Dr. Sara Palmer Hussey wants to help you age gracefully.

The Cambridge-educated PhD and research scientist has always been interested in the body’s ability to heal, beyond traditional understanding. It was when she started to notice her own waning energy levels that she set out to find a legitimate solution. Ultimately, as one of the foremost authorities on why people age, she created Lumity, a targeted, two-step morning and night supplement program that combats aging on all of the nine most essential levels, as well as a natural facial oil formulated with 32 of the world’s most nutritional botanical oils and extracts.

Here, she explains why the right supplement regimen can improve your life and replace those other time-consuming antidotes:

Live The Process: What inspired you to become a scientist?

Dr. Sara Palmer Hussey: I have always been fascinated with the potential of nutrition and lifestyle to affect health. I was especially drawn to health food stores as a youngster and spent hours studying supplements. Later on, I was strongly drawn to the field of psychoneuroimmunology, which is the study of how the mind can influence the health of the body.

For me, the placebo effect, as well as documented spontaneous remissions from serious diseases, highlighted the body’s ability to heal beyond the reach of scientific understanding. From this perspective, I saw nutritional interventions and, in particular, supplements as a means to support the body’s intelligence and methods of healing, as opposed to trying to correct perceived shortfalls.

LTP: What led you to found Lumity? Why was there a need for this? 

SPH: In my late thirties, I began to notice the usual signs of aging: graying hair, expression lines. I was not too bothered, as these were not really affecting my quality of life. The symptoms that were really affecting the way I felt on a daily basis were low energy levels and, worse, a weak immune system that meant I was frequently under the weather. I wanted to find a way to tangibly bolster the foundation of my health, strengthen my immune system and improve energy production in my body on a cellular level, so that my days would not consist of a series of energy slumps. I desperately wanted to nudge my body back somehow towards a level of youthful efficiency that would make me feel and look my best again. I wanted to feel like I was alive and thriving rather than barely surviving. I knew that in order to enjoy the years ahead of me, I had to identify the most effective nutritional support to maintain a strong level of health, vitality and balance. That way, I could give the best of myself on a daily basis and feel invigorated rather than drained. 

LTP: You reference nine main causes of aging. What are they and how does Lumity address them? 

SPH: Aging is not caused by a single process, but is instead the result of several interdependent causes that progressively tip the balance between damage and repair in favor of damage. That damage accumulates to produce signs of aging and degeneration. These causes include oxidative damage, mitochondrial decline, chronic inflammation, the build-up of cellular debris, hormonal decline, glycation, telomere shortening and insulin resistance. By using targeted teams of nutrients, a supplement, such as Lumity, is able to support the ways in which the body itself counteracts these factors. By working in harmony with the body’s natural intelligence and tendency towards healing, targeted nutritional supplementation can deliver tangible results, improving energy levels, cognitive function, immune resilience, the health and strength of skin, hair and nails and overall balance and well-being.

Lumity is also unique in that it is designed to work in harmony with the body’s circadian rhythm. Optimum health comes from respecting the body’s need for balance. The body has two very different modes of functioning between daytime and nighttime. By understanding and tailoring supplementation to those needs, we can support the healthier functioning and efficiency of our bodies.

Daytime signals active mode and we require strong defenses, optimum function and efficient energy production: Lumity morning capsules restore the body’s vitality, boost mental clarity and focus, effectively protect against oxidative stress, inflammation and glycation (defending your DNA and all cellular and extracellular components) and bolster the healthy functioning of all systems, including the immune system and metabolism, while reviving skin, nails and hair, bones, joints, muscle function and teeth. Lumity nighttime capsules harness the regenerative mode of sleep. This time is vital to repair all the damage we accumulate during the day from environmental toxins and just from being alive in active mode. It’s the time when the greatest surge of human growth hormone is released to help repair and regenerate all the tissues in the body. If this crucial phase is compromised through poor sleep, late nights and stress, which is so often the case, then damage will accumulate at a faster rate and result in accelerated aging. Lumity nighttime capsules deliver targeted support to enhance this phase, prioritizing not only the quality of sleep, but also the effectiveness of sleep to restore youthful health, vitality and radiance. 

LTP: Aside from using your own line, what rituals keep you feeling balanced and healthy?

SPH: One of the drivers for creating Lumity was the need to have a strong health support that required very little commitment because I have so little time for anything else and am rarely able to stay committed to an exercise regime or particular diet. However, there are a few things that I do regularly to help me stay balanced and healthy: I believe in the power of sleep to rejuvenate and regenerate body and mind. Not getting enough sleep means you are forging ahead without the maintenance work required to keep you healthy and strong. Even as a student, I prioritized getting a good night’s sleep before an exam over burning the midnight oil while last-minute cramming.

I love activities that counterbalance stress: curling up with a book in the evening feels like the most luxurious, cozy thing in the world. I also love taking long walks by the sea, which is a form of meditation for me, and the only form that I’ve been able to stick to regularly.

LTP: What does happiness look like to you?

SPH: Happiness is a choice. It’s how you set the focus of your lens; it’s how much gratitude you feel about your life; it’s an inner state you can cultivate. Prioritizing the things that bring you joy also helps.

To me, happiness is made up of relaxed, carefree moments of fun or peace, moments when I put aside any worries and stresses and feel a natural buoyancy. It is essential to make enough room to find balance and perspective. Too much stress is aging, while fun is the perfect antidote—a rejuvenator of body and mind.

I find happiness in spending time with loved ones, going on long walks in nature, watching films, reading, sharing good food, meeting up with friends, discovering new places or revisiting favorite ones. A smile is my face’s default setting, and I find that it has made happiness an easy thing to come by. As long as I’m not overwhelmed with problems or drama, I’m usually very happy. 

LTP: What does it mean to you to “Live The Process” and how can we all do that more each day?

SPH: For me, to “Live The Process” involves having direction, but also being open to the unexpected and the miraculous twists the journey of life can present. It’s being alive and present in the moment, open to the fun, the daily interactions, good and bad, and silent moments that all create life. It involves trying to celebrate what you have accomplished rather than berate yourself for what you didn’t get around to doing. 

Each day is a step towards a destination, but also a journey in itself, worth savoring and enjoying rather than just surviving. We learn and grow in the process. So, as long as there is something you are reaching for that you are passionate about and the experience of each day is getting you closer to that destination, then you have that elusive sense of meaning in life we all crave. 

The process is defined by the vision; the vision tells you what is important to you and what it is important to do each day. It also measures what you can get through and withstand because of the endpoint you seek. The vision gets you out of bed in the morning. Living the process keeps you present and open to variations in the plan.