The biggest factor in healthy aging is simply eating less. After about age 45, your body just doesn’t need as many calories as it once did—it’s not building anymore; it’s protecting and preserving. This requires less fuel.
A recent study showed that subjects who reduced calories by 30 percent lived longer and even avoided some age-related diseases. This research didn’t even take into account what the subjects were eating, only the amount. So this single change—eating less now, and cutting back a little more every five years or so—can have a serious impact.
Consuming less food is also easier on your system. Less food means less for your body to process, less garbage for it to dispose of. It lightens the workload, and that translates into better overall function.
It may sound like a big ask. We get that. Some of the happiest times in life are centered around food. Time around the table with family and friends is precious and, in fact, also an important part of aging well—community, love, sharing, connection. Just be smart about what’s on that table and be conscious of habits that need tweaking. Do you always overeat when you’re with certain friends? With your family of origin? When you drink? When you’re feeding others? Parenting can be very food-centric, but as kids get older, life becomes less about three meals a day; you may be at a place where you can tune in to your own needs (and adjust for age), rather than eat according to the clock.
Obviously, one of the most effective ways to reduce calories is to cut out starchy and refined carbs. Bread, pasta, rice, and other white foods (cauliflower notwithstanding) are not only basically devoid of nutrients but are also potentially dangerous. Most of us lose the ability to process carbs well as we age—that’s why there’s an increased risk of diabetes (carbs turn to sugar in the body). This is serious. More than 100 million adults in the United States have diabetes or prediabetes. Cutting empty carbs in favor of nutrient-dense foods is one important way to lower your risk. A note: When we talk about diabetes in this book, we’re referring to type 2 diabetes, a condition caused by lifestyle habits, not type 1 diabetes, which is an autoimmune disease.
Of course, food can be complicated. At times, the perception of hunger may be a need for something else—distraction, affection, exercise, fresh air, sleep, even just water. Eating less is about staying alert, being sensitive to your body, and watching out for automatic behaviors (heading straight to the kitchen the minute you walk in the door, say, without stopping to wonder if you’re actually even hungry).
Start with the simple idea of eating till you’re only 80 percent full. It’s the difference between satisfying your hunger and feeling the need to unbutton your pants. This alone can be life-altering.
Short fasts benefit you in a few ways. One is simple calorie reduction: When you don’t eat for an extended period of time, you naturally (and effortlessly) eat less overall. Another is that your digestive system works better when it has a chance to rest and recover—and in fact, your body can repair itself better when it isn’t constantly diverting energy to digestion. Third, fasting causes major changes in several crucial hormones that impact aging and weight, including insulin and growth hormone. Fourth, fasting is one of those hormetic “small stresses” that stimulate the longevity gene pathways. Fifth—and this is big—fasting kicks in autophagy, the cellular detox process critical to strong immunity and aging well.
So here’s the plan: A couple of times a week, have dinner on the early side, and the first meal the next day a little later, leaving a good 16 hours in between. This simple practice is incredibly powerful. And it’s not that difficult. You make it a point to finish dinner by 7 or 8 p.m. You’re sleeping for seven or eight hours, we hope (see sleep more and sleep better). In the morning, you get up and have a big glass of water. And then you eat a nice nutritious meal at 11 or 12.
Admittedly, fasting can be a challenge at first. You don’t have to go from zero to 16 if this sounds insane to you. Start with 12 hours, then move to 14, building to 16. Once your body adjusts, fasting feels great and is weirdly liberating. Realizing that you don’t need to eat all the time—that your body functions well and doesn’t require constant loading—is freeing, and helps you break that carb addiction. Soon you’ll find your fasting days refreshing: less of a sacrifice and more of a break. And you may find that mornings are especially productive when you’ve taken food out of the equation.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about fasting.
There isn’t really a difference. They’re just different ways of saying the same thing, which is that it’s a good idea to have a window during which you eat (we suggest eight hours) and a longer stretch of time when that window is closed (we suggest 16 hours).
Because studies show that it takes about 16 hours of fasting for autophagy to kick in and do its job. Feel free to do 18 or 20 hours if you like.
Do what you can. Any short fast is a good fast. Twelve hours is better than 10, and 14 is better than 12. If you increase gradually, it may be easier than you think.
Start with two days a week. Generally, newbies find it easier to fast on workdays. The ultimate goal is to do this all the time, with 16 hours between your last meal of the day and your first meal the following day. Folks who do find it very comfortable and report weight loss, increased energy, and better sleep. If that feels unrealistic to you, don’t sweat it. Get yourself up to three days a week, and you’ll notice benefits.
If you’re a night snacker, you need to find ways to close down the food portion of your day. On fasting nights, clean up and shut down the kitchen right after dinner, so you have no need to step in there. If you’re a morning eater who wakes up starving, the first couple of fasts can be a challenge. When your body adjusts, you won’t wake up craving food. You’re reprogramming yourself. It may take a little while, and improving your diet as you go will help.
It’s actually great to exercise without eating because there’s no glucose being used for energy, so your body burns fat. It’s a myth that you have to eat something before you exercise.
Yes, water is great in the morning because it rehydrates you and can get things moving.
The jury’s still out on whether it’s okay to have coffee while fasting. Strictly speaking, the answer is no. Some folks (including us) go with the theory that a cup of coffee or tea with no carbs or protein does not end your fast. Others say that as soon as you have anything but water—including black coffee—the liver is working. We don’t quite know yet. If it’s easy for you to go 16 hours with nothing but water, go for it. That’s ideal, and you’ll probably feel amazing. If you do have coffee or tea, don’t use regular milk or half-and-half (and definitely don’t use sugary alternatives like sweetened almond or oat milk), because they contain carbs and protein, which will cause your body to secrete insulin. It’s important not to trigger insulin, so if you need something in your coffee, use a pure fat like MCT (medium-chain triglycerides) oil, which contains no carbs or protein. To review: Best is just water. Second-best is tea or coffee without sugar or milk. Third is tea or coffee with MCT oil.
There’s not just one way to do this. Intermittent fasting is pretty easy, and there are a few variations you might want to look into. But if you want to explore more intensive fasting—like one whole day per week with no food, or multiple days of water-fasting—don’t do it without the supervision of your doctor.
Researcher Valter Longo’s fasting-mimicking diet shows excellent results. It’s a good option if you prefer it. For five consecutive days once a month, you eat very little—a low-calorie, low-carb, low-protein diet (no animal protein); it has positive effects on aging biomarkers. This diet lines up completely with the rest of the advice in this book. You can go to ProLonFMD.com to learn more.
If your diet contains a lot of sugar and starch, fasting can be harder in the beginning. Take a week to cut way back on sugar, drop all grains, and even eliminate legumes. Then try again, and see if fasting is a bit easier. It should be.
There are some people who shouldn’t fast. Don’t fast if you’re on multiple medications, if you’re an athlete training at a high level, if you’re extremely stressed, or if you have a history of disordered eating. Although fasting stresses the system in a good way, it could be too much if your system is already overloaded from outside stressors. If you’re in a rough place emotionally, fasting may not be the best move for you. Obviously, if you’re pregnant, don’t fast. Kids shouldn’t fast. If you have any concerns, check with your doctor first.
Seventy percent of the immune system is found in the gut. As you age, it’s critical to cultivate a healthy gut microbiome, full of many different strains of good bacteria (and low on bad bacteria). If that internal ecosystem is off, it makes your delicate gut wall vulnerable (among other things), which can lead to serious issues throughout your body.
Your gut wall is the primary barrier between your body and the outside world (where food, bugs, toxins can be threats). Protecting that barrier—which determines what’s allowed into your system and what’s not—is the key to health.
When the microbiome is not healthy and balanced, your fragile woven gut wall loosens, leaving tiny spaces where bacteria, toxins, and pieces of partially digested food can leak into the bloodstream. This is called “leaky gut,” and it’s as bad as it sounds. The particles can set off inflammation almost anywhere in your system. This is all internal, but the effects are not subtle. Leaky gut can trigger joint pain, skin rashes, moodiness, anxiety, depression, brain fog, and hormonal issues. It can weaken immunity and exacerbate autoimmune problems. Many of the issues we chalk up to aging could in fact be the result of an imbalanced microbiome—which you can do something about.
It begins with your diet. But there’s more. Almost all the advice in this book contributes to the strength and wellness of the gut microbiome. The short version is: Eat fresh, organic, unprocessed food; stay away from antibiotic-treated and hormone-riddled animal products—and produce that’s been sprayed with toxic herbicides like glyphosate (certified organic growers do not spray with glyphosate). Feed your body prebiotics (garlic, onions, leeks, asparagus) and probiotics (fermented foods) every day. Sleep, hydrate, meditate, use antibiotics only when you absolutely need them, and don’t take stomach medications like Nexium for long periods. In other words, many of the lifestyle habits that are good for general wellness are also key for gut health and immunity as you age. And everything you need to help your gut thrive is right here in this book.
Sugar is extra harmful as you age. It weakens the immune system and feeds diseases we all fear: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s, to name a few.
In combination with certain proteins, sugar creates deposits that get into the bloodstream. They become lodged in various places and sit like rust on your organs (on the skin, which is your largest organ, this manifests as wrinkles). These deposits also damage cell membranes and can bore tiny holes in the walls of blood vessels. If you make only one change, it should be cutting refined sugar from your diet (and honey and agave too—it’s essentially all the same to your system). Sugar is hiding in a lot of processed foods, but start with the obvious stuff: cereal, cookies, candy, soda, fruit juice (which, incidentally, is just as bad for you as soda). Delete, delete, delete.
When you really need something sweet, eat some berries or a green apple (lower in sugar than most apples). The fiber in fruit slows the absorption of sugar somewhat, which minimizes the sudden rush and subsequent plummet of your blood sugar caused by standard sweets.
A little sugar in your coffee adds up to a lot over time; wean yourself off. But don’t use artificial sweeteners, which are full of chemicals. If you really want to sweeten your coffee or tea, try monk fruit—which looks like table sugar, and also comes in drops—or Stevia; get pure Stevia, because some Stevia products contain other sweeteners. To be honest, neither really tastes like sugar, but they are sweet. Use them to transition away from a sweet tooth, because the goal is to retrain your palate to stop craving sugar. Some folks opt for sugar alcohols such as erythritol and xylitol, but they can give you gas and upset your digestion, so better to avoid them.
Even though our culture frames sugar as a treat—dessert is an indulgence, sometimes a reward—it’s actually more like a punishment for your body. And it’s so hard to break away from because it’s a drug, an addictive substance that stimulates the same areas in the brain as cocaine and heroin. You should be afraid of it.
If you’re really sugar-dependent and struggling to cut back, the supplement glutamine could be helpful. It basically tricks the brain into thinking you’re getting glucose. You might want to try taking it during your first few weeks tapering off sugar.
One of the goals of this book is to help you improve your life before aches and pains arrive. Daily recovery—high-quality sleep—is a critical piece of this puzzle as you age. Prioritize sleep, and you’ll feel better right away.
Much of what people think of as signs of aging are just signs that the body needs more (and better) regular rest. If falling asleep or staying asleep has become a challenge, don’t give up. Instead, pay attention to the problem and consciously set yourself up for a good night’s sleep. This is not just about how you orchestrate your evening; it’s also about daytime habits. Step outside into the sunshine first thing in the morning to keep your circadian rhythms in sync with nature (lively in the day, waning as the sun sets, sleepy at night). Meditate in the morning; this has a positive impact on p.m. sleep—as does exercise: Cardio workouts during the day make it easier to fall asleep at night.
It’s important to get enough REM sleep—when dreaming happens—and also deep sleep, which is a type of non-REM sleep when there’s very little brain activity. This is when recovery is happening in the body, and when the brain’s cleansing system (known as the glymphatic system) kicks in to clear protein and other toxins. If you don’t sleep well and miss out on deep sleep, the glymphatic system is not able to do its job. As a result, all this stuff builds up in the brain, leaving you feeling foggy and off.
Most people do best with seven to nine hours of sleep. Yes, nine. If TV, social media, or endless work emails are stealing away your sleep hours, change that.
Sleep interruptions are not necessarily a given of aging. Yes, there are times when hormones will mess with you and interfere with falling or staying asleep. And as you get older, you’ll probably need to get up to pee more often in the night. If you make some extra effort, you should be able to get back to sleep pretty easily. Before you throw your hands up and say, “I just don’t sleep well anymore,” check these factors.
That 3 p.m. latte. How you metabolize caffeine is a genetic thing (genome testing like 23andMe can test for this, in fact). Some people can have caffeine after dinner and conk out at bedtime; others are so sensitive, they feel jittery all day from one cup of morning coffee. Caffeine can have a half-life of seven hours, meaning that seven hours after you drink a cup of coffee, half the caffeine is still in your body. Know your limits. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, cut it off at 2 p.m., latest.
Wine with dinner. Alcohol disrupts the sleep cycle, so even if you think it helps you wind down, it can wake you up in the night. Also, wine and beer are high in carbs and turn to sugar in the body.
Light creeping in. Light interferes with your body’s production of melatonin, a natural sleep hormone. Make your bedroom totally dark, and cover charging lights with black tape. When you get up to use the bathroom, don’t turn on a bright light or check your phone.
An overheated bedroom. You need a lower core body temperature for sleep; being too warm could inhibit sleep hormones. A hot bath an hour or so before bed actually lowers your core temperature, which is good. There are also cooling mattress toppers that might make a difference. Keep the thermostat low or the windows open.
A bedtime snack. Late-night eating wakes up your digestive system and, if you consume carbs, can bring on a sugar rush. There are lots of other reasons not to eat at night, including the fact that it contributes to weight gain (see Night eating means weight gain).
Falling asleep in front of the TV. The blue light of the screen inhibits melatonin production. Same thing with reading on an iPad or looking at a laptop. That blue light is telling your body to stay awake. Then, of course, there’s the brain stimulation from the show you’re watching, and micro-arousals from the audio once you nod off. All these factors interfere with sleep. If you just use the TV as background noise to help you get out of your head, try a sound machine instead.
Exercise as you age is not just about defined workouts. It’s about moving as much as you can every single day, all day long, in regular daily life. Be a physical person. An active life overall is more beneficial than an hour at the gym (especially if that hour comes between a day at a desk and a night on the couch). Of course, gym time is also great. But the real key to aging well is to be active every chance you get.
Besides keeping the body and mind vital and sharp, physical activity fends off stress and depression, improves circulation, promotes higher-quality sleep, builds immune resilience, and reduces the risk of chronic diseases.
As you age, it’s important to take extra care with exercise—it should be less about heavy exertion and more about frequency. Don’t take this the wrong way, but your body is breaking down. All our bodies are. After 40 or so (or even the late 30s), muscles shift from a state of growth to one of preservation. The focus at this point? Conserving, maintaining, and, most important, preventing injury. The mantra is “do no harm,” because as you get older, your capacity to heal lessens.
Your body is always busy maintaining health, constantly repairing (from everyday wear and tear), dealing with germs and toxins (in our world and in our food), working hard to keep things right. When you, say, sprain an ankle, some of the energy that goes to daily maintenance has to be diverted. Your body needs to produce enzymes and anti-inflammatory nutrients to repair that ankle, and this may detract from its ability to keep up with other necessary recovery. Because resources decrease as we age, it’s smart to be protective. Not getting injured is a positive, proactive thing you can do to maintain overall health. Of course, injuries can also indirectly age you, since low-grade inflammation is one of the causes of aging more rapidly.
The key is to adapt your fitness routine as your body changes, be open to gentler workouts, and if something hurts, don’t do it. Sounds obvious, but a lot of us ignore pain and push through. That mentality is not great for aging well. It’s much better to adjust, pull back, change it up. If you discover that you can’t run pain-free anymore, ride a bike. If you can’t ride, swim. If it hurts to jump into a yoga push-up, step back instead. This can be tough, because a lot of us are attached to our activities and consider them essential to our identity. But it’s more important to preserve than to push. If you were an Iron Man in your 30s, you’ve got to acknowledge that it may not be appropriate for you in your 50s. You need your muscles and joints forever, so think twice before wearing them out. Being nimble at 90 depends on how you take care of yourself now. For those of you who love to move and to push yourselves physically, the most important thing is to adapt as the body tells you to.
For those folks who are not active, the directive is to start exercising now. It’s never too late. Walk a slight hill for 10 minutes a day to begin. Extend that by five minutes each week till you’re up to 30 minutes a day. Restorative yoga is another great entry point, as are aqua classes, which are light on joints. Ease in and build consistently. It doesn’t take long—or take much—to transform yourself into an active person.
And for all of us: Welcome opportunities to move, all day long. Take an earlier train so you can get off a stop or two sooner and walk to the office, or get off the bus early to add some footwork to your trip home. Skip the elevator for the stairs on the way up (not the way down—going down stairs or hills can be tough on the knees). Make your lunch break a movement break (and when possible, an outdoor fresh-air break). It’s not necessarily about exerting yourself a lot; it’s about constant, consistent, dependable activity. Be a mover.
As you age, your capacity to break down alcohol decreases. You may have noticed this if you’ve found yourself tossing and turning in bed after a second glass of wine with dinner. You used to be fine having two glasses, and now you’re not. That’s a normal consequence of aging, and one you can address. Alcohol is not good for your body for a few reasons (among them, it weakens the immune system and ups your sugar intake), but the fact that it interferes with sleep is especially problematic, because of the domino effect: If you’re not rested, your body craves sugar and carbs (for quick energy); you might be too tired to exercise; you overdo it on caffeine and throw off your internal clock, which messes up your next night’s sleep. Not to mention feeling crummy and being snappish. One bad night leads to another, and you become more exhausted (and more prone to reach for carbs), and the cycle continues. Isn’t it easier just to skip that second glass?
Also, be real about alcohol. The polyphenols—antioxidants found in some flavonoid-rich foods like grape skins, blueberries, cocoa, and tea—in dry red wine have boosted its cred as a good choice, and compared to other forms of alcohol, it is. It’s better. But it’s not like it’s good for you. If it’s polyphenols you’re after, get them from high-quality black or green tea. Wine is not the best delivery system.
People ask about tequila: 100 percent agave tequila is low in sugar, but it’s usually served with a sugary mixer. Straight up, it’s low in carbs, as is vodka with seltzer (not tonic, which is very high in sugar).
Look, alcohol is a toxin, but context matters. Sharing a drink with friends or family can be nourishing in an emotional way. So we’re not saying never. If you have a glass of wine a couple of times a week and it’s not having negative effects, it’s not a problem. But you shouldn’t be drinking every day. And obviously, if you have to have alcohol, that’s an issue, and something to deal with.
As you age, the thirst signal can fade. This is not the case for everyone, but some people just don’t get the memo; although the body wants water, it doesn’t convey that to the mouth as clearly as it once did. Lack of fluids might express itself in other ways: loss of energy, irritability, fuzziness. So any feeling you have, start with water: if you can’t concentrate, if your partner’s voice is irking you, if you feel unable to cope, if you have a headache. Water it. Brain function can be affected by dehydration. Every day, drink at least four big glasses of water—ideally filtered water; the chlorine in tap water can attack the good bacteria in your microbiome, and a filter can minimize that problem. Find smart options for water filters at EWG.org, the site for the Environmental Working Group.
Hydration is more effective if you drink over the course of the day rather than stand by the sink guzzling your allotment. Drink anytime, with meals or without—it all counts. If you don’t love water, infuse it with a handful of mint leaves or a squeeze of citrus. Make a pitcher or fill a large ball jar and leave it in the fridge. Lemon in water stimulates liver function. Wash citrus rind or cucumber skin if you’re dropping unpeeled produce into your water.
Tea counts toward hydration, by the way, but coffee doesn’t (it’s a diuretic). Seltzer made from filtered water (SodaStream at home, say) is fine. Regular seltzer may not be made with filtered water, so that’s not great. Don’t drink flavored seltzers; chemicals are used to achieve those “natural” flavors. We’re not against bubbles, per se. The important part is where the water comes from, and what’s been added to it.
We assume that it goes without saying, but don’t drink soda or juice (fructose is as problematic as the sugar in soda), and no energy drinks, please. Also no bottled iced tea, which is full of chemicals and artificial sweeteners. Pretty much anything in a bottle at a deli besides water is problematic in one way or another. Cutting out bottled drinks is an easy way to lower your intake of sugar and chemicals. Just. Drink. Water.
Cultivating connection and spending time with people you love is a huge factor in aging well. In certain phases of life, there’s no shortage of community: We have a built-in tribe at school and then at work; for parents, there’s community involved in raising kids. But as circumstances change—you switch jobs, the kids go off to college, you retire—you might need to make some effort. And this effort—seeing friends, tending important relationships, cultivating new connections—is very important to your health. Don’t wait for life transitions; prioritize socializing right now.
Think how good it feels to sit with a friend and talk and laugh. That should be the rule, not the exception. Make it happen one way or another at least weekly. Consider socializing a wellness activity, and figure out what you can change in order to weave in more time with dear friends.
As for making new friends—obviously, it’s tricky as an adult. It’s easy to say, “Find people who like to do what you like to do,” but it takes time. So think of this as an invitation into a fresh mindset—one of planting seeds and seeing what comes up. Be alert and aware when you meet folks you like. Notice, observe, and open up to the notion of hanging out with new people. Let your interests lead you, and you’ll gradually end up finding kindred spirits. At this point in your life, isolation might not be a risk, but one of the reasons to build a strong loving social structure around yourself now is to ensure that it doesn’t become an issue later. You want to have plenty going on so there’s cushioning all around when life transitions hit.
As you get older, you need to have a tribe, a real community, people who will listen to you, who will pick you up—emotionally and literally (say, when you need a ride home after a dental procedure). We’re wired to need some type of family. Without that, studies show incontrovertibly that we age quicker. And with it, specifically with plenty of social contact in middle age and later in life, the risk of dementia drops.
In the “blue zones”—those places around the world where people live longest and are healthy beyond our wildest imaginings—there are three things you see across the board: lots of movement in daily life, a sense of purpose, and communal living. Build and cultivate your community. Have people over. Say yes to invitations. Put in the time. It’s more important than you think.
Your attitude has a big impact on your health. Aging well involves cutting back on some classic pleasures—sweets, alcohol, fries, food in general—but if you can find a way to cultivate a positive approach, and stay cheerful about changes, it’s much easier. Try to view dietary sacrifices as an opportunity to figure out what else you like and develop an appetite for learning or nature or meditation.
Be generous with yourself in other ways. What is it that feels good, brings excitement, and motivates you and also does no harm? Is it more time with certain friends? A class you’ve been wanting to take? An instrument you used to play?
Enjoy small healthy pleasures—a hot bath, a walk at sunset, a weekly treatment like an infrared sauna or massage. As you move into a place where you’re making great choices, redefine the concept of indulgence and pepper your life with supportive, health-affirming practices.
You’ll appreciate life more if you can stay light and positive. Embrace the changes, nurture your body and mind, and smile at the more humbling aspects that come with piling up the years. It’s all a gift and, as they say, better than the alternative. Go with the flow, and you’ll likely age better.
Case Study
What a difference a fast makes
“Will, 45, has been married for five years and is the father of two little kids. He works for a tech start-up. He should be enjoying his family, but he feels like an old man. He’s achy, tired, and depressed. He tells me it’s exhausting for him to even sit and read to the kids. He feels like life is slipping away.
Will is 50 pounds overweight and on six different drugs that his last doctor prescribed: antihypertensives for his high blood pressure, Nexium for heartburn, diabetes medication, antidepressants, and Lipitor for his cholesterol. He takes Advil most nights for headaches. His inflammatory markers are high.
His office is full of salty and sweet snacks. There’s free lunch every day. No one leaves the building for a break—it’s frowned upon, because the work culture is so intense. The long hours wear him out, and his only breaks from his computer screen involve getting up to grab snacks, which he relies on to get him through the day. He says he’s always munching on something and he never sees the sun.
I put Will on a low-carb diet, with intermittent fasting. We start with two days a week of 12-hour overnight fasts. He struggles with morning cravings for the first week but soon adjusts. Over the course of a month, I have Will increase to four days a week of 16-hour fasts. Will gets into it. Fasting helps him get out the door faster in the mornings, and creates some much-needed parameters around food. He finds that he’s less hungry in general. And when he starts dropping weight, he’s even more motivated.
He drinks more water and green tea, and finds that after a few weeks of eating a low-carb diet and fasting for 16-hour periods, his cravings for snacks decrease. At lunchtime, Will takes a brisk walk around the block to get some sunshine and exercise before eating. He makes better picks at the cafeteria buffet, where there are plenty of fresh vegetables to choose from.
Will slowly tapers off his Nexium. At night if he feels a headache coming on, he drinks water, and this helps. The headaches become less frequent, and when Will does experience one, he takes a little CBD oil for relief—no more Advil.
After a month, he’s lost 20 pounds and his blood pressure is down to normal levels, so I start tapering him off the antihypertensive meds. His blood sugar drops significantly, and after two months, he doesn’t need his diabetes meds anymore.
Will begins to make use of the good parts of his work environment—free group meditation in the morning, a few minutes of Ping-Pong to clear his head instead of a candy bar. When I see Will after three months, he’s lost 40 pounds, his blood pressure remains normal without medication, and he no longer has diabetes. His inflammatory markers have normalized, and his cholesterol numbers have improved significantly. His energy is up. He no longer feels depressed, and he starts tapering off the antidepressants under my supervision. He’s telling funny stories about his kids, bubbling over with enthusiasm, and says he feels 20 years younger. He has his life back. And after six months, he stops his Lipitor.”