For longevity enthusiast and former tech CEO Bryan Johnson, almost nothing will deter him from staying true to his daily routine.
Johnson, who has reportedly spent $2 million a year to reverse age and live longer, swears by strict diet requirements, sleeping times, and daily testing. It’s precisely why Johnson—who is known for his 1,950-calorie diet and daily meal of nutty pudding (a mix of walnuts, macadamia nuts, pomegranate juice, berries, and cinnamon)—keeps to his West Coast abode. He usually forgoes in-person speaking engagements about his pursuit for immortality; this fall, he opted for a virtual interview during the Longevity Investors Conference.
However, with growing global interest and investment in the business of longevity (think longevity tourism, biological-age tests, supplements, and wearables), Johnson is sometimes willing to risk jet lag to be a part of the scene.
This week, Johnson is taking his routine abroad to India to promote his book Don’t Die, and he won’t be indulging in any of the local food, despite the country’s celebrated use of superfoods like spices, vegetables, beans, peas, and lentils.
“A lot of people ask me what I do about food when I travel,” Johnson recently wrote on X. “…This is why I’ve brought with me to India every calorie I’ll eat for 6 days.”
He add that the decision is about the wider global food supply, which he has called “contaminated.” “This is not about India. It’s the global food supply,” he adds in his post.
A lot of people ask me what I do about food when I travel.
The first rule is this: food is guilty until proven innocent.
This is why I’ve brought with me to India every calorie I’ll eat for 6 days.
I know how contaminated our global food supply is from spending hundreds of… pic.twitter.com/UPazrJdElE
— Bryan Johnson /dd (@bryan_johnson) December 2, 2024
Johnson will be traveling with products from his company Blueprint, which sells his $94 nutty pudding in a “ready-to-mix” form and his $86 “longevity protein.” The full “Blueprint stack,” which contains products with a range of vitamins, costs $343.
He is traveling to India with the following, per his post.
- longevity mix
- protein
- collagen peptides
- blueberries nut mix
- mac nut bars
- lentils (just add water)
- pea soup (just add water)
- macadamia purée
- super shrooms
- matcha
Though his company claims its products have undergone rigorous testing “for purity,” the National Institutes of Health (NIH) recommends getting your nutrients from whole foods and cautions consumers not to rely on powders, supplements, and concoctions.
“Many supplements contain active ingredients that can have strong effects on the body. Always be alert to the possibility of a bad reaction, especially when taking a new product,” according to the NIH. “You are most likely to have side effects from dietary supplements if you take them at high doses, or instead of prescribed medicines, or if you take many different supplements.”
You can read more about Blueprint’s standards here.
“I’m genuinely trying to do the world a solid by creating the healthiest possible food and pricing it as low as possible,” Johnson writes on X. “You can hate me, make fun of me, call me a grifter, just be sure to know what you’re putting into your body.”
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says a mix of exercising, eating healthy, managing stress, and engaging with others is still the cornerstone of healthy aging.