Read time: 8 minutes

At 53, my fitness tracker says I’m biologically 43.3 years old. That’s not luck—it’s a series of lifestyle habits I’ve studied, experimented with, and maintained, in action.

When Whoop recently launched their healthspan feature calculating “Whoop Age”—a science-backed look at how your daily habits impact your long-term health—I wasn’t surprised by my results. My health has been a non-negotiable priority for over a decade. The data simply confirmed what I already knew: the right habits don’t just maintain your health as you age—they can reverse your biological clock.

I want to take full advantage of my 50s and 60s. Freedom and motivation are core to who I am. I don’t intend to lose either. That would be like losing myself, which sounds like a life I don’t want.

Why I Choose Data-Driven Health: From Fitbit to Whoop

My fitness tracker history dates back to 2013 when I purchased my first Fitbit. Who else had the Fitbit that clipped on to your waistband? I wore a Fitbit for a decade before switching to Whoop in 2023. I learned I was motivated by health data—in those early days it was steps.

Why did I choose Whoop? It ranked higher in online reviews than other devices. While Oura ranked as well or slightly higher on sleep data, it didn’t rank nearly as well on fitness data. Fitness and sleep data are equally important to me in a device.

4 Key Habits That Drive My Healthspan Success

I’ve consumed hours, weeks, days, and months of health information from well-respected, peer-reviewed, credentialed experts, including medical doctors and nutrition researchers with decades-long careers. I’ve been experimenting with my diet and habits since my 20s. I focus on what works, not the latest headline. This is how I’m getting results.

I implemented these habits in a specific order because each one enables the next:

Habit 1: Plant-Based Nutrition (The Foundation)

Plant-based nutrition is my health foundation—and the results speak for themselves. After transitioning to a fully plant-based diet in my early 40s, I eliminated chronic acne that had plagued me since middle school, achieved sustainable weight management, and built the consistent energy levels that fuel everything I do. Having “bad skin” was tough on my self-esteem for decades, so finally seeing clear skin was life-changing.

My journey to plant-based eating was gradual. I stopped eating meat in my 20s, driven by concern for environmental factors that increase risk for chronic illnesses like cancer. When I moved to California in my late 20s, I removed dairy after reading the book Total Health Makeover. I went through an off-and-on phase with cheese in my 30s before removing dairy for good and becoming pescetarian—plants plus fish. Finally, in my early 40s, I decided to try removing fish and eating exclusively plants.

Plant-based stuck because I loved the results. I’ve now been plant-based for a decade, eating mostly whole foods with some minimally processed options.

With my nutritional foundation solid, I turned my attention to optimizing how my body transports those nutrients to cells.

Habit 2: Strategic Hydration (The Simple Multiplier)

Don’t sleep on hydration. Like anything else, it’s a new habit to develop, but proper hydration amplifies the benefits of everything else you do for your health—better nutrient absorption, improved energy, clearer thinking, and enhanced recovery.

My approach is straightforward: I aim for about 90 ounces of water daily. That’s three 32-ounce mason jars filled to the top. I also get high-quality hydration from raw fruits and vegetables, which may explain why I crave raw vegetables.

Yes, this will increase your bathroom trips. It’s worth it. If you’re sitting for long periods, think of getting up as an opportunity to move your body—something most of us could use more of anyway.

Nutrition and proper hydration set the stage for the next critical piece: sleep optimization.

Habit 3: Quality Sleep (The Accelerator)

After I dialed in my diet, I moved on to paying closer attention to my sleep. Using a device like Whoop makes this possible. If you don’t use a device, pay attention to how you feel when using sleep hygiene best practices—including going to bed earlier, consistent bed and wake times, and putting down all devices viewed at close proximity to your face at least 1 hour before bed—and when not using these habits.

What we eat, especially at dinner and closer to bed, impacts our sleep. So it naturally follows that starting with diet can have a positive effect on sleep.

Quality sleep gave me the energy and recovery capacity to tackle the final amplifier: consistent movement.

Get my complete 14-strategy sleep optimization system in Sleep by Design: Your Blueprint for Deeper, More Restorative Sleep—the exact methods I use to consistently achieve 3-4+ hours of restorative sleep nightly.

Habit 4: Consistent Movement (The Amplifier)

I achieved most of my health goals—biomarkers like cholesterol and glucose in optimal ranges, weight management, menopause management, energy levels, and mood stability—through diet alone. Before committing to Bar Method in September 2022, I was getting 7,000-10,000 steps daily and taking yoga classes once or twice a week. Taking six Bar Method classes per week for the last 2.5 years represents the most consistent exercise I’ve ever maintained.

The results have been measurable. Based on Whoop data, I’ve lowered my resting heart rate and increased my heart rate variability—both key indicators of cardiovascular health. I initially lost a few pounds I didn’t realize were “loseable.” Now I’m focused on building lean muscle mass and maintaining bone density, which means my weight may increase by a few pounds—and that’s exactly what I want. I research appropriate weight ranges for my height (5’1″) to ensure my goals are evidence-based rather than arbitrary.

What This Means for Your Health Strategy

Your chronological age is not the full story. Health resources like Whoop provide greater insight into our key health metrics and the behaviors that lead to better, or worse, healthspan outcomes.

Can access to data increase the odds you’ll build and maintain healthy lifestyle habits? There’s only one way to find out.

Start where you are. I got results from focusing on my diet, then my sleep, then increasing my movement beyond walking.

Ready to build your own systematic approach to health? The habits that gave me a 9.8-year biological age advantage didn’t happen overnight—they’re the result of strategic, evidence-based choices sustained over time. If you’re ready to create your personalized health optimization plan, book a free consultation call where we’ll identify the highest-impact changes for your lifestyle and goals.

Thanks for reading! Ready to bridge the gap between knowing and doing? Get weekly health insights you won’t find anywhere else—subscribe to You Are What You Read and start turning evidence into action.

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References & Additional Reading

Hydration and Cognitive Performance:

• Benton, D., & Young, H. A. (2015). Effects of hydration status on cognitive performance and mood. British Journal of Nutrition, 111(10), 1841-1852. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24480458/
• Liska, D., Mah, E., Brisbois, T., et al. (2019). Narrative review of hydration and selected health outcomes in the general population. Nutrients, 11(1), 70. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6356561/
• Schmitt, J. A., Benton, D., & Kallus, K. W. (2005). Water intake reverses dehydration associated impaired executive function in healthy young women. Physiology & Behavior, 85(5), 598-612. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938417304572

Hydration and Nutrient Transport:

• Mayo Clinic Health System. Water: Essential to your body. https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/water-essential-to-your-body-video

Heart Rate Variability and Health Indicators:

• Harvard Health Publishing. (2024). Heart rate variability: How it might indicate well-being. Harvard Medical School. https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/heart-rate-variability-new-way-track-well-2017112212789
• Cleveland Clinic. (2025). Heart Rate Variability (HRV): What It Is and How You Can Track It. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/symptoms/21773-heart-rate-variability-hrv
• Shaffer, F., & Ginsberg, J. P. (2017). An overview of heart rate variability metrics and norms. Frontiers in Public Health, 5, 258. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00258/full

Plant-Based Nutrition and Health Benefits:

• Herpich, C., Müller-Werdan, U., & Norman, K. (2022). Role of plant-based diets in promoting health and longevity. Maturitas, 165, 47-51. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35914402/
• McMacken, M., & Shah, S. (2017). A plant-based diet for the prevention and treatment of type 2 diabetes. Journal of Geriatric Cardiology, 14(5), 342-354. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3662288/
• Key, T. J. (2021). Plant-based diets and long-term health: findings from the EPIC-Oxford study. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 81(2), 190-198. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7613518/
• Kim, H., Caulfield, L. E., Garcia-Larsen, V., et al. (2019). Healthy plant-based diets are associated with lower risk of all-cause mortality in US adults. Journal of Nutrition, 149(4), 624-631. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29659968/

Sleep and Health:

• For comprehensive sleep optimization strategies, see: “Quality Sleep Isn’t Luck, The Habits That Change Everything” (referenced in post)

Additional Resources:

American College of Lifestyle Medicine. (2025). The Benefits of Plant-Based Nutrition: Longevity and Quality of Life. https://lifestylemedicine.org/articles/benefits-plant-based-nutrition-longevity/

This post does not constitute medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider regarding your specific health needs.

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