As a nutritionist, health author and someone who has spent the past two decades interviewing leading health experts, I thought I had a pretty good understanding of what it takes to age well.
I exercise regularly, eat a nutrient-rich diet, prioritise sleep and keep a close eye on my health markers. Yet as I moved through menopause, I began to notice subtle shifts that couldnât be explained by lifestyle alone.Â
Recovery wasnât quite as effortless as it once had been. Building and maintaining muscle required more work. My energy was still good, but I found myself wondering whether I was simply accepting changes that many women are told are an inevitable part of getting older.
That curiosity led me to Biogenix, a regenerative and longevity medicine clinic in Sydney that takes a very different approach to healthy ageing.
What attracted me was that Biogenix doesnât simply provide a biological age score and send you on your way. While many longevity companies can tell you what is happening inside your body, Biogenix focuses on understanding why those changes are occurring and creating a personalised treatment plan designed to address them.
My journey began with a comprehensive consultation, advanced pathology testing, biological age analysis and a detailed review of my health history, lifestyle and future goals. The resulting program was carefully developed by regenerative medicine expert Dr Dominik Schaffner, who used the data to build a personalised roadmap based on my specific clinical profile rather than a one-size-fits-all protocol.
As someone who has spent years reviewing wellness programs and interviewing health professionals, I was impressed by the level of detail. Every recommendation had a clear rationale. The findings revealed that while my overall health foundation was excellent, I was now firmly postmenopausal, and that hormonal transition was influencing several key systems associated with healthy ageing, including bone health, muscle maintenance, immune function and recovery.
The assessment also delivered some reassuring news. My biological ageing rate was slower than my chronological age, my cardiovascular markers were excellent, my blood sugar control was strong and my sleep metrics were among the best Dr Schaffner sees in clinical practice.
However, the testing also highlighted areas where I could be more proactive, particularly when it came to supporting my body through the postmenopausal years.
One of the first treatments I experienced was NAD+ therapy. If youâve spent any time reading about longevity science, youâve probably come across NAD+, a naturally occurring molecule that plays a central role in cellular energy production and repair. Researchers have become increasingly interested in NAD+ because levels decline significantly as we age, affecting everything from mitochondrial function to recovery and resilience.
At Biogenix, NAD+ is administered intravenously, allowing it to bypass the digestive system and enter circulation directly. I wasnât quite sure what to expect when I arrived for my first session, but the experience was surprisingly relaxing. Sitting comfortably in the clinic while the infusion slowly progressed felt more like a wellness treatment than a medical procedure.
Although I didnât walk out feeling transformed overnight, I began to notice gradual improvements over the following weeks. My energy felt steadier throughout the day, mental clarity improved and I felt better equipped to cope with the demands of a busy work schedule and regular training. What appealed to me most was that the treatment wasnât being presented as a miracle cure but as one part of a much broader strategy designed to support healthy ageing from the inside out. The most fascinating experience, however, was something called IHHT, or Interval Hypoxia-Hyperoxia Training.
The science behind IHHT is based on the bodyâs natural response to changing oxygen levels. During treatment, patients lie comfortably on a bed wearing a specialised breathing mask while the machine alternates between oxygen-rich and oxygen-reduced air. The process is designed to stimulate mitochondrial renewal, helping the body remove older, less efficient mitochondria and replace them with healthier ones.
In reality, the experience is remarkably simple. I spent around 40 minutes relaxing while the machine did all the work. Many patients fall asleep during treatment and I could easily understand why. There is no exertion involved, yet the therapy is designed to activate pathways associated with energy production and cellular resilience.
What I noticed over time was a greater sense of physical resilience. Recovery from exercise improved, I felt less depleted after long workdays and my energy levels became more consistent. Rather than creating a temporary boost, the treatment seemed to improve my capacity to cope with everyday demands.
The cornerstone of my program, however, was hormone optimisation. Following a detailed review of my blood work and menopausal status, Dr Schaffner developed a hormone replacement plan tailored specifically to my needs and goals. Rather than applying a standard approach, the protocol was designed around my individual hormonal profile and the areas of health that were most important for me to protect over the coming decades.
As someone who has written extensively about menopause and interviewed countless specialists on the topic, I understood the evidence supporting hormone therapy. Experiencing the benefits personally was another matter entirely.
Within weeks, I noticed that I was sleeping more deeply, recovering more effectively from exercise and generally feeling more like myself. The improvements were subtle rather than dramatic, but they were consistent. Instead of feeling as though my body was constantly working against me, there was a renewed sense of balance that made everyday life feel easier.
What surprised me most about the entire experience was that longevity medicine isnât really about chasing immortality or trying to turn back the clock.
At its best, it is about understanding how your body is changing and identifying the most effective ways to support it.
That is where I believe Biogenix stands apart. The clinic combines advanced diagnostics, biological age testing and cutting-edge regenerative therapies, but the real value lies in what happens after the results come back. Rather than simply identifying potential problems, the team develops a personalised treatment strategy that may include hormone optimisation, NAD+ therapy, peptide protocols, mitochondrial support, advanced imaging and other targeted interventions based on the individualâs biology and goals.
One month after beginning the program, I genuinely feel stronger, more energetic and more resilient than I did several years ago. I have a clearer understanding of my health, greater confidence in the decisions I am making and a much more optimistic view of ageing itself.
Most importantly, the experience changed the way I think about growing older. Rather than viewing ageing as something that simply happens to us, I now understand that many of the factors influencing how we age can be measured, monitored and, in many cases, improved.
Ageing may be inevitable, but how we experience it is far more within our control than many of us realise.
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