A 39-year-old who says his 'biological age' is 26 shares his protein smoothie recipe
- Chris Mirabile is 39 but says his "biological age" is 26.
- He puts this in part down to good nutrition, including a daily protein smoothie.
Chris Mirabile is committed to living younger for longer.
After surviving a life-threatening seizure caused by a brain tumor at the age of 16, Mirabile devoted himself to healthy aging, which led him to found Novos, a longevity-supplements company.
Mirabile, 39, now claims he has a "biological age" of 26 and has slowed his aging by 37%. As Insider previously reported, some experts are starting to say it's possible for a person to have different biological and chronological ages — but being able to pinpoint a specific biological age is still up for debate.
Mirabile told Insider he credits being "biologically" 26 to a range of factors — regular strength training and cardio, good sleep, and a balanced diet being three key components.
But while aiming to eat healthily most of the time, Mirabile still wants to enjoy his life, so he doesn't deprive himself of the things he enjoys, such as a plate of pasta at the weekend or a glass of wine at a celebration.
Most of the time, however, Mirabile intermittently fasts and focuses on eating a nutritious, whole-food diet.
Mirabile drinks a protein smoothie every day
Every morning, Mirabile drinks a postworkout smoothie, which contains:
Nondairy milk such as hemp or coconut
Vegan protein powder made from a blend of pea and hemp protein
Mushroom powder mix
Chlorella
Carrot
Celery
Strawberry or peach nondairy kefir
Mirabile says while the smoothie may not sound incredibly appetizing, the fruity kefir adds some sweetness that makes it taste good while also providing probiotics.
He prefers dairy-free products because he believes cow's milk accelerates aging. (This, however, has not been proved.)
Mirabile deliberately chooses a vegan protein powder that uses a blend of plant-based protein sources in order to provide a complete amino-acid profile, which he says will help his muscles repair after workouts.
Vegans sometimes need to combine foods to ensure meals provide "complete" proteins, meaning they provide all nine essential amino acids. Most plant-based protein sources are not complete on their own, but when you combine them, they tick all the amino-acid boxes. Ways to do this in meals include eating rice with beans or chickpeas with couscous.
Mirabile's mushroom powder contains maitake, lion's mane, cordyceps, reishi, shiitake, turkey tail, and chaga. Mushrooms like lion's mane have been linked with improved digestive health, metabolism, and cognition, though more research is needed.
Correction: August 11, 2023 — An earlier version of this story misstated Chris Mirabile's age. He claims to have a "biological age" of 26, not 27.