Longevity has become the new frontier of wellness, and biohacking – meaning small, scientifically-backed lifestyle changes – is its boldest promise.
From sleep tracking and cold plunges to gene testing, peptides and personalised supplements, biohacking is reshaping how we think about ageing, turning the pursuit of a longer life into a daily, data-driven experiment.
Now, Dr Steven Lu, founder of health and longevity clinic Everlab, has revealed his perspective on how to extend the quality of your life – including the one thing everyone gets wrong when they embark on a health kick.
‘When you think of a word like “hacking”, you’re looking for a shortcut when it should be about efficiency and personalisation – because everyone’s health is different,’ Dr Lu told Daily Mail.
‘Being unfit can be worse than smoking. You should be proactive and focus on prevention rather than cure. After all, a well person has 1,000 wishes, but a sick person only has one: to get better.
‘Achieving longevity is almost like a financial project. In many ways, financial capital is very similar to health capital.
‘You want to work and accumulate wealth because health is the greatest wealth you can have. It’s your greatest asset.’
Dr Lu advocates for sleep being the number one priority, closely followed by daily movement and a healthy diet.
Dr Steven Lu, founder of Melbourne longevity clinic Everlab, revealed his perspective on how to extend the quantity and quality of your life
Sleep comes first
Sleep is often overlooked when discussing health, wellbeing and longevity, yet it remains a fundamental biological necessity.
‘The number one daily priority for me is sleep. You should prioritise sleep above diet, exercise and supplements,’ Dr Lu said.
‘Sleep is probably one of the single biggest blockers of success in health.
‘If you have poor sleep three days in a row, you feel the cost of it – but it’s actually doing more damage than you think.
‘Poor sleep drives disease risk and it stops you from winning.’
Dr Lu emphasised that while both quantity and quality are important, sleep quality matters more than simply spending time in bed. Everyone should aim for restorative, undisturbed sleep.
He likened poor sleep to leaving your phone plugged in overnight but finding it only half-charged in the morning – you might be in bed long enough, but poor quality leaves you less ‘charged’ for the day.
But Dr Lu said sleep is the most important factor as it greatly impacts your overall health, wellbeing and longevity – it is even more essential than diet or exercise (stock image)
The 3-2-1 protocol
To ensure you maximise your sleep quality every night, Dr Lu suggests a simple strategy anyone can do – and it’s free.
The 3-2-1 protocol recommended at Everlab involves not eating three hours before bed, no fluids two hours before bed, and no screen time one hour before bed.
‘Read a book to your kids, chat to your spouse, do anything but look at a screen,’ Dr Lu said.
‘One thing that my wife and I sometimes do is, once the kids are down and before we go to bed, we play a board game. It’s our couple time. It’s so easy for me to be on my laptop and for her to be on the iPad, but I’d rather answer emails in the morning.
‘The reason why we do this is because sleep quality is so crucial. You can have eight hours of sleep but the quality is so poor you don’t wake up feeling refreshed.’
This strategy will help improve sleep quality by setting boundaries before bedtime.
Does fasting actually work?
Fasting surged in popularity in the 2010s with the rise of intermittent fasting, promising weight loss and an array of health benefits by prioritising when you eat, rather than the foods you consume.
However, Dr Lu stressed it should be approached correctly and with caution.
‘Fasting does work but not for the reason most people think. Skipping breakfast will limit your calorie intake and possibly nourishment. I still recommend fasting for certain people – such as type 2 diabetic patients,’ Dr Lu said.
‘Intermittent fasting is a tool, just like weight-loss medications Ozempic and Mounjaro. You have to use it super carefully and measure success with the goal you have.
‘While it’s convenient to miss breakfast, you should be fasting in the evening instead and avoid eating food right before bed.’
Referring to the 3-2-1 protocol, Dr Lu said he never eats three hours before he goes to sleep.
Dr Lu’s rationale centres on the impact that meal timing has on sleep quality: eating or drinking too close to bedtime can disrupt restorative sleep, which is essential for longevity and daily well-being.
He added that fasting in the morning gives you less time during the day to provide the nutrients your body needs, which can put you at risk of undernourishment.
‘But there’s a danger with fasting too – I see a lot of women who are under-muscled and not consuming enough protein. Muscle is super important because it helps you with your metabolic health,’ Dr Lu said.
Is ageing orchestrated by an internal clock or external factors?
Rather than viewing your biological age as one big internal clock, Dr Lu explained it should be viewed as ‘multiple clocks operating at different speeds’.
‘I’ve seen 40-year-old patients with the arteries of a 65-year-old, and I’ve seen 60-year-olds with the metabolism of a 35-year-old. We all operate in different ways due to our internal function, yet nothing is immune to influence,’ he said.
‘There’s intrinsic and extrinsic influencing factors. Genetics certainly determine some of your clocks. However, the good news is many of these clocks respond to intervention.’
For example, Sydney father Jeremy Cabral lowered his biological age by experimenting with ‘everyday biohacking’ – accessible lifestyle tweaks that can improve health without resorting to costly extremes.
He focused on simple changes: sleep, food, movement and smart use of technology. After six months of dedication he lost 20kg – and completed his first marathon.
Do children age you?
As a father to two young daughters, Dr Lu has discovered just how difficult and demanding parenting can be.
‘Without a doubt, I think kids age you biologically. But they also give me a reason to want to stay healthy. Being a father, the value of my life has increased significantly because I need to be there in their lives and set a good example,’ he said.
‘The incentive for health that arises after having kids gives us a lot of power to say, “Let’s proactively wind those clocks back”.’
Dr Lu added that the impact on women is also profound, with pregnancy causing hormonal and physical changes that affect both physical and mental health.
This, once again, ties back to an impact on sleep and what this does to the body overall.
Dr Steven Lu has more than 15 years of clinical experience spanning neurosurgery, cardiothoracic surgery, intensive care, general practice and psychotherapy. Throughout his career, Dr Lu has witnessed both the brilliance and the blind spots of modern medicine.