Julie Gibson Clark On Staying Healthy at Age 55

This protocol grew out of reading Dr. Cara Fitzgerald’s “Younger You,” which advocates eating a beet a day to lower DNA methylation age. Julie, with her MTHFR SNP and heavy metal history, wanted a consistent way to get that beet in. The fermentation process not only creates a tasty, effervescent drink but adds the gut-health benefits of live cultures. She has perfected the recipe with cinnamon and cloves, describing it as “so good.” She often preps a fresh jar weekly, and the ritual of drinking it with sparkling water at night replaces her old habit of a glass of wine, which she can no longer tolerate. The beet pulp goes back into meals, so nothing is wasted—a practical demonstration of her longevity mindset of stacking habits.

Julie’s gym is her home away from home. She structures her week so the hardest session (VO2 max) happens Monday to get it off her mental plate. The weight training split allows for enough recovery while hitting each body part twice. By alternating free weights and machines, she balances the need to work stabilizing muscles (free weights) with the ability to safely load heavier on machines without risking injury. The sauna is non-negotiable; she loves it year-round and often does it even when she doesn’t work out. She tracks no specific sets or reps but focuses on effort and consistency. This routine evolved over years and she finds it manageable because she works from home and has no commute; she acknowledges it might be harder for someone with a demanding office job and suggests simplifying the core elements.

Julie naturally skips breakfast (she’s never been hungry in the morning) and usually doesn’t eat until around 10 a.m. However, after hearing about Stacy Sims’ work, she experimented with adding a small protein source before her workout and noticed an improvement in how she felt during exercise. The Symbiotica creamer, which she started using recently and genuinely enjoys for its taste, also contains L-theanine and alpha-GPC. She has been experimenting with this addition for a while and plans to stick with it. This is a perfect example of her philosophy: she pays attention to her body’s signals (feeling better during training) and adjusts accordingly, even if it means “breaking a fast” that many others would adhere to rigorously.

This protocol emerged from her personal trial-and-error. On high-dose melatonin (>2 mg), she found that once the compound cleared in the middle of the night, she would be wide awake and unable to return to sleep. After switching to a 0.3 mg dose, she can wake up (usually once a night due to fluctuating estrogen) but fall back asleep easily. She notices her sleep scores improved after this change, and the addition of magnesium threonate further boosted them. She views melatonin as a hormone and prefers a small nudge rather than a sledgehammer.

Julie has a long history of experimenting with fasting—water fasts, fat fasts, and now the FMD. She values the ProLon kit because it removes decision fatigue: the foods are prepackaged, and she follows the protocol without having to cook or count macros. She’s aware of the debate between FMD and protein-sparing modified fasts (PSMF) but leans toward FMD for its theoretical longevity benefits via low protein and mTOR suppression. However, she’s not dogmatic; she’s simply testing it over the course of a year and will assess its impact on her biomarkers. Her positive experience with liposomal glutathione during the fast may influence her future iterations of the diet.

Julie has been chronically low in magnesium despite heavy supplementation (up to 2000 mg/day recommended by her doctor). She uses multiple forms to cover different tissues and effects. The addition of magnesium threonate at night made an immediate, quantifiable difference in her sleep scores. She tracks sleep with an Ultra Human ring and is delighted to finally see numbers above 80. She considers it one of the best additions for managing the sleep disruption caused by lowered estrogen during her mini-menopause.

Julie used to take melatonin in doses exceeding 2 mg but noticed that when the dose wore off in the middle of the night she would wake up wide awake and struggle to go back to sleep. After reading about the potential for high doses to disrupt sleep architecture, she tried a natural melatonin product called Herbatonin at just 0.3 mg. With this micro-dose, she still wakes up once (due to menopause) but can fall right back asleep. She views the lower dose as more compatible with the body’s hormone symphony, avoiding the ‘playing too loud’ effect of a supraphysiological dose. This personal experiment reflects her broader philosophy of adjusting supplements based on how they actually make her feel rather than just following general advice.

During a ProLon fasting mimicking diet, she started taking liposomal glutathione and liposomal vitamin C. She found that despite the severe calorie restriction, she felt remarkably calm and content—a state she attributes largely to the glutathione. This led her to continue it daily, even outside of fasts. She contrasts this with past experiences of fat fasting (eating mostly fat like avocados) that made her feel sick. The glutathione seemed to smooth out the physiological stress of fasting. She now takes the liposomal versions first thing in the morning and views them as a tool to support detoxification and overall resilience, especially given her history with heavy metals and MTHFR variants.

Julie describes this as a true game-changer. Instead of targeting rapid weight loss or getting in shape for a specific event, she now asks, “What can I do for the rest of my life?” This reframe allowed her to stack small, manageable habits—like cooking greens ahead, fermenting beets, going to the gym 5 days a week—without the burnout. The result is that habits have stuck, her weight and health stabilized, and she feels calmer. The longevity mindset also spills into her supplement and biohacking choices: she’s not looking for quick fixes but for interventions that contribute to a long healthspan. It’s the foundation of why she can maintain such a seemingly rigorous routine yet describe it as “pretty basic simple stuff.”