My Breakfast
I’ve been eating the same breakfast every morning for the past year and a half. Takes about 15 minutes, runs $15-20 in ingredients. I dance lindy hop a bit too much every week and work out on top of that so I need the extra calories.
I’m not a Bryan Johnson fanboy but I do appreciate the research behind his products. The formulations are solid and most of the ingredients have real clinical backing. This isn’t his exact protocol though, just his product line mixed into my own routine. More on the differences at the end.
The Smoothie
Blend until smooth:
- 1 scoop Blueprint Longevity Protein (chocolate)
- 1 scoop Blueprint Collagen Peptides
- 1 scoop Blueprint Cocoa Powder
- 2-3 strawberries
- Handful of blueberries
- Handful of blackberries
- 1 banana
- 1 cup unsweetened macadamia milk
This alone gets you to ~510 calories and 50g protein. The protein comes from pea + hemp (complete amino acid profile, equivalent to whey in clinical trials) plus 20g of hydrolyzed collagen for skin, joints, and tendons.
The cocoa powder is non-alkalised - this matters. Dutch processing destroys up to 90% of the flavanols. The COSMOS trial, a randomized controlled trial with 21,442 participants, found cocoa flavanol supplementation associated with a 27% reduction in cardiovascular death. That’s one of the more compelling data points in nutrition research. A COSMOS sub-study also found cognitive benefits, particularly for those with poorer baseline diets.
The triple berry mix (strawberries, blueberries, blackberries) covers anthocyanins, ellagic acid, pterostilbene, and quercetin. Recent meta-analyses confirm cardiovascular and cognitive benefits. Frozen works just as well as fresh - same nutrition, better texture, cheaper.
Macadamia milk over other plant milks because it’s MUFA-dominant (similar fat profile to olive oil) and barely any carbs. The fat also blunts the glycemic response of the whole meal.
Steel Cut Oatmeal
A bowl of steel cut oats, cooked in macadamia milk for 10+ minutes. Adds another ~200 calories, 6g protein, and 5g fiber. I need the extra carbs for dancing and training, the smoothie alone isn’t enough fuel.
Steel cut specifically because the intact groat structure keeps the glycemic index at ~42-50, compared to ~70-83 for instant oats. The beta-glucan content (~2-3g per serving) has an FDA-approved health claim for heart disease risk reduction - it forms a viscous gel that slows gastric emptying and traps bile acids, reducing LDL cholesterol. A 2021 meta-analysis found high-molecular-weight beta-glucan reduced peak blood glucose by 28% and insulin by 22%.
The Drinks
Blueprint Longevity Mix (blood orange, in a water bottle): This is where the longevity-specific compounds live - 2.5g creatine, 2g calcium alpha-ketoglutarate (CaAKG), 1.5g taurine, 1.2g glycine, 1g lysine, 250mg glutathione, 250mg vitamin C, and 200mg L-theanine. CaAKG has shown biological age reduction in animal studies. The L-theanine provides calm focus without jitters.
Blueprint Super Shroom (one cup): A mushroom blend - reishi, lion’s mane, maitake, shiitake - plus GABA and 70mg caffeine from green coffee beans. Lion’s mane for cognitive support, reishi as an adaptogen. Mild enough to not conflict with coffee if you drink it later.
The Supplements
Four capsule products, all Blueprint:
Essential Capsules (2 caps) - the kitchen sink of longevity: 300mg nicotinamide riboside (NAD+ precursor), 100mg fisetin (senolytic - clears senescent cells), 10mg spermidine (autophagy activator), 50mg ubiquinol (CoQ10), full B-vitamin complex, 200mg broccoli seed extract for Nrf2 activation, and low-dose lithium orotate (1mg, neuroprotective). Also 2,000 IU vitamin D and a probiotic.
Advanced Antioxidants (1 cap, delayed-release) - lutein and zeaxanthin for eye health, plus astaxanthin (one of the strongest natural antioxidants), lycopene, and a high-dose vitamin K1/K2 stack for bone density and arterial calcification prevention.
NAC + Ginger + Curcumin (3 caps) - 1,200mg NAC (glutathione precursor, liver/lung support), 400mg ginger extract standardized to 26% gingerols, 250mg curcumin at 85% curcuminoids. The anti-inflammatory trio.
Ashwagandha + Rhodiola (1 cap) - two adaptogens. 300mg rhodiola (fatigue resistance, mental performance) and 120mg ashwagandha (cortisol regulation).
The Numbers
All together, the morning totals:
| Cal | Protein | Fat | Carbs | Fiber | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | ~737 | ~57g | ~19g | ~91g | ~18g |
All sugars (~23g) are naturally occurring from fruit. Overall glycemic index is low-medium, heavily blunted by the protein, fat, and fiber.
Notable micronutrient coverage from breakfast alone: iron ~100% DV, magnesium ~114% DV, vitamin C ~329% DV, vitamin D ~290% DV, zinc ~198% DV. Plus 30+ longevity-specific compounds targeting cellular aging, antioxidant defense, joint health, brain function, and inflammation.
Things to Watch
This is a lot of supplementation. A few things I’m tracking:
- Zinc at ~198% DV - chronic high zinc can impair copper absorption
- Vitamin D at ~290% DV - safe for most, but worth monitoring via blood test
- Iron at ~100% DV from one meal - the rest of the day adds more. Fine unless you have hemochromatosis risk
- 70mg caffeine from Super Shroom - mild, but note if you’re also drinking coffee
How This Differs from Bryan Johnson’s Actual Protocol
I use his products. I don’t follow his protocol. Here’s where we diverge:
He eats four meals before noon, then stops. His eating window is ~5:35am to noon - a compressed 6.5-hour window. His breakfast is “Nutty Pudding” (the Longevity Protein mixed with macadamia nuts, walnuts, chia seeds, flaxseed, berries, and pomegranate juice), followed by a second protein meal at 10am, his famous Super Veggie (black lentils, broccoli, cauliflower, mushrooms) at 11am, and a final meal at noon. Total daily intake: 2,250 calories with a 25/35/40 protein/carbs/fat split.
I eat breakfast whenever I wake up and eat normally the rest of the day. No time-restricted eating window. I need the flexibility - my schedule varies and I’m burning calories dancing and training throughout the day.
He takes prescription medications as part of the protocol. Metformin, acarbose, rapamycin cycling, thyroid medication, and more. I’m just doing the OTC supplement stack.
He adds extra olive oil to everything. Every meal gets a tablespoon of EVOO. His fat intake is much higher than mine - ~40% of calories vs my ~23%.
He does regular biomarker testing to dial in doses. Full blood panels, organ-specific testing, biological age clocks. I’m not doing that level of tracking (yet).
The products themselves are well-formulated and the individual ingredients have strong independent clinical evidence. His personal protocol is an N=1 case study - the lowest level of scientific evidence - but the underlying science for each ingredient is solid. I’m just cherry-picking the parts that fit my life.
If you want to try any of the Blueprint products, here’s my referral link - I get a small kickback and you get a discount.