September 4th, 2025 | Issue #168

 ⁉️ Take This 20-Question Longevity Test (My Score Was Embarrassing)  

Two Big Things This Week:

🔄 Scientists found the cellular "master switch" that controls aging—a protein called AP2A1 (catchy name, eh!?) that literally decides if your cells act young or old (when they reduced it in aged cells, they shrank back to normal size and started dividing again like teenagers, way cool)

💊 Weekly rapamycin pills cut ovarian aging by 20% in human trials—women who normally lose 50 eggs per month only lost 15, plus they reported better memory, hair, and nails (the first drug to actually slow biological aging in a specific organ system)

20 Longevity Questions to Change Your Lifespan

Hey friends,

Since I work full-time in the longevity industry, friends and people in general assume I have all things longevity figured out and do everything perfectly, which is definitely not the case!

I work full-time on SPANNR.com and my digital marketing agency, longevityclinicmarketing.com, which specializes in working with longevity professionals and businesses. Additionally, I have a family, so my plate is FULL, and it's easy to not  prioritize the health span building part of life. 

That's exactly what happened when I took this longevity assessment, based on research from the Blue Zones—those places we hear nonstop about, where people routinely live past 100. The assessment measures your healthy aging potential using the Power 9 principles that researchers identified as common among all centenarians. One thing I've become increasingly aware of is the social/community aspects of this equation, and how important they are for a long life. It might be THE MOST important part of it all…

So here it is, and it's a series of 20 questions covering the key lifestyle factors that determine how long (and how well) you'll live. You give an answer between 1–5 for each question (1 = strongly disagree; 5 = strongly agree), then add them up to get a total score out of 100.

100/100 = You're on track for exceptional longevity80/100 = Great habits, minor tweaks needed60/100 = Decent foundation, room for improvement40/100 = Major lifestyle changes recommended20/100 = Your habits are actively shortening your lifespan

I got a humbling score of 62/100 – way lower than I expected. But thinking about the questions I scored lowest on helped me uncover some personal blind spots around social connections and stress management. The research is clear: only 20% of longevity is determined by genetics, while 80% comes from lifestyle choices. So I wanted to share this for us all to check in and see how we're doing.

Without further ado, here are the questions:

🛌 Sleep & Recovery

Quality sleep is one of the strongest predictors of longevity (check out our podcast episode on it here)

1. Do you consistently get 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night?You go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time daily. You feel rested upon waking.

2. Do you have an evening routine that promotes good sleep?You avoid screens 60+ minutes before bed, keep your bedroom cool and dark, and avoid caffeine after 2 PM (this depends on whether you are a fast caffeine metabolizer too).

3. Do you wake up feeling refreshed and energized?Your sleep is restorative. You rarely need an alarm clock and don't rely on caffeine to function.

4. Do you limit naps to 20-30 minutes or avoid them entirely?If you nap, it's brief and doesn't interfere with nighttime sleep quality.

🥗 Nutrition & Eating Habits

Plant-based eating is a cornerstone of Blue Zones' longevity. I’m not personally plant-based, but I do eat a minimally processed, mostly plant-based diet. The principles outlined below should be compatible with most diets.

5. Do you eat a predominantly plant-based diet with plenty of vegetables?You consume 5+ servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Plant foods make up 80%+ of your meals. (calorie-wise)

6. Do you practice portion control and avoid overeating?You stop eating when 80% full (the "Hara Hachi Bu" principle from Okinawa). You eat slowly and mindfully. This only works for me when I SLOW myself down and also being around others having a conversation helps.

7. Do you limit processed foods, sugar, and refined carbohydrates?You avoid fast food, sugary drinks, and packaged snacks. Most of your food is whole and unprocessed.

8. Do you consume healthy fats regularly (olive oil, nuts, fish)?You include omega-3 rich foods and monounsaturated fats as part of a Mediterranean-style eating pattern.

🏃‍♀️ Physical Activity & Movement

Blue Zones residents "move naturally" throughout their day. An interesting side note is that my highest scores on Whoop are when I’m moving all day, as opposed to just getting a hard workout in and then sitting at my desk for the rest of the day.

9. Do you engage in at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise weekly?This includes brisk walking, swimming, cycling, or other activities that elevate your heart rate.

10. Do you incorporate strength training 2-3 times per week?You maintain muscle mass through resistance exercises, bodyweight movements, or functional activities. (This is one of my weak points, I do not like going to the gym!!!)

11. Do you move naturally throughout your day?You take stairs, walk for errands, garden, or find other ways to stay active beyond formal exercise.

12. Can you easily get up from the floor without using your hands?This sit-rise test is a powerful predictor of longevity and functional independence. (Funny story: when I was doing this, I fell over into our TV and smashed it to pieces. So, if you choose to do this test, make sure you're in a place where you will not wreck anything if you lose your balance, like I did!)

🧘‍♂️ Stress Management & Mental Health

Blue Zones residents have daily rituals to "downshift" stress. What do you do for stress and a busy life?

13. Do you have effective strategies for managing daily stress?You regularly practice meditation, deep breathing, prayer, or other stress-reduction techniques.

14. Do you maintain a positive outlook and sense of optimism?You generally expect good things to happen and can bounce back from setbacks—definitely a glass-half-full approach to life.

15. Do you have a clear sense of purpose or meaning in life?You know your "Ikigai" (Japanese) or "Plan de Vida" (Costa Rican)—your reason for waking up. Having purpose can add up to 7 years to your lifespan.

16. Do you practice gratitude and mindfulness regularly?You notice and appreciate positive moments. You're present rather than constantly multitasking.

👥 Social Connections & Relationships

Strong relationships increase lifespan by 50%—equivalent to quitting smoking

17. Do you have strong, supportive relationships with family and friends?You have people you can confide in and rely on during difficult times.

18. Do you actively maintain and nurture your social connections?You regularly spend quality time with loved ones and make effort to stay connected.

19. Do you participate in community activities or have a sense of belonging?You're involved in faith-based communities, volunteer work, or other group activities.

20. Do you give and receive emotional support regularly?Your relationships are reciprocal. You both offer help to others and accept help when needed.

Once you've got your final score, think about how to improve your weakest areas. I know for me it's hitting the gym, practicing gratitude, and making more time for social connections. The research from Blue Zones shows that even small improvements can have dramatic effects. Communities that adopted these principles saw residents add 2.9 years to their lifespans and reduce healthcare costs by 49% in just one year. (source)

The beauty of longevity science is that it's truly never too late to start. People who adopt healthier habits in their 50s, 60s, and beyond still see significant benefits. Your biological age can actually decrease as you optimize these lifestyle factors.

Have a great week (and a long, healthy life)!

Brent

PS I interviewed Greg Rovner, CEO of GetHeally.com, this week on my Longevity Loop podcast. Heally is an incredible telehealth platform that connects you with specialized longevity doctors nationwide who can prescribe cutting-edge treatments like Rapamycin, Metformin, NAD+ therapy, and comprehensive metabolic testing. They're making personalized longevity medicine accessible to everyone through their seamless online platform and in-home services. If you're serious about optimizing your healthspan, check them out at spannr.getheally.com. The podcast episode is live on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

____________________________________________________________________

This Week’s Longevity Breakthroughs You Need to Know

🔄 Scientists identify AP2A1 as the cellular “master switch” for aging—reducing this single protein shrinks senescent cells back to youthful size and restores division capacity (the discovery that could enable whole-body rejuvenation by flipping one molecular switch) (source)

This is remarkable because it pinpoints a single protein that coordinates the entire senescent phenotype. In aged “zombie” cells, AP2A1 levels skyrocket, causing abnormal enlargement and loss of division. By knocking down AP2A1, researchers observed cells shrinking back to normal size, re-entering the cell cycle, and expressing youthful gene markers. Conversely, boosting AP2A1 in young cells induced premature aging. Targeting AP2A1 could therefore reverse cellular aging across multiple tissues, offering a unified strategy against diverse age-related diseases from arthritis to Alzheimer’s.

💊 Weekly rapamycin pills slow ovarian aging by 20% in human trial—participants lost just 15 eggs per month instead of the usual 50 and reported improvements in memory, hair, and nail quality (the first drug shown to slow biological aging in a specific organ system) (source)

I’m going to be following this one closely, Columbia’s VIBRANT trial is the first human study to demonstrate organ-specific anti-aging in action. Women taking a 5 mg rapamycin pill once per week experienced a 20% reduction in ovarian aging rate—egg loss dropped from 50 to 15 per month—and showed gains in cognitive function, hair thickness, and nail strength. Rapamycin works by inhibiting the mTOR pathway, a central driver of aging. Unlike hormone replacement therapy, rapamycin appears to address the root aging process, not just its symptoms. With VIBRANT II set to enroll 1,000 participants, this could become the first clinically proven longevity intervention to extend both healthspan and reproductive lifespan.

Stay Social,Brent

P.S. Reply and let me know—what longevity breakthrough are you most excited about?

Or drop us a line here and say HELLO!

 Do You Want To Start YOUR Longevity Journey?Talk To A Provider Here for FREE! 

YOUR LONGEVITY PLAN: 3 Steps to Win

Not ready to meet new people or starting a new workout routine?Here are three different ways you can start a Blue Zone type lifestlye:

✅ Prioritize restorative sleep—aim for 7–9 hours nightlyEstablish a consistent sleep schedule and wind down with low-light activities like reading or deep-breathing. Quality sleep is essential for cellular repair, hormone balance, and cognitive resilience.

✅ Focus on high-protein whole foods at every mealTarget at least 1.2 g of protein per kilogram of body weight daily to combat age-related muscle loss. Excellent options include:

• Grilled chicken breast, turkey, or lean beef

• Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or whey protein shake

• Canned tuna, salmon, or sardines

• Chickpeas, lentils, edamame, or black beans

✅ Introduce daily cold exposure sessionsSpend 2–3 minutes under cold-water immersion—cold showers or an ice bath—to activate brown fat, boost mitochondrial function, and reduce inflammation. Cold exposure triggers hormetic stress pathways that enhance metabolic health and support cellular resilience.

ABOUT SPANNRWe are building Your Gateway to Longevity. Through unique insights, we provide unbiased information about health and life extending strategies. With our marketplace, you can browse through the services and products that are right for you. If you have any questions about Spannr or want to get to know us better, contact us – we'd love to hear from you. We appreciate your interest in what we are creating.

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