How Verena cracked the code to ageing slower than average

Verena, a health-focused copywriter from Germany, recently got some exciting news from her biological age test. At 41, she is ageing at an impressively slow rate, with a DunedinPACE score of 0.78.

What does this really mean? Well, a DunedinPACE score of 1.0 means that your biological age is progressing at the same rate as your chronological age—essentially, one biological year passes for every chronological year. 

If your score is below 1.0, like Verena’s 0.78, it suggests that you are ageing more slowly than average. A score above 1.0 could indicate accelerated ageing.

So how did Verena earn herself this DunedinPACE score of 0.78? It might all come down to her disciplined daily habits—healthy eating, regular exercise, and a few carefully chosen supplements. 

Curious how she does it? Discover the habits that are having a clear impact on Verena’s ageing process. Her approach could inspire your own journey to better health and longevity.

The science behind slow ageing and DunedinPACE

The DunedinPACE measure is a novel DNA methylation-based tool designed to assess the pace of biological ageing. 

Unlike traditional clocks that estimate age at a specific time, DunedinPACE evaluates the rate at which ageing processes are occurring. 

It’s built on over 20 years of data from the Dunedin Study, making it a precise and reliable tool, especially useful in testing treatments that could slow ageing.

With strong connections to biological age, disease, and mortality, DunedinPACE offers valuable insights into how different interventions might help you age more gracefully.[1]. 

Why is a low speed of ageing good?

Do you want to stay in tune with your body, giving it what it needs to thrive as you grow older? Then, you’ll have to learn how to take care of yourself, and it doesn’t just come naturally.

Think about how you want to feel in the years to come—energetic, strong, and mentally sharp, right?

You can make choices today that help you stay active and engaged in the things you love, whether it’s spending time with family, pursuing hobbies, or simply enjoying a higher quality of life.

Your daily habits are what determine whether your ageing process is accelerated or slowed down.

In Verena’s case, with a pace of ageing at 0.78, she is ageing 22% slower than most people her age.

Her lifestyle and habits offer valuable insights into how everyday routines can significantly impact the ageing process.

This Avea case study aims to inspire others who want to take control of their health and longevity.

Who is Verena and how did she cracked the code of slow ageing?

Verena Kalb is a Senior Brand Copywriter with a degree in journalism and communication from the Free University of Berlin. 

Indeed, she is known for her infectious laughter and positive outlook on life—qualities she believes also play a key role in her ageing process. She loves dancing, and let’s not forget her passion for singing, her first love.

Verena’s other passions include teaching yoga therapy, volunteering for animal welfare, and spending time with her dog, Penny. 

Let’s break down her lifestyle to see how it aligns with the proven slowed pace of ageing. Ready to to uncover the scientifically-backed habits that contribute to her youthful biology?

Morning rituals for slow ageing: how she sets the tone for the day

Verena starts her day with a set of practices that lay the foundation for her health and well-being. 

1. Oral care

The first thing Verena does upon waking is tongue cleaning. This practice, long embraced by Eastern cultures, dates back over 3,000 years as part of Ayurvedic medicine in India. 

Traditional Chinese Medicine also views the tongue as a reflection of overall health. By removing toxins and bacteria, tongue cleaning not only improves oral hygiene, but also enhances taste and supports overall well-being.

This is followed by oil pulling, where she swishes coconut oil in her mouth for about 30 minutes.

This is yet, another natural folk remedy from India that involves swishing oil around your mouth. It is like using mouthwash, but for longer.

This technique is known for reducing gum inflammation, promoting oral health, and even contributing to detoxification.

2. Morning longevity supplements

After her oral care routine, Verena moves on to her carefully selected morning supplements. 

• Avea NMN
• CoQ10
• Avea Cell Primer
• Iron Bisglycinate 

NMN

She takes 500mg of NMN, which is believed to support cellular energy and longevity by boosting NAD+ levels in your body. 

NAD+ is a crucial coenzyme found in every cell, essential for energy metabolism, DNA repair, and gene expression. Higher NAD+ levels are linked to longevity and reduced age-related decline. However, with age or certain lifestyles, NAD+ naturally decreases, impacting vital cellular functions.

NMN, a vitamin B3 derivative, serves as a precursor, offering a promising approach to optimise NAD+ levels in your body.

Avea’s NMN supplement, featuring advanced Uthever® NMN, targets cellular ageing by boosting NAD+ levels, and has been proven to be effective in clinical trials, with 99% purity.

A 250 mg dose (as present in Avea’s NMN supplement), has been shown to deliver diverse health benefits across human studies.

CoQ10

Verena combines NMN with 200mg of CoQ10 (Ubiquinol), known for protecting cells from oxidative stress and supports heart health.

Whilst your body naturally produces CoQ10, its concentrations decline with age, fatigue, strenuous exercise, smoking, illness, and even some medications.

This powerful antioxidant plays a crucial role in boosting cellular energy, especially in your mitochondria, which are heavily impacted by ageing. 

CoQ10 not only helps reduce harmful free radicals but also supports the creation of new mitochondria. Research even shows that supplementing with Ubiquinol can reverse age-related declines in energy production, bringing mitochondrial function back to levels seen in much younger people. 

Avea combines CoQ10 with 5 other antioxidants, which work synergistically together. Our Booster also contains olive oil for maximal absorption, you can can have it with or without food. 

Designed to optimise cellular health, Avea’s Booster targets multiple hallmarks of ageing and ensures optimal NAD+ levels when used with NMN.

Cell Primer

Verena also includes Avea’s Cell Primer, a supplement that can help in cellular rejuvenation. The Cell Primer is formulated with potent compounds like Fisetin, Quercetin, and Spermidine. 

These ingredients are specifically designed to enhance autophagy, clear out senescent cells, and boost overall cellular health and rejuvenation. 

The focus here is on priming your cells for optimal function, supporting a clean slate through cellular clean-up processes and providing strong antioxidant protection to combat oxidative stress.

In a nutshell, Avea’s Cell Primer acts like a cellular reset, helping to protect against cellular damage. This aligns with Verena’s goal of maintaining youthful energy and slowing her ageing process. Why?

Because vitality rises from your cells.

Iron

Iron deficiency often occurs in those with plant-based diets, as plant sources of Iron are less easily absorbed by your body. 

Iron Bisglycinate, a highly bioavailable form of Iron, helps prevent this deficiency by ensuring efficient absorption without causing digestive discomfort.

Verena includes Iron Bisglycinate in her daily routine.

Evening rituals for slow ageing: how she prepares her body and mind for the night

Verena follows a well-thought-out supplement routine based on the science of the ingredients. Spreading longevity supplements throughout the day may better support your health and vitality. 

The following are the key supplements she usually takes in the afternoon and evening. 

Essentials

In the afternoon, Verena takes the Essentials, which she believes is a non-negotiable longevity supplement for maintaining steady energy throughout the day.

The Avea Essentials are packed with vegan, essential micronutrients: Vitamin D3, Vitamin K2, Zinc, Magnesium and Omega-3. It’s designed to support your immune system, brain and heart health, so you can build your foundation.

Hyaluronic acid

As the evening approaches, Verena shifts her focus to self-care and recovery. She includes hyaluronic acid in her skin care routine to keep her skin hydrated and glowing.

Hyaluronic acid is a naturally occurring substance in your skin that can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water, making it an excellent hydrator. 

As we age, our skin’s natural levels of hyaluronic acid decrease, leading to dryness and the formation of fine lines.

Verena uses hyaluronic acid to help maintain her skin’s moisture barrier, promoting elasticity and reducing the appearance of wrinkles. 

Avea Collagen Activator

But to give her skin the ultimate boost, she adds Avea’s 100% vegan Collagen Activator, a longevity supplement, clinically proven to deliver impressive skin benefits within 1 month. Skin texture improved by 18% and hydration levels increased by 91%. In 90 days, skin elasticity improved by 6%.

The Collagen Activator, developed with ETH Zurich scientists, has been proven to be 4x more effective than standard collagen supplements. 

Instead of peptides, it consists of direct amino acids – Proline, Glycine, and Hydroxyproline – ensuring easier absorption and significantly enhanced collagen turnover. 

The patent-pending blend, Colgevity™, is combined with highly potent antioxidant Astaxanthin, natural Vitamin C from Acerola Cherries, and longevity-enhancing Calcium Alpha-Ketoglutarate (CaAKG), to provide rejuvenation from cells to skin.

Boosting collagen production in your body also offers significant benefits for your joints, bones, and muscles. It even has potential in helping reduce biological age.

Detox routine

Many people start their day with warm lemon water for detox, but Verena prefers her unique blend of bentonite and zeolite, which she calls “stone water” because, as she says, it truly tastes like liquid stones.

These natural clays can bind to toxins and heavy metals, helping your body’s detox process.

She takes it before bed, allowing it to work overnight while she sleeps. By morning, she feels refreshed and cleansed, making this simple habit an essential part of her nightly routine.

Discover how to build the best sleep routine. 

Melatonin

Last but not least, being a night owl, Verena uses a melatonin spray to help ease into restful sleep. 

Melatonin is a hormone naturally produced by your body to regulate the sleep-wake cycle, but its production can be affected by many factors, including exposure to light and stress. 

The melatonin spray helps signal to her body that it’s time to wind down.

While this small addition to her routine makes a big difference in her life, it’s recommended to consult with a professional before supplementing with melatonin.

Learn how to build the best sleep routine.

Diet for slow ageing: how she nourishes herself from the inside out

While supplements are a great way to boost longevity, it is even more important to maintain healthy eating habits, particularly those that keep your blood sugar levels balanced and enhance insulin sensitivity. 

An insulin resistance diet can be key in promoting overall health and longevity. Verena credits her slow pace of ageing to her diet, which is about 95% plant-based.

Plant-based diets are gaining popularity not just for their health benefits, but also for their lower environmental impact compared to omnivorous diets. 

A recent Stanford Medicine-led study found that a vegan diet can improve heart health, reduce visceral fat, and even slow down cellular ageing within just eight weeks. Here’s a summary of the Netflix documentary– ‘’You Are What You Eat: A Twin Experiment.’’

In fact, Verena changed to a 95% plant-based lifestyle in 2019. That was after being committed to being fully vegetarian for the past 25 years! 

She’s always been focused on nourishing her body in the best way possible, but this shift was about taking it to the next level from where she currently stands.

Verena carefully ensures she gets enough protein from sources like 

• quinoa
• buckwheat
• vegan steaks
• flavourless vegan protein powder

But when it comes to dinner times, Verena is not really following the usual advice.

Most studies suggest that eating earlier in the evening is better for digestion and overall health, as it aligns with your body’s natural circadian rhythms.

However, Verena finds that having a late dinner between 9 and 11 pm suits her lifestyle perfectly.

Listening to her body, she is able to nourish it when it feels most needed, providing sustained energy and supporting her active lifestyle.

Fun fact: I’ve been eating “bowl meals” for over 20 years—long before they became trendy! Looking back, I probably should’ve opened a bowl shop and cashed in on the craze. 😜 Back then, it was just how I preferred to eat—a mix of nutritious ingredients all in one dish. Today, it’s funny to see how popular this style of eating has become, but for me, it’s always been a staple of my healthy, balanced diet.

Verena Kalb

Exercise for slow ageing: how she prioritises movement

Daily walks

Verena’s exercise routine is all about finding joy in movement. Every day, she enjoys walking at least 10,000 steps in nature with her dog, Penny. This way, she gets to stay active, and also connect with nature to find some peace.

Outdoor walking is linked with reduced levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. It has also been shown to enhance mood and cognitive function more effectively than indoor walking [2]. 

The natural surroundings, fresh air, and varying terrain provide a richer sensory experience, which contributes to these enhanced benefits.

Dancing

Twice a week, she takes dance classes—jazz dance and heels—which not only keep her fit, but also enhance her mental well-being. 

Dance is scientifically proven to boost cardiovascular health, improve coordination, and stimulate cognitive function, all while reducing stress and elevating mood [3].

For Verena, dance is one of the most fun ways to stay physically and mentally active.

Yoga

Yoga, though not a daily practice, also plays a key role in Verena’s routine. It helps maintain flexibility, balance, and inner calmness. Yoga has also been shown to reduce stress, improve muscle tone, and enhance mental clarity. 

Other movements include lots of stretching and minimal intensity exercises to keep her body agile and injury-free. 

Discover the top exercises for longevity by experts.

Additional steps to boost longevity

Verena’s approach to health goes beyond conventional methods, blending traditional practices with modern biohacking techniques.

Take a look—you might just find new ways to elevate your own wellness journey.

Cryotherapy

Verena embraces biohacking—using unconventional methods to optimise her health.

She does cryotherapy once a week, spending 3 minutes at -160°C and finishing with a booster she describes as “kind of snowstorm.”

This routine may be helping in reducing inflammation and boosting circulation, leaving her feeling revitalised.

Olive oil

Even better, she consumes about a litre of olive oil weekly. That might sound a lot, but there’s a good reason it’s a staple in her diet—it’s also a key component for people living in Blue Zones, regions known for their highest rates of centenarians. 

Rich in healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, olive oil has been shown to support heart health, reduce inflammation, and promote glowing skin. 

Discover the Blue Zones diet.

Favourite snacks

But healthy living doesn’t mean depriving herself of pleasure. Here’s what she loves to indulge in:

• “Olive soup” – 200ml of pure olive oil with salt, pepper, and chilli flakes, enjoyed with lentil waffles or chips
• Vegan skyr with granola, agave syrup, fruits, and nuts
• Vegan chocolate or Mochis

Avoiding unhealthy habits

Verena’s commitment to healthy ageing is also about what she chooses to avoid. 

She prefers to cut out habits that can negatively impact her health:

• Caffeine
• Smoking (tried vaping, but it’s not for her)
• Alcohol (only occasionally, and very little)
• Drugs
• Hot drinks (her body prefers cold ones)

By consciously avoiding stimulants and toxins, she keeps her body in balance, supports her liver, and ensures her skin and sleep stay healthy. 

Sleep and stress management for slow ageing: how she finds balance

Now, you can’t boost your longevity if you don’t know how to manage your sleep and stress.

Challenges with sleep

Verena admits there’s room for improvement in her sleep routine, as she’s a night owl by nature, often sleeping too late during the week. She catches up on the weekends with “round the clock” sleeping, not getting up before noon on Saturday and Sunday. 

As a sensitive sleeper, Verena uses ear plugs, ensures a super dark room, and switches off her phone at night. 

To improve her sleep quality, she follows a consistent bedtime routine and uses a melatonin spray to help her wind down. 

Managing stress

Everyone gets stressed. Latest research reveals that 72% of us are struggling with stress, whilst 70% show at least one feature of burnout. Verena tackles stress by engaging in activities she loves. 

Spending time with her dog, dancing, and singing are her go-to methods for lifting her mood and staying mentally balanced. These simple pleasures keep her grounded and help her manage daily pressures with more ease.

Master stress with Dr. Aditi Nerurkar’s expert guidance.

Keynote from Avea

Verena’s routines show us how simple, consistent habits can make a big difference in staying healthy and vibrant.

From her morning rituals to her long-term commitment to a plant-based diet, everything she does is about nourishing both her body and mind. 

Now, think about your own daily habits—what small changes could you make to boost your longevity?

Maybe it’s adding a supplement, starting a new routine, or just being more mindful. Every little step can bring you closer to feeling your best.

Immortality is a fallacy, but longevity is as real as evolution. Get in, join the longevity movement.