Biohacker Gary Brecka shares one wellness 'hack' we were all wrong about

We're living in a world of wellness overload.

We're so busy trying to do and be everything in a bid to supercharge our health that between red light therapy and studying Blue Zones, there's little room for much else.

That's why when I recently sat down with world-leading biohacker, Gary Brecka, I was keen to delve into the more practical steps that can help simplify our routines. More importantly, I wanted to know if there were any trending fads taking up too much of my time unnecessarily.

During our conversation, he spoke of his growing appreciation of personalised healthcare (having launched his own precision genetic testing kit for supplements), as well as the impact of sleep.

I pressed on if there was any element of health or wellness that he'd changed his mind on over the years - and interestingly, it came down to food.

"Dogmatic dieting", he answers me, referring to specific diets that include veganism, 'clean' eating, and keto, to name but a few.

These kinds of diets are very rigid in their rules - whether that's skipping meat, carbs, or another category entirely - a practice that Brecka sees as counterproductive, and health experts warn could lead to orthorexia (preoccupation with eating healthy food).

He references Blue Zones - also known as the areas in the world in which people frequently live to be over 100 years old - as an example of why these types of diets shouldn't be seen as gospel.

Sardinia (Italy), Okinawa (Japan), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Ikaria (Greece), and Loma Linda (California) are among the locations that rank highly on this list...and they're also known as being great destinations for foodies.

So, how does the data match up?

Brecka notes: "If you went to Singapore, you have one of the highest meat consumptions in the world and one of the longest life expectancies. You go to the Mediterranean, it's very high in fatty oils, fatty fish. In Sardinia, it's one of the highest carbohydrate consumptions in the world - very long life expectancy."

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He uses the example that in some areas, they're consuming one litre of olive oil per person, per week; which sounds like a cardiologist's worst nightmare. And yet, locals are living long and healthy lives, because they have something else in common.

"It's not the dogmatic dieting, it's the absence of processed foods", he tells me. "You don't see those existing in the diets anywhere in the world where people have extended lives."

The Mediterranean diet is often widely-promoted for benefits including heart health and weight management, and is free of processed foods, but incorporates fish, legumes, and lean poultry, keeping it an appetising option.

Here's to doing more feeling a little more uncomplicated.

In our hour-long conversation, we cover everything from Blue Zones, to Peptides, NAD+, Precision Genetic Testing, and the practical steps you can take towards living healthier (or, perhaps even longer).

Watch now via The Independent on YouTube:

- YouTube www.youtube.com

The contents of this article are not intended as medical advice.

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Interview: World-leading biohacker Gary Brecka on why living to 120 will soon be a 'choice'

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