Expert Stacks: Dr. Steven Capobianco
Daily sauna, recreational sport, and posture exercises are key parts of Dr. Steven's BodyStack
Dr. Steven Capobianco has dedicated his life to exploring and understanding human movement.
As a chiropractor, strength and conditioning coach, and former athlete, he's gained a unique perspective on how to maintain fitness and vitality beyond the age of 50.
Dr. Capobianco is about to break down his BodyStack, sharing the best habits, practices, and products he stacks throughout his day to live his healthiest and best life.
How much of these do you incorporate? Let's take a look!
Dr. Steve's Expert Stack:
Diet and Supplements
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Meals: Eats 3-5 meals per day, adjusting based on activity level.
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Protein: Prioritizes protein intake targeting 120-200 grams daily.
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Fasting: Practices regular fasting (16-hour, 24-hour, 36-hour with one extended 72-hour fast annually).
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Supplements: Vitamin D, omega-3, magnesium, berberine, and a methylated multivitamin. Adds whey protein shakes as needed.
Exercise and Recovery
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Weekly Routine: Walks daily, one HIIT session (Norwegian 4x4), three to five strength training days, one long aerobic day (hiking or biking).
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Recovery: Incorporates flexibility and mobility training with tools like stick mobility.
Mindfulness and Rest
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Meditation: Meditates daily, incorporating breathwork for managing stress.
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Sleep: Aims for 8-9 hours with a consistent sleep schedule.
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Technology: Uses an UltraHuman device (similar to the Oura ring) to monitor sleep trends.
Biohacking (or Call it Good Old-Fashioned Wisdom)
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Grounding/Earthing: Spends time barefoot outdoors for improved recovery.
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Light Therapy: Uses red light devices to support muscle healing and reduce inflammation.
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Vagus Nerve Stimulation: Practices breathwork and utilizes new tech tools to help calm the nervous system.
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Sauna and Cold Plunge: Finds immense benefits from daily sauna sessions in the evening and cold plunges in the morning.
Redefining Health at 50 and Beyond
For Dr. Capobianco, health is about much more than just physical fitness. He emphasizes a "biopsychosocial" approach, prioritizing not only biological well-being but also mental health and social connectedness.
For healthcare professionals, the biopsychosocial approach not only addresses a patine's biology, but also addresses their psychological and social well being too.
"I take the biopsychosocial approach to heart as it relates to what I deem to be healthy," says Dr. Capobianco.
"So healthy for me, is being physically healthy and psychologically healthy, and that's one of the main reasons I meditate on a daily basis, it seems to manage my psychological states, and then socially healthy, which if any of you follow as it relates to the main marker of happiness, it's having a social network, family and friends and community around you."
Staying healthy as we age is about finding movement practices we enjoy, nourishing our bodies with the right foods, managing stress, getting quality sleep, and nurturing strong relationships.
Who Inspires Dr. Capobianco?
Steven draws inspiration from a multitude of experts, including:
- Peter Attia: Medical doctor and author of Outlive
- Andrew Huberman: Founder of the Huberman Lab
- Todd Hargrove: Expert on healing through movement and author.
- Ido Portal: Fitness advocate focusing on unique movement.
- Brett Bartholomew: Performance coach and public speaker.
- Joanne Elphinston: Physiotherapist and rehabilitation consultant.
- Daniel Lieberman: Harvard professor of biological sciences and author.
- Gray Cook: function movement expert and author.
- Michol Dahlcourt: founder of the Institute of Motion.
With Attia in particular, who also has a practice in Dr. Bapobianco's state of Texas, Dr. Attia's book Outlive really resonated with Steven.
Apolipoprotein B is an undesirable delivery system that moves "bad" cholesterol around your body vs. APoA which carries "good" cholesterol around your body.
"Once I read Outlive, I really started to get me thinking about ApoB," says Dr. Capobianco. "That protein component of the LDL, which is apparently much more informative in respect to what your risks truly are as it relates to your lipids. That'is how I focus my attention – looking at my ApoB versus just those standard total cholesterol or even LDLs."
Daily Practices
First thing in the morning, before even stepping out of bed. Dr. Capobianco slides up to rest against his headboard and starts his day with meditation. It helps bring focus and purpose (and his whole family knows he's taking some "me time" to start the day.
Beyond this Steven is very thoughtful about his food. Particularly with how his ingredients are prepared.
"I'm not force feeding it on anyone, but I think we should be aware of what we're putting on and in our bodies."
The concept of eating healthy and natural, is a family trait – Steven's parents live on a 30 acre farm and still grow their own vegetables to this day. Steven enjoys harvesting his carefully grown produce from his own garden and is mindful to keep chemicals out of his food and off of the products he uses on his body.
A nice little time hack Steven uses is doubling up his family and household discussion time with his wife as part of a sauna bathing routine. Between the sauna and the cold plunging, Dr. Capobianco finds lots of time throughout his week to detox and recharge.
The Full Story
Dr. Capobianco is an amazing wealth of knowledge. If you want to learn more about the best practices for building out your BodyStack from the perspective of a chiropractor and fitness and conditioning coach make sure to check out his full Expert Stack interview.
For even more with Dr. Capobianco (we're getting friendly, so let's just call him Steve) make sure to see:
- Dr. Steve's links between posture and performance
- Dr. Steve's posture advice for the 50+ crowd living an active life
- How your posture as a young person shapes stature later in life
Your Takeaway
There's no one-size-fits-all solution to health and fitness. Steven's approach provides ideas for your own journey.
If you're ready to add some of these ideas to your own BodyStack, make sure to browse our Stacks page. This is a place where you can add to your own stacks by selecting the products that best support your unique wellness journey.
Experiment, discover what works for your body, and listen to its signals. Invest in your mental as well as physical health, and cherish the social connections that give your life meaning.
