359. Awesome Health Lessons I Learned From Gary Brecka
Our dear friends invited us to an event this weekend in LA… they are partnering with Gary Brecka to build Ultimate Longevity Centers which will bring treatments and testing that just hasn’t been easily accessible before now.
I believe the way we look at aging is outdated and I’m going to share the biggest take aways I got from his on stage message and chatting with him one on one.
We are talking about very practical starting points and Gary Brecka’s actual morning health routine.
Stop waiting until something is wrong to start taking care of your body.
We have been taught this idea that getting older automatically means getting weaker, having less energy, gaining weight, losing muscle, sleeping worse, becoming more anxious, needing more medications and eventually developing all of the diseases that “run in our family.”
Gary challenges a lot of that thinking.
His message is essentially…
What if we became obsessed with keeping our bodies functioning incredibly well for as long as possible?
What if instead of asking, “How do I treat disease once I have it?” we asked, “How do I create a body that is incredibly difficult for disease to thrive in?”
And then there’s the longevity piece that completely fascinates me.
Gary believes we’re entering a period where medicine, AI, biological data and longevity research are going to advance so rapidly that lifespan could look radically different in the future.
Maybe 120.
Maybe beyond.
We don’t know.
But what we do know is that we need to keep ourselves healthy enough NOW to benefit from whatever becomes possible later.
So today’s episode is about doing the things that give you the strongest, healthiest, most capable body possible.
I’ve been listening to Gary Brecka talk about health, longevity, anxiety, genetics, sleep, sunlight, oxygen, muscle, bloodwork and what he believes is coming next in longevity science.
THE BIG IDEA: YOUR HEALTH IS BUILT EVERY DAY
One of my biggest takeaways from Gary is that health isn’t something we deal with when there’s a problem.
It’s something we’re building every single day.
Your sleep last night matters.
What you do when you wake up matters.
Whether you move your body matters.
Whether you maintain muscle matters.
Your metabolic health matters.
Your stress matters.
Your relationships matter.
Your nutrition matters.
Your environment matters.
And individually, none of these things feels life-changing.
But repeated for years and decades… they become your life.
Gary describes his routine as simple, portable and repeatable.
I LOVE that.
Because the best health routine isn’t the $100,000 biohacking setup.
It’s the one you’ll actually do every day.
HABIT #1: HYDRATE BEFORE YOU DO ANYTHING ELSE
Gary starts his morning with water and minerals.
One version of his routine is a large glass of room-temperature water with mineral salt and sometimes lemon.
His current routine also frequently includes mineral salt, hydrogen water and essential amino acids.
Wake up and hydrate.
You’ve just spent roughly eight hours without drinking anything.
Don’t make coffee your first liquid of the day.
Put water next to your bathroom sink.
Put it next to your coffee machine.
Make it automatic.
Gary likes mineral salt because sodium and other minerals participate in fluid balance and normal nerve and muscle function.
HABIT #2: GET OUTSIDE FIRST THING
Gary says to get outside within the first part of your morning and get natural outdoor light into your eyes.
His routine generally calls for about 10 minutes outside.
Morning light helps tell your brain:
It’s daytime. Start the clock.
Light is one of the strongest environmental signals for the circadian system.
Properly timed morning light can shift circadian timing earlier and increase daytime alertness.
And I love thinking of sleep this way:
Your good night’s sleep starts in the morning.
We tend to think sleep health starts when we crawl into bed.
But your body has been receiving signals all day telling it when to be awake and when to prepare for sleep.
HABIT #3: BREATHE ON PURPOSE
Gary talks about oxygen constantly.
His personal morning practice has included three rounds of deep breathing followed by breath holds.
And this connects to another thing we’ve been talking about:
Anxiety.
I love the idea that when you feel anxious, you shouldn’t immediately decide:
“I’m an anxious person.”
Anxiety is a state your nervous system is experiencing.
Sometimes your thoughts are driving your physiology.
And sometimes your physiology can amplify anxious thoughts.
Either way, changing the physical state can sometimes help change the mental state.
Research on structured breathwork has found modest improvements in stress and anxiety, although it isn’t a cure-all and the quality of studies varies.
HABIT #4: GIVE YOUR BRAIN SILENCE
Gary often combines his morning breathing with quiet, gratitude and reflection.
He has described sitting quietly for around 10 minutes, looking toward the horizon or closing his eyes and thinking about gratitude. (PodScripts (https://podscripts.co/podcasts/the-ultimate-human-with-gary-brecka/246-gary-brecka-answers-googles-most-searched-questions-on-his-diet-wellness-and-lifestyle?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
Think about how different this is from what most of us do.
Eyes open.
Phone.
Email.
Instagram.
News.
Text messages.
Stress.
Other people’s priorities.
And we wonder why we feel overstimulated.
TRY THIS:
Before consuming everybody else’s thoughts…
Have some of your own.
What am I grateful for?
What matters today?
Who needs me today?
How do I want to feel today?
What is actually important?
PRACTICAL VERSION:
Five minutes.
That’s it.
No phone. No podcast. No input.
Just quiet.
HABIT #5: USE CONTROLLED DISCOMFORT
Cold exposure is another major Brecka habit.
If he has access to a cold plunge, he uses it.
When traveling, he has said a cold shower works too.
But I think there is a bigger lesson here than whether everybody needs to buy a cold plunge.
Stop designing your entire life around comfort.
Human beings are unbelievably adaptable.
Exercise is stress.
Heat is stress.
Cold is stress.
Fasting is stress.
Challenging your brain is stress.
The key is appropriate amounts of stress followed by recovery.
HABIT #6: MOVE EARLY
Gary includes movement in his morning routine.
But here’s what I love:
It doesn’t need to be a full workout.
Walk.
Stretch.
Squat.
Lift.
Do yoga.
Go outside.
Movement tells your body:
We’re alive. We’re using this machine today.
And then keep moving after the morning is over.
One exceptionally practical habit is walking after meals.
Instead of finishing dinner and immediately sitting on the couch…
WALK FOR 10 MINUTES.
Moving skeletal muscle after eating can help the body handle glucose.
You don’t need workout clothes.
You don’t need a gym.
You don’t even need to sweat.
Walk around your neighborhood.
Walk your dog.
Walk while you’re on a phone call.
ONE OF THE EASIEST HEALTH RULES:
Eat → walk.
HABIT #7: BUILD MUSCLE LIKE YOUR FUTURE DEPENDS ON IT
This is where I think longevity conversations get really practical.
MUSCLE IS NOT JUST ABOUT LOOKING GOOD.
Maintaining muscle becomes increasingly important as we age.
Resistance training is one of the most powerful non-drug strategies available for preserving and building skeletal muscle.
Losing muscle eventually affects:
strength
balance
mobility
independence
your ability to recover from illness
your ability to do normal life
You’re not building your 2026 body.
You’re building your 2056 body.
HABIT #8: PRIORITIZE PROTEIN AND REAL FOOD- avoid processed foods
Gary emphasizes protein and essential amino acids because preserving lean tissue is a major part of his longevity philosophy.
The research strongly supports resistance training for preserving muscle, while evidence regarding how much additional benefit comes from protein supplementation specifically is more mixed.
HABIT #9: PROTECT YOUR METABOLIC HEALTH
I think this deserves WAY more attention.
We obsess over weight.
Gary talks much more about metabolic health.
There is a difference.
Weight is one number.
Metabolic health includes things like:
blood glucose
insulin sensitivity
blood pressure
blood lipids
waist circumference
fitness
body composition
Instead of only asking:
“How much do I weigh?”
Ask:
“How well is my body functioning?”
Someone can lose weight while losing muscle.
Someone can be thin and still have poor metabolic health.
PRACTICAL HABITS:
Strength train.
Walk.
Walk after meals.
Eat mostly whole foods.
Get enough sleep.
Maintain healthy body composition.
Reduce constant snacking if it isn’t serving you.
Know your basic health numbers.
THE GOAL ISN’T SKINNY.
The goal is metabolically capable.
HABIT #10: TEST… DON’T JUST GUESS
This might be one of my favorite parts of Brecka’s philosophy.
Stop guessing about everything.
If you’re exhausted all the time…
investigate.
If you’re unusually anxious…
investigate.
If your sleep has suddenly changed…
investigate.
If your energy has disappeared…
investigate.
If your hormones feel completely different…
investigate.
If you feel awful despite doing “everything right”…
investigate.
Don’t immediately decide:
“I’m getting old.”
“This runs in my family.”
“I’m just an anxious person.”
“My metabolism sucks.”
“This is just how I am.”
ASK BETTER QUESTIONS.
Could something modifiable be contributing?
sleep
nutrient deficiencies
thyroid function
iron status
medications
hormones
metabolic health
stress
alcohol
caffeine
environment
psychological health
This does NOT mean ordering every exotic test on the internet.
It means becoming curious about your own biology.
HABIT #11: DON’T TURN ANXIETY INTO YOUR IDENTITY
This is worth repeating because I think this is such an important mental shift.
Instead of:
“I AM anxious.”
Try:
“I’m experiencing anxiety.”
Those are very different statements.
One is an identity.
One is a temporary condition worth investigating.
Gary’s message leans heavily toward investigating biology.
He talks about things like methylation pathways and MTHFR.
There are legitimate genetic influences on anxiety.
But anxiety is complex.
Research suggests anxiety disorders arise through a combination of genetic vulnerability and environmental influences, not one single “anxiety gene.” (PubMed (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15699295/?utm_source=chatgpt.com))
So I would approach it from ALL DIRECTIONS:
Calm the body.
Investigate the biology.
Work on the thoughts.
Breathwork.
Sleep.
Exercise.
Less overstimulation.
Healthy relationships.
Therapy when needed.
Medical evaluation when something feels physiologically off.
Nutrition.
Less caffeine when appropriate.
Time outdoors.
Don’t choose between:
“It’s psychological.”
or
“It’s biological.”
It can be both.
HABIT #12: GENETICS ARE INFORMATION… NOT ALWAYS DESTINY
This is another Gary Brecka concept that I think is incredibly empowering when we phrase it accurately.
People say:
“Diabetes runs in my family.”
“Anxiety runs in my family.”
“Heart disease runs in my family.”
“Autoimmune disease runs in my family.”
And we can start thinking:
Well… I guess that’s coming for me too.
But genetics often represent susceptibility rather than certainty.
Your genes can increase risk.
Your environment can increase or decrease risk.
Your behaviors matter.
Your metabolic health matters.
Your exposures matter.
Your entire biological environment matters.
So instead of thinking:
“My family gets this disease.”
Think:
“I may have inherited a vulnerability. What parts of that vulnerability can I modify?”
THAT is empowering.
Important distinction:
Some diseases absolutely are caused by inherited genetic mutations.
So we should not say:
“Genetic diseases aren’t real.”
They absolutely are.
The better message is:
Genes can load the gun. They don’t always pull the trigger.
And with many complex chronic diseases, what ultimately happens involves an interaction between genetics and environment.
HABIT #13: STOP THINKING OF SLEEP AS LOST PRODUCTIVITY
Sleep is when your body gets to repair.
And Brecka’s evening routine reflects this.
He emphasizes regular sleep, reducing stimulation late at night and setting up the next morning by protecting the night before.
My favorite way to think about sleep:
Tomorrow starts tonight.
Stop trying to squeeze another hour out of your day if it destroys tomorrow.
Decide when you’re going to bed BEFORE you’re tired.
Dim things down.
Get off your phone.
Stop working.
Let the nervous system receive a signal that the day is ending.
Pick a bedtime and protect it the same way you’d protect an important meeting.
NOW LET’S TALK ABOUT LIVING TO 120
The speed of advancement is changing.
AI can analyze enormous amounts of biological data.
Diagnostics are improving.
Scientists are studying the actual biology of aging rather than treating aging purely as an unavoidable decline.
Researchers are investigating cellular senescence, epigenetics, regenerative medicine and other mechanisms associated with biological aging.
Gary believes these developments could eventually change human lifespan dramatically.
And his argument is essentially:
Stay alive and stay healthy long enough to benefit from what’s coming.
That hit me HARD.
Because imagine being 75 in the future…
But instead of arriving at 75:
metabolically sick
weak
frail
sedentary
cognitively struggling
carrying multiple preventable chronic illnesses
You arrive:
strong
metabolically healthy
active
engaged
cognitively sharp
sleeping well
maintaining muscle
surrounded by people you love
THAT is the bridge.
Not:
“How do I live forever today?”
But:
“How healthy can I be when tomorrow’s medicine arrives?”
DON’T JUST CHASE LIFESPAN. CHASE HEALTHSPAN.
I don’t want to simply exist until I’m 120.
I want to LIVE.
I want to:
travel
walk everywhere
lift my suitcase
play with grandchildren
hike
swim
think clearly
learn new things
have great conversations
have energy
be independent
laugh
have purpose
wake up excited
THAT is longevity.
Not adding years at the end where you can’t live.
Adding life to the years.
WHAT SHOULD WE ACTUALLY DO RIGHT NOW?
If you took this entire episode and boiled it down into a daily longevity checklist…
MORNING
Hydrate.
Get outside.
Get natural morning light.
Breathe intentionally.
Spend a few minutes in quiet.
Think about gratitude.
Move your body.
Use cold exposure if you enjoy it and it’s appropriate for you.
Don’t immediately flood your brain with stress.
DURING THE DAY
Eat nutrient-dense real food.
Prioritize protein.
Strength train consistently.
Walk.
Walk after meals.
Stay metabolically healthy.
Maintain muscle.
Build meaningful relationships.
Have purpose.
Keep learning.
Get outside.
NIGHT
Stop eating mindlessly late into the evening.
Reduce stimulation.
Get off the phone.
Give yourself a predictable bedtime.
Sleep.
THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE
Know your numbers.
Do appropriate preventive screening.
Investigate symptoms rather than ignoring them.
Don’t automatically assume something is “just aging.”
Don’t automatically assume family history means destiny.
Continue learning as science changes.
Protect your muscle.
Protect your metabolism.
Protect your brain.
Protect your relationships.
Protect your sleep.
THE SIMPLEST VERSION OF EVERYTHING GARY BRECKA IS SAYING
1. Get sunlight.
2. Breathe.
3. Hydrate.
4. Move.
5. Build muscle.
6. Eat real nutrient-dense food.
7. Protect your metabolism.
8. Sleep like it matters.
9. Challenge your body sometimes.
10. Investigate problems instead of simply accepting them.
11. Don’t confuse genetic risk with guaranteed destiny.
12. Don’t turn anxiety into your identity.
13. Build relationships and a life that gives you purpose.
14. Stay unbelievably healthy while longevity science continues advancing.
And maybe most importantly…
DON’T WAIT UNTIL YOU’RE SICK TO BECOME INTERESTED IN YOUR HEALTH.
I learned that every single thing that gives me the best chance of being healthy at 120 also gives me a better life at 45.
Getting sunlight tomorrow morning makes tomorrow better.
Sleeping tonight makes tomorrow better.
Building muscle makes this decade better.
Eating well makes today better.
Getting outside makes today better.
Putting my phone down makes today better.
Managing anxiety makes today better.
Having people I love around me makes today better.
So this isn’t really an episode about trying to cheat death.
It’s about refusing to sleepwalk through your health.
Your body is the vehicle that carries you through every single experience you’re hoping to have.
Every trip.
Every adventure.
Every business idea.
Every dinner.
Every workout.
Every moment with your kids.
Every future grandkid.
Everything.
So take ridiculously good care of it.
And instead of looking at aging and thinking…
“Well, I guess everything starts going downhill from here…”
What if we thought completely differently?
What if our goal was:
I want to be stronger next year.
Healthier next year.
More metabolically healthy next year.
More informed next year.
More capable next year.
And then do it again.
And again.
And again.
For decades.
Let’s make the goal to be fully alive for as much of it as humanly possible.
That’s the health lesson I’m taking from Gary Brecka.
Don’t wait for the future of longevity medicine.
Build the kind of body today that’s ready for it.