Dr. David Sinclair is a world-renowned longevity scientist best known for his research on resveratrol and the sirtuin genes of yeast. He has also been recognized by TIME magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people globally and is an Adjunct Professor of genetics at Harvard Medical School.
Besides supplementing with groundbreaking anti-aging drugs such as NMNÂ and resveratrol, David follows a strict diet and exercise routine.
Dr. Sinclair’s work on aging has profoundly impacted our understanding of how aging works and what it means to be old- and, more importantly, how we can live longer, healthier lives without radical life extension technologies. Here are sixteen Dr. David’s recommendations on diet and exercise from his book Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To.
1. He Recommends “Eating Less” Food
Dr. David Sinclair is a firm believer in restricting caloric intake to extend life expectancy. However, he doesn’t fully subscribe to the belief that calorie restriction can dramatically prolong human longevity. “Calorie restriction has been shown to work in every animal except humans,” says Dr. Sinclair, who believes that reducing daily caloric intake by 30 percent should result in increased longevity.
Although Dr. Sinclair says there is no way of knowing for sure if 30 percent is the optimal caloric intake level, he also points out that “there are now literally hundreds of experiments in animals showing lifespan extension by calorie restriction.”
RELATED READING: Dr. David Sinclair’s Supplement List for Longevity
2. He Believes That Exercise Is As Important As Diet
There’s a lot of evidence that exercise extends lifespan. You can probably extend the life of mice by doing wheel running, but it’s not for another ten years-it’s maybe 5 percent longer.”
Dr. Sinclair should know, he conducted many of the first studies showing the health benefits of caloric restriction in yeast and its effects on human cells growing in lab dishes; later, these experiments led to clinical trials in humans. In fact, Dr. Sinclair is a proponent of exercise and includes walking as part of his daily regimen. “I limit calories greatly, but I do exercise every day,” he says.”
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3. He Believes That We Should Store More Glucose than Fat
We all have a certain percentage of fat in our body, and we also have some sugar that’s stored in the liver. In human experiments, after fasting overnight, people get about half their energy from burning sugar and half from burning fat. “So every day when you’re fasting,” says Dr. Sinclair, “you use up part of your sugar and part of your fat. Every time you eat, you replenish the sugar, so it’s always half full-it’s about 50 percent full every day.”
RELATED READING: Dr. David Sinclair’s NMN & Resveratrol Protocol
4. He Practices Intermittent Fasting
David believes that constant snacking is not the best way to prolong life expectancy. “I’m big on intermittent fasting and restricting calories, and I think people should not snack-it’s much better to have your three meals a day,” says Dr. Sinclair, who also advocates skipping breakfast. “When you intermittent fast, you can reduce insulin levels by 40 percent, and that helps improve health in many different ways.”
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5. He Prefers Natural Supplements to Prescription Drugs
Dr. Sinclair believes that people should use natural supplements instead of prescription drugs because they’re less expensive and more effective. “Many prescription drugs are toxic and dangerous,” says Dr. Sinclair, who believes that supplements can also play an important role in preventing damage from free radicals and promoting health. “Natural supplements can replace prescription drugs-they’re safer and more effective.”
Dr. Sinclair is huge advocate for taking Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN) and Resveratrol – which made red wine famous for being known for extending your life in small amounts. David has his own supply in his lab that he takes, but fortunately you can pick up NMN and Resveratrol on the Renue By Science website. Â You can read up on David Sinclair’s Supplement Regime here.Â
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6. He Recommends Eating A Healthy, Balanced Diet
7. He Can’t Stand It When People Harp on High-Tech Anti-Aging Treatments
“I’m a big proponent of the view that we seem to be getting more and more people focused on these high-tech anti-aging treatments,” says Dr. Sinclair. He believes that vast sums of money spent on life extension research would be better used for other purposes. “My biggest regret is that gerontologists have been focusing so much money on a very, very few approaches to anti-aging research,” says Dr. Sinclair, who urges people to explore lifestyle choices that have been proven effective in prolonging life. “There’s a lot of evidence that caloric restriction works and exercise works.”
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8. He Recommends High-Intensity Exercises as Opposed to Low-Intensity Exercise
Dr. David Sinclair believes that exercise should be high-intensity so it can trigger The Epigenetic clock. “I don’t believe in exercise that is not strenuous,” says Dr. Sinclair, who adds that people should try high-intensity interval training three times a week, working out at 85 percent of their maximum heart rate for about two minutes or until they are exhausted. “You can get the benefits of exercise in three minutes a day just do sprinting to exhaustion, just push yourself as hard as you possibly can for about 3 minutes and then rest.”
9. Recommends Deep and Rapid Breathing when Working out
Dr. Sinclair believes that when exercising, you should also breathe deeply and rapidly to boost oxygen in the bloodstream and increase caloric burn, which will help activate the Epigenetic clock. “I’ve been a big proponent of breathing during exercise-breathing every 20 seconds,” says Dr. Sinclair, who adds that he stays in good shape by running three miles every morning. “It’s really changed my life; I have more energy-it’s great.”
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10. He Says People Should Exercise in Cold Weather
“Cold weather increases your immune system,” says Dr. Sinclair, who recommends people get their hands on a cold thermometer and put it in their armpits when they wake up-the colder the reading in 10 minutes, the healthier you are. The less time you will spend with disease symptoms. “There’s an evolutionary theory that the reason we like the heat is that it simulates our African origins, where everything was hot and tropical,” says Dr. Sinclair. “Cold is the future-we evolved as cold-weather animals.”
11. He Says Your Genes are Not Determined by Destiny
Dr. Sinclair believes that your genetic make-up is not a predictor of your future health. “The most important thing about beating aging is to know that the fate of your health is in your hands,” says Dr. Sinclair, who believes people can significantly slow down the clock with healthy lifestyle choices. “We’ve gotten rid of the idea that it’s just genes against destiny-we know that we can change the genes, and we can change our destiny.”
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12. He Campaigns Against Cigarettes
“I’m absolutely against cigarettes,” says Dr. Sinclair, who urges people to avoid smoking and all other tobacco products because they contain a potent toxin called “formaldehyde,” which is used in embalming fluid. “People think that cigarettes are safe-cigarettes kill half a million Americans every year,” says Dr. Sinclair, who believes the health consequences from smoking are so severe that many people have been driven to drug abuse.
13. He’s Concerned About The Link Between Alcohol and Cancer
Dr. Sinclair urges people to avoid alcohol as much as possible because of its link to cancer. “Alcohol is a major carcinogen,” says Dr. Sinclair, who believes that if you drink alcohol, you should limit yourself to one glass of wine per day. “Every time people take a drink, they raise their risk of breast cancer and another cancers-it’s just not worth it,” says Dr. Sinclair, who points out that there is strong evidence that alcohol can cause tumors in the mouth and throat.
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14. He Advocates Against Microwaving Plastic Containers
15. He Recommends Quitting Smoking the Natural Way
Dr. Sinclair recommends that people who want to quit smoking should try natural nicotine replacement therapy instead of smoking, which actually increases craving. “I think the best way to quit smoking is not to start,” says Dr. Sinclair, who believes people should make an effort to stop smoking because cigarette smoke remains in the body for a long time after you finish your last cigarette and can cause cancer even if it has been years since you lit up. “The sooner you quit smoking, the better off you are if you quit at age 20; your life expectancy is almost normal.”
16. He Advises People to Eat Portions of Fruits and Vegetables
Dr. Sinclair believes people should make an effort to eat fruits and vegetables every day, either in a smoothie or salad. “You’ve got to get at least five servings of fruits and veggies every single day,” says Dr. Sinclair, who believes that both fruits and vegetables reduce the risk of cancer and other diseases by eliminating free radicals from the body. “If you want to live a long life, it all starts with those five servings.”
Conclusion
Dr. David A. Sinclair is a famous author, professor, and scientist of international repute known for his research on aging and its control in the body with natural ingredients, which the scientific community has widely recognized. You can pick up his book Lifespan: Why We Age – and Why We Don’t Have To on Amazon.
Though Dr. David A. Sinclair has received numerous awards, he still works hard towards achieving more scientific breakthroughs and gives lectures to promote awareness about nutrition and dietetics.
He instills a sense of motivation and positivity in the people who seek his advice and help them improve their health and lead a healthier life without getting exposed to harmful chemicals which can cause damage to our body over time.