37 lessons I’d teach my younger self before labs, burnout & body struggles

This week’s highlights

• Part 1: The health myths that almost killed me

• Part 2: Energy is not a mystery, it’s a system

• Part 3: Longevity in a world that profits when you break

Happy Wednesday,

At 27, I thought I had time.

I worked out a lot.

Slept okay.

Ate “pretty healthy.”

But under the surface?

My body was quietly falling apart.

Blood sugar creeping up.
Sleep getting lighter.
Energy crashing by 3 PM.
I didn’t notice until the labs said otherwise.

Now I’m 37.

And if I could hand my younger self a manual for health, energy, and longevity…

It would be this list.

Part 1: The health myths that almost killed me

(Lessons 1–12: Foundational awareness + invisible threats)

1/. Morning sunlight sets your body clock.
↳ Missing it will wreck your sleep.
Your circadian rhythm relies on natural light. Without it, your hormones, sleep, and metabolism all suffer.

2/. The best time to start was yesterday.
↳ The second best is today.
Health debt compounds—just like financial debt. Waiting will always cost you more.

3/. Stop waiting for symptoms.
↳ Disease builds in silence.
Most chronic conditions show up after they’ve taken root. Prevention beats prescription every time.

4/. Insulin resistance is an early alarm.
↳ Catch it before it robs you.
It’s often the first step toward weight gain, fatigue, and chronic illness—but it’s reversible if caught early.

5/. Normal doesn’t mean healthy.
↳ Most people are just surviving.
Just because it’s common doesn’t mean it’s okay. Don’t aim for average—aim for optimal.

6/. Your waistline is a health report.
↳ Gaining around the middle means deeper problems.
Visceral fat is an organ-wrecking, inflammation-driving warning sign—ignore it at your own risk.

7/. If exercise came in a pill, it would be the best-selling medication in history.
No drug on earth improves mood, metabolism, aging, and energy as reliably as consistent movement.

8/. Muscle is your real 401(k).
↳ Build it like your future depends on it (because it does).
It’s not just about looks—muscle protects your metabolism, your bones, and your independence.

9/. Walking is the most underrated tool for metabolic health.
Forget fancy workouts—walking regulates blood sugar, reduces cortisol, and clears mental fog.

10/. Your body uses what you train it to use.
↳ Most are stuck burning sugar.
If you constantly spike glucose, your body forgets how to use fat. You’ll crash without snacks.

11/. Movement keeps you young.
↳ Stop moving, start aging.
Joint stiffness, low energy, and “getting old” aren’t inevitable. They’re signs of disuse.

12/. “Feeling fine” isn’t the goal.
↳ It’s a warning you're ignoring.
Fine is the trap before fatigue. Before burnout. Before diagnosis. You were made for thriving.

➤ Symptoms are slow to show. Damage isn’t.

Part 2: Energy is not a mystery, it’s a system

(Lessons 13–24: Recovery, resilience, and real energy)

13/. Eat less to age slower.
Overeating accelerates cellular aging. Longevity starts with restraint, not restriction.

14/. Sedation is not repair.
↳ Falling asleep is not the same as sleeping well.
Drugs, alcohol, or screens might knock you out—but they destroy your deep, restorative sleep.

15/. Food changes your hormones. Hormones drive your energy.
↳ You CAN eat your way out of fatigue.
Eat to balance insulin and cortisol, and energy becomes stable, not spiked.

16/. Emotional health is trainable.
↳ Don’t wait for crisis to build it.
Resilience isn’t luck—it’s a muscle you can train through reflection, boundaries, and inner work.

17/. Your brain ages early.
↳ Train it before decline begins.
Cognitive decline starts in your 30s. Nutrition, movement, and learning keep it sharp.

18/. Respect your sleep cycles.
↳ It’s the best testosterone booster you’ll find.
Deep sleep regulates everything from hormones to focus to fat loss.

19/. VO2 max shows your true age.
↳ The higher it is, the younger you function.
It’s the #1 predictor of mortality you’ve probably never tested. Improve it, and you stay young longer.

20/. Stability prevents injury.
↳ Strength means nothing if you’re broken.
Balance, mobility, and joint integrity matter more than heavy lifts after 30.

21/. Grip strength predicts your future.
↳ Weak hands, weak outcomes.
Low grip strength correlates with early mortality, poor mobility, and loss of independence.

22/. Move like a child again.
↳ It’s the blueprint for long-term mobility.
Play, crawl, roll, squat—your body remembers what freedom feels like.

23/. Your feet are your foundation.
↳ Weak feet collapse the whole system.
Poor foot mechanics wreck posture, knees, hips, and back. Start at the ground.

24/. Learn to breathe through your nose.
↳ It’s a life hack.
It improves focus, lowers stress, and even boosts nitric oxide for heart health.

➤ Energy isn't random—it's earned.

Part 3: Longevity in a world that profits when you break

(Lessons 25–37): No one warns you about these

25/. Your liver reflects your lifestyle.
↳ Keep it clean.
Fatty liver isn’t just for heavy drinkers. Ultra-processed food and stress can do just as much damage.

26/. Eat fruit. Don’t drink it.
↳ Your body can’t handle that much fructose.
Juicing removes fiber and floods your liver. Whole fruit = nature’s portion control.

27/. Dietary cholesterol doesn’t affect cholesterol in blood.
Most blood cholesterol issues are driven by inflammation, insulin, and liver dysfunction—not eggs.

28/. Modern life pace hijacks your nervous system.
Endless notifications, noise, and deadlines keep you stuck in fight-or-flight. It’s aging you from the inside out.

29/. No one is coming to save you.
↳ Own your health.
Waiting for permission is a trap. You’re the CEO of your body now.

30/. An expensive car isn’t a status symbol.
↳ Slow mornings are.
Peace, space, and control over your time—that’s the real flex.

31/. One accidental fall can age you 10 years.
↳ Mobility matters.
Fragility happens fast. Train balance, coordination, and functional strength now.

32/. Your body is not a copy, so stop treating it like someone else's plan will work for you.
Your genetics, stress, and environment are unique. Personalization is performance.

33/. You can train your body to use fat for fuel.
↳ Cereal before emails does the opposite.
Fat-adaptation = fewer crashes, less hunger, and more stable energy.

34/. We live in a time where "I wish I knew" is no longer an excuse.
The information is out there. The problem isn’t ignorance—it’s inaction.

35/. Society has normalized waking up tired.
↳ Don’t accept it.
Exhaustion isn’t a badge of honor. It’s your body waving a white flag.

36/. You don’t need to beat others. Just who you were yesterday.
Comparison is noise. Compounding tiny wins is the real flex.

37/. In 100 years, almost no one will know we were here.
↳ Live in a way that you would be proud to remember.
Legacy isn’t fame—it’s peace, purpose, and how you showed up while you were here.

Closing thought

The truth is, your body always keeps score.

Whether you pay attention or not. Whether you optimize or coast.

These 37 lessons weren’t learned in a lab, they were earned through bloodwork, burnout, injuries, and recovery.

If they help you skip even one mistake I made, they were worth writing.

So here’s the challenge:

Pick one lesson that hit you hardest…
And live like it matters today, not when it’s convenient.

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