FIELD NOTES 005: Long Live Greece

From late-night walks on Antiparos to Swedish data on centenarians, this week’s lens on longevity is both ancient and modern.

Aug 18, 2025

**from a slow late night stroll I can see why Greeks live longer than most in Europe and half a decade longer on average than the USA

I’m in beautiful Antiparos and it’s 11 PM - families still out, kids running barefoot, grandparents sitting in circles of friends. Hard not to be mesmerized and remember:

People here live in community: multi-generational, woven together.
And don’t get me started on the food: simple, fiber- and protein-rich breakfasts, vegetables that actually taste like something, and a culture where eating isn’t just fuel - it’s bonding.

I know we all heard it but its always a good reminder - We spend billions chasing immortality, yet the basics - connection, movement, food quality - are the foundations hiding in plain sight. Which brings me to this week’s theme: we’re going in circles. Eleven Madison Park is back to meat, the U.S. wellness world is cow-maxxing, and our cold plunges that echo Hippocrates prescribing cold therapy centuries ago. I love it when my passion for history and longevity combine !

The difference is: now, science is starting to validate it.

🔎 THIS WEEK’S DOWNLOAD

Aka things I stumbled across - some new, some just new to me.

THINGS I LIKED THIS WEEK

AI: Using ChatGPT to argue back in cartoons. Hear me out - I love a good New York Mag cartoon, and mid-argument I remembered: I’m ESL. So instead of fumbling for words, this was my comeback - equal parts longevity riff and riposte.
WELLNESS: PYRO by Kirsty Godso – I’ve loved Kirsty’s workouts for years0 back when she was teaching at Equinox’s boutique innovation lab near my home. Yesterday I decided to splurge on her $35/month digital membership (something I swore I’d never do post-Covid)…and honestly? Worth every penny.
PRODUCT: Well, creatine per my last post (linked here) and I’m currently using Thorne’s daily pack (easiest for travelling)
BEST READ: I’ve been a fan of Dan Harris since I read 10% happier and I loved his recent substack and how he breakdowns steps to get into meditation
BEST BITE: Pictured below. Optics aside, caviar is a legit nutrient bomb - loaded with B12, plus vitamins A and D. Sometimes the best “supplements” come on a spoon. (And if you missed it, I wrote about my supplement philosophy earlier this week 🙂)
📎 ARTICLES THAT CAUGHT MY EYE

1. Chasing Longevity – Harvard Business Review

A sharp look at the business of aging, where investors and founders are pouring billions into longevity tech - from AI diagnostics to age-reversal drugs. The piece questions whether we’re chasing healthspan or just chasing valuations.

🧠 My Take: It’s a good reminder: longevity isn’t just a biotech race. The why matters. If we’re not focused on adding quality years, the risk is we end up with longer lives, not better ones.

2. Eleven Madison Park Back to Meat – Forbes.

EMP made waves when it went fully vegan. Now, it’s quietly bringing back fish, meat, and that honey-glazed duck. The world is still protein-obsessed—whether it’s steak or pea protein powder: and running a 3-Michelin-star restaurant in New York without those anchors proved near impossible.

🧠 My Take: Benjamin Franklin promoted vegetarianism in his time. We swung back to oat milk and vegan fine dining. And now? We’re back to protein plates. Culture flexes with the trend cycle, but biology is less forgiving. Protein, in some form, isn’t leaving the table.

3. Americans are all in on cow-based Wellness – The Atlantic

From cow tallow skincare to raw milk obsessions, wellness is stampeding back to the cow. Only a few years ago, meat and dairy were demonized and oat milk was crowned. Now, cows are wellness mascots again.

🧠 My Take: It’s whiplash, but also predictable. Wellness cycles through villains and saviors. The bigger story: our cultural body is craving something grounding, and cows - messy, primal, nourishing are the current stand-in.

🎧 PODCASTS WORTH YOUR TIME

The Human Upgrade – “Stop Counting Calories! Diet Myths Exposed (And What to Do Instead)” by Dr. Nick Norwitz, Published: Jan 28, 2025
This episode dismantles one of diet culture’s longest-standing dogmas: calorie counting. Dr. Nick Norwitz, a metabolic health researcher from Oxford and Harvard, joins Dave Asprey to explain why focusing on calorie numbers can backfire. Instead, they unpack the role of metabolic health, nutrient quality, and how food interacts with our biology.

🧠 My Take: Nick has a Substack I really love (link HERE), and stumbling on this episode felt timely. I’ve been saying this for years- calorie counting drives people crazy and misses the point. For everyone’s mental sanity, I’m sharing this conversation: what actually matters isn’t the math, but the rhythm and quality of your nutrition.

Friendship Is Medicine: The Surprising Science Behind Connection
The Dr Hyman Show, Guest: Simon Simek Published: Aug 2025
This episode reframes “survival of the fittest” through a social lens - arguing it wasn’t the strongest who thrived, but those who could build communities. This episode explores the science of belonging, humor, and connection as protective health factors, rivaling even supplements or fitness hacks.

🧠 My Take: I’m with Simon on this one - those with friends will probably outlive the lone biohackers. Wearables and ice baths have their place (and I do like them!) but the real edge comes from people who make you laugh and show up when it counts. Longevity isn’t just biological - it’s social medicine.

The Studies Show: Mindfulness meditation
Tom Chivers, Published: July 29, 2025

🧠 My Take: Tom Chivers has a Substack I love, and I was listening to one of his brilliant (and hilarious) podcasts the other day—this one on mindfulness. I’ve always been fascinated by the science and history of mindfulness and meditation, and in this episode he unpacks it all: what mindfulness actually means, the evidence behind it, and where the mindfulness “industry” is headed. (Yes, it’s an industry.)

🧬 THE SCIENCE BIT

What Centenarians Really Share – Newsweek

A new Swedish study of 4,330 centenarians found two things in common:

Resilient cardiovascular systems (better vascular health, fewer heart issues)
Positive outlook and sense of purpose

Compared to peers, centenarians accumulated disease more slowly, had fewer neuropsychiatric conditions, and healthier biomarker patterns starting as early as age 60.

🧠 My Take: Strip away the noise, and longevity comes down to two things we can all touch: heart health and positive outlook. A strong cardiovascular system is the engine, and optimism is the fuel. Forget chasing immortality for now - let’s protect those.

💸 VCs, M&A, AND STRATEGY SHIFTS

The longevity business keeps gaining momentum.

Aug 08, 2025 – OneSkin secures $20M Series A to push skin longevity biotech: Backed by Prelude Growth Partners, OneSkin raised $20 million to accelerate skin longevity research and scale their biotech-driven product line.
Aug 12, 2025 – Jocasta Neuroscience lands $35M Series A for α‑Klotho cognitive therapy: Preclinical biotech Jocasta closed a $35 million round to advance its α‑Klotho-based lead compound (JN‑0413) into Phase 1 trials targeting neurodegenerative impairment.
Aug 13, 2025 – Fountain Life raises $18M Series B to scale AI-powered longevity clinics: Longevity clinic network Fountain Life announced an $18 million Series B led by EOS Ventures, bringing total funding to ~ $108 million. The funds will fuel expansion into Houston, Los Angeles, and Miami and enhance diagnostics across over 100 biomarkers.