When I arrived at Saint Haven in Toorak, I wasn’t sure exactly what to expect during my visit. The invitation had promised time with US biohacker Ben Greenfield and Saint Haven Founder, Tim Gurner – but honestly, I expected that to mean Tim and Ben would stand up in front of a group of media, give a speech, and answer a few questions before Tim, one of Australia’s most successful property developers, raced back to his day.
So I was caught a little off guard when, about five minutes after I arrived, Tim greeted me personally and escorted Ben and I into the restaurant for a sit-down interview.
I’ve followed Tim’s career ever since the first plans for Saint Moritz in St Kilda were released, and I saw in those images a vision for a lifestyle I could only dream of. Having lived just down the road in a run-down apartment building when I was 25, the luxury of GURNER’s ambitious Esplanade property was the pinnacle of what success – and living my dream life – might one day look like.
As we walked into the restaurant at Saint Haven, Tim guided Ben and I to a table that hadn’t yet been cleared. Instead of ushering one of his staff over, Tim invited us to sit, and proceeded to clear the table himself.
Having come from a background in hotels, I can honestly say I’ve known hotel General Managers who wouldn’t get their hands dirty in this way, let alone a multi-millionaire (almost billionaire) owner. For me, this seemingly simple gesture revealed Tim’s true character: hospitable, hardworking, and willing to do whatever it takes.
So I found myself sitting across the now clean table, face-to-face with a man whose Forbes cover I used to have on my desk as inspiration – and quite honestly, I was a little intimidated.
Conversations on Longevity and Family
I quickly relaxed into conversation with the two men, and we spoke openly and honestly about what longevity means to us, and what motivates us to live what Tim and the Saint Haven team refer to as “our ultimate lives.” One key theme ran through each of our stories – family.
I spoke to them about my increased anxiety around my mortaity, which began after Elsie was born (I cover this in detail here), and about my grandfather, who passed away in his early 70s – considered relatively young today – and how a device like the Oura Ring or WHOOP band that both men sitting with me were wearing, could have saved his life by alerting him to irregular heart patterns.
How lucky we are today to have access to these kinds of technologies, which, for the cost of a few hundred dollars, could quite literally save our lives. For members of Saint Haven, access to the world’s best and most innovative wellness and biohacking equipment is available every day, and this is where Ben Greenfield has stepped in as a consultant to elevate these offerings further.
Why Ben Greenfield?
“What I love about Ben more than anything is he’s right at the advanced tip of what’s happening in biohacking, but also still believes in sleep, touching the ground, fresh air, sunlight, nutrition, exercise – all of the critical things that are the base pillars,” Tim tells me, on why Ben was the right choice for Saint Haven.
Having listened to Ben interview Tim on his podcast during my drive into Toorak, these themes emerge throughout their conversation, with Ben advocating for a more holistic approach to longevity, one that moves away from the idea of a lonely biohacker sitting in an oxygen chamber.
“There’s also a need for more of an emphasis on family, on sunshine, on the outdoors, on community,” he says.
I can quite literally see the benefits of this lifestyle on Ben’s face – in the whites of his eyes and his glowing skin – and I mean, glowing. I’ve never met a 40-something-year-old man with such clear skin. I did also hear on his podcast that he’d recently had a salmon sperm facial in Texas, so perhaps that had something to do with it.
Both of these men are in the privileged position to experience the best of the best – from biohacking technologies, to fresh wholefoods, supplements, exercise equipment, water filters, and air purifiers – all the things that, in an ideal world, would be part of everyday life for all of us.
The truth is though, for myself and most of my readers – whether due to financial or geographical barriers, or the 30,000-person waitlist – places like Saint Haven, and the innovations they offer, remain more of an aspiration than a daily reality.
So, for those of us working on our health and wellness at home, I ask Ben for his number one tip for increasing energy when you’re always tired – I was asking for myself, but hopefully it helps some of you as well.
“Tired like, in the middle of the afternoon because I didn’t sleep well?” he asks.
“No, tired like, I wake up tired, I’m tired all day, and I go to bed tired,” I tell him.
His answer, of course, is what I feared it would be – exercise. He explains that rather than relying on supplements, which are really just acting as a band-aid, we should be focusing on stimulating the vagus nerve.
“It’s responsible for sparking the production of excitatory neurotransmitters that make you feel active and awake, and one of the ways that the vagus nerve gets trained to activate those receptors is with movement – particularly intense, fast, strong movement,” he explains.
“The last thing you want to do when you’re tired or low on energy is go lift some heavy things or run around the backyard, or even go for a walk. But paradoxically, that is one of the best ways to fabricate your body’s own excitatory neurotransmitters and start that slow-rolling snowball. The solution to not wanting to move is to move.”
Grounding: Nature’s Biohack
Ben is also a big advocate for the benefits of grounding, which, if you’ve never heard of it, is quite literally as it sounds: touching the ground. Sounds easy, right? But we don’t always have time to stop, take our shoes off, and walk around on a patch of grass – if you can even find grass, especially in urban environments.
Ben tells me, “Your body is an electrical machine. Your cells operate really, really well with a slight negative charge on the inside, and a slight positive charge on the outside – and the way you get negative ions is typically from exposure to water or earth. Touching and soaking in the ocean, lake, river, pool, and ground.
“Every time solar radiation meets the surface of the planet, or lightning strikes, it collects those ions, and then releases them when it comes into contact with your skin. So, when you go outside and you do earthing and grounding, it restores the electrical potential to the body, and you fight inflammation better, energy levels go up, and your sleep cycles improve.
“It sounds woo woo, but there’s a ton of complex studies on the idea. Basically, you’re just keeping the body’s electrical potential charged up.”
For those who find it challenging to access natural environments, Ben suggests grounding mats or shoes like the ones he was wearing the day we met. For those looking to make a bigger investment, the Best Cellf PEMF mats Saint Haven uses are what Ben refers to as “grounding on steroids”.
For someone who is at the forefront of the best in new biohacking technologies, it’s clear that Ben is equally passionate about natural wellness practices that are free – and foundational.
More than just measuring fitness
After my chat with Tim and Ben, I head off to follow Ben’s advice and exercise. I’m introduced to Mark, who is going to take me through the VO2 testing I had been dreading since spotting it on the day’s itinerary. Unsure exactly what the test is even measuring, Mark explains it will essentially tell us my baseline fitness levels, so we know where I’m starting from – low, I assure him.
He asks me to talk him through my exercise history, and when I tell him, “Well, I come from a family of thin, lazy people,” he nods and laughs.
“So exercise hasn’t been a big priority?” he confirms. I agree, as I chew on the protein bar I’d asked for in the restaurant, unsure if my jitters were from nerves or because I didn’t eat a proper breakfast in the rush to drive in from Torquay after daycare drop-off. Mark warns me, “I wouldn’t eat too much of that,” which I take to mean, it might come back up on the treadmill.
He’s kind enough to put me through a program that requires me to walk on an incline rather than run – and I think we’re both shocked at the end when he tells me my results were “pretty good” – average for my age.
While the numbers don’t mean much to me (34.3 for anyone interested), what’s most helpful is his observation that my left foot turns out when I’m walking – something I wasn’t aware of. He tells me it could be a sign of a hip issue or weakness on that side. This makes complete sense, seeing as that’s the side I’ve been carrying my daughter around on for almost two years.
This is the kind of attention to detail and support Saint Haven members are offered – a community of experts who genuinely care and want what’s best for you.
The team anticipates your needs, from the elixir drink that appears on my table in the restaurant without being asked, to the treatments they suggest based on an earlier conversation, or for members – from tracking their Oura Ring results.
What Tim has created in Saint Haven isn’t just a gym, or a bathhouse, or a biohacking centre. It’s a daily sanctuary that goes beyond physical health to encompass mindset, longevity, spirituality, and connection.
Honestly, it kind of feels like the healthy, grown-up’s version of Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory, and I was lucky enough to have a golden ticket.
Sustainable Steps to my Ultimate Life
For me, the two days spent with the team at Saint Haven, as well as immersing myself in Ben’s teachings through his podcast, left me inspired – but if I’m honest, also a little overwhelmed with where to start. Until I heard Ben say on one of his episodes, “Just start with three things. Start with the manageable” – so that’s what I’ve done.
I’ve implemented a 10pm bedtime and 7:30am wakeup. It’s not quite Tim’s 9:30pm – 5:30am, but it’s a good start for me. I’m finding having a ‘bedtime’ keeps me more accountable at night – I can either finish off some work, watch a show, or read my book – there’s no more trying to do it all, and suddenly finding it’s midnight.
I’ve become religious about wearing my blue light glasses for at least an hour before bed.
I walk through the park or on the beach almost every day – admittedly, I’m often too rushed to stop and take my shoes off, and it’s also the middle of winter in Victoria, so this will get easier in summer.
I’ve changed my cookware over to a non-toxic brand, Our Place, made using the first-ever nonstick technology that is coating-free and made without PFAS, otherwise known as “Forever Chemicals”. I’ll be sharing more on this soon.
I’ve finally committed to swapping any takeaway coffee I have from almond milk to dairy, to eliminate seed oils from my diet. If you’re an almond milk drinker, check the ingredients list – it’s not just almonds and water!
I’ve been alcohol free for one month and three days, which is something I started just before visiting Saint Haven. I’m finding that the benefits are probably making all the other steps easier – I’m sleeping better and feeling slightly more energised. My weekends are spent on hikes with my family, not dehydrated with a headache.
These small, sustainable changes inspired by the Saint Haven x Ben Greenfield lifestyle, are another step in my long journey to peak health and wellness in my 40s, and I’ll continue to share the journey with you.
If you haven’t already read my article on my visit to SAINT Private Social Club in St Kilda, you can find it here.
My recommended listening from the Boundless Life with Ben Greenfield podcast
This episode, where Ben talks about removing toxic cookware from your kitchen and recommends Our Place.
This episode, where he argues the case for daily alcohol consumption. While I’m enjoying being alcohol free for now and feel better for it, I appreciate his take on the benefits of drinking in moderation.
As mentioned above, this episode is where he interviews Tim Gurner.
This is the episode where he covers a range of topics, from air filters to healthier options when dining out or travelling, and circadian-friendly light bulbs. This is the episode I mentioned, where he suggests starting with the three key takeaways that resonate most or are manageable for you.
The author of this article was hosted by Saint Haven for a complimentary experience. All opinions expressed are based on the author’s personal experience.
