Bernard O'Shea: How to live forever on a tenner - with a positive attitude

Forget about the $2 million-dollar anti-ageing program. According to Bernard O’Shea, a few euro can get the same results.

Bernard O'Shea: plotting his path into eternity, via good times and sound health. Picture: Moya Nolan

Bryan Johnson, a 45-year-old tech mogul, has made waves with his ambition to turn back time and become 18 again. 

Johnson devised "Project Blueprint", a program that aims to achieve youthfulness through lifestyle modifications. It involves improving sleep habits, physical activity, and diet, all designed to decrease epigenetic age by five years. 

Costing around $2 million dollars a year, the initiative is led by a 29-year-old regenerative medicine specialist, Oliver Zolman. What brought this to my attention was Johnson's red hair and Irish complexion. Could I get the same results as Bryan if I had his resources?

Firstly what exactly is epigenetic age? It measures the biological age of our cells and tissues. It predicts how long we might live and our risk of developing age-related diseases. 

Scientists can measure epigenetic age using a technique called DNA methylation age estimation (Ah, of course! The old methylation age estimation, sure, it was always on the Inter Cert science paper) which compares the DNA tags in a person's cells to a dataset to estimate how old their cells are biological. 

Suppose their epigenetic age is more senior than their actual age. In that case, they may be at higher risk of age-related diseases like cancer, Alzheimer's and heart disease.

Although Johnson's experiment is backed by the latest science and his motivation is coming from a good place; to be healthy for his family, it echoes the myriad of the many marketed "miracle cures" for ageing and longevity, like human growth hormone, blood transfusions from young donors, caloric restriction and concoctions of supplements can be dangerous or unproven. 

Bernard O'Shea and feline assistant Jingles, who as of press time refused to divulge any possible knowledge or expertise on the secret of youth

For example, Human Growth Hormone has side effects, and blood transfusions have risks that sometimes outweigh the benefits. Caloric restriction can lead to malnutrition. Then there's my own personal favourite, resveratrol. 

Resveratrol is a natural plant compound, including grapes, peanuts, and berries. Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties may help protect against various diseases.

But its most significant advantage is that it's found in yummy wine. However, you'd need to drink barrels of your favourite tipple to get the benefits. By that stage, you'll be directing traffic in your underpants.

You can avoid a public order offence and a $2 million dollar medical bill, and still achieve a longer life. In fact, I've calculated (with the help of Google) that you could get similar results for a tenner!

Research into centenarians reveals they possess unique characteristics, including a positive attitude, strong social connections and a passion for lifelong learning, linked to a longer lifespan.

So to stimulate my positive attitude, I've started repeating this mantra 100 times before I get out of bed in the morning: "I am grateful for what I have, and my health is my wealth". 

So often, I moan about utter nonsense. I must keep reminding myself I'm unbelievably fortunate to have what I have. Although I'm close to tears every time I have to unpack the dishwasher, I have a blessed life. What is the cost of this? €0.

I walk every day, even when it's lashing rain. I don't always want to, but I force myself. Apart from wearing down my shoes, the cost again is zero.

I try to meet up with friends at least once a month. I'm a self-confessed loner. I could happily spend days alone, but eventually, I crave company. I'll also admit to being poor at maintaining relationships even though I know they are vital. When the stars align, and I eventually catch up with friends, the cost might be lunch or a coffee, but I have to eat, don't I? The cost? €0

I'm a niche historical expert on the Franco- Prussian war. I've forced myself to subscribe to educational channels on YouTube instead of watching hours of hyper-car reviews. In the last year alone, I've also learned a few coding languages. Youtube is a free college. The cost? €0.

Cauliflowers, potatoes and carrots don't grow on trees but are cheap. Though I love my veg, I have to force myself to eat vegetables with my daily dinner. The cost? €10.

Johnson claims that his program has done wonders for him. He reports having more energy and overall improved health and cheerfulness. Just in case, I might look behind the couch just in case a few million fell out of my pocket.