I know because basic lifestyle changes significantly improved my health markers.
We usually don’t die of “aging”.
The death certificate says heart disease, stroke, cancer, pneumonia, or kidney failure.
That’s why aging matters. As we get older, our risk of disease goes up.
When we’re younger, the body is generally better at repairing damage, keeping inflammation in check,
and dealing with dysfunctional cells and other stressors.
With age, that system becomes less resilient.
And modern life adds to the problem.
Poor sleep, inactivity, smoking, heavy alcohol use, and chronic overnutrition can put extra strain on a body that is already becoming less robust over time.
But lifestyle can also help push things in the other direction.
One paper put that into perspective: roughly 80% of chronic disease and premature death may be preventable through basic lifestyle factors.
So for me, the question became:
There are a lot of things you can focus on in health, but the biggest returns usually come from the basics:
Since late 2024, I’ve been working on those areas much more deliberately.
I didn’t flip my life overnight. I experimented, made small sustainable changes, and increased effort and intensity over time.
Subjectively, now at 39, I feel healthier, stronger, and more energetic.
Objectively, I track health markers that respond to lifestyle and are tied to long-term health.
And across the three big areas I focus on, inflammatory, metabolic, and cardiovascular,
the numbers improved in a way I’m genuinely proud of.
this is important because chronic inflammation is tied to many age-related diseases.
a healthier blood sugar response matters for long-term energy, metabolic function, and disease risk.
which matters for long-term cardiovascular health and, over time, brain health too.
Below are the numbers I track, why they matter, and what I changed that helped move them.
The Biomarkers I Track
| Biomarker | Mine | Standard Clinical Range | Personal Optimal Range | Category | Why It Matters for Longevity |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fasting glucose | 4.6 | <5.6 | 3.9-4.7 | Metabolic | Higher fasting glucose is linked to higher future risk of type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Lower-normal levels usually mean better insulin control. |
| Fasting Insulin | 3 | ~2-25 (varies widely) | 2-5 | Metabolic | Shows how much insulin your body needs to keep glucose normal. Higher fasting insulin can be an early sign your metabolism is working harder than it should (often before glucose rises). |
| HbA1c | 5.0 | <5.7 | 5.0-5.4 | Metabolic | Your average glucose exposure over ~2–3 months (includes fasting, after meals, and overnight). Higher A1c is linked to higher long-term risk for diabetes and vascular damage. |
| Visceral fat | 33.9 | <100 | as low as possible | Metabolic | Visceral fat (around the organs) is strongly linked to insulin resistance, fatty liver, inflammation, and higher cardiometabolic disease risk (even in people who look lean). |
| Triglycerides | 0.5 | <1.7 | <0.9 | Cardiovascular | A fast-moving marker of how well your body handles carbs and fats. Higher triglycerides are linked to insulin resistance and higher cardiovascular risk. Lower levels usually reflect better metabolic health. |
| LDL-C | 2.1 | <2.6 | <2.0 | Cardiovascular | LDL is one of the main drivers of plaque build-up in arteries. Keeping LDL lower over many years reduces lifetime risk of heart attack and stroke. |
| HDL-C | 1.7 | >1.3 (women) | 1.3-2.3 | Cardiovascular | Helps transport cholesterol away from arteries. Low levels are linked to higher cardiovascular risk. Very high levels aren’t always protective. Mid-range levels tend to reflect a healthier profile. |
| Blood Pressure | 119/75 | <120/80 | <120/80 | Cardiovascular | Higher blood pressure increases wear and tear on artery walls over time. Keeping it in a healthy range lowers long-term risk of heart disease, stroke, and kidney strain. |
| ApoB | 0.8 | <0.9 | <0.6 | Cardiovascular | Estimates how many “plaque-forming” particles are in your blood. Higher ApoB is strongly linked to higher cardiovascular risk—often more directly than LDL-C alone. |
| hs-CRP | 0.21 | <1.0 | <0.3 | Inflammation | A broad marker of low-grade inflammation. Persistently higher hs-CRP is linked to higher cardiovascular risk and faster health decline; lower levels usually reflect lower inflammatory burden. |
| ALT | <8 | 7-55 | <17 | Liver | Key liver health marker. High levels often correlate with metabolic conditions such as T2D and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). |
| AST | 13 | 8-48 | <17 | Liver | Elevated levels may reflect liver or muscle stress and are associated with increased health risk in population studies. |
| GGT | 15 | 8-61 | <14 to 20 (women) | Liver | Oxidative stress marker. Elevated levels are linked with a higher risk of T2D, CVD, and all-cause mortality. |
| VO₂ max (Whoop)* | 46 | No official cutoff | 45-47+ | Fitness | One of the strongest predictors of long-term health and lifespan. Higher VO₂ max reflects better heart-lung fitness and how efficiently your body uses oxygen. |
| Lean mass (%) | 72.4 | No official cutoff | >70-75 (women) | Body Composition | More lean mass (especially muscle) supports strength, glucose control, and resilience with aging. Higher muscle is linked to lower frailty risk and better long-term health. |
*While my VO₂ max is estimated by Whoop rather than lab tested, it offers a solid approximation of my cardiorespiratory fitness for my age and sex. I only started training for it three months ago and have already increased it from 42 to 45.
So what do I actually do for sleep, exercise, and diet to get here?
As of October 2025, these are the habits I follow to support healthy aging and slow age-related decline:
I train six days a week with a mix of cardio and strength, and take one recovery day for a 60-minute walk.
Three sessions per week of 40-minute VO2 max training.
Three sessions per week covering every major muscle group.
I include flexibility and mobility work in my warm-up and cool-down on strength days.
with flaxseed oil, flax meal, soaked chia seeds, Brazil nuts, macadamias, walnuts, cinnamon, and berries.
Broccoli, mushrooms, onion, black lentils, edamame, corn, tofu.
Dressing: tahini, lemon, garlic, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, smoked paprika.
Beetroot, mixed mushrooms, cabbage, onion, ginger, tofu, cauliflower rice.
Sauce: tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic. Topped with toasted sesame seeds and chili flakes.
Spinach, chickpeas, tomato, onion, garlic, bean sprouts, ginger, coconut milk, cauliflower rice.
Fish served with frozen mixed veggies and a little thick cream.
Avocado, tomato, mozzarella, wholemeal toast, olive oil.
Avocado, tomato, mozzarella, wholemeal toast, olive oil.
I used to find it frustrating when people said, “Just be consistent.” It is good advice. It is also hard to follow when all you can see is how far you still have to go.
I didn’t start here. I built into it one habit at a time, until it stopped feeling like effort and started feeling like me.
Now I look forward to eating well, winding down at night, and moving my body. It’s no longer “a plan” I have to stick to. It’s simply how I live.
Alex Hormozi once compared it to watching your favourite TV show: no one has to remind you to do it. You do it because you love it. That’s what this became for me.
Exercise was the hardest part for me. Diet came more easily. For my husband, it was the opposite. Food was the harder part for him.
But we both learned the same thing: once the habits became part of our identity, motivation mattered a lot less.
Below are screenshots from my fitness wearable, continuous glucose monitor (CGM), and DEXA scan. They help me verify progress and stay accountable.
I started tracking fitness with a wearable at the end of June 2025.
That’s when I added zone 4–5 running and increased my overall training volume. Before that, progress was slower because strength training was limited by a frozen shoulder.
| Biomarker | June → October | Why it Matters |
|---|---|---|
| Resting heart rate (RHR) | 66 → 58 | Reflects how efficiently your heart and nervous system work at rest. A lower resting heart rate, typically below 60 bpm, is associated with stronger cardiovascular fitness, lower inflammation, and longer lifespan. |
| Heart rate variability (HRV)* | 48 → 78 | Measures how adaptable your nervous system is: your ability to recover and regulate stress. Higher or stable trends over time are associated with better cardiovascular health, greater stress resilience, and slower biological aging. |
| VO₂ max | 42 → 45 | Reflects how efficiently your body delivers and uses oxygen. Higher levels are linked to substantially lower risk of disease and early death, which is why VO₂ max is often considered one of the strongest longevity-related fitness markers. |
*HRV is highly individual. Baseline varies widely from person to person, and it can be influenced by sleep, hydration, stress, hormones, training load, temperature, and illness. It’s best viewed as a trend, not a single number.
For example:
Stable blood glucose helps reduce oxidative stress, glycation, and vascular damage — processes that can speed up metabolic aging.
Consistently good glucose control also supports lower inflammation and helps protect blood vessels and brain function over time.
Average glucose (Jul 14–Oct 11, 2025): **5.0 mmol/L**
What better control looks like
After eating, blood sugar will rise. The question is how high, and for how long.
7.8 mmol/L is a commonly used upper limit, but many longevity-focused experts aim lower. My own target is to stay near 6.7 mmol/L.
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