Episode #58 of The Longevity & Biohacking Show is a different sort of show. Rather than talking to a guest with an agenda or product/service/book to promote, Jason Hartman invites his friend and business partner, Fernando, on to talk about his multi-year journey in ditching the Standard American Diet and embracing a longevity lifestyle. How’s it working for Fernando? Let’s find out.

Jason and Fernando

In an effort to reinvent his life, Fernando decided to begin investing in residential real estate a little over four years ago. As many others have done before him (with success), he listened to Jason’s podcasts, studied his methods, and eventually purchased properties through Jason’s network. The two hit it off so well that they eventually became good friends and then business partners in a software company.

But there was another area besides wealth creation that Fernando knew needed a major overhaul, and that was his diet. As a long-time disciple of the Standard American Diet, Fernando was a normal man who thought he was eating healthy. He soon realized that assumption was grossly wrong. After years of studying a healthy diet and lifestyle, he’s the perfect candidate to talk with Jason about what people are actually putting into their bodies. They also discuss what he read/watched/did as he moved into a Longevity Lifestyle and even how he brought his kids along for the ride.   

The Path to Longevity Begins

The year was 2012 when Fernando got serious about making his life better. As mentioned, his real estate investments were throwing off passive income at a pleasing rate. He now had disposable income but worried that he wouldn’t live long enough to properly enjoy it. He decided to undertake a mission to do those things that would increase his lifespan. A lot of it had to do with diet.

Ditching the Standard American Diet

One of the first things Fernando did was recognize that the unregulated amount of refined sugar included in his version of the Standard American Diet was making him fat. He weighed 220 lbs most of his adult life, and now tips the scales at a svelte 175 lbs. Back to his diet changes. The first thing Fernando did was stop drinking soda, which is the first thing anyone concerned about their health should do. He switched to orange and carrot juice in roughly the same quantities as the soft drinks he used to knock back. Eventually he figured out fruit and veggie juices were loaded with a different kind of sugar (natural fructose – healthier but still packed with calories).  He reduced his intake and the journey to longevity commenced in earnest.

Healthy Doritos and the Wisdom of the FDA

While the average person might not look at Doritos as a sterling example of health food, Fernando used to gently mock people who told him that eating them daily was a bad idea. In those days, he thought that anything with the FDA seal of approval would be okay in moderation. It was at this point in the interview Jason nearly suffered an aneurysm of outrage at the thought anyone would trust the FDA about anything. Don’t judge Fernando too harshly. He was still learning.

Cleaning Up His Act With a Liquid Diet

By 2013, Fernando and his wife realized that ditching soft drinks and Doritos, though healthy steps in the right direction, weren’t all that was needed. They researched liquid diets and were convinced their intestinal tracts needed a cleansing. For 10 days they ate no solid food, existing on juice made from lemons, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. Fernando’s thinking was that it made sense to wash the inside of the body after so many years of dumping junk into it.

Without getting too graphic, the man was shocked by the amount of brown matter coming out over the entire 10 day cleanse. He lost about a pound a day, crediting cayenne as the catalyst that was able to dislodge particles trapped in the intestine for longer than Fernando wanted to contemplate.

Documentaries as Motivational Tools

To keep themselves motivated during the cleanse, Fernando and his wife watched food documentaries. He mentioned in particular Hungry for Change, Nearly Dead, and Food, Inc. All these films contain powerful ideas that it behooves every eating American to at least be aware of. One thing to keep in mind is that diet industry has a vested interest in preventing you from losing weight. They don’t want to lose lifetime customers who swear by their high-priced products. In a perfect world, the diet industry would like you to lose a little (to keep you motivated), then gain a little back (to reinforce how badly you need their products).

These are businesses people! Like the pharmaceutical companies that would prefer you take their drugs, convince yourself they are necessary, but you never actually get better. Back to diet products for a moment. Fernando reveals that one popular blueberry muffin product contains a chemical featured prominently in automobile antifreeze and not a trace of actual fruit.

Why Not Veganism?

With so much of the conversation centered around the necessity in removing refined sugar, chemicals, and preservatives from your Standard American Diet, Jason is understandably curious if Fernando ever tried a vegan approach? It turns out he did for a period of several months following the 10-day cleanse. He eventually brought protein in the form of grass-fed beef and other studiously vetted alternatives back into his diet, believing that a well-rounded diet shouldn’t eschew real meat.

The Bottom Line

This interview isn’t the end of Fernando’s story. Not by a long shot. We’re only through 2013. Jason promises a continuation soon. A parting thought from the man himself. Check out the Fooducate app. It allows grocery shoppers to quickly ascertain whether a particular food product’s health score puts it in the healthy or hideous category. (Image: Flickr | Clotee Pridgen Allochuku)

More from Jason Hartman:

The Most Connected Man in the World
The Longevity Project: 70 Years in the Making

The Longevity Show Team