3 Health Habits to Live Longer—from the Man Trying to Live Forever

14 Sep 2025 #misc

His name is Bryan Johnson and he has one single obsession: to stop and reverse his aging.

His obsession has led him to turn his apartment into a $2.5M science lab. He measures and tracks hundreds of markers to check if he’s getting closer to his goal.

He has the discipline of an Olympic athlete: eats only 2000 calories, takes 111 pills, and works out for one hour. Every. Single. Day.

He’s 45. But he’s aging as fast as a 10-year-old boy. (We don’t think of aging when we imagine a young boy). He beats his teenage children in almost any sport and aces any fitness competition with straight A’s.

His goal has attracted the media attention. Netflix has a documentary about him: Don’t Die. And you can find plenty of interviews on YouTube.

I watched his documentary and the interview on the James Altucher Show, here’s what I learned:

#1. Identify your self-destructing behaviors

The Big Mac and the 2-hour binge-watching on Netflix after work are coping mechanisms to run away from the life we hate.

That’s your mind looking for forms of pleasure. Learn to identify the self-destructing self and separate mentally from them. “Here it comes, the destructive Alice. Hi! I don’t need you around.”

That was Bryan’s first step before embarking on his goal of eternal life.

#2. Sleep 8 hours and eat well

If you don’t have $2.5M to turn your apartment into a lab, start taking care of your sleep and diet.

Here’s Bryan’s 80/20 for wellness:

• Go to bed at the same time.
• No light in your bedroom.
• No alcohol.
• Eat less.
• Eat more nutritious foods.
• Don’t eat before going to bed.

You don’t need plasma transfusions like Bryan. Rest and pay attention to what you put into your body.

#3. Live a steady life

Be like a high-performance athlete: focused on your body and mind.

Protect your mind by staying away from cheap dopamine like Candy Crush, news, social media, and smartphones. And, don’t use screens before going to bed. It ruins your sleeping patterns too.

After following his regimen for two years, Bryan has changed so much Face ID has had a hard time recognizing him. Maybe you don’t want to adopt a strict lifestyle to live forever, but if you want to age well, start today, not at 70 when it’s too late.

Well, it turns out I’m not that far with my healthy habits. I’m only 45 extra minutes of exercise, 99 pills, and a science lab away. But hey, we all start somewhere.