The Routine That Keeps Me Young
I recently reached the 10-year anniversary milestone at my job. On my special day, the highest compliment I received was not about the quality of my work, but rather what the department head said: “Keva, you look exactly the same as when you started.” Let me tell you, stopping time between age 40 and 50 is no small feat.
Still, freezing my prime has its drawbacks.
For example, I recently matched on a dating app with a painfully beautiful 35 yr old woman. I think I lied about my age on that platform, but it literally doesn’t matter. Ultimately, the fit wasn’t right, but now my dating expectations are through the roof. Model-quality looks and youth are my baseline. The problem is, I don’t know how much longer I can sustain the effort to keep this going.
What is easy
From a cosmetic standpoint, I know how to keep my hair thick and brown, and my skin youthful enough.
Natural hair color as you age doesn’t need to come from a bottle, but instead from a diet rich in minerals, particularly zinc and copper. Since modern farming practices have depleted the soil of most nutrients, you should also supplement with magnesium and boron.
As far as keeping my hair, that’s the connection between mitochondrial health and hair follicle function. Step one is to get plenty of sunlight on your head. When I figured out a few years ago that the sun prevents baldness, I stopped taking finasteride, and I still have my full head of hair.
Skin health comes from following the same rules. Circadian-aligned sun exposure, including lots of healing red light early and late in the day, helps the skin regenerate. Avoid artificial blue light that dehydrates cells, triggers oxidative stress, and breaks down collagen. In addition, good sleep hygiene in total darkness helps your body heal across the board, including skin barrier repair.
What takes more effort
I added the cold plunge to my overall stack about a year ago, and I think it’s working. It raises my testosterone, forces my mitochondria to produce more energy, and improves how my blood circulates (better systemwide nutrient and oxygen delivery).
I’m reading a book right now about how exposing yourself to temperature extremes aligns with the way humans evolved, and how our indoor thermoneutral lifestyle is killing us. This book focuses on the benefits of the sauna, especially the way it works in Scandinavia with intense steam powered by woodburning ovens. What the book glosses over, however, is that the Finns complete each sauna session by going outside into the snow and taking a dip in the closest fjord. It may be that the cold is doing most of the work.
What is on the chopping block
I think often about the one activity I’d ditch if a genie offered me a consequence-free choice. It’s actually a tie: jumping rope and running the stairs in my 43-story condominium.
When it comes to exercise, intensity — not volume — is everything. Pushing yourself to extremes gets you:
- Improved cardiovascular capacity (VO₂ max)
- Rapid increase in insulin sensitivity
- Stronger mitochondrial adaptation
By way of contrast, there is a guy at the gym about my age who likes to do hours and hours of the elliptical machine each week. It’s great for keeping him away from the fridge, but I doubt it does much to upgrade his health.
For me, the near-vomit experience at the end of every cardio workout may or may not be sustainable. I can say that in the short term, I do have the motivation to keep going. Receiving likes from Miami’s most attractive women sure keeps the dream alive.