“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.” -John F. Kennedy

Health is universally the most important part of life. It’s also the one thing that people take for granted. In this program, we will introduce several concepts. Take what you want and leave what you don’t. There is nothing that is mandatory and there isn’t a test at the end. We have created this to provide education, inspiration and some measurable checkpoints. 

Life and health is a journey, not a destination. As cheesy as that sounds, it’s true. Adopting small changes that you can sustain over time is the way to feel and live your best. It’s not about a straight line from point A to point B. There will be twists, turns and learnings (and unlearnings!) you will have to navigate along the way. 

You are given one body. It’s up to you how you live in it. 

Now, get out your compass and enjoy the ride.  

For more information, watch the video below and keep scrolling to meet Erin and get some FAQs answered.

What You Get:

• A 12-module program, accessible from anywhere, covering a variety of health and longevity topics
• The pre- and post-check assessment 
• A virtual guided physical check to establish your baseline
• A progress tracker
• Access to instructional videos that demonstrate exercises to enhance your healthspan
• Suggested nutrition plans to improve the way you feel now, while also reducing the risk of disease later
• Suggested labs to request from your doctor
• Connection to a community of like-minded health-and-longevity enthusiasts
• An exploration of topics around DEXA scans, CGMs, epigenetics, stress, progress principle & upspiraling, Medicine 2.0 vs. 3.0 and more!

FAQsDEFINITIONS TO KNOW:

• Longevity - how long you live (aka the number of years)
• Healthspan - how well you live (aka the quality of years) 
• Medicine 1.0 -  Ancient medicine, exemplified by Hippocrates and lasting 2,000 years after his death. Think leeches, witchcraft and other practices we would consider outdated 
• Medicine 2.0 - Mid-19th century through today. The introduction of SCIENCE! i.e.: germ theory, vaccines, penicillin, technologies like the microscope. Think “fix it when it breaks” mindset and approach 
• Medicine 3.0 - The mindset shift that we can prevent or delay the onset of diseases with lifestyle changes. Focuses on: 1) prevention 2) individuality 3) risk assessment (aka the risk of doing nothing) 

"What is it?" The Healthspan Challenge is a self-paced, easily accessible digital program designed to help you live better and longer. The goal is to educate, empower and inspire you to take charge of your health. It starts Feb 2024 and runs through December 2024. Sign up by January 31st. This is a digital program so you can participate from anywhere and any time zone. A new module will drop each month on a topic related to longevity and will include a physical challenge check-in. 

"How much is this?" $175 for the year, less than the cost of 2 lattes per month. We’ve priced this lower than any other program we offer to make it accessible to as many people as possible. I didn’t want to make it cost-prohibitive because I believe whole-heartedly that any and everyone can benefit from the information we will share.

"How much of a time commitment is it?" It’s all up to you. The content itself won’t take long to review. How much time you spend implementing the recommendations (aka the "homework") is totally up to you.

"What inspired this Healthspan challenge idea?" Alkalign has always been about prevention. Everything we teach and message is intended to both help you feel better in the moment while also keeping your long-term physical and mental health in mind. Unlike the typical diet and fitness culture that focuses only on short-term gains, Alkalign focuses on both. We believe that the actions you take today will directly impact your tomorrow, and we want to give you a framework to support you in your goals. 

"What are the references to Peter Attia?" I am not the only one talking about healthspan and the importance of investing in your health now to prevent the onset of disease, illness and injury. In his recently published book Outlive, Dr. Peter Attia talks about Medicine 2.0 and Medicine 3.0. Medicine 2.0 is the medical system we live with now. The “fix it when it breaks” type of healthcare. Medicine 3.0 is about prevention. It’s about making lifestyle changes that will reduce your risk of disease, whether that is cancer, heart disease, metabolic disease (Type II diabetes, fatty liver disease) or neurodegenerative disease (Alzheimer’s). 

"What is the difference between this program and reading Outlive?" While we will reference Dr. Attia’s dense and scientific 482-page textbook, this program is meant to be more digestible. I 100% respect Dr. Attia’s message, but many of his recommendations are pretty hardcore. I have been in the health and wellness business for 20 years and have worked with thousands of clients. My expertise is in functional fitness and nutrition, but my superpower is meeting people where they are and helping them get where they want to go. If behavioral change was easy, we’d all do it. That being said, if it’s too hard, too time-consuming or leads to burnout, we will quit before we even have a chance to see progress. We know you don’t have multiple hours a day to work out or focus on this. Our goal is to help you set up systems that support better habits. We’ll give you a few bite-sized actionable items you can focus on each month. Stick with them long enough and they may even become part of your lifestyle. ;) 

"This sounds like a lot and I have a very busy life. How can I possibly fit this in?" This program contains a lot of information but it is spaced out over an entire year. We don’t expect you to consume it all at once. Doing so would feel like drinking from a fire hose, and that is not the recommended way to go about change. We are big proponents of gentle consistency. Take 5 minutes per day out of the time you’d spend reading the news or scrolling social media to fit some time in for this instead. 

"I am already committed to other things this year. I can't do this too." Of the things you are committed to, which of them are focused on your long-term health? What would those other commitments be without your health? We tend to take our health for granted until something happens (the Medicine 2.0 "fix it when it breaks" approach). What we fail to appreciate is that health and all the other "busy" parts of life are not mutually exclusive. The PhD program, the intense job and career track, the volunteer role, the challenging kid schedule. None of it really matters if you don't have your health. This program will not only help you long-term, it will give you ideas of what you can adjust and adapt short-term to give you more energy, less brain fog, better sleep and make you more productive in other parts of your life. If you are too busy to focus on wellness, how much time do you have to deal with illness? 

“I already do Alkalign and am healthy. Why do I need this?” This is not an either/or. It’s a both/and. The information provided complements Alkalign and other things you are doing for your health and wellness. It will validate what you already know and teach you some things you don’t. Think of it this way: does the fact that you take Alkalign classes mean you don’t ever read books or listen to podcasts about nutrition, sleep, exercise or stress management? Of course not! The more you are invested in your health, the more you seek to learn. This program is a hub of trusted information that you can tap into to enhance what you are already doing. It is equally valuable and accessible for health enthusiasts and those who don’t know as much and want to learn. We highly recommend you find a few friends or family members to join you. 

"I’ve tried things like this before and never stuck with it. How is this different?" This program is not just about the "what"; it’s about the "why" and the "how." Knowing what lights you up is important. Having a digestible plan to help you implement sustainable changes is also key. One without the other leads to a circular reference of frustration. What I can tell you from my years of coaching is that mindset is everything. We get stuck in patterns of thoughts and those thoughts and beliefs drive behaviors. If you are convinced something is too hard, too time-consuming, too restrictive, too challenging or too untimely, it will absolutely be all of those things. If you let a slip be a slide, it will be. If you go into this knowing that life is predictably unpredictable and you are committed to doing what you can regardless of those challenges, you will end the year feeling more educated and empowered than you started.