The No-Hype Health Plan for 2026: What Actually Matters

0:03Darin Olien:Welcome to Super Life with me, Darin Olien, a podcast where we explore, discover, and share solutions that promote a healthier life and a better world. Together, we'll ignite possibilities, inspire change, and build sovereignty, creating a roadmap towards a super life for you and for all. Get ready to start living your super life.

0:32You know, I'm absolutely obsessed with what I put in my body. And, by the way, you should too. However, the NAD market is certainly exploding right now. And here's the shocking truth. Independent tests showed that 87 % of the supplements, the NR supplements, which is the precursor for NAD, had not what they advertised in it. And many of them had zero of the NR in the product at all. And that is a problem. That's why I believe you need to choose TrueNiogen. TrueNiogen is the research pioneer in this space, full stop. I fully support TrueNiogen because of their commitment to quality assurance and safety for what is in the product is verified and supported scientifically.

1:31That's why TrueNiogen's independent verification and tests is so important. The whole brands of trust us and just buy the product is not good enough. It needs to be verified. It needs to be supported. So you can confidently know that what you're buying and what you are taking is exactly what's in the product. So why would you gamble with your health with people that aren't supporting it with their own tests? Support the companies that are supporting you. So all you have to do is go to trueniogen.com. Use the promo code Darren20 and you get 20 % off. That's Darren20TrueNiagen.com

2:17Darin Olien:What's up everybody? Welcome to the show. This is Darren O 'Lean and you have entered the Super Life Podcast Zone. I'm stoked you're here. I am answering a question that someone asked and I'm diving into that question today. And that is, if I started my wellness or health journey in 2026, how would I do that? What does evidence say? What would I do so that I could ultimately have what? A super life. Lay the foundation for that. So welcome. And if you like, subscribe, share this episode. This is sharing the love. This helps us. It helps the people that support us. It helps getting the word out.

2:57Darin Olien:We need positive, powerful words to get out and conversations so that we can drown out the algorithmic chaos theory that they've got going on. So that's why I do this stuff. And if you haven't checked out, quick little plug, go to roadtohappy.net, my new docuseries. We're still filming it, but we have happy news on that website. Roadtohappy.net. Check it out. Raise your level of awareness and vibration today and watch as we uncover many things on our Roadmap to Happiness and I'm so excited to be able to share that with you towards the end of the year. So today is different. Today I'm stripping it down.

3:42Darin Olien:If I had to start over knowing what I know without having a brand, not worrying about supplements, not worrying about reputation, just me in 2026, I wanted to give you most of the things that I would do that you can take action on today. and I wanted to be strong in that clarity, clear and always grounded in sovereignty that you have for yourself. So what would I actually do? I'm not gonna talk about trends. I'm not gonna talk about what performs on social media, not what sounds extreme, none of that stuff. This is gonna be grounded information. If you haven't figured that out by now, I am not someone running around on social media just to get clicks.

4:25Darin Olien:I despise it. Maybe that's not good for my brand, but I don't care. I am here for a much bigger vision than even what you're seeing. That's why I started my Patreon, so you can check that out for sure. And it's less than$8 a month, and we're going to ramp that up more and more every day. So today's episode, I want to go into what actually works. I want to poke holes. So I wrote out a bunch of stuff, and then I backed into the research. So instead of just me making up a bunch of stuff, yes, this is what I would do in 2026, but it's actually backed in real science, poking holes in my own theories so that I can ground it even better for you.

5:08Darin Olien:So let's build this intelligently. Let's build it together. And I want to share this together. The first thing I would do, and I've spoken about this for over, well over 20 years, is water. We need to clean it up. You know that. You know that. If you listen to me, you know we need to clean up our water. This is not about cultish stuff. This is about real world things you can't see in your water, so we need to clear it up. I would filter my water immediately. I would use reverse osmosis. Unless you have your own spring that you've tested, you have your own well water that you've tested, I would use essentially the gold standard to wipe out anything.

5:52Darin Olien:Of course, distillation, water distillation, vaporizing it and recondensing it, that is also great, but it's harder to do. Reverse osmosis, I would use, again, this isn't a plug, but there's some emerging great stuff that AquaTrue is still doing. So I love to support them. I just had a meeting with them last week and kind of learning about more and more things that they're doing. So easy under the counter unit, on top of the counter unit, if you're renting or whatever, easy to do. I'll have it in my new house as well. So why? You know this by now, but maybe you're new listening to me, but we have contaminations all over the world.

6:33Darin Olien:With PFAS, heavy metals, agrochemical runoffs, glyphosate, astrazine, all of this stuff. Everything that goes on the skin of earth goes into the soil, goes into the water, and eventually gets to us. And of course, it hurts the environment, it hurts the animals, it hurts the insects too. That's the bigger issue we need to bring about. This is not fear-based. This is just infrastructure reality. And municipalities not having the ability to clean and clear some of the sows. So reverse osmosis, strip it full of the unseen things that you don't know. And most of, certainly in the United States, half of our population, probably even more is being contaminated with PFOS.

7:20Darin Olien:That's a forever chemical. We do not want that bioaccumulating in our body. That is just carcinogenic and bad in so many different ways. I just, my last solo podcast that I did, check that out. I did a little investigation based on an event that's going on in the carpet industry in PFAS that's in the waterways of the Dalton area in Georgia. So you want to check that out and you want to learn more about that. But if you want to just understand that simple little search, you will know that PFAS is an issue and also agrochemicals. So we can really do something powerfully right now about it. We don't have to be in fear.

7:58Darin Olien:We can take action. Action is reverse osmosis. eliminate the unseen things that your naked eye can't see. Get it out of your system. Get it out of your pets, your children, you. You can get rid of it. Drink water. And I just launched incredible Blue Bottle. It's on my website. Blue Bottle, Super Life logo. Now you have a glass bottle. No more plastic interaction with your water and your beverages. No way, no chance. You can change that right now. get your whole family bottles and boom that's why i made it available so we can have that the other thing that i would do with the water because it strips everything out the world health organization definitely says water quality research has discussed how very low mineral water may not be ideal in the long term so if you're just drinking reverse osmosis exclusively then you need to look at remineralizing.

8:56Darin Olien:And you get minerals not from just an acute situation. You're getting minerals from your food. You're getting minerals from the good food that you're eating, right? The good food that you're eating. You do get that and it discharges through the liquids and the bloods and the areas of your body. So we are getting remineralized if we are eating high mineralized food, but we do need to add electrolytes into some of that water without a doubt. That's what the research says. So you don't have to go crazy. You don't have to necessarily every single time put the most perfect minerals in. Now I will plug the best mineral source I have seen, and that is monovitality.

9:42Darin Olien:We've got also the added benefit of shilajit, the plant derived derived minerals, fulvic and humic minerals that have other benefits, but also ormus minerals and deep sea minerals. So monovitality, get a discount if you want that. This isn't meant to a plug. It is literally what I do. If I were to do it in 2026, I take one or two monovitalities every day. Again, not with every single bit of water I take in with probably three to four liters a day, but you want to strategically make sure that you're getting electrolytes. Know your minerals. Know where they're coming from. Clean water. Smart minerals.

10:25Darin Olien:No superstition. Just grounded, solid stuff. The other thing I would do in 2026, you're never going to convince me. Otherwise, that is one of the biggest questions I get constantly is, Darren, where can I find the best non-toxic cookware? Listen, I don't mess around with things that go ultimately in my body. And that includes what I cook with. That's why I swear by Our Place. Because from day one, they've been committed to making clean, healthy, non-toxic cookware and kitchenware. No sketchy coatings, no forever chemicals, just pure conscious design that are beautiful. as well as highly functionable.

11:17Darin Olien:I've been using their titanium always pan for months now. It's the only pan I cook with and here's why. Pure titanium, non-toxic, PFAS free. Extremely durable, metal utensils, high heat, dishwasher safe. This thing can handle it all. All in one performance. The best stainless steel cast iron nonstick in a single pan. And here's the real kicker. Most nonstick pans, they're still loaded with PFAS, these forever chemicals that break down in your body and stay in your body and they accumulate over time. We just don't need that. They disrupt the gut microbiome, testosterone, dysregulation, metabolic issues, hormone imbalances, immune dysfunction, and chronic inflammation they contribute to.

12:10Darin Olien:Think about it. Every time you cook, you could be introducing toxins into your body. And the simple act of switching to safe cookware eliminates that. This is why it's the easiest, most powerful change you can make, certainly in your kitchen, for long-term health and the elimination of toxic exposure. So stop cooking with toxic cookware. You can change that right now. Go to fromourplace.com forward slash Darren and get 10 % off site-wide. You also have a 100-day free trial to check it out, to try it out. Free shipping, free returns, no risk to you. plant-based, full-spectrum food. As much as the food pyramid that they have recreated and pushing meat, dairy, fish, and eggs, sorry, the research doesn't show that that's not going to harm you later with high cholesterol, heart disease, all of that stuff.

13:09Darin Olien:Just doesn't show it. I think it's mounting 40 to 50 ,000 research articles. Again, argue with me all you want. If you still want to eat your meat. I'm not here to debate you. It's none of my business what you eat. I'm just saying include more plants in your diet. Include more whole foods in your diet. You don't have to be perfect, but you can start today. Look at the rainbows. Change out your foods every day. Today I'm eating, throughout this month, I've been eating different medleys of soups and salads and just really making a point of diversification. This is always a good idea. You can do that.

13:50Darin Olien:Whole plants, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, organic, non-GMO, of course. For me, again, if I'm saying in 2026, yes, fruit in the morning. Fruit, fruit, fruit, whole fruit. I love it. And if it's in the winter and you don't have access to whole fruit or you're not in a tropical area, frozen organic fruit is fantastic. If you have sensitivities, insulin sensitivities, then you need to be aware that maybe lower glycemic fruits are good. The berries are great. Blueberries, strawberries, even like pomegranates, these things are incredible. And at the same time, you can pair those with nuts or seeds and that can help with absorption, slow down that insulin spike.

14:42Darin Olien:This is not dogma. This is physiology. And the other thing we're just going to address that I have done in length before is you get all of the aminos from all plants. They are the OGs of where amino acids come from, full stop. This is not dogma. This is fact. So systemic reviews show well-planned vegetarian vegan diets can meet all of your protein requirements. That is for sure. Now, listen, you can say, oh, see, you got to plan. You got to strategize. Yes. Well, you do too. Whether you're eating meat, dairy, fish, eggs, whatever. And if you're just eating those conventionally, then you're walking down the wrong path because those are largely full of toxins and their agrochemicals, pesticides in the milk, all of this stuff.

15:42Darin Olien:So that's the small few percent of the population getting regenerative quality stuff with meat and dairy, fish and eggs. That is most of you listening are not getting that. And the price is a lot steeper. And my point of view a long time ago is if I can eliminate the middleman of needing to kill something in order to get nutrients, I easily can because I'm going back to the OGs. The OGs are plants. And on top of it, if you train and if you're very active like myself and if you're also aging, you may need more protein for sure. And so that, as long as you're distributing protein requirements throughout your maybe two meals a day, three meals a day and a couple of snacks, Whatever your protein or food arrangement is, just make sure you're distributing the legumes, nuts, seeds throughout all of that stuff.

16:39Darin Olien:And that's a good strategy. But you don't have to go crazy. It's not perfect. You don't have to be perfect. Muscle protein synthesis research shows spreading the intake across meals improves your outcome. That's what the research shows, especially as you're an active person, which I am for the last 20 years on a fully plant-based diet. I am strong, I am healthy, and I have been this way for a long time. And I don't spend a lot of time because my habits are so ingrained. So you can intentionally include lentils, beans, tofu, tempeh, edamame, chia, hemp, all of that stuff. Really easy. longevity blue zones say eating legumes and beans and nuts and seeds is something the the longest living populations of people do every single day so that's what the research shows that's what i would do if i started this whole journey out in 2026 these are not startling statistics this is not a vibe this is the research shows this is a strategy so i am eating only plants these are non-negotiable.

17:50Darin Olien:Now, we don't have to worry about, if you're eating a wide variety of food, you don't have to worry about the lower lysine or whatever that is distributed. A lot of great studies out of Stanford shows that. The other thing that people always seem to worry about, I've never been low in, by the way, is B12. I supplement every so often. I don't do it that much at all. And there's further and further great research showing that B12, the old research is B12 only comes from meat. It's not true. It comes from, the studies show, very good spirulina, different brewer's yeast, things like that does show B12.

18:31Darin Olien:You don't need that much. Also, there's some nuance here that growing evidence needs more and more studies that the microbiome itself can produce B12 family compounds. These are even showing up in research suggesting that the human colon can absorb B12, but we still don't have proof that it is enough full stop. But we are showing more and more as we're understanding the infinite, it, the microbiome is supporting us, protecting us, helping us, that the more research we're finding is that, wow, our microbiome could be producing and is showing that it's producing B12 as well. So it's happening in the microbiome.

19:18Darin Olien:So my stance is simple. I'm open to where the research is going. I like to see that this research is continuing. And also, get your levels tested. And every so often, you can simply buy a B12 supplement just like anyone eating anyway. We are in a world where you're probably needing supplementation of some kind because we are far from, in our modern world, we are far from how we used to eat. So if it is just a B12 or maybe a little iodine or whatever the nutrient is that I'm not getting from anything in my life or stress or whatever, we should, and I'll tell you more about the functional medical side of things further on in this episode, but my point is you're getting the variety and the majority of all your nutrients that you need from my whole food plant-based diet.

20:15Darin Olien:Also, there's an argument that omega-3s are great, EPA, DHA, the balance of those, chia seeds, hemp seeds, flax seeds, grind them up fresh, add them to your meals. This is fantastic. Also, you can supplement without the rancidity of omega-3s from fish. This is largely many of the manufacturers and the supplements out there go rancid. Algae-based oils seem to be more stabilized with air and light sensitivities. So be intelligent with what you're absorbing. This is resonating. Again, like, subscribe, shoot it to some people. That helps everything. The other thing that I would do in 2026, which I still do, is...

21:05Darin Olien:Okay, everybody. Are you ready to upgrade your operating system? I know I am. I'm always game to do that. Not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. That's what we're doing over at Super Life Patreon. This isn't just behind-the-scenes membership. It's a global experiment in conscious living that I am connected to, committed with, in every cell of my body. Each week, you'll get exclusive access to deeper podcast conversations, extended interviews, voice notes from the road of me personally, personal reflections, behind-the-scenes footage, community wellness challenges, and even surprise drop-ins that I no longer do on social media because I don't really dig it anymore.

21:58Darin Olien:We're talking decentralized healing, reclaiming sovereignty, ancient wisdom meets future tech, and a tribe of people with you walking the path. If you love this podcast, the Patreon is where we go deeper, get more real, and reclaim our power together. Join us at patreon.com forward slash Darren Olean. That's Patreon, P-A-T-R-E-O-N dot com forward slash Darren Olean, D-A-R-I-N-O-L-I-E-N. Join the movement, support the mission, let's rise together. Strength Train. Strength training for anybody almost at any age, no matter what's going on. The longevity switch, man. Three or four days a week of strength training, resistance training, body weight training, moving through gravity, lifting heavy things.

22:56Darin Olien:2022 meta-analysis in the British Journal of Sports Medicine showed resistance training is associated with reducing all causes of mortality. All causes of you dying. So one of the greatest levers you can do. If you just take away one thing today and implement one thing, start picking up that iron, start using gravity, start flexing those muscles again. Muscle is the metabolic currency. It improves insulin sensitivity, protects bone density. Oh my gosh, reduces your risk of falling and hurting. the stronger your muscles, the more resilient you are. This supports your metabolic flexibility. And also you can add walking, hiking, mobility, balance.

23:47Darin Olien:All of that stuff is not only good for your body, your joints, your proprioception, where you are in space. This is without fail, some of the greatest things you can do. Longevity is adaptable training. And so you want to include that, improve on that, and I'll always be getting that in your regimen. I move every day, without a doubt. Like maybe on Sundays when I'm really not resistance training, I'm walking. I'm riding my mountain bike. I'm running my dogs. Like that's where I go. So the next thing I would do is sleep. For me, the most important thing is when you're sleeping, when you're waking up, and making sure you're controlling that as much as possible.

24:34Darin Olien:You're not swinging like one day I go to bed at nine, the next day I'm going to bed at two in the morning. That's very chaotic and you're not going to sleep well and that's going to not bode well for your longevity. For me, ideally actually between 8.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. is my zone. I love it. I get eight hours of sleep. I feel the best, seven to eight hours of sleep. Great. The research shows seven to nine is your kind of zone. So sleep regularly may predict mortality risk more strongly than sleep duration alone. So again, your pocket of when you're sleeping and when you're waking is emerging research.

25:21Darin Olien:Consistency creates that hero bedtime benefit. Okay, so the other thing around sleep, if you, I can't break, I can't shut out all the windows on my house. I can't shut out all of the, I can't tape my windows. I travel a lot and I'm shooting a lot. I always wear an eye mask. Eye masks are gold, shuts out, blacks everything out. Randomized studies show improved next day alertness and memory when light exposure is taken off the table when you're sleeping. Darkness is freaking medicine, but don't turn early bedtime into virtual signaling, right? So just find your zone that you can consistently sit with and sleep with, and that alignment matters most than anything else, and all of the downstream effects of sleeping will kick in the most.

26:17Darin Olien:The next thing I would do is nervous system regulation, meditation, somatic work. I've got great episodes on that. Dr. Jessica Stavalli, Jules Horn, Dr. Abagane. Go check out those episodes on somatic work, fascial work, regulation work, but around meditation, prayer, conversations with your highest self, with your true self, with your soul, the silence, the sitting, journaling. Randomized trials show mindfulness reduces anxiety, depression, symptoms, full stop. Express yourself in journaling, emotional regulation, find someone you can talk to, and then breath work. The very simple, you can do a lot of things, but I love Wim Hof.

27:09Darin Olien:I've been doing it for well over a decade now. You can do box breathing, in for four, out for eight, in for four, out for eight. Or you can do in for four, hold for four, out for eight, hold for four, like all that. You can do all of those things. Or the Wim Hof style is three to four rounds at 30 to 40 breaths per round. So

27:39Darin Olien:So do that. 30 breaths. On the exhale, hold on an exhale. You don't have to stress yourself out. You want to calm yourself down, shutting down on the stress. And then when you can't hold on the exhale anymore, take a deep breath in and hold on the exhale. Or hold on the inhale. Sitting, lying down. Also, never do it in the water. Never do it while you're driving. This is a no-go. This helps to train your nervous system. This is not meant to be an ego training. This is you, and this is you alone. The research around breath shows physiological changes in inflammation and stress markers. Consistency, again, beats intensity, so be consistent.

28:25Darin Olien:The other thing I would do is community building, biological medicine. This is community. It's this thing that we're exploring in Roadmap to Happiness, the docuseries. Have a buddy system. Buddy systems are so powerful. Tell someone, hey, I trained today. Great. Could be somewhere around the world. Doesn't matter. Tell someone your goals that you trust. Voice them. Write them down. Loneliness correlates with increased mortality risk. Do this together with people that you love. I get to train with people every day. My good buddies for the last 20 years. I have a men's group. Find ways to support.

29:02Darin Olien:Experimental studies show reducing social media, we got to do this stuff, reduces depression and loneliness. Limit social media. That's another thing I would do in 2026. Maybe twice a day. Check it once. Check it at the end of the day. That's it. No more social media on freaking rapid fire. Purpose. One measurable step daily towards your biggest purpose. No matter what it is. Maybe you don't know what that is, but any hint at learning something, growing, your purpose in life is strongly associated with lower mortality risk. This is powerful. Association isn't causation, so don't romanticize purpose.

29:47Darin Olien:Just build it. Build on something. 10 minutes of writing on some dream that you have without understanding or knowing how to get there. Don't worry about how. Just let your system and your brain and your heart go into these things. 10 minutes of writing. Share it with your buddy. This is powerful. Practitioners in 2026. Yes, primary care physicians matter acutely when you have things. I would strongly figure out a functional medical doctor, homeopathic, someone who understands the readout of your blood, where you're lacking minerals. And the other thing that I want to dig into, and that is practitioners, who you can have around you to support you in living your best life.

30:37Darin Olien:And also being able to have the nutritional background and testing capability and the discernment of what's going on in your body so you can do something different. Primary care certainly matters, but they're not my primary. I don't go to a primary care doctor ever unless I have a knee joint or a broken bone or whatever. What I would like to stress to you is try to find a functional medical doctor. It could be a naturopath. It could be homeopathy, classical homeopathy. A functional medical doctor that has spent time understanding nutrition, nutritional testing. This is something that you should find in your back pocket because understanding what's going on for you, what your biochemical specific needs are is extremely important so that you're not just guessing or buying unnecessary supplements all the time.

31:37Darin Olien:So this is something I would strongly recommend. This then doesn't leave you questioning what you need for your body. And it also doesn't have you comparing, well, because this person is a certain way or looks a certain way, I need to follow everything that they're doing. That's not the approach. You want to inform yourself of what's going on for you. Being open-minded, not gullible to everything coming down the pipe. The last thing I would do, and this isn't everything, but these are big buckets that I would do if I was starting my health and optimization in 2026. The last and final, and certainly not the least, is nurturing yourself.