March 4, 2024
Many of us hope not just to live longer, but to truly flourish as the years pass, maintaining our mental sharpness, energy, and physical abilities.
Many of us hope not just to live longer, but to truly flourish as the years pass, maintaining our mental sharpness, energy, and physical abilities. But how can we achieve this? By blending ancient wisdom with modern science, health optimisation becomes an accessible goal.
Health optimisation isn’t a mere buzzword – it’s a paradigm shift. At its core, it’s about a holistic, all-encompassing approach that binds the intricate facets of health into a unified goal.
The essence of health optimisation lies not just in adding years to life, but more importantly, life to those years. It seeks to magnify the healthspan – the span of one’s life spent in good health – not just the lifespan. But to truly understand its potential, we need to view health not as a static state but as an ever-evolving continuum. A continuum where the peak represents enhanced energy, unwavering cognitive function, and the physical capacity to embrace life to its fullest.
It isn’t just about dodging diseases – it’s about flourishing.
“Optimisation is the compass guiding us toward a better existence. Seek the better, for in that pursuit, we enrich our life with vitality.”
– Jabe Brown, Founder, Melbourne Functional Medicine
Health optimisation is best described as a journey, where every intervention, lifestyle change, and therapeutic decision converges to one primary objective: an enhanced state of holistic well-being. It’s about tapping into the inherent potential of our bodies and minds to function at their optimal, given the right set of conditions and care.
What sets health optimisation apart is its focus on the individual as a whole, tracked and measured by data, using the latest scientific understanding, and lab testing, on health and longevity. This approach integrates physical, emotional, cognitive, and even genetic facets of health. The ambition? Comprehensive benefits that resonate across all dimensions of well-being.
No two individuals are the same, and neither should be their health optimisation strategies. This isn’t about generic recommendations; it’s about personalised solutions tailored to individual needs, backgrounds, and aspirations.
In an era of big data, health insights are undergoing a revolutionary transformation. Gone are the days when the best recommendations were made based on broad population studies. Today, we have the capability to delve deep into individual-specific data. From understanding genetic predispositions to capturing the nuances of metabolic health, the health optimisation strategy is data-driven, precise, and most importantly, personal.
“We’re in the age of n=1 medicine, where data holds the key to personalised paths of wellness.”
– Mark Payne, Functional Medicine Practitioner, Melbourne Functional Medicine
Ageing, as a biological process, is fascinating, as it is both a root cause for declining health, and is accelerated as a consequence of suboptimal health choices.
If we were to consider risk factors for diseases, from chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases to neurodegenerative ailments like Alzheimer’s, ageing would emerge at the forefront. Simply put, the longer we live, the greater the risk of chronic diseases, and the more we’re exposed to environmental, metabolic, and other epigenetic factors that impact the function of our cells. Moreover, this isn’t just about individual diseases; it’s about a general decline in vitality, cognitive function, and physical capacity.
Ageing is a natural process, but our modern lifestyles can effectively put it on the fast track through inflammageing.
Chronic inflammation, driven by poor dietary choices, sedentary habits, and unmanaged stress, is a key factor in accelerating ageing. This internal inflammatory state not only paves the way for myriad diseases, but also compounds the effects of ageing.
While true biological immortality might be a stretch, slowing down, halting, or even reversing certain aspects of ageing are tangible goals being studied. Noteworthy here is the work on animals like hydras and certain jellyfish, which exhibit biological immortality, providing intriguing insights into the possibilities of longevity.
To truly grasp ageing, it’s essential to understand its fundamental drivers. The 11 hallmarks of ageing provide a framework:
Understanding what causes ageing provides us the therapeutic targets to slow down and reverse certain ageing processes.
Two of the better known pathways we can use to help slow ageing, are:
Hormesis is a positive biological response to perceived adversity. Think of it like the body calibrating and fine tuning itself when you push the envelope. Examples include, cold and heat exposure, caloric restriction, and exercise.
“I believe humanity is on the cusp of the next frontier in our evolution: the ability to directly engineer our biology and our minds, to improve who we are as a species.”
– Bryan Johnson
Modern health science reveals that biological age, influenced by the potential to slow, halt, or reverse ageing, can significantly differ from our chronological age, offering a deeper understanding of longevity.
Chronological age refers to the exact time elapsed since our birth. Short of time travel, it is irreversible.
Biological age, on the other hand, reflects how our cells and tissues have aged and how much they’ve deviated from their original, youthful state. Factors influencing this age include genetics, lifestyle, exposure to environmental toxins, diet, exercise, stress, and more. Two individuals with the same chronological age could have very different biological ages depending on these factors.
While the notion of biological age isn’t new, our capability to quantify it with precision, is an outcome of advanced scientific techniques. Some of these groundbreaking methods include:
For individuals and practitioners engaged in health optimisation, monitoring and influencing biological age is incredibly powerful, and empowering. It shifts the focus from merely preventing disease, to enhancing vitality and function at every age.
Health optimisation isn’t just about adding years to our life, but adding life to those years.
“If you want to live longer, you have to live longer without chronic disease, rather than live longer with chronic disease.”
– Peter Attia
One of the most profound examples of longevity and health optimisation are the centenarians residing in the ‘Blue Zones’ – regions globally where people live exceptionally longer and healthier lives. Commonalities among these long-living individuals include a plant-centric diet, regular physical activity, robust social engagement, stress-reducing practices, and a sense of purpose.
While we have learned a lot from the study of these Blue Zones, we are now in the age of n=1 medicine, where optimisation interventions typically fall into one of the following four pillars:
Nutrition is pivotal. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the focus is on personalised dietary plans based on genetic profiles, metabolic rates, nutritional biomarkers, and food sensitivities. For instance:
The rejuvenating power of quality sleep cannot be overstated. Personalised sleep strategies can be crafted based on potential genetic markers like the CLOCK gene. A deeper understanding of chronobiology – the study of internal clocks – is essential. Sleep deprivation can elevate risks of various diseases, diminishing health and longevity.
Embracing biohacking tools can be a game-changer. Devices like Oura and Whoop provide insights into sleep patterns, to then track, modify, and refine sleep routines for enhanced sleep quality.
“Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do to reset your brain and body for health.”
– Andrew Huberman
An optimal sleeping environment is key, which can include the use of HEPA air filters, humidifiers, blackout blinds, thermoregulating mattresses, and red lighting.
Sleep enhancing supplements include: Magnesium, glycine, taurine, tryptophan, theanine, GABA, B6, zinc, ashwagandha, zizyphus, and various other herbs.
Hormesis, a biological response where moderate stressors lead to increased resilience and better health, is a critical aspect of optimising health. Exercise is a form of hormetic stress, and its benefits can be maximised when tailored to one’s genetic predispositions. For example, SNPs in ACE can influence endurance capabilities, and ACTN3 can determine muscle composition and strength traits. Interestingly, exercise acts as a DNA methylation adaptogen, impacting our genes in a way that promotes health.
Additionally, practices like cryotherapy and sauna expose the body to controlled stress, offering hormetic benefits. Certain molecules, such as NAC and resveratrol, emulate these hormetic effects, further amplifying health outcomes.
A long, fulfilling life requires a balanced mind. The key here being: balance. A life with no adversity is not a fulfilling one, equally so is a life overly filled with adversity. Optimal is an oscillation between survival and revival, with balance over time, like a well-balanced see-saw.
Happiness and life satisfaction can subjectively be measured using a validated scale called PERMA – Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) acts as an objective, trackable, measurement of one’s exposure and resilience to stress, using wearable devices, to assess how you respond to the way you live. The hand of cards we are dealt can have a profound impact on how we deal with stress and adversity: our genes. Genes that can impact stress tolerance include MTHFR, COMT, BDNF and MAO. We can’t change our genes – yet – but understanding them allows us to compensate for them in the way we live. Nature is not destiny.
With adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha and rhodiola, meditation, mindfulness practices, strategic breathing exercises, and binaural beats, we can harness and enhance our innate stress tolerance capabilities.
Optimising goes far beyond the four pillars, but it is impossible to optimise without a solid foundation, so these fundamentals are just that; fundamental.
Many molecules have been identified in research to play critical roles in cellular repair, energy production, and anti-ageing processes.
Some of these molecules are naturally produced within the body, while others can be acquired through diet, supplementation, or medication. The most influential molecules associated with longevity enhancement, include:
Being truly optimal means looking at molecules like these, however, it’s essential to approach these molecules with knowledge and guidance, understanding that each individual’s needs and reactions may differ.
Cognitive enhancement is more than just brainpower; it’s about sustaining mental energy, honing focus, and nurturing resilience against cognitive decline. Examples of nootropics include:
For high performers, cognitive enhancement is the main game. But like most aspects of health, a one-size-fits-all approach is far from optimal. Available now in the performance toolkit is genetic tailoring, where understanding our genetic makeup can guide our choices in nootropics, ensuring that we’re not just taking a scattergun approach, but strategically enhancing our cognitive faculties based on our very DNA.
Progress, if not measured, remains intangible. In the realm of health optimisation, tracking isn’t merely an act of recording but of elucidation – it brings clarity, offering insights into what’s working, what’s not, and how one might pivot for better results. This continual feedback loop is the bedrock upon which sustainable and effective health optimisation is built.
A range of wearable devices are now on the market, with some of the most popular being:
Jabe Brown is the Founder of Melbourne Functional Medicine. A clinic dedicated to personalised healthcare and longevity services. Find out how the team at Melbourne Functional Medicine can help you find the healthiest version of you.
Adapted from Jabe's original What is Health Optimisation? article.
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Many of us hope not just to live longer, but to truly flourish as the years pass, maintaining our mental sharpness, energy, and physical abilities.
Many of us hope not just to live longer, but to truly flourish as the years pass, maintaining our mental sharpness, energy, and physical abilities. But how can we achieve this? By blending ancient wisdom with modern science, health optimisation becomes an accessible goal.
Health optimisation isn’t a mere buzzword – it’s a paradigm shift. At its core, it’s about a holistic, all-encompassing approach that binds the intricate facets of health into a unified goal.
The essence of health optimisation lies not just in adding years to life, but more importantly, life to those years. It seeks to magnify the healthspan – the span of one’s life spent in good health – not just the lifespan. But to truly understand its potential, we need to view health not as a static state but as an ever-evolving continuum. A continuum where the peak represents enhanced energy, unwavering cognitive function, and the physical capacity to embrace life to its fullest.
It isn’t just about dodging diseases – it’s about flourishing.
“Optimisation is the compass guiding us toward a better existence. Seek the better, for in that pursuit, we enrich our life with vitality.”
– Jabe Brown, Founder, Melbourne Functional Medicine
Health optimisation is best described as a journey, where every intervention, lifestyle change, and therapeutic decision converges to one primary objective: an enhanced state of holistic well-being. It’s about tapping into the inherent potential of our bodies and minds to function at their optimal, given the right set of conditions and care.
What sets health optimisation apart is its focus on the individual as a whole, tracked and measured by data, using the latest scientific understanding, and lab testing, on health and longevity. This approach integrates physical, emotional, cognitive, and even genetic facets of health. The ambition? Comprehensive benefits that resonate across all dimensions of well-being.
No two individuals are the same, and neither should be their health optimisation strategies. This isn’t about generic recommendations; it’s about personalised solutions tailored to individual needs, backgrounds, and aspirations.
In an era of big data, health insights are undergoing a revolutionary transformation. Gone are the days when the best recommendations were made based on broad population studies. Today, we have the capability to delve deep into individual-specific data. From understanding genetic predispositions to capturing the nuances of metabolic health, the health optimisation strategy is data-driven, precise, and most importantly, personal.
“We’re in the age of n=1 medicine, where data holds the key to personalised paths of wellness.”
– Mark Payne, Functional Medicine Practitioner, Melbourne Functional Medicine
Ageing, as a biological process, is fascinating, as it is both a root cause for declining health, and is accelerated as a consequence of suboptimal health choices.
If we were to consider risk factors for diseases, from chronic conditions like cardiovascular diseases to neurodegenerative ailments like Alzheimer’s, ageing would emerge at the forefront. Simply put, the longer we live, the greater the risk of chronic diseases, and the more we’re exposed to environmental, metabolic, and other epigenetic factors that impact the function of our cells. Moreover, this isn’t just about individual diseases; it’s about a general decline in vitality, cognitive function, and physical capacity.
Ageing is a natural process, but our modern lifestyles can effectively put it on the fast track through inflammageing.
Chronic inflammation, driven by poor dietary choices, sedentary habits, and unmanaged stress, is a key factor in accelerating ageing. This internal inflammatory state not only paves the way for myriad diseases, but also compounds the effects of ageing.
While true biological immortality might be a stretch, slowing down, halting, or even reversing certain aspects of ageing are tangible goals being studied. Noteworthy here is the work on animals like hydras and certain jellyfish, which exhibit biological immortality, providing intriguing insights into the possibilities of longevity.
To truly grasp ageing, it’s essential to understand its fundamental drivers. The 11 hallmarks of ageing provide a framework:
Understanding what causes ageing provides us the therapeutic targets to slow down and reverse certain ageing processes.
Two of the better known pathways we can use to help slow ageing, are:
Hormesis is a positive biological response to perceived adversity. Think of it like the body calibrating and fine tuning itself when you push the envelope. Examples include, cold and heat exposure, caloric restriction, and exercise.
“I believe humanity is on the cusp of the next frontier in our evolution: the ability to directly engineer our biology and our minds, to improve who we are as a species.”
– Bryan Johnson
Modern health science reveals that biological age, influenced by the potential to slow, halt, or reverse ageing, can significantly differ from our chronological age, offering a deeper understanding of longevity.
Chronological age refers to the exact time elapsed since our birth. Short of time travel, it is irreversible.
Biological age, on the other hand, reflects how our cells and tissues have aged and how much they’ve deviated from their original, youthful state. Factors influencing this age include genetics, lifestyle, exposure to environmental toxins, diet, exercise, stress, and more. Two individuals with the same chronological age could have very different biological ages depending on these factors.
While the notion of biological age isn’t new, our capability to quantify it with precision, is an outcome of advanced scientific techniques. Some of these groundbreaking methods include:
For individuals and practitioners engaged in health optimisation, monitoring and influencing biological age is incredibly powerful, and empowering. It shifts the focus from merely preventing disease, to enhancing vitality and function at every age.
Health optimisation isn’t just about adding years to our life, but adding life to those years.
“If you want to live longer, you have to live longer without chronic disease, rather than live longer with chronic disease.”
– Peter Attia
One of the most profound examples of longevity and health optimisation are the centenarians residing in the ‘Blue Zones’ – regions globally where people live exceptionally longer and healthier lives. Commonalities among these long-living individuals include a plant-centric diet, regular physical activity, robust social engagement, stress-reducing practices, and a sense of purpose.
While we have learned a lot from the study of these Blue Zones, we are now in the age of n=1 medicine, where optimisation interventions typically fall into one of the following four pillars:
Nutrition is pivotal. Instead of a one-size-fits-all approach, the focus is on personalised dietary plans based on genetic profiles, metabolic rates, nutritional biomarkers, and food sensitivities. For instance:
The rejuvenating power of quality sleep cannot be overstated. Personalised sleep strategies can be crafted based on potential genetic markers like the CLOCK gene. A deeper understanding of chronobiology – the study of internal clocks – is essential. Sleep deprivation can elevate risks of various diseases, diminishing health and longevity.
Embracing biohacking tools can be a game-changer. Devices like Oura and Whoop provide insights into sleep patterns, to then track, modify, and refine sleep routines for enhanced sleep quality.
“Sleep is the single most effective thing you can do to reset your brain and body for health.”
– Andrew Huberman
An optimal sleeping environment is key, which can include the use of HEPA air filters, humidifiers, blackout blinds, thermoregulating mattresses, and red lighting.
Sleep enhancing supplements include: Magnesium, glycine, taurine, tryptophan, theanine, GABA, B6, zinc, ashwagandha, zizyphus, and various other herbs.
Hormesis, a biological response where moderate stressors lead to increased resilience and better health, is a critical aspect of optimising health. Exercise is a form of hormetic stress, and its benefits can be maximised when tailored to one’s genetic predispositions. For example, SNPs in ACE can influence endurance capabilities, and ACTN3 can determine muscle composition and strength traits. Interestingly, exercise acts as a DNA methylation adaptogen, impacting our genes in a way that promotes health.
Additionally, practices like cryotherapy and sauna expose the body to controlled stress, offering hormetic benefits. Certain molecules, such as NAC and resveratrol, emulate these hormetic effects, further amplifying health outcomes.
A long, fulfilling life requires a balanced mind. The key here being: balance. A life with no adversity is not a fulfilling one, equally so is a life overly filled with adversity. Optimal is an oscillation between survival and revival, with balance over time, like a well-balanced see-saw.
Happiness and life satisfaction can subjectively be measured using a validated scale called PERMA – Positive Emotion, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement.
Heart Rate Variability (HRV) acts as an objective, trackable, measurement of one’s exposure and resilience to stress, using wearable devices, to assess how you respond to the way you live. The hand of cards we are dealt can have a profound impact on how we deal with stress and adversity: our genes. Genes that can impact stress tolerance include MTHFR, COMT, BDNF and MAO. We can’t change our genes – yet – but understanding them allows us to compensate for them in the way we live. Nature is not destiny.
With adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha and rhodiola, meditation, mindfulness practices, strategic breathing exercises, and binaural beats, we can harness and enhance our innate stress tolerance capabilities.
Optimising goes far beyond the four pillars, but it is impossible to optimise without a solid foundation, so these fundamentals are just that; fundamental.
Many molecules have been identified in research to play critical roles in cellular repair, energy production, and anti-ageing processes.
Some of these molecules are naturally produced within the body, while others can be acquired through diet, supplementation, or medication. The most influential molecules associated with longevity enhancement, include:
Being truly optimal means looking at molecules like these, however, it’s essential to approach these molecules with knowledge and guidance, understanding that each individual’s needs and reactions may differ.
Cognitive enhancement is more than just brainpower; it’s about sustaining mental energy, honing focus, and nurturing resilience against cognitive decline. Examples of nootropics include:
For high performers, cognitive enhancement is the main game. But like most aspects of health, a one-size-fits-all approach is far from optimal. Available now in the performance toolkit is genetic tailoring, where understanding our genetic makeup can guide our choices in nootropics, ensuring that we’re not just taking a scattergun approach, but strategically enhancing our cognitive faculties based on our very DNA.
Progress, if not measured, remains intangible. In the realm of health optimisation, tracking isn’t merely an act of recording but of elucidation – it brings clarity, offering insights into what’s working, what’s not, and how one might pivot for better results. This continual feedback loop is the bedrock upon which sustainable and effective health optimisation is built.
A range of wearable devices are now on the market, with some of the most popular being:
Jabe Brown is the Founder of Melbourne Functional Medicine. A clinic dedicated to personalised healthcare and longevity services. Find out how the team at Melbourne Functional Medicine can help you find the healthiest version of you.
Adapted from Jabe's original What is Health Optimisation? article.
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