About Healthy Eating and Exercise

Mission

To inspire individuals to adopt healthier eating habits and enjoy exercise in a simple, effective and realistic way that’s practical and sustainable so we can all live long, active and youthful lives free of chronic disease.

Why I started Healthy Eating and Exercise, aka Vitality Marco

To help people get healthier, fitter and stronger to enhance and extend their healthspan

I see too many people struggling with their weight and troubled by chronic illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, kidney disease, auto-immune disease, and a wide range of mental disorders, such as dementia. Sure, advances in modern medicine make it possible for people to live with these illnesses for longer, but they’re not healthy, happy or independent.

Healthy eating and exercise changed my life. Today I feel an amazing amount of gratitude for my good health, and I want to help you experience the level of health that I have been so fortunate to enjoy.

To connect with like-minded people

I also love to interact with others who seek ways to optimise their performance and life through healthy eating and exercise and don’t see their age as a barrier to living young.

Get to know me

Hi I’m Marco Asnicar. I love Mediterranean food, calisthenics, pastries and coffee!

As a dad and husband, I cherish spending time with my family. When I’m not working out or guiding others towards their best selves, you’ll find me immersed in my other passions. Whether it’s woodworking, cruising down roads and trails on my mountain bike, or enjoying the great outdoors on a walk or hike, a mug of coffee is always my trusty sidekick 😂.

Yep, I love my perfectly brewed flat white!

My approach to food: No foods are off limits. I focus on eating minimally processed whole foods 80 to 90% of the time and indulge a little in moderation.

My approach to exercise: I believe in finding activities you love that keep you moving daily, and don’t forget to include some resistance training.

The key to my good health? Mastering the basics! I prioritise quality nutrition, consistent exercise, sufficient sleep, stress management, avoiding pharmaceuticals, maintaining a healthy weight, and above all, consistency! Everything else is just a distraction.

What most people don’t know about me (until now)

I often get asked about the origin of my surname. I was born in Australia to northern Italian parents.

I’ve been passionate about nutrition and fitness since I was a teenager. I love eating healthy and exercising daily. It’s a lifestyle that I thoroughly enjoy.

Since 2012, my interest has also been in anti-aging, longevity and focusing on enhancing and extending the quality of my healthspan the best I can.

Embracing a healthy lifestyle early on changed my life. I turned 50 in 2018 and have maintained the vitality of my 20s and the same body weight by simply applying 12 Healthy Lifestyle Habits.

According to my personality type, I’m 75% introverted and 25% extroverted. I very much enjoy my own company and the company of family or a few close friends rather than a crowd of people. I’m also a thinking introvert. I’m fully self-aware of who I am and constantly analysing my thoughts and behaviours. Can you relate?

“Extroverts tend to associate solitude with sadness. Introverts associate solitude with calmness, relaxing, subtly enjoyable, energising and self-care.”

I listen more than I talk, which is probably why people have told me I’m a good listener.

I always trust my intuition. I eat intuitively. I exercise intuitively. I do everything intuitively.

I have always maintained a young mindset. I honestly believe this way of thinking has kept me young and is probably why I don’t look my age and get accused of acting like a kid (most of the time). Unfortunately, I think many people have lost the art of being a child of joy and play. I think you should never stop having fun.

My passion and interests are healthy eating, exercise, plant-based nutrition, longevity, introversion, sports and woodwork.

I’ve eaten a high carb, low fat, and moderate protein Mediterranean-style diet my entire life. My diet consists of a large variety of fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains with small amounts of fish, poultry and dairy. I don't eat red meat or organ meats.

I’ll always eat dessert after dinner. I think no meal is complete without it.

I love coffee! And most foods that contain coffee, like Tiramisu!

I also love gelato! Yep, you guessed it. Coffee gelato is my favourite.

I rarely drink alcohol. However, when I do drink, I like to enjoy a glass or two of wine with a meal. If it’s preservative-free, I can enjoy two or three drinks. But any more than this brings out my extroversion (or EXTRA version), making me feel somewhat uncomfortable and sluggish.

I’ve been doing a daily 12 or so hour fast since 2016.

I don’t know what a headache feels like because I’ve never had one.

I don’t use any pharmaceuticals.

I have never been hospitalised or suffered from any illness and rarely get sick. But I’ve had my fair share of niggly exercise injuries ranging from tendonitis, muscle strains and plenty of cuts, bumps and bruises.

I find watching TV to be quite dull. I prefer spending my time diving into topics that fascinate me, like nutrition and fitness, or listening to music, playing sports or being outside in nature.

My nutrition and exercise education

Precision Nutrition

PN Level 1 Certification

Personal Training Academy

Personal Training Certificate 3 and 4

First Aid (Reviva)

The influencers that I value

Nutrition and Longevity

Layne Norton, Ph.D., BS in Biochemistry, PhD in Nutritional Sciences and physique coach

Simon Hill - Physiotherapist, nutritionist, author and host of The Proof Podcast

Valter Longo, Ph.D., Professor of gerontology and biological sciences

Luigi Fontana, Ph.D., Professor of medicine, nutrition and healthy longevity

Neal Barnard, Ph.D., Preventative medicine and plant-based nutrition

Christopher Gardner, Ph.D., Stanford nutrition scientist

John Berardi, Ph.D., CSCS, Co-founder of Precision Nutrition and author

Shawn Stevenson - Creator and host of The Model Health Show

Exercise

Daniel Vadnal - Fitness FAQs (calisthenics)

Chris Heria - School of Calisthenics

Jeff Cavaliere - Athlean-X

Nick Tumminello - The trainer of trainers

Mark Rippetoe - Strength training

Charles Poliquin - Strength training

Kelly Starrett - The Ready State (mobility)

Eric Cressey - High performance training

Mike Matthews - Muscle For Life

Nardia Norman - Trainer for women

Mindset and business

Gary Vaynerchuk

Graig Ballantyne

Bedros Keuilian