In today’s fast-paced world, many people are searching for the secret to living longer and feeling better as they age. Marc DeForest, a 46-year-old software developer, has kicked off his journey to slow down his aging process, and the results are nothing short of inspiring.
Battling past struggles with anxiety and a demanding lifestyle, Marc decided to take control of his health through diet, exercise, and NOVOS. The outcome? A significant reduction in his pace of aging, proving that with the right mindset and tools, it’s possible to turn back the clock. In this interview, Marc shares his longevity regimen, his challenges, and how he transformed his health to feel better and live longer.
Watch the full interview.
Younger For Longer: Marc’s Insights
Here’s a summary of our conversation with Marc.
We measured your pace of aging, which is the gold standard in measuring how fast or slow you age, and you received a score of 0.65, which is incredible. Was this your first time following a longevity-specific regimen?
It’s interesting how I stumbled upon the world of longevity. My YouTube feed suddenly started filling up with content on the topic, particularly videos featuring David Sinclair. As someone who’s been in software development for most of my life, I’m naturally data-driven, so I was intrigued by the scientific approach to longevity. I’ve always been interested in feeling good and staying healthy, so this field really caught my attention.
However, it wasn’t always this way. For much of my life, I struggled with anxiety and, at times, mild depression, which led me to dive deep into understanding the human body and mind. My habits in the past weren’t exactly the best, but in May of 2023, I decided to commit to a disciplined regimen. About 60 days after sticking to this new routine, I took a test that revealed I had begun to significantly slow down my aging, which I think is encouraging for anyone listening—real change can happen in a relatively short period.
Interestingly, the test showed that my biological age was still higher than my chronological age, even though my pace of aging had slowed. While the test might not be the gold standard like the Dunedin Pace test, it was a clear indicator that the changes I was making were having a real impact.
Can you share more about your background? Before starting this longevity regimen with NOVOS, what did your lifestyle look like?
I’m 46 years old now, but my journey with health has had its ups and downs. When I was around 18 to 20 years old, I smoked tobacco for a while, though not consistently throughout that entire period. I eventually quit, but would occasionally have a cigarette in social settings, usually when drinking. However, I was never a big fan of alcohol and only drank socially, never on a daily or even weekly basis. Eventually, I gave that up too.
I’ve always maintained a healthy weight and lived a fairly active lifestyle. I play a lot of tennis and do some resistance training. I was also a goaltender in ice hockey up until a couple of years ago. Interestingly, my love for hockey might have contributed to some of my health challenges because I reached a point where I couldn’t recover fast enough. After playing a beer league game on a Tuesday, I’d still feel the effects by Thursday, and it made me realize that as much as I loved the game, it wasn’t worth the toll it was taking on my body.
In addition to these activities, I vaped nicotine off and on before I started my longevity regimen last year. I quit vaping several times but would return to it due to my fidgety, somewhat addictive personality. Despite these habits, I’ve always had a healthy BMI, in the 20 to 21 range, and appeared to be in good health.
A pivotal moment for me was in 2022 when I lost my father to stage four lung cancer. He had smoked for 50 years, but I always believed it was his poor diet, not the cancer, that ultimately took his life. He was type two diabetic and had hypertension, conditions that I’m convinced were diet-related. At one point, I got him to cut out sugar and flour, and within two months, he was off his diabetic and hypertension medications. Unfortunately, he couldn’t maintain those changes because, as many know, sugar is the most addictive substance out there and is everywhere.
This experience with my father really opened my eyes. Even though he wasn’t severely overweight, his poor diet had devastating effects. It also made me realize that metabolic disease isn’t just about being overweight—you can look healthy on the outside and still be metabolically unhealthy. This understanding, coupled with my own health journey, has made me more conscious of the choices I make every day.
I would love to understand more about your longevity regimen. What lifestyle changes did you make? You were referencing diet, but besides taking NOVOS supplements, is anything different in your lifestyle than before?
I practice intermittent fasting, which I find to be quite challenging, though I stick with it because I have a lot of willpower despite my addictive personality. My fasting window is 20 hours a day, with my eating window from 3 to 7 PM. I’m very strict about my sugar intake, especially fructose, and I try to eliminate it entirely outside of whole foods—though I admit, it’s incredibly difficult to do.
I stay very active, moving throughout the day and playing multiple hours of tennis each week. My supplement regimen is centered around NOVOS products, specifically the Core and Boost, but I also take a variety of other supplements that I’ve researched over the years. These include vitamin D, fish oil, vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium, with a particular focus on magnesium L-threonate. I’ve been consistent with this regimen for quite some time, and I genuinely believe that NOVOS has made a significant difference in my health.
One important lesson I’ve learned is that feeling good is closely tied to living longer. From both a physical and emotional standpoint, it’s crucial to feel great, and I think that this has been a key factor in the significant slowdown of my aging process over such a short period of time.
With your Dunedin pace score in hand and your longevity regimen well underway, are there any changes or new elements you’re considering adding to your routine?
I’m not sure if I should add more to my regimen or perhaps scale back a bit, as I do tend to follow it very rigorously—maybe I’m a bit of an overachiever in that regard. Interestingly, I took an InsideTracker test just before starting with NOVOS, and it showed that my biological age was 40, even though I’m 46. I’m really looking forward to taking that test again to see how things have changed now that I have more information and have been consistent with my regimen.
I believe that if you’re willing to put in the work, you can achieve significant results. However, if you don’t have the willpower, there’s still potential to slow down your aging with some lifestyle changes, but you have to make a clear decision to prioritize your health and commit to it for the long term. This might involve going through a bit of a tough period to get there. Starting with easier steps, like taking supplements, can help ease into the process. If you find intermittent fasting too difficult or struggle to give up certain foods, aim for an 80-20 rule—try to eliminate some unhealthy habits, move more, and gradually incorporate healthier practices.
Marc’s Health & Wellness Protocol
Exercise & Recovery: Marc maintains an active lifestyle with daily movement, including playing tennis and resistance training.
Diet: Marc practices intermittent fasting with a 20-hour fasting window and a 4-hour eating window from 3 to 7 PM. He is highly disciplined about minimizing sugar intake, particularly fructose, and focuses on consuming whole foods. He avoids processed foods and is careful about the types of oils used in food preparation.
Mental Health: Marc focuses on creating a balanced lifestyle that supports both physical and mental well-being. He believes that feeling good emotionally is just as important as physical health and has prioritized it in his longevity routine.
Supplements: Marc’s supplement regimen is centered around NOVOS products, specifically NOVOS Core and NOVOS Boost. Additionally, he takes vitamin D, fish oil, vitamin K, calcium, and magnesium L-threonate to support overall health and longevity.
We thank Marc for sitting down with us and sharing his personal, inspiring story.
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