Our Health Optimization Toolkit
The products, tools, tests, and resources we use, trust, and recommend to help you get stronger, healthier, and more capable after 50
Disclosure: some links on this page are affiliate links. We may earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you. This does not influence which products we recommend.
Build & Preserve Muscle
Protein, PerfectAmino, creatine, resistance-training equipment
Improve Gut Health & Nutrition
Viome, Olive My Pickle, & More
Sleep & Recover Better
Sunlighten, sleep products, recovery tools
Know Your Numbers
Blood pressure monitors, smart scales, testing services, InsideTracker/Marek
Improve Cardiovascular Fitness
Wearables, heart-rate monitors, fitness equipment
Supplements Worth Considering
BodyHealth, iHerb, omega-3, multivitamin, electrolytes, etc.
Advanced Optimization
Viome, CGMs/Levels, advanced testing, sauna, other higher-level tools
Most importantly: would we feel comfortable recommending it to a friend or family member? If the answer is no, it doesn't belong here.
Featured Reviews & Guides
In-depth, experience-based articles on products we use and recommend.
PerfectAmino Review: My Experience After 4+ Years of Daily Use
Amino Acids & ProteinEssential Amino Acids vs Protein Powder After 50: Which Do You Actually Need?
ViomeViome Gut Intelligence Review: My Experience, Results & Is It Worth It After 50?
Gut HealthGut Microbiome Testing After 50: Is It Actually Worth It?
OUR RECOMMENDED HEALTH CATEGORIES
Our Recommended Health
Categories
Explore the categories below to find products and services worth considering—and understand why we recommend them, who they're best for, and when a less expensive alternative may make more sense.
01
Health Testing & Biomarkers
Know what's happening inside your body.
You can't optimize what you don't understand.
Health testing can provide valuable information about cardiovascular risk, metabolic health, hormones, nutritional status, inflammation, body composition, fitness, and other areas that become increasingly important after 50.
But more testing isn't always better. We'll help you understand which tests may provide useful information—and which ones may not be worth the expense.
Products & Services We Evaluate
Comprehensive blood testing
At-home lab testing
DEXA scans
VO2 max testing
Metabolic testing
Continuous glucose monitoring
Biological-age testing
Cardiovascular testing
Hormone testing
Nutritional testing
What We'll Help You Determine
What should I test?
How often should I test it?
What does the information actually tell me?
Is the test worth the money?
02
Fitness & Strength
Build a Body That Keeps Working for You
Maintaining muscle, strength, cardiovascular fitness, balance, and mobility becomes increasingly important as we age.
You don't need a home gym filled with expensive equipment. But the right equipment and programs can make consistent training considerably easier.
Products We Evaluate
Adjustable dumbbells
Resistance bands
Weight benches
Walking equipment
Cardio equipment
Weighted vests
Training apps
Strength programs
Mobility tools
Recovery equipment
Our preference is simple:
Buy fewer things—and actually use them.
03
Nutrition
Make Eating Well Easier
You don't need special foods to eat a healthy diet.
But certain products and services can make hitting your nutrition goals easier—particularly when you're busy. Our recommendations focus on convenience without unnecessarily sacrificing food quality.
Products & Services We Evaluate
High-quality protein products
Healthy meal services
Meal-planning tools
Healthy snacks
Hydration products
Electrolytes
Food tracking apps
Kitchen tools
Travel nutrition solutions
We place particular emphasis on products that make it easier to consume adequate protein, manage calories, eat nutrient-dense foods, and maintain healthy habits when life gets busy.
04
Sleep & Recovery
Better Days Often Start the Night Before
Sleep affects your energy, appetite, recovery, training, cognitive performance, and overall health.
Unfortunately, there's an enormous industry selling expensive solutions to people who simply want to sleep better. Some technologies can be useful. Others aren't necessary for most people. We'll help you determine what's worth considering.
Products We Evaluate
Sleep trackers
Mattress cooling systems
Mattresses and pillows
Sleep masks
Sound machines
Sleep apps
Recovery technology
Light-management products
HRV tools
Before spending thousands of dollars on sleep technology, we recommend getting the fundamentals right first.
Technology should enhance good sleep habits—not attempt to replace them.
05
Supplements
Supplement Smarter
Walk into almost any supplement store and you'll find hundreds of products promising extraordinary results.
We take a more conservative approach. Start with food, exercise, sleep, and other fundamentals. Then use supplements strategically when there is a reasonable reason to do so.
Supplements We Evaluate
Protein powders
Creatine
Omega-3s
Vitamin D
Magnesium
Electrolytes
Fiber
Multivitamins
Greens powders
Performance supplements
Sleep supplements
Healthy-aging supplements
For each supplement, we consider:
Does it have credible evidence?
Is the dosage appropriate?
Has the product been independently tested?
Is there a meaningful reason to take it?
Is there a less expensive alternative?
We aren't interested in building the biggest supplement stack. We're interested in helping you build the smallest effective one.
06
Wearables & Health Technology
Turn Data Into Better Decisions
Wearable health technology has become remarkably sophisticated. Today's devices can track everything from heart rate and sleep to activity, recovery, HRV, temperature, blood oxygen, and cardiovascular fitness.
But having more data doesn't automatically make you healthier. The value comes from knowing what to do with it.
Technology We Evaluate
Smart rings
Fitness watches
Recovery trackers
Sleep trackers
Smart scales
Blood pressure monitors
Continuous glucose monitors
Heart-rate monitors
Health apps
We'll evaluate devices based on:
Accuracy
Actionable information
Ease of use
Comfort
Battery life
Subscription costs
Long-term value
07
Healthy Home & Lifestyle
Make Healthy Choices the Easy Choices
Your environment has an enormous influence on your habits.
The right products won't make you healthy by themselves. But they can remove friction and make healthy behaviors considerably easier to maintain.
Products We Evaluate
Water filtration
Air quality products
Standing desks
Walking pads
Healthy cooking tools
Meal-prep products
Travel health products
Stress-management tools
Sauna and heat therapy
Cold exposure and recovery products
What We'll Help You Determine
What should I test?
How often should I test it?
What does the information actually tell me?
Is the test worth the money?
Our standard remains the same:
Does this meaningfully improve health or make healthy behavior easier?
If not, you probably don't need it.
Before you buy anything
No supplement, wearable, test, mattress, fitness device, or health technology can compensate for consistently ignoring the fundamentals.
Strength training
Cardiovascular fitness
Daily movement
Protein and nutrient-dense food
Healthy body composition
Quality sleep
Stress management
Basic preventative healthcare
Want Help Figuring Out Where to Start?
Get the Free 50+ Health Optimization Blueprint
The 50+ Health Optimization Blueprint will help you understand the core areas worth focusing on and identify your next steps.
Empowering adults over 50 with evidence-based guidance to
reclaim vitality and achieve optimal health.
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Pursuing Optimal Health is reader-supported. We may earn a commission when you purchase through certain links, at no additional cost to you. Our recommendations are guided by our editorial standards, not affiliate compensation. Content on this site is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice.
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