Chris Mirabile, the founder and CEO of NOVOS, has dedicated himself to cracking the code for optimal health and longevity. Through biohacking and biometric tracking, he has reportedly slowed his aging by 37% and reduced his biological age by 13.6 years. His journey began with a life-altering experience and evolved into a passion for understanding and combating the mechanisms of aging.
From Brain Tumor to Biohacking: Mirabile's Origin Story
Mirabile's path to longevity was paved by adversity. During a school trip to New York City, a sudden dizzy spell led to a diagnosis of a brain tumor larger than a golf ball. This experience dramatically shifted his perspective, instilling in him a deep appreciation for life and a desire to maximize his impact on the world. He transitioned from the typical high school experience of parties and football to introspection, poetry, and contemplation of his future. This pivotal moment sparked a lifelong quest to understand and optimize health, leading him to experiment with various biohacking techniques in his late twenties, including supplementation, diet plans, and sleep optimization.
Strategic Dieting: A Personalized Approach
Mirabile's dietary philosophy isn't about rigid adherence to a single plan, but rather a strategic approach tailored to his body's needs. He experimented with the ketogenic diet, but found that while it offered benefits, it didn't make him feel his best over the long term. He now utilizes it strategically, particularly before extended fasts.
The Power of Fasting
Fasting is a cornerstone of Mirabile's diet. He practices time-restricted feeding, typically eating between 12:00 PM and 6:00 PM. He also incorporates longer fasts, such as a 24-hour fast from Thursday evening to Friday evening. To ease the transition into a fasted state, he strategically uses a ketogenic diet for about a week beforehand.
Electrolyte Optimization
Mirabile emphasizes the importance of adequate electrolytes, especially when following a ketogenic diet or fasting. He recommends using mixed keto salts with a good ratio of sodium and other essential minerals. These salts provide energy without breaking the fast and help prevent common pitfalls like inadequate electrolyte levels.
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Sleep Optimization: A Non-Negotiable
Recognizing the critical role of sleep in overall health, Mirabile prioritizes it. He uses a combination of tools to create an optimal sleep environment.
Sleep Masks and Earplugs
Even when traveling, Mirabile ensures complete darkness by using a comfortable sleep mask. He also relies on earplugs to block out noise, especially in noisy environments like Manhattan. He stresses the importance of properly inserting earplugs to create a good seal, which can significantly reduce micro-arousals during the night and improve sleep quality.
Calorie Awareness
Mirabile recognizes that severe calorie restriction, especially after intense exercise, can disrupt sleep. He ensures he consumes enough calories to avoid waking up in the middle of the night.
Supplements
While experimenting with various sleep supplements, Mirabile finds veer to be a balanced option.
The Genetic Factor: Understanding Predispositions
Mirabile's interest in genetics stemmed from his experience with a brain tumor. While doctors stated his chances of recurrence were the same as anyone else, he pursued genetic sequencing to understand any potential predispositions.
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Genetics vs. Epigenetics
Mirabile highlights the distinction between genetics and epigenetics. Genetics are what you're born with, while epigenetics refers to which genes are expressed or silenced. He uses the analogy of a piano, where the keys represent genes and the piano player represents the epigenome. Lifestyle choices significantly influence the epigenome, with studies suggesting that genetics account for only 20-30% of health span and lifespan, while lifestyle factors play a much larger role. However, genetics play a bigger role in exceptionally long-lived individuals.
Epigenetic Drivers
Several factors can positively or negatively influence the epigenome. Cigarette smoke, alcohol, and air pollution have negative effects, while a Mediterranean diet has a positive impact.
The NOVOS Longevity Diet: An Upgraded Mediterranean Approach
Mirabile champions the Mediterranean diet as a foundation for longevity, but suggests modifications based on the latest scientific insights.
Key Components of the NOVOS Diet
- Replace Starches: Substitute starches with nutrient-dense mushrooms, vegetables, legumes, or quinoa to maintain lower glucose and insulin levels.
- Integrate Teas and Coffees: Replace soft drinks and even water with teas and coffees.
- Maintain Diet Diversity: Aim for at least 30 or more natural ingredients per week.
- Consume Fermented Foods Regularly: Incorporate fermented foods to promote gut health.
- Supplement to Cover Essential Nutrient Deficiencies: Address any nutritional gaps through supplementation.
- Supplement with Proven Longevity Ingredients: Consider supplements with scientifically-backed longevity benefits.
The Benefits of Mushrooms
Mirabile emphasizes the benefits of mushrooms due to their bioactive compounds, such as polysaccharides and ergotheanine, which have anti-aging effects. Mushrooms also contain prebiotic fibers that promote beneficial gut bacteria and prevent dysbiosis, a hallmark of aging. Certain mushrooms, like Rishi, have antimicrobial properties.
The Power of Tea and Coffee
Tea consumption is associated with increased lifespan, with studies showing a lower risk of all-cause mortality among regular tea drinkers. Similarly, coffee consumption has been linked to increased lifespan, except in individuals with very high blood pressure.
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Addressing the 12 Hallmarks of Aging
Mirabile and NOVOS Labs focus on addressing the 12 hallmarks of aging, which are the biological root causes of the aging process. These hallmarks include:
- Mitochondrial Dysfunction: Improving mitochondrial function to ensure cells receive adequate energy.
- Cellular Senescence: Removing senescent or "zombie" cells that cause inflammation and damage.
- Loss of Proteostasis: Maintaining protein stability and proper folding.
- Altered Intracellular Communication: Ensuring cells communicate effectively.
- Genomic Instability: Repairing DNA damage.
- Epigenetic Alterations: Maintaining a youthful epigenetic expression.
- Telomere Shortening: Slowing the shortening of telomeres, the protective caps on chromosomes.
- Deregulated Nutrient Sensing: Optimizing nutrient sensing pathways like mTOR and AMPK.
- Stem Cell Exhaustion: Preserving stem cell function to create new cells.
- Inflammaging: Reducing systemic inflammation.
- Disabled Autophagy: Promoting autophagy, the process of recycling old cells.
- Dysbiosis: Maintaining a healthy gut microbiome.
Mirabile's Daily Routine: A Practical Application
Mirabile's commitment to longevity extends to his daily routine.
Morning Smoothie
Every morning, Mirabile drinks a post-workout smoothie containing:
- Nondairy milk (hemp or coconut)
- Vegan protein powder (pea and hemp blend)
- Mushroom powder mix (maitake, lion's mane, cordyceps, reishi, shiitake, turkey tail, and chaga)
- Spirulina
- Chlorella
- Carrot
- Celery
- Strawberry or peach nondairy kefir
He avoids dairy products due to his belief that cow's milk accelerates aging. He chooses a vegan protein powder with a complete amino acid profile.
Exercise
Mirabile works out six mornings a week, balancing cardio and strength training.
The Importance of Micronutrients
Mirabile emphasizes the importance of micronutrients and addresses potential deficiencies through a balanced diet and supplementation. He notes that even with a strict diet, it's challenging to obtain all necessary nutrients.
Meal Timing and Caloric Intake
Mirabile tends to be hypocaloric most days, eucaloric one or two days per week, and hypercaloric one or two days per week. He believes this approach, combined with strategic fasting, helps slow down aging.