Take the Optimum Health Challenge
Become healthier, younger, help others achieve the same & earn!
A couple of years ago, through the window of a coffee shop in Brixton, I observed a brief encounter between two elderly gentlemen who seemed to know each other well. From the comfort of my table, I could see how one of them looked rather strong and healthy. He was carrying a toddler in one arm and a small shopping bag in the other. A smile seemed to be constantly beaming from his face. The only things that gave up his age were the white hair and wrinkles. On the other hand, the second gentleman did not look so well. He was sitting in a mobility scooter and seemed quite overweight. He looked please to bump into his friend but was certainly not beaming. They chatted only for a few minutes and then took off in different directions. After they left, I couldn’t help but wonder what were the odds for me to enjoy long lasting health? At the time, I already knew so many people (close relatives and friends) who were suffering from all kinds of diseases such as diabetes, cancer, hypertension, arthritis, and obesity.
Long Lasting Health?
The map above, courtesy of metrocosm, shows the spread of obesity around the world between 1975 and 2014. The areas in darkest red are countries where more than 30% of the population is obese (Body Mass Index > 30). Excessive body weight is associated with many diseases and conditions, particularly cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, osteoarthritis, and asthma. Consequently, obesity has been found to reduce life expectancy. And whilst the above data isn’t the most recent, the issue has only worsened, and in most countries, such as the US, obesity is still on the rise. In 2015–2016, the prevalence of obesity was 39.8% and affected about 93.3 million US adults!
Obesity is far from being the only health challenge we all face. Across the OECD, in 2015, more than one in three deaths were caused by heart disease, stroke or other circulatory diseases; and one in four deaths were related to cancer.
In the US, according to the National Council on Aging (NCOA):
- about 80% of older adults (65+) have one chronic disease;
- 68% have two or more;
- chronic diseases account for more than two-thirds of all healthcare costs;
- 95% of healthcare costs for older Americans can be attributed to chronic diseases.
A Protocol for Optimum Health
From the stats above alone, it’s obvious that the odds for long lasting health aren’t in our favour. Relying on just good luck most likely won’t cut it. And, as NCOA points out:
The traditional medical model of caring for people with chronic diseases — which focuses more on the illness than on the patient — is expensive and often ineffective.
But I am sure most of you were already aware of this. I became aware a little while ago and just over 18 months ago, I finally decided to act. Becoming a dad, at the age of 43, was one of the greatest motivators! Also as the above numbers show, it would be unwise to adopt the wait & see (& hope) approach. To beat such unfavourable odds, proactive prevention is a must. At first, I simply began with more exercise and a better diet. Around 12 months ago, I became even more proactive and began researching and (self-) testing a protocol for optimum health.
After discovering how C60 works, my research became focused on oxidative stress. PubMed, the US government’s scientific library, hosts over 190,000 studies discussing the harmful effects of oxidative stress and its links to many chronic diseases. I began progressively incorporating in the protocol several complementary techniques aimed at minimising oxidative stress.
Today, the protocol consists of a combination of:
- daily exercise,
- carbon 60 (C60),
- hydrogen (H2),
- cold showers,
- keto diet,
- intermittent fasting,
- food rich in antioxidants, prebiotics and/or probiotics,
- and a handful of supplements.
As far as prevention is concerned, below are the scientifically proven benefits that the protocol should deliver:
Regular exercise can help enhance brain health; increase heart health; limit diabetes and metabolic syndrome; reduce stress, anxiety & depression; improve sleep quality; increase lifespan; prevent brain degeneration; increase bone health; increase metabolism and fat loss; increase muscular strength; reduce back pain; increase growth hormone and testosterone; help with arthritis. It can increase libido and sexual energy and may even prevent and treat cancer.
C60 can help protect from UV-induced skin damage (topical application); it acts as a powerful antioxidant. Its ability to scavenge free radicals is responsible for its anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, radio-protective, and neuro-protective qualities. Importantly, in a 2012 study, prolonged ingestion helped nearly double the lifespan of lab rats.
H2 reduces oxidative stress; it functions as an anti-inflammatory; and it stimulates energy metabolism. It has promising potential for clinical use against many diseases. As since C60 works hand in hand with H2, the benefits of C60 listed above could in part be also attributed to H2.
Cold showers and cryotherapy can help increase metabolism; burn fat; fight inflammation; increase lifespan; strengthen the vagus nervous system; heal injuries and speed recovery; regulate blood sugar levels; improve sleep quality; enhance detox pathways; increase will power (anecdotal and not yet backed by research).
Ketosis can help people lose weight, reduce the risk for Type 2 diabetes, reduce the risk of heart disease, protect against cancer, fight brain disease & neurological disorders. More recent studies have also shown that ketosis reduces oxidative stress and improves mitochondrial functions.
Intermittent fasting can boost brain health and lower risk for neurodegenerative diseases; protect neurones and promote neuronal autophagy: improve memory; ease depression; lower cholesterol; slow down cancer; keep cells resilient; and enhance the body’s resistance to oxidative stress.
How does that sound? Music to my ears! And as mentioned in my previous post, it didn’t take long for me to start enjoying several benefits: I am already leaner and stronger; I have more energy and stamina; my will power, confidence and libido got boosted; I feel calmer and happier.
Optimisation: A Job Perfect for Machines!
Whilst following this protocol, as you may know from one of my earlier post, I have actively been recording and studying my health data using various devices and mobile apps. As far as devices are concerned, I have been mostly using a FitBit Blaze (activity & fitness tracker), a pair of Moov Now (movement trackers), a Moov HR (heart rate monitor) and a Nokia Body Cardio (digital scales).
Using this data, I have been able to gain deeper insights in what works best for me. I can track the impact of adding, removing, dialling up or down parts of the protocol. Using this process, I aim to optimise both the protocol and my health. What does that mean? For example, I am looking to find the optimum times for me to eat, fast, exercise and take supplements. I also want to understand what food works best for me for different purposes and circumstances. And I want to find out the easiest way to fit the protocol in someone’s busy life…
Those of you familiar with machine learning already know that finding optima using large amounts of data is something machines are very good at. This is what my startup ‘Optimizing Health’ is about. And while I have been using my data to optimise my own health, I know that I need more data to help others. I am convinced that with enough data from a small group of people, machine learning can help optimise this protocol and enable those who follow it to enjoy long lasting health.
2019 Optimum Health Challenge
How would you enjoy long lasting health? Are you more interested in prevention than drugs? Are you already exercising regularly, or following the keto diet, or intermittent fasting? Are you looking forward to optimising your health? If you answered yes to any of the above (or wish you had) I invite you to consider taking the 2019 Optimum Health Challenge.
The primary goal of the challenge is to discover how much healthier participants can become within 12 months of following parts or all of the protocol.
To enter the challenge, you need to commit to looking after your health for at least 12 months, using at least one element of the protocol. You decide which element(s) you are most comfortable with. If you don’t want to take C60 or cold showers, you don’t have to. You can choose to later add elements anytime during the 12 months. Personally, I didn’t do the full protocol from the very start. First I began with regular exercise, followed by C60, H2, and cold showers, followed by keto diet a few months later, and finally fasting. But off course, if you are already doing all or most of it, then, by all means, continue what you’re doing.
Importantly, to enter the challenge, you also need to commit to recording your progresses using devices and apps similar to those I have been using. If you already own similar devices, that’s great. Otherwise, we will be negotiating group discounts from major manufacturers for those wishing to purchase new ones.
Participants will be expected to purchase their own equipment and supplements should they wish to use any. We will be providing a small quantity of C60 in organic avocado oil for up to 150 participants in exchange for a small fee (to cover our costs). This will be sold on a first-come first-served basis. If you already have a reputable source of C60, you can most likely continue ordering from them. Just let us know what brand you use.
Once we know how many will participate, we will negotiate group discounts for supplements like liposomal vitamins and shilajit as well as for hydrogen water bottles (with SPE/PEM filtration technology) for participants wishing to purchase any of these. Off course, the more participants, the bigger the discounts…
The challenge is open to anyone older than 21. You don’t have to be the healthiest to participate but you have to be committed to becoming healthier. If you are already fit and healthy, that’s fantastic. Let’s see how much more the protocol can contribute to your health.
If you suffer from any condition or disease, if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, if you are taking medications, and would like to participate, please make sure to consult with your doctor before you begin.
Five Rewards
Health, health, health. Optimum health! That is hopefully what every participant should enjoy by the end of the 12 months. If like me, you end up leaner & stronger, with more energy & stamina; you get a boost in will power, confidence & libido and feel calmer & happier at the end of the challenge; that would be the first reward.
We will also help participants measure the length of their telomeres at the beginning and the end of the challenge. Why test the length of telomeres? Because there has been anecdotal evidences of telomeres lengthening from people following a similar protocol. What does that mean? That means reverse ageing! We are aiming to demonstrate that this protocol may help people actually become younger from the inside and that would be the second reward.
The second goal of our challenge is to (machine) learn how to optimise the protocol to help others get better results quicker and more easily. Helping others become healthy would be the third reward.
Once we have demonstrated the benefits of the protocol, we will be launching an AI service for people wishing to achieve better results from the protocol quicker and more easily. A portion of the profits generated by this service, will be paid to participants who have contributed their data to our research. This piece of the pie will be shared proportionally to the total amount of relevant data provided by all participants. A yearly income stream from your (anonymised) health data paid as long as it is being used. That would be the fourth reward.
The last and fifth reward would be your appearance forever in our Wall of Fame, along with all the other heroes who pioneered our quest for long lasting health!
So you see, with this challenge, the winners are both those who become healthier and those who contribute the most data and become wealthier. And the best news is, most participants should become both!
Call to action, now… or very soon.
In life, often early adopters gain unfair advantages. In our case, the advantages range from health benefits to wealth benefits.
If you already know that you are looking forward to take this challenge in 2019, leave a comment in the section below or send an email to register your interest to challenge@optimizing.health.
Now, I do understand that the Christmas holidays has only begun and that most are really looking forward to tuck into some yummy festive food. So right now may not be the best time to ask you to think about exercise, diet, fasting or cold showers. But do bookmark this page and please come back after the festivities or as soon as you have taken your resolutions for 2019.
One last thing, for Christmas, if you would like to make me happy, give the gift of health by sharing and liking this post so it can be seen by as many of your friends and loved ones.
Thank you so much and a very happy Christmas!
Live Long and Prosper. :)
This story can also be found on LinkedIn.
