(Seated, from left) Dr. Quincy Raya, Mench Dizon, Dr. Jeremy Lim, Loree Sicat, and Dr. Dobri Kiprove (on the screen) sit at a panel on the first day of Live Forever Summit to discuss the necessary ways to attain longevity.
On the last weekend of August, physicians, researchers, innovators, and health advocates gathered at the Maybank Performing Arts Theater in Taguig for the Live Forever Summit. They had one goal: to talk about how to elevate the quality of living.
“Together, we are shaping a future where the possibility of lifespans beyond 100 years is not a distant hope but a reality within our reach,” said Dr. Quincy Raya, a preventive medicine physician, and founder of Raya Clinic and Live Forever Summit.
Over the past decade, Raya has focused on regenerative medicine—”moving healthcare beyond treating mere illness to restoring the vitality of my patients. “This is the age of regeneration.”
She put up the Live Forever Summit to help others discover this area of medicine that is vital to living a full, not just healthy, life.
Among the speakers at the summit were Loree Sicat, an international yoga teacher and co-founder of Movement Space Yoga Studio; Dr. Jeremy Lim, CEO of AMILI; Mench Dizon, ultra marathon runner; Dr. Tan Min-Han, CEO and medical director of Lucence; David Jacob, CEO of Longevity Labs Philippines; Dr. Sahil Chopra, sleep specialist at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center; Dr. Dobri Kiprov, founder of Global Apheresis USA; Dr. Steven Fang, founder of Invitrocue Singapore; and Josh Manoharan, physiotherapist and founder of Kakayanan Digital Rehab, Inc.
For two days, the speakers touched on the different ways to live longer and better. Learn how to attain longevity from the following four expert-led suggestions.
Do Yoga
“Science backs up the effectiveness of yoga,” says Loree Sicat, co-founder of, and yoga teacher at Movement Space Yoga Studio.
“Yoga strengthens supporting muscles, such as our fascia, and supports pain management as it activates the parasympathetic nervous system.”
Yoga also supports heart health, reduces inflammation, boosts cellular health, eases mental and emotional stress, and improves balance in the nervous system. Because of its low-impact nature, yoga is a recommended practice for patients recovering from surgery.
Sicat herself is proof of the impact yoga has on one’s health.
Before she started doing yoga in 2020, she had chronic back pain; the result of long hours of driving for her job in sales. An x-ray also showed that her spine had a slight curve to the right. Sicat began yoga then, practicing it every day.
Three months later, her lower back pain was gone. A year after, results from her annual physical exam showed that her spine was perfectly aligned.
The best part is yoga is for everyone. “You don’t need to be young, slender or flexible to do it. If you can breathe, you can practice yoga,” says Sicat.
Develop Tiny, But Powerful, Habits
A daily routine is crucial to a life of holistic wellness. Menchu Dizon, who has been running for fitness since 2008, believes in the power of healthy habits.
She relies on her “tiny habits” when she trains for her marathons — she has finished six of the major global marathons, but the most difficult has been recently completing the World Marathon Challenge, where she ran seven marathons across seven continents in seven days.
“These big, audacious undertakings started with tiny habits,” Dizon says.
Dizon suggests following a formula to begin your own tiny habit.
Simply fill in the blanks in the following statement and follow through by doing it every day: After I ___, I will ___, and celebrate by ___. For example, says Dizon: “After I wake up and put my feet on the floor, I will say, ‘It’s going to be a great day.’ Then I immediately smile.”
Begin the tiny habit with an anchor moment (“An existing routine that will remind you to do the tiny habit,” says Dizon). Follow it up with the behavior you would like to weave into your daily routine. Then celebrate with a small action to wire the habit into the brain.
“I believe in the compounding benefits of habits,” says Dizon. “These tiny practices are the building blocks of overall health and wellbeing. The things you practice daily can transpose in the other aspects of your life.”
Have Regular Cancer Screenings
At the Live Forever Summit, Dr. Tan Min-Han, a medico oncologist and clinical cancer geneticist, emphasized the importance of early detection in cancer prevention.
“Life is complicated; aging is tough. None of us want [any health] surprises. But if there are, it’s best to find out early so that something can be done,” Tan says.
“Detecting cancer as early as possible will achieve better outcomes. It’s always better to deal with a smaller cancer than a larger dancer.”
As the founder, CEO, and medical director of Lucence, with headquarters in Singapore and Palo Alto, US, Tan is familiar with early cancer detection. His company has developed LucenceINSIGHT, which is a liquid biopsy blood test that allows multi-cancer early detection.
LucenceINSIGHT uses DNA fragments in the blood, which act as cancer markers, to determine cancer presence.
“Cancer is not a death sentence if it’s detected early,” reminds Tan.
Remember, it is vital to consult your own healthcare provider before deciding on how to move forward with any healthcare-related concern.
Mind Your Gut Health
“Looking after your gut improves your overall health. The great news is that [tending to your gut] is not really difficult to do,” says Dr. Jeremy Lim, CEO and co-founder of the Singapore-based AMILI, the top precision gut microbiome company in Southeast Asia.
“Every time we eat, we not only feed ourselves, we also feed our microbes.”
Running like miniature biological factories, microbes produce hormones, such as serotonin. These cross into the bloodstream, ultimately affecting health.
People who live in highly industrialized environments, such as urban cities, generally have unhealthy microbiomes because of what they are exposed to — ultra-processed foods, microplastics, pollution, etc. The lack of diversity in nutrition is harmful to the gut.
“To reverse the harmful effects of the industrial microbiota, we need to overhaul our entire lifestyle,” says Lim. Diversity is key.
“As we shift from a jungle type of existence to a highly urbanized one, the microbiome diversity shrinks. And just like in a rainforest, diversity is the single most important indicator of the health of your microbiome.”
Therefore, having a healthy, colorful diet is crucial to health and wellbeing. With 70 to 75 percent of our immune cells living in and around our gut, a healthy microbiome is the best foundation you can create to live a long, happy life.
Photos by Cecile J. Baltasar
DISCLAIMER
This article provides general information and does not constitute medical advice. Consult your healthcare provider for personalized recommendations. If symptoms persist, consult your doctor.
