#126: ⛩️ My Six Pillars of Longevity
How to Optimize Your Health Without Sacrificing Joy
Hey Friends,
It’s been a long time, nearly 2.5 years since I started this newsletter, and I want to introduce myself to my 2,340 readers.
So, hi again! I’m Nina Patrick, the author of Nina’s Notes, a weekly health & science newsletter and podcast.
My journey into longevity and health science started during my PhD, where I studied epigenetics, the code that sits on top of our DNA.
Epigenetics controls which genes are turned on or off, and epigenetics is influenced by our environment.
I also explored the neurotoxicity of MDMA (ecstasy) in the rat brain, which was my first real dive into how substances impact longevity and neurobiology.
After my PhD, I worked in biotech startups in Silicon Valley, then launched my own at-home diagnostics company in Berlin, helping people track health biomarkers through urine tests.
I also run Longevity Wednesdays, a Lisbon-based community for professionals in longevity, where we host events on everything from panels on which longevity supplement we should take, to building the investment case for women’s health.
Through this work, I’ve become fascinated by the intersection of longevity, wellness, and psychedelics.
And over time, I’ve developed my Six Pillars of Longevity.
These are the foundations I live by, and today, I want to share them with you.
💬 In this note:
⛩️ My 6 Pillars of Longevity
📚 The Tusks of Extinction
⚡️ The Woolly Mouse
#126: ⛩️ My Six Pillars of Longevity
We all want to live a life free of disease for as long as possible.
To me, longevity isn’t just about reaching old age, it’s about having the energy, strength, and clarity to enjoy life fully, for as long as possible.
After years of deep-diving into health science, experimenting on myself, and learning from experts, I’ve distilled what really matters into six pillars of longevity.
These are the habits, tools, and mindset shifts that help us age well and feel incredible doing it.
This framework isn’t just about science. It’s about real life.
How we move through the world, what we prioritize, and how we create the conditions for health and joy to coexist.
Because longevity isn’t about deprivation.
It’s about designing a life that makes you want to stick around for a long time.
Pillar 1: Sleep
We think we get enough sleep, but as a society, we are chronically sleep deprived.
Matthew Walker, a neuroscientist at UC Berkeley, and author of one of my favorite books Sleep and the Power of Dreams says that 40% of adults are sleep deprived, and he says we need to all give ourselves more sleep opportunity.
This is the time you spend in bed.
If you go to bed at midnight and wake up at 6 AM, you think you got six hours of sleep. But if you track it, you’ll see you tossed and turned for at least an hour or if you’re like me, maybe more.
To get a full eight hours of sleep, you need a nine-and-a-half-hour sleep opportunity.
Also important for quality sleep are:
Keeping your room cool and dark.
Stay away from screens at least an hour before bed, - a good hack for this is to charge your phone in another room. I started doing this in 2021, and I’ve never looked back.
And then of course, prioritize giving yourself a larger sleep opportunity.
Pillar 2: Diet
We all know the basics: eat whole foods, prioritize vegetables and protein, and cut out processed foods.
But as we age, protein becomes even more critical.
The general guideline is about 1.2g-1.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight to preserve muscle mass, because from now on, we are fighting gravity.
Muscle loss is inevitable unless we actively work to prevent it.
Fasting is another longevity tool. This can be through intermittent fasting, or a 24h - 3 day fast.
I once tried a fasting-mimicking diet called ProLon, and I shared my experience on my podcast episode #109.
This diet tricks your body into thinking it's fasting while still giving you nutrients.
Fasting kickstarts a biological process called autophagy, where cells clean out damaged components and this boost cellular rejuvenation.
Eating well also helps support your body's physical readiness, setting the foundation for meaningful movement practices.
Pillar 3: Movement
I say movement instead of exercise because longevity isn’t just about hitting the gym.
It’s about your Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis (NEAT), all the calories you burn just by existing: walking, doing chores, taking the stairs.
Then, of course, we need structured exercise: cardio for heart health and resistance training to maintain our muscle mass.
If you maintain your ability to lift 5-kilo weights in your 60s, 70s, and beyond, you are actively fighting muscle decline.
And then there’s dance.
Dance is magic.
It lights up the brain in ways that other forms of movement don’t.
Our ability to dance starts early.
Research suggests that babies have an innate ability to move to a beat even before they can walk!
Babies as young as 5 months old instinctively move to music, and by 14 months, they can coordinate movements that resemble dancing.
Our brains and bodies are wired for rhythm.
Dance and rhythm can also help people with neurological diseases of aging, like Parkinson’s Disease.
Parkinson's Disease is caused by the loss of a brain chemical called dopamine, which is vital for movement.
Last summer I had the chance to meet the founder of Dance for PD, a New York-based dance studio who offers people with Parkinson's the benefits of research-backed dance through in-person and online classes and videos.
He showed that people with Parkinson’s who struggle to walk, can move effortlessly when dancing to music.
This connection between movement and rhythm is something we still don’t fully understand, but it is real.
Even more remarkably, movement can unlock mobility in ways science doesn’t yet fully grasp.
With the help of psychedelics.
Former stuntman Tim Lawrence, diagnosed with Parkinson’s at 34, discovered that taking Ecstasy temporarily alleviated his symptoms, thus allowing him to move fluidly despite the disease’s debilitating effects.
His experience, back in 2001, sparked scientific interest, suggesting serotonin, rather than just dopamine, may play a role in Parkinson’s treatment.
His case challenges conventional thinking on movement disorders and treatments.
Movement, exercise, dance, running…all of these gave me the headspace to see what truly matters, which led me to question my fourth pillar of longevity.
Pillar 4: Purpose
Having a why in life is directly linked to longevity.
You see it in all long-lived communities, a sense of purpose keeps people engaged, active, and healthy.
For me, journaling has been key to clarifying my purpose.
Every day, I write freely, no time limits, just to get my thoughts on paper.
Purpose also comes from giving back, and for me actively participating in my community where I live.
In San Francisco, I organized science talks.
In Berlin, I built a company.
In Lisbon, I launched Longevity Wednesdays to bring together and educate the community about health, wellness and longevity.
Contributing to something bigger than yourself is essential.
Pillar 5: Spirituality
I started meditating last year, and it’s been transformative.
It deepened my sense of spirituality, which I loosely define as a connection to the universe.
In that stillness, I’ve found greater self-awareness, a sense of peace, moments of deep insight, and even emotional release.
Psychedelics also play a role here.
They have the potential to expand consciousness, helping people gain clarity of purpose and feel a deeper connection to something greater than themselves.
Psychedelic-assisted therapy can break negative thought patterns, enhance emotional well-being, and create profound feelings of interconnectedness, whether with nature, humanity, or a higher power.
Many describe experiencing awe, love, and a dissolution of the self, allowing them to understand their place in the world in a way they never had before.
Spirituality isn’t just about meditation or psychedelics, though.
It’s also about cultivating presence.
This presence in the moment can occur through breathwork, time in nature, journaling, or even acts of service.
For me, it’s about tuning into the subtle guidance life offers and learning to trust that connection.
Pillar 6: Social Connection
Social ties influence longevity as much as diet and exercise.
Yet, modern life tells us to be ultra-independent, to do it all alone.
That’s a mistake.
We thrive in community.
Supportive relationships impact everything, mental health, resilience, even our immune systems.
One of my favorite intersections of my pillars is the intersection of movement and social connection
And that is… Dancing on a night out.
Some of the most memorable, joy-filled moments of my life have been spent on a dance floor with friends, losing track of time, moving freely.
And yes, sometimes, that means sacrificing a night of perfect sleep in favor of something even more nourishing: connection.
This idea that nightlife, fun, and health don’t have to be at odds, led me to my next venture.
Introducing R+ Labs
As a pharmaceutical scientist, I wanted to create something for people who love to enjoy nightlife and care about their health. And today, I’m excited to announce R+ Labs, my new company creating supplements for the nightlife economy.
Our first product is designed for nights when you’ve been out dancing, had a drink or two, perhaps other non-alcoholic alternatives, and want to wake up feeling great.
It’s packed with nutrients, amino acids, and bioactives that support liver metabolism, energy production, and recovery, but it’s not a stimulant. It helps your body process what you’ve consumed while giving you a boost to keep going and recover well.
Want to be the first to hear about our launch?
📚 Book of the Week
The Tusks of Extinction by Ray Nayler
Rating: ★★★★★
I really enjoyed Ray Nayler’s book The Mountain and the Sea (Nina’s Notes BOTW #72) so when I found out there was a new novella, I had to read it.
The Tusks of Extinction explores a world where mammoths have been resurrected, but because they were grown in a lab and a controlled environment, they didn’t know how to be mammoths.
Someone had to teach the mammoths to…mammoth.
Enter Dr. Damira Khismatullina, the world’s foremost expert in elephant behavior.
She’s brought in for this task…in a very unexpected way.
I was not expecting the way this story unfolds at all.
It’s a page-turner and super short. I think I nearly read it all in one sitting.
Pick this one up if de-extinction interests you and you’ve heard about some of the companies trying to do the impossible.
This was a reader recommendation by John! Thanks John!!!
⚡️ Check This Out
Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based startup, just announced that they’ve created “woolly mice.”
These little guys have been genetically engineered to grow thick, mammoth-like fur.
Mice. But fluffier. SO FLUFFY.
The research, detailed in a preprint that hasn’t been peer-reviewed yet, is a big deal for Colossal, which is on a mission to bring extinct species back to life.
Their CEO, Ben Lamm, calls the woolly mice a “massive validating point” in their quest to resurrect the woolly mammoth, the thylacine (a striped, dog-like marsupial), and even the dodo.
Their plan is to modify the genomes of Asian elephants with woolly mammoth genes, then implant engineered embryos to (hopefully) produce baby elephants with mammoth-like traits.
If all goes well, Colossal wants the first woolly mammoth calf to be born by 2028.
Science fiction? Maybe.
But also… maybe not.
🗣️ Looking for the Nina’s Notes Podcast?
It’s available on: 🟢 Spotify, 🟣 Apple Podcasts, 🟠 Substack Podcasts
On the Nina’s Notes Podcast I interview entrepreneurs who are building products based on the science that I write about in the Nina’s Notes Newsletter.
You’ll also find voice overs of all the weekly Nina’s Notes.
Edited by Wright Time Publishing
Loved this one Nina, I feel inspired!
This was my favorite Nina's Notes yet!! Truly! I think frameworks are SUCH a fantastic way to think about longevity- or just life in general. Frameworks allow for fluidity, space for magic. Just as you said- sacrificing a night of sleep for dancing + social connection - that is the kind of longevity conversation I want to listen to. Can't wait to see R+ Labs comes into play!!