Under the microscope

CAN YOU RUN UP STAIRS?

YES, I run up stairs from my office to my home. I also do yoga, Chinese chi kung and walk in the mountains where I live.

GET YOUR FIVE A DAY?

I EAT plenty of fruit and veg. We have an organic garden and my wife grows most of what we eat. I fast at least one day a week with juice, soup or a superfood shake.

EVER DIETED?

AT 65, if I overeat, I can gain five to ten pounds. I’m always careful to maintain my ideal weight.

ANY VICES?

NO, BUT I like the occasional vanilla ice-cream for dessert.

ANY FAMILY AILMENTS?

NO, MY family were always health conscious. My parents fed us vitamins and protein pills and taught us yoga. I’ve done it since I was three.

WORST ILLNESS?

FIFTEEN years ago, my wife noticed my head shaking. My doctor diagnosed early-stage Parkinson’s and offered me levodopa, which boosts dopamine in the brain, but I was worried about side-effects. I’m a supporter of natural, holistic therapies and my research led me to a clinic offering intravenous infusions of nutritional supplements, amino acids and enzymes. After nine days my symptoms disappeared.

POP ANY PILLS?

PROBIOTICS, and vitamins B, C and D. I also take a teaspoon of a naturally occurring sulphur — it’s very detoxifying — and a tiny daily dose of lithium orotate, a mind-calming mineral.

COPE WELL WITH PAIN?

I DON’T like pain so I do everything to stay healthy.

IS SEX IMPORTANT?

I HAVE regular great sex with my wife. In my new book, I talk about how to keep the spark alive.

EVER BEEN DEPRESSED?

AFTER living in India, where I was assistant to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and for nine years a celibate Hindu monk, I returned to California aged 28 and was homeless. It took six months to turn my life around. And my brother, who had bipolar disorder, committed suicide in the Nineties, which was a difficult time.

HANGOVER CURE?

MEDITATE or listen to music in the shower. Drink water, eat less and take a multi-vitamin, grape seed extract and the coenzyme NADH, which can boost energy and mental clarity.

ANY PHOBIAS?

I USED to fear public speaking. Aged 19, overcome with nerves, I passed out giving a lecture.