Gary Brecka, 55, is a leading biohacker from Naples, Florida. Bio-hacking is a type of self-improvement in which people attempt to change aspects of their biology to improve their health.
Brecka works with clients, shares longevity tips with his 2.8 million followers on Instagram, and interviews health experts on his podcast, The Ultimate Human. Previously, he worked as a mortality expert and studied human biology.
The world of biohacking is a confusing and daunting place. A month doesn’t go by without a new magical fix, or piece of equipment being promoted as the key to longevity – whether that’s a £40,000 red light bed or a £1,000 pulsed electromagnetic field mat.
While these tools are effective and popular among biohackers, they aren’t the “be all and end all” for a longer and healthier life. Biohacking equipment can be eye-wateringly expensive and most of us can’t, or don’t want to, fork out thousands of pounds on a hyperbaric chamber or NAD drip therapy.
Instead, there are a range of simple changes we can make that cost very little and are just as effective – and have made a real difference in my life. In fact, according to my most recent GlycanAge test (a scientifically proven tool which measures chronic inflammation in the immune system at a molecular level), my biological age is 20 – a significant 35 years younger than my actual age.
How I became a biohacker
For 20 years, I worked as a mortality expert for a large life insurance company. This involved analysing medical and lifestyle data to assess the mortality risk of different individuals and groups. It’s a job that I received plenty of flak for, but I learnt so much about what has an impact on our lives and health spans.
Gary’s former job as a mortality expert taught him a lot about the factors that can impact our lives and health spans – Maxwell Holt
If I could boil down everything that I learnt during that time into a single sentence, it would be that the vast majority of people aren’t living longer, healthier, happier and more fulfilling lives because of a few “modifiable risk factors”. These are the dietary and lifestyle choices that have an impact on our health for the better or (increasingly) the worse. We’re all stressed, eating more processed foods, getting less sleep and suffering as a result.
I learnt that life extension ultimately comes down to mastering three simple things: sleep, movement and a wholefood diet. That’s it. The best part is, you don’t have to spend lots of money. Community and faith are also key. Human connection is medicine, yet it pains me to say we’re more disconnected than ever.
I quit my job as a mortality expert to open a functional medicine clinic and it became one of the largest of its kind in the United States. In the years since, I’ve helped a range of clients including professional athletes and celebrities reclaim their health and master biohacking.
My amazing wife, Sage, and three children chose to join me on my biohacking journey. We travel the world, see clients and host shows together. My children are following in my footsteps and making their own waves in the world of biohacking, which is the greatest gift.
Gary and his wife, Sage, who has joined him on his biohacking journey
Over the past 10 years, I’ve conducted my own research and learnt from countless health and longevity experts. If you want to boost your life- and health span without spending thousands of pounds, these are my top science-backed tips.
My simple longevity tips
1. Go to sleep at the same time every day
Mastering sleep is crucial for longevity. It is when our brains assemble all our learnt tasks and experiences from the day into memories for later use. During deep sleep, something really special happens. Our glymphatic systems kick into action to flush the cellular waste and toxins from our brains. This is a crucial process for maintaining cognitive function.
After a good night’s sleep, you wake up feeling refreshed because your brain has been scrubbed clean. Your memories are clear and you have a better grasp and understanding of yesterday’s events. Because sleep is so important for a healthy brain, I’d recommend planning it in the same way you would your meals or workouts for the week.
For the next week, try setting an alarm clock for your bedtime. Whether it’s 10pm or 11.30pm, set an alarm and go to bed at the same time every day. A regular sleep schedule helps to regulate your body’s internal clock and can improve your cognitive function and metabolic health.
Gary goes to bed at the same time every day, which improves his cognitive function and metabolic health – Maxwell Holt/Media Monsters
2. Sleep in a cool room with a cotton eye mask
Your sleeping environment is also very important. I always try to sleep in a cool room at around 20C. A natural drop in body temperature sends a signal to the brain to initiate sleep. Plus, studies have linked sleeping in a cool room to a reduced likelihood of waking and a boost in melatonin production.
Total darkness is key so I sleep with a cotton eye mask because it’s light and breathable. You can buy a cheap one from Amazon for as little as £5. If you’re someone who needs to be doing something to help you nod off, I’d advise you to invest in corded earphones and listen to a podcast.
Don’t lie in bed staring at your screen while the blue light stimulates your brain and suppresses your production of melatonin. Studies show that abnormally short and long nights of sleep are associated with premature death, so investing in your shut-eye is vital for longevity.
3. Spend the first 30 minutes of your day outside
When you wake up in the morning, are you someone who reaches straight for your phone? After an hour of frantic messaging, email sending and doomscrolling, perhaps you finally force yourself into the kitchen for a cup of coffee, phone still in hand.
This is an awful way to start the day. Using your phone as soon as you wake up can abruptly shift your brain into a state of heightened alertness – meaning you start the day feeling stressed and anxious.
Each day, I get straight out of bed and follow the same 30-minute routine. Even if I’m feeling groggy or unmotivated, I head to the kitchen and hydrate before going outside for some morning sunlight. Standing in my garden, I do three rounds of five obnoxiously deep breaths to bring oxygen into my body and relieve any stress.
Then I head inside for my morning coffee and I’ll finally look at my phone only when I’ve been awake for half an hour or more.
4. Eat a wholefood diet
Eat your food in its most natural form. A simple rule of thumb is that if your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognise it, then don’t eat it. Our grandparents knew best – they pickled vegetables, went to the market three or four times a week and rarely snacked. It’s similar to how people still eat and function in blue zones around the world.
Gary loads up on foods rich in essential nutrients, like vegetables, and limits his intake of processed foods
Start by clearing out all the processed foods in your pantry. The more processed foods we eat, the more we sabotage our cellular health. Rather than focusing on hyper-palatable snacks, fill your cupboards up with nutrient-dense foods that are highly satiating.
The staple foods in my diet include fruits, honey, whole-fat Greek yogurt, eggs, fish, chicken and grass-fed meats. These foods are rich in essential nutrients and provide a clean and healthy fuel source for our organs and cells to function and thrive.
5. Master the art of fasting
If you really want to become a biohacker, then mastering the art of fasting is essential. The best part is it’s a practice that won’t cost you a penny.
Every major religion in the world has harnessed the power of fasting. In Christianity, it’s often associated with the season of Lent. Jews fast on specific days throughout the year, with the most well-known being Yom Kippur. Muslims fast for Ramadan. Buddhists probably fast more than anyone else. It’s a key practice in religion and ancient medicine – why?
Fasting does two major things for the human body. First, it switches the body’s energy source from sugar (glucose) to fat, which is a far more sustainable fuel source. This switch improves your insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control.
Second, it lowers inflammation. You’re not eating anything so the body is forced to “eat” itself. Your immune system consumes the weakest cells in your body first (known as senescent or “zombie” cells) and turns them into energy, thus scrubbing your blood and body clean. This is known as cellular autophagy.
Recently, I took 75,000 people through a three-day water fast. On the first day, they drank bone broth, and for the next two days, they drank mineral water with mineral salt. The results were astounding: reported benefits included deeper sleep, mental clarity and real, sustained energy.
6. Walk as much as you can
A 30-minute walk is magic for human beings and you should commit to one every single day. Walking is the most underrated exercise in the world, even though we know that people who stay active live the longest.
Gary, pictured in the countryside with Sage, says you should commit to a 30-minute walk every single day
Make sure you’re walking with intensity – whether that’s increasing the slope of your treadmill in the gym or quickening your pace on a hike. By challenging yourself in this way, you’ll create hormetic stress (the beneficial type) and your body will adapt and strengthen in response.
The same applies to lifting heavy weights. I’d recommend three sessions a week. Weight-bearing exercise strengthens your joints, muscles and bones and contributes to reduced frailty. Muscle is our metabolic currency and a sponge for glucose. It holds our skeletal system and spine erect and circulates blood and our lymphatic system. Protecting and preserving your muscles is the key to living a long and independent life.
7. Turn your bathtub into a cold plunge and sauna
This tip is slightly more “biohackery” than the rest, but stay with me. Cold plunging is a great longevity practice. It boosts your dopamine levels, improves circulation and activates your brown fat (a type of fat that burns calories to generate heat), which can boost your metabolism.
Meanwhile, research shows that a regular trip to the sauna eliminates waste from your body and reduces all-cause mortality and cardiovascular risk. The key is to wipe your body while you’re in the sauna to ensure you’re removing the toxins and waste as your skin sweats them out.
Gary relaxes in a sauna, which eliminates waste from your body and reduces all-cause mortality and cardiovascular risk
While saunas and cold plunges are becoming increasingly accessible, they still cost money. So if you’d rather reap the benefits for free, turn your bathroom into your own cold plunge and dry sauna. Fill your freezer up with containers of water to make big blocks of ice. Throw those blocks into your bathtub and you have your own cold plunge. And rather than visiting a sauna, soaking in a hot bath offers similar benefits.
A typical morning in my life
6am: Every day, I wake up and immediately get out of bed. I head to the kitchen and hydrate with mineral water enriched with mineral salts and a hydrogen tablet.
6:30am: As soon as I can, I head outside to bask in the morning sunlight, walk barefoot across the grass and do a round of breathwork to start the day in a grounded way.
7am: I head back inside, check my phone while preparing my morning coffee and then drink it before taking a cold shower.
8am: I head to the gym. Three times a week, I’ll do a high-intensity interval training cardio session, and on three other days, I’ll do a heavy weight-lifting workout.
9am: For breakfast, I’ll make something simple and nutrient-rich. It could be eggs, avocado and berries with mineral salt. On another day, I might go for full-fat Greek yogurt with fresh blueberries and raw honey.
A typical evening in my life
6pm: After a day of working, I’ll devote some time to practising mindfulness and meditation to enhance my focus and relax my brain.
7pm: I’ll sit down for a nutrient-rich dinner with my wife and family. This could be a grass-fed steak with vegetables and extra-virgin olive oil, or wild-caught salmon with fermented cabbage. This will be the last thing that I eat.
Grass-fed steak with vegetables and extra-virgin olive oil is a staple dinner for Gary
8pm: My focus turns to winding down for the night – this could be in a sauna, red light therapy or spending some quality time with my family.
10pm: I go to bed at the same time every night. The phones and screens go away, the bedroom is set to 20C, and I put on my cotton eye mask. I like to take a magnesium supplement to help me relax.
As told to Ella Nunn
Gary Brecka has launched an at-home DNA test in the UK, designed to analyse and reveal how your body manages nutrients, energy and ageing markers. It’s currently priced at £348.99 and is “a one-time test that provides lifelong insights into how to support your body at the genetic level”.
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