Much progress has been made in the last 100 years into extending the human lifespan. At the turn of the 20th century, life expectancy was just 49 years; by the end of the century that had doubled to 80 years. The main cause of death – infectious disease – has been almost eradicated, to be replaced by degenerative disease. Today, these degenerative diseases – cancer, cardiovascular disease, dementia, diabetes – are often slow burners, dominating end of life for many years. For while our lives have got longer, our ability to remain healthy has actually decreased. End of life care is becoming an increasingly pressing issue with health data showing an extraordinary 20% of our life is now likely to be spent in poor health. For women it’s even greater, up to 25%.

But a shift is going on in the medical community. Healthcare systems built in the 20th century were focussed on the detection and treatment of disease. Modern advances now allow us to detect the markers for those diseases before they manifest. The age of preventive – or functional medicine, is upon us. This is being fuelled by two avenues of discovery, firstly a greater understanding of behaviors and environment, and how this is contributing to our degeneration. And secondly the advance of cutting edge AI and medical technology.

So where do you begin? Understanding what your biological age is, right here, right now, gives you a status report. “A simple DNA test will tell you a lot, detecting pre-disease states before they manifest,” explains Dr Tamsin Lewis, RoseBar XXXX. You can also test for cholesterol, diabetes, liver function, heart disease, thyroid and more. “A comprehensive blood panel will give us a biological age – with the blood biomarkers we use AI to predict your rate of aging.” Further tests can also show hormone levels, gut health and oxidative stress markers which are related to cancer risk.

Next comes a plan to implement changes that will directly impact how you feel and function going forward. The plan might include dietary changes, nutrition supplements, hormones for people who are in perimenopause and sleep support. Biohacking technologies are also recommended, supplements and an exercise plan.

By limiting the damage from environmental stress, whether that’s pollution, time shifts, jet lag, job stress, lack of quality sleep, poor nutrition and poor gut health, can make a huge difference.

Almost everyone agrees, the best place to start is nutrition. In so-called blue zone geographies, where populations have an above average lifespan, a diet of whole foods is a common denominator. Dr Mark Hyman has showed how cutting down sugar, eliminating ultra processed foods and switching to a phytonutrient and phytochemical rich diet, can activate longevity pathways. Food, as he says, is medicine.

Bringing down your stress levels to minimize cell inflammation is one reason to embrace the spiritual approach to age deceleration. Spiritual wisdom is a means to tranquility and inner peace. Blue zone studies show that in those parts of the world where people live longest, common themes in these societies are a strong sense of purpose, the ability to take joy in life and an understanding and appreciation of the universe we live in is a common theme. Anna Bjurstam, Six Senses Wellness Director is very clear on this: “Understanding your inner self and sense of purpose is key to life extension,” she says. “Learning to feel at one with yourself, to get out of your head and come into your body is not only a joyful experience, it is a key component of self care. You can achieve this with breathwork, energy medicine and meditation. Do this in a beautiful environment where you feel safe and held, then you can effectively release your mental and emotional blockages.”

Switching to an environment rooted in nature, taking time out from the day to day stresses and spending some time with yourself, is where RoseBar comes in. Set in one of the most beautiful places around the world, it is a unique synthesis of science, spirituality and preventive medicine. It recognises that no individual methodology is going to get you to your millennial birthday (and, let’s face it, who would want that?), but with a better understanding of the harmful effects of modern lifestyle there’s much we can do to optimize our later life, and in so doing extend it.