Ready to turn back the biological clock and feel your best in your 50s, 60s, and beyond? In this episode of Next Act Ninjas, Rachael Van Pelt reveals how a “longevity mindset” transforms aging from an inevitable decline into a modifiable process. Discover the science behind biohacking—what to measure, how to optimize inflammation and insulin resistance, and why the biggest “hacks” are still the basics: exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management. Rachael shares emerging strategies (intermittent fasting, cold/heat therapies) plus the cutting-edge frontiers (stem cells, gene editing) so you can chart your own path to a healthier, more vibrant future. If you’re ready to live better—not just longer—hit play now, and let’s power up your healthspan together!
Ready to turn back the biological clock and feel your best in your 50s, 60s, and beyond? In this episode of Next Act Ninjas, Rachael Van Pelt reveals how a “longevity mindset” transforms aging from an inevitable decline into a modifiable process. Discover the science behind biohacking—what to measure, how to optimize inflammation and insulin resistance, and why the biggest “hacks” are still the basics: exercise, nutrition, sleep, and stress management.
Rachael shares emerging strategies (intermittent fasting, cold/heat therapies) plus the cutting-edge frontiers (stem cells, gene editing) so you can chart your own path to a healthier, more vibrant future. If you’re ready to live better—not just longer—hit play now, and let’s power up your healthspan together!
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Biohacking and Longevity Mindset
03:25 Biohacking Starts with Understanding the Underlying Causes of Aging
06:46 Biomarkers of Aging You Can Track
08:44 Biohacking Starts with the Foundational "Big Rocks" of Health
10:37 Muscle, not Weight Loss, is a Key Anti-Aging Biohack
11:49 High Quality Sleep and Stress Reduction Slow Aging
13:35 The Smaller Rocks: Emerging Strategies for Biohacking
16:21 Advanced Biohacking Strategies on the Horizon
17:34 Biohacking Starts and Ends with Mindset
Hey, hey, welcome back to Next Act Ninjas, the #1 podcast for mastering your health and wealth longevity. I'm your host, Rachael Van Pelt, a retired healthspan scientist turned realtor and coach. As we navigate our 50s and 60s, it's natural to notice the subtle shifts in our energy, the slower pace of recovery. And we become acutely aware of worsening health risks, don't we? But what if age-related decline didn't have to define our next act? What if we could actively slow the aging process?
That's what biohacking offers. It's a scientifically informed approach to optimizing your body and your mind so you get to enjoy a longer, healthier life. In today's episode, I'm going to dive into biohacking. We're going to talk about the foundational as well as some cutting edge strategies for biohacking. Things that could help us slow the clock and thrive.
But before we go too far, I want to first make it clear that biohacking isn't about defying nature. It's not synonymous with age reversal. Instead, it's about working with nature, giving your body the tools it needs to do what it does best - to repair, to regenerate and thrive.
And it all starts with mindset. A longevity mindset is your secret weapon to biohacking. That's because it's about believing your best years aren't behind you, they're ahead of you. It's embracing this idea that small consistent changes can lead to monumental improvements at the cellular level. And that my friends is what's going to massively improve how you feel, how you move, how you live long term.
So I want you to reframe aging as a modifiable process. It's not inevitable, it's modifiable. It's something you have some control over. And to take control, you're going to need to understand a little bit about the underlying causes of aging.
But before we dive into the root causes, let's quickly define biohacking. At its core, biohacking is simply the art and science of optimizing your biology or your physiology. But even more so, it's proactively experimenting with changes to your lifestyle and environment so you can improve your overall health. That means tracking how your body responds to those changes. For example, what happens when you adjust your diet? What happens when you fine-tune your exercise routine or you improve the quality of your sleep? It's a highly personalized approach, isn't it? But it still needs to be grounded in science.
To be a good biohacker, you need to be curious and you need to take a scientific approach because you're constantly testing strategies to discover what works best for you and you're relying on data to guide those decisions. Think of it a little bit like running your own health lab where the ultimate goal is not perfection, it's just steady progress towards a healthier, more vibrant you.
Now if you want to know where to start when it comes to hacking aging, you need to understand some of its underlying causes. Aging isn't just about the passage of time, it's influenced by a number of things, by biological mechanisms that work at the cellular level. I'm going to briefly touch on a few of these right now.
The first key underlying cause of cellular aging is chronic inflammation. It's such an important piece of the puzzle that we call it "inflammaging". That's the persistent low-level inflammation that wears down your body and accelerates conditions like heart disease and diabetes and Alzheimer's. We typically measure biomarkers such as interleukin-6 and C-reactive protein. You've probably heard of these as IL-6 and CRP. And those give us some insight into how much inflammation is going on in your body. Maybe you've had them measured the last time your doctor ordered blood work.
Another underlying cause of cellular aging is oxidative stress. This occurs when there's an imbalance between free radicals and antioxidants, and that leads to cellular damage. We measure biomarkers such as reactive oxygen species (ROS) or glutathione to assess this imbalance. Mitochondria, those are the cells' energy factories, they're the major producer of ROS. When they're continually exposed to oxidative stress, they become dysfunctional over time. And that mitochondrial dysfunction further worsens our energy and oxidative stress. That interplay between oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction has been implicated in a wide variety of diseases, in particular neurodegenerative disease and cardiovascular disease and metabolic disease.
Another underlying cause of aging is insulin resistance. When cells become less responsive to insulin, that disrupts our glucose and our lipid metabolism, which leads to chronic inflammation and mitochondrial dysfunction, all those things we just talked about. That leads to damage to our blood vessels, our nerves, our organs. Many of us don't think about disruptions in blood glucose and insulin until it manifests as diabetes. But addressing insulin resistance, even in the absence of diabetes, can profoundly improve cellular health and longevity.
Lastly, telomere shortening. You may have heard of that. That's another biomarker of aging. Telomeres are those protective end caps on our DNA. You can think of them a little bit like the plastic cap on your shoelace. When they erode, it limits how often our cells can renew. Chronic inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, all of those things worsen telomere shortening. So we think short telomeres are both a cause and a consequence of aging. And you can see that each of these biological processes, interact, don't they? It's this multiplicative process that tend to accelerate aging at the cellular level and ultimately increases our risk of neurologic disease, metabolic disease, as well as cardiovascular disease.
So, as you embark on your biohacking journey, you're going to probably want to track some of those biomarkers. Measure IL-6 and CRP to look at your chronic inflammation. Measure fasting blood glucose and insulin. Or better yet, have a glucose tolerance test done so you can tell something about your insulin sensitivity. You can measure glutathione and ROS to get some insight into the amount of oxidative stress you have in your body. Mitochondrial health can be assessed through fitness testing like a VO2 max test. And telomere length, while that's less widely available, that can give you some insight into the rate of cellular aging going on in your body.
Use these tools not as grades, but as guides. These can give you an idea of what's out of balance and where to focus your efforts. That being said, I don't want you to get too caught up in the numbers. Blood work can only tell us so much. Progress is more about how we feel, isn't it? Are you moving with ease, are you waking up with more energy, are you feeling engaged in life? Those are the real indicators of success. I think too many people get caught up in biotesting and we forget to pay attention to how our body and mind feels on a day-to-day basis.
On the surface, combating cellular aging might feel hopeless, but I think the beauty of understanding these underlying mechanisms is that it gives us more power, doesn't it? Together, these processes give us a roadmap for how aging unfolds, and it tells us a little bit about what we can do to target or slow down the aging process. You don't have to just be a passenger on the aging train. You get to be a conductor. With a few strategies, you can modify these processes.
Now I know biohacking might sound a bit futuristic, but the truth is it really just starts with the basics, what I call the "big rocks" of health, the pillars of health. I'm not talking anti-aging supplements or nootropics or red light therapy. I'm talking about the usual suspects, exercise, sleep, nutrition, stress management. They're not just checkboxes. They're the four major cornerstones of longevity. If you skip these things, NO cutting edge strategies are going to save you. But if you nail them, you're already winning at least 80% of the battle.
Physical activity is the first cornerstone. Regular exercise reduces inflammation, boosts mitochondrial function, and it keeps your heart and brain humming. Strength training builds muscle while aerobic exercise supports your cardiovascular health. Strong heart muscle and skeletal muscle, they're key to your longevity. The best part is you don't need to be a gym rat. Walking briskly, lifting light weights, practicing yoga, all these little things can make a big difference.
And nutrition, that's the second cornerstone, isn't it? Now I know there's a ton of conflicting advice out there, but the fundamentals are clear. Eat whole nutrient-dense foods. Nutrient-dense means colorful vegetables, fruits, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, legumes, all these foods help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress. They fuel your mitochondria. Avoid sugar and processed foods, those do just the opposite. Sprinkle in a few of those anti-inflammatory staples like berries and turmeric and dark leafy greens. And don't forget to hydrate.
But before I tackle the other two cornerstones, I do have to address a common misconception about exercise and nutrition. We don't do these things to lose weight. Sure, they can help, but that's not the point. We're doing these things to improve healthspan, to prevent disease and disability, both physical and mental disability. Weight loss in and of itself is not a good anti-aging strategy. In fact, weight loss counteracts most of our efforts because they result in muscle loss. And muscle loss is a key biomarker of aging.
Preserving and building muscle is one of the most beneficial biohacks you can do. We're already battling natural muscle decline. So when we lose more muscle through misguided dieting or extreme caloric restriction, we're only speeding up the process. So I want you to focus your exercise and nutrition on building muscle. When you prioritize getting stronger and fitter, fat loss is going to happen naturally. Muscle is metabolically active and it's protective. It's your ally when it comes to aging well.
Now sleep, that's the third cornerstone. Sleep's your body's nightly repair shop. Every time you go to bed during deep sleep, your body is clearing out cellular debris. It's reducing inflammation. It's reducing oxidative stress. It's fortifying cognitive function. And yet many of us skimp on it, don't we? We treat sleep as optional. But I want you to think of sleep as your daily must-have. It's a daily tune up. It's a chance for your body and mind to reset and recharge every night. Set a consistent wake time and bedtime. Limit your screen time before sleep. Make sure you have a dark, cool room to sleep. Those simple habits are going to pay massive dividends for your long-term health and cognitive function.
And stress management, that's the fourth big rock. Chronic stress is an aging accelerant. It wreaks havoc on our hormones, our immune function, our mental health. But stress doesn't have to control us. Practices like prayer, mindfulness, meditation, all these things can counteract stress. Spend even five minutes a day on deep breathing and reflection and you're going to feel a big shift. Hobbies, time with loved ones, staying connected to your community, all those are just as important. Longevity is just as much about emotional well-being as it is physical well-being. So don't forget about stress.
And here's a secret, these big rocks, they're not just chores on your to-do list, they're gifts that you get to give your future self. Every small step you take today is going to add up to a healthier next act. Once you've mastered these big rocks, then you can add in the smaller rocks, the smaller fine-tuning biohacks. Focus on strategies that are backed by good scientific evidence.
For example, maybe you want to try intermittent fasting. That has an emerging body of scientific evidence to back it up as a good strategy for improving longevity. Just know that the evidence is mostly preclinical, and that means it's only been proved effective in animal trials. That said, the science is pretty strong. It suggests that shortening the window of time during the day in which we eat and lengthening the time that we spend fasted overnight, can trigger autophagy. That's the body's cellular cleanup crew. Improving that cleanup through increased autophagy can help reduce inflammation and support metabolic health.
Now, if you decide to experiment with intermittent fasting, I would say start with a manageable 12-hour overnight fast. Can you stop eating around 9 p.m. and make it until 9 a.m. before you eat breakfast? Give that a try. Once you are comfortable with a 12-hour overnight fast, then you can try longer periods of fasting, like 14 hours or 16 hours, if it suits your lifestyle.
I just want you to keep in mind that if you're exercising enough, you're not going to want to fast too long, and that's a good thing. Your muscles need fuel and the more muscle you have, the more calories you're going to need to consume during the day. It gets really hard to consume enough calories if you're fasting too long and your feeding window gets too short. That's one reason why people try to use intermittent fasting to lose weight. But, here's the thing, the purpose of intermittent fasting is not to starve yourself. It's not a good weight loss strategy. The goal of intermittent fasting is to give your body and mind a chance to reset overnight. It's not a weight loss strategy.
You might also try cold and heat therapies. They can also improve biomarkers of aging. A cold plunge or a sauna session, those things might seem like a luxury, but they do offer real health benefits. Cold exposure can boost mitochondrial function. It can reduce inflammation. Heat exposure improves cardiovascular health. It supports cellular repair. Start with some short exposure, like a 2-minute cold shower or a 10-minute sauna, and build from there. These are just some simple biohacks that you can stack on the work you've already done. Remember, they don't replace the big rocks.
Now, if you're curious about what's next in longevity science, there are quite a few highly experimental strategies that are on the horizon. Stem cell therapy, for example, is very promising. It holds promise for tissue regeneration and reducing inflammation, but it's still experimental, it's costly, and largely unregulated.
The same is true for gene-editing technologies like CRISPR, which aim to repair or enhance DNA. While I think it's fascinating, these approaches are still in their infancy, and there's a lot of ethical and safety considerations still being worked out.
Bottom line, these cutting edge tools, they're not the magic fountain of youth that some purport them to be. Not only are they still highly experimental, in most cases they only offer incremental improvements over the big rocks of exercise, sleep, nutrition, and stress management. These four big biohacks are still where the real transformation happens. Without those, these micro-biohacks, they don't really move the needle all that much.
But I want to circle back to mindset because none of these strategies matter if you don't believe in your body's ability to change. A longevity mindset is not about achieving perfection. It's about progress. It's about recognizing that every healthy choice you make, no matter how small, is a victory. Even if you've spent years feeling out of shape or disconnected from your health, it's okay. Today's the day that you can start writing a new story.
Remember, a longevity mindset is about curiosity and experimentation. It's about asking what can I do today to feel a little better tomorrow. It's about celebrating small wins, and those small wins add up. Over time, they are going to create a ripple effect that transform your well-being from inside out.
And let's not forget joy. Longevity mindset is about improving your long-term quality of life, not just lifespan. It's about moving with ease, laughing often, feeling more connected to the people and experiences that matter to you most. I know you don't want to just live longer, obviously you want to live better. Biohacking isn't shortcuts or quick fixes. It's going to give you a strong foundation. And when you layer on smart, incremental strategies that's going to help you age more gracefully, more joyfully.
Lucky for us, it's never too late to start. Your body, your mind, they're way more resilient than you think. They're capable of extraordinary repair and renewal if they're just given half the chance. So take that first step. Commit to prioritizing your healthspan. Tackle those underlying root causes of aging. Focus on how good it's going to feel when your mind is clear and your energy tank is at 100%.
Are you ready for that? Hop on a free coaching call if you want to get started powerfully because as you step into your next act, it's time to make it extraordinary.
That's all I have for today. Until next time, live well, love more, age less, my friends.