Abby McCloskey, Dallas Morning News, January 8, 2023

“Maybe it’s the post-holiday slump. The cookies, wine and merriment settling in the wrong places. Or simply the joys of middle age. According to the American Psychological Association, “middle adulthood” doesn’t begin in your late 40s or 50s, but in your mid-30s! Goodness gracious. And also, that explains some things.

But I’ve found myself thinking about a cleanse, a revival, and having a growing interest in longevity and the human life cycle. While age isn’t something that can ultimately be defied, I’ve been intrigued by the work of Harvard’s longevity scientist David Sinclair, who seeks to elongate a person’s “healthspan,” which is to say increasing the years when you can be active and feel good even if the ending number (the lifespan) may ultimately be the same. To defy aging, Sinclair prescribes a mix of cutting-edge and spooky medicines but also very basic things like exposure to cold temperatures (sorry, Dallas) and fasting. More on that shortly.

I’ve also been thinking about the life cycles of nations. There’s been more chatter in recent years about America on the decline, or at least, she’s not the young thing she used to be.”