Right now, I have 4 different ages.

Chronologically, I’m 44. But my biological age—how old my cells, tissues, and systems really are—depends on who you ask.

🕜 WHOOP says I’m 46 (based on VO₂ max, time spent in Zone 2, resting heart rate, and sleep consistency).

🕜 Parsley Longevity Labs puts me at 29 (blood biomarkers).

🕜 Tally Health clocks me at 42 (DNA methylation).

Heading into my mid-40s, I care less about candles on a cake than how old my body really is.

Why? Because biological age predicts disease risk, functional health, and even mortality better than your chronological age (Nature Scientific Reports, 2021). 

So which bio age measure is “right”? None of them in isolation. Each gives a different piece of the puzzle.

That’s why we’re diving into ✨Measuring Longevity, Part II✨: how biological age is measured, what these numbers really mean, and—most importantly—what you can do to lower yours.

🤓 What to know: DNA tests are the gold standard—but labs and fitness add critical context.

Biological age isn’t one number. It’s a multi-layered snapshot of how fast your body is aging, through three main lenses:

🧬 DNA Methylation (Epigenetic Clocks)

These are the “gold standard” tests. They track chemical tags on your DNA that change with stress, lifestyle, and disease.

• Best for: cellular-level aging

• Pros: Powerful, data-driven

• Cons: Expensive (~$300+), takes 6+ weeks
  

🩸 Lab Tests (Phenotypic Age)

Calculated from fasting labs: glucose, insulin, hsCRP, liver/kidney function, etc. Algorithms compare your markers to large datasets.

• Best for: spotting metabolic + inflammatory issues

• Pros: Affordable, actionable, repeatable

• Cons: Can miss subtle DNA-level changes

💪 Wearables (Fitness & Physiological Markers)

Tracks VO₂ max, HR variability, sleep quality, strength, and recovery, which indicate how well your body’s working in real time.

• Best for: daily feedback + behavior change

• Pros: Continuous data, instant feedback

• Cons: Less precise for long-term aging

🧪 What My Numbers Say

Here’s what my own metrics are showing me:

✅ I have the bloodwork of a 20-something. 
I eat incredibly well, maintain a healthy weight, and I don’t have any signs of autoimmune, metabolic or heart disease (i.e. the conditions that destroy healthspan for most Americans). 

⚠️ But my fitness habits are dragging me down.
I walk a lot (thanks NYC!), do 30 minutes of weights 1-2 times a week, plus a weekly pilates session and a yoga class. But the reality is I spend most of my day sitting on my very flat bum and my heart rate rarely gets out of Zone 1. WHOOP says that’s adding nearly 2 years to my bio age.

😴 Sleep inconsistency is costing me too.
I average 7.5 hours, but the timing is all over the place (hi, kids + social life). That’s half a year added, per WHOOP.

💥 My epigenetic age is lower.
This is mostly thanks to nutrition, supplements, and low inflammation. But exercise matters here too. Sedentariness and stress affect DNA methylation (Journal of Applied Physiology, 2023).

Want to start measuring? Here’s my simple rhythm:

• Blood labs: 2×/year (4x if managing a chronic condition)

• Wearables: Daily feedback on HR, sleep, movement

• DNA methylation: Every 1–2 years for trend tracking

⚠️ Remember: These are trend markers, not gospel. If your bio age says 26 but you feel like crap, something’s up. That’s where functional care matters—tests should guide, not override, how you feel.

💪 What to do: Sleeping, eating, and training can lower your bio age by years in just months. 

Here’s the exciting part: your biological age is changeable.

Studies show you can lower it by 4 years in just 1 month. Sleep, food, movement, and stress will move the needle the most.

✅ Sleep 7+ hours and stay consistent 

Poor sleep (insomnia, apnea, inconsistency) raises inflammation and impairs DNA repair, accelerating epigenetic aging (Clinical Epigenetics, 2024).

🛌 Aim for:

• 7+ hours nightly

• Consistent bed/wake times.

✅ Eat and supplement to lower inflammation 

Anti-inflammatory diets (Mediterranean, DASH) slow biological aging (Nutrition Journal, 2024).

🍽️ Aim for: 

• 0.7 g protein per lb body weight (I supplement with a high quality protein)

• 30–50 g fiber 

• <25 g total sugars 

💊 Evidence-backed supplements:

• omega-3s

• probiotics

• methylated B-vitamins

• zinc

• vitamins C, D, E (antioxidants)

✅ Cardio + HIIT 

Exercise reprograms DNA methylation: boosting mitochondria, reducing inflammation, and repairing tissue (Aging, 2025). 

🏃 Get your heart rate up:

• Sustained cardio and HIIT are the most impactful exercises for bio age (European Heart Journal, 2018).

• Just 1 month of HIIT training (3x per week, 20 minute sessions) can reduce bio age by almost 4 years (Aging Cell, 2023). 

✅ 15 minutes of meditation 

Chronic stress accelerates biological aging by dysregulating methylation (Psychoneuroendocrinology, 2018). 

🧘 Start by:

• Meditating for 15 min every day to balance cortisol and trigger parasympathetic balance. 

✅ Cut exposure to PFAS (and other toxins)

Toxins & metabolic dysregulation accelerate aging via inflammation, glycation, mitochondrial damage. 

🌱 Easy wins:

• Skip BPA-lined cans and plastic bottles

• Avoid fish high in mercury

• Watch for PFAS in food packaging

• Limit alcohol, smoking, and processed foods

⚡️ Quick Hits

💅 Gel polish ban incoming?

The EU just banned TPO, the ingredient that makes gel polish harden due to fertility concerns (in animal studies). Feeling vindicated that I haven’t gotten my nails painted since I first found out I was pregnant 9 years ago! 

I go for a natural buff nail. One less toxin exposure to worry about. 

🧪 Creatine for menopause brain fog

In one 8-week trial, creatine improved memory, cholesterol, and mood in peri/postmenopausal women. 

I take 5g of Parsley creatine daily. 

🍄 Mushrooms vs. microplastics

A type of fiber called β-glucan (found in oats and mushrooms) reduced PFAS levels in mice exposed to high doses of the forever chemicals by disrupting their recirculation in the gut.

Another reason to lean into hen of the woods season to meet your fiber goals. 

💛 The Momgevity Files

My youngest son—my baby—turned four this week.

Four feels like a turning point between babyhood and true kiddom. He’s officially in pre-K at his Montessori and starting to look like a little man—even if we’re still in pull-ups at night and working through thumb-sucking.

As he grows up, I feel myself shifting too. At 44, I feel healthier and more vibrant than ever, but this milestone has stirred up some major waves of emotion. I see strollers and baby carriers and feel almost shocked that those days are behind me. As exhausting as those early years were, they were also magical.

I never thought I’d be the nostalgic mommy type, but lately I find myself having wild thoughts like: I could totally have another! Maybe I’ll adopt!

Logically, I know three kids is all I can handle. I already feel stretched way too thin—there’s truly no more of me to go around. So what’s up with all the baby cravings?

We live through such a unique arc as women: we spend early adulthood doing everything we can to not get pregnant, then we work so hard to get pregnant, then we find ourselves in the expansive—but disorienting—new mom years: grappling with a shifting identity and a changing body, while reveling in the excitement that comes with each new child. Each birth feels like opening a brand-new chapter—the biggest of big beginnings.

So naturally, in some ways, their growing up also feels like an ending. And when I add in the fact that I’m staring down 45 next year—a number that feels like a true midpoint in the fulcrum of life—well, the emotions get even bigger.

There are so many positives to this moment too: kids who are more independent, less of a hazard to themselves, and ready for new kinds of family adventures. I’ve heard people say that when your youngest turns five, life “unlocks” in a whole new way—especially for your marriage. I can already feel it coming.

Sometimes the truth is that all the focus on muscle mass, brain health, metabolism and bones is a way to avoid looking at the passage of time. Which is why in these watershed moments, while it’s hard, I think it’s important to look at time in the face and hold it close, slowing it down and appreciating every second. That is longevity too.

Stay strong, stay curious, and breathe, 

Robin

As always, this newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider before making any health decisions or changes to your treatment plan.