Dr. Lutz Graumann - Deciphering the Vitality Code

In a world where health is often reduced to the mere absence of disease, it’s worth taking a closer look and discovering vitality as the ultimate hallmark of a fulfilled life. Vitality is more than just physical health; it is a state of complete physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It means leading a life not merely free from illness, but one characterized by joy, purpose, and inner strength.

In this talk, we gain insights into the latest scientific findings about genes, biomarkers, and the interplay between body and mind.

The goal is not just to extend lifespan, but also to increase one’s “health span.” So how can one grow old without losing vitality?

In the so-called “Blue Zones,” a relatively large number of people live well into old age while remaining fit, vital, and able to work. These areas include Ikaria (Greece), Okinawa (Japan), Sardinia (Italy), Nicoya Peninsula (Costa Rica), and Loma Linda (California). Most of these are mountainous regions that inherently require a certain level of fitness through everyday activity. By contrast, in our latitudes, more and more health problems seem to arise with increasing age, especially cardiovascular and vascular diseases, which account for more than 60% of deaths.

It’s therefore not surprising that more and more attempts are being made to slow down, halt, or reverse aging processes.

To stay healthy in the long term, one must be willing to take responsibility for one’s own body. The following four aspects are essential:

1. Participation: Taking responsibility for one’s own data and test results. It also means understanding the relevance of this topic, so as to feel personally affected and thus develop the willpower to change.
2. Personalization: Physicians should adapt and personalize treatment options to the individual person.
3. Prevention: Measures to prevent illnesses and to promote vitality in general. It is important here to find measures that can be integrated long-term into an already busy schedule.
4. Prediction: Forecasting possible risks by tracking health indicators and taking appropriate countermeasures. This is where we rely on data. Wearables on or in the body can give us valuable information about our health status, from which we can learn and adjust our behavior.

The average “charge level” when waking up in the morning is about 62%. If our smartphone weren’t fully charged after being plugged in for 8 hours, we’d have it repaired or buy a new one. Yet if we ourselves wake up in the morning with a low energy level, we simply accept it. That’s unfortunate: in the evening, there’s often little “leftover charge” for our loved ones.

Everything should be geared toward making sure our “battery” is 1% better tomorrow. But how can we manage that?

• Mindset: Taking responsibility for your own health and accepting that there’s no such thing as exponential growth in human health—it’s about making tiny incremental steps.
• Movement: Physical activity is an essential factor.
• Fuel: What am I supplying my body with? We should be aware that this is the “fuel” our bodies run on.
• Regeneration: How much energy and time do I invest in recovery and sleep? We have an internal clock that releases a hormone every 90 minutes. There’s a midday dip that particularly requires a break so that we can go into the second half of the day with full energy.

In a car, all important information is available: Is there enough fuel? Is the engine warm enough? Are all passengers wearing seat belts? … When it comes to our bodies, factors like our resting heart rate, blood sugar level, etc., serve as equivalents and are therefore important for our energy.

• Inflammation (Sleep is the main mechanism for stabilizing inflammation in the body)
• Sleep quality
• Activity (Stabilization of the psyche)
• Stress (Stressors can be analyzed and quantified)
• Blood sugar (Plays an important role in performance, but also in the development of disease)
• VO₂ max: A marker for cardiovascular health
• Blood pressure: The biggest problem is unregulated blood pressure

Inflammation is at the core of aging processes, yet most doctors do not routinely test for it. The hs-CRP value provides an overview of chronic low-level inflammation, often caused by dental or gum issues. Other interesting values include the long-term blood sugar marker, detailed cholesterol or iron storage levels—many women with iron deficiency experience pronounced fatigue—as well as liver values, which can be negatively impacted by excessive alcohol consumption.

Stressors such as time pressure, lack of resources, conflict in prioritization, and information overload (the way we communicate) can affect blood pressure. Stress can be quantified with wearables. We do not need a life completely free of stress; we need to learn to regulate it.

The resting heart rate is a good benchmark. Stress can be identified by the pattern of heartbeats. Ironically, an irregular heartbeat pattern indicates recovery and rest, while a fast, rhythmic pulse suggests stress. Stress causes our immune system to be suppressed long-term.

Stress is also triggered by inadequate fluid intake. If we don’t drink enough water, the body tries to protect itself by shutting down certain functions. Gradually, we become less productive and more tired.

Often people consume more coffee than water. It takes four cups of black coffee to match the fluid content of one glass of water. Many people, however, don’t drink their coffee black; they consume milk-based beverages, which is more problematic. Here, besides insufficient hydration, there’s an excess of milk sugar. A latte macchiato, for example, can cause the same blood sugar fluctuation as eating pasta.

Sugar in large quantities is toxic and damages nerve cells—which triggers a reaction in the pancreas. In a healthy person, excess sugar is regulated by insulin secretion. But with simple sugars, there can be an overproduction of insulin, leading to a phase of hunger or hypoglycemia, even though we have just consumed calories. This is especially common with soft drinks like cola.

Today, glucose sensors can provide real-time data, not just retrospective information like conventional devices.

There is no single perfect diet for everyone. Attempts to scientifically determine which factor has the largest impact on obesity have yet to produce definitive results. So, what are the basic mechanisms we can rely on?

WHY do we eat at all?
Only about 25% of meals in the Western world are eaten because of actual hunger. Far more common motivations are the “right” time, social conventions or occasions, or even emotional regulation. While hunger and satiety are automated processes for babies, later in life they’re influenced by our social environment. Ethical considerations and social expectations also play a major role.

5 Simple Indicators for a Physical Health Check-Up

1. Skin: Impurities are a sign of intolerance.
2. Bowel Movements: Infrequent or extremely loose stools indicate an unhealthy diet.
3. Performance
4. Mood
5. Sleep

Basic Tips

• Drink plenty of water.
• Better handling of caffeinated beverages.
• “Eat the Rainbow” principle.
• Consume “real,” self-prepared foods.

25 different plants should be integrated into your everyday diet, ideally representing the different colors of the rainbow, as each color affects the body differently. For instance, yellow foods can support brain function, while red foods benefit the cardiovascular system.

White and purple-blue are often underrepresented. It’s helpful to walk by the vegetable section with this awareness: Which foods can I imagine integrating long-term into my meal plan?

80:20 Principle
This principle states that 80% of our dietary decisions should be health-oriented, while the remaining 20% should focus on enjoying life to the fullest. It’s also important not to become dogmatic or overly anxious about every food choice.

Mindful Eating
It’s good to set aside 15 minutes of undivided attention for meals. Only after this time does the brain begin to receive initial signals of satiety. If your attention is elsewhere, you’ll chew too little, eat too fast, and often eat too much.

Many eating disorders persist because we don’t get enough sleep. If we wake up tired and not well-rested, our brains produce “cravings” to compensate for the energy deficit.

Four Functions of Sleep

1. Regulating Inflammation: Exercise, poor nutrition, and toxic products cause inflammation. Sleep helps detoxify.
2. Transferring the Day’s Impressions: Converting information from short-term to long-term memory. Sleep is one of the most important measures for learning anything new, which is why naps are highly effective for retaining morning content.
3. Hormone Secretion: All growth-related hormone secretion requires sleep.
4. Recovery: Due to its key role, sleep and recovery should be a priority. Lack of sleep increases error rates and accident risks. Maintaining a sleep schedule—sleeping at roughly the same time whenever possible—also helps.

5,649 steps or more per day are needed to prevent depressive episodes. Not moving enough is practically equivalent to taking a daily dose of a “depression-inducing pill.”

• H₂O: Plenty of water (especially early in the day).
• Lux: Plenty of light, to reset the internal clock and produce vitamin D (theoretically one hour of fresh-air light exposure daily is recommended, but even 10 minutes in the first hour after getting up has a big positive effect).
• ½ t (SRS): Halfway through the day, we should eat, move a bit, and take a short break so we can enter the second half of the day in a good mood and energetic.
• 5649 s (steps)
• N3/REM: Deep sleep and dream sleep are important recovery phases and should account for about 30% of the night.
• SDST: “Stop doing stupid things,” e.g., don’t overconsume caffeine and alcohol.
• Ds: Digital sunset—when the sun goes down, we should also try to reduce other external stimuli (e.g., activate airplane mode on devices).

Die Aufzeichnung des gesamten Vortrags inklusive der Q&A Session steht den bei Windhund 365 teilnehmenden Unternehmen auf der Eventumgebung 40 Tage lang zur Verfügung.