Let’s get one thing out of the way: I am obsessed with looking and feeling younger.

Yes, people have wondered. Yes, some days I do look “suspiciously well-rested” for someone who owns a magazine, sits on multiple nonprofit boards, and drinks way too much coffee. But no, I do not sleep in a cryogenic pod — at least not yet.

I’m a one-man Benjamin Button, except with a better skincare routine and significantly more Amazon Prime orders.

I’m simply a man trying to outwit time armed with cutting-edge science, exercise, a small army of serums, and the ambition of someone who once tried intermittent fasting — and ended up intermittently eating an entire pizza.

Now, I realize I may have a problem. Somewhere between my 39th and 50-ish birthdays (please don’t check the math), I bought a standing desk and treadmill to quietly begin a full-court press against Father Time. I’m a one-man Benjamin Button, except with a better skincare routine and significantly more Amazon Prime orders.

Let’s start with the supplements. Each morning, my kitchen counter looks better stocked than the pharmacy section at Bartell Drugs: NAD+, resveratrol, magnesium threonate, omega-3s, and something called “NMN” that I think is working because I once beat my son in a push-up contest. (He insists he was tired. I say: science.)

I wash those down with a collagen protein smoothie that tastes like blueberries and regret, followed by a matcha mushroom adaptogen coffee that tastes like, well, mushrooms. But it’s doing things, I swear!

Then comes the mask. Not the superhero kind — though let’s be honest, I wish — but a glowing, red light therapy face shield that makes me look like a Cylon from the old Battlestar Galactica series. My dog has stopped barking at it. My wife has not stopped laughing at it.

Next up: serums. Plural. I am layering regimens like I’m painting the Sistine Chapel — vitamin C, retinol, hyaluronic acid, peptides (so many peptides), and something with snail mucin that I try not to think about too hard. My face routine is literally more complex than my taxes.

And don’t get me started on hair growth strategies. I’ve tried it all — scalp massages, minoxidil foam, the occasional whispered prayer to God. There was even a brief flirtation with microneedling, which, I’m told, is not dissimilar to aerating your lawn — except it’s your head and the “grass” is your dignity.

So, why do I do all this? Is it vanity? Of course. But it’s also curiosity. I’ve always believed that science, when paired with just the right amount of over-the-counter enthusiasm, can offer us a better life — or at least a better selfie.

More seriously, I’m fascinated by the growing research around longevity, healthy aging, and vitality. We’re living in a moment where the tools to extend our healthspan (and to wear skinny jeans into our 70s) are more accessible than ever. A 2009 study on longevity published by the British Medical Journal indicated that those who act and look younger will live longer.

So, here at Seattle magazine, we’re diving into these very topics of healthfulness. In addition to a comprehensive listing of the “Top Docs” in our community, this issue explores the foundations of wellness: from busting top medical myths, to current developments in longevity research, and a discussion with the head of world-renowned Fred Hutch Cancer Center. And as always we spotlight some inspiring things to do and see in Seattle that will, at the very least, keep you young at heart.

As for me, I’ll keep experimenting, walking, supplementing, red-lighting, and moisturizing. I make no promises — except to tell you the truth, even if it means sharing that I once wore a Korean skincare mask into a Zoom meeting by accident.

Aging may be inevitable, but doing it with a laugh (and maybe a peptide or two) is a choice.

Yours in youthful delusion,

Jonathan

This story is part of the July/August 2025 issue of Seattle magazine, featuring our annual Top Doctors list and other health-related stories. Pick up a copy wherever you buy magazines — or better yet, subscribe and never miss an issue.