How I Reversed My Biological Age by 20 Years

In Believe In Growth Transformations we are diving deeper into my 'behind the scenes' personal transformations and those that I notice in my clients.

I believe it is far more powerful for me to challenge your thinking and to create systems and new paradigms to accomplish what you want than to purely give you information.

There is a wealth of information out there on the reversal of ageing. This blog is not about that. Rather, it is here to challenge the way you currently think and embody your wellness routines.

Before learning about lifestyle medicine I used to smoke, binge drink and gorge on inflammatory, immune-depleting fast food for fun… but hey, I was in my 20s so who cares right?

I wonder what my biological age would have been then!

After qualifying as a GP, I found myself frustrated with prescribing more medications and providing proverbial sticking plasters.

I remember a colleague at work sharing a podcast with me called 'Feel Better, Live More' by Rangan Chatterjee. I was hooked. Within a few months I had listened to every episode and booked onto 'Prescribing Lifestyle Medicine' - a course that would help me treat and reverse chronic conditions through lifestyle change. Within 6 months, I became certified through the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine.

When I started to study this work I noticed that - 

Your health depends on your daily habits.

And my daily habits needed work. So I started, one by one, to change my habits, adopt a new mindset and embody a different energy.

I started to see significant changes in my patients, noticing that we could heal and reverse conditions like hypertension, erectile dysfunction, anxiety, depression and diabetes. It was truly magical.

In my own health journey, I started to heal my gut, skin and I was no longer falling asleep on a Friday night on the sofa.

As I went deeper into health, I experimented more on myself. I got my microbiome analysed through an incredible company who want to “make illness optional”. I got the results of a finger prick blood test from them and it reported my biological age as 13 when I was 33.

Please note, when it comes to health, these numbers are to be taken with a pinch of salt. However, the simple principles I am about to discuss, I believe are to be taken seriously if you want to live a healthy, long and vibrant life.

Let’s reverse engineer how this reversal of ageing may have occurred.

There are three levels of change spoken about in many different texts and by my coach. The first is tactics and habits, the second is mindsets and the third is identity. I will use this model for 3 principles to help you reverse your ageing.

1. Create a Habit of Doing Less and Learning to Rest

The default habitual life is to continually grind. But it comes at a cost - an overstimulated nervous system. This creates inflammation, oxidative stress and immune dysfunction. All of these cause ageing.

This is why so many of us get ill - we are not living with ease but with resistance.

We are seeking control and, as a result, we become controlled by the exact thing we seek control over.

Create minimalist health habits that make you FEEL GOOD and make rest a priority. What makes you feel calm, at ease and well rested? How committed are you to these habits? What benefits do you ripple out when you engage with these?

2. Cultivate a Mindset of Compassion

A mindset of compassion is one of growth. It is one that prioritises deeply understanding yourself through self-awareness, to realise you are NEVER alone and to take inspired action moving forward.

Compassion is one of the single most important things we can learn to become happier, healthier and higher functioning because it connects us with our true selves.

This is why the data shows it prevents anxiety and depression, motivates you in the long run and can even help your business become more profitable.

How could you choose compassion today? When are you too harsh on yourself? How can you develop more self-awareness? Who is just like you? What’s one action you could take today that embodies your future self?

3. Identity of Longevity

Identity change is behavioural change.

I am a longevity enthusiast. Does this mean I take resveratrol and NAD supplements? Not yet. Being a longevity enthusiast is not about what supplements you take, it’s more about a deep commitment to surrounding yourself with wellness-focused environments and people.

Who could you connect with that embodies wellness? How could you change your physical environment to support your wellness routines? What natural tendencies could you adopt to ensure you stay on the path of longevity?

***

Now that we have gone deep into the identity, mindsets and tactics, let’s simply list the actions I believe have had the most profound effect on this process -

1. Investing in an environment for deep sleep

2. Developing rest routines (reset rhythm)

3. Personalising my nutrition

4. Learning to fast whilst listening to my body

5. Eating with intention

6. Moving for joy and not vanity

7. Walking everyday

8. Mantra based meditation

9. Compassion based visualisations

10. Prioritising my purpose

11. Creating deep connections

12. Creating an inner friend not an enemy

***

Health can become so complicated. My message is to look inside your true self because it is from here that health and happiness flow with ease.

Keep it simple.

Get in touch to let me know the answers to your questions and the practices that speak to you the most.

Love,

Nilesh