David Blackmore

Show this video to your kids…Wow😳

𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁, 𝘄𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘀𝗵𝘂𝘁 𝗶𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗼𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻? Jim Collins famously wrote, "Good is the enemy of great." He argues that organizations that are comfortable, or "good enough," won't make the hard cuts needed to make the leap to truly great. Most of us run our stack of habits and tools for a longer, healthier life the exact same way. We settle for "good enough" metrics and call it a day: • Decent sleep (most nights) • Okay labs (nothing red, nothing optimized) • A standard multivitamin • Sporadic Zone 2 cardio We aren't unhealthy. But we are not making the choices or doing the work that would create a truly GREAT longevity stack. There's tension between a familiar stack that "mostly works" and a deliberate stack built like a focused business strategy. A Great stack requires clear goals, understanding of life's constraints, diagnostics, and a focus on not just what to do, but what NOT to do. So, what is one "good" habit you would fire today to make room for something great?

𝗜𝘀 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘁𝗵 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗢𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱? Consistency, day in and day out, matter for longevity. You're committed to living a longer, healthier life. You're doing the work: You have purpose, you put on the gym shoes each day, you meditate, you cold plunge, you sauna, your pantry is full of supplements, and you eat like a Mediterranean. So, why do you feel like life is a drag? Researchers like Shigehiro Oishi and Erin Westgate talk about psychological richness as “a life characterized by a variety of interesting and perspective-changing experiences,” an additional third pillar to a good life that sits alongside happiness and meaning. A regimented stack, filled with routine and discipline, seems to be antithetical. 𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝘄𝗼 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲. When I was a busy executive, my calendar used to filled to the minute for productivity. That didn't work. It didn't leave me open enough for the surprises of life, whether that was an unexpected crisis or a breakthrough serendipitous conversation. So, I purposely created "blank time" where my routine was unstructured. Even today, while I still rely on a very clear longevity stack to keep my training, sleep, and food consistent, my stack includes a full “no rules” day. It's a release valve from the constant “shoulds” and a protected time to wander, follow a random curiosity, or try something new. So, it's not about structure 𝗢𝗥 spontaneity, but building a stack is both discipline 𝗔𝗡𝗗 psychological richness. Longevity protocols love rigid routines, but a life without surprises is a poor trade for a longer one.

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗼𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝗱. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗚𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗲𝗿. First, no supplement has been proven to extend longevity (that I can find). But let's say you've done your homework. You've done baseline testing and know areas where you might be deficient. You've read the studies on different molecules that "might" help with healthspan. You've weighed the pros and cons, the tradeoffs and the risks. And you've decided you want to take "Supplement X." Now what? Well then it was another rabbit hole of trying to find one that was high quality, within your budget, shipped in your country, at the dosage you wanted, was vegan, didn't contain a bunch of additives.... you get the idea. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗚𝗣𝗧 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴. New tools like ChatGPT Shopping can make this a lot easier. You can ask it to find “third-party tested, evidence-aligned, minimal-additive, specific dose” options and calculate cost per day. My friend Lauren writes a nice post on using ChatGPT Shopping here: buff.ly/6eIx4Yd (If stacks are your thing, I am building more tools at WellStackedLife.com.)

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝗳 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗱𝗿𝘂𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗮𝘁 𝟰𝟱, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝟳𝟱? Some of you might be familiar with the National Institute of Health's Intervention Testing Protocol (ITP). It's often referred to as the "gold standard" in mouse longevity studies. And while it's only mouse data, it has inspired a few risk takers to try the successful life extension interventions themselves. But I saw a new twist. An interesting Nature paper re-analyzed 42 “anti-aging” drugs and found 𝗺𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. Some were helpful only in early or mid-life. A few actually flipped from protective to harmful as animals got older. Others helped males while hurting females. On a standard survival curve, you don't see that nuance. It makes sense that timing could matter. HRT might be appropriate when you're older but not when you're younger. Statins might be more effective at saving your life when started early for prevention versus after you've had a heart attack. Longevity isn’t just 𝘸𝘩𝘢𝘵 is in your stack. It’s 𝘢𝘭𝘴𝘰 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 and 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 it works. buff.ly/c8ejD9U

𝗜𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗹𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻... 𝗼𝗿 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀' 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆? Look, I get it, you have 15 minutes per appointment, the waiting room is full, and a patient arrives with a 6-page LLM printout that ignores context, comorbidities, and tradeoffs. You carry the legal and ethical responsibility if something goes wrong, and a chatbot doesn't have to sign off on the treatment plan. 𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝘂𝘀 𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆. 𝗔𝗻𝗱, 𝘄𝗲'𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸. We are going to research, prompt and ask questions, whether the profession likes it or not. So, what looks like help? How can patients retain their agency and maximize that 15 minutes with you?

𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐜𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬. You wake up late, skip the workout, eat whatever’s in reach, forget the supplements, and scroll past the bedtime you promised yourself. The version of you who wants a longer, healthier life messed up. 𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐨𝐤𝐚𝐲. That day is behind you, and it's been written. Today is a blank page. One walk, one meal, one small habit you get back to is you picking up the pen again. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧. What’s the first line you want to write into today?

𝐈 𝐰𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐝𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬, 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬. There are tactics that repeat and wild differences, but even if I could decide what to copy and what to ignore, nothing in those lists explains how to stay motivated or disciplined to follow it. Or fit it into a real life with limited time, money, and energy. 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 “𝐡𝐨𝐰” 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐮𝐩 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐈 𝐛𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐧 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐒𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: interviews with longevity doctors who are also busy professionals and parents, each trying to solve their own constraints. If you want to see what it looks like when real people make their stacks actually work, explore the Stack Stories on the WellStackedLife blog. What works for you to stay on track with your stack of daily habits and tools for longevity?

Brain health might be hiding in plain sight. Study of 10,893 adults 70+ reported lower dementia risk among regular music listeners. Observational not causal. But easy to build music into routines you already do, like cooking or cleanup. So, why not?

I spent years at P&G looking at data on products that genuinely improve the appearance of aging skin. Now I look at 100+ longevity stacks and see a different pattern: heavy focus on sleep, exercise, and nutrition; almost no explicit skin care beyond collagen, hyaluronic acid, or the occasional cream. It’s as if beauty culture and longevity culture are running two separate experiments on the same face. Which experiment are you running, and what does your skin say about how well your stack is working?

The American College of Clinical Pharmacology issues Position Statement: “Risks and Benefits for Sirolimus in Aging Prevention” rapamycin.news/t/the-american… @mkaeberlein

Most people treat “skin care” as something you buy in a bottle. Yet poor sleep is linked to faster intrinsic skin aging, weaker barrier function, and slower recovery. Exercise trials show older adults can rebuild collagen and elasticity. Nutrition studies tie higher vitamin C and olive oil (and lower sugar) to fewer wrinkles. Maybe the most powerful skin routine is eight hours, a training plan, and a sane diet. What would your skin look like if you treated those as seriously as your night cream?

A free brain tool sits in your kitchen speaker. In a cohort of adults 70+ (n=10,893), regular music listening was linked to a 39% lower dementia risk. Observational, not causal; confounding likely from education and social engagement. But still, a pretty low risk, easy habit to add.

Longevity stacks of risk takers often chase drugs like rapamycin and senolytics. But how about chasing emerging new psychological tools for longevity? Psychological richness could be one: novel, complex, perspective-changing experiences. Not proven for longer life yet, but it links to cognitive reserve and social ties that we do know are good for longevity. And anyway, it would make what life you do have more interesting!

What does “enough” exercise look like in real life? Meeting the Usual Minimum Guidelines: 5×30 min brisk walks or 3×25 min steady runs per week. Top end for all cause mortality risk? Two to four times that. Beyond that, more hours rarely cut all-cause mortality further. Study: buff.ly/jourO0T

Paradoxically, consistent stacks and routines create creative bandwidth. When training, sleep, and meals run on auto-pilot, you free up the rest of your time, mental energy and attention for more creative pursuits. That's space for psychological richness: a beginner class, a new neighborhood walk, a new volunteer gig.

As someone who worked in consumer goods marketing, you don’t change your packaging radically overnight. If you your goal is to bring the broader population around to anti-death (which I agree with), you have to bring them down a path of steps they can relate to. Healthspan is a proactive step in a world where most people don’t even look after their health basics.

the healthspan narrative is the single worst thing to ever happen to the longevity field yearning for acceptance, a field that was once about curing aging and living indefinitely has become a field indistinguishable from general health and wellness the greatest danger is that it has given the illusion that the field is growing, but the truth is that it is more stagnant than ever - radical science is not being funded, we are no closer to even defining aging let alone solving it, and the field has become obsessed with diet, supplements, and exercise transhumanists have largely been silenced, and words like forever, curing, immortality, and even lifespan have been exiled and labeled as anti-scientific "but doesn't healthspan extension lead to lifespan extension?" absolutely not it does not matter how much you optimize your kale smoothie, how well you sleep, how much you exercise... the results are negligible and you will still reach the maximum human lifespan and die even more radical interventions that are meant to increase healthspan will not move the needle on maximum lifespan: these are two vastly different areas of science broader acceptance does nothing for us if we taint the mission - healthspan is not a path to lifespan, it is a dead end there is only one shot at overcoming aging in our lifetimes, and that is to wage war on death through decades of well-funded, radical moonshots to increase human lifespan and cure the disease of aging the goal is not to just live healthier in our older years, the goal is not to "age well", the goal is to stop aging entirely and stop fucking dying there is only pro-death and anti-death, and you will clearly find which side of that most healthspanners are on reject the healthspan narrative, reject anyone that tells you death is inevitable do not change the mission and with it the science just to be more easily palatable; death is the enemy and we must stick to this truth let me be clear: if this narrative does not change, cryonics is the only hope for anyone alive today

Aging science might hit your vet before your doctor. Loyal is testing a pill (LOY-002) to help senior dogs live better for longer. It's passed the FDA for "reasonable expectation of effectiveness" and a long, real-world study is underway. The endpoint measures include lifespan (obviously) frailty and quality of life. If you saw a drug proven to extend the healthy lives of dogs, would that make you think differently about the prospect for an anti-aging drug in humans?

Recovery doesn't just happens in a cold plunge tub. It happens in your head. Do you ever hear gym bro's talking about meditation or journaling? A big question to ask about your stack is whether you are recovering your mental nervous system with the same intention as recovering your muscle.

20 years ago, measuring fat and carbohydrate oxidation rates in the lab with elite athletes, I began recommending 80–100 g/h of carbohydrate intake during endurance events. At the time, this was considered impossible according to the existing scientific consensus and I faced strong criticism for it as it was a crazy concept… 15 years ago, I started implementing up to 125 g/h, this time without saying much. Now, two decades later, new research confirms that athletes can indeed oxidize around 120 g/h which I was already observing in the lab and applying to endurance athletes many years ago. It’s fascinating to see how science evolves. Sometimes what’s called “impossible” simply needs time to be understood… journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.115…