As “biohacks” like peptides, cold plunges and high-tech wearables grow in popularity, some advocates promote the idea of dramatically extending human life — but others say it’s better to focus on more healthy years rather than living forever.
Dr. Annu Navani — chief medical officer at Le Reve Wellness in San Jose, California, where she leads advanced regenerative and longevity medicine programs — said the biggest myth is that people will be able to live for a “very, very long period of time.”
“I do feel we have extended the human lifespan to some extent,” Navani, who is also founder of the World Institute of Regenerative Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “So yes, we are making progress, but I think it would be a false promise if we said people would live beyond 120 or 130 years of life.”
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Instead, Navani said the goal should be to improve the quality of the years people have.
“Longevity medicine is all about adding life to those years, not so much years to life,” she said.
4 longevity habits that won’t break the bank
Longevity medicine does not necessarily have to mean costly procedures, supplements or biohacks, according to Navani.
For those who have limited time or money, the doctor recommends “starting from within the daily routines of smart practices.”
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Navani shared the following four pillars of health that form the foundation of longevity, all of which “don’t cost much money at all.”
No. 1: Maintaining quality sleep
“I think sleep is really understated in terms of its importance for overall health and longevity,” she said.
“Studies have shown that at least seven hours of sleep is [generally recommended] for a human being to be able to perform optimally, and has been linked to a good life and a decent health lifespan.”
The CDC’s guidance recommends seven or more hours for adults, but individual sleep needs vary.
Navani recommends eating at least three or four hours before bed, avoiding stimulating activities such as laptop use, and practicing calming routines like meditation, gratitude or journaling.
No. 2: Managing stress
Health agencies recommend managing stress through a combination of physical activity, optimal sleep, relaxation techniques, proper nutrition and social connections.
Navani said she begins her day with 20 minutes of meditation and gratitude, which helps calm her mind and relieve stress.
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She also recommends meditating in the evening as a way to unwind before bed.
No. 3: Adhering to a nutritious diet
General dietary guidance recommends building meals around a variety of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean proteins, and low-fat or fat-free dairy, while limiting added sugars, saturated fat and sodium.
A balanced eating pattern should also be tailored to a person’s age, health needs and preferences, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s guidance.
No. 4: Sticking to a regular exercise program
The CDC recommends at least 150 minutes of moderate aerobic activity — or 75 minutes of vigorous activity — plus muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days per week.
Navani identified high-intensity resistance training as her pick for the most important habit for people in their 50s and beyond.
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“Studies have shown how it builds bone health and helps musculoskeletal blood flow,” she said. “Muscle strength and muscle resilience are linked to health span and longevity, as they impact cardiovascular and neurovascular health.”
Navani also identified VO₂ max — which is the maximum amount of oxygen the body can use during intense exercise — as an important marker of overall health and longevity.
“I think VO₂ max is a really important key biomarker that has been shown in quite a few studies to be linked positively to good health and longer lifespan,” she said.
The metric is widely used as a measure of cardiorespiratory fitness, reflecting how efficiently the heart, lungs and muscles work together.
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For some older adults or people with health conditions, lower-intensity or supervised strength training may be more appropriate, experts say.
Navani emphasized that it’s never too late to meaningfully improve health span.
“I often say if you didn’t start in your 20s, the best time to start is today,” she said. “I have a lot of patients who come to me when they are 55 and 60 and we start the journey then.”
One-hour kickstart
The longevity doctor shared her own simple morning routine that she follows to kick-start each day, which includes breaking the first hour of the day into three 20-minute segments.
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The first segment focuses on meditation and gratitude.
“The first 20 minutes is just meditating and waking up and kind of just being grateful and thankful,” she shared. “That helps calm me down and relieves stress.”
The second 20-minute segment is devoted to movement, which includes stretching, exercising and resistance training.
The final 20 minutes are reserved for reading, she said: “I read something that I really want to capture in my brain, something I want to remember.”
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Navani advised against immediately reaching for the phone or opening email first thing in the morning, instead recommending using that time to read something intellectually engaging.

The calorie counting app MyFitnessPal received a facelift earlier this year. The makeover wasn’t major – if there had been a deep-plane, then it would only have been superficial – but it made it harder for me to use my app every day to track everything that I eat.
Not only me, but many other users were also annoyed by the new update. MyFitnessPal is entitled to redesign the app, but that didn’t stop me from feeling like the app was sneaking in to my bathroom to rearrange my medicine cabinet. The relationship between a user and their calorie counter can be very intimate.
I did realize that maybe this app or others should not have such an intense psychic connection. The update made me think of how many hours I spent on Earth tapping away at MyFitnessPal. It’s become an intricate record of my life, and I was ambivalent about the app.
In my adulthood, counting calories has never felt cool. But lately, it seems lamer than before.
The New York Times announced earlier this year that the reign of calories as the primary measurement of nutrition in the United States was over. “Counting them” is not a sustainable way to maintain a positive relationship with food. Town & Country followed up with an article a few months later asking if calorie counting is dying. The idea of restriction has gone out of style. T&C reported that the “new status symbols” of certain gym-going women were the 3,000 calories a day goal.
It feels embarrassing to me as a mommy who is not muscly in 2026, that I would still be counting calories. It’s possible that I am embarrassed. But still, I keep counting. Here I am still counting calories, even though the body-positivity craze has passed. Other people are now talking about Ozempics, macros, or both. Should I stop tracking my calories or accept that it may take me the rest of my life to tap-tap to-tap into MyFitnessPal?
MyFitnessPal is the original and most popular food tracking app. There may be better ones, but it’s likely that you tried one of these apps before. It was founded in 2005 by Mike and Albert Lee (it started as a simple website) and is now owned by the private equity firm Francisco Partners. Today, it boasts 280 millions users across 120 countries. Reuters reports that MyFitnessPal earns $150 million a year. This is a large amount of cash considering the awkwardness and laggardly nature of this app. What? You mean the app that I use to sort through user-generated listings of macaroni and cheese with typos could sell for $1 billion? MyFitnessPal subscribers can access a number of premium features for just $24.99 per month. I have always used the free app.
MyFitnessPal, as well as similar apps, work on the principle that once you have a good handle on how many calories you burn each day, you are able to track “calories-in, calories-out,” or CICO. You can then adjust your caloric intake according your weight loss, maintenance, or gain goals. Once you understand the math, it’s easy. To lose one pound you must create a 3,500 calorie deficit. A simple (if not practical) way to achieve this is to consume 500 calories less than normal every day.
What does it tell you about me when I have never been able to maintain a streak on an app that is more enjoyable, like Duolingo Crossword or New York Times Crossword but am currently enjoying a streak of 500 days in MyFitnessPal. No, I’m not interested. My history with MyFitnessPal is much more complex than 500 days. Elena Ferrante would be able to write an entire novel on my relationship with MyFitnessPal. I am sure I’m far from alone.
Mikala jamison is a writer of a popular body culture newsletter. She hypothesized, when I talked to her, that given the time MyFitnessPal launched, many women would probably link it with the punishing 2000s body-culture. Jamison stated that back then “nobody gave a second thought to everyone running around discussing their diets or their calorie intake all the time.” The logo, which features a woman jumping with her legs extended, is also a bit cringe-worthy. I have long considered it a feminine version of the Air Jordan Jumpman. In the beginning of MyFitnessPal’s existence, diet and body culture was undoubtedly crueler. They’re still confused, full of contradictions, and a lot of attempts to fix past mistakes that end up being overcorrections. It seems that we haven’t even decided if it is okay to wish to lose weight. Although it isn’t interesting or commendable to want to lose weight, I can totally relate.
What is my history with MyFitnessPal? While writing this article, I checked to see if I had a record for what I ate exactly 10 years earlier. I did. On Sept.1, 2016, I had Honey Nut Cheerios as breakfast, five different snacks and a sandwich for lunch and turkey meatballs at dinner. This totaled 2,055 calories which were several hundred over my daily goal. Even though it’s been years, my habits have not changed much. I still eat Honey Nut Cheerios as breakfast and no longer log the Diet Cokes I drink. MyFitnessPal has been more reliable than I realized. I have entries in all but two years of the past 10 years.
It’s not right that anyone has this much information on what they ate 10 years ago. What should I do? We all generate mountains of data that could be embarrassing all the time. The data in question is both embarrassing for its specifics as well as the overall story that it tells.
Lacey Baier, a health and wellbeing content creator who specializes in wellness topics, was also a MyFitnessPal long-time user. She experienced a negative reaction when the redesign of the app took place earlier this year. Her frustration led her, unlike me, to stop using the app, which she announced in her July newsletter. She told me that she was on the fence as to whether to continue using it, because she felt like tracking macros would be a burden for the rest her life. Tracking made me feel like I couldn’t keep up with everything on my own. I needed to externalize it and depend on another to do so. I also wanted more freedom in life and less meticulousness.
Baier has been tracking her weight, macros, calories, etc. for years. As a nutritionist and personal trainer, she continues to believe in this method. She wrote, in her newsletter: “I’m clear. Tracking works. It helped me to lose weight and understand nutrition. I also developed habits that I continue to carry and will likely for the rest of my life. It’s a great tool. “But for me, I had to give it up after 20 years. It was a crutch and I hadn’t realized the cost until then.”
Baier’s statement that tracking is effective was very helpful, as there are many messages in the new post-calories age that suggest otherwise. The BBC published this headline in March, “Calories don’t work.” “Try Eating Smarter instead.” I understand what they are saying: most people who know better consider calorie counting unworkable and the nutritional composition of food is more important than the number. As Jamison pointed out, talking about proteins can be used as a way to talk about weight loss. It is true that calorie counting has flaws, but it also works for a lot of people. I am one of them. My usual pattern is to consistently use MyFitnessPal for about a year, then lose weight. Then I stop, and stay away from it for some time, which coincidentally results in a weight gain. This yoyo effect might be interpreted by some as proof that calorie counting is not working. It works when it’s done, but it stops when it isn’t. Does that mean you have to keep on doing this forever?
Jamison said that while she does not track her intake of food on a regular basis, she is doing it right now to work towards achieving a goal. She has also discussed this in her newsletter. She said that when she feels like she is at a point in her life where she wants to focus on a specific goal, certain actions feel natural. She can understand why people are hesitant about certain things like setting a calorie target and tracking her diet and exercise. For some, this doesn’t feel right. This feels disordered or too similar to unhealthy or uncomfortable diet-culture related stuff. This is, after all, a diet. This is not a diet. This is what it’s all about. It depends on what I am doing at the same time and how I feel about it. This might not apply to everyone. Just depends on who you are. At one time, it might feel good to do so. At another time, this might be a bad idea.
Jamison continued, “I believe people, in their quest for understanding more about nutrition, and our own bodies, want to know really definitive answers. Does calorie counting make you healthier or less healthy? Does it make sense or not to count calories? It’s bad. What is it? What is it? “I think I’ve got a rather unsatisfying answer, namely, that it depends.”
It resonated because my latest MyFitnessPal experience has been different from the rest, even though it may seem like I am just getting back on track for the umpteenth. After looking through my food journals from ten years ago, it’s clear that I set my calorie targets way too low. I became frustrated when I didn’t reach them.
The goals are higher because I’m trying to stay realistic, and avoid being discouraged to the point where I quit. In the past ten years, I would often have days when I was too embarrassed to record my food intake. Although I do it still, I have gotten much better about moving past those bad days. I now know that one poor day does not mean I can’t continue a healthy habit. In a Substack article, another MyFitnessPal alumna expressed a similar sentiment about returning to the app with a new mindset. “I’m on MyFitnessPal again for the first in many years. I am on a fitness quest and yes, hoping to continue losing a few kilos.” It’s true that I am motivated by health this time. It’s possible to count calories in a (relatively!) normal way.

Americans who travel abroad in search of psychedelic healing can sometimes find something much more dangerous. The New York Times explains how loosely-regulated clinics across Latin America have coincided with deaths, abuses, and allegations of ibogaine and other potent substances. Some patients have died from heart problems and organ failure. Others report being told to stop taking psychiatric medications, mix dangerous drugs or take prescription pills before they are properly screened. In a JAMA study of 50 clinics, fewer than 50% had trained medical personnel on their staff. Only 10% were equipped with emergency training. The Times highlights claims of sexual abuse and exploitative marketing, such as a Florida woman alleging she was raped in Mexico by a medical professional.
According to reports, patients have been videotaped or sold services when they are still intoxicated. Amy McGuire is the head of Baylor’s Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy and the co-author on the JAMA Report. She says, “We are seeing these for-profit companies pop up in the quasi-medical sector without any safeguards.” The real danger is in that area. As US demand and interest grow, experts warn that a boom in an unregulated, overseas industry can cause serious harm and lead to repercussions. This is what psychedelics supporters fear. Jesus Alonso Olamendi, the head of the Legal Defense Program at the International Center for Ethnobotanical Education, Research, and Service, says that the substance itself isn’t the issue. It’s not the substance that is the problem, but the abuse of substances or the unethical treatment of patients who are impaired. You can read the full article here.
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Health officials are continuing to track an outbreak of Cyclospora infection in Florida, which is linked to the recalled iceberg lettuce.
Florida, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is one of several states that have reported cases.
All recalled icebergs lettuce that was connected with the outbreak have been taken off the market by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
According to new CDC statistics, women are responsible for 56% (or all) of the Cyclospora cases reported in the United States.
The parasite Cyclospora can lead to intestinal disease. The symptoms can be diarrhea, cramps in the stomach, fatigue, and nausea.
Experts in health say that Cyclospora is more prevalent during the warmer months. The season typically ends around fall.
Officials continue to urge consumers to check for recalled food products and follow the safety guidelines.

Your biceps may be doing more than helping you lift groceries—they could be helping you dodge infections, too. A study of more than 458,000 adults in the UK suggests that people with lower muscle mass face a greater chance of contracting infections, especially respiratory illnesses and sepsis, a dangerous overreaction to infection, the Washington Post reports. “Our results support the concept that skeletal muscle health is closely linked to immune resilience and infection susceptibility,” said co-author Jinbo Chen of Central South University in Changsha, China.
Researchers sorted participants into three groups for the study, which was published in MedScience: normal muscle, low muscle (pre-sarcopenia), and low muscle plus weakness (sarcopenia). Both low-muscle groups saw more infections than those with healthier muscles, even after accounting for age, income, and other health issues. Younger adults with sarcopenia were hit hardest, hinting that early muscle loss may signal deeper health problems. Scientists say chronic inflammation, poor nutrition, and weakened immune responses that often accompany sarcopenia may help explain the pattern.
One expert listed warning signs for loss of muscle mass for Newsweek: taking longer to climb stairs, struggling to open jars or carry luggage, walking more slowly, finding it tougher to get out of a chair without using your arms. The study can’t prove that losing muscle causes infections, but experts say it adds to evidence that muscle is central to “immune resilience.” For now, the advice is that regular strength training—about two full-body sessions a week—along with vaccinations, good hygiene, and managing chronic conditions may help keep both muscles and infections in check, even well into older age.
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