• Dr. Darshan Shah, who owns longevity clinics, follows a 40-minute morning routine.
• It includes meditation, coffee, and a workout.
• He said following routines closely is key to improving our health.

A doctor who owns a longevity clinic shared his morning routine with Business Insider.

"I'm a big believer in routines. Having a good health routine that you follow on a day-to-day basis — with very few skips — is what's going to lead to optimal health," Dr. Darshan Shah, the CEO and director of Next Health, a group of longevity clinics in the US and in Dubai, said.

A decade ago, Shah would often work 12-hour days as a surgeon, starting at 6 a.m., and didn't prioritize his health. He made healthy lifestyle changes in the hope of extending how long he can watch his son grow up, and lost 50 pounds.

He has found that spending 40 to 45 minutes a day on self-care was a "complete game changer."

"I am no longer tired. I want to wake up every morning, jump out of bed, and attack the day," he said.

Here's his morning routine.

1) Make a mushroom coffee

Shah blends his coffee with lion's mane and chaga mushrooms.

These are among the supplements he takes daily.

Mushroom coffee, which usually contains reishi, chaga, lion's mane, and cordyceps mushrooms, is said to reduce stress and inflammation, increase energy levels, and support the immune system, but according to the Cleveland Clinic, there isn't much research to support these claims.

2) Journal

Shah journals briefly while waiting for his coffee.

There's some evidence that journaling can improve mental health because it helps people process their thoughts and gain a sense of self-assurance, particularly those with anxiety or PTSD, according to a 2022 meta-review published in the journal Family Medicine and Community Health.

BI's Katie Notopoulos recently reported on an uptick in male fitness and "hustle" influencers taking up journaling as a self-improvement technique.

3) Mediate

Next, Shah meditates for 20 minutes.

According to the American Psychological Association, meditation has been associated with reduced stress, anxiety, and depression, as well as potentially boosting the immune system.

There are different types of meditation, including body scan, loving kindness, and walking meditation.

4) Strength train

Shah does a 10-minute strength training workout with dumbbells every morning.

Three times a week, he also does a 40-minute workout at the gym after he's completed his morning routine. There, he does a 12-minute run and 30 minutes of training with free weights.

A 2022 review of 16 studies, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that participants who did 30 to 60 minutes of muscle-strengthening activities, including weight training and calisthenics, were 10 to 20% less like to die of conditions including cancer and cardiovascular disease. The studies were on peopled between 18 and 97.

5) Read for 30 minutes

"At this point, my coffee is ready to go. While I'm drinking my coffee, I read for 30 minutes," Shah said.

He always has two books on the go: one about health and wellness, and one he finds more fun. Currently, he's reading "Forever Strong" by Gabrielle Lyon to keep up with developments in his industry, and "Love, Life, and Elephants, an African Love Story" by Daphne Sheldrick.

A 2020 study, published in the journal International Psychogeriatrics, that followed 1,962 Taiwanese people between 1989 and 2011 found that participants who read at least once a week at age 60+ were less likely to have cognitive decline 14 years later.

Shah skips breakfast and scrolling

Two glaring omissions from Shah's routine are breakfast and his phone.

"When I wake up, the first thing I don't do is pick up my phone. It charges by my coffee machine, so I put on a cup of coffee, and I don't pick up my phone until that coffee is ready to drink," he said.

He does intermittent fasting by skipping breakfast every morning. The approach, which typically involves only eating within an eight-hour window, is popular among biohackers and those in the longevity space, BI previously reported. It is linked to benefits including improved sleep and cellular health, the maintenance of a healthy weight, and reduced cancer risk.

But the evidence is very mixed, and experts say that it doesn't work for everyone. For example, people wanting to build muscle, those with a history of eating disorders, or pregnant women are among those who should avoid it.

• Kayla Barnes-Lentz, 33, says her biological age is 22.
• Barnes-Lentz uses experimental longevity treatments available at her clinic.
• But some of her favorite longevity hacks are free.

Kayla Barnes-Lentz is a 33-year-old longevity clinic owner who uses experimental treatments to try to live to 150. But some of her favorite biohacks are free.

Barnes-Lentz, who is based in Los Angeles, says she has reversed her biological age to 22. Biological age measures how healthy a person's cells, tissues, and organs appear to be, but there isn't a set definition because it's unclear how bodies "should" look at any given age.

Barnes-Lentz's daily biohacking routine, which she previously shared with BI, involves a home sauna, mats that send electromagnetic waves through the body, and clinical-grade air purifying machines — all of which cost thousands of dollars.

However, she told Business Insider: "The basics are what moves the needle the most. Although I have a ton of tech, it is essential to remember that we can also make massive improvements through lower-cost habits. It's what we do daily that will make the most significant impact on healthspan and longevity."

She shared her favorite free things she does to improve her health.

Spending time with loved ones

Barnes-Lentz previously told BI that one of the best biohacks was getting married, because her husband is a source of "security and peace" and helps her relax.

Barnes-Lentz said her husband shares a similar attitude toward health and longevity, and they biohack together, including using saunas and doing cold plunges together and holding fortnightly marriage optimization meetings.

Barnes-Lentz said that while some biohackers seem to be "siloed," she has an active social life.

"Some of the longest-lived people have this really great sense of community," she said. The longevity expert Rose Anne Kenny, a professor of medical gerontology at Trinity College Dublin and the lead researcher for The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing, said that having strong social connections is just as important for longevity as a healthy diet and exercising.

Barnes-Lentz goes to events in LA at least once a week. The day before speaking to BI, she had friends over, as she does every Thursday. She and her husband also host friends for dinner once a week.

"We always invite everyone over to our house because then I get to really control the environment, and I know what's in the food, how it's made and what oils are used. But everybody typically loves it because we have all these fun health optimization devices that they get to use," she said. "Yesterday, I was having everyone test their grip strength, for example."

Getting enough sleep

Barnes-Lentz goes to bed at 8:30 p.m. most nights and wakes up naturally at around 5:30 a.m.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends adults get between seven and eight hours of sleep every night.

Even if you can't commit to eight hours during the week, research presented at the European Society of Cardiology Congress 2024 suggested that people who "caught up" on sleep during the weekend were 20% less likely to develop heart disease than people who remained sleep deprived.

Exercising daily

"There's never a workout that I regretted," Barnes-Lentz said.

She does zone 2 cardio, which means moving at an intensity where she can just about hold a conversation, every day. She and her husband take a daily 45-minute walk around their neighborhood in the LA hills.

She also does strength training three times a week, lifting weights.

Nathan K. LeBrasseur, a physiologist who researches healthy aging as the director of the Robert and Arlene Kogod Center on Aging at Mayo Clinic, previously told BI the best type of exercise for longevity is a mixture of strength training and cardio, for at least thirty minutes a day.

• A doctor who owns a longevity clinic does experimental treatments to try to stay healthy for longer.
• Dr. Darshan Shah takes supplements as part of this mission.
• He shared six that he takes every day, including functional mushrooms and vitamin D.

A doctor who owns a longevity clinic and does experimental treatments to try to live longer shared six of the supplements he takes every day.

In 2016, Dr. Darshan Shah, 52, founded Next Health, which now has locations in the US and Dubai. Shah told Business Insider he improved his own lifestyle 10 years ago when he had his first child and feared he wouldn't live to see him grow up.

As well as focusing on eating healthily, exercising, and sleeping more, he takes multiple daily supplements.

"I'm a believer in supplementation, but you have to be very careful," Shah said. "There are so many supplements out there that people take that don't have a lot of good research behind them."

Dietitians recommend getting nutrients from food rather than supplements. But supplements can be useful for those with specific deficiencies or health goals — including those who use them as an experimental longevity treatment.

Shah gets a blood test every four months to check his vitamin levels and whether he needs to take the same supplements, because "deficiencies come and go," he said.

He recommends others get tested before taking supplements, too. "And make sure that you are buying good quality supplements and that you're working with a practitioner who is very familiar with supplements — they can help you sort through what's going to work for you," he said.

Here are six of the daily supplements Shah takes and why.

Vitamin D3

Shah's vitamin D levels are naturally low, he said, so he takes vitamin D3.

D3 is a form of vitamin D that is easy for the body to absorb. It supports the immune system and helps the body absorb calcium, which is important for bone health among other things.

Many doctors, longevity investors, and biohackers take vitamin D because research suggests it can help reduce inflammation and the risk of broken bones and cancer, BI's health correspondent, Hilary Brueck, previously reported.

Vitamin D is also widely recommended for those who live in the Northern hemisphere, who won't always get enough from the sun.

Methylated B vitamins

Shah has a gene called MTHFR, which means his body doesn't easily process B vitamins. So, he takes methylated B vitamins, which are more easily absorbed by the body than other forms.

There are eight B vitamins, most of which help the body turn food into energy. Vitamin B12, for example, helps form red blood cells and supports healthy hair, skin, and nails.

Research has also linked it to better mood and the prevention of dementia, although this isn't confirmed.

Nicotinamide riboside

Nicotinamide riboside is a type of vitamin B3. It helps the body produce an enzyme called NAD, which is necessary for cells to generate energy. It also helps repair DNA, maintain tissue health, and improve immune function.

As we age, our bodies become less efficient at producing NAD. Supplementing with nicotinamide riboside to aid this process has become a buzzy longevity treatment, Brueck previously reported.

It's important to note that the research is still in its early stages and has mostly been done on rodents rather than humans. But it's generally regarded as safe, and one 2022 review of research, published in the journal Nutrients, suggested it had promise for extending health and life span.

Omega-3 supplements

Omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish such as salmon, walnuts, and chia seeds, have been linked to better heart and joint health, lower inflammation, and lower blood pressure.

Omega-3 supplements are usually made from fish or algae oil — but it's unclear whether they carry the same benefits as eating foods that are naturally high in the acids.

A study on 777 participants, published in the journal Nature Aging earlier this year, found that adults with an average age of 75 who consumed a gram of omega-3s every day had lower "biological ages" than those who didn't.

Biological age refers to the health of cells, organs, and tissues as opposed to chronological age. Participants were on average three to four months younger than their actual age by the end of the three-year study.

Ashwagandha

Ashwagandha is a herbal supplement used in Ayurvedic medicine. It's an adaptogen, which is a plant substance believed to help reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Multiple studies evaluated by the US Office of Dietary Supplements suggest that ashwagandha could help reduce stress and anxiety levels, sleeplessness, and fatigue.

However, the effects of different types and doses of ashwagandha supplements are unclear. Existing studies have used different parts of the plant (for example, extracts from roots vs leaves), and most looked at its effects when used in traditional medicine, not as a dietary supplement.

Mushroom blend

Every morning, Shah drinks coffee that is blended with "functional" mushroom extracts, specifically lion's mane and chaga mushrooms.

Lion's mane and chaga are adaptogens, like ashwagandha. A 2024 review of research, published in the journal Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews, suggested that lion's mane could help reduce anxiety and sleep disturbance. It's important to note that most of these findings come from studies on older people who took the mushroom for a long time at high doses, the researchers wrote, so the results might not apply to the wider population.

Meanwhile, a 2023 review published in the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology found the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of chaga mushrooms could protect against cell damage. But the researchers said more research is needed to confirm the potential effects of chaga and its usefulness as a dietary supplement.

Brian and Kristi Culhane have spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on health and wellness amenities for their Scottsdale, Arizona, home.

The couple and their three kids now enjoy a hyperbaric oxygen chamber, UV air scrubbers, a steam room with aromatherapy and light therapy, a cold plunge, an indoor basketball court, and more.

They consider themselves biohackers, part of a group focused on a regimen of diet, exercise, and supplements that they believe will help them live longer.

"When I got into biohacking, I thought, 'Instead of going to the health club every day, why not bring everything to my house?'" Brian Culhane, the 50-year-old cofounder and former president of the real-estate brokerage eXp Realty, told Business Insider. "This wasn't just a novelty anymore; it was a lifestyle. If you're serious about it, you need all your tools at home."

The biohacking movement, most recently popularized by Bryan Johnson — a venture capitalist turned longevity guru who has invested millions in health technologies that he hopes will reverse his "biological age" — is now influencing luxury real estate. Some affluent homeowners are moving beyond traditional features like gyms and adding cutting-edge amenities from infrared saunas to ozone generators to take their wellness to the next level.

More people are integrating wellness-focused amenities into their homes, from wet rooms and private gyms to meditation rooms and gardens, according to Zillow. The real-estate giant found that as of December, the share of for-sale listings mentioning wellness-oriented amenities had risen by 16% from the year before. Homeowners today want more than just attractive spaces — they want places that actively support their physical and mental health.

The Culhanes' house is a case study of the lengths to which some people go to bring healthy habits home. Let's take a look.

Only the best amenities will do

Brian Culhane's desire to be present for his children and outlive his own father, who died at 63, led him to biohacking.

Brian recalled a 2015 conversation with a life coach who pressed him about his dreams: "He asked, 'What's your most probable future?' I answered, 'End up like my dad.' He asked again, 'What's your goal?' I replied, 'To not die young.' That conversation began my commitment to living a healthy life."

That commitment is reflected in the home that the Culhanes have built and refined since 2019 when they paid $546,000 for 1.1 acres in Scottsdale's exclusive Troon at Glenn Moor neighborhood. The couple hired an architect to design a 10,000-square-foot home with five bedrooms and 6½ bathrooms.

Nearly every inch of the home is customized with features they believe are essential for their health, including a built-in smart sound system from Crestron Home, which can cost between $300,000 to $400,000 to install. Brian, who has dubbed himself "The DJ Dad," cues up various "mood music," from techno to reggae to classical. The system also plays megahertz music, which fills the house with vibrations similar to white noise.

"We designed the house with wellness in mind," Brian said.

It has 16-foot sliding doors and 15- to 20-foot floor-to-ceiling windows, which Brian said were designed to let in natural light that aligns with the family's "circadian rhythms."

Don't forget the three $5,000 Toto toilets and the heated floors. The HVAC system is equipped with UV-light air scrubbers, which, Brian said, clean pet dander, mold, airborne pollen, and carcinogens. For relaxation, there's a rooftop deck for stargazing, a 7-foot-deep heated pool, and a six-person spa.

"My friend asked, 'Why do you ever have to leave the house?' I replied, 'I don't need to,'" Brian said.

Big budget, big benefits

Among all their health amenities, California Pool and Spa's customized six-person cold plunge, worth about $60,000, might be the most covetable.

Cold plunges involve soaking in very cold water, sometimes as low as 30 degrees Fahrenheit. While some people believe cold plunges improve mood and reduce inflammation, there's not enough evidence to suggest they significantly affect human longevity.

Positioned just steps from their master bedroom and next to the outdoor shower and private patio, the Culhanes' cold plunge is left uncovered and remains frigid 24/7.

"I'd wake up at six, go to the gym, work out for an hour, then spend 20 minutes in the sauna, five minutes in the cold plunge, five minutes in the steam room, five minutes in the hot tub, and another five minutes in the cold plunge," Brian said. "That routine took me two hours every morning. With kids to get ready for school, I realized, 'I need to be able to do this as soon as I wake up.'"

An entire room is dedicated to the sauna, built for about $100,000 by Spa Steam and Sauna, the same company that supplies saunas to the Ritz-Carlton and other luxury hotels.

Finnish saunas are the most widely used saunas worldwide, so more scientific studies on their benefits exist. Research suggests they could help flush toxins from the body, improve heart health, and boost the immune system.

The family said they practice yoga, breathwork, and aromatherapy in the sauna, which features a wall of Himalayan salt they believe is beneficial for the respiratory system. Healthline found that studies on non-dietary uses of Himalayan salt are "relatively weak" and require further investigation.

Another notable feature of the house is the basketball court, which features NBA-grade flooring, a rim, protective pads, a scoreboard, lights, a 100-inch TV, and various gym equipment. The court cost about $250,000, and lighting and additional features were an additional $80,000.

Brian said he grew up playing basketball in a modest Chicago neighborhood, but his family couldn't afford the private courts some of his peers had access to.

"Several of my friends had indoor courts. It was a treat to play there, though they rarely let me," he said. "I thought it was the pinnacle of success and always thought, 'I want that.'"

The Culhanes own multiple infrared light systems, including an advanced LightStim device typically found in luxury spas that they paid $4,411 for. This device uses specialized LED, or light-emitting diode, therapy to stimulate collagen production and reduce the appearance of fine lines, acne, and wrinkles.

Kristi uses the machine daily.

"I get up and turn it on first thing in the morning, and it lights up the whole room. I sit under it for about 15 minutes," she said. "It actually improves my mood."

The Culhanes also said their home's extras have not only boosted their quality of life but also increased its value. A 2022 appraisal report valued their home at $6.1 million.

Some people love the house, while others are a bit skeptical

The Culhanes' biohacking journey has gradually won over their friends and family.

"If they're not already converted, they're well on their way," Brian said.

Gaining approval from the neighbors in their community, however, has taken time.

"We're an active family, and it's just not the neighbors' lifestyle," he explained. "It's a quiet community, a golf club with mostly retirees. They all have dated, quiet homes, while we've got this big, bright glass house with a lot of kids and plenty of outdoor activities."

Brian said it was sometimes challenging to follow all of their homeowners association's rules for construction and architecture.

"We probably had 10 complaints against our build and property, ranging from leaving the porta potty open to materials blowing around, dust, and soil erosion," Brian said.

Another wellness-focused construction project lies ahead

The Culhanes also take various supplements every day to enhance their health, including an array of Purium Superfoods for nutrition, Ultimate Human Molecular hydrogen tablets with methylene blue added for its reported antioxidant properties, and activated charcoal for detoxification.

They underwent Viome gut biome mapping, which analyzes blood, stool, and saliva to identify foods to avoid and detect any deficiencies.

"We each got our genetic test once, get our blood work done every six months, and have gut biome testing yearly," Kristi said. "The goal is to get off supplements."

For readers who are interested in trying this kind of supplement regimen, longevity-medicine doctors recommend first getting bloodwork through your primary care physician to check your vitals. Then, start slow — take one supplement for a few months, rather than starting a lot at once.

The Culhanes have joined several Facebook groups for people focused on health and fitness to stay ahead of the latest biohacking trends. Before permanently adding any new element to their regimen, they personally test it and only incorporate it if it fits into their "daily protocol," as Brian put it.

They're already planning their next project. In 2021, the Culhanes purchased a 15-acre ranchette along Oak Creek in Sedona, about a two-hour drive north of Scottsdale, for $900,000.

They took out a $2 million construction loan to build a 4,000-square-foot cabin on the land, which features ATV trails, hiking and biking paths, and areas for kayaking and fishing. In addition, they put in roads and brought in 36 dump trucks of sand to create a man-made beach the size of a football field. They also plan to build a treehouse, plant an orchard, and grow grapevines.

So far, they've spent $250,000 on the Sedona project, Brian said.

Their ultimate goal is to turn the property into an off-grid, self-sustaining health retreat for themselves, friends, and family, with the potential to rent it out.

"I want the best of both worlds," Brian said. "I want to recreate the healing elements we brought into our Troon home and turn our Sedona property into a master retreat. I envision something like being on top of Sedona, tapping into the powerful vortex energy of the earth."

Meghan Trainor's New Year's resolution was to go out more.

She went for dinner once, was exhausted for two days, and happily reverted back to her "boring" life of early nights with her family, she tells me on a call from LA.

This openness about everything from her not particularly glamorous social life to her mental health struggles has earned the 31-year-old a legion of fans, who love her as much for her relatability as her music.

Trainor has a twinkle in her eye when she says she considers anything that makes her feel better and saves time biohacking, be it dry shampoo or protein coffee.

And unlike some celebrities, the multi-platinum singer doesn't hide the fact that she is privileged enough to have a nanny to help with childcare. In fact, asking for help is one of the key pieces of advice for moms that she shares with me.

In the latest installment of BI's "5 to 9" series, where celebrities share how they spend the hours they're not working, the Grammy Award-winner — who spoke to BI to promote her partnership with Hammer Power Sheets Laundry Detergent — shares a glimpse into her life with her husband, the actor Daryl Sabara, and their sons Riley, four, and Barry, 20 months.

What time do you start the day?

My husband is an early riser. He gets up at 5 a.m.

gasps

I know, he's crazy, but that's when he meditates. My two little boys get up around 6:30 a.m. They all run to my room at around 7 a.m. and wake me up, which is my favorite.

We feed the boys pretty healthily at breakfast, with lots of fruit. They won't eat anything green but we do sneak vegetables into things like pancakes.

I always have fruit, too. Sometimes, I have a couple of eggs, maybe yogurt. Today, I had ginger tea that I ordered from Goop. I always have my giant Stanley cup full of electrolytes and a tiny espresso cup full of vitamins.

When I'm on tour, sometimes we splurge. Recently we were trying to decide which hotel has the best French toast, so we had it at every one.

Important research.

We're saving the world with that.

Are you a coffee person?

Oh yeah. After breakfast, my husband often makes me a coffee with protein blended in. It tastes delicious and also has about 20 grams of protein, so I'm like, "We're biohacking."

Strength training and nerding out about protein

How do you fit movement into your day?

I have such a crazy schedule that trying to put anything in there is impossible, but we do it.

I need products that make my life simple and convenience is key, so I built a gym in one of the tiny rooms in my house. I try to get in there three times a week at least.

But that's where products like dry shampoo or Arm and Hammer Power Sheets for laundry help me so I can dedicate more time to fitness and my family.

So what type of workouts do you do?

I'm all strength training now.

I remember one week I was like, "I'm going to be a runner. I'm going to be that girl." And I tried for four days straight and I gained four pounds of pure inflammation, pure anger. My body was like, "No, thank you."

So I tried strength training and my body is so happy. Now I'm a nerd about building muscle and eating protein, but I wish they taught me that in elementary school.

I didn't know food was energy and fuel, so I'm trying to teach my kids that. I say to them, "What are eggs? Protein!"

We're of similar ages, and growing up, people weren't as aware of the importance of strength training for health.

Yeah, we talk to our kids positively about it. We say, "We're going to go and exercise and build our strong muscles!" And they love it.

I'm trying so hard not to be mean to my body or myself in front of them. I tell them that exercising means I'm strong enough to pick them up, or they've got to exercise so they can play on the big playgrounds.

Couples counseling and accepting help

What do you have for dinner and who cooks?

I really wish I knew how to cook, but I'm not the best. My husband cooks a mean steak. Some nights when we realize we forgot about our own dinner, he cooks steak and I microwave a bag of rice, and that's me cooking.

Do you have any other essentials for your physical and mental health?

Therapy once a week, I'm on my beautiful antidepressants that I love so much, and actually, we've just started marriage counseling once a month.

We always brag that we have the best marriage ever, and we do. We're best friends, and I love him dearly. We heard our friends were in couples therapy, which made us wonder if we should do that, too. We said to ourselves, "Let's try it and see how we can get even closer."

We're biohacking kings and queens. I love a good hack. I love something that could help me feel better fast.

People say you should have therapy before you really need it, and I think people don't necessarily take that approach to couples counseling.

Exactly. We loved it. It was so cool. He brought up how your childhood trauma can affect your relationships. And we were like, "Oh my god, this makes so much sense."

Do you and your husband have a good balance when it comes to chores, parenting, and work?

Also, a lot of people don't ask for help, they suffer in silence, and it just gets worse and worse. I constantly ask my friends, my mom, and my brothers to come over and help with the kids. We have an incredible nanny who comes Monday through Friday. I don't know how we'd live without her.

Bedtime is the best part of the day

What do your evenings look like?

We're pretty tight on our routine, and I love it. We try to eat together as a family at 5:30 p.m., which seems early, I know. When my friends say, "Let's go out to dinner at 9 p.m.," I'm like, "I'm asleep by then. You're crazy."

We made going out more a goal for 2025 but we went out once for dinner and I was literally hungover for two days from going to bed extra late. I can't recover anymore. If I have one bad sleep, don't talk to me for two days.

So we do bath time at 6 p.m., then we bring the boys downstairs, sit on the couch, and watch music videos. They love it so much; it's so cute. Sometimes, we watch my music videos. Riley loves Miley Cyrus, Kid Laroi, and Tate McRae.

Then we go upstairs and have lay-down time. Each parent gets one kid for cuddles and we switch each night. I don't know what we're going to do when we have three. It's the best part of our day. If you miss bedtime, it's devastating.

By 7:30 p.m., we're done. We run to shower and get in bed, then watch "ER." It's like our date night; we're always so happy we made it.

Do you have a favorite wind-down drink, be that alcoholic or a cup of tea?

Oh, we're sober. My brother got sober three years ago and my husband followed him a year after. No one really drinks around here, so I just kind of got sober too. I was never very good at drinking — I get a headache right away or my cheeks get really red. I'm already hungover from tiredness.

So I usually just drink water, a Zevia, or maybe ginger ale. Sometimes I snack on Hu Chocolate, I love it. Just two little squares as my treat for the night.

Are you good at skincare?

No. I need to start being a grown-up and doing retinol and all that, but when I was pregnant, I had perioral dermatitis, so I had little red bumps all over my face and dry patches. I had to use a really gentle wash and lotion called Avène, so I still use that. I also use a snail mucin serum because TikTok got me on that. And then Avène lotion and that's it.

There's probably such a thing as too many products.

I've been that girl and it was exhausting.

What time do you go to sleep?

Once we're in bed watching movies or TV, we blink, and it's 10:30 p.m. My husband falls asleep first because he's up so early. We're kind of boring. We do the same thing every day, but I love it so much.

Well, you've got a lot going on so it's not surprising that you're tired.

I'm doing the best I can, and that's all anyone can ever do. So, if you're a mom out there, if you're doing the best you can, that's great.

• Kayla Barnes-Lentz is 33 but says biohacking has helped her reverse her biological age by 11 years.
• She views sleeping and red light therapy as biohacks and says they're her favorite.
• Many of Barnes-Lentz's longevity treatments are experimental.

Kayla Barnes-Lentz wants to live to 150.

And, according to her calculations of her "biological age," she's making good progress. The 33-year-old longevity clinic owner and podcaster, based in Los Angeles, told Business Insider that biohacking had helped her reverse her biological age by 11 years.

In contrast to chronological age, biological age is a measure of how healthy cells, tissues, and organs appear to be. The idea is contested, however, because we don't know how bodies "should" look at any given age.

Barnes-Lentz has a lengthy list of experimental treatments she does to optimize her health and try to live longer — including taking cold plunges, standing on vibration plates, and breathing in hydrated air — which means she's essentially biohacking most of the day.

But of all her biohacks, she has two favorites.

Sleep

"Sleep is the foundation of health," Barnes-Lentz said. "Going to bed early and getting high-quality sleep is a game changer for energy levels, focus, motivation, and overall feeling."

She and her husband, Warren Lentz, wind down for the night by watching TV and cuddling. They go to bed at 8:30 p.m. most nights.

Research suggests that getting less than seven to eight hours of sleep a night is associated with a higher risk of chronic diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and depression, as well as issues with focusing and reacting. In a 2022 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 36.8% of Americans reported getting less than seven hours of sleep a night.

Some biohackers spend thousands on sleep hygiene products and tech that isn't proven. Barnes-Lentz uses an Oura ring to track her sleep quality, but otherwise, she keeps things simple: She gets eight hours a night and never uses her phone in bed.

Business Insider previously reported on how to get the best sleep possible.

Red light therapy

Barnes-Lentz's favorite tech-based biohack is red light therapy. Her at-home sauna has an inbuilt red light, so she can do both at the same time.

She said red light therapy improves the functioning of the mitochondria, or the parts of cells that produce energy, which she hopes will increase her energy levels. In a 2024 study published in the Journal of Biophotonics, researchers found that red light appeared to improve the performance of mitochondria in the body — but there's no proof this leads to overall better energy levels.

Barnes-Lentz has also posted on Instagram about how she uses red light therapy to reduce skin aging and inflammation.

It has shown some potential for improving the appearance of skin, such as reducing scars, acne, and wrinkles, but more research is needed to guarantee that it's effective, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

Some people buy $150,000 red light therapy beds or do red light therapy treatments at spas or medical centers. Barnes-Lentz combines red light therapy with time in her sauna, which she does every morning.

• Kayla Barnes-Lentz spends much of her day optimizing her health to try to live to 150.
• She also runs her own business, so has to fit her biohacking around her busy workday.
• She has a 2 ½ hour morning routine, takes regular biohacking breaks, and goes to bed by 8:30 p.m.

From the second Kayla Barnes-Lentz wakes up, her day is built around enhancing her health.

Barnes-Lentz, 33, told Business Insider that her extensive biohacking routine has helped her to reverse her biological age by 11 years. Biological age is a measure of how healthy a person's cells and organs are, but scientists don't agree on the definition.

As a coowner of a longevity clinic in Cleveland and the host of a podcast about health optimization, she counts this routine as part of her work.

"During work, I have my office optimized for optimal productivity, and I incorporate health optimization practices throughout the day," she said.

Barnes-Lentz's habits aren't all scientifically proven. But she and other biohackers, such as the millionaire entrepreneur Bryan Johnson, take a chance on experimental treatments to live as long as possible. Barnes-Lentz wants to reach 150, while Johnson's mantra is "don't die."

She's inspired by naturopathic medicine, which she said involves "new age tech." Barnes-Lentz and the team at her clinic use scientific literature to "guide" what she describes as her "health protocols." She said she has also hired female Ph.D. candidates to "dive into the literature" around women's health and longevity to inform her female-focused protocols, which she sells as part of a membership program.

Medical experts say that for the average person, getting the basics right can make a big difference in how long they live. A study published last year found that a healthy diet could increase lifespan by up to 10 years, and Nathan K. LeBrasseur, a physiologist at Mayo Clinic, previously told BI that spending just 3% of your day exercising can contribute to healthy aging.

Barnes-Lentz shared how she fits biohacking around running her business.

Before work, she spends 2 ½ hours biohacking

Barnes-Lentz's morning routine takes about 2 ½ hours. She starts with what she describes as an "oral protocol," which includes tongue scraping, water flossing, and oil pulling. Tongue scraping and flossing are commonly recognized as effective ways to reduce bacteria and plaque in the mouth. But there's not enough evidence that oil pulling, an Ayurvedic practice that involves swishing oil around the mouth, is beneficial enough for oral health to be recommended by the American Dental Association.

She also does her first round of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy, a noninvasive treatment in which bursts of electric currents are sent through soft tissue across the body.

"I think of our body as a battery, and PEMF can increase your charge," she said.

Some research suggests that PEMF could be useful in treating osteoarthritis and bone fractures, but more evidence is needed to draw a connection, said the authors of a 2023 review of research published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences.

Barnes-Lentz also works out, gets some sun exposure to regulate her circadian rhythm, spends time in a sauna, showers, and measures her biometrics (body composition, grip strength, lung health, and blood pressure) before breakfast.

She does red-light therapy while working

Barnes-Lentz works from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. most days, running her longevity business, podcast, and social media accounts, including her Instagram account, which has 383,000 followers. She tries to do 10,000 steps a day and move her body as much as possible.

To do that, she takes calls while walking and takes breaks every 90 minutes to walk or do what she considers a biohack, such as standing on a whole-body vibration plate.

Even when she does desk-based work, she said she's biohacking. This involves sitting on a "biohacking desk chair," which encourages good posture, and wearing a red-light therapy cap to help her hair grow faster and thicker. Red-light therapy has been found to help with hair regrowth and build thickness and length in some large randomized trials, according to the American Academy of Dermatology.

In her office, she has an air-filtration system and uses natural light instead of LEDs to avoid interrupting her circadian rhythm. In a 2023 report published in the journal Frontiers in Photonics, researchers found that blue light from LEDs can disrupt sleep when people are repetitively exposed to it for prolonged periods at night.

Barnes-Lentz also inhales humid air using a NanoVi machine —which is advertised as a way to repair proteins in the body damaged by oxidative stress — to improve her cognition and brain health. Research suggests that oxidative stress, which is caused by factors including sunlight, alcohol, and certain medications, plays a role in aging and the development of neurodegenerative diseases.

A small 2022 study published in the International Journal of Molecular Science suggested that the NanoVi could help improve cellular health and cognition in older people. The study involved four people with cognitive impairment who used a NanoVi over 12 weeks, so more research is needed.

A cold plunge at lunchtime

"My midday routine consists of a whole body vibration plate and cold plunge, which gives me a natural increase in energy, followed by a hyperbaric chamber session," Barnes-Lentz said.

She does five, hourlong sessions in a hyperbaric chamber each week, using the time to catch up on messages on her phone. Hyperbaric oxygen chambers contain a pure, pressurized form of the gas to increase its absorption in the body. They are used to treat conditions including burns, wounds, skin and bone infections, and hearing and vision loss. Small studies have found that they might have anti-aging benefits, too, although the FDA hasn't approved them for this use.

After work, she goes for a walk and optimizes her sleep schedule

Barnes-Lentz and her husband eat dinner at around 5 p.m., more than three hours before they go to bed at 8:30 p.m., to help them sleep.

She knows that a varied diet is good for the gut microbiome, so she has different organic, seasonal vegetables and fruits delivered each week. The structure of her meals is always the same: vegetables, high-quality proteins, healthy fats, and carbohydrates that don't spike her blood sugar too much, she said.

After dinner, the couple walks for 50 minutes in the hills around their Los Angeles home to aid digestion, catch up on their days, and get in more zone-two cardio.

"Then, we begin our wind-down routine, which may involve more PEMF or relaxing together. At sunset, we ensure that the house is only red light to promote the release of melatonin," she said.

Some studies have found that using artificial red light at night can improve sleep quality, but a 2023 study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychiatry found no evidence that red light increases melatonin secretion and, in some cases, can increase alertness.

"I've worked really hard to build the life that I have," Barnes-Lentz said. "I'm incredibly blessed and very fortunate that I get to move my body and get to do all these things. And I'm excited to see what that's going to lead to in the future."

Correction: December 23, 2024 — An earlier version of this story misrepresented Barnes-Lentz's naturopathic approach to medicine. It involves "new age tech," not herbs and massage.