Living Well While You Live Long: The Growing Quest for Longevity

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Transcript: Living Well While You Live Long: The Growing Quest for Longevity

Season 7, Episode 17  | December 4, 2023

Jamie Martin:
Welcome to Life Time Talks, the podcast that’s aimed at helping you achieve your health, fitness, and life goals. I’m Jamie Martin, Editor-in-Chief of Experience Life, Life Time’s whole-life health and fitness magazine.

David Freeman:
And I’m David Freeman, Director of Alpha, one of Life Time’s Signature Group training programs. We’re all in different places along our health and fitness journey, but no matter what we’re working toward, there are some essential things we can do to keep moving in the direction of a healthy, purpose-driven life.

Jamie Martin:
In each episode, we break down various elements of healthy living, including fitness and nutrition, mindset and community, and health issues. We’ll also share real, inspiring stories of transformation.

David Freeman:
And we’ll be talking to experts from Life Time and beyond, who will share their insights and knowledge so you have the tools and information you need to take charge of your next steps. Here we go.

Jamie Martin:
Welcome back to Life Time Talks. I’m Jamie Martin, and I am here today with two special guests. I have Jim LaValle with me as well as Jeff Zwiefel, and in this conversation, we are talking about longevity, the growing business of longevity, and the many programs and services that are out there to support people with this. So, before we jump in, I’m going to introduce both of our guests, and we’ll get going with today’s conversation.

Jim LaValle is an internationally-recognized expert in integrative and precision medicine, with more than 40 years of clinical and academic experience. He is a board-certified clinical nutritionist and pharmacist who serves as the Academic Co-Chairman of the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine, and he is the Chair of The International Peptide Society.

He is a clinical lecturer at George Washington University as well as the former Performance Health Program Director for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Additionally, he is the founder of the Metabolic Code and the author of 26 books, including Your Blood Never Lies and Cracking the Metabolic Code. He’s a nationally-recognized expert on prevention, longevity, and wellness, and has been featured in more than 5,000 different types of media.

Jeff Zwiefel is the President and Chief Operating Officer at Life Time, who has been with the organization for more than two decades. He is leading the development of MIORA, the scientifically-advanced and science-backed healthy aging optimization platform that leverages Life Time’s 30 years of healthy living expertise. He is passionate about bringing the healthy way of life to more people. Welcome, both of you. Thanks so much for being here with me.

Jim LaValle:
Great to be here.

Jeff Zwiefel:
Thank you, Jamie.

Jamie Martin:
How are you both doing today?

Jim LaValle:
Oh, yeah, I got another workout in today, so I guess I feel like I had an accomplishment.

Jeff Zwiefel:
Yeah, we’re doubling down on the morning exercise, getting it in, and make sure a little resistance training is done early in the morning. Absolutely.

Jamie Martin:
I love it. Well, I’m right there with you. I got my workout in, too, so we’re all set to go for a really, like, energetic conversation here. So, we’re talking longevity today, and really, you know, this is a topic that is kind of trendy right now, but it’s something that people have been talking about for a long time, and when we’re talking about longevity, we’re not just talking about this for, you know, the 65 plus population. We’re talking about this no matter your age. It’s something we all are looking for ways to optimize not just our lifespan, but our health span.

And that’s really what we want to focus on in this conversation today. You know, what are some of the factors that contribute to a long health span, and what are some of the new resources and tools that people are turning to to make that happen? So, with that, I just want to jump right in to you right away, Jim, and just ask you…you’ve been studying this for a long time. This is your area of expertise. When you hear the word longevity, what does that mean to you, and why do you think it matters so much?

Jim LaValle:
Well, you know, since I started working with people and developing clinics and teaching clinicians, I had this core ethos of people deserve vitality at every stage in life. So, it doesn’t matter whether you’re a 6-year-old, a 25-year-old, or an 85-year-old, you should be able to feel your best, and for me, what longevity is about isn’t just about how long you live, but it’s how well you can live while you’re living long, right?

So, you know, you think about it. You look at the blue zones around the world, because that’s a hot area of topic, right? It’s where populations live and have a greater percentage of centurions, people that live to 100 plus years old, and I can tell you right now, you know, when you asked what are the core things that are adapted around that and what it means is these people eat better, right?

So, they learn how to eat well. Diet is important, and they move. If you’re in Sardinia, you’re walking up and down hills all day to carry your groceries and go to the store and go visit your uncle or whatever it is, and so, I think the core concept for longevity, for me, is how do I adopt the correct patterns of lifestyle that allow me to feel my best so I can enjoy my life the most, and we all have different ideas around that, right? Some of us may be performance oriented.

You know, I want to work out harder and recover better. I still want to bike when I’m in my 60s or whatever that is, and some people are squarely on the longevity piece, right? I want to focus on the lab values and markers and actions that will make me live longer, and you know what? For a lot of people, it’s just about I’m struggling with stuff. I just want to be able to do better than I’m doing today. So, for me, that’s longevity.

Jamie Martin:
I love that, and I know, Jeff, at Life Time, this is a topic that’s come up more and more, but when you really think about the ecosystem at Life Time, whether we’ve talked about it as longevity directly or not, that’s what we’ve been working for more than 30 years to help people do. So, I don’t know if you want to speak to that, kind of that philosophy around healthy way of life a little bit and how longevity fits in with all of that.

Jeff Zwiefel:
Yeah, Jamie, I think, look, you know, Life Time has committed their selves for the past 30 plus years to address the needs, as Jim mentioned, from the 9-year-old to the 90-year-old. Have the commitment to, you know, provide the experiences of a healthy way of life to that full spectrum of consumers, and you know, part of what we’ve been able to do over the last many years was continue to enhance and extend our service offerings from the core, which has really been fitness and exercise.

How we’re dealing with sleep, how we’re looking at, you know, recovery, how we’re dealing with beauty and aesthetics, how we’re thinking about diet and nutrition and supplementation, and Life Time, you know, is committed to trying to be there as your trusted and respected partner, no matter what your age or where you’re at on that continuum of health and fitness and what those particular needs might be based on, you know, the biomarkers that Jim was talking about earlier.

Jamie Martin:
Yeah, 100%. Well, you’ve both alluded to different…you know, there’s more coming out around this. You know, like, there’s different programs and services, and the reality is that longevity is big business, you know, and we’re hearing more…there’s more content about it. You mentioned the blue zones, Jim. You know, we’ve got the new Netflix series with Dan Buettner that’s all about longevity. You’ve got Outlive by Peter Attia, this book that is just exploding, and it’s being referenced everywhere.

You’ve got Andrew Huberman’s podcast. You know, and so, more and more people, you know, they’re seeking out information about longevity. They’re seeking out products about longevity. So, just for a second, let’s talk about the business that’s surrounding this, because you’ve mentioned, in other conversations we’ve had, that this is a huge industry. So, what does that look like from an economic standpoint, and then, you know, why do we need to, in some ways, be careful or a little bit wary about some of the things that are out there?

Jim LaValle:
Well, I think you kind of touched a nerve on it, because I think, a lot of times, what happens is that people can kind of get out over their skis on the safety of what they’re doing, and so, it’s important for us to look at, well, what’s the best evidence? What’s proven? What do we know is going to work? What’s implementable? What’s attainable? What can we track so that we can really show that the efforts that you’re making is actually making a difference not just in your chemistry, but in the way you feel and look, because, in the end, what people really want is to look better, feel better.

And oh, by the way, yeah, if my blood numbers or urine numbers or saliva numbers, whatever those biomarkers are, my wearable watch, right? Whatever that is that I’m looking for, I would like to see those improve, too, but in the end, people want to feel better, and so, the business is big. I mean, think about it. 1.7-trillion-dollar marketplace growing at 5 to 10% per year. Now, it depends on which study or evaluation you look at.

That was a McKinsey report back, I think, in 2022 or 2021. Forbes just came out with a statement of it’s a 7-trillion-dollar global industry, and look, you know, kind of traditional medicine is trying to feel their way into this market, but there’s a few barriers there. You know, one, it’s just not what they’ve done. Two, you know, it’s one of those things of, well, they’re already busy taking care of people that are sick, and three, a lot of individuals want to go into a place that’s uplifting, engaging, proactive.

So, when you walk into a Life Time, that’s what you get, right? You get proactive, engaged, commitment to your success with enthusiasm from people, and it surrounds you, and that’s where people want to go with their longevity. I don’t think they’re as interested in, oh yeah, we got the white coats on, and we’re going to tell you, you know, exactly the three equations that we’re going to tell you to get there, and you need that support and commitment.

Granted, there are organizations, Fountain Life, for example, doing incredible advanced imaging and scans and telling you where maybe there’s something going on where you’re asymptomatic or you know, what we call premorbid. You don’t have a condition yet, but you don’t feel too good. You know, it’s like what I tell the people in the gray. You know, I don’t feel good, but nobody’s telling me I’m sick yet.

Jeff Zwiefel:
Yeah, Jim, I think, just adding to that, you know, when Jim references and talks about the movement and the trends in the category, I mean, more than 70% of US, you know, adults are dissatisfied with the traditional healthcare system, right, and 63% of Americans believe spending on preventative wellness, and they know that it can help with their longevity. You know, there’s data from US healthcare that says that spending focused on prevention and wellness is going to save 3.5 trillion dollars by 2040, and so, you know, and you also look at where the consumers’ behaviors are.

2.5 million weekly downloads, as you know, Jamie, of health optimization podcasts like this. 53% of Americans, age 35 to 54, who want personalized health plans, talking about here today. So, clearly, it is the right time, and there is a significant shift in the consumer mindset, moving from this kind of faddish thing that was niche and a little bit out there from the ordinary, to now becoming more mainstream, more understood and accepted, and more validated in terms of its efficacy and the basis on good science and research, which, you know, at Life Time, we’re committed to.

Jamie Martin:
Absolutely. Well, you both said a couple of words, and there are two Ps, and I’m going to add a third one. So, you’ve mentioned proactive, personalized, and then there’s the preventive side of it, too, right? You know, so much of what’s happening in our traditional healthcare system, just by the nature of how it’s set up, is it’s acute care response, right? They’re reacting to acute, and then there’s so much chronic illness happening in this world, and so, like, how do we deal with that, and you know, we want to go from there.

So, I want to touch base, because I think what’s so interesting is, you know, we want this to be personalized, proactive, and preventive for people, and so, there are many ways to help people with that. So, Jim, I’m going to just toss this over to you. So, we have various tests that we can do to measure our biometrics and body chemistry and all of that. Like, let’s talk a little bit about why those are important, but how do we simplify it for people to make it actually actionable and sustainable, because that’s where people get stuck. You know, it’s like, oh, you’re giving me all this information, but now what? How do I do this?

Jim LaValle:
I think it’s one of the biggest issues that people have. Is, you know, great, you told me what’s wrong. How do I fix it, and how do I understand what you’re telling me how to fix it, you know? And I’ve spent 40 years working with, you know, patients in clinics that I’ve owned trying to simplify the message. Now, the first step that’s important to understand is, if we’re going to really change the way we view prevention, we have to track the information.

We have to be able to standardize the way we’re doing things, but leave enough breath and breathing room that there is individualization. So, standardization through individualization, that’s the key, because we’re going to be the largest provider of longevity and health, lifestyle, information, and programming of anyone in the United States. I mean, Life Time is the 800-pound gorilla in the space of fitness and a healthy way of life. So, I’ll frame that up to start, because it’s important to understand that this is not just about taking care of one person, which it is, but it’s about how we collectively begin to aggregate and understand what really does move the needle for people.

So, what we’ve done…and you know, I spent 10 years building this, actually. Was we developed a method called the Metabolic Code, and what the Metabolic Code does is it takes your biometrics. So, you know, height, weight, blood pressure, you know, heartrate. All that good stuff goes flowing into, you know, the cloud-based system, and then it takes a questionnaire, and the questionnaire, it’s interesting. We find that people are very honest about the way they answer it because it asks questions in ways that people go, wow, who’s living with me?

How did you know that, right? And then the third piece, of course, is the layering in of lab data, and then all of that information is basically pumped through a 40-thousand-decision algorithm that basically buckets everything into what’s called a systems biology network or five different categories of your potential metabolic roadblock. So, I only have to talk to that person that’s engaged about 1 or 2 of 5 areas that are broken, and then what are we going to do to fix those 1 or 2 areas?

Now, why is this important, is that we’re tracking, well, what medications are they on, if they’re on any medications? What nutrients are they going to be taking? What exercise plan are they engaged in, right, and then what diet that they are following, and then, more importantly, because the way…it’s so important to have follow up, but the way that we have structured performance and longevity is if there’s continual follow-up and reinforcement.

So, you don’t have to think about when a person leaves the facility, that they’re leaving. They’re not. We’re wrapped around them helping them make decisions, checking in with them on a regular basis, and that’s the biggest thing. We designed a great program, and did they follow it? And if we can put all that information together where we see that people are using less drug therapy. They’re losing weight. They’re feeling better. Their subjective surveys are better. Their metabolic code, their metaflammation score, metabolic inflammation leads to inflamm-aging, right?

So, when we can lower that metaflammation index, we can show them where their labs, their symptoms, and their biometrics are now moving towards longevity, moving towards vitality, and moving towards performance health. So, that’s the program that we’ve developed. It buckets it into five areas. We find out where the metabolic roadblock is, and then we create a program for correction.

Jeff Zwiefel:
I think, Jamie, that’s what’s so remarkable and why we partnered on this MIORA Performance and Longevity program at Life Time, because the Metabolic Code truly serves, as Jim said, as your true vitality and wellness risk index, determining just how far you are away, individually, from being in the state of true, optimal metabolic health.

You know, then our proactive whole health solutions can be, you know, measured, and then we can set up that progressive program to optimize your long-term health, and that’s, as Jim said, what we’re all seeking, and anybody that’s interested in this category is looking for, is that highest quality of living, no matter what your age, whether you’re in this segment as we refer to as longevity.

And I want to live longer and more healthy, or I’m in performance, and that performance can mean pickleball. That can be golf. That can be mountain biking. Whatever it might be, or hiking or playing with your grandkids, or it might be weight loss, as we’ve said, which people have struggled with, as we know, forever, and they haven’t had the right diagnostics and the right solutions to come forward with to solve the core problems.

Jamie Martin:
Right. It’s really about getting to the root, right, and that’s what we want to understand, is what’s happening at the root so we can provide real solutions and real actionable things that people can do in their daily lives, and it’s interesting you’re talking about what people want to do in the long run, how they see themselves, you know, 20 years from now. I’ve been having this conversation over and over with my husband, who’s been on this journey for himself.

And he keeps saying, he’s like, I just want to be functionally well and able to move when I’m in my 70s. He keeps going back to the example of wanting to be able to catch a plane when he’s 70 if he needs to run and catch a plane. Like, I just want to be functionally well for as long as possible, and I think that’s really at the core. Like, if we’re going to live long lives, which I think…

You know, Jim, you were saying in a conversation that was happening yesterday, like, not that far from now, we’re probably going to be able to extend lifespans by 20 years. If we’re going to be able to do that, we want to live well through those additional 20 years. So, just kind of building off that, I know you both alluded to this. We’ve already talked about the lifestyle factors that matter, and I think, like, when you think about how people, when they get into this MIORA program, are going to go…

You know, you’re talking about the lifestyle factors that need to be focused on. Then you’re kind of getting into supplementation and nutraceuticals. Then we’re getting into, potentially, some pharmaceutical solutions. So, let’s talk a little bit about that trajectory, because we all know, foundationally, if our lifestyle habits and behaviors are out of whack, that’s just going to affect us from the very baseline of our health and wellbeing.

Jim LaValle:
Yeah, I think you can never move away from the fact that if you want to study the blue zones, wherever people live to 100, right, where you can really dig in, it’s clear that the foundation of movement, a foundation of culturally eating better foods, right? Higher intake of vegetables. It’s hard for people here in the US to think about vegetables when they got nachos that they could stop and get, right?

I mean, the bottom line is you have to teach them and be supportive and get them understanding the value and the flavor and the goodness, right, because it’s going to take that to adopt a lifestyle of wellness, and the exercise goes without saying. Look, we always say that, you know, muscle is the currency of aging. So, if you want to be able to run and hit that plane when you’re 70, you better keep at…you better have some muscle on those quads and hamstrings, right? You have a good core, you better have solid strength when you’re walking up a step.

A lot of people don’t realize this, but the big things that start to take people out in their 70s is when they fall. So, when you fall and you crack a hip or you…last year, talking to an older gentleman next to me. We’re down at the lake. Shattered his whole, basically, shoulder girdle on a fall, older guy, and so, falls, and then you could hit your head, and that actually accelerates dementia. Now, 20% of people that get, you know, a bone break like that, a hip fracture, actually can pass away. They can die from it.

So, the thought of eating better and exercise, it isn’t just about, oh, I’m going to be buff when I’m 70, right? It’s more about what risk factors do I want to accentuate in my life versus which risk factors do I want to take away? Just like you should be looking at your labs, you should be looking at your glucose and insulin numbers. Am I in the pre-diabetic category, as we have 38% of the US population is pre-diabetic, and that makes you more prone for kidney disease, heart disease, dementia, you know, other conditions, as well, right? Non-traumatic amputations and blindness.

So, the point being is, you know, we need to focus at the beginning with nutrients, what we get from food. There’s no escaping eating better. There’s no escaping movement, but then comes, you know, I’m really stressed out. I’m not sleeping well. There are some natural things I could take that could help me. A lot of people don’t realize this, but if you look at all of traditional medicines across the world, I don’t care what culture you look at, the number one herb in every traditional medicine culture is the herb that protects people from stress.

Ginseng, Ashwagandha, Rhodiola, American ginseng, these are the most sacred herbs that protect people from stress. What we’ve done here in our country is we push people through that white tiger response of stress until they need medicated. They need a drug for anxiety or they need a drug for depression. Well, what nutrients could we give to keep you strong and resilient so you don’t get worn down by the fact that maybe you are working two jobs and you’re a single parent, but you still want to be fit?

You still want to think about longevity, and I still want to feel good at night and be able to get a good night’s sleep, right? What nutrients do we use for that? If you’re on drug therapy, you might be depleting, you know, CoQ10, magnesium. It’s leading you towards your muscles feeling weak, and instead of you saying, gee, I wonder why that’s happening, you might go, I don’t think I want to work out anymore.

But if we just gave you the mag back, give you the magnesium, give you the CoQ10 back, all of a sudden, you’re back in the gym being able to do the things that you know are right for you, because the program identified a very clear weakness, and then the last piece would be, well, what are the markers that are associated with reduced longevity, and what program would we do to correct for that? What nutrients do we give? Potentially, if you’re old enough…and I know Jeff and I is…I’m not going to call us seniors, Jeff. I’m going to just call us mature…

Jeff Zwiefel:
Yes.

Jim LaValle:
…as much as advocates. You know, you get to that point where you’re in your 60s, and you’re going, well, maybe I need some bioidentical hormone replacement in order to optimize my life, but to be done responsibly. Understanding if there’s a risk factor or not, how do I track that? But there’s options that are really safe, and even the evolution of peptide therapies now, right? I mean, my gosh, talk about one of the hottest topics out there, is, you know, utilization of peptides.

You know, near and dear to my heart because I’m chair of the International Peptide Society, and so, I think there’s that thought of, what do I do and how do I do it? We take all that…question and reading 49 blogs and not knowing who to believe, we can take all that and just set it aside and then guide people to better decisions, better outcomes, and for them, most importantly, feeling that they’re on the right track for a better way of living.

Jamie Martin:
Right. It’s really about connecting the dots and providing accountability for people, right, I mean, in many ways, and I don’t know, Jeff, if you want to add anything to that, but I think it’s…you know, there’s these puzzles that we’re all faced with in our life, and it’s like if we can kind of find those puzzle pieces that are…you know, we’ve been missing them for a while. How do we help people put that puzzle piece back in place so they can really, truly be living in their optimal health for as long as possible?

Jeff Zwiefel:
I think that’s exactly right, Jamie, because, you know, it’s taken the guesswork out of it, which is, as we started this conversation, navigating the traditional healthcare system is, generally, the approach that, you know, consumers are faced with, and so, to have a simple, comprehensive, personalized, and proactive total health solution, like MIORA Performance and Longevity, that includes the baseline, starting with the health and lifestyle questionnaire.

It has the comprehensive blood lab assessment and looking at these biomarkers that are so critical to someone’s health and truly pinpointing where those gaps and opportunities are versus, you know, wandering aimlessly about it, because, as we talked about this, although, on one hand, it’s never too late to start, it’s sure advantageous to start early, as we’ve been _____ 00:28:10.0, right, in terms of the lifetime habits that we were referencing earlier and the loss of bone mass and sarcopenia that actually happens, you know, particularly after, you know, the age of, like, 35.

Then, you know, for us to continue to advance this program then into the in-depth medical consultation that’s involved in interpreting the metabolic code and that analysis, and then devising the personalized or customized program for that individual and getting them started with the holistic approach inclusive of the core and foundational elements of exercise and nutrition and diet.

And then, as you say, Jamie, augmenting intelligently with appropriate or proper supplementation. Appropriate and proper and appropriate, then intervention with pharma-grade nutraceuticals as necessary, and then making sure that they are staying with it, that they’ve got this support mechanism through MIORA to adhere to this opportunity and this change, because, as we all know, the most difficult part is making these behavioral changes.

But our idea is to make this as simplistic as possible and convenient as possible so that it can be embedded in their lifestyle very easily and very affordable, as well. So, we’re going to run this program, as well, with other mechanisms. Rejuvenation and recovery, like cryotherapy. We’re going to have hydromassage. We’re going to have relaxation chairs. We’re going to have infrared sun, and we’re going to have red light therapy, and we’re going to provide all of these services to ensure we have the one-stop-shop solution at MIORA Performance and Longevity.

Jamie Martin:
It’s super exciting to know that this is coming, and I do want to just frame and say, you know, we’re starting this kind of small. I know, Jeff, we talk a lot at Life Time about think big, start small, move fast. That’s something we hear regularly, and we’re starting this kind of in the Twin Cities area, and then, you know, scaling from there, but I just want to just put that out there. Like, this is definitely something that…you know, we’ve been covering longevity for a long time at Experience Life. It’s embedded in what Life Time has provided. Really, this is just kind of formalizing, in some ways, all of these elements that come together.

Jeff Zwiefel:
Yeah, that’s right, Jamie. You know, we’ve got 1.5 million members across the 160 plus clubs in the US and Canada. We’ve got about 125 thousand memberships in the Minneapolis / St. Paul market, which is the home of the company over 35 years ago. What better place for us to start packaging and putting together a comprehensive program like this that can be that solution to consumers? In the traditional Life Time way, as you said, we’re going to make sure that we optimize this program first, and then we will determine how and when we scale this program across other Life Time destinations. Once we ensure that we have the kind of successful formula that we’re looking for within the Target Center in Downtown Minneapolis.

Jamie Martin:
Well, I know we could keep talking on and on and on about this, because this is a topic that there is so many facets to, but I just want to give you both a chance, before we have to sign off today…what else would you want people to know, our listeners to know, whether it’s about longevity, whether it’s about MIORA? Just what’s one thing you want them to take away?

Jim LaValle:
I think most people feel like longevity or really feeling like they’ve got their best health is something that’s unattainable, and I would just want them to know that really incredibly vibrant health is attainable if you have clear direction, you have a good team behind you, and you’re willing to work for it. I mean, I always tell people, it’s work, but it’s worth it, right?

You know, and what’s better than feeling good when you wake up in the morning or getting off the floor when you’re in your 60s when you’re playing with your grandkids, right? I mean, these are the things that really drive us when we don’t have to think about an action. We’re just able to move, and our body’s just a part of, you know, going through our day without the thought of, oh, that hurt. Oh, this hurt. Oh, I’m tired. I’m not sleeping well.

Why do I have these 20 pounds on? Let’s remove all those barriers and really allow you, right, the individual to shine? I mean, that’s the whole role of this, is, you know, we want people to shine. I’ve committed 40 years of my life to this space and realizing that, you know, people deserve to feel vitality at every stage in their life, and let’s make that life longer and more fruitful and more valuable to them.

Jeff Zwiefel:
That’s actually right. I would just add, Jamie, from my perspective, you know, being with the organization for almost 25 years now, operating, you know, these beautiful destinations that have changed so many lives, this is such an exciting, new opportunity to get our members to be able to optimize their health. I mean, when you go to the traditional healthcare provider, they’re going to use age-related norms, and they’re not the way I think most people want to live.

With the right level of vigor and vitality of true fulfilment of life at any age, you know, we talk about age is just a number. You know, make your mid-life your best life. Redefining what’s possible. With MIORA Performance and Longevity, we believe we can make health optimization achievable and also very convenient and practical for people to, you know, navigate their own life and make sure they get the most out of it, no matter what their health aspirations might be.

Jamie Martin:
I love that. Well, so, what typically happens when we end an episode is we have one final question for you, and that’s usually a final question that’s a surprise from my co-host, David Freeman, who couldn’t be here today. So, just based on our conversation, I’m going to throw something out there. We’ll keep it nice and short and sweet, but if there was one thing that either of you, or each of you, wished you had known about kind of optimizing your health 40 years ago…I’m going to say 40 years ago because that’s, you know, how long you’ve been practicing, Jim. What would it be? What’s one thing you wish you had known or maybe done differently? I’ll give you the option.

Jim LaValle:
Really understanding the impact of stress on every aspect of your chemistry. So, that I think is the big elephant in the room, and I appreciated it back then, but my understanding and depth of knowledge in that area is way different now. So, yeah, the impact of stress and its global impact on your body and how you feel.

Jamie Martin:
Yeah, it’s huge. All right, Jeff, your turn.

Jeff Zwiefel:
My thinking would be, you know, Jamie, your listeners probably don’t know it, but I was, you know, the founder of our nutritional products division back when I started with the company in 1999, and formulating those products and being around, you know, the supplement category a long time, for me, I feel like it’s extremely difficult, even in the role that I was in and being so close to it for so long, optimizing, you know, the discernment of which products are appropriate for my specific individual health?

And the ability now to look at health optimization and beauty inside out now takes an entirely different…look, yes, I’ve been around blood labs for a very long time, but for the first time I think digging deep into the Metabolic Code to ensure that you’re really intelligently connecting the dots, as we talked about, between where the gaps are and what the action needs to be, either through lifestyle or supplementation or your diet to ensure the proper change happens.

As we said, being very intentional about the approach that we’re taking with people to ensure they get the results that we’re looking for. That’s what I seek out as a consumer, and I believe that through research and science and our affiliation with Jim and the Metabolic Code, I’m just excited about bringing that to more and more consumers and having a macro impact on their health outcomes and their lifestyles.

Jamie Martin:
Yeah. I love that. Well, thank you both for playing that little game with me and answering that surprise question. I want to just thank our listeners for tuning in again today and let them know that we’re going to have links to information about MIORA. We’re going to have information to Jim’s content on our website and on the landing page for this episode. Is there anywhere, Jim, where people can follow you and get more information?

Jim LaValle:
Well, if they go to JimLavalle.com, they can hook up to all the info on me. That’s an easy one. If they’re interested in Metabolic Code, they can go to MetabolicCode.com, and that will kind of let them see what they’re in store for.

Jamie Martin:
Great, and Jeff, I know you’ve got some information. MIORA will be on Lifetime.life and other places. Anywhere else that you would want to point people?

Jeff Zwiefel:
No, I think that’s a great place for people to go right now. More information will be available as we continue to move down this exciting new journey for Life Time.

Jamie Martin:
Yeah. It’s a really kind of exciting evolution of where we’re moving. So, thank you both for joining me today.

Jeff Zwiefel:
Thanks, Jamie.

Jim LaValle:
Thank you.

David Freeman:
Thanks for joining us for this episode. As always, we’d love to hear your thoughts on our conversation today and how you approach this aspect of healthy living in your own life.

Jamie Martin:
And if you have topics for future episodes, you can share those with us, too. Email us at lttalks@lifetime.life, or reach out to us on Instagram @Lifetime.life, @jamiemartinEL, and @freezy30, and use the hashtag #LifeTimeTalks. You can also learn more about the podcast at ExperienceLife.Lifetime.life/podcasts.

David Freeman:
And if you’re enjoying Life Time Talks, please subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts. If you like what you’re hearing, we invite you to rate and review the podcast and share it on your social channels, too.

Jamie Martin:
Thanks for listening. We’ll talk to you next time on Life Time Talks. Life Time Talks is a production of Life Time Healthy Way of Life. It is produced by Molly Kopischke and Sarah Ellingsworth, with audio engineering by Peter Perkins, video production and editing by Kevin Dixon, sound and video consulting by Coy Larson, and support from George Norman and the rest of the team at Life Time Motion.

David Freeman:
A big thank-you to everyone who helps create each episode and provides feedback.