YourpHLevel Newsletter:💥Fuel Your Mitochondria and Thrive in Mid-life (JUNE Edition)

Dear Seeker of Balance and Vitality! 🎉

Remember those science classes we took as kids? At some point, we were all introduced to these strange little bean-shaped things floating around inside our cells — the mitochondria.

If you're like me, you probably didn’t give them much thought. I brushed them off, assuming they were just another trivia point on a biology test. I never imagined I’d circle back to them years later — obsessively, gratefully — realizing just how central they are to our vitality, focus, metabolism, and even the way we age.

Let’s pull back the curtain.

🧬 Mitochondria: The Ancient Deal That Made Us Human

Here’s where it gets wild: mitochondria were not always part of us. Roughly 1.5 to 2 billion years ago, a primitive cell swallowed a free-floating bacterium — and instead of digesting it, the two struck a deal. The bacterium would process oxygen and produce energy (ATP), while the host cell gave it a safe place to live.

This is called endosymbiosis, and it's one of the most important events in evolutionary history. That ancient alliance gave rise to complex life — plants, animals, humans. In fact, mitochondria still have their own DNA, separate from the DNA in your cell nucleus. It’s bacterial DNA, inherited only from your mother, and it gives us direct insight into the health and ancestry of our energy systems.

So when we talk about “reviving your mitochondria,” we’re really talking about honoring a relationship that predates even multicellular life — a pact your cells have kept for billions of years. Wild, right?

🔋 Why You Should Care: Mitochondria = Energy, Aging & Resilience

Your mitochondria take in oxygen, fats, and glucose, and convert them into adenosine triphosphate (ATP) — your body’s universal energy currency. If ATP were dollars, mitochondria would be the banks. And when the banks collapse, your energy economy tanks. This can lead to mitochondrial dysfunction and the symptoms you might experience are fatigue, brain fog, chronic disease, accelerated aging — all symptoms of mitochondrial dysfunction.

Think of your mitochondria like tiny engines. When they’re clean, well-oiled, and efficient, you wake up energized, recover faster, think more clearly, and age slower. But when they’re junked up — this could be due to processed foods, additives, toxins, lack of movement, your system and mitochondria get backed up! As they say here in Spain , no bueno!

Here’s the truth most people don’t realize: you can train your mitochondria the way you train muscles. You can grow more of them isnt that crazy!. You can make the ones you have more powerful. You can even revive the sleepy, underperforming ones. The other side of it, is the clean up and sweep of mitochondria that are not functioning properly!

🛠️ Mitochondria Maintenance & Optimization: The Protocol

Here’s where science meets strategy. Below are some tried-and-tested ways to support mitochondrial health — many used by high performers, biohackers, and researchers focused on healthy aging:

1. Intermittent Fasting & Time-Restricted Eating

• Mitochondria love metabolic flexibility. When you fast, your body kicks into repair mode (autophagy) and clears out damaged mitochondria.

• Try a 16:8 fasting window to start — eat during an 8-hour window, fast for 16. Really what we need is a break from food so our bodies can take rest.

2. Cold Exposure & Heat Therapy

• Ice baths and saunas create hormetic stress — mild stress that stimulates mitochondrial biogenesis which essentially just means new mitchondria.

• 3–5 minutes of cold exposure post-workout or 15–20 minutes in a sauna can work wonders. alternatively, hit that cold shower for 30 seconds and slowly increase. I caution from doing this all the time because you will adapt like anything else.

3. Movement and resistance training

• Think fasted walks, slow cycling, light jogging - This aerobic zone trains your mitochondria to produce more ATP efficiently — and builds metabolic endurance.

• On the other hand, resistance training and building muscle builds MORE mitochondria, and makes them stronger. You can actually increases the number of mitochondria that you have.

4. Red Light Therapy

• Near-infrared light has been shown to penetrate cells and stimulate mitochondrial function. I own a small one but there are big panels you can purchase - this is not a necessary hack and I would say if you dont own one do your best to get light! get sun energy and get outside in the early morning hours.

• A 5–10 minute daily session can improve recovery, reduce inflammation, and increase energy production.

5. Targeted Nutrients

• CoQ10, PQQ, Alpha Lipoic Acid, Magnesium, Creatine, and NAD+ precursors like NMN or NR help boost mitochondrial efficiency.

• Alternatively, prioritize nutrient-dense foods: wild-caught fish, organ meats, colorful vegetables, fermented foods.

• We wont focus on supplements for this edition but we will do a deeper dive on these topics in editions to come.

6. Quality Sleep

• Mitochondrial repair and body reset happens at night, especially during deep sleep - we can spend more time on this topic but you really want the deep sleep for this kind of repair.

• Prioritize circadian rhythm: go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, avoid blue light before bed, and consider magnesium glycinate or L-theanine if your sleep is inconsistent. I also take 1 mg of melatonin, and I find that the combination of melatonin and magnesium helps me get good sleep.

Additional deep dive - link to interview that focuses on the topic of mitochondrial health

Dr. Anurag Singh, MD, PhD serves as Chief Medical Officer at Timeline Nutrition (formerly Amazentis), spearheading advancements in mitochondrial and cellular health through clinically proven compounds like Urolithin A (Mitopure). While we are not talking about supplements in this newletters edition, these topics will come up and he holds a vas array of knowledge on the topic of mitochondrial health.

🚀 Final Thoughts: Your Energy Is Your Edge

So yes, mitochondria are “just” organelles. But they are also your life force — here is our philosophical take on mitochondria. With every heartbeat, every breath, every spark, its going through them. They are your source. They connect you to ancient bacteria, to your mother’s lineage, and to your potential today.

If you’ve been feeling sluggish, foggy, uninspired — don’t just blame age or stress. Ask yourself: How are my mitochondria doing? Then ask yourself, how can I make them stronger, how can I revive them? Think at a deeper level and your body in late age will thank you.

To thriving from the inside out,

Dr. Nadine Halawa, PharmD
Founder and creator of YourpHLevel

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^{Disclaimer: The content provided in this newsletter is intended for educational purposes only. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any underlying medical conditions or health concerns, please consult your healthcare provider for personalized advice. Please also note that the opinions and content expressed here are solely my own and do not reflect the views or positions of my current or previous employers.}