For 4+ years, I tried to shed my stubborn last 10lbs. I tried it all: calorie counting, intermittent fasting, long fasts, keto, gym grinding, you name it. I’d lose 1-2 lbs, then gain them back. This is despite working out every day and eating clean. I thought the problem was that I wasn’t restricting calories enough.

Then I got pregnant. I obviously wasn’t going to try and lose weight during this period. So I decided to let go. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. I would finish tubs of honey ice-cream and packets of honey chocolate on some days. The caveat was that I’ve never enjoyed junk food much, so my diet was still 95% clean. But I had zero self-imposed restrictions. I enjoyed my chocolate and ice-cream guilt-free.

I noticed that my relationship with food started to change. Despite having unrestricted access to sweets in the refrigerator, most days I simply didn’t want it. I started eating naturally based on hunger cues. I wasn’t bound to the clock by crazy fasting schedules.

I had a healthy pregnancy, gained ~27lbs, and delivered a healthy chubby baby. I lost all my pregnancy weight in the first 3 months and miraculously in the next 6 months, I lost those stubborn 10lbs that I’d been trying to lose for 4 years. And I didn’t even try this time.

I re-established my power over food

While sunlight and other factors played a massive role in my weight loss, I realized that a big part of it was changing my relationship with food. Pre-pregnancy, I lived in fear of eating too much. Food had more power over me. This fear caused me to eat artificially: gorge on cheat days, eat less even when I’m truly hungry, eat more when I’m not hungry to follow my diet plan, and eat foods that I didn’t want to. I was living in a scarcity mindset, worried about food.

In pregnancy, I let go of this fear. I had power over food. One thinks that without any willpower or restrictions, you’d eat junk food all the time. Quite the opposite. I started to live in a state of food abundance. Because I knew I had access to food whenever I wanted, I didn’t worry about overeating.

Why calorie counting apps make weight loss harder

Those who struggle with overeating and/or eating junk food have a tenuous relationship with food, that I described above. The irony is that calorie counting and weight loss apps perpetuate this fearful negative relationship with food. By making you log every calorie, they make you live in constant fear of food. The very fear that was stalling me from losing weight. These apps want you to be loyal customers, not ones who fix the problem and leave.

Losing weight is not so simple as “eat less and move more.” It’s not a matter of willpower and counting calories. It’s a psychological game. It’s about you having power over food.

The answer to weight loss lies not in calorie counting but in changing your relationship with food.

How to regain your control over food

If you want to change your dynamic with food, try this experiment for a few days: eat as much as you want, whatever you want. Guilt-free. The first couple of days you might eat more. But then you might begin to notice how your fear over food changes. You begin to control food, food does not control you. You might begin to eat naturally, more intuitively. In this fearless state, controlling your food choices will become easier.

Subscribe now

Weight loss is not about calories

Contrary to popular belief, calories are the least important metric when it comes to food regulation. Your appetite is heavily regulated by protein intake, circadian timing, light exposure, and hormones, not calories.

Below, I share the exact 10 things I changed to help me lose 10lbs without trying. No calorie counting. No willpower needed.

1. Morning protein breakfast: I used to do intermittent fasting and skip breakfast. My first meal of the day was around 11am. This shifted my gut clock to start the day later, which naturally pushed my dinner time later too. We have a master circadian clock in the brain and local clocks at every organ and cell. My master clock would get its cue from morning sunlight upon waking up. But my gut clock was getting its morning cue only much later in the day. This creates a desynchrony in our body clocks, disrupting circadian and hormonal signaling. Losing weight and optimal health requires your body to work in synchrony. Morning breakfast is key for proper circadian alignment. Aim for 30-40g of protein at breakfast. Eggs, meat, or Greek yogurt. This anchors your gut clock to your wake time and keeps you full until lunch without snacking.

2. Eat dinner by sunset: This was one of the biggest levers in me losing weight. I ran a simple experiment for a few days: eating the same dinner but finishing before sunset vs. after. I noticed that whenever I ate post sunset, I felt more bloated and had worse sleep. I also effortlessly started losing some weight after only a few days of eating by sunset. Eating after sundown not only delays the onset of melatonin which helps you wind down, but it also desynchronizes your body clocks which I discussed above. Eating late also tends to make you hungrier the next day and shifts your body toward fat storage. Your metabolism is highest earlier in the day and winds down as the sun sets. Eat with the sun, not against it.

Read more

Dermatologists have spent decades telling us to avoid the sun. Wear sunscreen. Cover up. The fear is skin cancer. But one of the most thorough studies ever conducted on sun exposure and mortality found the opposite. Women who got the most sun lived the longest. Women who avoided the sun died at the same rate as smokers. And the most surprising finding of all? The women who lived the longest in the entire 20-year study1 got skin cancer AND were most sun-exposed.

And it wasn’t just about living longer. The study showed that women who got more sunlight were protected from:

• Cardiovascular disease

• Cancer (including skin cancer!)

• Type 2 diabetes

• Venous blood clots

• Death from all causes

And the more the sun, the better the outcomes. In this post, I break down the study and what it means for how you think about the sun.

Basics of the study:

Researchers recruited 29,518 Swedish women between 25 and 64 years of age starting in 1990. They asked four simple questions about sun exposure:

1. Do you sunbathe during the summer?

2. Do you sunbathe during winter holidays?

3. Do you use tanning beds?

4. Do you go abroad on holiday to swim and sunbathe?

No to everything = low sun exposure. Yes to one or two = moderate. Yes to three or four = high. They also recorded smoking status, exercise habits, BMI, education level, marital status, disposable income, and whether the women were on medication for diabetes, blood clotting, or cardiovascular disease, all of which were used to adjust the results. Then they followed these women for 20 years and tracked what happened.

Results: Risk of disease & death increased by avoiding the sun

• Not getting sun was as dangerous as smoking. Nonsmokers who avoided sun exposure had a life expectancy similar to smokers who got the most sun. Even among smokers, those around age 60 who actively sought the sun lived ~2 years longer than smokers who avoided it.

• Heart disease: The highest sun exposure group had ~60% lower risk of cardiovascular death.

• Cancer: The highest sun exposure group had ~40% lower risk of cancer death, including melanoma. In fact, women with the most sun exposure who developed non-melanoma skin cancer had the lowest mortality of anyone in the entire 20-year study. Lower than cancer-free women. Lower than every other group. More on skin cancer and melanoma findings below.

  • Melanoma: Melanoma incidence was slightly higher in the high sun exposure group (0.81% vs 1.1%), but the increase wasn't statistically significant. And when they did get melanoma, their risk of dying was essentially the same as sun avoiders who never got cancer at all. Meanwhile, sun avoiders who got melanoma had 4x the risk of death. And within the melanoma group specifically, sun avoiders had 8x the death rate of sun-seekers.

• Diabetes: Women who avoided the sun were at nearly 2.5x the risk of type 2 diabetes compared to those with the highest sun exposure. The relationship was dose-dependent: moderate sun exposure carried 47% higher risk, and low sun exposure carried 147% higher risk. The effect was even more dramatic in normal-weight women, where sun avoiders had nearly 4x the diabetes risk.2

• Other non-cancer deaths: The highest sun exposure group had over double (110%) the reduction in non-cancer, non-cardiovascular death (things like diabetes, multiple sclerosis, pulmonary diseases). Combined with the cardiovascular disease reduction, this is where the biggest increase in lifespan came from.

• Dying from anything: Women who avoided the sun had double the risk of death over the next 20 years compared to those with the highest sun exposure. This translated to 0.6 to 2.1 fewer years of life for sun avoiders.

• Blood clots: For every “yes” answer to sun exposure, women were at ~30% lower risk of venous thromboembolism. Blood clot risk was also 50% higher in winter compared to summer.

But is it really the sun? You might wonder: do sun-seekers just live longer because they're wealthier, more active, and healthier to begin with? The researchers tested this. They adjusted for age, smoking, education, marital status, income, pre-existing conditions, BMI and physical exercise. The results held. The survival benefit of sun exposure wasn't explained by lifestyle differences.

This study is not a one-off. A 2024 analysis3 of 376,000 UK Biobank participants found the same pattern: higher UV exposure was associated with lower all-cause, cardiovascular, and cancer mortality. A separate Swedish cohort study4 of women followed for three decades found sunbathing vacations were linked to 30% lower risk of death. The data pointing to sun exposure as protective against the leading causes of death is consistent across multiple large cohorts and countries.

But what about skin cancer risk?

Here's where it gets really counterintuitive. The women who lived the longest in the entire 20-year study weren't the ones who avoided skin cancer. They were the ones who got skin cancer and had the most sun exposure. They outlived everyone, including cancer-free women.

I couldn't believe this when I first saw it. For paid subscribers, I break down exactly what's going on:

• How women with skin cancer outlived every other group in the study, including women who never got cancer.

• The 8x death gap: why getting melanoma while avoiding the sun was the deadliest combination in the study, while getting melanoma with high sun exposure barely affected mortality.

• The vitamin D connection: why the same cancer can kill one woman and barely affect another.

• What no one tells you about the sun vs. skin cancer tradeoff: the risk of dying from skin cancer vs. the risk of dying from avoiding the sun.

Subscribe now

Read more

Hi, I’m Aastha and thanks for joining Live Longer World as I parse through the snake-oil in longevity. On Health on Easy Mode, you can see my exact collection of non-toxic health products I use (15+ categories including clean water, lighting, air quality, non-toxic kitchen).

I threw away my polyester clothing. And switched to organic cotton.

Polyester clothing is literally wearable plastic. It’s not just a skin irritant, it might be contributing to the fertility crisis, hormonal imbalance, and reduced energy levels.

Roughly 60% of clothing is made from polyester and other synthetic fibers. Lululemon, Under Armour, Zara, Calvin Klein are all predominantly polyester. Testing on popular sports bras from Nike, Athleta, The North Face, and others found BPA levels up to 40x the safe limit under California law!1 These brands are great for the booty bump and coolness factor. Not so great for your health.

This is what the modern human looks like. We eat plastic, drink plastic, breathe plastic, and now wear plastic too!

What’s the big deal with polyester clothing?

• Poor sperm health: Polyester traps heat. Tighter underwear and more heat are linked to worse sperm markers. In one study2, 14 men who wore a polyester scrotal sling had zero sperm(!) within 5 months. And a 2024 study3 found microplastics in 100% of human semen samples tested. Enough for me to not want my husband to wear plastic down there.

• Disrupted hormone health: Polyester clothing carries phthalates, PFAS (forever chemicals)4, BPA5 and other finishing chemicals. These are endocrine disruptors - they mimic or block estrogen, testosterone, and thyroid hormones.6 A study of children's school uniforms found PFAS in 100% of products tested.7

• Loaded with PFAS and heavy metals: Water-resistant, stain-resistant, wrinkle-free, and performance finishes mean added chemicals like PFAS. Polyester is also commonly made using antimony (heavy metal) as a catalyst, and antimony can migrate from polyester textiles into sweat. Antimony is a possible carcinogen. What’s worse is that the antimony keeps leaching even after repeated washes.8

• Microplastics contribute to heart disease: A 2024 study9 found micro and nanoplastics in the carotid artery plaque of 58% of heart patients. Those with plastics in their plaque had a 4.5x higher risk of heart attack, stroke, or death over the following 3 years.

• Increased inflammation: Synthetic textiles are the dominant source of indoor airborne microplastics. It is estimated that you may shed up to a billion polyester microfibers into the air each year just by moving around. Indoor air contains roughly 6x more microplastic fibers than outdoor air, resulting in oxidative stress and inflammation.10 Investing in an air filter and opening your windows is worthwhile.

• Skin irritation: Polyester traps heat, sweat, and oils against your skin. Textile dyes and finishes, including formaldehyde (a Group 1 carcinogen used for wrinkle-free finishes), add chemical irritation on top of the physical discomfort.11

So what did I do about it?

• For my undergarments, I only do organic cotton.

• For the rest of my clothing, I do organic cotton or cotton 99.9% of the time. Pact is my favorite - they are affordable and fashionable.

  • Cotton is a natural fiber so it doesn’t come with the same plastic problem. The catch with cotton is that it is the world’s dirtiest crop. It is loaded with pesticides and accounts for 16% of the world’s insecticide use. These chemicals get absorbed into the cotton and don’t necessarily get off your clothes by washing them. Organic cotton is worth the extra money if you can get it.

• Our bedding, blanket, pillows, mattress are all organic cotton or organic wool. Never sleep on polyester sheets. Sleep is when your body is repairing itself, and polyester can even hinder the charge of the mitochondria.

The rest of the post is for paid subscribers. I discuss:

• Other materials that are safe (bamboo is not as safe as you think)

• Why to never wear polyester while working out

• More tips I practice to reduce clothing toxicity

• How to mitigate risk from textile dyes and carcinogenic wrinkle-free finishes. It’s not just the materials that matter, dyes too contain chemicals.

• Safe certifications when picking clothes

Read more

Then, I gave birth to an angel in April 2025. Postpartum, I obviously couldn’t grind at the gym and go on a diet. I started living more naturally, more in tune with our environment, and how we evolved.

• I got a lot more sun.

• I learned about the impact of artificial lights on our metabolism and sleep, and switched to red incandescent only at night.

• I threw out all the toxic everyday products from our house. I wanted our house to be as non-toxic as possible for our daughter.

• I reduced our EMF exposure through hacks I’ll discuss later.

• I spent more time in fresh air.

• I started sleeping earlier and waking up with the sunrise.

In short, I fixed my environment to make it more in tune with nature. I noticed how great I felt.

What happened when I stopped grinding and fixed my environment

• I lost the baby weight in 2.5 months and in the next 5 months after that, I lost that stubborn 10lbs that I’d been trying to lose for 4 years!

• My deep sleep doubled to over 2 hours, despite waking up 2+ times a night to nurse my baby.

• I felt higher energy and happier, with few to zero afternoon slumps.

• Snack cravings and food thoughts throughout the day vanished. I didn’t need to use willpower.

I achieved better results in under 1 year than I did with grinding for 5+ years. This is why I keep saying: Environment over effort and Health on Easy Mode. Not because it sounds nice. But because I lived both ways.

What surprised me most

Along the way, a few things genuinely shocked me:

• Avoiding the sun can be as bad as smoking (in terms of all‑cause mortality).

• Artificial light isn’t just about eye strain - it impacts metabolism, stress, and sleep.

• CO₂ buildup indoors impairs decision‑making, learning, and sleep.

• Our clothing and furniture shed microplastics and chemicals onto our skin and air.

• Non‑native EMF exposure is likely more important than mainstream messaging suggests (especially at night and near the head).

I realized: diet, exercise, and sleep matter, but your environment is the substrate all of that rests on.

Why I built Live Longer World

I’m not a “theory only” person.

• I test things on myself first.

• I talk to scientists directly (Live Longer World Podcast).

• I dig through old papers and mechanisms.

• Then I try to turn that into something you can actually use.

This newsletter, Live Longer World, is where I:

• Share the protocols and experiments that actually moved the needle for me.

• Explain the biophysics of health (light, air, toxins, environment) in plain English.

• Help you avoid the years of “hard mode” I put myself through.

And because so many products are toxic:

I built Health on Easy Mode as my curated collection of low‑toxin, PFAS‑screened, lower‑plastic products I actually use at home (light, air, water, kitchen, diagnostics, etc.). Inclusion is 100% merit‑based. Brands don’t pay to place.

Health on Easy Mode is where I list the tools.
This newsletter Live Longer World is where I share the protocols and research.

What paid subscribers get (first time I’m sharing this)

Up to now, all my posts have been 100% free. That’s not changing.

• The philosophy, the big levers, and a lot of tactics will stay free.

• But the deep protocol breakdowns (step‑by‑step, with research) are going to live behind a light paywall for members.

Think of it like this:

• Free: “Fix your evening light if you want better sleep. Here’s why it matters and what to aim for.”

• Paid: “Here’s exactly how I set it up (room by room), more under-the-radar protocols, and deeper research.”

If you become a paid subscriber, here’s what you get:

• Detailed playbooks on:

  • Light & circadian rhythm (day and night).

  • Sleep environment (light, air, bedding, EMF).

  • EMF basics and practical mitigation.

  • Non‑toxic living (materials, kitchen, water, personal care).

• Deep‑dive research behind each tactic.

• Early access to my Health on Easy Mode guides and experiments.

I’m not promising a $2M/year Bryan Johnson protocol. He spends millions and built a full‑time operation around his health.

My goal is the opposite:

Live Longer World through Environment over Effort
No grind. No $2M/year budget.
Simple, low‑cost environment tweaks that stack over time.

~$100 per year gets you the deep playbooks and research that took me years (and a lot of mistakes) to assemble.

Upgrade to Paid

Who this is (and isn’t) for

This is for you if:

• You care about energy and healthspan, but don’t want to live in a lab.

• You’re willing to change your environment, not just add another pill.

• You like understanding the “why,” not just copying checklists.

• You’d rather pay a little to save dozens of hours of your own research.

This is not for you if:

• You want a $2M/year Bryan Johnson protocol.

• You only care about macros and macros alone.

• You’re hoping I’ll sell you a miracle supplement stack.

Thank you + what to do next

The best ways to support my work:

1. Share Live Longer World with someone who cares about health & longevity but doesn’t want to live on hard mode.

2. Become a paid subscriber if you want access to the deeper protocols and research.

This Friday, I’ll publish my first paid breakdown, where:

• The first half (free) covers the philosophy and main levers

• The second half (paid) walks through detailed protocols and supporting research

Upgrade to Paid

Share

Thank you for following along as I parse through the snake‑oil in longevity and practice Health on Easy Mode.

Environment over effort,
Aastha

Follow me on X @aasthajs and Instagram @aasthajs.

Browse my Health on Easy Mode setup across 15+ categories (non-toxic kitchen, clean water, skincare, diagnostics, lighting).

Two major contributing factors: protein and sunlight.1

Animals in the wild don’t calorie count. Yet they’re never fat in an unhealthy manner. Humans obsess over calories. We struggle, suffer, use willpower. And still gain weight.

What do wild animals know about eating that we don’t?

May the Protein Be With You

The answer lies in the "Protein Leverage Hypothesis." It was developed by David Raubenheimer and Stephen Simpson, authors of "Eat Like the Animals: What Nature Teaches Us About the Science of Healthy Eating."

Animals, including humans, have evolved separate appetites for protein, carbs, fat, sodium, and calcium. This is the big five that signals a nutritionally balanced diet.

But one nutrient sits above the rest: protein.

Protein is the primary lever for appetite regulation.

Our body prioritizes eating a target amount of protein. It’s our gauge for recognizing whether we’re full or not. Here’s how it works:

• If we under consume our protein target, we don’t feel full. So, our body goes searching for protein in the other nutrients, mainly carbs and fats.

• But carbs and fats are low in protein. So we have to eat a lot of them to make up the difference. That means overshooting on calories.

• For example, if your protein target is 15%, but you only consume 10%, your body will try to find that missing 5% in carbs and fat. Since those are protein-poor, you'll overconsume them trying to close the gap. That's how overeating happens: not from a lack of willpower, but from a protein shortfall.

When protein is high in the diet, the opposite happens. We naturally eat less because our appetite is satisfied sooner.

This applies to herbivores as well. Horses and cows don’t just eat any grass, they seek forage that is protein-rich.

Why eat carbs and fats at all then? Because they are the primary fuels for energy.

Why does our body index on protein?

Because we don’t store it. We can store energy from carbs and fats. But protein? We need to refuel it almost every day. Indexing on protein is our body’s way of making sure we get what we can’t bank.

What is your target protein?

Protein requirements vary by age, gender, muscle, and activity level. But the general pattern:

• Children and adolescents: ~15% protein from daily calories. Essential for growth.

• Young adults: ~18% protein. To support growth and reproduction.

• Pregnant and breastfeeding: ~20% protein. More protein to support the baby.

• Mature adults (30s): ~17% protein.

• Middle age (40-60s): ~15% protein. Protein targets can fall, which may promote healthy aging and potentially slow aging. This is where the association between low protein and longer lifespan fits in.

• Older age (65+): ~20% protein. Protein needs rise again because the body becomes less efficient at retaining it. The drain gets increasingly leaky.

How Small Protein Shortfalls Drive Obesity

Ultra-processed foods are a protein leverage trap. They’re low in protein, high in carbs and fats. So you need to eat a lot of them to hit your protein target, massively overshooting on calories in the process.

Even a 2% protein shortfall can set off a vicious cycle. Your body hunts for that missing protein in carbs and fats. But since those are protein-poor, you eat more of them to compensate. More calories → weight gain → now your larger body needs even more food → and if you’re still eating the same low-protein diet, the cycle repeats.

Practical take-away to lose weight

I’ve tried calorie counting and fad diets and they didn’t work for me. When it comes to food, this is what I did that helped me lose 10lbs:

• Make protein your lever: If you’re craving carbs, eat protein first. When I do this, I notice that I’m fuller and my hunger for sugary carbs goes away. It’s our body telling us to meet our protein target.

• Don't skip carbs and fats entirely: You need them for energy. Just make sure protein comes first.

Do Health on Easy Mode.

May the Protein be with you,

Aastha

Browse my Health on Easy Mode setup across 15+ categories (non-toxic kitchen, clean water, skincare, diagnostics, lighting).

Follow me on X @aasthajs & Instagram @aasthajs as I parse through the snake-oil in longevity.

Support My Work

Share

Related Posts:

You can’t see flicker with the naked eye, but your brain can detect it.

This is a 10 second video that shows the flicker in your bulb.

Most indoor lights/LEDs rapidly pulse on and off 100 to 120 times a second. This is what causes them to invisibly flicker.1 Your computer and phone screens flicker too.

Even though flicker is invisible, it creates rapid light fluctuations that can stress the brain and visual system. Our eyes have to keep adapting to tiny changes in brightness. This is why low-quality lighting and screens can leave one feeling tired and cause headaches.

How to remove flicker from Computer screens:

Screens flicker when brightness is not at 100%. Instead of actually dimming the light, the screen flashes on and off very quickly to fake a lower brightness. (This technique is called Pulse Width Modulation or PWM).

The lower your brightness, the longer the off gaps are, making the flicker more aggressive and harder on your brain. I used to keep the brightness low to reduce the screen glare, till I learned about flicker.

Here is what I do and it significantly reduced my eye strain:

• Increase the brightness to 100%: This keeps the backlight always on and eliminates the flicker / PWM flashing.

• Use a software dimmer like Iris: Since 100% brightness is harsh on the eyes, you need a way to lower the brightness without the flicker. Iris is the best tool for this.

How to remove flicker from Phone screens:

iPhone:

• iPhone 16 and older: Keep your hardware brightness at 100%. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size. Turn on Reduce White Point and slide it to 80-90% to dim the screen safely.

  • Pro Tip: When in the sun, you will have to toggle off White Point so you can actually see your screen. You can set this to a triple click shortcut in your Accessibility settings.

• iPhone 17: Apple added a native setting to reduce flicker, but there is a catch: it only works if your hardware brightness is below 25%. Above 25%, the screen still flickers. Because of this, I highly recommend keeping your brightness at 100% and using the “Reduce White Point” method from the bullet above.

  • If you still want to use the native setting: Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size and toggle on Display Pulse Smoothing. (Note: iOS will not let you use this at the same time as Reduce White Point).

Android:

• Just like the iPhone, keep your hardware brightness slider at 100%. Then, go to Settings > Accessibility > Vision Enhancements (or Display) and turn on Extra Dim. This applies a software shadow, allowing you to dim the screen safely without triggering the hardware strobe.

  • Pro Tip: You can add the “Extra Dim” toggle directly to your Quick Settings pull-down menu so you can easily turn it off when you walk out into the sun.

How to remove flicker from Home lights:

• Use Incandescents: While they aren’t always 100% flicker-free, they drastically reduce it. Because they create light using a physical filament that stays glowing hot even as the AC power cycles, the light output remains smooth instead of harshly flashing. The bulbs I use are flicker-free.

  • Additionally, at night, I only use red incandescent bulbs to protect my melatonin and prepare for sleep.

• Check your LEDs: Most cheap LEDs aggressively flicker 120 times per second. If you use LEDs, specifically look for and buy bulbs labeled “Flicker-Free.”

• Ditch the dimmers: Avoid using wall dimmer switches. Dimmers work by chopping up the electrical current, constantly pulsing the power on and off. This creates a harsh, aggressive flicker, even if you are using good bulbs.

These seemingly innocuous 60 second fixes to your home and display lighting will significantly reduce your eye strain. Do Health on Easy Mode.

See all my lighting and blue-light blocking products on Health on Easy Mode. Inclusion is 100% merit-based. Brands do not pay to place.

Environment over effort,

Aastha

Browse my Health on Easy Mode setup across 15+ categories (non-toxic kitchen, clean water, skincare, diagnostics, lighting).

Follow me on X @aasthajs & Instagram @aasthajs as I parse through the snake-oil in longevity.

Subscribe now

Share

Related Posts:

My phone is red too.

Blue-rich LEDs in your house are ruining your sleep.

Blue LEDs are not just in your house lighting. They are hiding in all your device screens as well: computers, TVs, and phones.

At night, blue light signals “alertness” to the brain and suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps you wind down. Blue light can also cause overeating and alter our metabolism. This is why I only use red incandescent bulbs after sunset.

But changing my lights wasn’t enough. If your house is red but your phone and devices are blue, you are still signaling daytime to your brain.

Here is exactly how I stripped blue light from my devices:

1. iPhone: The “Red Light” Trick

Most people use “Night Shift,” but that only warms the screen slightly. To fully protect your melatonin, you want to eliminate blue pixels entirely and turn your screen monochrome / entirely red.

I set my phone so a simple triple-click of the side button switches it to red mode.

Set it up in 60 seconds:

1. Go to Settings > Accessibility > Display & Text Size.

2. Tap Color Filters and toggle it ON.

3. Select Color Tint (the last option).

4. Scroll down to the sliders: Slide Intensity and Hue all the way to the right (Max).

5. Go back to the main Accessibility menu.

6. Scroll to the very bottom and tap Accessibility Shortcut.

7. Check Color Filters.

Now, simply triple-click your power button after sunset and your screen will turn pure red.1

2. Android: The Red Mode

If you are on Android, you have two options depending on your model.

Option A: Native Settings (Samsung/Newer Phones)

• Go to Settings > Accessibility > Visibility Enhancements (or “Display”).

• Look for Color Correction or Color Filter.

• Turn it on and select Red or Grayscale with a red tint.

• Like the iPhone, you can often set an “Accessibility Shortcut” to toggle this with a button press.

Option B: The App Solution If your phone doesn’t have a deep red filter built-in, you can try the free app Twilight. It allows you to overlay a red filter on your screen automatically at sunset, far more aggressively than the standard Android “Night Light.”

3. Computer: F.lux

I’ve been using F.lux for over 5 years. It is a free software that syncs with your local sunset time to remove the blue light from your monitor.

While Windows and Mac now have native “Night Light” modes, I find F.lux is much better at getting the screen to a deep, campfire orange/red color rather than just a pale yellow.

4. Blue-Light Free Tablet: Daylight Computer

This tablet has been one of my favorite purchases of the past year.

Unlike an iPad or Kindle, the Daylight Computer is naturally free of blue light and flicker.

I use it primarily for reading. It is a calming experience which makes you realize how aggressive the flicker and glare of traditional screens are.

Use code livelongerworld for $25 off.

5. Blue-light blockers

As evening approaches, I occasionally swap my regular glasses for blue-light blockers. Even though my home is lit by red bulbs, occasional blue light seeps in from the fridge light, the microwave clock, or streetlights outside. These are also very useful when you’re away from home in blue-light rich places or for watching TV at night.

Summary of my stack:

• iPhone: Triple-click for Red Color Filter after sunset.

• Computer: F.lux (all day, but aggressive at night).

• Reading/Browsing: Daylight Tablet.

• Glasses: Blue-light blockers.

See all my lighting and blue-light blocking products on Health on Easy Mode. Inclusion is 100% merit-based. Brands do not pay to place.

Environment over effort,

Aastha

Browse my Health on Easy Mode setup across 15+ categories (non-toxic kitchen, clean water, skincare, diagnostics, lighting).

Follow me on X @aasthajs & Instagram @aasthajs as I parse through the snake-oil in longevity. Practical tips on how light, water, emf, environment affect your health more than you think.

Subscribe now

Share

Related Posts:

Bryan Johnson1 uses a sunlight lamp in the mornings to “regulate his circadian rhythm.”

When I first learned about this, I jumped to buy it. I thought I’d use it on cloudy mornings, or while drinking my coffee before heading out for a walk.

Now, this lamp is buried in my attic.

Sunlight lamps are a gimmick and come nowhere close to replicating morning sunlight, even on cloudy days.

I watch the sunrise almost everyday and get over 2 hours of morning sunlight. I’ve lost 9lbs, have higher energy, and an elevated mood. Any amount of sunlight beats a fake sunlamp hands down.

Nothing compares to Sunlight for Circadian Rhythm regulation

Light intensity is an important cue to tell our biological clocks to wake up. Sunlight has 3-5x more light intensity than Bryan Johnson’s sunlamp. Without sunlight’s intensity, your brain’s master clock does not get the same alert cue.

But intensity is just one piece. Health influencers miss the other irreplaceable benefits conferred by morning sunlight. Morning sunlight is irreplaceable in its unique benefits. No sunlamp or LED/artificial light comes close.

Sun vs. Sunlight lamp

Unique benefits of Morning Sunlight

Watching the sunrise and spending time in the morning sun helps with energy production, repair signals, cognitive performance and blood flow. Each wavelength of sunlight is important.2

Morning light is particularly rich in beneficial red & infrared, UVA, and blue light.

Red & infrared: Mitochondrial fuel

• Boosts mitochondria: Recharges your cells’ batteries for higher energy.3

• Balances Blood Sugar: Helps smooth out glucose spikes after meals.

• Lowers inflammation: Soothes musculoskeletal pain and speeds up recovery.

• Blood Circulation: Delivers more oxygen to your body by improving blood flow.

• Repairs Skin: Stimulates collagen to repair damage and reduce wrinkles.

• Sharpens Vision: Revitalizes aging eyes to see clearly for longer.4

UVA: The Morning Repair signal

UVA and UVB have been demonized with little care for nuance and the benefits they confer.5 Morning UVA significantly improves cardiovascular health, among its many benefits.6

• Lowers Blood Pressure: Widens blood vessels to improve flow and heart health.

• Signals Repair: Tells your cells and mitochondria to start fixing damage.

• Boosts Mood: Triggers natural feel-good chemicals for a morning high.

• Fixes Sleep: Sets your internal clock for deeper rest at night.

• Builds Melatonin: Triggers production of melatonin in the morning so it’s ready for release at night. Melatonin is the hormone that lets you sleep better.

Blue light: Cognition boost

Morning sunlight contains blue light balanced with red and infrared. This signals your body to increase cortisol, helping you to wake up and feel alert.

Blue light from the sun also:

• Boosts Serotonin: Triggers your body’s happy hormone to elevate your mood.

• Sharpens Focus: Enhances brain power to keep you alert and dialed in all day.

• Sets Your Clock: Signals daytime to every cell to keep your daily rhythm on track.7

The problem is artificial blue light at night and isolated blue light without the other wavelengths that come from the sun.

If you don’t get morning sunlight, you’re doing health on hard mode. You rely on grinding and 100 pills like Bryan Johnson ;)

Without sunlight you miss out on energy production, deeper sleep, improved blood flow, higher cognition, cellular repair and so much more.

Be smarter. Do Health on Easy Mode.

Don’t be me 3 years ago. Don’t fall for Bryan Johnson’s sunlamp trap.

Go out and get the real deal: sunlight.

Environment over effort,

Aastha

Browse my Health on Easy Mode setup across 15+ categories (non-toxic kitchen, clean water, skincare, diagnostics, lighting).

Follow me on X @aasthajs & Instagram @aasthajs as I parse through the snake-oil in longevity.

Subscribe now

Share

A friend came over for dinner carrying this monitor with him:

“Oh boy, you need to open your windows right now.”

“Why, what happened?” I asked.

He pointed to the carbon dioxide monitor which read 1,032.

“The carbon dioxide buildup in your house is making us dumber.”

Clearly, he isn’t your typical dinner guest. But his advice helped. I bought the same Co2 monitor that night and started opening windows.

Co2 buildup kills work performance and impairs sleep:

• Decision making: Impaired by up to 50% in office workers with high Co2 levels.1

• Sleep quality: High Co2 ruins sleep2 and work performance the following day. Sleeping with no ventilation unwittingly destroys our rest.

• Headaches: High Co2 levels can cause headaches and raise blood pressure.3

• Children’s learning: High Co2 levels impairs their ability to learn4 and makes them sleepy. They are more vulnerable given their high metabolic rate.

What Co2 levels should you aim for?

I aim for Co2 levels below 600ppm5 in the house.

Protocols for managing high Co2 levels:

• Ventilate well: Open doors and windows.

• Monitor Co2 levels indoors: I frequently check my Co2 monitor and if the levels are higher than 600ppm, I open another window or my backyard door.

• Use exhaust fans: Turn on kitchen and bathroom exhausts to pull out indoor air.

• Air filters vs Ventilation: Air filters don’t reduce Co2. Only ventilation works. Worried about outdoor pollution? Use an air filter for that.

See my exact Clean Air setup for Health on Easy Mode. Inclusion is 100% merit-based. Brands do not pay to place.

99% of human life was spent breathing outside, not in locked boxes.

We evolved breathing fresh outdoor air in constant motion. Now we’re sealed in boxes re-breathing our own Co2. Open your windows and stop making yourself dumber.

This is Health on Easy Mode. No grinding. No pills. Fix your environment.

Environment over effort,

Aastha

Browse my Health on Easy Mode setup across 15+ categories (non-toxic kitchen, clean water, skincare, diagnostics, lighting).

Follow me on X @aasthajs & Instagram @aasthajs as I parse through the snake-oil in longevity.

Subscribe now

Share

Related Post:

This is what our house looks like after sunset.

And it’s how I increased my deep sleep by ~40% (~2 hrs) for under $20.

It looks ridiculous. But this one change has been the single biggest lever for my sleep.

I fall asleep faster, sleep deeper, and wake up earlier.

The change: after sunset, we only use red incandescent bulbs instead of normal LEDs.

It cost under $20 and has already given me hundreds of hours of better sleep.

You might think: “How can one change have such an impact? This sounds like a gimmick.”

The right change has trickle‑down effects. The red lights help me:

• Eat smaller dinners.

• Be in bed by 9:30pm.

• Fall asleep within ~10 minutes.

• No more 3am wake-ups to pee.

• Wake up at dawn or with sunrise.

Sleep advice typically focuses on routines, alcohol, meal timing, and exercise. Very few people talk about how indoor light quietly sabotages all of those.

For me, better sleep started with changing my night lights.

How Your Indoor Lights Quietly Wreck Your Sleep

Most homes are lit with bright, cool‑white LED bulbs. LED bulbs are:

• Blue‑heavy, red/infrared‑poor: Blue light signals daytime alertness to the brain and suppresses melatonin, the hormone that helps you wind down.1

• Linked to overeating at night: Evening blue‑rich light has been associated with later eating, higher calorie intake, and altered metabolism.23

• Mismatched to nature: As the sun sets, natural light shifts from blue to infrared. Our indoor LEDs at night do the opposite: bright and blue right when your brain expects the opposite.

• Flickery: Many LEDs have invisible flicker that can trigger headaches or strain for people.

Why I Use Red Incandescent Bulbs After Dark Instead of Normal LEDs

• No night alert signal: Red bulbs emit no blue light, so they don’t send the same “be alert” signal at night.

• No night-time cravings: Less blue light = less evening snacking and a stronger melatonin signal.4

• Better glucose regulation: Red/infrared light has beneficial effects on mitochondria and glucose regulation. LED bulbs lack near-infrared light compared to incandescent bulbs. (See my podcast with Glen Jeffery for using red lights to lower glucose).

• No eye strain: Incandescent bulbs emit a smooth, continuous glow similar to firelight. In contrast, LEDs produce a sharp “spike” of light that creates noise to the brain and eye strain.

Practically, this looks like: no LED lighting after sunset → a few red lamps on → phone in red light mode → bedroom as dark as possible.

Fixing night lights was just the start of cleaning up my environment.

My Journey to Health on Easy Mode: Parsing the snake-oil in longevity

My longevity protocol was a second job: supplements, calorie counting, gym grinding, willpower.

So I was shocked when a simple $20 change to my night lights achieved what years of traditional sleep advice couldn’t.

Once I fixed light, it was hard to ignore everything else in my environment: air, water, plastics, EMF.

Health on Easy Mode is a curated collection of the exact products I use to change my environment so health becomes “automatic.”

• 100+ exact products I use at home (and why).

• 15+ categories (light, water, air, emf, haircare, skincare, diagnostics).

• PFAS‑screened, plastic-free, non-toxic vetted picks.

Inclusion is 100% merit‑based. Brands don’t pay to place.

Health on Easy Mode thrived in my ultimate stress test: Life after my daughter was born.

My rigorous longevity protocol wasn’t an option, so I went all-in on “Easy Mode.” The result? Effortlessly lost the baby weight, better sleep, higher energy than before, and elevated mood.

This journey led me to two big realizations:

1. Controlling your environment makes health the default. No willpower required.

2. You can’t out-supplement a bad environment. Environment over effort.

The goal is simple: Less hype. Less junk. More health.

Copy My Sleep Setup (what I actually use at home)

• My Sleep Setup: The red bulbs, blue-light blockers, mattress, and blackout curtains I use.

• Browse all categories: Explore the full Health on Easy Mode collection.

If you start anywhere, start with light. Swap a few bulbs and see what happens to your sleep. Drop a comment if you try it!

I’m Aastha, and thanks for reading Live Longer World. I write about my Health on Easy Mode protocols and interview scientists at the frontiers of longevity. The goal is to parse through the snake-oil in longevity.

With the holiday season upon us, most of us will be indulging in some sweets with our families. Eating desserts as part of the holiday celebration is very different from eating treats mindlessly.

I have a hypothesis that If you generally eat clean, occasional desserts enjoyed with family won't hurt your health - the joy helps blunt the negative effects!

There is no better time than the holiday season to enjoy desserts in merriment. However, I do believe that many desserts can be made significantly healthier (to the point where they could be called “healthy1 snacks”) while still being delicious. I’ve long believed that healthy food should be yum. It’s the best way for people to avoid eating processed food.

I find store-bought desserts too sweet, so I make my own using almond flour and natural sweetness from berries or a tinge of honey. No added raw sugar.

Below are 4 of my favorite recipes. The best part is that they take under 15 minutes of cooking time.

Given how much I love these healthy home-made desserts, I thought I’ll share mine in case others enjoy them too. Feel free to tweak them or use AI to find healthier versions of your own favorite desserts. Hope these serve as some inspiration!

Almond flour Blueberry Muffins

My mother-in-law makes these delicious blueberry muffins with no sugar. I devour many at a time!

Ingredients

• 2 cups almond flour

• 3 eggs

• 3 tablespoons maple syrup (optional if you want more sweetness, we don’t add it)

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• pinch of sea salt

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 5 tablespoon melted ghee (can use coconut oil instead)

• 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

2. In a bowl, combine almond flour, baking soda and sea salt.

3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, vanilla and coconut oil.

4. Combine both mixtures together. Once well incorporated, add blueberries and mix.

5. Fill a muffin pan with liners. Fill each liner with batter.

6. Bake in oven for 15–20 minutes.

Almond flour 5 ingredient cookies

These cookies take 5 minutes to make and it’s hard to believe how they taste so indulgent!

Ingredients and Instructions:

• 2 cups Almond flour

• Little bit of honey

• Dark chocolate chips

• 1 tsp Baking powder

• 1/2 tsp Vanilla essence

• Add some cream / butter if too dry

• Mix well, make them into cookie shapes with your hands

• Bake for 11 minutes at 350 degrees F

Olive Oil Nutty Berry Chocolate Cake

Nuts, berries, olive oil and cocoa..hard to go wrong with this one!

Dry Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond flour

• 1/4 cup ground flaxseed

• 1/4 cup ground hemp seeds

• 1/4 cup ground chia seeds

• 1/2 cup chopped nuts (such as walnuts or almonds)

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/4 teaspoon salt

• 1/4 cocoa powder (I forgot to add it in the cake in the picture!)

Wet Ingredients:

• 5 large eggs

• 1/2 cup olive oil

• 1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Berries:

• 1 cup or more mixed berries (such as blueberries, raspberries, or strawberries), fresh or frozen

Instructions:

1. Preheat the Oven: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

2. Mix Dry Ingredients in a bowl.

3. Prepare Wet Ingredients: In another bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, almond milk and vanilla extract.

4. Combine Wet and Dry Ingredients: Gradually add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, mixing until well combined.

5. Fold in Berries: Gently fold in the mixed berries into the batter.

6. Bake: Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until done.

Notes:

• To give you an idea of proportions, for the big glass tray displayed in the picture above, I made was 4x the proportions in this recipe.

• You can also drizzle some melted dark chocolate on top when eating!

Protein berry ice-cream

Homemade ice-cream sorbet with berries, vanilla protein powder, almond milk, macadamia nuts, and a touch of pomegranate juice! Topped with pecans.

I’m a sucker for ice-cream but the ones in stores are too sweet. So I bought a Ninja Creami ice-cream maker and decided to make my own yum healthy rendition of it.

It’s surprisingly delicious and now I get to relive my childhood days of eating tubs of ice-cream everyday.

Wishing everyone happy holidays! See you in the new year for some more health and happiness.

Aastha

Share

One of my more popular posts from last year was my 2023 longevity protocol, along with my 80/20 version of Bryan’s Johnson’s Blueprint.

This year, I thought I’ll list out the products I use that help me optimize my health. I’m always on the lookout for trying new health products, so if you’re anything like me, you will hopefully find value in this post.

Also, with Thanksgiving and Christmas around the corner, some of these could make for great gifts.

Note: I don’t have partnerships or affiliation with any of these companies. Some of the links are general affiliate links and if you purchase using the link, I’ll make a small commission. I’m only listing products I personally use.

As always, you can also find me on X @aasthajs. Happy thanksgiving and holidays ahead!

Diagnostic tests:

• Function health - comprehensive blood testing (Use my code to skip the waitlist)

• Prenuvo - whole body scan for cancer screening

• Galleri - liquid biopsy for cancer screening (can purchase through Function health without referral)

• Tiny Health Gut Microbiome test (Use code REF-AASTHA5213 fir $40 off)

• Dexa Body Composition scan - testing for fat, muscle, and bone density composition

• V02 Max test - testing for cardiovascular fitness

Food:

• AWG Bakery (use code livelongerworld for 10% off)

  • organic, gluten, grain-free yummy bread

Sleep:

• Eight Sleep - cooling mattress (Use this code for $500 off the Pod4 Ultra)

• White noise machine

• Cotton Eye mask

• Organic Cotton duvet

• Flat pillow (helps with no shoulder & neck pain)

• Myotape Mouth tape - for nasal breathing

• Kindle - for falling asleep faster

• Theragun - massage gun I use as part of my bedtime routine to help relax my muscles

  • While traveling, I carry the mini one

Oral Health:

• Water PIK

• Electric toothbrush

• Fluoride free toothpaste

• Tongue scraper

Home health:

• Air filter / purifier

• Reverse osmosis Water filter

• Air quality monitor

• Co2 detector

Supplements:

• 100% Grass-fed Whey protein

• Carlson’s Omega-3

• Thorne Vitamin D

• Thorne Zinc

• Thorne Vitamin B-Complex

• Thorne Magnesium Citrate

• SlowMag Magnesium + Calcium

• Thorne iron

• Life Extension Vitamin K2

• Thorne creatine

• Vital proteins Collagen

Bath:

• Giovanni Shampoo

• Giovanni Conditioner

• Jason Body wash Tea Tree

• Shower filterhead

Skincare:

• Cellbone facial cleansing gel

• Cellbone toner

• Cellbone Neutralizer

• CeraVe face cleanser

• CeraVe AM face lotion + sunscreen

• CeraVe Facial Night lotion

Fitness:

• Dry Sauna (Almost Heaven)

• Cold plunge (BoxPlunge)

• Rucking vests

• Rowing machine

• TRX suspension system

• Resistance and booty bands

• Echo bike

• Bowflex Adjustable dumbbells

• Kettlebells

• Leg press

• Multi-function power rack with weight set

Foot strength & Mobility:

• Toe pro

• Foot blackboard

• Walking treadmill

Fitness trackers:

• Fitbit Charge 6

• Stelo Continuous glucose monitor

Clothing:

• Organic cotton clothing from Pact (Use my code for 15% off at checkout)

  • Recently made the switch to organic cotton especially for underwear and many everyday clothes after learning about microplastics, dyes, and toxins in most clothing. Organic cotton is a natural fiber, so has far fewer (hopefully no) toxins.

Kitchen appliances:

• Reverse osmosis Water filter

• Stainless steel pan

• Glass non-toxic Air fryer

• Ninja Ice-cream maker (for homemade healthy ice-cream with no added or artificial sugar)

• Plastic free water bottles from Klass Kanteen

To living longer,

Aastha

P.S. Check out my Live Longer World podcast on YouTube where I speak with scientists researching longevity and the frontiers of biology.

Share

Subscribe now

I’ll also make a first-time plug for my other newsletter Aastha Simes where I write about alternative education, books, human progress, and more, if you’re interested.

Now let’s dive in! - Aastha

Today’s post discusses some important blood biomarkers that are typically not covered by standard insurance, at least in the U.S. I have zero affiliation with any blood test company and this is not a sponsored post. I’m writing this because my friends often ask me which additional biomarkers they should test for, outside of the ones insurance covers. So, I thought others will find it useful too!

Two Critical Ways Insurance blood tests are lacking

A few days ago, my friend called me up and told me her blood work indicates she is pre-diabetic and her LDL levels are very high. I asked her if she got her ApoB tested, a more robust measure of cardiovascular health compared to LDL. She said she didn’t know what that was and had used her annual blood test through insurance to get her bloodwork done.

2019 was the last time I used my insurance to get my bloodwork. Unfortunately, standard American insurance blood tests are not comprehensive in measuring all your biomarkers, and they miss some important ones. You could ask your doctor to add on some of the missing biomarkers, but dealing with the American healthcare system can be a nightmare. Take for example, this poor guy who was charged $1,338 by insurance for asking his doctor to add on an ApoB biomarker which normally would cost under $40.

So, for the last 5 years, I’ve been getting my blood tests done with private companies who are a lot more comprehensive.

There are 2 critical ways in which insurance blood tests are lacking:

1. Important biomarkers are missing from the annual standard blood work covered by insurance

2. Reference ranges for biomarkers are sub-optimal (to be fair, even private companies may not do a good job at this)

In this post, I touch on both these points below, highlighting some of the important biomarkers to get tested for, and how to think about reference ranges.1 Please note I won’t be going into details explaining each biomarker. The purpose is to list out some of the important missing ones and give a brief description so you can start going into further details.2

Important biomarkers that are missing from standard insurance tests

My list of the missing biomarkers is based on 1) Comparing the biomarkers done by my friend’s insurance plan vs. the private companies I use 2) Researching biomarkers considered important by longevity doctor Peter Attia, a few other scientists, and doctors like Thomas Dayspring.

1. ApoB: Latest research points to how ApoB is considered the gold standard in measuring cardiovascular risk. This is not to say that HDL and LDL might not be useful, but that ApoB is the most reliable measure we have so far. If your ApoB is high, but your cholesterol is normal, it is not be a good sign. This is why measuring your ApoB is important. (Learn more in my episode with Dr. Ethan Weiss)

2. ApoE: This is a measure of a genotype that is highly correlated with dementia, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular risk. For example, people with 2 copies of APOE4 have a 15x higher risk for these diseases, whereas an APOE2 type is protective. Note that this is not a deterministic gene but given how much your specific type could increase risk, it’s better to know in advance since you can start implementing certain lifestyle measures that are protective.

3. Lp(a): This is typically a one-time test and largely determined by genetics. A high Lp(a) increases your risk of heart attacks and stroke by 2-3x. It’s good to get it tested once to see where you stand.

4. hsCRP: This is a measure of the inflammation in your body, and a predictor of heart disease.

5. Homocysteine: An amino acid that is a modifiable independent risk factor for heart disease, stroke and dementia. High levels of homocysteine can in many cases be countered by an intake B vitamins.

6. Omega-3: A measure of the Omega-3 in your body which is a very important micronutrient that protects your brain and heart health.

7. Uric Acid: This is a chemical created when our bodies break down purines. High levels of uric acid can lead to gout, kidney stones and other metabolic disease.

8. Sex Hormones like SHBG, LH, FSH: Hormones that measure testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, help in production of eggs and sperms in the body.

9. Vitamin D: Many standard insurance blood tests won’t cover Vitamin D either! Vitamin D is not just a vitamin but also a hormone responsible for bone health, muscle function, immune health, mood, and more.

Note: Please don’t treat this as a comprehensive list.

Reference ranges – Normal vs. Optimal

Reference ranges can vary slightly depending on the lab because each lab sets its own reference range. They set the references based on studies conducted on healthy people accounting for factors like age, sex etc. And then the reference range is determined by the central 95% of the values, meaning that the lower and upper limits of the range encompass 95% of the results from the healthy population. All of this means that typically the reference ranges are too broad and what might be “normal” might not be “optimal”. For example, most blood tests will indicate that if your ApoB is below 90-100mg/dL, you’re normal. However, according to Peter Attia, below 65 is what is considered optimal. That’s a huge variance! Of course, this is not the case with every biomarker and in some cases the normal and optimal might overlap. But it’s important to keep this in mind so you can do your own research regarding reference ranges, and try to figure out what the optimal might be.

Why measurement and prevention is important

Since getting her bloodwork done, my friend has started taking exercise and clean food more seriously. If she hadn’t gotten her results done, she would have gone about her life as usual until some diabetic symptoms started catching up to her. But now, she can start nipping at the problem much earlier. Blood tests are a great way to proactively measure your health biomarkers instead of waiting for symptoms of poor health to catch on. Humans have a funny way of taking action when they see results on paper. Otherwise, we just about life blind-sided, having no clue of what’s going on inside your body, till one day we might fall very sick and realize our blood results don’t look so great.

Comprehensive blood work is the best way to check many of your health biomarkers. However, you cannot rely solely on insurance to provide you with this critical information.

Insurance does not care about your preventative health

Insurance is notorious for touting marketing claims on how they care so much about your preventative health. Take for instance this marketing message on United Healthcare’s (UHC) website3:

As we all know, their messaging does not align with their actions. Here is what is not covered in preventative health:

Checking for iron and vitamin D levels are not in the realm of prevention according to UHC! They’re only some of the most important biomarkers that influence your energy, mood, and susceptibility to illness.

One of the reasons U.S. insurance doesn’t care about your health is because it’s an employer sponsored model. In a world where people switch jobs frequently, you might switch to a different insurance plan under your new job, so the payor (insurance or your company) doesn’t want to unnecessarily pay for your expenses that will benefit you in the long-term, but not them. And if insurance companies or self-pay employers can stall long enough to not pay for your preventative care, then you will be the government’s problem.

In U.S. healthcare, all parties involved are engaged in lowering costs in the short-term at the expense of your long-term health. It’s on you to take care of your preventative health. And taking stock of your blood biomarkers is a good place to start.

Subscribe now

Please share this post with someone who might find it valuable. You can follow me on X @aasthajs for more on the topic of health and longevity.

You might like my post Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint Simplified, if you haven’t read it yet. Also check out my Live Longer World podcast.

Until next time, stay in good health!

Aastha

This post is part of my series Live Longer Weekly, where I curate actionable longevity tips from some of the best longevity experts in the world - Peter Attia, Rhonda Patrick, Andrew Huberman, Bryan Johnson and so on. 

Let's unite in improving our health day by day, week by week.

Subscribe now

#1 Exercise “Snacks” to Enhance Cardiovascular & Muscular Endurance: Andrew Huberman

Exercise snacks help maintain or enhance your cardiovascular and muscular endurance. These are brief 1-3 minute exercises that can be done during the day. This can be as simple as getting up from your desk and doing 50 - 100 jumping jacks or going up and down the stairwell for 1 minute. The purpose of these exercises is to get your heart rate up and they enhance your fitness training. In this clip, Huberman shares more examples and discusses the purpose of these exercise snacks.

LINK (start at 43:29 for ~10 minutes)

#2 Cold plunge before exercise: Joe Rogan and David Goggins

Joe Rogan talks about the benefits of cold plunge before exercise, giving the example of a man in his 50s who dropped his PSA significantly and increased his testosterone using this protocol. Also note that cold plunge post exercise can decrease hypertrophy or muscle gains.

LINK (4:59)

#3 Exercise changes your genes and your kids inherit it: Rhonda Patrick

“Exercise can potentially affect your unborn children’s genes by altering the chemistry of DNA in sperm and egg cells..Looking at genetic changes in sperm, three months of high-intensity aerobic exercise done twice per week was enough to see changes in paternally inherited genes involved in risk of autism, Alzheimer’s disease, obsessive-compulsive disorder, obesity, type 2 diabetes, and atherosclerosis.” - Rhonda Patrick

LINK + LINK

#4 Training differences between men and women: Peter Attia & Holly Baxter

Holly Baxter discusses why women do better with higher-rep ranges and men do better with lower-rep ranges when strength training. Females have a greater percentage of Type 1 muscle twitch fibers which makes them better able to transport nutrients into the tissues and clear different metabolites. This means that women tend to be less fatigable and are better able to utilize fatty acids. She also discusses women’s training around the menstrual cycle.

LINK (6:40)

#5 82 year old deadlifting 210lbs

Inspiring and mind-blowing!

LINK

Follow me on X @aasthajs and Instagram @aasthajs

If you found these curated longevity tips helpful, please share them with a loved one.

Share

To living longer,

Week by week,

Aastha

Previous Live Longer Weekly posts:

#6 Strengthen your lower-back and be pain free

#5 Grip Strength, Creatine, Circadian Rhythm & Neck Posture for Longevity

#4 Oral Health Longevity Practices

All Live Longer Weekly posts

This post is part of my series Live Longer Weekly, where I curate actionable longevity tips from some of the best longevity experts in the world - Peter Attia, Rhonda Patrick, Andrew Huberman, Bryan Johnson and so on. 

Let's unite in improving our health day by day, week by week.

Subscribe now

#1 Bulletproof your lower back: Dr. Kyle Brown

Simple 3 minute exercise to help strengthen the lower back. The 2nd link is a more extensive demonstration on Peter Attia, but both links show the same exercise.

LINK + LINK

#2 Hamstring exercises for lower back pain: Tim Ferriss & Jerzy Gregoreck

LINK

#3 Tactical Deep Dive on Back Pain and Movement Diagnosis: Tim Ferriss interviews sports performance coach Eric Cressey

Lots of useful information in this podcast on back pain, movement patterns, posture, the role of the glutes in pain etc. But if you want to jump right into the practical exercises, there are some noted at 48:25

LINK

#4 Deep Dive on Tim's Low-Back Issues, How to Unlearn Painful Patterns, Movement as Medicine: Tim Ferriss interviews Shirley A. Sahrmann, physical therapist who is a pioneer in promoting movement diagnoses

This podcast is a little technical with regards to body anatomy, but if you like to understand the details, you’ll learn a lot. Regardless, it will get you thinking about movement differently!

LINK

#5 Have back pain when you fly on an aircraft? Beth Lewis on breathing and spine exercises for some relief

LINK

#6 Glute Activation Series: Peter Attia

Strengthening your glutes can often help strengthen your back. This link has a series of glute activation exercises to help activate our glutes and hips after hours of sitting.

LINK

Follow me on X @aasthajs and Instagram @aasthajs

If you found these curated longevity tips helpful, please share them with a loved one.

Share

To living longer,

Week by week,

Aastha

Previous Live Longer Weekly posts:

#5 Grip Strength, Creatine, Circadian Rhythm & Neck Posture for Longevity

#4 Oral Health Longevity Practices

All Live Longer Weekly posts

P.S. If you or your loved one is over the age of 50 and exercises or would like to exercise, I’d love to chat with you. I’m doing some research on exercising when older and your help will be much appreciated. Please respond to this email or you can email me at livelongerworld@gmail.com. Thanks so much!

Today’s Live Longer Weekly post discusses the importance of grip strength, maintaining your circadian rhythm, good & bad neck postures, and supplementing with creatine.

This post is part of my series Live Longer Weekly, where I curate actionable longevity tips from some of the best longevity experts in the world - Peter Attia, Rhonda Patrick, Andrew Huberman, Bryan Johnson and so on. 

Let's unite in improving our health day by day, week by week.

Subscribe now

#1 Peter Attia on the association between grip strength, dementia & longevity

“People with the highest grip strength have a 70% lower chance of getting and dying from dementia..Grip strength is not about grip strength. It’s a proxy for total body strength, it’s a proxy for muscle mass, it’s a proxy for what you had to do to get that grip strenght. What do you have to do to develop such insane grip strength? You’ve been carrying very heavy things, you’ve been lifting very heavy things.”

LINK (starts at 54:54)

#2 Rhonda Patrick on the importance of maintaining your circadian rhythm

“Over the years, speaking with circadian biologist Dr. Satchin Panda has driven home for me that there is a special value on maintaining an essentially orderly rhythm of living. Meaning, there is a special health value for: 1) Generally eating at the same time on most days 2) Going to bed at the same time on most days

A recent study showed that a 90-minute difference in sleep timing, called “social jetlag,” can alter the abundance of six different microbiota in the gut.”

LINK

#3 What are good & bad Neck Postures: Bryan Johnson & his posture coach

LINK (starts at 6:09)

#4 Importance of Creatine & how to supplement: Peter Attia & Layne Norton

Creatine can increase lean body mass, strength and there even appear to be some cognitive benefits.

LINK

If you found these curated longevity tips helpful, please share them with a loved one.

Share

To living longer,

Week by week,

Aastha

Previous Live Longer Weekly posts:

#4 Oral Health Longevity Practices

#3 Peter Attia’s lower-body stability exercises

All Live Longer Weekly posts

This post is part of my series Live Longer Weekly, where I curate actionable longevity tips from some of the best longevity experts in the world - Peter Attia, Rhonda Patrick, Andrew Huberman, Bryan Johnson and so on. 

Let's unite in improving our health day by day, week by week.

Subscribe now

#1 Rhonda Patrick on poor oral health correlating with rapid brain decay in memory-associated hippocampus

“Poor oral health, specifically gum disease and tooth loss, correlates with rapid brain decay in the memory-associated hippocampus. For people with severe gum disease the increase in brain shrinkage due to one more tooth was equivalent to 1.3 years of brain aging.

One aspect may be the way in which gum disease can lead to changes in microglial cells in the brain. Traveling through the open wound, the bacteria can circulate in the bloodstream and ultimately pass through the blood-brain barrier.”

LINK

#2 Protect against #1 by following Bryan Johnson’s Oral Health protocol

• Brush AM and PM with fluoride free toothpaste

• Tongue clean 1x a day using tongue scraper

• Water pik AM and PM post brushing teeth

• Floss AM and PM

• Rinse mouth with tee tree oil

• Apply CoQ10 gel

LINK | Find more of Bryan Johnson’s Blueprint protocol in my post on the 80/20 version of Blueprint

#3 Poor oral health as a risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease - Peter Attia & Kellyann Niotis

“The health of your gums, the health of your teeth, is actually quite a strong predictor of health of you as an organism. It’s hard to have very poor health in your mouth and have very good health in the rest of your body.” - Peter Attia

Kellyann Niotis also talks about the importance of flossing and using a Water PIK to scrape at the bacteria in your mouth.

LINK (3:27 minutes)

#4 Dental products: what’s useful and what’s not? - Peter Attia & Patricia Corby

Patricia Corby discusses:

• Brushing tongue over scraping tongue

• What type of floss to use

• How flossing is even more important than brushing

• Using the water PIK after brushing

• Using toothpicks

• The utility of electric toothbrush

LINK (10 minutes)

If you found these curated longevity tips helpful, please share them with a loved one.

Share

To living longer,

Week by week,

Aastha

Previous Live Longer Weekly posts:

#3 Peter Attia’s lower-body stability exercises

#1 Live Longer Weekly: Peter Attia’s protein consumption, Rhonda Patrick on Omega-3 for high IQ kids, Bryan Johnson’s workout, sunglasses for eye protection, sitting on the floor

#2 Live Longer Weekly: Huberman on post-workout breathing tools, Rhonda Patrick’s skincare routine, Peter Attia’s effective warm-up workout, Lessons from a 100+ year old who reversed cancer

Live Longer Weekly will be on break for the next 2 weeks as I’m having my wedding celebration and traveling. Happy summer travels to all!

Thanks to Peter Attia, I’ve incorporated stability exercises into my workout, and recognize the importance of them specially after I broke my foot earlier this year.

Hope this compilation helps you get started as well!

This post is part of my series Live Longer Weekly, where I curate actionable longevity tips from some of the best longevity experts in the world - Peter Attia, Rhonda Patrick, Andrew Huberman, Bryan Johnson and so on. 

Let's all improve our health day by day, week by week.

Subscribe now

#1 How and why to perform a step-up - Peter Attia & Beth Lewis

“We consider this a foundational movement and one of the most important ways you will learn to load the hip and do a so called hip hinge.”

LINK

#2 Peter Attia’s new favorite corrective movement to strengthen hip abductors

“It’s an important movement, especially on my right foot, to strengthen my hip abductors. The heavier and more dynamic the load (e.g., rucking), the more foundational training you may need to support it.”

LINK

#3 How and why to train balance with eyes closed - Peter Attia & Beth Lewis

“The purpose of this activity is to work on lower leg stiffness. We need lower leg stiffness to efficiently push us forward through space. This can actually prevent falling as you age.” - Beth Lewis

“This is another one of those things that is a foundational movement. As we age, we lose this lower-leg variability…This is something that I think we should be doing constantly.” - Peter Attia

LINK

#4 Peter Attia on the importance of strengthening your feet

“Feet, feet, feet. The harder you work them, the more you need to pay attention to the little things.”

LINK

#5 Peter Attia on hip thrusters for low risk heavy hip extensions

LINK

If you found these curated longevity tips helpful, please share them with a loved one.

Share

To living longer,

Week by week,

Aastha

Previous Live Longer Weekly posts:

#1 Live Longer Weekly: Peter Attia’s protein consumption, Rhonda Patrick on Omega-3 for high IQ kids, Bryan Johnson’s workout, sunglasses for eye protection, sitting on the floor

#2 Live Longer Weekly: Huberman on post-workout breathing tools, Rhonda Patrick’s skincare routine, Peter Attia’s effective warm-up workout, Lessons from a 100+ year old who reversed cancer

Find the 1st edition here where I discuss how Peter Attia optimally consumes protein, Rhonda Patrick on high Omega-3 diet during pregnancy, wearing sunglasses for eye protection and sitting on the floor more.

The purpose of this series is to help us all improve our health day by day, week by week.

Read on below for the 2nd edition.

Subscribe now

#1 Peter Attia’s simple but effective warm-up before working out

“I typically do this as the final or penultimate movement prep of 5-6 warm-up exercise before moving to major lifts.

It’s multiplanar, obviously, so it’s getting my ankles and feet ready for complex movement and getting my glutes, hamstrings, and to a lesser extent quads firing.”

LINK

#2 Breathing tools for faster post-workout recovery - Andy Galpin on Andrew Huberman’s podcast

Huberman says simply taking 5 minutes to do exhale emphasized breathing (twice as long as the inhale component) right after his workout helped with faster recovery time post training and also helped him overcome dips in energy levels 3-4 hours post workout.

If short on time, simply do 3 minutes of breathing and can even do it in the shower. It’s a powerful too to signal to your body that you’re safe and restore calmness again.

LINK (starts at 1:30:52, ~6 minutes)

#3 Rhonda Patrick’s Skincare routine and how to prevent wrinkles

“Supplementing with hydrolyzed collagen powder helps protect against UV damage in the skin and photoaging.”

She also discusses how cocoa flavanols like Cocoa Via can protect against wrinkles. Further, she reveals her skincare routine - she uses products from Cellbone - their collagen face wash, skin neutralizer as a serum and their blue light serum too.

LINK

#4 Six Lessons From The World's Fittest 100-Year-Old

He was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 69 and not only did he go on to cure it, but he also broke world records in running.

He’s an inspiration that it’s never too late to take care of your health. Enjoy!

LINK

If you found these curated longevity tips helpful, please share them with a loved one. And please let me know, I love to hear from you!

Share

To living longer,

Week by week,

Aastha

The purpose is to help us all improve our health day by day, week by week.

In this series, I will curate practical tips on living a longevity lifestyle from some of the best longevity experts and practitioners in the world - Peter Attia, Rhonda Patrick, Bryan Johnson, Joe Rogan, and so on.

There is so much longevity and health content out there that it might be hard to follow it all and parse out what’s worth trying for yourself.

So, in this series, I’ll curate the best recent and timeless practical longevity tips for you. All the points will be focused on actions you can take today to move a step closer to optimizing your health and longevity.

Occasionally, I might include a point or two on fascinating research that is happening in the field of aging science and longevity.

Enough said, see it for yourself - below is the first edition of Live Longer Weekly!

Subscribe now

#1 Peter Attia on how to optimally consume protein

“It is a delicate balance to get the right amount of amino acids into the muscle - you can’t have too much and you can’t have too little.”

You don’t want to waste your protein by turning it into glucose which would happen by too much or too little protein. Anything below 10-20gm of protein per serving is too little and anything above 50gm of protein per serving is too much - the liver takes the excess and turns into glucose.

For most people, the sweet spot of protein is 25-50gm per serving. And your body typically takes 1-2 hours to process this 1 serving of protein.

- LINK (starts at 6:18)

#2 Bryan Johnson reveals his workout routine

“I’m training to slow my speed of aging and maintain optimal health. It’s a very narrow goal”

The workout is 45-60 minutes in duration and he aims to achieve the following hours of intensity on a weekly basis:

- LINK

#3 Rhonda Patrick on high Omega-3 pregnancy diet for high IQ children

“Deficiency in the DHA omega-3 fatty acid during pregnancy results in poorly developed neurons and decreased synapses in the developing brain.

Pregnant women are often told to avoid high-mercury fish such as tuna and swordfish, but this leads many women to reduce their overall intake of all fish and seafood during pregnancy. That’s a mistake.

Tips for getting omega-3. Atlantic salmon, sockeye salmon, sardines are high in omega-3 and low on the mercury scale with about 2 micrograms of mercury per 4 ounces cooked.”

- LINK

#4 Wear Sunglasses for eye protection - Dr. Steven Dell on Peter Attia’s podcast

“The most common site of skin cancer is the lower [eye] lid. Sunglasses reduce the incidence of that..UV exposure also elevates age-related macular degeneration (eye disease that blurs central vision)..If your goal is longevity and to protect yourself from ocular senescence, it makes sense to protect yourself from UV light. I recommend my patients to wear sunglasses even on a cloudy day.”

- LINK (starts at 1:36:54)

#5 Sit on the floor more - Beth Lewis, Peter Attia’s fitness trainer

“One of the best ways to “open your hips” enough to sit comfortably on the floor 👉 practice sitting on the floor! Your body will let you know when and where to adjust to build the endurance to hang out for a bit.”

- LINK

If you think this was useful or have any other suggestions, I’d love to hear!

And if you found these curated tips helpful, please share them with a loved one.

Share

In case you missed it, you can find more practical longevity tips on my recent post: My 2023 Longevity Protocol.

To living longer,

Week by week,

Aastha