I’ve spent the past three (going on four!) decades trying my best to live a healthyish lifestyle. Some years my “best” looked like throwing protocols to the wind, and, in others, it meant pushing harder (sometimes too hard 😬—like my 6-pack in 6-weeks challenge).

Along the way, I’ve had to wrestle with things outside my control—like carrying one APOE4 allele (which doubles my Alzheimer’s risk 😕)—and things more in my hands, like fluctuating weight and persistent back problems.

I’ve tinkered, tested, and gone down more research rabbit holes than I can count. In some ways, my health journey has felt like trying to find the best smoothie recipe—always adding, swapping, and playing with different amounts (and kinds!) of protein. 

Through it all, I’ve also been focused on making healthyish living more accessible for everyone by supporting the companies working to do just that. Sharing what I’ve learned along the way feels like a natural extension of that mission—and so does supporting these companies. (And, yes, sometimes there will be affiliate links, but that doesn't affect my judgement in any way.)

So whether you’re deep into your own health optimization or just putting the routines together—here’s my current protocol for healthyish living.

-Derek

*I’ll keep this update and continue to share more protocols in my weekly 5HT. Subscribe if you haven’t already!

Table of Contents

Morning routine

Yes, I’m one of those people who wakes up at 5am. 😅 But I fully get it's not for everyone. It just works for me, personally 🤷. Annnd here’s what that looks like: 

  • 🌅 5:15am: Wake up

  • 👴 5:15-5:30am: Back exercises 

  • 🧘‍♂️ 5:30-5:45am: 10-minute meditation (used to use Headspace, now I do this solo)

  • 💻 5:45-7:00am: “Eat the frog” deep work, paired with my trusty Costco cold brew when trying to get my protein up—plus starting with 20 mins of my sun lamp, the Northern Light Boxelite).

  • 👨‍👩‍👧 7:00-8:00am: Family time (making breakfast for the family, plus helping them get ready for school). I currently eat for breakfast a whole carton of egg whites (50ish grams of protein), chopped up veggies, whatever spices I feel like that day, and sauerkraut or kimchi on top. If this sounds gross to you, imagine how my kids feel (they get something else).

  • 🏋️‍♂️ 8:00-9:00am: Workout in my home gym (not fancy), unless I’m rock climbing or working out with a friend!

  • 💊 9:00-9:30am: Get ready (including skincare and morning supplements), put on my big boy microplastics-free merino wool underwear (from Woolly, my fave brand), and start the rest of my day!

Evening routine

I’m currently embarking on a new health quest to DOUBLE my restorative sleep time, making my evening routine super critical. Here’s what I’m doing to improve my sleep:

🙊 6:45pm: Stop eating 

(This is hard with social stuff, so I try to do this when possible.)

🧘 9:15-9:45pm: The Wind Down

  • Stop working…and start stretching! I foam roll (using the least intense TriggerPoint roller) and recently added these Chirp wheels to my routine.

  • Get ready for bed, including my evening supplement stack (including Apigenin, Theanine, Glycine, and Magnesium Glycinate) and skincare routine.

  • Avoid blue light by putting my phone on the charger in my closet, away from bed. I then talk to my wife, read a book, or journal and write in my notebook.

😴 9:45pm: Lights Out

  • Turn on my white noise machine (we have a LectroFan in every bedroom) or the aptly named White Noise app on the iPhone when traveling.Get into bed. I’ve been using a buckwheat pillow for my neck (I buy them from Hullo and haven’t looked back) and an Eight Sleep pod for temperature control. (I run hot, and my wife runs cold, shocker.)

  • Put in my retainer (to prevent teeth grinding) and Ozlo Sleepbuds (pricey but amazing earplugs PLUS white noise).

  • Don my Manta Pro Sleep Mask (a new addition I'm reallyyyy happy with—and wrote about here). I’ve tried many of them and it’s definitely the best sleep mask out there.

  • Fall asleep. It usually takes me 15 minutes. Lately, I’ve been trying this technique called Cognitive Shuffling—coming up with three random words that come to mind for every letter in the alphabet. (Thanks to 5HT+ member, Cory Z., for the rec!)

Anti-inflammatory

You’ve heard about it. You’ve felt it. You might… even be inflamed right now.

Inflammation is one of this year’s biggest health buzzwords—but it’s wayyy more than that. Three in four Americans now have at least one chronic condition (!), and growing research suggests inflammation could sit at the root of nearly all of them. Big deal, big ramifications, big opportunities.

For me, it’s personal. I have allergies from hell, a history of elevated heart markers, Alzheimer’s in my family, and a super duper cranky back. But this year, I actually found some relief. After changing a few things, my back pain, itchy eyes, stuffy nose, and even my biomarkers all chilled out. That sent me down a rabbit hole—annnd led to my Special Report on what inflammation is, why it flares up, and how to cool it down.

If you think inflammation only flares up when you’re sick or sore, think again. The real triggers surprised me—and it turns out they show up in more parts of life (and the body) than you’d expect.

The good news: There are science-backed ways to cool your internal flames 🔥. Based on months of research (and years of living inflamed), here’s a look at the levers I’m pulling to stop the burn:

  • 🥦 Eating an anti-inflammatory diet. What you eat can either fuel or fight it the first. A few basics do a lot of the heavy lifting.

  • ♻️ Reducing microplastic exposure. Out of sight doesn’t mean out of (immune) system—but small swaps can lower a big, invisible burden.

  • 🏃‍♂️ Exercising regularly. Think burning off inflammation > burning calories. (And it doesn’t require anything fancy, either.)

  • 🧘 Managing stress. Your immune system can’t chill if you don’t, and I’ve built playtime into my chill time.

  • 😴 Prioritizing sleep. Sleep basically acts like your body’s overnight trainer, and a few new tools are helping me strengthen my weak spot.

  • 🥵 Harnessing heat therapy. Sweating in the sauna can actually cool your body down. Ironic, I know!

  • 💊 Microdosing GLP-1s. Turns out, “weight-loss drugs” may cool more than cravings.

  • ⚕️Checking my baselines. I track a specific blood marker so small sparks don’t burn me out. (See which one in this Special Report, just saying).

At-home fitness

I workout from home ~3x/week. You might be thinking this 👇

But I actually transformed a third of my garage into my home gym (though, yes, we still park our car there 😅). 

Here’s what I’ve got inside (including a bunch of relatively inexpensive fitness gear that's brought me more joy than I expected):

Cold-prevention

Whenever I get that first tingle in my throat, I go into prevention mode immediately because I do not want to get sick 🙅. Here’s a look at cold-prevention protocol to fight off the sniffles.

  • 🥷 First: Lotsss of hydration. Water, obviously—but I also get some evening ginger tea with honey on.

  • 🥷 Next: Zinc lozenge. Some research suggests zinc may reduce cold duration by ~2.25 days. I use Cold-EEZE (easy to find basically anywhere). For me, these lozenges replace that telltale tingle with numbness.

  • 🥷 Then: Vitamin C and Echinacea. These are like a littleee more proven to fill in the gaps in your immune system. Vitamin C supplementation, especially, can reduce cold duration by ~8% in adults (12% in kids). I take Priority One Bio Vegetarian Immune System Support—a family reco—which includes the above and more. 

  • 🥷 After that: Propolis. I’ve been going deep on this one. Propolis is a natural compound bees produce, and early research indicates antiviral effects against respiratory tract infections. I get it mostly in a throat spray, but it comes in a bunchhh of different forms (even lollipops for the kiddos).

  • 🥷 Don’t forget: Chicken soup. A classic for a reason…

  • 🥷 And of course: Sleep. This one’s obvious… but still my weak spot. Sleep is basically a natural immunity fighter, and longer sleep is actually associated with better cold prevention.

This stack is generally solid—and definitely effective anecdotally. It’s a little more Grandma science 👵 than science, science 🧑‍🔬, but it works for me.

Longevity

Here’s a look at everythinggg I’m doing to live a longer, more healthyish life. 😌

Diagnostics & Tracking

You can’t improve what you don’t measure—buuut you also don’t need to test everything. These are the ones that matter most to me for catching issues early.

Clinical Interventions 

These are the providers that keep me proactive, not reactive.

Wearables & Home Devices

These help me translate my daily behavior into data—and that data into better decisions.

Recovery, Regeneration, & Cognitive/Brain Health

My longevity plan is only as good as my recovery routine, and this one’s a WIP.

  • Theragun and Therm Back LED from Thereabody to uncrank my cranky back.

  • AustinDeep for monthly massages and super deep-tissue body work.

  • Physical therapy to strengthen my back.

  • Finnish sauna wherever and whenever I can find one (until my wife agrees on an at-home one).

  • Daily 10-minute hacks: 

    • Meditation. (Started with Headspace, now do it on my own.)

    • NYT Crossword. (I set a timer!)

    • Early morning sun for that Vitamin D. 

  • Annnd I’m constantly trying to learn new skills and be creative for neuroplasticity. A lot of what I tap into comes from these: 👇

Communities & Content

Longevity isn’t a solo pursuit. There’s so much to learn from people shaping the field—and these are my go-to resources.

Food & Nutrition

If longevity starts anywhere, it’s in the gut. I do my best to eat whole foods that make my body happy, add supplements that fill the gaps, and track what helps me feel my best.

  • I eat as close to a Mediterranean Diet as possible, but don’t really follow any “diet” per se.

  • Supplements (see my full stack below)

  • MyFitnessPal for calorie and macro tracking (though I am getting into Alma, too!)

  • I take a tablespoon of Bryan Johnson’s Snake Oil EVOO for daily antioxidant and nutrient support (and to make my supplements absorb better)

  • My weight loss protocol below to reduce body weight

Fitness, Training, and Mobility

Movement is medicine—and a big part of my longevity plan. I doo most of it right at home (or, more accurately, my garage). See my at-home fitness protocol above for the breakdown!

  • I do 3-4 days of weight training per week.

  • I play tennis and/or swim at least 1-2 days per week (cardio).

  • I rock climb every week.

  • I’m regularly working to improve my grip strength and balance training.

  • I have not gotten a VO₂ max test, but intend to!

Productivity

I  workout and work from home. Here’s everything I use in my home office to keep me feeling sharp 😌.

  • Costco Tresanti Gellar Standing Desk. Basically my ride or die. 🤜🤛 Have had it for years and huge fan.

  • Walking Pad. Helps me crank through work (wrote about it here). Mine’s still sold out, but here’s what seems like a solid alternative.

  • Herman Miller Aeron Chair. I alternate walking and sitting. When I sit, it’s in this: The ergonomic gold standard of office chairs IMO. ⭐

  • Woozoo Fan + Dreo Space Heater. My personal microclimate control system.

  • Google Fiber. Recently installed and already can’t live without. (FWIW, it kicks Spectrum’s ass. Sorry, not sorry. 😬)

  • Northern Light Technologies Boxelite. I flip this on when I first start working to jump-start my circadian rhythm (wrote about it here).

  • ThinkPad X1 Laptop. I'm veryyy proud of my PC usage instead of a Mac. I like how light it is and that I can break and fix it. (Fun fact: I used to hack computers for gaming as a kid 🎮. As you might guess, I was very cool at parties.)

  • iPhone 15 Pro. I concede to Apple on this one.

  • WXHF Adhesive Cord Clips. Seeing the back of my desk look organized vs. 🍝 is a tiny upgrade that makes a biggg difference. These are the exact clips I use after trying a zillion of them that didn’t stick. 

  • AirPod Pro 2 (x2). I use one for my phone and one for my laptop, so I don’t have to switch back and forth. Sounds fancy, but honestly, game-changing. 

  • Yamazaki Racks. I used to use books 📚 to lift my laptop to eye level, but splurged for these nice-looking racks. Affordable posture hack! 

  • Dell Monitor. Clutch for scheduling or having two things up at once.

  • Dodecagon Time Ball. Use these fun desk timers to gamify my productivity. Wrote about them here in January and still use ‘um!

  • Moleskine Journal. Sometimes you just need a pen and paper. (I’ve got a dozen with notes from my entire professional life.) I’m a plain guy, not a ruled guy.

  • Blackwing Pencils, Cover (“Point Guard”), and Sharpener. Borderline religious about these pencils ✏️. Don’t @ me.

  • Oh, and my Bonsai Tree! (Full story on why I can no longer have a real one 🥲 here.)

Supplements

Before I get into this stack, you should know: I'm probably taking too many 😅. I go through phases of trying a lot, then reducing to just the essentials. Partly because supplements are expensive and partly because the areas I’m prioritizing evolve. 

Like, right now, what matters to me is: Great sleep, cognition, digestive health, and longevity. And yes, ideally, we’d get most of our nutrients from food. But, unfortunately, we live in an era where the nutritional value of our food has gone way downhill 📉. 

So, I do believe supplementation makes sense to help fill in gaps, and these are the ones helping me cover the bases I care most about:

☀️ Morning supplement stack:

  • 2x Seed Health Daily Synbiotic for gut health & digestion (see here for more)

  • 2x Thorne Super EPA Pro 1,300mg EPA and 320mg DHA

  • 3x Thorne Methyl-Guard Plus for energy, mood, and cognition

    • 90mg Riboflavin

    • 45mg Vitamin B6

    • 5mg DFE Folate

    • 3mg Vitamin B12 (as Methlycoblamain)

    • 1.8g of Betaine Anhydrous

  • 3x 100mg Momentous Ubiquinol CoQ10 for cellular energy & heart (and as a complement to taking a statin)

  • 2x 50mcg Momentous Vitamin D3 2000 IU for mood, bone, and immunity

  • 1x 100 mcg NOW Vitamin K2 (MK-7) to make sure Vitamin D3 gets to bones

  • 1x packet of Morning Water for energy production, hydration/electrolytes, nervous system balance, and some focus.

    • 5g Creatine

    • 800mg Sodium (as French Grey Sea Salt)

    • 1,640mg Chloride (from French Grey Sea Salt, Potassium Chloride, ConcenTrace AC)

    • 85mg Magnesium (as Magesium Malate, Magnesium Glycinate)

    • 60mg Calcium

    • 30mg Phosphorus

    • 400mg Potassium

    • 2g L-Taurine

    • 1g Glycine

    • 200mg L-Theanine

    • 120mg Coconut Water Powder

    • 100mg Ionic Trace Minerals (ConcenTrace AC)

  • 1× 5g Thorne Creatine (to get to 10g of Creatine/day)

  • 1x Tbsp of EVOO (I’ve talked a lot about the magic of EVOO—like here and here—and in this case it actually boosts nutrient absorption. My fave is Kosterina Everyday).

🥱 Afternoon boost (this all goes in my smoothie):

🌙 Evening supplement stack:

Oh, I also use this Weekly XL Vitamin Case from Ikagai, which just so happens to be one of the most clicked-products in 5HT history  👀. 

My favorite part of the case is the lid—it slides until you reach your desired day and then clicks into place. It’s incredibly satisfying to open and close (kinda like the feeling you got when closing your Razr phone in the early 2000s). 

Are they pricier than other vitamin cases? Sure. Do you really need a vitamin case? Probably not. But is it one of the products I'm digging the most right now? Absolutely.

Skincare

Obviously, skincare is personal—it depends on your skin type, age, gender, climate, and about a million other things. But maybe a few of mine will help you build (or tweak) your routine. (Also, apparently, only 39% of men have a skincare routine. Do better, men.) 

This is what I use, but if anyone knows what Paul Rudd is using, please report back immediately.

🌞 Morning Skincare

🌚 Evening Skincare

FWIW, of all of these, I’m especially obsessed with CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream. It smells really good, and it’s one of my favorite things.

Weight loss

I went on a weight loss journey in 2025, which you can read about here. This is an abridged version of the steps I took to lose weight, gain muscle, and take back my well-being.

  • 1️⃣ Started tracking calories and macros with MyFitnessPal. (Fun fact: Research shows individuals who keep daily food records lose 2x as much weight as those who don’t.) 

  • 2️⃣ Began tracking everything else, including sleep and recovery, using my Oura ring and WHOOP. (Yes, both. A little overkill, but helpful, IMO.) 

  • 3️⃣ Committed HARD to protein, eating 200g+ per day. This was incredibly hard for me to do at first, but I eventually got there. (Here’s what I ate.)

  • 4️⃣ Revamped my workout routine. I started weight training 3x/week, rock climbing 1x/week, playing tennis with my wife 1x/week, and 1-2x short weekly sessions with my (very low impact) VersaClimber. 

  • 5️⃣ Fueled up with other add-ons. I ate fermented food, took Seed Health probiotics daily, took an EVOO shot every morning with my supplements, did back and hip stretches every AM, and foam rolled every PM. 

  • 6️⃣ Attempted to improve my sleep. Tbh, still working on this one.

For an expanded version, check out this thread on X.

📝 Change log 

  • Added 1x Thorne 5g Creatine back in to get to 10g of Creatine (03/2026)

  • Swapped out 1x Supergut GLP-1 Booster Unflavored for 1x Momentous Fiber+ (03/2026)

  • Added 1x 100 mcg NOW Vitamin K2 (MK-7) back and stopped 1x Toku (02/2026)

  • Upgraded from 1x to 2× 125mg Magenesium Glycinate (02/2026)

  • Added 1x Morning Water and stopped 1× 5mg Thorne Creatine (01/2026)

  • Upgraded from 1x to 2x 50mcg Momentous Vitamin D3 2000 IU (10/2025)

  • Upgraded from 2x Thorne Super EPA 425mg EPA and 270mg DHA to 2x Thorne Super EPA Pro 1,300mg EPA and 320mg DHA (10/2025)

  • Upgraded from 1x Nootropics Depot Infini-B Capsules to 3x Thorne Methyl-Guard Plus® since I've got the MTHFR gene (10/2025)

  • Increased from 1x to 3x Momentous Ubiquinol (300mg)

  • Stopped 2x Veracity Metabolism Ignite (10/2025) because trying to cut down on supps.

  • Decided to stop 2x 1000mg Momentous Turmeric (as Meriva) when out due to price/trying to cut down.

  • Stopped 1x 15mg Thorne Zinc Picolinate (stopped 10/2025) for cycling purposes

  • Stopped 1x Blueprint Blueberry Nut Mix due to price (stopped 10/2025)

  • Stopped 2x 250mg Nootropics Depot Cognizin (CDP-Choline) Citicoline Capsules (500mg total) because trying to cut stuff for kidney (09/2025)

  • Stopped Nutrex BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin because trying to cut stuff for kidney (09/2025)

  • Removed PRÉS protein coffee from morning routine due to gut stuff (09/2025)

  • Removed Daylight Computer from evening routine, haven't been able to commit here (09/2025)

  • Added Rep Fitness BlackWing Adjustable Bench & PR-5000 Rack to my home gym (09/2025)

  • PaleoFiber (stopped 08/2025)

  • Snake Oil EVOO (started 08/2025)

  • Blueprint Blueberry Nut Mix to smoothie (started 08/2025)

  • Supergut GLP-1 Booster to smoothie (started 08/2025)

  • Veracity Metabolism Ignite (started 08/2025)

  • Nutrex BioAstin Hawaiian Astaxanthin (started 07/2025)

  • Thorne Zinc Picolinate (started 07/2025)

  • Toku (started 07/2025)

  • Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glycinate (started 07/2025)

  • Momentous Magtein AM vs. PM (moved 07/2025)

  • Momentous Acetyl L-Carnitine HCL (stopped 07/2025)

  • Nootropics Depot Smart PS™ Phosphatidylserine (stopped 07/2025)

  • NOW Vitamin K2 (stopped 07/2025)

  • Nootropics Depot Lion's Mane Mushroom 8:1 (stopped 07/2025)

  • GLP-1/tirzepatide (took last dose on 7/18/2025)

  • Pendulum Akkermansia (stopped 06/2025)

  • Pendulum Glucose Control (stopped 06/2025)

  • Chicory Inulin (stopped 06/2025)

  • Agent Nateur holi (mane) (stopped 06/2025)

  • Mara Labs Broc Elite Plus Stabilized Sulphorate (stopped 06/2025)

  • Broccoli Seed Complex (including PEITC, Iberin, BITC & AITC) (stopped 06/2025)

  • Mara Labs Broc Elite Plus Stabilized Sulphorate (started 04/2025)

  • Fatty15 C15:0 (started 04/2025)

  • Himalayan Tartary Buckwheat Sprout Powder (started 04/2025)

  • Agent Nateur holi (mane) for hair, skin, & nails (started 04/2025)

  • Timeline Mitopure Urolithin A Softgels (started 03/2025)

  • Thorne Theanine (started 03/2025)

  • Thorne Glycine (started 03/2025)

  • Momentous Apigenin (started 03/2025)

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