Unlock Longevity

How often have you heard an older person refer to themselves as being so many "years young?" What about those who blame a "senior moment" for the occasional memory lapse?  These are examples of what the writer Priscilla Long describes as "toxic ageism." Oftentimes, she argues, ageist attitudes are perpetuated by the very people who're thriving in old age, but for some reason, view being old as a state of mind or body to be disavowed. Priscilla is a prolific and award-winning author of science, poetry and creative nonfiction. At the age of 79, her latest work, Dancing with the Muse in Old Age, focuses on what she calls "creative engagement" and "purposeful lifestyle traits" as a road map for the aging process.  In this LLAMA podcast interview with Peter Bowes, the Seattle-based author argues that ageism "poisons creativity" and explains why society should stop thinking of older people as "decrepit".

Nate Wilkins is enjoying a remarkable journey through life.  The 68-year-old functional aging specialist is the co-founder of Ageless Workout, a Miami-based health, healing and wellness company that seeks to bridge the gap between fitness and medicine.  The goal is to help people of all ages achieve their maximum potential. It is based on a lifestyle that Nate and his partner, Shebah Carfagna, have adopted to create a "tribe mentality" to health and fitness.  In this interview Nate reflects on the highs - and lows - in his life - including a "brush with greatness" when he met Martin Luther King Jr. on the day he was baptized. He condemns ageist attitudes that depict older people as "decrepit" and enthuses about the joys of a full life, focused on movement, positivity and purpose.

In this podcast, Olga Donica, Head of Innovation and Simone Gibertoni, CEO of Clinique La Prairie, interview Pr. Patrizia D’Amelio, specialist in physiopathology and Associate Professor at the CHUV Lausanne on the role of mitochondria on healthy aging with a focus on muscle and brain.

Mitochondria are the engine of the cell and as such can produce the energy that we need, interact with different metabolic pathways, digest glucose & fatty acid and detoxify the organism. They are key to the survival and effectiveness of our cells, especially for tissue with high metabolic level such as brain and muscles.

Discover in this podcast interview how mitochondrial function affects the aging process and its importance for our brain and muscles.

It could all end in a heartbeat. Sometimes life itself, with its unpredictable path, can be the biggest motivator to change us for the better.

Take Alan Carpenter. He was a fit 66-year-old, enjoying a hike on the US Pacific Crest, when his life suddenly imploded.  A dramatic fall led to a stay in hospital and a long period of recuperation.  It also prompted him to reassess his state of health - not only physical, but his mental and emotional wellbeing. It led to years of research, analyzing lifestyle interventions and longevity hacks, in search of positive long-term habits.  He wrote a book about it; Choose Better, Live Better: Nine Healthy Choices that Nurture Body, Mind, and Spirit and in this LLAMA podcast interview Alan shares a graphic account of the moment everything changed and why he embarked on a quest to rejuvenate his life.

Do you want to live forever? Or do you prefer to focus on living for as long as possible while enjoying the best of health? 

Lifetime aspirations come in many forms and are often merged together - or confused - under the banner of human longevity. Some are more realistic than others. In his new book, The Price of Immortality: The Race to Live Forever, the British journalist, Peter Ward, teases apart the many interventions being touted as possible 'cures' for aging or tools to help us live on and on.  He explores the work of "tech visionaries, scam artists, pseudo scientists and religious fanatics."  

In this podcast interview, Peter offers a dispassionate view on what we are to believe and whether any of it should be taken seriously.

What if we could stop time and preserve the biological potential of our younger selves?

It is the goal of Forever Labs, a US company that stores stem cells for possible use in later life, to combat age-related disease and, perhaps, aging itself. The company collects and cryo-preserves stem cells so they can be used in future health treatments and therapies, should medical advances allow it. 

In this LLAMA podcast interview Steven Clausnitzer, who founded the company in 2015, explains his vision that illnesses occurring in the years to come, could be treated, or even prevented, through the use of stem cells put into storage - or banked - during healthier times.

We are what we eat.  So goes the saying.  But to what extent does the food on our plate determine the quality of our health now and for the rest of our lives?  

Marie Ruggles is a clinical nutritionist and the author of Optimize Your Immune System:  Create Health and Resilience with a Kitchen Pharmacy.  In this LLAMA podcast interview we explore what it means to use the kitchen pantry to promote robust health. From whole foods to superfoods, supplements to sunlight, Marie shares natural wellness strategies and practical options for vibrant longevity.

The pursuit of beauty has long been inexorably linked with radiant health.  But to what extent do modern-day, beauty-related practices enhance our well-being, or even our longevity?  Nadine Artemis has always been fascinated by the intersecting worlds of beauty, essential oils and a desire to live a long healthy life.  She specializes in aromachology, the study of odors and the way they influence human behavior, Based in Ontario, Canada the creator of  the health and beauty shop, Living Libations, is also a prolific writer on topics ranging from organic beauty products to holistic dental care. 

In this LLAMA podcast interview, with Peter Bowes, Nadine discusses her philosophy, her relatively simple approach to personal care and her desire to educate people about what she calls renegade beauty. She also explains why she believes that "every health decision really is a beauty decision, and every beauty decision must be a health decision."

There is a plethora of science-backed information about how to optimize our health and wellbeing. The challenge, for most of us, is how to filter it and then apply the latest knowledge and innovations to our own lives.  

There is undoubtedly a future in personalized medicine and the use of artificial intelligence, to guide our lifestyle decisions. InsideTracker is a health platform that curates peer-reviewed science and combines it with cutting edge technology, to provide insights for its users.  The goal is to make it easier to reach informed decisions about how best to live our lives.  

Gil Blander, Phd., an MIT researcher in nutrition and aging, founded InsideTracker in 2009.  In this LLAMA podcast interview, he explains its mission to provide actionable, evidence-backed recommendations to improve health and wellness.

Aging with finesse sounds infinitely more desirable than the humdrum process of simply getting older.  The language we use in describing the aging process is all important. Perhaps even more important is having a plan, as we age. Even though we "don't feel that old" there is an inevitability about the passing years - despite the latest science-backed interventions that may help us slow down the process.  

Clinical psychologist, Dr. Mary Flett, has spent much of her career analyzing the way we value ourselves as we grow older, how we connect with others as we age, and the skills we need to navigate the process with grace. There are, she says, five "pillars of aging," which include creating a legacy of values, staying engaged, adaptation, spirituality, and emotional economics. 

In this LLAMA podcast interview Dr. Flett, who is based in Sonoma, California, discusses the complex, nuanced journey that is aging, and challenges media-driven notions about human longevity.