Vibrant at 60: John Biggs and the Power of Preventative Living

Optimum Health’s founder, formulator and long-time practitioner, John Biggs just celebrated his 60th birthday in June of 2025—and if you know him, that number may surprise you…. because he doesn’t look much different than he did in his thirties and forties. Additionally, the energy, clarity, and purpose he brings to every day are unmistakable, and honestly, inspiring.

I’ve known John for over 20 years, both as an employer and a friend. I’ve watched him build a business with integrity and intention. I’ve watched him guide customers and staff with genuine care. And I’ve watched him live what he teaches, day after day, year after year.

This isn’t a story about miracle supplements or overnight transformations. It’s about the long-term power of knowing how to influence the body and mind, successfully maintaining its functions, and practicing what you preach. John is a great example of how a life rooted in natural wellness principles doesn’t just prevent disease, but cultivates strength, clarity, and vitality across the decades.

John with Noreen (Nicola's mom), June 2025.

A Life Rooted in Wellness Principles

John’s approach to health is grounded and sustainable. He does his research looking for new information and perspectives, and then integrates new findings into the key principles framework he has built over the last 35 years. Next, he takes into consideration his experience…what has he seen work most consistently to produce desired results for a given situation, challenge or function? Then, be it himself or a client, he tailors to individual needs.

He eats a wide variety of fresh, perishable food, including generous daily portions of raw fruits and vegetables (including lots of greens). He includes plenty of protein, and healthy fats to support favourable blood sugar and insulin.

He keep his immune system happy by avoiding foods he reacts to. He also takes daily action to ensure his nutrient intake, and to support hormone balance with herbal and vitamin/mineral supplements, probiotics and essential fats. All of this is aimed at keeping inflammation balanced, and his energy production up.

 He moves his body every day, no matter the season. He prioritizes quality sleep, carves out quiet time, and to the best of his ability guards his energy wisely. 

For John, formulas like Cell Fuel® or Opti-A.I.Extra aren’t just products we sell. They’re part of the wider strategy he lives—a way to reduce cellular damage (”fires”), support energy systems, and keep everything running smoothly and efficiently by giving the body what it needs to thrive and repair itself.

The Biggs Model: Simple. Profound. Prescient.

Back in 2002, John started sketching out a framework to help people understand what was at the root of why they felt tired, inflamed, or just generally unwell. He called it “The Biggs Model of Inflammation Versus Mitochondrial Function”, and it ties inflammation, and the oxidative stress that accompanies it, to a reduction in the body’s energy production. This affects the body’s acid/alkaline balance (pH), and when pH becomes too acidic, it further drives inflammation and oxidation, creating a vicious cycle that so many of us are stuck in.

I still remember him drawing out a simplified version for customers in the store—often on the back of a random piece of paper—explaining how their health challenges were connected at a cellular level.

Key takeaways of The Biggs Model:

1. There several connected pathways that lead to inflammation
2. Inflammation, whether acute or chronic, increases oxidative stress.
3. When in excess, oxidative stress interrupts/suppresses mitochondrial function.
4. Impaired or impeded mitochondria produce less energy (ATP).
5. Reduced energy production degrades cellular function and increases production of acid.
6. Excess acidity completes the vicious cycle by creating further inflammation and oxidation.

To summarize: when your body’s batteries lose their ability to charge, aging and disease processes accelerate in a feed-forward manner. 

Golfing with cousin Paul (Feb 2025).

A Legacy Still in Motion

Years before the term "healthspan" became common, John was talking about ways to increase it. He taught about mitochondrial health and cellular resilience before it was on anyone else’s radar. Over the years, those ideas shaped not just the supplements he developed, but the way we at Optimum Health approached wellness as a whole.

He’s been helping people prevent disease, restore function, and reconnect with their bodies for decades. And while the industry is only now catching up to what he’s been saying since the early 2000s, John is still pushing forward.

Where to Start: Lessons from a Lifelong Investigation into Living Better

The real takeaway from watching John over the years isn’t just about mitochondria or inflammation as wellness strategies—it’s about what happens when you choose to care for yourself with purpose and consistency, and how giving your body what it needs can improve your life on a day-to-day basis.

However, you don’t need to have started 20 years ago. You just need to start.

The choices you make today will shape how you feel—and function—at 60 and beyond. John is  proof of what’s possible when you align your health goals with your lifestyle.

For those who want more information about where to start, watch for John’s upcoming communication platform where he will systematically review his strategies regarding wellness, including strategies for diet, exercise, supplementation, and mental/emotional wellbeing. 

For now, if you want an introduction, see below:

• Learn about the inflammation-oxidation connection [read: How to Grow New Mitochondria to Live Better, How to Effectively Unleash More Energy from Your Oxygen)
• Try formulas that support mitochondrial health and oxygen utilization (Cell Fuel®, Opti-A.I. Extra, Opti-Alkaline)
• Eat in a way that supports blood sugar and gut balance, and balanced immune response (prioritize adequate clean protein and fresh vegetables and fruit, avoid processed anything)
• Prioritize sleep, recovery, joy and connection. 

If there’s one lesson that stands out from watching John over the years, it’s this: wellness is a practice, not a finish line. It’s all the small, steady choices we make which add up to shape a vibrant and resilient life.