They say ‘youth is wasted on the young’ – but this Arizona woman is more worried about the millions of dollars wasted on outlandish anti-aging procedures.
Julie Gibson Clark from Phoenix has managed to turn back her ‘biological age’ by 20 years with a simple healthy living plan. And the best news is that it costs her just over $100 a month – $27 for a gym membership and $79 for a supplement subscription.
The 56-year-old single mom, whose body functions at a level similar to someone who is 36, calls herself a ‘reluctant biohacker’. She doesn’t go to such extremes as Bryan Johnson, but her methods appear to be equally, if not more, effective.
In 2023 Clark even beat Johnson in something referred to as the Rejuvenation Olympics, where biohackers compete at how much they can slow down their pace of aging.
Test results checking for various biomarkers including blood fats, blood sugar and lung function placed her second on the leaderboard, ahead of Johnson, who claims to be ‘the healthiest person on the planet’.
Clark, who does not drink alcohol or smoke, was made aware of the importance of keeping in shape and maintaining a balanced diet from her father, who was a NASA astronaut.
After experiencing a divorce and a health scare with two lumps found on her left breast, Clark decided to get back to her roots and explore the world of biohacking instead of resorting to antidepressants and other traditional medicines.
She also said she was motivated by her parents’ dementia and Parkinson’s diagnoses in hopes she would fight off the conditions for as long as possible.
Julie Gibson Clark, 56, from Phoenix, has managed to turn back her ‘biological age’ by 20 years with a simple healthy living plan
The health guru says it need not take millions of dollars to have a younger body when her plan costs only $100 a month
Clark told the Daily Mail it isn’t necessary to be a millionaire like Johnson to get into biohacking. She said that sleep, diet and exercise are the most important things affecting length of life.
And when she beat the longevity of Johnson in 2023, she admitted: ‘I have no idea who that is.’
She also added that people need not follow a plan religiously, saying she would not head home early from a party or dinner just to get a good sleep score.
‘I prioritize my social connections,’ she said, ‘so, If I am going out with my friends to a party and it goes on until 1am, I am staying out until 1am.
‘I want to smile when I die, I don’t want to come home to go to bed to make my sleep scores. Not doing that, thank you.’
Clark first became interested in longevity in 2017, poring over books on fasting in between moments looking after her son and work.
Over time, the mother-of-one then gradually built a plan to fine-tune her diet, sleep, exercise and supplements based on the advice of famous longevity experts Dr Kara Fitzgerald and Dr Peter Attia.
Supplements were the least important on her list, she said, and sleep was the most important. However, she added that if someone struggles with their sleep they should focus on exercise and diet, which may improve it.
Clark initially didn’t have a wearable, but this Christmas got herself an Ultrahuman ring to track her sleep – which has given mixed scores.
She’s also using a red light band made by Numen Labs that claims it helps people fall asleep.
To give her body a rest, Clark takes Sundays off. She explains: ‘This is rest and recharge day. It doesn’t mean I don’t do anything’
Clark says she was made aware of the importance keeping in shape and maintaining a balanced diet from her father, who was a NASA astronaut
Clark beat Bryan Johnson, 47, who claims to be ‘the healthiest person on the planet’, at a competition where biohackers compete at how much they can slow down their pace of aging
Clark described the longevity and biohacking space as ‘amazing,’ but at times it can become a bit too ‘neurotic’ and ‘detailed’ for the average person.
‘I am worried people might not be able to access the information because there is now so much of it and it is so complicated,’ she said.
To make her longevity information more accessible, she publishes her daily routine, with a five-step nutrition plan on her website.
She starts her day at 5am with a cocktail of supplements.
Her plan includes 300mg of nicotinamide riboside to help lower her blood pressure and 250mg of nicotinamide mononucleotide – a popular longevity ingredient believed to boost energy, metabolism and DNA repair.
Despite sounding like ‘nicotine’, nicotinamide riboside is derived from niacin – or vitamin B3 – and works by enhancing the repair of damaged DNA.
She also takes 125mg of magnesium taurate, which is also said to help improve heart function, and 150mg of liposomal glutathione to boost her liver function. A 1,000mg pill of liposomal vitamin C to help support her immune system and skin is also part of her routine.
Lastly, she takes a dose of vitamins D3 and K2 to help with calcium absorption and promote bone strength.
Some of these supplements are not sold in stores and have to be ordered online from specialist retailers.
At 10am, Clark makes a ‘greens latte,’ which contains bone broth, 4oz of leafy greens, one apple, flax seed, pecans, ginger cinnamon, cardamom and cloves and protein powder.
She chose the drink because she enjoys it and it is made from ‘natural’ foods.
An hour later, the biohacker will consume her first meal in the form of a ‘veggie bowl’.
She explains on her website: ‘To meet my goal of 1lb of veggies daily, I mix up a colorful bowl to nosh on the rest of the day.
‘This is a mixed bag of anything that looks good at the market when I’m there.
‘Sometimes I blanche them, as in the case of broccoli, and sometimes I just sauté them up, but usually they’re raw.
‘This is usually 0.5lb to 0.6lb because I know I’ll have some in my drink earlier and more at dinner.
Clark eats her last meal at around 5pm so she doesn’t go to bed on a full stomach. Studies have shown that eating before bed can disrupt sleep because the body is still focused on digestion
Clark says she likes to mix up her daily exercise routine so she can work different parts of her body throughout the week
‘It sounds like a lot, but take it slow adding a bit more every week. You’ll be at 1lb in no time. I also add some protein to this – usually chicken, eggs, steak, cheese, whatever is left over or easy to grab.’
She eats her last meal at around 5pm so she doesn’t go to bed on a full stomach.
Studies have shown that going to bed on a full stomach can disrupt sleep because the body is still focused on digestion. It can trigger discomfort, indigestion and acid reflux — which all interfere with sleep.
Some of her favorite evening recipes include sardines with sautéed tomatoes and garlic and soft boiled eggs topped with chopped spicy kimchi.
Sardines are a popular biohacking food choice due to their high nutritional value, packed with omega-3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins (D, B12), and minerals, while kimchi (made of fermented vegetables) has been similarly praised for its health-boosting benefits.
In terms of her exercise program, Clark says she likes to mix up her daily routine (which starts at 7am) so she can work different parts of her body throughout the week.
For instance, on Mondays she will do a core workout with stretching, while on Tuesdays she will do a full body workout with free weights.
One thing she likes to do on a daily basis is spend up to 30 minutes in the sauna after working out.
This is then followed by a four to five minute cold shower as she believes it is good for the immune system and a natural antidepressant.
To give her body a rest, she takes Sundays off. She explains: ‘This is rest and recharge day. It doesn’t mean I don’t do anything.
‘I just have no commitments to anything. Frequently I end up hiking or walking – ideally with friends. But if I don’t leave the house – that’s fine too.’
As well as physical exercise, Clark likes to train her mind, and after waking up at 5am she will practice meditations and pack in some reading.
She then meditates again for 20 minutes at 1pm.
The health enthusiast explains: ‘One of the most surprising benefits was the impact meditation had on sleep.
At 10am Clark makes a ‘greens latte’, which contains bone broth, 4oz of leafy greens, one apple, flax seed, pecans, ginger cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and protein powder
‘I’m still amazed at how sleep starts getting ‘edgy’ when I miss too many days in a row. Which by the way – I do miss here and there, especially on weekends.
‘I’m not perfect at anything, but I do shoot or consistency.’
Rounding out her day, Clark has added an evening walk to her daily routine at 7:30pm.
She says she uses this time to clear her mind and relax before bed at 9pm and she usually puts on some calming music as she walks about 9,000 steps.
In an interview with health-focused YouTuber Will Tennyson, Clark reveals that unlike biohackers such as Johnson, her home is free of hi-tech gadgets.
She does not wear a health tracker or monitor her sleep and there are no blackout blinds in her bedroom, which are beloved by biohackers for boosting sleep.
The only things Clark does is tape her mouth during the night ‘because it forces you then to breathe out of your nose which is better for you’ and an eye mask.
All the effort appears to have paid off too, with Clark ranked second in the Rejuvenation Olympics — which tracks biohacking efforts — in 2023.
She was estimated to be aging at a rate of about 0.665 years for every full year, while Johnson was ranked sixth and said to be aging at a rate of about 0.72 years per year.
Clark has now slipped to 482nd on the leader board, with an average aging pace of 0.710 years per year, but said she was still thrilled with her earlier result.
Johnson is now in first place with an average aging rate of 0.54 years per year.
Offering advice to others looking to turn back the clock, she concludes: ‘For anybody out there who’s like, I don’t know and I can’t do this because I can’t buy this… don’t wait.
‘I think you know that sleep is important… I think you know eating is important.
‘We’re never going to get it perfect, we’re not meant to be perfect, we’re humans.
‘We can handle some mistakes and we can handle the occasional French fry.’
