper into its end range.

Another strategy is to apply pail-rails. This technique was first developed by Dr. Andreo Spina.

27
The principle is to activate the muscle against the direction of the stretch and then immediately
activate the opposing muscles to pull the joint deeper into the stretch.

Controlled Articular Rotations (CARs) is another technique developed by Spina. The premise to
force the joint along the limits of its range of motion in order to stimulate articular adaptations.

Pillar Order

The sequence in which we follow the Pillars is important. Muscle tension can inhibit Pillars 2 to
5, which is why soft tissue release should be addressed first. Joint compression can limit Pillars
3 to 5, so that is why opening the joint (ie, Pillar 2) is next. The correct soft tissue release and
joint traction work allows us to get the most out of lengthening muscle via stretching (ie, Pillar
3). The first three pillars act to free up the joint for realignment and activation. This ultimately
allows you to create higher-quality controlled movement patterns with a greater range of
motion. This increase in motor pattern control improves joint stability and makes you more
resilient to potential injuries.

Test-Retest

One of the limitations we have when we are working on mobility independently is the lack of
pathologic certainty. We don’t know what exactly is happening inside the joint and muscle
tissue without images. Our workaround for that is to focus on position and feel. We test and
retest the position of interest. If mobility and/or pain improves after the test exercise, we know
we are on the right track. If not, we try the next mobility piece and test again.

This is our hack for troubleshooting and fine-tuning programs until we find what works best.

Note: If pain persists, seek help from a healthcare provider. Further testing or imaging may be
required.

Duration

Soft tissue is biphasic and viscoelastic, meaning that it consists of both solid and fluid, and its
elastic properties are time-dependent. Research indicates the minimum amount of time to get
long-term change in mobility is about 30 sec on average.3 However, longer stretching is
required for older adults. So, the rule of thumb for exercises is to hold for 30-60 sec, minimum.
In practice, we find a full 2 min often works best.

Timing

When is the best time to do mobility? Before a workout? After?

The literature is somewhat inconsistent regarding the effects of warm-up stretching prior to

28
 exercise. Static and dynamic warm-ups are equally effective at increasing ROM prior to
exercise.4, 5 Some studies report static stretching after warm-up hinders performance6, 7, 8 while
others report no effect or an increase in performance.9, 10, 11

Generally, static stretching is followed by an immediate decrease in strength, but static

stretching performed before or after warm-up does not decrease strength.5, 12 The volume of
static stretching may also affect performance. For example, Robbins et al (2008) found that 4
repetitions of 15-sec holds of static stretching did not affect vertical jump, while 6 repetitions
reduced performance.13

Note that most of the research conducted thus far is on various forms of stretching, rather than
five pillar mobility work as a whole. Experience with ourselves and our clientele has shown us
that there are definite tangible benefits to implementing mobility work pre-workout, post-
workout, and on its own.

In practice, we suggest prioritizing mobility before and after workouts until mobility is
optimized and using a test-retest to track your own results. Once mobility is optimal, you can
reduce mobility work volume prior to exercise and begin to prioritize functional strength and
cardiovascular performance.

Mobility Work as Warm-up & Tissue Prep

Following the sequence of five pillars of mobility serves as a great template for a warmup and
movement prep. For example, if the workout calls for overhead work and you struggle with
overhead mobility, follow the five-pillar template specific to improving overhead shoulder
position (i.e., release, open, lengthen, align, and activate while maintaining your best overhead
position).

Mobility vs. Muscle Mass

Generally, mobility is easiest to develop on less muscle mass. Larger muscle cross-sectional
area provides more resistance to muscle lengthening and a larger area for muscle tension to
build. Neither of these scenarios bode well for mobility improvement. So, if your priority is
improving movement, you may need to ease up on resistance training volume in order to get
faster results. This is especially true if you are over 40.

Combining Pillars for Super-Mobility Exercises

With a better understanding of The Five Pillars of Mobility and the role their respective
exercises serve, we can now start to use what we know to combine the use of multiple pillars.
This allows us to get better results in less time. For example, we can apply compression while
distracting a joint, which allows us to release and open the joint simultaneously. The following
image illustrates how to apply this principle to improving overhead position.

29
 LENGTHEN
OPEN

LENGTHEN

RELEASE

ACTIVATE

ACTIVATE

Shoulder Release & Open Combination Using Compression

Band and Resistance Band

30
 Mobility Programming and Prioritizing

One of the toughest questions to answer when it comes to mobility is where to start, especially if
you have joint pain, a history of injuries, and limited range of motion.

To simplify this, here is where to start with 15 min of

mobility work per day using this priority sequence:
Dr. Dan’s
Mobility Notes #1 Pain. Joint pain is obviously a signal that
something needs to be addressed. The key is to
address the point of pain by tackling the surrounding
Mobility work has been tissues first. The site of pain is the symptom, not
an essential part of my necessarily the cause. For example, if you have knee
daily routine ever since pain, start by looking upstream into the quad and/or
my early days of playing hip. In most cases of knee pain, if you get the hip
hockey and dealing with functioning better, your knee will feel better. If you
multiple injuries. This have multiple points of pain, start with the joints
routine has helped me closest to your spine (i.e., shoulder before elbow,
reduce and eliminate pain lumbar before hip, or knee before ankle). You may
and discomfort. After actually find that the issues further from your core
doing daily CARS and improve by addressing the proximal joints first.
weekly supervised PAILS
and RAILS with an FRC #2 Dysfunction. Second on the priority list should be
provider, I decided to joints that do not have pain but are not functioning
complete my training in within your optimal range of motion. Get these joints
FRC so I can educate functioning better before they become points of pain
others. themselves.

#3 Recovery. The third on the mobility priority list should be joints that are stiff from exercises
or poor posture. Muscle growth happens from shortening of muscles. If you don’t keep on top of
some regular mobility work, you will start to lose range of motion. This can lead to joint
dysfunction or injuries.

#4 Maintenance. Once you have dealt with the immediate needs, the final priority of mobility is
to focus on joints that are not necessarily restricted but need some work to keep moving well.

Combining this priority strategy with the Five Pillars of Mobility is the best way to start moving
better.

31
The Ultimate Weekly Total Body Mobility Routine

Here is a weekly mobility program designed to optimize movement and reverse the most
common pain points. We have seen excellent results with this program, and it only requires 15
min per day for 5 days, with one day of 45 min full body recovery-based session.

Note that all of these routines are freely available in an easy-to-follow guided format via our
YouTube page:

https://www.youtube.com/c/FivePillarMethod

Day 1 Focus: Shoulders & Ankles

Exercise Duration (min – total)

Mega Shoulder I 4

Pec Release 3

Elevated Child’s Pose 3

Mega Ankle 3

Ankle CARs 2

Total 15

32
 1
2 3 4

5 6

MEGA SHOULDER I

1. Wrap compression band around the entire shoulder joint. Using a barbell, as shown, is
helpful when self-wrapping (although not required).

2. Next, secure a heavy resistance band to a rig or door frame and gently sidestep away
with your arm extended laterally to distract/open the shoulder joint. This should provide
a slight pressure release sensation but no pain. Hold for 30 sec.

3. Then, rotate so that shoulders are square to the rig and arm is in an overhead position.
Create additional joint space and alignment by rotating the shoulder as if screwing in a
lightbulb. Continue rotating the arm inwards and outwards for 30 sec.

4. Rotate the body 180 allowing the band to pull the shoulder into a deeper overhead
°,

stretch. Hold a passive stretch for 30 sec.

5. Actively try to pull the band away from the rig by activating the pecs in a pullover
motion and simultaneously leaning forward to maintain a deep overhead stretch. Pull
with gradual intensity for 10 sec.

6. Reverse the direction of the pull so that you are using your posterior delt and back
muscles to force yourself into the deepest overhead stretch possible.

7. Repeat for the opposite shoulder.

33
 PEC RELEASE

1. Lying face down, place a lacrosse ball onto your target pectoralis major.

2. Press into the floor with your opposite arm to lift the opposite pec from the floor slightly.
This should create a mild stretch and pressure increase on the target pec.

3. Experiment with ball placement based on particular areas of tension. Continue to release
pec for 90 sec.

4. Repeat for opposite pec.

34
 ELEVATED CHILD’S POSE

1. Place hands on top of a solid object approximately shoulder-width apart and so that
they are 15-20" higher than the knees.

2. Sit hips backward towards your ankles to create an overhead stretch targeted on the back
and shoulders.

3. Remain passive and hold stretch for 90 sec.

35
 1a 1b

1c 2-5

MEGA ANKLE

1. Wrap compression band around the lower leg, focusing on creating pressure on the
gastrocnemius and soleus muscles (ie, the calf muscles).

2. Loop a resistance band around a rig or equivalent rigid object.

3. Place heel in the opposite end of the band and twist the band across the top of the foot to
secure it into place. Note that the band should be in contact with the foot below the
ankle in order to achieve the desired effect.

4. If you have a second band handy, loop it around the base of the toes to help keep the foot
at approximately 90°.

5. Create a distraction force in the ankle by gently sliding hips away from the rig.

6. Hold for 90 sec and switch legs.

36
 ANKLE CONTROLLED
ARTICULAR ROTATIONS
(CARs)

1. Start by putting a light

contraction (10-30% of your
maximum effort) into the rest of
your body in order to stabilize the
rest of your body and isolate the
joint you are working on.

2. Slowly move the ankle in a

circular motion to trace the outer
limits of your range of motion.
Be careful not to push through
pinching pain and skip over area
that causes pain.

3. Continue with CARs for 60

sec and repeat on opposite
ankle.

Day 2 Focus: Hips & Neck

Exercise Duration (min – total)
Muffin Bottom 2
Quad Release 3
Bar/Dip Hang 1
Dragon 3
Fire Hydrants 2
Trap Release 2
Neck CARs 2
Total 15

37
MUFFIN BOTTOM

1. Start by placing one end of

the compression band on
your left hip flexor.

2. Pull the band across the

front of your body towards
your right hip and behind
your back along the top 3
1 2
part of your glute, while
pulling & maintaining
high band tension.

3. Pull the band over the left

hip flexor to secure the
band into place as you loop
it around your left leg and
behind your back towards
your right side.
4a 4b 4c
4. Pull the band over the right
hip flexor to secure the
band into place as you loop
it around your right leg and
behind your back towards
your left side.

5. As you receive the band on

your left, secure it by
looping it through itself
5a 5b 5c
near your hip flexors.

6. This provides an excellent release of the hip flexors, TFL, glutes, and inner thighs.

7. Keep the band secured while walking and/or squatting for 2 min. If you struggle with squat
depth, it can be useful to hold your deepest squat position with the compression band intact.

38
 QUAD RELEASE

1. Facing down, place a foam roller on one of your quadriceps.

2. Using your upper body, move your body up and down to relieve tension in the
quadriceps.

3. Continue to release for a total of 90 sec and repeat on the opposite leg.

39
 BAR HANG

1. Use a firm grip to grasp onto a pullup bar, hanging with feet either lightly touching the
ground or completely off the ground for an increased effect (using pain and sensory feedback
as a guide).

2. Focus on deep, controlled breathing to relax the back and core muscles.

3. Allow the legs and the torso to elongate as much as possible without creating pain.

4. Hold for 1 min.

40
 DRAGON STRETCH

1. Start in a long lunge position and allow the torso to move forward to create a stretch in
the rear leg’s hip flexor and quadriceps.

2. Imagine tilting your belt buckle towards the sky to avoid hyperextending the
lower back (and possibly compressing facet joints).

3. Squeeze glutes to allow the hips to move forward and down.

4. Hold stretch for 90 sec per side.

41
 HIP CIRCLES

1. Start by putting a light contraction (10-30% of your maximum effort) into the rest of
your body in order to stabilize the rest of your body and isolate the joint you are
working on.

2. Move the leg in a circular motion about the hip as if travelling through a density about
30% denser than air. Attempt to achieve your greatest pain-free rotational range of
motion of the hip joint.

3. From a tabletop position, pull the right knee as close to the upper chest as possible.

4. Squeeze outer hips to move your knee out to the right side of your body in a circular
motion to trace the outer edge/limit of movement.

5. Continue to move the knee out and away from your head until your knee comes in line
with your right shoulder.

6. Squeeze your glutes as hard as possible as you press your right heel as high towards the
ceiling as possible. Be careful not to overextend your lower back.

7. Slowly return your leg to its starting position and repeat for a total of 1 min.

8. Repeat for left leg.

42
 TRAPS RELEASE

1. Place two lacrosse balls on either side spine across your lower trapezius muscles.

2. For added compression, lift your hips off the ground, pressing your heels into the floor,
and squeezing glutes.

3. Slowly move arms in a snow angel motion for 1 min.

43
 NECK CONTROLLED ARTICULAR ROTATIONS (CARS)

1. Start by putting a light contraction (10-30% of your maximum effort) into the rest of
your body in order to stabilize the rest of your body and isolate the joint you are
working on.

2. Slowly move your head in a circular motion as shown to trace the outer edge/limit of
movement. Do not push through pain or pinch points. Ease up or skip over those areas.

3. Continue with CARs for 60 sec and repeat in the opposite direction.

44
 Day 3 Focus: Shoulders & Knee
Exercise Duration (min – total)
Lat / Post Delt Release 4
Mega Shoulder II 3
Shoulder CARs 2
Mega Knee 4
Saddle 2
Total 15

LAT / POST DELT RELEASE

1. Place a lacrosse ball where the back of your arm meets your upper back.

2. Experiment with ball placement based on particular areas of tension. Continue to release
deltoid for 2 min.

3. Repeat on the opposite side.

45
 1 2 3,4 5,6 7,8

9 10 11 12

MEGA SHOULDER II

1. Wrap the left shoulder with a compression band using the technique described for Mega
Shoulder I.

2. Attach a heavy resistance band to the rig and loop your left elbow around the free end.

3. Turn your body to face away from the rig.

4. With your palm facing your head, place your left forearm along the outside of the
resistance band.

5. Slowly lean forward, allowing the band to pull your shoulder into an overhead stretch.

6. Hold stretch for 30 sec.

7. While maintaining the overhead stretch, sidestep to your right to create an external
rotation stretch in the left shoulder.

8. Hold stretch for 30 sec.

46
 9. Complete a shoulder flexion contraction by actively pressing your elbow against the
band while simultaneously leaning forward to maintain the same overhead position.
Note that there should be minimal change in the shoulder angle. Hold and gradually
ramp up tension for a total of 10 sec.

10. Immediately after step 9, reverse the direction of force by squeezing your posterior delt
and upper back muscles and pulling yourself into the deepest overhead stretch possible.
Hold and gradually ramp up into maximal pain-free contraction for 10 sec.

11. Maintaining the same shoulder orientation, now create an internal rotation force by
pushing your palm into the band in an arm-wrestling motion. Gradually ramp up
tension, for a total of 10 sec.

12. Immediately after step 11, reverse the direction of force by attempting to rotate your hand
away from your body. Hold and gradually ramp up tension for a total of 10 sec.

47
 SHOULDER CONTROLLED ARTICULAR ROTATIONS (CARS)

1. Start by putting a light contraction (10-30% of your maximum effort) into the rest of
your body in order to stabilize the rest of your body and isolate the joint you are
working on.

2. Draw a controlled circle by travelling through a density about 30% denser than air.
Attempt to achieve your greatest rotational range of motion of that joint.

3. With thumb facing up, flex your shoulder into an overhead position until reaching the end
range.
4. Rotate the thumb downwards and continue to move your arm towards the back of your

48
 body in a circular motion. Be careful not to push through pinching pain and skip over
areas that cause discomfort.
5. Consciously force the arm to move along the absolute limits of your range of motion
throughout. The hand should be kept as close to the middle of the body as possible.
6. Continue to move the arm in a circular motion for 1 min.

7. Repeat for the other arm.

49
 2a 2b

3 4

5a 5b

MEGA KNEE

1. Wrap compression band tightly around the thigh muscle.

2. Attach a resistance band to the rig and the opposite end around your ankle.

3. Sit your hips further away from the rig to create a slight distraction force in the knee.

4. Hold position for 1 min.

5. With both hands, firmly grab the shin bone and gently rotate towards your midline, working
within pain-free range of motion.

50
 SADDLE

1. Lying face up, pull your right heel towards your right hip until you feel a stretch in your
right quadriceps and hip, as shown. Note you do not need to be lying flat as shown. Just
lean back as far as your pain-free range will allow.

2. If this position is uncomfortable on the knee, you can lie on your side and put the knee
towards the hips.

3. Hold the position for 1 min and repeat on the left leg.

51
 Day 4 Focus: Hip & T-Spine
Exercise Duration (min – total)
Glute Release 4
TFL Release 3
Prone Lumbar Traction 2
Pigeon 3
Roll T-Spine 2
OH Cat-Camel 1
Total 15

GLUTE RELEASE

1. Facing up, place lacrosse ball on upper glute, allowing the majority of your body weight
to rest on the ball.

2. Experiment with ball placement based on particular areas of tension. Continue to release
glute for 2 min.

3. Repeat for opposite side.

52
 TFL RELEASE

1. Lying on side, place lacrosse ball on the side of your hip in line with your hip crease,
allowing the majority of your body weight rest on the ball.

2. Experiment with ball placement based on particular areas of tension. Continue to release
TFL for 90 sec.

3. Repeat for opposite side.

53
 1 2a

2b 3-5

PRONE LUMBAR TRACTION

1. Loop band around rig and step both feet into the opposite end, pulling the band up around
your waist.

2. Step your right foot over the top of the band across to the opposite side (be aware of the
band placement!)

3. Place your torso face down on a bench, grasping on to the end with your arms.

4. The desired sensation is a subtle pressure release in the lower back and hips. If you feel any
pain whatsoever, reduce the band tension by moving the bench closer to the rig until all pain
subsides.

5. Focus on deep, relaxing breaths as you allow the band to create a distraction force to the
lower spine and hips.

54
 PIGEON STRETCH

1. Step your right leg forward into an extended lunge and allow your right knee to fall outwards
as shown.

2. Move your right ankle upwards towards your head until you feel a stretch in your outer hip
with no pain in your knee.

3. Hold for 90 sec and repeat on left leg.

55
 ROLL T-SPINE

1. Put the foam roller under your upper back/thoracic spine. Keep your knees bent and feet
flat on the ground.

2. Place your hands over your head and pull your elbows as close together as they’ll go.

3. Let your head fall towards the floor, and try to wrap yourself around the foam roller,
extending the thoracic spine over the roller.

4. Roll slowly up and down the vertebrae, pausing on any areas of high tension (do not roll
the neck or lower back, focusing solely on the thoracic spine).

5. Continue for a total of 2 min.

56
 OVERHEAD CAT-CAMEL

1. With arms stretched overhead on a bench or box, slowly sink your back down towards
the floor and lift your head up at the same time, sticking your tailbone out to make a
global curve with your spine.

2. Slowly tuck your head and tailbone in, arching through your spine as to mimic a
camel hump.

3. Continue to repeat for a total of 1 min.

57
 Day 5 Focus: Shoulders + Hips
Exercise Duration (min – total)
Massage Gun Shoulders 3
Handcuffs 1
Massage Gun Hips 3
Lateral Hip Distraction 2
Seated Fold 3
Frog 1.5
Hip 90-90 1.5
Total 15

MASSAGE GUN SHOULDERS

1. Rotate shoulders from overhead to front rack to extension to full internal rotation, as
shown.
2. At each position, start by applying the massage gun to the anterior portion of the
shoulder, then to the armpit, and finishing on the posterior shoulder.
3. As you apply the gun to designated areas, pay attention to the feel of the position,
spending more time with the gun applied to areas creating the most positive
change.
4. Spend 90 sec on each shoulder.

58
 1 2

3 4

HANDCUFFS

1. Start with the hands behind your head as shown.

2. Extend arms back into a Y position as far as possible.

3. Slowly lower the arms into a T position, reaching as far behind you as possible.

4. Continue to lower arms towards an A position while reaching as far back as possible.

5. Bring arms together behind back and reach fingers as high in between shoulder blades as
possible.

6. Slowly follow the same path, returning to the starting position.

7. Repeat for a total of 1 min.

59
 MASSAGE GUN HIPS

Use a similar strategy when applying the gun to hips as described with the shoulders. Track the
hips along the outer limits of range of motion (i.e., full flexion, extension, internal and external
rotation). At each position, note the muscle group that carries the most tension and apply the
gun primarily to those areas in order to free up with position. Spend 90 sec on each hip.

60
 LATERAL HIP DISTRACTION

1. Secure the band to a rigid object and loop the opposite end around the hips, as shown.

2. While holding a tabletop position, slowly create more tension in the band by moving the
body further away from the rigid object until a subtle pressure release is detected in the
hip joint.

3. Hold for 1 min and repeat on opposite side.

61
 SEATED FOLD

1. Sit on floor with legs extended in front of body and knees relatively straight.
2. Slowly reach towards your feet by bending through the hips until you feel a stretch
throughout the hamstrings.

FROG
1. While facing the floor and knees bent to 90°, spread knees as far apart as possible.
2. Support your upper body on your elbows.
3. Hold for 90 sec.

62
 HIP 90-90

1. Start by sitting upright with both knees

bent to 90°, as shown.

2. Attain a passive stretch in the right hip by

attempting to move the right glute as close
to the floor as possible. Hold for 30 sec.

3. Activate hips to oppose the stretch by

creating pressure in the right foot against
the floor. Press the foot downwards
gradually ramping up tension for 10 sec.

4. Reverse the tension and attempt to lift the

right foot from the floor gradually ramping
up tension for 10 sec.

5. Lean the torso towards the left leg to create

a passive stretch in the outer left hip. Hold
for 30 sec.

6. Activate hips to oppose the stretch by

creating pressure in the left foot against the
floor. Press the foot downwards, gradually
ramping up tension for 10 sec.

7. Reverse the tension and attempt to lift the

left foot from the floor gradually ramping
up tension for 10 sec.

8. Rotate and align body so that legs are set up for the opposite side and repeat.

63
 Day 6 Focus: Total Body Recovery
Exercise Duration (min – total)

Sleeper 2

Child’s Pose 1.5

Puppy 1.5

Thread Needle 2

64
 Day 6 Focus: Total Body Recovery
Exercise Duration (min – total

Twisted Cross 2

Seated Ext 1.5

OH Tricep 2

Cobra 1

65
 Day 6 Focus: Total Body Recovery
Exercise Duration (min – total)

Hip IR 3

Single Leg Saddle 3

Pigeon 3

Standing Straddle 1.5

66
 Day 6 Focus: Total Body Recovery
Exercise Duration (min – total)

Frog 2

Dragon 3

Lizard 3

67
 Day 6 Focus: Total Body Recovery
Exercise Duration (min – total)

Low Dragon 3

Seated Fold 2

Supine Twist 3

Sumo Squat 2

68
 Chapter 5: Optimal Conditioning – Training for Energy
While Preventing Cardiovascular Disease

“Treatment without prevention is simply unsustainable.”

- Bill Gates

By the end of this chapter, you will have learned:

• How to Avoid a Heart Attack

• The Ultimate, Easy-to-Follow, Step-By-Step Conditioning Routine for
Optimizing Cardiovascular Function & Energy
• A Practical Template for Designing a Customized and Effective Conditioning Program
to Fit Your Specific Needs

Billionaire Richard Branson, when asked how to become more productive, simply answered:
‘Work out’. He expanded to say that working out gave him at least four additional hours of
productivity per day.

69
What is Conditioning?

Conditioning is essentially a measure for how efficiently your body uses energy. It is a
combination of lung capacity, respiratory efficiency, and cardiovascular endurance. The concept
of improving conditioning is simple. Similar to muscle growth, it results from stimulating tissues
with sufficient intensity to create specific adaptations to the imposed demands. The more we
stimulate the respiratory and cardiovascular systems, the stronger and more efficient they
become.

The benefits of optimizing conditioning include:

1. Increased cardiac muscle mass
2. Increased cardiac stroke volume
3. Increased disposal of metabolic wastes
4. Increased oxidative enzymes and efficiency
5. Faster oxygen diffusion rates
6. Increased left ventricle dilation and chamber volume
7. Increased fat oxidation/metabolism
8. Increase in mitochondrial density
9. Increase in regulatory cellular mechanisms of metabolism
10. Increased expression of fatigue-resistance slow-twitch muscle fibers1, 2

On a macro level, the most notable benefit of developing elite cardiovascular conditioning is
improved energy and productivity.

Conditioning Foundations

By manipulating the intensity, frequency, and timing of your physical activity, you can build a
massive amount of energy, be a fat-burning beast, and minimize your chances of succumbing to
the chronic diseases of modern life, such as Type 2 diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular disease.

With the right intensity and dosage of physical activity, sleep quality improves as well.
Rechtschaffen and Kales (1968)3 showed increased slow-wave sleep following days of afternoon
exercise. Kubitz et al. (1996)4 reported that regular exercise is correlated to significantly less
sleep latency and awake time as well as significantly more total sleep.

Needless to say, better sleep quality leads to better energy throughout the day. Thus, conditioning
impacts energy through multiple channels.

70
 The amount of energy boost we attain and the time required for exercise is highly dependent on
the stimulus. For example, the capacity of your heart to send blood to your muscles while
extracting as much oxygen as possible is dependent on the specifics of the exercise stimulus.
There are several options to choose from, ranging from long slow aerobic activity to High-
Intensity Interval Training (HIIT).

Research has shown the variable impact of exercise type on mitochondria, which are tiny little
‘powerhouses’ in our cells that use oxygen to make Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP, also known
as the primary energy carrier in living things. As we age, we tend to lose endurance because of
the reduction in mitochondria. By increasing our mitochondrial density, we will have more
energy for our workouts and more ability to produce force for longer periods of time. This
translates into more energy throughout the workday and during quality time away from work.

For years, the common consensus has been that mitochondrial density can only be developed
with aerobic training. However, more recent research has shown that shorter anaerobic training,
such as HIIT, can also help improve mitochondrial density as well as or better than aerobic
training.5, 6, 7 Burgomaster et al. (2008)5 reported that the same mitochondrial enhancement was
possible in 3 days per week of 30 min HIIT training compared to 5 days per week of 40–60min
aerobic training. The HIIT group performed 4 to 6 thirty-second maximal effort cycling sprints,
each followed by 4.5 min of recovery, performed 3 days a week (classic HIIT training). The
aerobic group performed 40–60 min of steady cycling at 65% VO2 max (an easy aerobic
intensity) five days per week.

The HIIT group had more favourable mitochondrial changes, even though the training time and
frequency were less.

71
This is a really key finding for those who value their time because it means we can get the same
(or better) cardiovascular results in less time. Training with slightly higher intensity provides
greater return on time investment.

Continuous aerobic cardio (traditional endurance training; more frequent cardio) seems to
activate the ‘master switch’ that promotes endurance adaptation. Intense exercise activates the
same switch via a different mechanism. The high intensity cardiovascular work tends to
stimulate the metabolism, such that more fat is burned throughout the day.

In practice, those with the most versatile cardiovascular fitness spectrum tend to be the most
energetic, fit, and healthy.

Heart Rate Zones

Heart rate zones are a means of tracking training intensity. There are 5 zones based on the
intensity of training, typically defined relative to maximum heart rate, which can be
approximated as 220 minus your age.

Zone % Max HR Scope

1 50–60 Recovery/Warmup, Walk/Light Bike

2 60–70 ⇧ General endurance, ⇧ fat oxidation, ⇧ capillary density

3 70–80 Lactic Acid Produced, ⇧ Blood Circulation Efficiency

4 80–90 ⇧ Lactic Acid Tolerance, ⇧ Speed Endurance, ⇧ Carb Metabolism

5 90–100 Max Effort & Capacity, Non-Sustainable Sprint

Training in Zone 1 is sustainable for most of the day. Longevity research has shown a high
number of centenarians have spent more time in Zone 1 than the general population. They often
achieve this with physical labour or somehow building a low-intensity physical routine into
their day. In the western world, we can achieve a similar effect with a standing or walking desk.

We can achieve cardiovascular and metabolic versatility by implementing a mix of the rest of
the Zones into our regular training routine.

The general consensus seems to be that 3–5 hours per week of exercise at Zone 2 or higher is
best for maintaining health and preventing heart disease. One-third of your exercise should be
anaerobic, with high perceived exertion, short duration high intensity (HIIT). The other two
thirds should be aerobic, at a moderate perceived exertion, with a warm body, an increase in
breath rate, but still allowing you to carry a conversation.

Measuring what dictates a ‘good’ heart is challenging. Although research has shown that once

72
 you reach 40 to 50 min of daily vigorous exercise, or just over an hour of light to moderate
exercise (such as brisk walking), the benefits from your efforts plateau. After this exercise,
further efforts will not convey additional improvements to your life expectancy, specifically
death from cancer or heart disease. Prospective data also indicates that brisk walking and
vigorous exercise are associated with substantial and similar reductions in the incidence of
coronary events among women.8

Human Energy Pathways

Dr. Dan’s
Our activities are facilitated by multiple metabolic
pathways. Each pathway is a unique method for our Conditioning
body to convert energy into motion. The main 3 Notes
pathways are the Phopholytic (sprints), Anaerobic
Glycolytic (medium distance), and Aerobic Glycolytic
(long distance). Recent research has revealed that there My Zone 2 training now
are actually hundreds of human metabolic pathways.9 is a weekly 1-hour jog
attempting to nasal
The pathways that our body utilizes is specific to the breathe only. Zone 5
stimulus of the particular activity. There is a specific would be a light 5 to10
evolutionary purpose to each of the pathways. If our min warm-up jog
ancestors were unable to sprint, they would have been followed by 3-8 all out
poor hunters and easy prey. If they had poor endurance, 10 to 20 sec sprints
they would have been poor gatherers and builders. For followed by another 5 to
our species to survive and replicate, we also had to 10 min cool-down jog.
develop the ability to use both fats and carbohydrates as Walking/hiking daily 30
fuel, depending on what the environment demanded and to 90 minutes with a
what food was available day-to-day. 20lb weighted vest.

Our ability to utilize multiple metabolic pathways is

central to our historical survival, and it is central to our overall health and performance today.

“Cardiovascular health comes when the entire circulatory

system is used in a variety of ways, to deliver oxygen to 100
percent of all cells of the body.”

– Katy Bowman, biomechanist – Move Your DNA

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Variability Viability

As humans, our mental approach to variability is super paradoxical. It is indisputable that

change is paramount for growth. And yet, it is arguably the most challenging behaviour to put
into practice. Humans are creatures of habit. We love our routines. And yet, we are inherently
prone to boredom.

Fitness is no different.

Research has shown that regularly varied routines are not only more effective; they also hold
better adherence rates.10 Static routines, on the other hand, lead to quicker fitness plateaus,
boredom, and ultimately quitting.

Simply put, the solution is to keep mixing things up. The stimulus needs to be high enough that
you keep getting fitter and low enough that you are able to recover and avoid injury.

Perpetual Playtime

“I ain’t here for a long time. I’m here for a good time.”
– George Strait

Turns out we can actually have a good time for a long time (depending on your definition of a
good time). As adults, we tend not to spend much time playing. But recent research is showing
that the more we play, the more we live.

74
 There are a few theories behind this.
There is evidence that shows that play is one of the best strategies for learning and maintaining
mental health.11, 12, 13 There are also specific health benefits to playing in social settings.14 In a
meta-analytic review of 148 studies following more than 300,000 people, Holt-Lunstad et al.
(2010)15 reported that social integration is as strong a predictor of mortality as any other tested
factor, including activity level, smoking, and drinking. Unfortunately, societal norms and
cultural pressure discourages most adults from playtime.

Essentially, there are definite benefits to building playtime into your conditioning routine
through playing with kids, pets, or sports. Research indicates you’ll live longer and happier
with more energy.

The Risks of Chronic Cardio

“‘Chronic cardio’ can lead to scarring in those susceptible and,

without sufficient recovery, scarring can lead to cardiac arrhythmias,
especially atrial fibrillation and even sudden death in
those with no evidence of atherosclerosis.”

- Dr. Peter Attia

‘Chronic cardio’ is overly stressful chronic training, which can lead to weight gain, fatigue, and in
extreme cases, major compromises to health.

When training volume exceeds a certain threshold, aerobic capacity can be slowed or even
reversed. This effect is exasperated with insufficient rest and recovery.

This pattern is often paired with ‘active couch potato syndrome,’ where cumulative fatigue from
incessant heavy training makes you lazy and sluggish in-between workouts. Also, especially in
the endurance community, there is often insufficient variety in movement, since the same
movement pattern is repeated (eg, cycling). This can compromise posture, and potentially lead
to repetitive strain injuries or cardiovascular injury.

Cardiovascular fitness is not the same as cardiovascular health.

Cardiovascular fitness may allow a runner to maintain a very high heart rate, pumping blood
primarily to the legs for 1–2 hours, multiple days per week — but provide poor blood supply to
the rest of the body.

Dr James O’Keefe’s TED talk, “Run For Your Life,” reviewed the ‘excessive endurance
hypothesis.’ O’Keefe, a sports cardiologist, summarized how seasoned marathon runners
displaying good bodyweight and blood profiles show increased scarring, thickening, and
75
calcification on the arterial walls from chronic inflammation. The central nervous system also
becomes affected. The way nerves communicate with the muscles of the heart is disrupted.

“If exercise were a drug, it would be the best drug we have for preventing heart disease…
but like with any drug, you’ve got to get the dose right.”

- James O’Keefe, Preventative Cardiologist, Author The Forever Young Diet and Lifestyle

In excessive training volume, the heart and cardiovascular system age at an accelerated rate. His
point is clear that damage is not by vigorous exercise but by chronically excessive vigorous
exercise. He also suggests specific running recommendations of two to five days per week (for
a total of ten to fifteen miles) at a ten-minute-per-mile pace, ideal for bulletproof cardiovascular
health.

The take-home point here is that, like all lifestyle factors, there is a lower and upper limit of
how much training volume is ideal for heart health.

Conditioning RX’d

We’ve covered the raw nuts and bolts of what constitutes intelligent conditioning habits. So,
what does this look like in practice?

In truth, it would be ostentatious of us to tell you exactly how your conditioning routine should
look without knowing anything about you. The ideal program is one that is varied, practical, and
functional. More importantly, it should also mesh with your current fitness level, personal
preferences, and existing lifestyle.

That said, we have designed a few templates that you can use for your personal routine,
depending on your realistic commitment level.

Option 1: Minimal Dose

Who this is for: The Hustle and Grind Professional / Sporadic Exerciser

Daily Routine
• 10–15 min Zone 1 (e.g., morning walk)
• Work at standing desk 3–4 hours

Monday (HIIT 1– 15 min)

• Zone 2 5-min warmup
• Zone 4 Intervals: Tabatas Box Jumps (i.e., 8 rounds of 20-sec max reps, 10-sec rest)
• Zone 2 3-min cooldown

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 Tuesday (Active Recovery 1)
• Daily routine only

Wednesday (HIIT 2–15 min)

• Zone 2 5-min warmup
• Zone 4 Intervals: 3x 1-min work/1-min rest (e.g., run, jump rope)
• Zone 2 3-min cooldown

Thursday (Active Recovery 2)

• Daily routine only

Friday (Aerobic 2 - 15–20 min)

• 15–20 min Low Impact Zone 2 (e.g., row/swim/bike/circuit)

Saturday, Sunday (Active Recovery 3,4)

• Daily routine only

Option 2: Medium Dose

Who this is for: The 9–5er / Moderate Exerciser

Daily Routine
• 20–30 min Zone 1 (e.g., morning walk)
• Work at standing desk 4–5 hours

Monday (HIIT 1 - 20min)

• Zone 2 5–10 min warmup
• Zone 4 Intervals: Tabatas Box Jumps (i.e., 8 rounds of 20-sec max reps, 10-sec rest)
• Zone 2 5-min cooldown

Tuesday (Zone 3)
• Daily routine only
• Zone 2: 5-10min warmup
• Zone 3: 10-15min Run/Bike/Run
• Zone 2: 5-min cooldown

Wednesday (Active Recovery 1)

• Daily routine only

Thursday (HIIT 2 – 25 min)

• Zone 2 5–10 min warmup
• Zone 4 Intervals: 4x 1-min work / 1-min rest (e.g., run, jump rope)
• Zone 2 5min cooldown

77
Friday (Aerobic 2 - 20–30 min)
• 20–30 min Low Impact Zone 2 (e.g., row/swim/bike/circuit)

Saturday, Sunday (Active Recovery 2,3)

• Daily Routine only

Option 3: Optimal Dose

Who this is for: The Longevity-Focused Professional / Dedicated, Experienced

Exerciser

Daily Routine:
• 45 min Zone 1 (e.g., morning walk)
• 20 min Zone 2–3 (e.g., active commute to work – i.e., run or bike)
• Work at walking or standing desk 3–4 hours

Monday (HIIT 1 – 15 min)

• Zone 2 5–10 min warmup
• Zone 4 Intervals: Tabatas Box Jumps (i.e., 8 rounds of 20-sec max reps, 10-sec rest)
• Zone 2 5-min cooldown

Tuesday (Aerobic 1 – 30min)

• 30min Low Impact Zone 3 (e.g., row/swim/bike/circuit)

Wednesday (HIIT 2 – 25 min)

• Zone 2 5–10 min warmup
• Zone 4 Intervals: 4x 1min work / 1min rest (e.g., run, jump rope)
• Zone 2 5-min cooldown

Thursday (Active Recovery 1)

• Daily routine only

Friday (Aerobic 2 – 30 min)

• 30 min Low Impact Zone 2 (e.g., row/swim/bike/circuit)

Saturday (HIIT 3)
• Zone 2 5–10 min warmup
• Zone 5 Stationary Bike Intervals: 8 x 10-sec work / 2-min rest
• Zone 2 5-min cooldown

Sunday (Active Recovery 2)

• Daily routine only

78
 Chapter 6: Building Functional Strength to Optimize Energy
& Longevity

“Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.”
– Napoleon Hill

By the end of this chapter, you will have learned:

• How to Prevent Strength Loss Typically Associated with Aging

• Essential Principles of Proper Form to Maximize Training Benefit and Minimize Injury
Risk
• The Ultimate Easy-to-Follow, Step-By-Step Training Routine for Optimizing Functional
Strength & Energy
• A Practical Template for Designing a Customized, Effective Strength Program to Fit
Your Specific Needs

79
Why Strength Matters

Strength tends to peak between 20 and 30 years of age.1 From ages 30 to 50, strength decreases
by 16-40%.2 From 50 to 70, strength decreases by an average of 1.5% per year and 3% per year
thereafter.1

It’s easy to accept this as a natural part of the aging process. But accepting marginal strength
losses now is inherently leading to accepting the loss of physical independence earlier in life.

Instilling sustainable, intelligent strength training practices today can not only slow strength
losses that result from aging, but it can also completely reverse the process. This is a key part of
reducing your functional age and effectively aging backward.

We know that strength training helps improve body composition, improves bone health, and
reduces sports-related injuries.3, 4 Strength training improves blood pressure and pain
incidents.5, 6 We also know that targeted resistance training has been correlated to increased
brain function7 and can inhibit typical age-related strength loss.8, 9

Strength Training Foundations

The core principles of strength development are actually fairly simple. If we move heavy things
and consume enough calories to gain muscle, we get stronger. There are tons of proven methods
with a wide range of movements, equipment, and repetition schemes. Powerlifters, football
players, and gymnasts are some of the strongest athletes in the world, but their training
methodologies differ significantly. It all works to varying degrees for building strength.

With the interest of maximizing healthspan, the key considerations when we look at best
programming practices for optimizing energy are efficiency and sustainability. In other words,
what is the minimal dose for getting and staying strong for a lifetime?

To ensure sustainability, the first rule in staying sufficiently strong is to always move with
optimal form. This is easier said than done, especially if you are mobility-challenged, but if your
form is not locked in from the get-go, you are guaranteeing yourself an injury.

The central concept to proper form in functional training is maintaining a neutral spine.

80
 Neutral Spine

This means that the spine

remains in its neutral
cervical, thoracic, and lumbar
curves, throughout
movement. The spine is
strongest in this position and
also most resilient to
injury.10

To establish neutral spine, it

is basically as simple as
standing with good posture.
Stand with your hands at
your side, palms forward.
Stand as tall as you can with
a proud chest and equal
weight between your feet.

In order to maintain neutral

spine throughout the
movement, we use the law of
torque combined with
diaphragmatic breathing.
This can be broken down into
three steps. The three steps to
take before initiating a
movement are twist, twist,
and breathe. The first twist is
creating an external rotation
force through the hips by
attempting to rotate your
knee caps outwards. This
creates tension around the
hips and lower spine to
maintain a neutral lumbar
curve throughout the
movement. The second twist
is the same principle applied
to the shoulders. The tension
is created by attempting to
turn the thumbs outwards,
creating external rotation force. This creates stability around the upper back and shoulders.

81
 Direction of Twisting Force to Assist in Illustration of a Diaphragmatic Breath
Maintaining Neutral Spine
(i.e., Law of Torque)

The third step is to breathe by directing the air deep into the diaphragm. The mentality is as
though you are blowing up your belly like a balloon using your breath. This creates abdominal
pressure and helps stabilize the thoracic spine.

Functional Movements
For the most efficient strength results, center your program around basic primary functional
movements: squats, bench press, deadlift, and pull-ups. This combination of movements
provides the best muscular synergy and joint balance. This helps create optimal joint stability
and function.

82
83
84
 In terms of rep scheme, we usually recommend somewhere between three and five sets and
between three and five reps. That range is what best optimizes functional strength.11, 12 The rest
of the movements should be selected to complement these prime movements and develop your
specific weaknesses. Accessory movements are typically more effective in higher rep ranges
(i.e., 8–15 reps) than the core lifts.

Load Appropriate

If it’s been a while since you have lifted, you should start in a novice phase. This phase
typically produces beginner gains, which essentially means your strength develops quicker than
it would for a more seasoned lifter. The best practice is to use linear progressions in that phase.
In practice, you can typically add about 10lbs per week to your squat and deadlift numbers and
typically about 5lbs per week to your bench press numbers. Follow that progression until you
can no longer add the prescribed weight. Linear progression ends when you either lose form, or
you literally cannot complete the reps.

Next up, we follow an intermediate prescribed reps phase protocol. This is where you start
working off percentages. Measure your 1 rep max and then train at a percentage of that, which
typically is going to be about 80% of your max. You will want to reassess your maxes and
change up your programming every 8–10 weeks.

Balanced

A key element to intelligent strength training design is the establishment of an equal amount of
push and pull movements, even sometimes more pull than push. That is the most common fault
we see in strength programming. Going crazy on the bench press and doing high volume pressing
movements forces the shoulders forward and compromises posture. We want to balance that with
an equal amount of pulling exercises as this helps establish better posture and resting shoulder
position.13

The second most common imbalance element of strength programs is a disproportionate upper
body to lower body ratio. The general rule of thumb is to train the upper body and lower body in
approximately the same training volume.

A practical means to measure your strength balance is by your lift ratio. Optimal muscular
balance is best achieved with a strength ratio of Bench Press to Squat to Deadlift of
approximately 3:4:5, respectively.14, 15 As an example, if your Max Bench Press is 300lbs, your
Squat and Deadlift should be roughly 400lbs and 500lbs, respectively.

85
Rest & Recovery

The first step in strength development occurs from micro tearing of muscle tissue from some
form of resistance training. This stimulates the body to repair the muscle and replace it with
denser and stronger muscle tissue. This repair process cannot happen without sufficient rest. Rest
2–3 min between sets, rest 5–9 days between repeating movements, and sleep 7–9 hours per night.

Failure to practice sufficient rest slows results, compromises mobility, and increases injury risk.

Periodization & Deloading

Research tells us that strength programming should be varied every 6–10 weeks in order to
optimize results.11, 12 The variation strategy should depend on the results you are seeing. If your
strength ratios are off or you find you have limb imbalances, those should be addressed in the
next version of your program.

Strength progression is dependent on not only muscular strength but also connective and
supportive tissue. Muscle tends to adapt quicker than supportive tissue.12 To prevent overloading
of joints, it is wise to practice a regular deloading protocol. Essentially, this means reducing load
and/or volume by approximately 10% every 4 to 6 weeks to allow the body time to catch up and
minimize wear and tear.

Recommended Assistance Movements

The ideal selection of assistance movements will depend on your availability,

imbalances, weaknesses, and goals.

If not sure where to start, add some extra upper body rows to help strengthen the rotator cuff,
some isometric core work, lunges, and/or single-leg deadlifts.

If you struggle with hip alignment and/or strong unilateral limb dominance, add a unilateral
movement like a barbell lunge to assist the squat, a single-leg Romanian Deadlift to assist the
deadlift, or a dumbbell pressing and/or pulling movement to assist the bench press or pull-up
respectively.

86
87
 ROW
• Start With Dumbbell in
one hand
• Hinge through hips to 90°
• Support body with other
arm
• Engage lats
• Pull dumbbell up along
ribs
• Return to starting position

88
 If you struggle to maintain neutral spine and pelvic alignment, add isometric core exercises like
planks.

Sample Program

Your ideal program is obviously dependent on whatever best matches your availability and
caters to your specific weaknesses and targets. That said, aim to perform each of the prime 4
movements once per week for 3 to 4 sets of 5–10 reps. This can be programmed in a 2-, 3-, or
4-day split.

Sample Strength Programs

4-Day Split 3-Day Split 2-Day Split

Day 1: Squat Day 1: Squat Day 1: Squat & Pullup

Day 2: Bench Day 2: Rest Day 2: Rest

Day 3: Rest Day 3: Bench & Pullup Day 3: Rest

Day 4: Deadlift Day 4: Rest Day 4: Deadlift & Bench

Day 5: Pull-up Day 5: Deadlift Day 5: Rest

Day 6,7: Rest Day 6,7: Rest Day 6,7: Rest

89
Chapter 7: Discover Your Personal Nutritional Prescription
for Fueling Sustainable Supreme Energy

By the end of this chapter, you will have learned:

• The Fundamental Principles of Eating for Fueling Sustainable Supreme Energy

• A Comprehensive List of the Most Beneficial Foods to Include in Your Diet
• A Comprehensive List of the Most Harmful Foods to Avoid in Your Diet
• A Practical Template for Designing a Customized Effective Nutrition Program to Fit
Your Specific Needs

90
 “Your Fork is the Most Powerful Tool to Transform
Your Health and Change the World”
- Dr. Mark Hyman

If you are a live person reading this, it’s pretty unlikely that we have to tell you that sugar and
highly processed foods are not good for you. They increase your risk of diabetes, cancer, heart
disease, and the rest of the chronic diseases that are killing us. It’s unlikely that you don’t
already know that nutrient-dense foods like vegetables are better options than baked goods. So,
we are going to skip over some of the basics and jump into some of the lesser-known facts and
myths surrounding nutrition.

The complex nature of diet and the sheer number of interconnected nutrition factors presents a
challenge to studying its epidemiology.1 But recent developments in nutrigenomics have
allowed us to better understand dietary-intervention strategies aimed at preventing diet-related
disease.2 This research is showing us more clearly that everything we consume in our diet
influences which genes are being expressed. Simply put, some foods stimulate healing, and
some stimulate illness. Our overall state of health, to some degree, is a summation of which
genetic switches are being turned on by the foods we eat.

Nutrition also has a massive impact on the economy. Mozaffarian, et al. (2018)3 estimated
improvements in diet would save $50 billion in annual healthcare costs in the US.

Diet also has a massive influence on the environment. The Food and Agriculture Organization
reported that 14.5% of all human-induced greenhouse gas emissions are attributed to the
livestock sector.4

It is clear that our dietary choices are impacting more than just our personal health. The scope
of this book is to optimize health and performance, but selecting minimally processed foods
also reduces the negative economic and environmental impact that our nutrition choices are
placing on the world.

The benefits of quality nutritional intake extend well beyond the obvious body composition and
prevention of chronic disease. Dietary refinement improves mood and cognitive ability.5 It
improves work performance6 and sexual performance.7 Dietary changes alone have been
demonstrated to be as effective or more so than conventional treatments of Cancer.8, 9 Li et al.
(2018)10 reported that healthy nutrition and basic lifestyle habits can increase lifespan by 12–14
years. The list goes on.

The longer we plan to live, the more impactful each nutrition decision becomes.

91
Key Universal Truths

If you are ever interested in guaranteeing an emotionally charged, extremely heated public
debate, all you need to do is proclaim that your diet of choice (whatever it may be) is supreme
and all other options are inferior.

People take their personal beliefs around dietary strategies super seriously.

The truth is that there is no universal magical diet that works for everyone. The ideal choice
depends on availability, dietary sensitivities, self-discipline, activity level, age, genetic profile,
personal preferences, and so on.

That said, there are some fairly universal principles surrounding nutrition that have been linked
to optimizing health and performance.

In terms of quality, the majority of the population tends to function best on a diet that is
minimally processed, low in sugar, and nutrient-dense. The ideal quantity is high enough to fuel
your performance in daily activities and low enough to minimize storage of body fat.

Beyond that, it’s all up for debate and unique to the specific individual.

In terms of what foods to focus on and which to avoid, we have put together a list of the foods
that most consistently report positive effects on health and well-being and the ones that pose the
most threat.

Key Dietary Inclusion/Exclusion List

92
 Macronutrients

The simplest means for finding your ideal food quantities is to measure your nutritional
macronutrients. Generally speaking, there are 4 values to consider:
1. Protein
2. Carbs
3. Fat
4. Total Calories
We typically measure protein, carbs, and fat by mass (g) and calories in calories.

As nutrition coaches, when we recommend macronutrient numbers for a client, we typically do

this in ratios. The specific ratios will depend on the client’s body weight, activity level, age,
preferences, and goals. A common approach is to recommend the daily protein intake mass as a
function of the client’s body weight and composition. For example:

Protein Intake (g) = Lean Body Weight (LBW) (lbs)

We can then calculate the rest of the numbers as a function of ratios. If we elect for Zone ratios,
we use 40:30:30 (carb:pro:fat).11 Note that ratios are typically assessed in calories rather than
mass. Each gram of protein is approximately 4 calories. Carbs are also 4 calories per gram. A
gram of fat is 9 calories.

Using these relationships, we can calculate our desired macronutrient profile. For example,
suppose our client is a 170lb male with 12% body fat. We would calculate his lean body weight
and corresponding macros as follows...

LBW = 170 x (1 - 0.12) ≈ 150lbs

Protein (g) = LBW = 150g

Protein (cal) = 150g x 4 cal/g = 600 cal

Total Calories (cal) = 600 cal / (30%) = 2000 cal

Carb (cal) = 2000 x 40% = 800 cal

Carb (g) = 800 cal / 4 g/cal = 200g

Fat (cal) = 2000 cal x 30% = 600 cal

Fat (g) = 600 / 9 = 67 g

Sample Macro Calculation for a 170lb Male with 12% body fat.

93
Using the Zone Ratio prescription, we would suggest this client consumes 150g of protein,
200g of carbs, and 67g of fat per day.

Mind you, not everyone responds best to these ratios. It depends on age, body composition,
goals, activity level, genetics, and personal preferences. Nutrigenomics research and other
developments in genetic testing are helping us understand better how to navigate this and
provide more definitive individualized answers.12

This particular macronutrient strategy tends to serve well as a starting point for moderately
active clients with a relatively balanced fitness routine looking to optimize health. That said,
some clients respond better to more conventional higher-carb diets or more extreme low-carb
diets like ketogenic.

There have been cases of virtually every single combination of macronutrient ratios producing
positive results to varying degrees.

For weight loss, meta-analysis has actually shown no significant differences when comparing
low fat vs. low carb strategies over the course of a year.13 As you may have noticed, the scope
of this book goes a little beyond weight loss. So, we will dive into this debate in more detail
later in the chapter.

The ideal nutrition plan is the option that:

a. Best optimizes the specific dietary needs of the individual; and

b. The individual is willing and capable of following long term.

There are relatively accurate metrics available to predict the optimal level of nutrition load, but
in reality, we don’t know the specifics of what is going to work until we try it.

We can verify the accuracy and effectiveness by monitoring changes in adherence, body
weight, hunger, energy, and athletic performance. As a rule of thumb, bodyweight should not
change by more than 2lbs per week. Noticeable hunger and energy lulls should not last longer
than 5 days. We can further improve precision by measuring biomarkers like blood glucose.
Week to week, we tweak the numbers to better optimize the outcome variables.

Common Dietary Strategies

As you are well aware, there are thousands of books and blogs littered with content related to
the latest diet trends. Some of the common strategies work really well for some of the people,
some of the time. In practice, there are more than enough common diets to select from to serve
as a starting point for everyone. The question is where to start.

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 The intention of this chapter is not to convince you that any particular strategy is best. It is to
provide you with sufficient information to decide which strategy will be most beneficial to you,
based on your own goals, needs, and preferences.

The ideal starting point will depend on your age, genetics, budget, location, food preferences,
sensitivities, current habits, and self-discipline. For most people, the reason for failing with diet
compliance is attempting to start with drastic and unrealistic changes. How often does the couch
potato, who survives on burgers and pizza, successfully turn on a dime and switch to a long-term
strict Paleo-Ketogenic Diet with intermittent fasting?

The key to success with nutrition is to create a series of micro goals. This is true, regardless of
your current eating habits. Drastic changes are problematic for a few reasons. The first and most
obvious is the psychological battle of cutting all of your favourite guilty pleasures from your life
cold turkey. Those guilty pleasures are guaranteed to be the first foods that pop into mind the
next time you are hungry. That is the number one reason most diets fail.

The rest of the rationale for gradual change is less obvious.

There is an advantage of removing categories of foods from your diet incrementally and tracking
changes. This allows you to pinpoint sensitivities and the foods that are most harmful or
beneficial to your overall health.

There is another advantage of small changes as it relates to energy. Any time we shift our
personal nutrition protocol, our endocrine system has to adapt to the new stimulus. Drastic
changes tend to take longer to adapt to hormonally. For example, an abrupt change from high
carb to high fat typically creates all kinds of peaks and valleys to energy and hunger levels.
Some people even experience the ‘Keto Flu’ after abruptly cutting carbs from their intake.

That said, we are going to talk a little about some of the common diets that can serve as a
baseline to optimizing your fuel intake. We will highlight the scope and some of the pros and
cons of each based on a combination of research, our personal experience, and the results of our
clientele.

Paleo(lithic) Diet

The Paleolithic diet is an elimination strategy aimed at promoting minimally processed foods.
The general rule is to avoid consuming foods that were not accessible to our ancestors 10,000
years ago. The general rationale is two-fold. The inclusion list is comprised of the most
nutrient- dense and excludes the least nutrient-dense foods. The second portion of the rationale
is that humans are genetically mismatched to the modern diet that developed as a result of
agricultural practice that introduced dairy, grains, and legumes. Since that time, humans have
failed to genetically adapt to consuming and utilizing nutrients in these food products. This is
documented in the large number of food sensitivities (e.g., lactose intolerance, gluten
intolerance, and peanut allergies).

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Processed foods have also been heavily linked to the
development of chronic diseases. Generally speaking, humans Dr. Dan’s Notes
are better able to absorb nutrients from less processed food
sources. Completing two Ironman
distance triathlons, a few Half-
Essentially, the Paleo diet includes meat, nuts, seeds, natural Ironman distances, marathons,
½ marathons, 6 ATBs (30km
oils, vegetables, and fruit. It excludes grains, legumes, refined Hamilton race ‘older than
sugar, and highly processed foods. Boston’) included fueling my
body daily with a copious
The Paleolithic Diet has been linked to a multitude of benefits, amount of sugary electrolyte
including weight loss, increased energy, reduced drinks, sugar-laden gels, bars,
and a carb-loading diet that I
inflammation, improved insulin sensitivity and hunger was always told to follow —
management, longevity, anti-aging, and improved immune which included eating almost
function.14, 15, 16, 17 no fat. This list does not
include all the extra chemicals
The ideal means of following the diet would be to hunt and and toxins that were added to
preserve the products and give
collect your own food from the wild or a local garden. them bright, marketable
colours. For my most recent
Obviously, this is not practical for most of us. So, the general longer distance triathlon, the
rule is that the less that has happened to your food between Half-Ironman Mont Tremblant
earth and your belly, the better. triathlon, I was in full nutritional
ketosis and fueled with
practically no carbohydrates.
If you choose to follow the Paleolithic Diet, you may want to If constant high sugar
consider supplementing with fish oils, magnesium, collagen, exposure with constant insulin
essential amino acids (EAAs), calcium, nicotinamide riboside, spikes and ongoing
and resveratrol to further optimize health and combat the inflammation was an optional
effects of aging. lifestyle choice, I figured there
must be a different way.
Approximately 9 years ago I
Ketogenic Diet started testing my blood sugar
and ketones to purposefully put
The ketogenic diet is a strategy of shifting the body into a myself in a state of ketosis. I
state of nutritional ketosis, where fats are utilized as the prime felt great, had lots of energy
source of energy. Carbohydrate intake is minimized as much and my blood labs were all in
as necessary to create a metabolic adaptation, which typically preferred zones. Although
ranges from 20 to 50 grams per day. challenging to stay in a state of
ketosis all the time, I now find it
much easier to have long
When reaching a state of ketosis, the body becomes much
intermittent fasts every other
more efficient at burning fat for energy, which is why it has day where I am in ketosis most
been successful in weight loss programs. There are also of the day and eat most of my
cognitive benefits associated with converting fats into carbs in the evening.
ketones, which supply energy to the brain.18, 19 There has been
a multitude of reported benefits, including reduced risk of
chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes,
cancer, and cognitive disorders.20, 21, 22, 23

The Keto diet has been commonly prescribed by world leaders in the science of anti-aging and

96
 longevity, including Dr. David Sinclair, Dr. Peter Attia, Dr. Chris Kressor, Dr. Paul Saladino,
Dave Asprey, and Ben Greenfield.

Craig’s Anti-
Aging Smoothie
Recipe

I follow up my daily fast

with a low-carb anti-
aging smoothie bowl.
This is loaded with
superfoods, antioxidants,
and key minerals to help
optimize healthspan.
Mind you, this is not your
typically fruity sweet
smoothie. I personally
don’t mind the taste at
all, but it is definitely not
for everyone.

While it can be extremely effective for improving overall health and performance, there are
some challenges associated with going Keto. Since carbs are the least expensive form of
calorie, the cost of the ketogenic diet is typically higher, especially when paired with Paleo
practices. There have been a number of reported cases of adverse side effects while the body
adapts to a state of ketosis, often referred to as the “Keto Flu”.24, 25 When carb intake is
dramatically reduced, blood insulin levels decrease, leading to a loss of salt in the urine. In a
2007 review, researchers suggested that under conditions of low insulin, the kidneys absorb less
sodium and excrete more into the urine.26

If sodium isn’t replaced, you may experience a variety of symptoms, including nausea,
constipation, reduced energy, and increased hunger. Typically, symptoms do not last more than
a few weeks. Fortunately, replenishing sodium, magnesium, and potassium may help prevent or
greatly diminish symptoms of keto flu and other side effects. This is based on the clinical
experience of low-carb practitioners and was unanimously agreed upon by a low-carb expert
panel.27

If you decide to go Keto, we recommend you find a means to measure ketones via blood or
breath analysis for feedback. Nutritional ketosis begins at 0.5 mmol/L, and 1.0–3.0 mmol/L is
considered optimal.28

Meals should be based around meat, fish, eggs, butter, cheese, nuts, seeds, healthy oils,
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avocados, and low-carb vegetables. You may need to consider increasing your sodium intake.
Entering a state of ketosis causes excess sodium excretion, so we recommend you regularly
apply salt as a seasoning.

Aside from avoiding high carb sources, we recommend avoiding unhealthy fats such as
hydrogenated oils as they can increase low-density lipoproteins (LDLs), which compromises
cardiovascular health.

Intermittent fasting has shown to be an effective means of forcing the body into ketosis, which is
why it is commonly paired with the Keto diet. Supplements worth considering while practicing
nutritional ketosis include MTC oil, fish oil, magnesium, collagen, essential amino acids,
calcium, nicotinamide riboside, and resveratrol.

Vegan Diet

The plant-based diet has been around for more than a thousand years.29 Today, vegans make up
about 0.5% of the US population. There is a significant amount of natural resources required by
the livestock sector, which was reported to account for 14.5% of total greenhouse gas emissions
in 2005.30 Going vegan has become a tactical strategy for helping mitigate this and reduce the
environmental strain caused by animal agriculture. It is relatively clear that going vegan can aid
in the health of our planet by reducing carbon footprint.31

However, it is less clear that a plant-based diet is optimal for our personal health.

There are numerous reported health benefits to turning vegan, including weight loss, increased
energy, and longevity.32

Netflix documentaries, such as “What the Health” and “The Game Changers,” have suggested that a
vegan diet is better for our health and performance than meat-based diets. However, the data
presented can be misleading. The majority of the data comparisons referred to in the films are based
on epidemiology, comparing the vegan diet to the Standard American Diet. In truth, any elimination
diet will perform better in comparison to the Standard American Diet.

Meta-analysis has shown no significant difference between mortality rates between vegetarians
and “health-conscious” meat eaters.33, 34, 35

In an overfed society, food restriction is a plus unless it results in nutritional deficiency.

Often, those that switch to vegan or vegetarian experience a honeymoon phase where
inflammation is reduced and energy increases. But unless essential nutrient deficiencies are
monitored and addressed, these deficiencies will typically present themselves over the course of
6–18 months in the form of chronic fatigue, joint pain, and brain fog. This has been
documented by numerous health-conscious former vegans, including Dr. Paul Saladino, Dr.
Chris Kressor, Dr. Chris Masterjohn, and Dave Asprey.

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 “I have been a vegetarian and even a raw vegan, but when I really dug
in on the net number of deaths per calorie, I realized that including
grass-fed animals in my diet was an ethical choice. Plus, fat from
healthy animals make us feel better and perform better!”
- Dave Asprey, Author of the Bulletproof Diet

Another challenge in assessing the true health value in a vegan diet is the ‘healthy user bias.’

When we adopt a new way to eat, we may start drinking more water, sleeping more, exercising
more often, drinking and/or smoking less, and this confounds the results of the newfound diet.

The healthy user bias presents a challenge in assessing the benefits of any diet. But research has
shown that vegetarians typically engage in a healthier overall lifestyle than omnivores.36, 37
They smoke and drink less, are less likely to be overweight, have higher levels of physical
activity, and eat more fruits and vegetables.

99
All in all, there are benefits to going vegan, and it is possible to live a long and healthy life as a
vegan. But there are risks, and there is no clear evidence that it provides an advantage over a
healthy omnivore diet.

It is better to be a healthy vegan than an unhealthy omnivore. By the same token, it is better to
be a healthy omnivore than an unhealthy vegan.

Recommended supplements to consider while following a vegan diet include: protein powder,
calcium, iron, collagen, magnesium, zinc, B12, creatine, omega 3s, Vit D, Vit A, essential
amino acids, probiotics, resveratrol, and nicotinamide riboside.

Vegetarian/Pescatarian Diet

Since vegetarian and pescatarian (fish only) diets are less restrictive than veganism, they present
less risk of nutrient deficiency. Dairy and fish are both reasonable sources of healthy fats and
protein, which are often deficient in a fully plant-based diet.

Research has shown that vegetarian and pescatarian diets are linked to a lower risk of heart
disease.38 The same study also reported that vegetarians and vegans had a higher risk of
hemorrhage and stroke than meat-eaters, which could be due to low blood levels of total
cholesterol or other nutrient deficiencies.

Evidence suggests that vegetarian and pescatarian diets are also associated with a lower carbon
footprint than keto or paleo diets.31

However, the same healthy user bias exists for vegetarians and pescatarians, as we touched on in
the vegan section.

Recommended supplements to consider while following a vegetarian or pescatarian diet include:

protein powder, calcium, iron, collagen, magnesium, zinc, B12, creatine, omega 3s, Vit D, Vit
A, essential amino acids, probiotics, resveratrol, and nicotinamide riboside.

Carnivore Diet

At the polar opposite end of the spectrum to veganism is the carnivore diet, which exclusively
includes animal products and excludes all plants. As radical as this concept may seem, there is
some scientific merit to this nutrition strategy. Similar to the ketogenic diet, going carnivore is
based on the minimization of carbs in the diet while following a paleolithic strategy of
consuming minimally processed foods. In 2020, Dr. Paul Saladino published The Carnivore
Code. In this book, he outlines the rationale behind the carnivore strategy and cites multiple
case studies, resulting in reduced inflammation, improved mental clarity and weight loss.

Saladino argues that ancestral humans ate more animal meat than we do today and only ate

100
 plants when meat was not available. He goes on to suggest that, like animals, plants do not want
to be eaten. Since they are not able to physically escape predators, they have evolved to develop
chemically toxic properties as a defense mechanism. The largest category of toxins is the
phytoalexins, which include glucosinolates and polyphenols. Although numerous health benefits
have been reported from polyphenols like resveratrol and curcumin39, Saladino argues that they
are not compatible with our DNA. He goes on to cite multiple studies that showed no causal
relationship between polyphenols and oxidative stress, inflammation, DNA repair, and
cardiovascular disease.40, 41, 42

Dr. Saladino prescribes following a ‘nose to tail’ animal product protocol, including organs,
bones, and connective tissue, in order to maximize nutrient density.

The Carnivore Code is a very interesting, controversial read. Although the concepts contradict
what most of us think we know about nutrition, Saladino addresses all of the major arguments
against consuming animal products. He cites contradictory evidence against the reported link
between red meat and cardiovascular disease. He even touches on the ethics and environmental
consequences of eating animal products.

While it is worth the read and definitely will make you rethink reducing meat consumption,
there is still very limited data on the long-term effects of eliminating all plants from our diet.
We do not recommend switching to carnivore unless you are extremely self-disciplined, willing
to track your key health markers, and open to some self-experimentation.

The table spread over the next few pages provides a summary of the literature and our
recommendations around each of the common dietary strategies to help you make a decision for
which model most aligns with your personal needs and goals.

Strategy
VEGETARIAN/
PALEO KETO VEGAN OMNIVORE CARNIVORE
PESCATARIAN

Scope: Exclusively Pursue Exclusively Plant-based, Allows both Exclusively

minimally nutritional plant-based plus dairy, plant and animal
processed ketosis by diet eggs, and fish animal products
foods that utilizing products
were fats as
accessible to prime
our oldest source of
human fuel
ancestors

Includes: Meat, Nuts, Meat, Vegetables, Vegetables, Everything Animal

Seeds, Oils, Nuts, Fruits, Nuts, Fruits, Nuts, products
Vegetables, Seeds, Oils, Grains, Oils, Grains,
Fruits Oils, Legumes Legumes,
Vegetables, Dairy, Fish, Eggs
Dairy
101
 Strategy
VEGETARIAN/
PALEO KETO VEGAN OMNIVORE CARNIVORE
PESCATARIAN

Excludes: Grains, Dairy, High carb Meat, Fish, Meat Nothing Everything
Legumes, content Dairy else
Junk (~20g per
day)

Documented Fat loss, Fat loss, Fat loss, Fat loss, Varied Fat loss,
Benefits: Increased Increased Increased Increased > Depends Increased
energy, energy, energy, energy, on specific energy,
Longevity, Longevity, Longevity, Longevity, protocol Longevity,
Slowing Slowing Slowing Slowing Aging, Slowing
Aging, Aging, Aging, Strengthen Aging,
Strengthen Strengthen Strengthen Immune System Strengthen
Immune Immune Immune Immune
System, System, System, System,
Reverse Cognitive Reduce Cognitive
Chronic enhancement, Environmental enhancement,
Disease, Reverse strain caused Reverse
Reduced Chronic by the Chronic
Inflammation Disease, livestock Disease,
Reduced sector Reduced
Inflammation Inflammation

Cautions: Financially Financially Honeymoon Honeymoon Non- Minimal

expensive, expensive, phase, Loss of phase, Loss of restricted, research
Limited long- Limited Muscle Mass, Muscle Mass, therefore available,
term research Long-term Common Common can sit Keto Flu,
research, Nutrient Nutrient anywhere Potential
Keto Flu Deficiencies Deficiencies (i.e., on the Nutrient
(i.e., protein, protein, health Deficiencies
collagen, collagen, scale (fibre,
creatine, iron, creatine, iron, vitamin C)
selenium, B12, selenium, B12,
Vit D, Vit D, Vit A,
Vit A, Zinc, Zinc)
Calcium,
Omega 3s)

102
 Strategy
VEGETARIAN/
PALEO KETO VEGAN OMNIVORE CARNIVORE
PESCATARIAN

Tips: Avoid grain- Combine with Track via Track via Combine Consume
fed animals Paleo, bloodwork to bloodwork to with Paleo nose to tail
and Consider test for test for and/or Keto to
minimally Cyclical Keto deficiencies deficiencies to maximize optimize
processed to maintain benefits nutrient
animal carb & fat density.
products. adaptation. Hunt
Ideally Combine with own
hunt/fish intermittent meat if
own meat fasting to possible.
and consume facilitate
locally- ketogenic
grown state
vegetables

Recommended Fish oils, Ketone Protein, Protein, Fish oils, Fish oils,
Supplements: Magnesium, bodies, Fish Calcium, Iron, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium, Magnesium,
Collagen, oils, Collagen, Collagen, Collagen, Collagen,
EAAs, Magnesium, Magnesium, Magnesium, EAAs, EAAs,
Calcium, Collagen, Zinc, B12, Zinc, B12, Calcium, Calcium,
Niacin, EAAs, Creatine, Creatine, Niacin, Niacin,
Resveratrol, Calcium, Omega 3s, Vit Omega 3s, Vit Resveratrol, Resveratrol,
Probiotics Niacin, D, Vit A, EAAs, D, Vit A, EAAs, Probiotics Probiotics,
Resveratrol, Probiotics, Probiotics, Vitamin C
Probiotics Resveratrol, Resveratrol,
Niacin Niacin

Caloric Restriction and Fasting

There is very convincing evidence of the health benefits of caloric restriction and fasting. Over
the past 70 years, caloric restriction has been the most consistent non-pharmacological
intervention for increasing lifespan and protecting against metabolic disease.43, 44 Research
suggests that this is a stress response that evolved early in life’s history to increase an organism’s
chance of surviving adversity.45

103
 Fasting has been linked to cell autophagy46, which is
the body’s means of disposing of damaged cells so
Craig’s Nutrition & that they can be replaced by newer and healthier
Fasting Protocol cells. Although much of the research is extracted
from animal studies, most scientists in the field of
I have tried a fairly wide anti-aging research feel that cell autophagy begins
range of nutrition strategies in humans after 18–20 hours of fasting, with
over the years: high carb, maximal benefits occurring between 48 and 72
high protein, high fat, high hours.47, 48, 49
everything, paleo, keto,
carnivore, and pseudo- There are definite benefits of daily time-restricted
vegetarian. After much feeding or intermittent fasting as well, which is
research and self - typically 12–16 hours with little to no food intake.
experimentation, I have The benefits include weight loss, improved insulin
found that cyclical keto tends resistance, cardiovascular disease, mitochondrial
to work best for me. During health, DNA repair, and autophagy.50, 51
the week, I stick to a low carb
diet to keep myself in a state To get started with fasting, we recommend starting
of ketosis. Once per week, I by gradually extending your fasting hours around
consume a moderate amount your sleep. For example, if you typically finish eating
of carbs. This allows me to your last meal at 8 pm and eat breakfast the next day
remain metabolically at 6 am, this is a 10-hour fast. Gradually extend your
adaptive and still enjoy some fasting hours by 30 min per day by pushing your
of my favourite carbs on breakfast back until you are up to a 16-hour fast.
occasion. I couple this with Expect some hunger when you first start. Over time,
daily 16 hour fasting, and a it becomes more manageable. As your body adapts
weekly 24-hour fast. Every 3 and it gets easier, consider adding an extended fasting
months, I do an extended protocol of 24–72 hours every 3 months. Use the
fast of 48-96 hours, which same strategy of starting small and gradually
gives my body a chance to
increasing the duration over time. For example, if you
cycle into autophagy. Since
start with 24 hours, try adding 8 or 12 hours in the
starting this protocol, my
next quarter and repeat until you are up to 72 hours.
energy, immune system, and
sleep quality have been the
best in my entire life.

104
 Food for Thought
To recap, there is no universal nutrition plan that will optimize the health and performance of
everyone. There are just too many variables to consider, and much of the research is inconsistent.
There is fairly irrefutable evidence that most of us function best on a minimally processed diet,
low in sugar and nutrient-dense. The ideal quantity is high enough to fuel your performance in
daily activities and low enough to minimize the storage of body fat. To get more specific than that,
you will have to do some experimenting. That said, we have found that both we and our client base
have functioned best on a low carbohydrate paleolithic diet peppered with some form of caloric
restriction.

105
Chapter 8: How to Fight Cognitive Decline and Build Mental
Resilience

By the end of this chapter, you will have learned:

• The Fundamental Principles of Optimizing Brain Health, Mental Performance, and

Preventing Cognitive Decline
• A Comprehensive List of the Most Beneficial Changes You Can Make to Build Supreme
Mental Resilience
• A Practical Template for Designing a Customized Effective Mental Resilience Program
to Fit Your Specific Needs

The brain is without question our most critical organ for survival and function. It regulates our
movement and keeps us in balance. It solves complex problems and has the capacity to store up
to 2.5 Petabytes, the equivalent of a million hours of high-definition television! You would
need almost 40,000 iPhone 11s to store that kind of data.

The brain manages our senses, our emotions, and it is the central hub for the development of
our core values, habits, and personality. It writes, directs, and produces full-length picture films
for you every night while you sleep.

It is an unbelievable organ. We are still far from understanding it entirely, and most of us barely
scratch the surface of its incredible potential.

106
 This chapter is dedicated to understanding how to unleash as much brainpower as possible, for as
long as possible.

Most of us think of cognitive decline as something that happens in retirement age. However,
research has shown that some aspects of cognitive decline begin in healthy, educated adults
before the age of 30.1

The prevalence of cognitive decline is growing in older adults. There are currently approximately
50 million cases of dementia worldwide. The World Health Organization is projecting this to
increase to 82 million by 2030 and 152 million by 2050. The total global societal cost of
dementia was estimated to be $818 billion USD in 2015 and will inevitably continue to grow
with increasing cases.

If you have ever had a family member with dementia, you know how stressful it is on the entire
family. It is like watching someone you love slowly being poisoned, robbed of their memories,
and filled with paranoia. It can turn the most loving and caring people into the polar opposite
until they get to a point where they don’t remember anything about their family or themselves.

As the world population continues to age, we can expect to see more cases of severe cognitive
decline.

Medical technology is gradually getting to the point where we can grow limbs and organs in a
lab. Brain transplants, however, are another story. It is not likely that we will see that
technology within this lifetime, or possibly ever.

In short, we have to take care of the brain we were born with if we want to live as well as
possible for as long as possible.

Healthy Body Equals Healthy Brain

Brain function has been heavily positively correlated with nutrition and exercise. We have
already covered this in Chapters 2–6, so we will just cover the highlights here.

Physical activity and exercise have shown to alleviate symptoms associated with mild to
moderate depression.2 There is also evidence that they provide benefits against alcoholism and
substance abuse programs.3 Exercise has demonstrated to improve self-image, social skills, and
cognitive function.4, 5 Aerobic exercise improves attention, processing speed, and executive
function.6 It has also reduced symptoms of anxiety.7

Mobility practice has demonstrated reduction in fear, anxiety, disturbed sleep, and sadness.8

Strength training is associated with reductions in anxiety and depression, as well as

improvements in self-esteem, sleep, and cognitive function.9

107
In 2017, Owen and Cole reported that even modest changes in nutrition significantly aid in the
treatment of mental disorders. Jacka et al. (2017)10 reported significant improvements in the
mental health of patients following a minimally processed, nutrient-rich omnivore diet in
comparison to a control group. Research also suggests that the ketogenic diet may be protective
against diet-induced cognitive impairment.11 A ketogenic formula has also demonstrated
significant positive effects on memory and processing speeds in Alzheimer’s patients.12

Build yourself a bulletproof body by optimizing the topics we explored in the previous 5 chapters,
and the mind will follow.

Emotional Harmony
One of the key components to general success in life stems from establishing emotional harmony.
The right balance of emotions will keep you moving forward. Too much stress can be paralyzing.
Too little stress fails to stimulate growth. Too much relaxation drives laziness. Too little
relaxation derails mental health. Emotional harmony lives somewhere in-between the polar ends
of the spectrum.

Most of what we do drives us towards one of the two ends of the spectrum. The better we
understand which actions are most impactful to our emotional state, the better we can control our
emotions.

The more emotionally charged our state, the less rational we tend to operate, and the easier it
becomes to lose sight of this.

The Mental Power Habits

The following sections describe the most powerful habits that build supreme mental resilience.

1) Social Integration

In 2017, developmental psychologist, Susan Pinker, gave a TED Talk summarizing a series of
studies by Professor Julianne Holt-Lunstad that correlated various lifestyle factors to longevity.
In these studies, they analysed exercise habits, nutrition, marital status, medical intervention, as
well as smoking and drinking habits. The strongest predictor for how long you will live was
reported to be social integration. In this research, social integration was defined as how much
the subjects interacted with people throughout their day, including both interactions via close
relationships and strangers.

This actually makes sense if we consider the physiological changes that occur during social
integration. Face-to-face contact with other humans causes a release of a plethora of
neurotransmitters that aid in brain function and survival. The physical actions involved in social
interaction (i.e., eye contact, handshakes, high fives, etc.) causes the release of oxytocin, which
increases levels of trust and decreases cortisol levels and subsequent stress. These actions also

108
 stimulate the release of dopamine, which plays a critical role in how we experience pleasure, as well
as our ability to think and plan.

So, if you want to optimize your mental health, cognitive function, and live a fulfilling life for as
long as possible, be as social as life allows you to be.

2) Stable Relationships

In Holt-Lunstad’s work, close relationships were nearly as predictive of longevity as social

integration. Maintaining at least 3 quality close relationships has shown to increase our ability to
cope with stress, improve our lifespan and our reproductive success rate.13 Emotional support
provides an invaluable aid to our mental and physical health. This is consistent with data
showing higher mortality rate following the loss of a spouse.14

Do your best to maintain and nurture your close relationships. Dr. Dan’s Notes
I have been using an Oura
3) Sleep Quality and Quantity ring to track my sleep
quality and quantity for the
Over the last 20 years, we have seen compelling evidence of last several years. It has
the value of sleep as it relates to our cognitive function. In definitely helped me make
2008, Dr. Matthew Walker summarized a series of effects that changes based on the
sleep has on learning and memory. Quality sleep is required feedback. Walker's
both to store and recall new memories. Even a nap as short as research also helped me to
6 min has been shown to promote memory performance.15 understand that my 'I will
sleep when I am dead'
Even one night of sleep deprivation has shown to impair philosophy that I practiced
hippocampal function and the consequent ability to commit for most of my life would not
new experiences to memory. In 2016, Walker’s research serve me for longevity.
group reported findings demonstrating that sleep disruption Wrapping my head around
appears to play a major role in the development of my personal chronotype has
Alzheimer’s disease. helped me plan my day
better. Being a father of 5
You cannot cheat sleep. It will catch up with you, so ensure that makes sleep an even more
you are getting between 7 and 9 hours of sleep per night. We important priority in our
will chat about strategies for improving the quality of your household.
sleep in the next chapter.

4) Meditation

Meditation has demonstrated massive benefits to mental health and cognitive function.
Meditative therapy has been linked to improved verbal fluency, focus, learning, and memory.16,
17, 18, 19
Gard et al. (2014)20 reported that meditation might also offset age-related cognitive
decline.

The general principle of meditation is to induce a state of calm by focusing your attention on
your breath and physical stimuli. It may be guided or self-directed. The goal is to complete a
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meditation session, focusing all of your attention on the present moment, and to minimize your
response to all other thoughts.

Mobile apps, such as Calm or Headspace, are effective at guiding you through the process. There
are even more advanced apps, such as Muse, that record brain activity to give you feedback on
how effectively you are meditating.

There are a ton of documented benefits of meditation as it relates to mental resilience and
cognitive function. We highly encourage you to begin daily meditation.

5) Positivity & Gratitude

Happiness is paradoxical. There is no uniform consensus formula for being happy. It looks
slightly different to everyone, but if we look for commonality, we know that it is a product of
our environment and how we perceive it. Your mental state is determined by what is happening
around you and your internal process for interpreting it. Those are both variables we can
control, at least to some degree. Hence, happiness is a choice.

Research has shown that mental state is not determined by status or possessions. Young et al.
(2005)21 reported that only 8% of suicide cases were committed by people under financial
strain.

Research has also shown that gratitude is a key element of mental well-being.22 Experimental
studies have shown that practicing gratitude has proven to enhance happiness.23, 24

You have likely heard it before, and if you haven’t, it should likely make sense. Focusing your
attention on the positive aspects of your life creates a positive sense of self-worth and
happiness. Happy people also happen to live longer.25

Daily practice of gratitude is one of the best things you can do for your mental state of well-
being. If you are not already practicing gratitude every day for at least two minutes, we suggest
you get started on it. There is no downside.

6) Play & Sport

Research shows that playful activities are one of the best strategies for learning and maintaining
mental health.26, 27, 28 The effects are enhanced when done in groups.29 There are even further
benefits by adding a cardiovascular stimulus.

Physical group activity positively influences physical and mental health. If you are not a sports
person, this could also be a group fitness class. In any case, it is worth your time to consider
adding a couple hours of some physical playful group activities to your weekly agenda.

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 7) Mental Training/Games

The mind operates similarly to muscle tissue in the sense that it develops and adapts in response
to challenges.

Mnemonics, internal cognitive strategies aimed to enhance memory, have been shown to
strongly enhance memory capacity.30, 31 Mnemonics enables individuals to remember chunks of
information and aids with memory retention. It is often used for list or auditory forms but can
also be utilized with other types of information in visual or kinesthetic forms such as music,
phrases, and imagery.

The method of loci is a mnemonic strategy that uses well-established memories of spatial
routes. During memory storage, information items are visualized at specific points along such a
route, which, in turn, has to be mentally retraced during retrieval. This is also known as a
memory palace.

Another effective mnemonic technique is the phonetic system, which is designed to aid in
remembering numbers. Numerical digits are converted to letters, which are then combined to
form words.

Both the method of loci and the phonetic system have demonstrated effective results and
increase in effectiveness over time.32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37

Computer training and games have also been linked to cognitive development and memory
improvements.38 Research has also found improvements in attention, executive function, and
processing speed.39, 40, 41, 42

Working memory can also be trained using computerized tasks, such as the n-back task.43 The
n- back task involves monitoring the identity or location of a series of verbal or nonverbal
stimuli and to indicate when the currently presented stimulus is the same as the one presented in
trials previously.

In general, your brain will continue to develop if you continue to stimulate it and challenge it in
new ways. Continue learning new languages and mental skills. Tap into your artistic and
musical side to expand your creative thinking.

All of these tasks will help improve your mental function and state.

8) Electrical Stimulation

Electrical brain stimulation has demonstrated enhancing effects on the cognition of healthy
individuals.44, 45 Learning enhancement has been reported for transcranial direct current
stimulation (tDCS).46, 47, 48, 49, 50 This involves sending a small electric current between two
electrodes placed on the scalp.51 The technique seems to work by alteration of neural firing in
superficial parts of the cortex.

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9) Supplementation and Pharmaceuticals
Dr. Dan’s Notes
Fish Oils
My supplement pantry I admit
Fish oil contains omega-3 fatty acids, which are part is a bit overwhelming but the
of a healthy diet associated with lower levels of basics I include for myself and
inflammation. It is one of the best natural sources for my family include a high quality
DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid) and EPA IFOS fish oil, magnesium,
(Eicosapentaenoic Acid), which are critical in probiotic and vitamin D3 with
neurological function, and are primarily found in fatty K2. Cytomatrix is the brand
fish, such as salmon and sardines while ALA (Alpha- that I am currently using for
Linolenic Acid) is found in plants and is available in those above. There are
nuts and seeds. several others supplements I
take for personalized reasons.
DHA affects cellular characteristics and physiological
processes, including membrane fluidity, gene expression,
neurotransmitter release, signal transduction, myelination,
and growth.52, 53 EPA is known as the heart healthy component through multiple avenues by
being into converting to metabolites, prostoglandin-type molecules making blood platelets less
likely to be sticky, similar to taking aspirin without some of the side effects.54

Researchers in the field conclude that dietary supplementation of DHA is required for reaching
and maintaining ideal brain DHA concentrations and related neurological functions.55, 56

The body can’t manufacture omega-3 fatty acids therefore it is important to consume them in
your diet. We recommend taking 2–5g of fish oil per day to optimize brain and cardiovascular
function.

Amino Acids

The central nervous system (CNS) requires a number of amino acids for proper function. Amino
acids such as histidine, arginine, tryptophan, and tyrosine play an important role in the brain and
synthesis of various neurotransmitters and neuromodulators.57 Tryptophan deficiency increases
the risk of depression and aggression.58

We recommend supplementing with essential amino acids, especially if you consume limited
meat and dairy.

Colostrum

Colostrum is the first milk produced by mammals for their offspring. It is rich in enzymes,
antibodies, and growth factors not found in other dairy products. Colostrum has shown to
provide support for gut health and neurological function. Recent studies have shown that it has
been linked to improved short-term memory.

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 Supplementing with 20–60g of bovine colostrum powder can help improve gut and brain health.
Probiotics

Probiotics are made of healthy bacteria that aid in a variety of functions, including the function
of the microbiome–gut–brain axis. They have been reported to improve spatial memory and
cognition.59, 60 Probiotics have also shown to improve neurological function in the treatment of
Alzheimer’s patients.61

Evidence also suggests that probiotics can enhance immunoregulation in the central nervous
system and promote a long-term shift toward an anti-inflammatory function and reductions
in neuroinflammation.62
Bone Broth
Dr. Dan’s Notes Bone broth is a nutrient-rich dietary option that
has shown a multitude of positive effects on
Bone broth or bone stock is joints, gut health, immune function, and
one of the healthiest and most cognition. It has also shown to protect against
affordable fluids you can add inflammation and stress.63, 64
to your diet. As a personal
preference, I typically make
B Vitamins
chicken or turkey broth to drink
as a beverage and beef broth
Research has shown a link between B vitamins
to use for cooking — best with
and many aspects of cognitive performance,
rice, quinoa or sweet potato
including abstract reasoning, memory
mash. Recently I have 65, 66, 67
performance, and spatial abilities. B12 and
switched over to a pressure
B6 supplementation may also reduce the
cooker for simplicity. I will do
incidence of depression.68
the same as with a slow
cooker, but I would only cook
Creatine
for 3 hours.
Creatine supplementation has been well-established
as an effective agent for increasing muscle mass and
strength. More recent work has shown that it can play an important role in cognitive function
as well. Creatine plays a key role in brain energy support.

Five grams per day of creatine supplementation demonstrated a significant positive effect on
both working memory and intelligence scores.69 For optimal improvements in strength and lean
muscle mass, 0.03 g of creatine per kg of body weight per day is recommended.70

Caffeine

Caffeine supplementation has been linked to reduction in cognitive failure and depression.71
Coffee consumption has been linked to reduced risk of diabetes,72 liver disease,73 cardiovascular
disease.74 The health benefits and relation to caffeine are not clear, but it appears that there are
benefits for consuming up to 4 cups of coffee per day.75

The caution with caffeine is that it can be addictive, and the more you consume, the less

113
sensitive you become.76 As you become less sensitive, you need to increase the dose to get the
same effect. In order to continue to get the benefits, we recommend cycling off of caffeine for a
week every few months.

Alpha Lipoic Acid

Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA) is a nutrient that protects mitochondria from oxidative stress. Research
has shown that it protects against memory decline and improves cognitive function.77 Preliminary
work has shown that it may be an effective ‘neuroprotective’ therapy option for Alzheimer’s
Disease and related dementias.78

A daily dose of 600mg of ALA may improve your cognitive function and reduce inflammation.79

L-Carnitine

L-Carnitine (L-C) is a naturally occurring compound present in all mammalian species and is a
key cofactor for the mitochondrial oxidation of fatty acids. A deficiency of carnitine is known to
impair the function of the central nervous system.80

Supplementation with L-C has enhanced cognitive function in both rodent and human models.81,
82, 83

1.5 g/day L-carnitine supplementation has a favorable effect on the cognitive status and fatigue
in older adults.

Huperzine A

Huperzine A is a substance found in the herbs of the Huperziceae family. It inhibits

acetylcholinesterase, meaning that it stops an enzyme from breaking down acetylcholine.84 This
results in increases in acetylcholine, which is a neurotransmitter that has a key role in learning
and muscle contraction.85

Huperzine A appears to be a safe compound based on animal studies of toxicity and studies in
humans showing no side effects at dosages routinely supplemented with.86 It is also in preliminary
trials for usage in fighting Alzheimer’s Disease.87

To experience the benefits of Huperzine A, start with a single daily dose of 0.4 mg.86

Phenylethylamine

Phenylethylamine (PEA) is an influencer of several ‘happy hormones’ such as dopamine and

serotonin. It has a key role in cognitive function. PEA was recently identified as a biomarker for
Attention Deficit Hyperactive Disorder (ADHD).88 Naturopathic clinicians have started
prescribing PEA as a treatment for ADHD because of the assumed lack of side effects seen in
typical treatments.89

Preliminary studies also show that PEA may also have a role in the management of depression90

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 and Schizophrenia.91

Supplementing with 300–1000mg PEA per day can improve memory and attention while
reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety.92

Theanine

L-Theanine is an amino acid that is not common in most diets. It is found naturally in tea,93 but
otherwise, supplementation is the main source of it. It is known to reach the brain and influence
its function.94

Studies have replicated previous evidence that suggests that L-theanine and caffeine, in
combination, are beneficial for improving performance on cognitively demanding tasks.95

It has a wide range of reported benefits, including

increased lifespan,96 relaxation,97 improved attention,98
Dr. Dan’s Notes
and enhanced memory.99
For several years of primarily
Our recommended daily dosage is 200-400mg.94
using a keto diet, the fatty
coffee of choice in the
Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT)
mornings consisted of 1-2
MCTs are a collection of fatty acids found primarily in tablespoons of MCT oil
coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and dairy fat. They have (preferred was Bulletproof
been reviewed in multiple studies for their role in Brain Octane) and 1-2
cognitive function.100, 101,102 tablespoons of grass-fed
butter (Kerry Gold or Organic
Meadow) with a splash of
Studies on older adults with mild-to-moderate cognitive
cinnamon. When doing longer
impairment have suggested that MCT supplementation
'fasts' (greater than 24 hours)
can enhance cognitive function after a single 40 mL
I would also use MCT powder
dose and after daily dosing of 20 grams.100, 101
(Quest) with black coffee to
assist and stay in ketosis.
Phosphatidylserine

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a fat-soluble amino acid

found in high amounts in the brain, where it plays a role in cognitive function.
It has shown promising results as a treatment for Alzheimer’s and ADHD.102, 103 In otherwise
healthy young adults, supplementation with 400mg PS resulted in significant improvement in
processing speed and response accuracy.103

A standard dose of phosphatidylserine (PS) is 300mg daily for the prevention of cognitive
decline.

Cannabidiol (CBD)

CBD is the second most abundant cannabinoid found in cannabis.104 Medicinally, it has been
used to target pain, anxiety, depression, and sleep disorders.105
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It has shown promise as a treatment for epilepsy.106 Animal studies have shown that it may have
anti-anxiety and anti-depression effects.107 Rodent models have shown a significant reduction in
pain and inflammation.108

CBD has also been shown to prevent the growth and spread of various cancer types (lung,
glioma, thyroid, lymphoma, skin, pancreas, uterus, breast, prostate, and colorectal carcinoma)
both in vitro and in vivo.109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114, 115, 116, 117

The long-term effects are still unknown, and there is no consensus on the recommended dosage,
but clinical trials have ranged from 5–100mg/day.

Bacopa Monnieri

Bacopa Monnieri is a nootropic herb that has been used for longevity and cognitive enhancement.
Supplementation can reduce anxiety and improve memory formation.

The mechanism of memory enhancement is not fully understood, but it appears to be related to
enhancing neural networks via improving dendrite proliferation,118 as well as increasing the
expression of the serotonin transporter.119 The changes in neural networks appear to have a
latency period of two weeks before seeing noticeable results.118

Bacopa Monnieri supplementation has shown increased encoding of information120 while

increasing retention speeds.121 The memory effects can benefit all ages and are consistent with
otherwise healthy subjects. The recommended dosage is 300 mg/day.122

Lion’s Mane Mushroom

Lion’s Mane Mushroom, AKA Yamabushitake or Hericium Erinaceus, is a mushroom that is

commercially available as a supplement. It has demonstrative positive cognitive effects.
When looking at neurons, Lion’s Mane Mushrooms appear to promote neuronal prolongation,
formation of myelin, and prevention of cell death.123, 124

When taken as a 3g capsule supplement, Lion’s Mane has increased cognition relative to control,
and the degree of improvement has increased over time.125 The results also showed that cognitive
decline resumed four weeks after stopping supplementation.

Anxiety and Depressive symptoms have also been reduced in humans fed 2g of Lion’s Mane.126

Currently, the only human studies have used an oral dose of 2–3g daily to yield the cognitive
benefits.127, 128

Ginkgo Biloba

Ginkgo Biloba is a nootropic that has shown a range of benefits to cognitive function and brain
health. Research shows that Ginkgo appears to have an antioxidative effect and may protect

116
 neurons from cell death.129, 130

Clinical research has shown that it has notable effects on reducing cognitive decline, comparable
to Donepezil, which is the standard of care for treatment of dementia in North America.131
Multiple studies support the effects on reducing cognitive decline.132, 133, 134 It also appears to
have a positive effect on memory in healthy adults.135, 136

Ginkgo has also shown to be beneficial in the treatment of anxiety and depression.137 It has also
shown to improve sleep quality.138

For cognitive enhancement, we recommend 120–240mg with meals 1–4 hours before work.

Psychedelics

Psychedelic ‘microdosing’ has become more common recently. One of the catalysts was Michael
Pollan’s New York Times best-seller “How to Change Your Mind,” which documents the history,
science, and his own personal experience with microdosing psychedelic drugs. Pollan outlines
the pathomechanics of the drugs themselves, as well as the inner workings of the human mind
and consciousness.

Microdosing involves ingesting a sub-threshold dose of the drug to produce minimal identifiable
acute drug effects (i.e., feeling high). There is anecdotal evidence of increase in vitality, creativity,
productivity, social ability, focus, analytic thinking, positive mood, memory, mindfulness, and
general well-being.139 Scientific studies have reported improved mood, energy levels, cognition,
and creativity.140, 141,142

Research has also shown little to no side effects and no evidence that psychedelics are
addictive.143, 144 The general consensus is that microdosing is quite safe. That said, they are still
illegal in most of the world, so you may need to dive into the dark web to get your hands on it.

A microdose of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD) might be 6–25 micrograms taken every 3
days, or a microdose of psilocybin might be 100–500 milligrams of dried mushrooms every 3
days.145

Aniracetam

Aniracetam is a nootropic drug that has shown to support cognitive function, brain health, and
mood. It has shown to influence neural receptors responsible for the release of noradrenaline.146
It also appears to protect neurons from damage.147 There is evidence in animal studies that
increases memory.148

Clinical dementia studies have shown that it successfully preserves all neuropsychological
parameters for a year or longer and also showed a favorable effect on emotional stability.149

Animal studies suggest that it does not appear useful as a cognitive enhancer in healthy
populations.150, 151 Whether this is true in healthy humans is not clear.

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So, know that if you decide to give it a try, you are relying mainly on theory and anecdotal
evidence. That said, doses as low as 0.4 g have been reported to have some efficacy, and it is
common to take the above 1–1.5g aniracetam in two divided doses twice daily with meals.

Modafinil

Modafinil is a nootropic drug for improving alertness. It appears to work by occupying dopamine
and norepinephrine transporters, which reduces the body’s sleep promotion cascade.152 Research
also shows that modafinil also aids in cognitive performance during periods of sleep
deprivation.153

In healthy populations, modafinil taken two hours prior to work improves working memory, task
enjoyment, visuospatial planning, and reaction time.154, 155 Standard dosages are 100–200mg and
best taken in the morning so it doesn’t interfere with sleep.156

Methylphenidate (Ritalin)

Ritalin is most known for a prescription for ADHD but has also been used as a smart drug in
healthy populations to increase alertness and focus. The central mechanism of action is as a
dopamine reuptake inhibitor.157 Clinical research has shown it improves cognition, focus,
and working memory in healthy adults. 158, 159, 160 As far as dosage, 10–40 mg is the range
that has shown cognitive benefits in the literature.160
Yerba Mate

Yerba Mate, AKA Ilex paraguariensis, is a nootropic Dr. Dan’s Notes

flowering tree. It is traditionally brewed as a tea. It has a
high antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity and has Since I was born in
neuroprotective effects on brain myelin.161 Research has Uruguay Yerba Mate has
shown that it has a protective effect on liver cells, aids in been a staple traditional
central nervous system function, as well as a positive drink growing up. I often
effect on the cardiovascular system.162 Animal studies drink this when I am
show that there are positive effects on short-term and completing any focused
long-term learning and memory as well.163 writing or reading.

Dosage should be about 225mL of Yerba Mate per day.

Curcumin

Curcumin is widely consumed in Asia either as turmeric directly or as one of the culinary
ingredients in food recipes. The benefits of curcumin in different system organs have been
reported extensively in several neurological diseases and cancer. Curcumin has gotten global
recognition because of its strong antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and antimicrobial
activities. Additionally, it is used in diabetes and arthritis as well as in hepatic, renal, and
cardiovascular diseases. Recently, there is growing attention to the usage of curcumin to prevent
or delay the onset of neurodegenerative diseases. Recent studies on curcumin have shown it
may play a role in management of various neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, Multiple Sclerosis, Huntington’s disease, Prions disease, stroke, Down’s

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 syndrome, autism, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, anxiety, depression, and aging.164

The Mental Derailing Habits

Overstimulation

It goes without saying that life stimulation in 2022 is drastically different than it was for our
ancestors. Ten thousand years ago, humans were faced with legitimate life or death scenarios in
order to hunt, replicate, and survive. In today’s western world, legitimate threats are pretty rare
for most of us. But as a society, we have never been more overstimulated than we are today. We
are constantly stimulated by social media, TV, music, video games, fluorescent lighting, and
long workdays. Research is showing that this causes overstimulation of the nervous system and
neurotransmitter imbalances that can seriously impair your mental health.165, 166

The more time spent on social media, the higher risk you are at developing depression.167

To restore balance, learn to seek calm and quiet more often. Spend some time away from your
phone. Leave the radio off when driving once in a while. Learn to be comfortable with silence.

Heavy Alcohol Consumption

Research shows that excess alcohol consumption alters neurotransmitter function, damages
neurons, impairs synaptic function, and shrinks the brain.168 Drinking increases your risk of
cognitive decline, depression, and anxiety.169

Moderate drinking (5–15 grams/day, where 14 grams of alcohol is commonly used to define a
standard drink) has less severe effects and has actually been positively correlated to longevity.170

Heavy Marajuana Consumption

Marajuana has mixed effects on cognition and mental state. It helps with pain relief.171 It can
reduce motivation.172 It has mixed results on sleep.173 It has a slightly positive effect on anxiety
but has been linked to a higher risk of developing anxiety later in life.174 It has mixed results on
depression.175

Within hours of smoking, marajuana impairs working and short-term memory.176 However,
within two weeks of stopping, no lasting effect on working memory has been found. Higher
doses appear to impair cognitive performance.177 When abstaining from use for 30 days, heavy
users (94 joints per week) do not return to baseline working memory and cognition, whereas
moderate (42 joints per week) and light (11 joints per week) users return to normal function.

Overtraining

In the right dose, exercise has shown to improve cognitive function and prevent cognitive
decline.178, 179 However, overtraining has been linked to neurotransmitter dysfunction, central
fatigue, and cognitive impairment.180 This can take weeks to recover from.181
There is no clear consensus on how much training is too much. The ideal training dose will vary
119
from person to person. For most people, 3–5 sessions (45–90min) at moderately high intensity
per week is ideal.

Poor Stress Coping Strategy

Research has shown that high-stress events can lead to depression.182 The likelihood of
developing depression from stress varies from person to person. It depends on some variables we
can’t control, like stress severity, upbringing, and previous stress exposure. But it also depends
highly on stress coping mechanisms, which we absolutely can control.183

Exercise,184 meditation,185, 186 and coaching/counselling187 are the most effective means to cope
with stress. Research has shown that constructing written or verbal stories about important events
is highly beneficial to mental health.188 Talking or writing about the issues can lead to a stronger
sense of control, predictability, and the development of better coping mechanisms.189

Stress eating, for obvious reasons, leads to health implications and further stress.190 The same is
true for drugs, alcohol, isolation, and inactivity.191, 192, 184, 193

Response to conflict can also impact your mental health and your relationships. Attempting to
resolve conflict when you are upset rarely ends well. Before jumping into an argument, try your
best to wait until you are less emotionally charged, address what you can control, and focus on
finding empathy and common ground. To learn more about conflict resolution, check out
Marshall Rosenberg’s book, Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life.

Final Thoughts

“Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind.”

― Jeffrey Eugenides, Middlesex

The mind is the driver and the passenger. It decides what experiences we pursue and how we
experience them. Every decision it makes impacts its own function. There are still so many
unknowns, but we are learning more and more about how to get the most out of our minds.
Hopefully this chapter helps you start to get the most out of your mind for as long as possible.

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 Chapter 9: Biohacking Your Way to a Long, Healthy &
Energetic Life

Biohacking is a form of do-it-yourself biology aimed at improving performance, function, and

countering the effects of aging. It involves very intentional lifestyle changes to maintain youthful
vitality and appearance for as long as possible. Biohackers range from renowned medical
professionals to academic professors and researchers to general hobbyists. The methods are
developed based on a combination of scientific research, logic, and self-experimentation. Some
of the methods are radical but are yielding some very intriguing results.

Note, however, that nothing outlined in this chapter can make up for poor lifestyle choices. You
cannot hack your way around poor health decisions.

The purpose of this chapter is to summarize the most common biohacking methods that have
shown the most promise at countering the effects of aging and optimizing function. The general
premise of biohacking is to take control of your biology rather than playing victim to your
genes and environment.

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Heat Therapy Craig’s Heat &
Heat exposure can function as a stress that Meditation Routine
stimulates cellular maintenance and repair.1
Research has shown that repetitive mild heat
I do not have access to a sauna in
exposure has anti-aging effects on growth and
my home, so I picked up an
repair.2, 3 This is consistent with animal
infrared Sauna Blanket from Higher
studies that have shown increased lifespan
Dose. It is reasonably priced and
with mild heat exposure.4, 5 Heat application
gives me similar heat therapy
before and after muscle injury or
benefits to a sauna. Every morning,
immobilisation reduces cellular damage and I meditate in my sauna blanket for
muscle atrophy and promotes faster muscle 20 min with my red-light LED lamp.
regeneration.6, 7, 8, 9 Over the years, I have done a mix
of guided and unguided
Heat can be applied with a heating pad, warm meditations. Guided, in my
water, steam, or sauna. Saunas appear to be experience, has been an easy
particularly effective, as increased frequency of means to transition into the
sauna use is correlated with a significantly practice. I have tried Headspace,
reduced risk of cardiovascular disease,10 Calm, Binaural Beats, and a few
improved immune function,11 and increased audiobooks. All have been useful
production of growth hormone.12 Sauna to guide me into a fully present
therapy can also help improve sleep and may state of mind. Recently most of my
reduce the effects of aging in the skin.13, 14 meditations are unguided, which I
find most useful now to completely
Sauna therapy can be viewed as an alternative direct my focus into a state of calm.
to exercise as heart rate and cardiac output Since starting regularly meditation,
increase in a similar way. This can be really about 4 years ago, I have noticed
useful when injured since there is virtually no big improvements in my sleep
stress imposed on your joints. We recommend quality, my work quality, my
1–2 daily 15-30 min sauna sessions to see the physical performance, and most
health benefits. As a time-saver, you can notably in my mental health.
combine your heat sessions with meditation,
breath work, mobility work, learning, or a
combination.

Cold Therapy

Cold therapy has been correlated to fat loss and longevity.15, 16, 17, 18 Whether there is a causal
effect on longevity is not clear. Research has shown animal species living in colder climates have
longer lifespans.18 However, this is not consistent with Blue Zone research that shows the longest
living human communities are all within 4,500 km of the equator.

Cold has shown mixed results on performance. Although still widely used for the treatment of
Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), research has shown it to be ineffective, and in some

122
 cases, counterproductive as a treatment strategy. 19, 20, 21,
22, 23
Craig’s Take on
Cold therapy is a staple for a lot of biohackers, but Cold Therapy
there are still some question marks. If you are looking
to lean out, it can be helpful at burning fat. Beyond This is a staple biohack, where
that, reported benefits are mostly anecdotal, and there my stance differs from the norm
are some health risks with exposing yourself to extreme in the world of anti-aging and
temperatures for long periods. biohacking. There are a few
reasons for this. I do understand
that there is no shortage of
Dr. Dan’s Notes anecdotal evidence for the
efficacy of cold therapy. It is
My daily morning routine begins with a heralded by Wim Hoff, Dave
large glass of water with Celtic salt. Then I Asprey, Ben Greenfield, and a
enter my Clearlight infrared sauna for 20 to ton of other influential people in
30 min. This is where I meditate for 5 to 10 the world of anti-aging who claim
min, journal and plan my day for 5 to10 that they have reaped the
min, read for 10 to 20 min. I then have a 2- benefits of cold therapy. In fact,
min cold shower followed by full body the anecdotal evidence is enough
controlled articular rotations (CARs). I am that I do believe that there are
then ready for my day. benefits to cold exposure. And it
certainly meets the anti-aging
criteria of stress stimulation and
consequent adaptation. However,
Light Therapy there is still very little evidence in
the scientific literature to support
its use as an anti-aging strategy,
Light and laser therapy have shown to be effective
particularly to the extreme that
treatment options for a range of mental disorders,
some people are taking it. I don't
including seasonal affective disorder, depression,
personally believe that swimming
stroke, traumatic brain injuries, and Alzheimer’s.24, 25,
26, 27, 28 for multiple kilometers in freezing
It also improves cognitive function in normal,
temperatures is doing the
healthy people.29 In this study, they used transcranial
wonders to anyone’s health.
photobiomodulation using a 1064 nm laser, 60 J/cm at 2

Based on my personal
250 mW/cm , delivered to the forehead. Results found
2

observations on what the cold

improvements in mood and memory.
weather does to dry out my skin,
I also don’t believe chronic cold
Red/infared light has shown to improve cellular
exposure is making anyone
function and counter the effects of aging. Research has
appear younger. I also personally
revealed that these wavelengths of light restore
detest the cold and it does not do
damaged tissue and improve mitochondrial function.30
any good for my own personal
Red/infared light also increases levels of nitric oxide in
mental health. That said, I do
the blood, which increases circulation.31 continue to expose myself to cold
during the winter months during
Yellow light has demonstrated positive effects on skin my daily 45min walk with my pup.
function and appearance.32 That is enough for me.

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You don’t need to buy a fancy laser to see the benefits of light therapy. 15–20 min per day of
sunlight can produce some of the same effects. For added benefits, consider investing in an
Infrared sauna.

Note that not all light is good. Blue light is found in LED bulbs, fluorescent lights, and
electronic displays in cell phones, computers, and TVs. This light suppresses your melatonin
levels, which interferes with sleep.33 Blue light also impairs insulin sensitivity and damages
DNA.34, 35
Do your best to avoid excess blue light exposure, especially within two hours of your bedtime,
in order to sleep well.

Grounding Dr. Dan’s Notes

There is evidence suggesting that the earth’s
negative electric potential can create bioelectric My children and myself spend
stability and aid in normal functioning of all most of the time barefoot inside
body systems.36 Today’s lifestyle has separated the house, working out and when
us from the flow of earth’s electrons. Most of us we are playing outside in the
wear shoes and don’t spend a lot of time yard. Grounding and avoiding
sleeping directly on the earth anymore. the detriments of shoes to our
feet are the primary reasons.
Grounding, or earthing, is a strategy of
reconnecting the body with the earth’s surface.
Research has shown that this can influence
bioelectrical and biochemical processes and have a protective effect against chronic illnesses.37
When going barefoot is not an option, there are conductive systems that transfer signals from
the ground to the body. Grounding has been shown to reduce pain, improve sleep and mood.38

It may be worth your while to get connected to

the earth more often. Craig’s Soft-Tissue
Muscle Stimulation
Recovery Hack
Electronic Muscle Stimulation (EMS) has been On days when I am extra sore or
used in physical therapy and fitness since the may have tweaked a joint, I
1960s. It creates an electrical gradient on the apply a topical CBD oil, muscle
surface of the skin or directly in the muscle stim, and compression. I put the
tissue to create muscular contraction. This stim as high as tolerable and
mimics natural muscle contraction and has been compression tight enough to
shown to be useful in rehabilitation and release muscle without
recovery.39 Muscle stimulation causes an significantly restricting blood
increase in circulation, which helps accelerate flow. I find 20min of this
muscle metabolite removal.40, 41 EMS also significantly speeds up my
reduces muscle pain.42, 43, 44 recovery.
Muscle stimulation has also been useful in
rehabilitation from soft tissue injury, joint

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 replacement, stroke, and recently as a treatment for severe cases of COVID-19.45, 46, 47, 48, 49
EMS devices are now fairly readily available for personal use and reasonably inexpensive. It
may be worth the investment to help you recover faster from training and injury.

Magnetic Therapy
Pulsed ElectroMagnetic Therapy (PEMT) has shown positive effects in the treatment of pain
and soft-tissue recovery.50, 51, 52 However, there is little evidence supporting static magnetic
therapy’s effectiveness in pain treatment.53, 54

There is also evidence that PEMT can slow or reverse the spread of cancer cells.55, 56, 57, 58
Animal studies have shown that PEMT may also aid in cartilage reformation in degenerative
joint disease.59 More recent clinical studies have shown that it is effective at reducing pain and
improving function as a treatment for knee osteoarthritis.60

PEMT also appears to improve neurological function. It has been effective in the treatment of
multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s.61, 62, 63, 64

Tony Robbins, Ben Greenfield, and a few other biohackers use PEMF for recovery, reducing
headaches, and improving sleep.65

There have been no reported side effects on the use of PEMT, but there is still limited research
on the long-term effects. That said, the clinical research is promising, and it may be worth the
investment to give some magnetic therapy a spin.

Prolotherapy

Prolotherapy is the injection of a mild irritant, often dextrose (a simple sugar), into a specific
area of the body that is injured, worn down, or arthritic. Prolotherapy is short for ‘proliferation
therapy’ or the proliferation of new cells following injection of a substance that will stimulate
new tissue growth. When the irritant is injected, it causes the body’s immune system to
stimulate an inflammatory response and the body’s natural healing response.

Clinical studies have attested that prolotherapy has reduced pain and restored function when used
as a treatment for low back pain, tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and osteoarthritis.66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71,
72

As a relatively new treatment method, prolotherapy is not highly regulated or covered by

medical insurance. So, getting access can be tricky. But the research is promising and may be
worth the extra cost.

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP) therapy is a more advanced form of prolotherapy and involves the
injection of the damaged area with the patient’s own platelet-rich plasma derived from their
blood. The platelets contain growth factors that are seen as healing agents for the damaged area.
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PRP has been used clinically to aid in muscle strain recovery,73 joint injury repair,74, 75 and
tendon healing.76

Similar to prolotherapy, PRP is a relatively new method of treatment. So, accessibility and
medical coverage may be an issue. But it may be worth a conversation with your doctor if you
have had a serious musculoskeletal injury.

Stem Cell Therapy

Stem Cell Therapy (SCT) is the injection of a damaged area of the body with stem cells that
have been drawn from the patient’s own bone marrow or fat. These cells eventually ‘morph’
into the tissue needing repair, often collagen, bone, and cartilage.

The potential for SCT is huge in a wide range of applications, including cancer treatment,77
orthopaedics,78 neurological disorders,79 cardiovascular disease.80

The same limitations affect SCT as prolotherapy and PRP. But there are clinics offering whole
body stem cell makeovers, which involves injecting every major musculoskeletal structure with
stem cells. It is costly and unorthodox, but the case studies are showing promise. Infamous
biohackers Ben Greenfield and Dave Asprey have both had the treatment and claim to have
seen major benefits.

Young Blood

In 2014, an article was published in Nature Medicine that described a study where aged mice
were exposed to young blood late in life. The young blood resulted in rejuvenating synaptic
plasticity and improving cognitive function.81 The technical term for this is Heterochronic
parabiosis. Supporting research has shown that aged stem cells adopt a more youthful potential
when exposed to youthful influences. The reverse is true when youthful cells are exposed to
older cells.82, 83, 84

Since that article was published, a lot of people have paid thousands of dollars for blood
transfusions of younger donors in hopes of feeling, functioning, and looking younger. Whether
it actually helps, we don’t know for sure yet.

Quite a bit of research has been put into analysing the constituents in young blood that are
responsible for the vitality effects. Klotho is an enzyme that is responsible for suppressing
aging85 and becomes sparse in blood as we age. It has been linked to bodyweight management,
cognitive function, extended lifespan, insulin sensitivity, and protection from kidney and
cardiovascular disease.86, 87, 88 Stress management, exercise, and vitamin D3 supplementation
have shown to boost blood klotho levels.89, 90 There are also biotech companies like Klotho
Therapeutics that offer Klotho therapy for the treatment of kidney disease, cancer, diabetes,
aging, and cognition.

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 Another compound that becomes sparse in blood as we age is copper peptide (GHK-Cu).
Supplementing with GHK-Cu has shown to increase skin function and appearance and protect
from cancer.91

Continuous Glucose Monitor Dr. Dan’s Notes

Monitoring glucose all day long can help you to Years of checking my blood
understand your carbohydrate tolerance. Realizing that glucose and blood ketone levels
spikes in blood sugar are problematic for the brain, by pricking my fingers was not
heart, blood vessel, nerve, joint, and organ health. much fun. After reviewing
Consuming too much added sugar and refined research on individual differences
carbohydrates is linked with elevated inflammation in to carbohydrates I was keen to
the body as well as insulin resistance and weight gain. get a hold of a CGM. The results
were noteworthy and encouraged
Research has shown that humans respond differently to
me to make some changes.
different carbohydrates.92 Performing morning fasted
Robb Wolf's Wired To Eat was a
carbohydrate tests one hour and two hours post
good reference for those
ingestion by testing a measured amount of your
interested in looking to try this.
preferred carbohydrate may be a great way to
understand your individual carbohydrate tolerance
based on ancestry, biology, gut health, and demands for
the day.

Limited EMF Overexposure Dr. Dan’s Notes

At home we try to use a
Our cellphones, microwaves, Wi-Fi routers, computers,
precautionary approach by
and other appliances send out Electric Magnetic Fields.
limiting WiFi use, using primarily
With high enough exposure levels, this can impact our
hard-wired connections to
health and cognitive function. This is a form of
computers, putting phones on
radiation, and research has shown that it is linked to
airplane mode when they are on
oxidative stress, membrane malfunction, DNA damage,
our bodies.
mitochondria dysfunction, immune abnormalities,
inflammatory issues, neuropathological disruption, and
electrophysiological dysregulation.93

The net effect of EMF exposure on cognition is not clear, but there is evidence that it can impair
brain function with high enough exposure.94, 95

As the use of electronics continues, the EMF exposure will continue to increase. To help
minimize the impact of this on your health, we recommend distancing yourself from electronic
fields, at least once in a while. Try to keep your bedroom free of electronics like TVs, cell
phones, and computers.

127
Breath

The science is pretty clear that when we breathe from the mouth, we are breathing unfiltered,
unheated, raw air that saps us of moisture, irritates the lungs, loosens back tissues of the mouth
(therefore more likely to snore), neurological issues, etc. We do know breathing through our
mouths is not good. What we don’t know is how long this takes to have all these problems arise.
Some speculate that it takes years.

The term “Dis-evolution” was coined by Harvard biologist Daniel Lieberman. He explains why
humans are changing in the wrong direction based on the environment and lifestyle we choose.

This is why we breathe so poorly, have neck, back

and foot pain. Our sedentary lifestyle, poor posture
Dr. Dan’s Notes and shoe selection are part of these issues. With
respect to the mouth and face all of this happened in
My kids and I use Myobraces
the last 400 years with the industrialization of our
and do Myobrace activities.
food chain. Modern human beings are often bottle-
One of them is called ‘paces’
fed and weaned into soft highly processed foods
where they wear their
which both stunt bone development of dental arches
Myobrace, inhale then exhale,
and sinus cavities leading to chronic nasal
keep their mouth closed and
congestion and chronic nighttime choking known as
pinch their nose closed and
sleep apnea later in life. These lifestyle changes
count how many steps they can
have been too rapid to give the structural anatomy
complete before they need to
time to adapt.
take another breath. This
includes family-friendly
Chronic nasal obstruction affects 40% of us, and
competition. I had read about
50% of us habitually mouth breathe. Undiagnosed
mouth taping some time ago
and untreated obstructive sleep apnea syndrome can
and gave it a short trial but now
lead to abnormal physiology that can have serious
I am back at it. In fact, my
implications including increased cardiovascular
oldest daughter and I have
started doing this every night for
disease, stroke, metabolic disease, excessive
sleeping.
daytime sleepiness, work-place errors, traffic
accidents and death.96
This can also be used when
walking or during light exercise Similar breathing techniques have been practiced in
(zone 2 and below) and can be Hinduism, Buddhism, Christianity, and other
a good quick way to know if you religions for thousands of years but only recently
are training in a fat burning we have learned how they can reduce blood
zone. I now nasal breathe only pressure, boost athletic performance and reduce
when I am jogging and also stress and balance the nervous system.
walking and hiking wearing my
twenty-pound weighted vest.

128
 Here are some simple tips to stop mouth breathing, improve your breathing and overall health:

1. Use your sinuses

Use it or lose it. We were designed to primarily nasal breathe in order to clean, humidify and
warm the air coming into our lungs.

2. Keep your mouth closed

Dr. Dan’s Notes
Sleep with a small piece of tape over your mouth.
The first few nights you will feel claustrophobic but James Nestor’s book called
if you stick with it, you (and your partner!) will Breath: The New Science of a
notice the difference. Adding nasal breathing strips Lost Art. I found it to be a very
may help as well. Challenge yourself to breathe interesting and easy read as
through your nose only or you can also try to pinch Nestor was able to blend the
the nose as well until you have air hunger. This can science and history of breathing
be part of hypoxic training similar to the benefits of with personal experience as an
high-altitude training. investigative journalist. The
topic of breathing is extensively
3. Humming reviewed; from all the problems
associated with mouth
Nitric oxide is released when we hum. This chemical breathing, to the health benefits
widens capillaries and increases oxygenation in the of slowing down or speeding up
nose and sinuses. Try humming when you exhale for your breath. He describes why
several minutes per day. modern humans are the only
species (of 6500 other
4. Exhale longer mammals) with chronically
crooked teeth. We also snore
Exhaling is very relaxing for our nervous system. and have terrible sleep quality
Taking time in your day to extend your exhalations both consequences associated
is an easy thing to do with just ten breaths. Simple with how we breathe.
methods/techniques like box breathing can be
incorporated in times of stress, while driving or
getting ready to relax the body before bed. Patrick
McKeown’s book The Oxygen Advantage offers detailed programs and instruction on
breathing.

5. Box breathing

All ratios are the same count, for example 4 seconds to breathe in, hold breath for 4 seconds,
and then exhale for 4 seconds, hold breath for 4 seconds and repeat.

Many of the religious chants and prayers that have been used for thousands of years use a
continuous breath of 5 seconds in (inhalation) and 5 seconds out (exhalation). This technique
129
significantly increases your heart rate variability (HRV). When trying to fall asleep, 4 seconds
in, 6-sec hold and 8-sec out is recommended to induce a very relaxed state.

Chew

The bones in the human face are unique as they don’t stop growing. They continue to expand
and remodel which can improve our ability to breathe at any age. Chewing foods that are hard
to chew for 1-2 hours per day may help. Any gum chewing can strengthen the jaw but harder
types can provide more resistance. Mastic gum which comes from the resin of the evergreen
shrub Pistacia lentiscus can provide an intense jaw workout. When not chewing, our resting
mouth position should be keeping lips together, teeth touching slightly and tongue on the roof
of the mouth.

Myofunctional Orthotics

Seeing a dental professional that can provide you a custom oral device to help you with tooth,
jaw, tongue position to assist with respiration. There are various types depending on your needs.

Biohack Wrap

Biohacking is a powerful tool. With information and technology expanding faster than ever, we
can only expect it to become exponentially more powerful in time. But it is important to
remember that biohacking cannot undo poor lifestyle decisions. Your first line of defense for
improving health, energy, performance, and reversing aging should be lifestyle-related.

Mobilize your joints. Exercise. Lift heavy things. Eat clean. Develop habits that fortify mental
resilience.

Once the first pieces are in order, biohacking can help take your health to the next level and set
you up to be the most badass 100-year-old the world has ever seen.

130
 Conclusion

Congratulations on making it this far!

The goal of this book was to give you all of the most up-to-date information and tools you need
to start living the most energetic and healthy life possible.

We have covered all the bases you need to start living a more optimized life. The more optimized
you can start living today, the longer it will last. Anti-aging information, technology, and therapy
is advancing faster than ever before. If you want to extend your healthspan as much as possible
and take advantage of current and future anti-aging principles and tools, you need to optimize
every lifestyle factor within your control.

We hope it is clear now that ‘normal’ aging is not an inevitable fate we need to accept. Aging
does not have to mean a loss of physical function and cognition. We have proven that it is possible
to maintain a functional age, decades younger than your chronological age.

This comes down to focusing on all of the factors under our control as they relate to mobility,
cardiovascular health, functional strength, nutrition, and mental resilience. Each of these pillars
of health feed into one another to create a synergistic effect. In order to optimize your life, the
goal is to establish the right amount of stress in each of these categories in order to slow, stop, or
even reverse signs of aging. Too little or too much stress accelerates aging. The happy middle
ground is what will allow us to age as slowly as humanly possible and live with as much vitality
for as long as possible.

131
 “Comfort is the enemy of progress.”
– PT Barnum

After reading this far, you may realize how much work there is to do. It can be overwhelming.
Don’t let that be a reason to stop you from doing anything. Start with small changes and start
building momentum. Pick one manageable habit in one of the health pillars and stick with it until
you own it. Then move on to the next.

The key with any change is to make it manageable. You know yourself better than anyone. If
you struggle to make it 10 hours without food, don’t make your first task a 48-hour fast. Make
lofty goals, but be real with yourself by creating small sub-goals with a realistic timeline and
then congratulate yourself along the way.

Do you want to be barely surviving or thriving? Instead of swinging for the fences every time,
singles every day make a huge difference in the end.

Make this a life journey of perpetual optimization. Never peak. Always strive for more.

After all, you owe it to yourself.

In case you haven’t noticed, life moves pretty quickly.

If and when you reach 100 years old, which version do you want to be? The 100-year-old living
in diapers in assisted living, unable to walk or recognize his family members. Or do you want to
be the 100-year-old who looks like he could be in his 50s, still doing pullups and fully lucid?

It’s up to you.

You are not a victim of your health.

The status of your life is a summation of every decision you have ever made. Every person you
have befriended. Every person you have alienated. Every piece of advice you have taken to heart.
Every piece of advice you have ignored. Everything you have eaten. Everything you have not
eaten. Every workout you have done. Every workout you have skipped.

The status of the rest of your life begins with the decisions you make today.

We hope that this book has provided you with enough info to make the decisions that will
allow you to live functionally young, as energized, and as healthy as possible for as long as
possible.

132
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Chapter 7: Discover Your Personal Nutritional Prescription for Fueling Sustainable

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 Life's best moments are filled with passion. Our hope is that
you use this book well to fuel your passion towards living a
fuller, healthier, and more rewarding life.

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 ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Craig completed an undergraduate and master’s degree in

bioengineering with a focus on biomechanics and pain
resolution. Since then, he has applied his biomechanics
knowledge to improving movement via health and fitness
coaching. Over the past 10 years, he has worked with
hundreds of clients to improve their health, function, and
prospective healthspan.

Craig’s academic background has sparked a lifelong

journey of learning. He has combined his thirst for
knowledge with an unwavering passion for optimizing
quality of life via healthy eating, functional exercise, and
biohacking.
Craig Tschirhart, MASc
Craig spends most of spare time remaining active in
functional fitness, sports, music, and family life.

You can learn more from Craig via his podcast, Healthspan
Academy, where he interviews world leaders in fitness,
health, nutrition, research, and biohacking to provide his
listeners with the most up-to-date health and longevity info.

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 Dr. Dan Vitale is passionate about seeking out accurate,
current information and educating his patients. His focus on
exercise and nutrition allows him to develop long-term
health plans that address not only pain management, but
healthy lifestyles.
Dr. Dan graduated from York University with a Specialized
Honours in Kinesiology and Health Sciences. He earned his
Doctor of Chiropractic from the Canadian Memorial
Chiropractic College. He has also studied various soft-tissue
techniques including Graston Technique and Active Release
Technique (ART). He completed his Strength and
Conditioning Specialist Certification (CSCS) under the
National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA).
He has also completed his Certificate from the Acupuncture
Dan Vitale, DC Foundation of Canada Institute (AFCI) and completed his
Webster Certification during the Perinatal Care course with
the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA).
Dr Dan is also a trained Functional Range Conditioning
(FRC) provider.

Dr. Dan believes in the natural, hands-on, drug-free and prevention-focused approach to
chiropractic care. He has also completed Lake Placid and Mont Tremblant Ironman as well as
several other running distance races. When not at the office you will find Dr. Dan running,
cycling, participating in crossfit or playing with his wife and five awesome kids.

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