Dr. David Sinclair

What He Eats to Stay Focused and Healthy

Wake-Up Routine

  • Regularly wakes up early each day.
  • Starts the morning by addressing emails from bed.
  • Takes a brief shower to kickstart the day.

6:30–7:00 a.m.: Dental Hygiene

Dr. David Sinclair emphasizes the importance of maintaining excellent dental hygiene, incorporating both non-toxic toothpaste and coconut oil pulling into his routine for a safe and natural approach to oral care.

Dr. David Sinclair on Coconut Oil Pulling:

“I’ll start by rinsing my mouth with coconut oil—pulling it—that improves my mouth microbiome.”

Coconut Oil Pulling Benefits:

  • Enhances oral health by reducing harmful bacteria, preventing gingivitis, and freshening breath.
  • May contribute to teeth whitening and the removal of stains.
  • Potential benefits for detoxification, improved skin complexion, and anti-inflammatory effects, although more research is needed to confirm these benefits.

Dr. David Sinclair on Toothpaste Choices:

“I brush my teeth with non-toxic toothpaste.”

Benefits of Non-Toxic Toothpaste:

  • Gentle on teeth and gums, making it ideal for individuals with sensitive oral health.
  • Free from harmful chemicals such as parabens, sulfates, and artificial dyes, reducing potential health risks.
  • Environmentally conscious, with eco-friendly packaging, benefiting both oral and environmental health.
  • Allergy-friendly, featuring reduced synthetic ingredients and ensuring safety for children and those with sensitivities.

7:00 – 8:00 a.m.

Nutrient-Rich Yogurt Mix

Dr. David Sinclair’s homemade yogurt is a powerhouse of health, carefully curated with a blend of select ingredients. Here’s a concise breakdown of what goes into his yogurt mix:

Ingredients:

  • Resveratrol: Renowned for its potential health benefits and found in red wine and various fruits, aligns with Dr. David Sinclair’s mission to reverse aging.
  • Olive Oil: Renowned for its heart-healthy properties, olive oil is a vital component of his yogurt mix.
  • Probiotics: Champions of gut health, make an essential contribution to this blend.
  • NMN Supplements: NMN (Nicotinamide Mononucleotide) supplements, a noteworthy addition in Dr. David Sinclair’s regimen, are celebrated for their potential anti-aging attributes.

Dr. David Sinclair on his Supplement Stack:
“I go down to the kitchen and have a little bit of yogurt with some polyphenols. The one I’ve talked about a lot is resveratrol. Now, it’s just a couple of mouthfuls of yogurt so it’s not going to break my fast and it’s not considered breakfast by any means. But it is how I get all my polyphenols in and they dissolve—I’ve been doing that for about 15 years.”

Dr. David Sinclair on Resveratrol:
“One resveratrol is a small, what’s called a polyphenol. It’s produced by many plants to survive. It’s produced by grapes and it’s concentrated in red wine. It should be a white powder; it shouldn’t be brown. If you buy it and it’s brown, throw it away. I take a gram of it every morning, with rare exceptions when I’m traveling and I forget it, but I mix it with a little bit of yogurt because it’s just a little bit like a couple of teaspoons.”

Dr. David Sinclair on NAD (Life Extension):
“The doubling of that NAD is important because as we get older, we make less of this chemical. We have about half the levels of NAD in our skin, for example, as I have about half the levels I would have made when I was 20. So, I boost those levels back up to being youthful, and the idea is that the body’s defenses are activated.”

Dr. David Sinclair’s Morning Routine and Supplements

Morning Supplements

Dr. David Sinclair Supplements (Morning):

  • Athletic Green AG1
  • Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN)
  • Resveratrol
  • Spermidine
  • Quercetin and Fisetin

Athletic Green AG1

“Athletic Greens is full of vitamins and plant-based whole foods that ensure I don’t lack necessary nutrients on a vegan diet,” says Dr. Sinclair.

Benefits of AG1:

  • Promotes gut health with prebiotics, probiotics, and natural enzymes.
  • Supports immunity with Vitamin C, zinc, and healing mushrooms.
  • Helps recovery with superfoods, adaptogens, and antioxidants.
  • Sustains energy through magnesium, supporting cellular energy production.

Nicotinamide Mononucleotide (NMN)

Dosage: 1g per day, in the morning.

Dr. Sinclair combines NMN with olive oil or yogurt to improve absorption. NMN acts as a precursor to NAD+, vital for cellular metabolism and supporting youthful energy levels.

Resveratrol

Dosage: 1g per day, in the morning.

Resveratrol, taken with olive oil, activates Sirtuin genes, aiding DNA repair and complementing NMN benefits.

Spermidine

Dosage: 1mg per day, in the morning.

Found in foods like cheese, legumes, and soy, spermidine supports healthy aging, reducing risks of neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases.

Quercetin and Fisetin

Dosage: 500mg each, daily in the morning.

These flavonoids help eliminate senescent cells, reduce inflammation, and minimize tissue damage associated with aging.

Additional Supplements

  • Vitamin D3: 4,000-5,000 IU per day.
  • Vitamin K2: 180-360 mcg per day.
  • Statin: Taken since age 29 for heart health.
  • Low-dose Aspirin: 85mg per day for stroke prevention.
  • TMG (Trimethylglycine): 500-1,000mg per day for cellular support.
  • Omega-3: Supports heart and cognitive health (limit to 3g per day).

Morning Hydration

  • Hot water with lemon: Rich in Vitamin C, aids digestion and detoxification.
  • Green Matcha Tea: Packed with antioxidants, enhances brain function, and supports heart health.

Intermittent Fasting

Dr. Sinclair practices 16:8 Intermittent Fasting, promoting health and longevity. He avoids sugar, skips breakfast, and follows a one-meal-a-day (OMAD) pattern.

Three Types of Fasting:

  • Extended Fasting: Deep cleans the body through autophagy after 3+ days.
  • Time-Restricted Feeding: Fasting for 16-18 hours daily.
  • Fasting-Mimicking Diet: A monthly 5-day low-calorie diet for enhanced health.

Dr. David Sinclair’s diet entails a monthly five-day calorie restriction (1,100 calories per day), focusing on plant-based, low-carb, low-protein, and high-healthy-fat foods, replicating the physiological response to fasting. According to Dr. David Sinclair, the key element is reducing meat intake to suppress mTOR

8:00 a.m.

Work

  • Dr. David Sinclair spends around 12 hours a day working in his lab and with his different companies.
  • David chooses a standing desk, believing that it positively influences the aging process.

Dr. David Sinclair on Maintaining Work Productivity and Health
“Then I go to work at a standing desk—I have a standing desk in my office at Harvard and I have one at home as well—and I do my best not to sit down throughout the day. I will continuously drink water and hot tea throughout the day until dinner.”

Stress Reduction

  • Dr. David Sinclair adopts various strategies for balancing stress and relaxation, including daily meditation.
  • Meditation serves as a means for him to unwind and recharge for daily tasks. You can start meditation at home by downloading top-quality apps like Headspace or Yoga Wake Up.
  • He’s increasingly intrigued by meditation’s potential to enhance longevity and overall health.
  • Aside from meditation, Sinclair has a deep appreciation for nature. During weekends, he frequently explores the outdoors, going on forest walks with his family or embarking on kayak journeys.
  • To reduce stress, David schedules quiet moments in his day and surrounds himself with positive company, focusing on spending time with people who, as he puts it, “are not jerks.”

Health Tracking

  • Dr. David Sinclair emphasizes self-awareness about his body.
  • David regularly assesses his biological age using epigenetic tests.
  • He undergoes a full-body MRI annually to detect potential cancer early.
  • Dr. David Sinclair uses InsideTracker to conduct blood tests for monitoring various biomarkers.
  • His biomarker focus includes cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides, HbA1c, and us-CRP.
  • He uses Freestyle Libre to monitor glucose levels and identify foods causing sugar spikes, which can impact aging and insulin resistance.

Dr. David Sinclair on the Future of Preventative Health
“In the near future, cancer, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes will be largely preventable and increasingly curable.”

Snacks

Dr. David Sinclair on Snacking
“For snacks during the day, if I am peckish or my brain feels a little bit tired, I’ll nibble on a little bit of very dark chocolate—80-percent chocolate—or some nuts. I have a Brazil nut a day for the selenium. I’ve learned from Serena that being vegetarian—or vegan in our case—I haven’t had to give up much at all. In fact, I feel like my life is richer for it. It does take some effort when it comes to socializing or restaurants. Sometimes we even splurge—I’ll have the occasional French fry.”

Lunch

Dr. David Sinclair on Lunch
“In my day, I’ll rarely eat lunch. If it’s a small salad, that’s fine. Maybe that’s once or twice a week, but mostly I try to go without a lot of food until dinner.”

Workout

  • Dr. David Sinclair dedicates time to gym workouts or lifting dumbbells in his workspace.
  • Includes 100 daily push-ups in his routine.
  • Walks twice weekly and engages in brief treadmill runs for around twenty minutes.
  • Recommends a basic guideline of three sessions per week, involving being “out of breath” for 10 minutes.
  • He suggests a minimum of 30 minutes of moderate daily exercise.

Dr. David Sinclair on Maximizing Workouts for Health and Longevity

  • Elevate the heart and respiratory rate during exercise.
  • Opt for higher-intensity workouts, with a preference for HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training).
  • Focus on controlled, deep, and rapid breathing, maintaining it at around 70-85% of the maximum heart rate. This facilitates increased oxygen flow into the bloodstream and boosts calorie expenditure, thereby activating the Epigenetic clock.
  • Engage in challenging workouts that make it challenging to speak more than a few words without needing to pause for breath, inducing a hypoxic response.
  • Incorporate cold-weather workouts to enhance immune system function.

Dr. David Sinclair on his Workout Habits
“Before the pandemic, I was doing a lot of gym exercise—running on the treadmill and doing weights. After that, I’ve fallen a bit off the wagon. I don’t exercise every day. I have weights at home in my bedroom and a gym in my bedroom that I use. Ideally, I aim for three times a week to do some weights, and if I don’t go for a run, I go for a walk. I would say that my biggest challenge right now is to get moving.”

Cold Therapy

  • Dr. David Sinclair opts for a cold bath immediately after his workout.

Benefits of Post Workout Cold Therapy

  • Cold plunging after a workout in a top-quality Cold Pod can reduce muscle soreness and inflammation, aiding in faster recovery.
  • They may improve circulation, helping to alleviate exercise-induced fatigue.
  • Cold showers can boost alertness and energy levels, providing a refreshing post-workout experience.

For more detailed information on adding cold plunges to your routine, check out our article on The Cold Plunge Routine.

7:00 p.m.

Dinner

  • Dr. David Sinclair shares dinner with his wife, Sandra Luikenhuis, and their three children, either at home or in a restaurant.
  • Despite not eating throughout the day, his dinner is relatively small.
  • Dr. David Sinclair suggests a daily calorie intake as low as 1000 calories per day.
  • He chooses a plant-based diet for his light and healthy meals.
  • Follows a diet with minimal sugar and starchy food intake.
  • Occasionally, he enjoys a glass of red wine with his dinner.

Dr. David Sinclair on Benefits of the New Diet
“It’s sad, though when I switched to this new diet, I got my memory back as well. I was unable to remember phone numbers and key codes easily, and now it’s simple. So I got back to my 20-year-old brain. I just thought it was old age, but it wasn’t, it was my lifestyle.”

Evening Supplement

  • Dr. David Sinclair takes Metformin: 800 mg in the evening.

Dr. David Sinclair on his Evening Supplement
“I do take one other medication, called metformin, which is a type 2 diabetes drug that has been associated with longer life and fewer age-related diseases. Studies have shown that type 2 diabetics who take metformin, typically at two grams a day (I’m on one gram a day), actually have fewer diseases and live longer than people who don’t have type 2 diabetes.”

Sleep

  • He aims for at least six hours, striving for seven to eight, and typically goes to bed between 11 PM and 12 AM.
  • Dr. David Sinclair incorporates a temperature-adjusting bed and utilizes an Oura Ring for monitoring his sleep patterns, noting, “I guess there’s only one ring you can wear.”

Dr. David Sinclair on his Sleep Routine
“I try to get at least six hours of sleep a night, and sometimes I’m successful, but I would say that’s something I need to work on. I would prefer to get seven to eight, but I can get by with six.”

Traveling

Dr. David Sinclair on Traveling
“Serena and I travel together often and we’ve both got half a small suitcase dedicated to this stuff. We take Green Tea Matcha, supplements… It’s part of our lifestyle. And we try to choose foods from around the world that are vegan and super healthy.”

Weekends

  • Enjoys water sports and kayaking on weekends with family.
  • Values spending time in nature, frequently taking walks in the nearby woodlands.
  • Occasionally enjoys brunch with friends on Sundays.