Defying Chronological Age Through Lifestyle Choices - How Passion Leads to Longevity

Some people think that in order to live a healthy lifestyle, you need to give up all the things you love. In this interview, our dear client Nikica shares his views on longevity and how finding a passion can motivate you to better yourself in every way possible to be able to do your favourite activities for longer.

How old are you and what is your biological age?

54 and my biological age is 25.

I got tested 4 times. The first time I was 52 and my biological age was 26, and a few months later I was 30. The result got higher because I got COVID-19. I did my third test at the beginning of 2023 and my result was 27.

It’s hard for me to explain this all to my friends, but I’ve watched a lecture by Gordan Lauc in which he explains it perfectly - glycans are to proteins what feathers are to a bird. When you look at it that way, it makes sense why glycans are so important in our bodies.

Those are amazing results. Did you always have this healthy lifestyle?

Not always, but I made a big change when I hit 30. I started a company and saw that I was gaining weight from all the work lunches and dinners. I also didn’t have any time for sports.

At some point, I just decided to make a difference. I saw older people around me and I knew I wanted to go in a different direction.

What do you usually eat in a day?

When I wake up, I drink 2-3 glasses of water and an espresso. Then I eat some fruit and bread, honey and curd.

I usually skip lunch, but I eat apples and almonds during the day.

For dinner, I eat a lot of salad, vegetables and some protein - meat, fish, and some rice. I don’t eat large meals, because they don’t sit well with me.

But I’m a bit different from other people. I don’t enjoy food that much. I feel like I’ve experienced so many wonderful meals, like Michelin star dishes and even though I like eating them, I don’t want to repeat them.

I’m not as excited about food as other people are, especially when the chefs are strictly money-motivated. You know what I’m talking about - those little plates that have a single bite on them. That’s not impressing me any time soon.

But I love this one type of apple - Canada. It’s very hard to find it in Croatia since it’s an old sort, but when I get my hands on it, it makes me really happy. I rarely eat any desserts. I’ll eat dark chocolate, but not a lot.

I also take magnesium and creatine after a workout.

Can you describe your workout routine?

I do weight training with kettlebells every other day for an hour and a half. I would love to be able to incorporate more stretching into my workout routine, but I simply do not have time for it now.

I’m in great shape. I went to a physical recently and the doctor doing my EKG said that I have a low pulse, which worries him. He didn’t even consider that I work out at my age. When he saw my bare chest he asked if I was in sport (to which I said yes) and just a minute later he asked if I get out of breath walking up the stairs.

That’s when I knew that he was not the right doctor for me. He wasn’t even listening to me.

He saw by my body that I worked out, he even asked me if I worked out and after all that, he talked to me like I was an average 54-year-old. I knew right then and there that he won’t be seeing me again.

He probably thinks it’s hard to keep a healthy lifestyle in today’s day and age.

I get that, but if you’re smart about it, it’s not that hard.

I have a company that employs around 100 workers and that comes with a lot of stress. If I don’t manage it well, I’m in big trouble.

So what I’m trying to say is - I’m not doing all of this to be younger, I’m doing it to be able to handle my lifestyle. Being responsible for so many people and their families is a great motivator for me to keep going and make sure that I can keep this tempo for a long time.

I’m also very disciplined. I don’t have a problem leaving my comfort zone and restricting specific things like bad food.

Seeing how I wake up every day feeling energised, I truly know that everything I’m doing is right and supports my goals.

What advice do you have for people who want to start living a healthier lifestyle?

Your life should be joyful. The things you do should bring you joy. A lot of people are stuck in jobs that don’t fulfil them, but you have to be able to find a passion.

That passion will motivate you. If you’re living just for the weekends, that’s a hard way to live your life.

So start from there, find a passion that will motivate you to better yourself in every way.

Did you recently introduce a new habit?

Yes, Wim Hof’s breathing exercises. I don’t necessarily love that it involves mouth breathing, but I like the way I feel after them. It brings me so much clarity and peace.

Your specialist told me about a different breathing technique that I could do from my nose and I really like that one as well. I do them every other day right after waking up.