Lessons In Longevity (2345)

Hosts Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros challenge a belief that quietly sabotages high performers. You can push harder, grind longer, and sacrifice sleep for a while, but eventually your body collects the debt. Drawing from their own experiences with fatigue, recovery, and years of coaching clients, they break down why longevity habits influence focus, productivity, and long-term success far more than motivation alone. Most people chase results without realizing the foundation underneath them is unstable.

This episode connects sleep, health, and discipline to the outcomes people want most but rarely trace back to their daily choices. If you want more energy, clearer thinking, and sustainable growth, this conversation will recalibrate your priorities. Do not wait for burnout to teach you what discipline can teach you now.

_______________________

Learn more about:
Book Alan’s Business Breakthrough Session. Your first 30-minute coaching call is FREE. Learn how to prioritize success and let your quality of life become the byproduct. - https://calendly.com/alanlazaros/30-minute-breakthrough-session

Track the Work. Earn the Results. To know more about the "Next Level Fitness Accountability Group," reach out.

• Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
• Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

_______________________

NLU is not just a podcast; it’s a gateway to a wealth of resources designed to help you achieve your goals and dreams. From our Next Level Dreamliner to our Group Coaching, we offer a variety of tools and communities to support your personal development journey.

For more information, check out our website and socials using the links below. 👇

Website: http://www.nextleveluniverse.com

Instagram:
Kevin: https://www.instagram.com/neverquitkid/
Alan: https://www.instagram.com/alazaros88/

Facebook:
Alan: https://www.facebook.com/alan.lazaros
Kevin: https://www.facebook.com/kevin.palmieri.90/

Email:
Kevin@nextleveluniverse.com
Alan@nextleveluniverse.com

LinkedIn:
Kevin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-palmieri-5b7736160/
Alan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alanlazarosllc/

_______________________

Show notes:
(2:28) Sleep is the foundation of performance
(7:19) The core pillars of longevity
(8:52) Substance choices and long-term tradeoffs
(11:09) Daily habits compound faster than you think
(12:46) Focus depends on physical health
(16:03) Small improvements over a lifetime
(19:34) Outro

🎙️ Hosted by Kevin Palmieri and Alan Lazaros

Next Level University is a top-ranked daily podcast for dream chasers and self-improvement lovers. With over 2,100 episodes, we help you level up in life, love, health, and wealth one day at a time. Subscribe for real, honest, no-fluff growth every single day.

Transcript

Kevin Palmieri

(0:00) I am not a shining example of what we're going to talk about today because I am still very short on sleep because we recorded two episodes yesterday and it's a whole thing, but the thing we're going to talk about today will help you avoid the pain that I am currently dealing with, hopefully.

Alan Lazaros

(0:16) Longevity and health has been a focus of mine for 11 years, and I intend on that to continue. (0:23) I've learned a lot about it. (0:23) I'm excited to talk about it.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:25) Welcome to Next Level University. (0:28) I'm your host, Kevin Palmieri. (0:29) And I'm your co-host, Alan Lazarus.(0:33) At NLU, we believe in a heart-driven but no-BS approach to holistic self-improvement for dream chasers.

Alan Lazaros

(0:39) Our goal with every episode is to help you level up your life, love, health, and wealth.

Kevin Palmieri

(0:46) We bring you a new episode every single day on topics like confidence, self-belief, self-worth, self-awareness, relationships, boundaries, consistency, habits, and defining your own unique version of success.

Alan Lazaros

(1:01) Self-improvement, in your pocket, every day, from anywhere, completely free.

Kevin Palmieri

(1:08) Welcome to Next Level University. (1:14) Next Level Nation today for episode number 2,345, Lessons in Longevity, is an episode title that I never thought would be coming out of my mouth, but I'm glad it is. (1:25) I'm glad it is.(1:26) I have a memory, probably like, I don't know, maybe a year ago, where Alan and I were having a conversation. (1:34) And, I don't know, yeah, I was waiting for you, I think it was like 11 o'clock one morning, and I was waiting on you. (1:42) And I, for some reason, always know when something happens, like energetically I can just tell, I don't know how to explain it, but I was like, Alan is definitely sleeping.(1:52) I'm certain he is sleeping right now. (1:53) I'm 100% certain, I just know. (1:56) And then I think I got a text message at like 11 to 17, and you're like, dude, holy shit, I just woke up, I've been sleeping.(2:05) And there was always this piece of me, I was always jealous, like, I mean, I want to not set an alarm, and I won't say I didn't understand it, because I did, I did understand it, but I think most people would hear that and be like, you're the CEO of the company, you don't set an alarm, and what in the hell are you doing sleeping until 11 to 17 on a Monday? (2:26) Do you care to weigh in on that at all?

Alan Lazaros

(2:28) Yeah, I work till 8 Monday through Saturday every single day, and Sunday usually that long as well. (2:37) No, longevity is the answer, the short answer is longevity, but let's break it down. (2:42) So, I was on a call with a client, I know you're listening, and I said, find me one thing more important to peak performance and being the most productive and effective version of yourself that you believe honestly is more important than sleep at this point.(3:03) And him and I sat there, I'm not even joking, for probably 20 Mississippi, like this, nothing. (3:12) There is not, like, if you came to me, you and I could argue live right now, and you could say, okay, find me something more important for long term productivity and effectiveness than sleep. (3:24) Go.(3:25) Money. (3:26) Nope.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:27) It amplifies everything, it amplifies sleep. (3:31) What? (3:32) Money.(3:33) How does that amplify sleep? (3:34) You can buy a nicer bed, you can buy a nicer sleep mask, you can buy a nicer fan, you can buy a nicer sound machine. (3:40) Let's do this.(3:41) Yeah, yeah, let's do this.

Alan Lazaros

(3:43) Okay, how do you earn money? (3:47) Ooh, productivity. (3:50) Damn, got it.(3:51) Chicken or the egg. (3:51) Yeah, chicken or the egg. (3:53) Okay, well, what's the most important thing for productivity?(3:56) Money. (3:57) No. (3:58) Sleep.

Kevin Palmieri

(3:59) How dare you? (4:00) I told Alan, I recently, like with the move and everything, I can tell it's so abundantly clear for me now, my mind just doesn't work the same. (4:13) Have you ever seen G.I. Jane? (4:15) No.

Alan Lazaros

(4:18) End of conversation. (4:21) 1997, Demi Moore, first female to get through BUDS training. (4:25) Is that based on a true story?(4:27) I don't know. (4:28) I don't think so.

Kevin Palmieri

(4:29) Demi Moore's a badass.

Alan Lazaros

(4:31) Yeah, for sure. (4:31) She's doing one-handed push-ups. (4:32) She didn't have a stunt double for that, to my awareness.(4:35) But anyways, so definitely a badass. (4:39) BUDS training looks horrible, pretty bad. (4:43) And it's the Navy SEAL training, and they didn't really pull punches in that movie that much.(4:48) It was pretty rough. (4:49) I mean, it was like, holy shit, you know, I can't believe you're showing some of that. (4:54) But they prepare you for war, right?(4:56) And what was my point of all this? (4:58) Oh, at one point, they have to stay awake, and they're supposed to write why they joined the Navy while in a dark room with like sleep sounds on. (5:08) And everyone in the room has been up for like 24 hours straight, just getting blasted with hoses and freezing cold and things.(5:16) It was a lot. (5:18) It was awesome. (5:20) I kind of like that stuff in a weird way.(5:22) But everyone in the class is just like, not in awe, like me on a flight. (5:29) And I remember thinking to myself, like, this is terrible for you. (5:33) Now, it's awesome during what they call Hell Week.(5:37) And in my fraternity, we had a Hell Week, too. (5:39) It wasn't nearly as bad as that. (5:40) But they kept us up.(5:42) They banged pots and pans and shit to get us up every morning, and you needed an escort to go to campus. (5:48) It was a whole fucking thing. (5:49) Honestly, I regret half of it.(5:50) But at the end of the day, that's good for grit in the short term, terrible for longevity. (5:59) And if you have exams coming up, and you are running on very little sleep, I used to pull all-nighters in college.

Kevin Palmieri

(6:09) Terrible idea. (6:10) Terrible idea. (6:11) It's the longest you've stayed up, you think?(6:14) 36 hours for me. (6:15) Yeah, for sure. (6:17) 36.(6:17) And then I started, I was like hallucinating. (6:20) I was like seeing stuff.

Alan Lazaros

(6:21) How many monsters?

Kevin Palmieri

(6:22) Oh, this is weird. (6:22) How many monsters? (6:23) I used to drink at least two of the big ones, the double ones.(6:29) This was before White Monster. (6:31) This was like just a zero sugar, light blue, 24-ounce can. (6:35) I used to double.(6:37) Yeah. (6:37) Double those.

Alan Lazaros

(6:38) Not good. (6:39) Not good. (6:39) All right, so Kevin and I were a little nuts in the past.(6:43) And yeah, many times. (6:44) All-nighters, for sure. (6:48) As I've studied peak performance, there's so many books on this.(6:53) It's deep practice, peak performance, peak the art of impossible, I could name a dozen others that are just great for human effectiveness. (7:03) All of them, dude. (7:05) Sleep, critical.(7:06) Sleep is so important. (7:07) The other thing is if you don't sleep well, you don't get into flow. (7:10) So let's talk about longevity.(7:11) Obviously, sleep is one part of it.

Kevin Palmieri

(7:13) Give me the handful. (7:16) What's the tree of longevity?

Alan Lazaros

(7:19) Nice. (7:20) All right, sleep is number one. (7:22) Hydration's got to be number two.(7:24) Got to stay hydrated. (7:25) I always have water on me. (7:26) Boom, right here.(7:27) It's got an emergency in it, vitamin C in it. (7:29) Yeah, there it is. (7:30) Nice.(7:30) So hydration's number two. (7:32) Sleep, hydration, it's the seven pillars. (7:34) Sleep, hydration, nutrition.(7:37) More whole foods. (7:40) More whole foods, the right amount. (7:44) Sleep, hydration, nutrition, training, exercise.(7:47) Like I said yesterday, or the day before, if you list out all the benefits of exercise, like look this up, it's crazy. (7:54) Like if you, hey, this pill will get you boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. (7:57) Same with sleep.(7:59) All these things are free. (8:01) Yeah. (8:01) Dude, the other thing we got to talk about here real quick.(8:04) Yeah, let's talk about it. (8:04) I used to drink, man. (8:06) Yeah.(8:06) I have partied. (8:08) I remember. (8:09) You remember, yeah.(8:12) Okay, what an L for longevity. (8:15) Is there like anything not alarmingly bad about drinking alcohol? (8:19) Like I don't want to be, listen, I partied, I had fun.(8:22) I think you need to let your freak flag fly every now and then. (8:25) I'm not saying not to do it every now and then. (8:27) I'm not saying not to at least do it at some point in your life.(8:30) I think some people who like never experience it and never try it, they end up losing their minds later in their life. (8:35) I understand that. (8:36) The truth of the matter is, though, from a longevity perspective, alcohol absolutely just destroys longevity.(8:43) You age like shit. (8:45) You sleep like shit. (8:46) You eat like shit.(8:47) There is like nothing even remotely okay about this thing called alcohol.

Kevin Palmieri

(8:52) It is strange. (8:53) It is. (8:54) I saw something the other day.(8:55) It was a stat on the internet, so take that for what it's worth, but I'm pretty sure the smoking and drinking is going down.

Alan Lazaros

(9:02) Yeah.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:03) In Gen Z.

Alan Lazaros

(9:04) Yeah. (9:04) Gen Z is smoking and drinking less.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:06) Makes good sense. (9:07) Because the education around it is going up. (9:09) Yeah, but nicotine use has stayed steady.(9:12) Really? (9:12) Yes, people are vaping more. (9:14) Vaping more.(9:14) Now people love their Zin pouches or whatever the hell they are. (9:17) So while smoking has gone down, nicotine consumption is the same, I believe.

Alan Lazaros

(9:22) No kidding. (9:23) Yeah. (9:25) So quitting drinking alcohol is huge for longevity.(9:28) I could feel it. (9:29) I know I haven't drank in seven years, so I haven't had this experience in a while, but I remember I would go without drinking for one, two, three, five, six months, and I would still start noticing, holy crap, it's getting better and better and better, and then I would drink because I would fall off. (9:44) I'd go party at a wedding or something, and we had after party after after party, and we'd, you know, make it rain.(9:51) And I woke up in the morning like, oh my God.

Kevin Palmieri

(9:55) Yeah, yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(9:55) This is horrible. (9:57) This is like the worst feeling. (9:59) Oh, it's the worst.(10:00) And it's like, how did I used to do this regularly in college? (10:06) Because in college I'd drink two times a week, and it was like normal. (10:09) But your normal isn't normal.(10:11) That's normal for you, right? (10:13) So the alcohol thing is big. (10:15) Sleep, hydration, nutrition, training, mobility, mobility, pliability, joints, ligaments, tendons, supplements, and then breath work.(10:24) Those are the things. (10:25) And then you've got mindfulness and intentionality and all that kind of stuff. (10:28) Ultimately, it comes down to don't do terrible things that are awful for you.(10:32) And this is the main thing that we probably should talk about before we get out of here, which is it's boring. (10:39) It's okay. (10:40) Like, dude, I used to party.(10:42) I had high school friends and college friends and corporate friends, and I brought my high school friends to college, college friends to corporate, and we partied. (10:47) I was at every party. (10:49) I was like way too much.(10:53) I had a thriving social life. (10:55) I'm talking thriving. (10:59) And I do regret some of it.(11:01) I do. (11:03) And now my life is much more boring, but I love it.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:09) Yeah. (11:10) It's hard to optimize. (11:11) That's the thing.(11:12) It's hard to optimize for something that seems so far away, you know? (11:16) It's hard to optimize your every day for something that seems so far away, but it's not. (11:21) It's every day.(11:21) Yeah, and it compounds every day. (11:23) That's the paradox. (11:25) It is.

Alan Lazaros

(11:26) The way you feel right now, imagine if this was your normal. (11:28) This is some people's normal, the way you feel right now. (11:30) It was for a long time.(11:32) Brother, when you and I first got together nine years ago, you weren't able to hang in these conversations for that long before your brain would just shut off. (11:41) You'd reach this moment where it's like, nope, shut down.

Kevin Palmieri

(11:43) Even right now, like, oh, I'm tired. (11:46) I'm definitely tired, and I'm not 100%, my goodness. (11:48) Obviously, I'm not saying I'm crushing it here.(11:51) But, like, I mean, I'm on our, I don't even know if I can do the math, 17, so I've been awake and grinding for 17 hours. (12:00) That's a long-ass day. (12:01) And, dude, you're able to focus.

Alan Lazaros

(12:03) You can have these conversations.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:05) It's good.

Alan Lazaros

(12:05) You're on a podcast, a public platform. (12:07) We don't talk about this because I don't think anyone cares, but this is not easy work. (12:12) I know it's not hard.(12:14) It's not like we're out in the hot sun roofing. (12:15) Okay, I understand that. (12:16) But, dude, cognitively, this is very taxing.(12:21) It's a challenge for sure. (12:21) I look at my calendar, and I'm like, oh, my God, Allen, are you fucking soft? (12:25) Like, okay, you had 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7.(12:31) So, I've done six podcasts and one coaching session, and I'm sitting there going, Allen, get it together, man. (12:37) You're fine. (12:38) And I have a coaching session after this.(12:40) But the truth is it's not physically exhausting. (12:43) It's intellectually and cognitively exhausting. (12:46) And so, the last piece I'll say, I'll kick it to Kev, is your ability to focus.(12:52) Dude, when I don't get good sleep, when we travel, I can't focus.

Kevin Palmieri

(12:58) Yeah.

Alan Lazaros

(12:58) And focus is like a laser beam that can cut through your goals. (13:02) If you can't focus well and control your attention, and you're constantly ADHD scatterbrained, I would say that. (13:10) Like, other than self-belief, the most important skill is focus, for sure.

Kevin Palmieri

(13:13) Do you consider sunscreen and lotion and stuff under supplements? (13:18) Yeah. (13:18) You consider them under supplements?(13:19) Yeah, for sure. (13:20) I think that's question one. (13:21) Question two, I've not found any evidence of this.(13:24) Now, again, Allen's not a scientist yet. (13:25) He is. (13:26) He runs a scientific method, but he's not a scientist, scientist, scientist.(13:30) Have you found in your research any detriment of edible cannabis? (13:39) Other than on sleep. (13:40) No.(13:41) On sleep, there have been studies it's not good for sleep. (13:44) Yeah. (13:44) It affects your REM sleep, for sure.

Alan Lazaros

(13:46) Well, there's certain ones that are okay for it. (13:49) Okay. (13:49) Yeah.(13:51) Pass those on over. (13:56) Honestly, if you had talked to me 15 years ago, all right, here's my truth, and no, I'm going to really upset some people with this. (14:04) I think weed makes you lazy.(14:06) I do.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:07) I will say something that will upset even more people. (14:10) Weed is definitely addictive. (14:13) Anybody that tells you weed is not addictive has not smoked weed for very long.

Alan Lazaros

(14:18) By the way, you think Instagram's addictive and weed's not? (14:21) Weed's the best. (14:22) Everything in life is addictive.

Kevin Palmieri

(14:25) This was always my running joke. (14:28) Of course it's addictive. (14:29) It's the best.(14:31) You smoke it, and then you feel good, and everything tastes better, and everything feels better. (14:36) Yeah. (14:37) Why would you want to live life without that?

Alan Lazaros

(14:39) Of course. (14:39) I have a client right now, young man. (14:42) Young man, I'm so old now.(14:44) He's in his early 20s, crushing it, brother. (14:46) I told him straight up. (14:48) I said, listen, I'm your coach.(14:49) I'm just going to tell you. (14:49) You've got to cut the pen. (14:51) You can do it every now and then, but it's going to make you lazy.(14:54) Stop telling yourself a story. (14:56) Yes, you're more creative. (14:59) Guys, productivity, like caffeine is good for productivity.(15:03) Marijuana just isn't. (15:04) I've got no, I can't find anyone who is more productive, and people are going to hate me for this because I'm more productive. (15:10) Listen, I would do a study any day of the week, put one person on caffeine, put one person on cannabis, and put one person sober on nothing.(15:20) The caffeine person is going to win in external output. (15:23) In terms of productivity and success and chasing your dreams, in very particular industries, maybe you're an artist, whatever, but at the end of the day, when it comes to longevity, I think marijuana is the most safe in terms of longevity so far of everything I've seen, assuming you eat it instead of smoke it. (15:44) Even the way you smoke it, you can do vape and all that kind of stuff, but I think eating it is probably the least detrimental to longevity of anything I've ever seen when it comes to caffeine and alcohol and drugs, hard drugs, soft drugs, all of it.(15:57) At the end of the day, you don't have to be perfect, just be a little bit better each day. (16:03) I'm going for 120, man. (16:05) I'm going to say it right now.(16:06) I'm going for 120. (16:07) Now, you can't guarantee anything, right? (16:10) Life, mortality, you get it, but I'm going to do my best to…(16:14) Emilia and I, a lot of people, they have opinions about us waiting to have kids. (16:19) You don't want to be 60 when you have 20-year-olds. (16:22) It's like, yes, I do.(16:23) Of course I do. (16:24) I'm going to be fine. (16:26) Who's that woman who's 73 who swam the English Channel?(16:31) You're not dead at 70. (16:34) Yeah, see? (16:34) You know what I'm talking about.(16:35) The point is, and by the way, the people who are saying that, it's like, listen, the way you lived, yeah, definitely not. (16:41) You completely let it go. (16:43) You didn't exercise for 30 years.(16:46) Stop projecting onto me. (16:47) Live your own goddamn life, but at the end of the day, longevity matters. (16:52) Do your best.(16:53) I have some clients that look better in their 40s than they did in their 20s, and they feel great. (16:59) This is a thing that you can do, and there's a lot of science on it, so great topic, man.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:03) I appreciate it. (17:04) I would say I feel better at 37 than I probably have in my entire life, I would say. (17:10) Same, same.

Alan Lazaros

(17:11) The only thing I can say that's not true for is aesthetic fitness. (17:18) I do feel like it's a little harder to build muscle.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:22) Yeah, I agree with that. (17:24) I was looking at pictures yesterday. (17:26) I was like, hmm, interesting.

Alan Lazaros

(17:28) Other than that, though, dude, everything else has gone up. (17:30) That's the only thing in my life that has not gone up, is muscle building abilities.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:38) Well, because that's no matter how well you take care of it. (17:43) How dare you?

Alan Lazaros

(17:44) I'm still going for it, man.

Kevin Palmieri

(17:45) I know. (17:45) Look, I'm all for it. (17:47) There was this guy that was in his 50s, and people were like, this guy's incredible.(17:52) You could see every fiber in his... (17:54) He's on steroids, for sure. (17:57) 100%.(17:58) You're like, what are we doing? (17:59) Yeah. (18:00) That's not real.(18:01) It's not real. (18:03) Mm-hmm. (18:03) All right.(18:04) Well, apologies if we offended you with our marijuana talk. (18:07) Look, I'm a big fan of edibles, but I try not to take them too close to bedtime because what I did for a while... (18:14) I know you're going to go.(18:15) What I did for a while was I would look at my aura ring, and I would time out, when did I take my edible, what time did I go to bed, and then what was my REM score? (18:22) I kept doing that, and I realized, like, two hours. (18:25) If I take it two hours before bed, I'm usually pretty good.(18:27) Not just REM. (18:28) REM and deep. (18:30) I think at the time, very honestly, I was only looking at REM.(18:33) Oh, my God. (18:34) Look, I ain't going to lie about it, baby. (18:35) I appreciate your honesty.

Alan Lazaros

(18:37) I own that shit. (18:37) No wonder why you don't tell me things. (18:39) I'm over here laughing at you.(18:40) I'm sorry.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:40) Oh, yeah, on a public medium, too. (18:42) Yeah, but that's what we do. (18:42) For all these people.(18:44) I'm sorry, brother. (18:45) No, it's okay. (18:46) I'm just telling you.(18:46) Deep sleep is critical. (18:48) Well, I know that now.

Alan Lazaros

(18:49) Probably more important than REM, honestly.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:51) Bro, I lost my fucking aura charges at the other house. (18:54) I'm in shambles right now.

Alan Lazaros

(18:56) Oh, no.

Kevin Palmieri

(18:56) I'm wearing this thing. (18:57) This thing's been dead for a week. (18:59) Minimal.(18:59) That sucks. (19:00) Yeah, yeah, yeah. (19:01) That sucks.(19:02) 3.3 last night.

Alan Lazaros

(19:03) Strong word.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:04) Yeah, thank you. (19:05) Strong word. (19:06) All right.(19:06) Yeah. (19:07) Alan's coaching. (19:07) Alan can coach you on all the stuff we talked about today.(19:09) Again, he's not a doctor, but I don't know. (19:12) I've seen doctors, quote unquote, on chiropractors on social media that know way less than Alan does for sure. (19:17) Nothing against you if you're a chiropractor.(19:19) I've just noticed that chiropractors tend to really stretch the truth for whatever reason. (19:25) Again, if you're a chiropractor, I don't mean any offense. (19:27) If you're a bad chiropractor, I mean all the offense in the world.(19:30) So reach out to Alan. (19:31) And then Next Level Fitness Accountability Group, if you're looking to get fit, all that happy jazz. (19:34) As always, we love you.(19:35) We appreciate you. (19:35) Grateful for each and every one of you. (19:37) And if you are as committed as you say you are to getting to the next level, make sure you tune in tomorrow because we will be here every single day to help you get there.(19:43) Keep leveling up to reach your full potential.

Alan Lazaros

(19:46) Next level nation.

Kevin Palmieri

(19:48) Thanks for joining us for another episode of Next Level University. (19:51) We love connecting with the Next Level family.

Alan Lazaros

(19:54) We mean it when we say family. (19:56) If you ever need anything, please reach out to us directly. (19:59) Everything you need to get a hold of us is in the show notes.

Kevin Palmieri

(20:03) Thank you again and we will talk to you tomorrow.