Dr. Simon Feldhaus has been a doctor for 30 years, and has studied longevity for about half that time. He’s the chief medical doctor of The Balance Rehab Clinic’s Swiss Hub, and a certified specialist in general medicine, functional medicine and Traditional Chinese Medicine.
One of his passions, he says, is examining how vitamins can be used to cure or prevent health conditions and diseases, which is called orthomolecular medicine. Feldhaus also serves as the president of the Swiss Society for Anti Aging Medicine and Prevention.
In his practice, Feldhaus focuses on healthspan by finding ways to not only add years to his patients’ lives, but healthy, fulfilling ones. The daily habits that he encourages his patients to follow are also ones in his own routine.
“Surely, there are some days where I don’t follow these rules, but most of the days I do,” Feldhaus, 58, tells CNBC Make It.
Here’s how he structures his days for optimal health and wellness.
This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
CNBC Make It: What are some of the practices you do on a daily basis to keep your body healthy?
First of all, it’s nutrition. It’s a combination of being flexible, so I don’t follow a strict diet, but I have some basics. My idea of nutrition is that we have to reduce the carbohydrates in our food, especially the fast-acting carbohydrates. Plus, we should eat much more protein and fat, especially fatty acids like Omega-3s.
For me, nutrition, food and eating, it’s not a chemical, scientific-based thing, but emotional. What I’m doing is combining the idea of nutrition with the idea of emotions. I only eat what I’m supposed to eat, and I feel good when eating those foods. It’s not because science says I have to eat this fruit. Yes, it’s a little bit about science, but it also must be pleasurable for me to eat the fruit.
The second major thing is enjoying life. I think most people nowadays don’t enjoy life. And if you don’t do that, and you don’t live with compassion and love for others, you have a negative stress point. This idea doesn’t mean every day will be perfect.
I also think one of the major aspects of staying healthy is boosting my body’s ability to work and to repair. For that, the mitochondria, the power sources in every cell, are extremely important. I care for them by using specialized, individual supplements, not a multivitamin. I use therapeutic carbs, a sugar called galactose, which doesn’t use insulin. I get the energy because it’s a carbohydrate, but I don’t have any risk of an insulin spike.
And then, movement. A problem of my work is most of the time I’m sitting, talking with people, helping people. I’m sitting too much. That’s why I’m doing high-intensity interval training. I use something called a Power Plate machine, where you stand on it, do some exercises, and the machine vibrates. I do 10 to 12 minutes, three times a week. It’s not the same as jogging, but it’s muscle work. And I think muscles are one of the most important things.
These practices are what I try to follow in my life as rules. Surely, there are some days where I don’t follow these rules, but most of the days I do.
I see a lot about the importance of brain health. Is there anything that you do specifically to keep your brain healthy?
Absolutely. The number of cases of dementia is growing, and we have to start prioritizing brain health as early as possible, and not only waiting until issues arise.
The galactose sugar I mentioned is a specialized sugar which goes into the brain, and this provides energy for my brain cells. Also, fatty acids for brain health, especially the Omega-3 fatty acids. Plus, a specialized fatty acid called lecithin, which is found in egg yolks. I eat a huge amount of eggs.
Then you have to relax your brain. I’m not the one to practice meditation — not that meditation isn’t good, but I’m not a human being who can meditate. I use breathing techniques where I slow down a few times a day for three to four minutes to calm down my nervous system.
About 10 minutes per day, I’m doing whatever I would like to do. It’s just for me, from reading a book to whatever. It’s just my time to focus on happy things.
You mentioned lowering your stress and doing things that make you happy, and often that can be connected to community. What does social fitness look like for you?
Doing things by yourself is okay, but if you are not connected to other people, no chance. There are interesting studies about going to church for happiness. It’s not just about religion, but also what you’re doing together afterwards.
It’s about taking care of good friends, laughing together with others because the power of laughing is especially something. Laughing is very good medicine.
I don’t have the time for two hours a day, but connecting with others for perhaps 15 to 20 minutes a day is one of the best things you can do. Also, trying to protect yourself from consuming all negative news every day.
I also really like Asian medicine ideas, especially Tibetan medicine. And there’s a proverb, this idea of the secret of getting old. They say, “Eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure.” And I do think that’s quite easy.
I see a lot of different things about diet, like “Eat this and not that.” Are there foods you make sure to eat once a week, or certain ones that you don’t really eat at all. And, do you find diet to be super important?
I hate diets. There’s too much discussion about diet. Who is able to say what qualifies as healthy food? How can I tell you what healthy food is for you? I can share what works for me and I will tell you that now, but it doesn’t mean that that food is healthy for everyone. I personally think there is no healthy diet.
The most important thing is what’s the source of the food. If I say beef or meat, it’s beef from a specialized location here in Switzerland. This kind of quality is what I try to get for every food I eat. The most important thing is the quality of food, not really what the food is.
Most of the time I’m eating proteins and fats, like Swiss cheese and milk products. I don’t drink milk, but products like yogurt. I also eat bread, but I only prefer wheat or dark breads because of the taste, not white bread. Then I eat meat, such as beef or something like that.
I only eat vegetables that are in season. Now, it’s autumn or nearly winter, and there are no strawberries growing, so why should I eat them? I can get strawberries at the market, but they are not growing here now.
I also really think that the way you cook the food makes much more of a difference. You should cook food with a good mind and when you are happy. It’s the complete opposite if I’m very stressed with negative thoughts. With these emotions if I cook, then the food will be poisoned, not really poisoned but metaphorically speaking. For me, the love of preparing the food you’re making is nearly the same as the quality of the food.
So that’s what I do, and it’s not a diet. It’s not something that must be the same every day. But these are my rules.
There’s something I always ask when I speak to longevity experts. What are you reading?
I don’t have much time to read a lot every day because I work so hard. So if I’m reading, it’s about completely different things than what I’m doing at work. I don’t read scientific-based things often outside of work because in my job, I have to read studies and stuff like that.
Outside of work, I just read things that enlighten my life, such as funny things like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.
I also read interesting things about food nutrition, but not scientific-based, only emotional-based eating. If I’m reading something longer, it’s more philosophical. Like what have some great minds said in whatever place like somewhere in Asia? What did they do and what did they think?
I don’t always have to learn from what I read. I want to have an experience.
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