THE WELL Q&A: Frank Lipman, M.D.

For me, it's not just the latest trend; it's been a lifestyle for quite a while now. It's changed as I have gotten older. Now that I am in my 60s, it is about being healthy enough to do all the things I want to do, so it requires paying more attention to what and when I eat, meditating, how I move, how much restorative sleep I get, and how much quality time I spend with loved ones and in nature. But probably most importantly, it is about having ubuntu — being kind, having gratitude and not losing my curiosity and passion for life.

Ubuntu is a word from an indigenous South African language called Xhosa that basically means: what makes us human is the humanity we show each other. 

"People are fed by the food industry which pays no attention to health, and are treated by the health industry which pays no attention to food." — Wendell Berry

 Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine 

Early bird — and I mean early bird. I usually get up at 5am.

Letting go of whatever happened during the day

Put on some Bob Marley

Playing with Waffles, my daughter's sheepadoodle.

There is no one right diet for everyone, so you need to find what works for you. Having said that, eat as close to nature as possible. The less refined, altered, manipulated and injected the better.

Early morning meditation when I wake up. At night, I turn off my cellphone at 8:30 pm.

Coffee with almond milk and MCT oil

Be kind to everyone — including yourself.

I take a long bike ride outside, followed by an infrared sauna, followed by a cold plunge.