Because peptides are heavily marketed on social media these days, I’m getting a lot of questions from clients about them.
My usual response is a quiet sigh.
As I know most of them won’t be doing the 35 things you need to be doing before, you’d even consider adding them into your regime.
Health is all about layers. First you build your foundations, then layer up. Peptides are right at the top of the layer cake. The final dusting, if you like.
In terms of bang for buck though, read on for the ones which really give you most pay off. The top 10 by the way are almost all free.
They just require decision making. I’m quite into the origins of words these days (who’d have thought it). I decided to cut off a few things which were holding me back this year. So far so good. You?
The word "decision" originates from the Latin decidere, meaning "to cut off," formed by combining de- (off) and caedere (to cut), implying the metaphorical cutting away of alternatives. It entered Middle English before 1425 via Old French and Latin, evolving from a legal/binding "settlement" to a general "firming of purpose" by the late 19th century”
Reminded me of a clip I saw a while ago, it’s actually good advice. The valuable life advice Tom Hardy got from Charlie Bronson.
“Tom, sometimes you’ve got to cut a little piece of yourself off, no matter how much it hurts, in order to grow”
The clips here if you want to watch it’s only 90 seconds long: https://www.instagram.com/reel/C3lcjElvwow/?hl=en
Back to Peptides, 3 things you should know.
- They are not regulated for human use.
- They are only for sale through a legal loop hole which allows compounds for sale for “research purposes only”
- They are not legal for use in sports.
Right...back to the good stuff. Read on:
Low risk. Massive payoff. Repeatable for decades.
1. Daily walking (7–10k steps)
The single most consistent longevity behaviour across Blue Zones. Improves insulin sensitivity, mitochondrial density, lymphatic flow, and mood. Tracking helps. Apparently you’ll walk an extra mile per day with some sort of device which tracks your steps.
2. Strength training 2–4×/week
Muscle = metabolic reserve.
Sarcopenia is the silent killer of independence. Grip strength predicts mortality better than BMI. Top Tip: snack on sprints. Do something at least every hour. 10 press ups, wall sit, plank. Hanging off a chin up bar. Rotate through the exercises or have a day you just focus on 1-2.
3. Protein sufficiency (≥1.2–1.6 g/kg with age)
Blue Zones weren’t low protein—they were evenly distributed. Aging muscles need a higher leucine signal. Easier if you top up with whey, or essential aminos (EAAs) EAAs are super powerful, having a greater effect on muscle than any other form of protein intake.
4. Time-restricted eating (12–16h overnight fast)
Common in Blue Zones culturally. Supports insulin sensitivity, autophagy signalling, and circadian alignment. Saves, time, money and calories. Stop being a secret lemonade drinker.
5. High vegetable & polyphenol intake (30+ plant exposures/week)
Feeds microbiome diversity → SCFAs → immune regulation → brain health. Veggies Rock. Eat more.
6. Omega-3 rich diet (fish, seafood, or alternatives)
Anti-inflammatory, membrane fluidity, cardiovascular + cognitive protection. Tinned fish, fresh fish, fish oils, flax and chia seeds. Eat them all and cut out shitty fats.
7. Social connection & purpose (Ikigai effect)
Chronic loneliness has a mortality risk similar to smoking ~15 cigarettes/day. Seeing friends, family, catching up for food, getting away when you can, spending time with the ones around you. One on one. Stop all the fluffy, knee deep interactions, ask proper questions. Start giving damn, cause it’ll be all gone sooner than you realise.
8. Sleep consistency > sleep duration
Fixed sleep/wake times beat “catch-up sleep” for glycaemic control and brain clearance. Sleep hygiene, eating earlier, breath work, start there. Fix deficiencies, iron, magnesium, manganese. Use products if you want hack this area further.
9. Stress modulation rituals (breathwork, prayer, nature, reflection)
Blue Zones aren’t stress-free—they’re stress-cycling cultures. Easier said than done. Try chilling out a bit more.
10. Low toxin load lifestyle
Less alcohol, minimal ultra-processed foods, reduced plastics, clean air/water exposure. Cut off what’s holding you back.The 10 Top Supplements
High evidence. Ageing-relevant.
These support systems biology rather than chasing immortality.
1. Vitamin D (status-driven, not blind dosing)
Immune modulation, muscle function, bone, mood, mortality signal in deficient populations. Always take with cofactors, that’s why Amino Man’s vitamin D/K2 complex contains all cofactors, cu, zn, mn, mg, boron etc.
2. Omega-3s (EPA/DHA)
Cardiovascular risk reduction, cognitive resilience, inflammation resolution. If you don’t like oily fish, you need to supplement. Even if you like it, you often need both for an optimal omega 3 status. DM me about testing this if you want to. Buy Omega 1400 here
3. Magnesium (glycinate / threonate/ citrate)
Sleep quality, glucose control, neuromuscular health, blood pressure support. There’s 200mg per serving in R5 Aminos, Amber Aminos, 55mg per capsule in the vitamin D/K2 complex, 100mg in the Metabolic Amino Complex. Boom.
4. Creatine (especially >40 yrs)
Muscle, brain energy, bone density, cognitive buffering under stress. One of the better things about the internet is the access to information, studies and references on the power of these types of molecule. Not just for muscles, brain, injury and bone all benefit. Buy Creatine here
5. Glycine (dietary or targeted)
Sleep depth, collagen synthesis, methylation balance, longevity signal in animal data. I like to use this with NAC (Gly/NAC). There’s some great research on this combination out there at the moment. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35975308/
6. Collagen + vitamin C (for connective tissue aging)
Tendons, fascia, skin, joint resilience—not a protein replacement, as such, although it does contribute to your total daily protein intake it’s more about connective tissue support. Buy Collagen here
7. Zinc (status-aware)
Immune competence, testosterone regulation, wound healing. Vital. However take caution, it needs to be taken in balance with copper and manganese. I use a 1:5 ratio in my Multi Nutrient to ensure it’s balanced.
8. Selenium (food-first where possible)
Thyroid function, antioxidant enzyme systems (GPx). Brazil nuts are an excellent source of selenium you only need a couple a day.
9. Polyphenol concentrates (e.g. olive phenols, berries, cacao)
Mitochondrial signalling, vascular health, gut-brain axis. The old pigment rich diet is a winner, especially when combined with a high intake of omega 3.
10. Probiotic or postbiotic support (strain-specific)
Especially useful with age-related gut permeability and immune drift. The gut brain axis informs much about the health of your mood state as well as immune state.
Next Steps – once the basics are covered
Higher upside, extra layer on the performance cake
1. VO2 Max Training
Train Hard, Train Smart. 4 x 4 Nordic, HIIT, 10 seconds on the minute x 10. All of them work well – you just got to includes them 2-3 x per week.
2. NAD⁺ support (NR / NMN / lifestyle-driven)
Supports mitochondrial function, DNA repair, cellular energy—but context matters. This (NMN) combines really well with my EMS (enhanced mitochondrial support blend).
3. Senolytic strategies (fasting, quercetin + lifestyle)
Clearing senescent cells may improve tissue function—human data emerging. Email me for the 5 day senolytic reset protocol. Think spermidine, fistetin etc.
4. Heat stress (sauna 2–4×/week)
Strong epidemiological data: cardiovascular, neuroprotection, heat-shock proteins.
5. Cold exposure (measured, not macho)
Improves metabolic flexibility, catecholamine tone, resilience—not required daily.
6. Red & near-infrared light therapy
Mitochondrial signalling, skin, joint and potentially brain benefits.
Natural “Peptide-like” Longevity Signalers (Better than peptides IMO)
You might be chasing a list of Peptides which are most focussed on aging.
However, there’s at least 10 more things you can prioritise before even considering these ones:
Here’s my top 10 list of natural peptide memetics:
1. Berberine (Metabolic regulator)
- Peptide analogue: MK-677 (insulin/IGF axis – but safer)
- Improves insulin sensitivity
- Activates AMPK (metabolic master switch)
- Supports gut barrier + microbiome balance
- Cardiovascular protection
- hink of it as metabolic discipline in a capsule
2. Glycine + Arginine + Ornithine (GH amino stack) = R5 Amino
- Peptide analogue: MK-677 (GH signalling)
- Stimulates endogenous growth hormone release
- Improves sleep depth and recovery
- Supports nitric oxide & vascular health
- No insulin resistance downside
- Works best 1-2 h pre-bed or post-training
3. Collagen + Vitamin C + Copper / manganese (Tissue repair matrix)
- Peptide analogue: BPC-157 / TB-500
- Tendons, fascia, gut lining, skin, joints
- Copper → lysyl oxidase → collagen cross-linking
- Vitamin C → collagen synthesis trigger
- Structural aging insurance, not just “skin stuff”
4. Astaxanthin (Cell membrane & mitochondrial protector)
- Peptide analogue: Epitalon (cellular protection angle)
- Potent lipid-phase antioxidant
- Protects mitochondrial membranes
- Supports skin, eyes, brain, endurance
- One of the few antioxidants that doesn’t blunt training adaptations
5. Taurine (Longevity amino acid)
- Peptide analogue: Cellular resilience & repair
- Strong longevity signal (recent animal + epidemiology data)
- Cardiovascular support
- Calcium handling, bile flow, nervous system calming
- Often deficient with age, stress, or low seafood intake
6. Natural Herbal Testosterone Support + Boron + Vinitro (Testosterone optimisation)
- Peptide analogue: Androgen-support peptides
- Improves free testosterone
- Lowers SHBG (boron)
- Stress-modulating rather than “stimulating”
- Works best when sleep, zinc, and energy intake are adequate
7. Rhodiola rosea (Cardiac + stress resilience)
- Peptide analogue: CNS & cardiovascular signalling peptides
- Improves heart rate variability
- Reduces fatigue under stress
- Enhances mitochondrial efficiency
- Protective under hypoxia / altitude stress
- One of the few adaptogens with cardiac-specific data
8. Ashwagandha (Neuroendocrine balancer) 600mg in each serving of R5’s
- Peptide analogue: HPA-axis modulators
- Cortisol regulation
- Testosterone support (indirect)
- Sleep and anxiety improvement
- Particularly powerful for midlife men under pressure
9. Curcumin (Inflammation resolution signal)
- Peptide analogue: Tissue repair & immune peptides
- NF-κB modulation
- Joint and gut inflammation reduction
- Neuroprotective effects
- Works best with fat soluble advanced delivery forms (e.g. amino man optimized curcumin)
10. Polyphenol Synergy Stack (Longevity signalling)
- Peptide analogue: Broad cellular communication
- Resveratrol (sirtuin signalling)
- Olive phenols (vascular aging)
- Quercetin (senescence modulation)
- Cocoa flavanols (endothelial function)
- Think of polyphenols as information, not antioxidants. Think Metabolic Optimiser.
Why This Version Is Smarter Long-Term:
It targets the same pathways as peptides:
- GH / IGF signalling
- Tissue repair
- Mitochondrial protection
- Testosterone optimisation
- Stress resilience
- Lower legal, metabolic, and compliance risk
- Can be run continuously rather than cycled aggressively
- Integrates seamlessly with Blue Zone behaviours
Big Picture Takeaway
- 85-90% of longevity benefit comes from the first 10 habits
- The supplements amplify what the foundations allow
- The frontier tools only help if the basics are locked in
- Chasing peptides without sleep, muscle, walking, and nutrition = expensive cosplay