Sharing A Meal With Gary Brecka: What The Human Biologist Ate, Drank, And Talked About During A Night Out With Healf

Last month, human biologist and biohacker Gary Brecka, founder of the health and wellness platform, The Ultimate Human, came to visit Healf to talk about the future of wellbeing. Over a delicious dinner at The River Café in London, just before heading back to New York for one of the world’s largest communal sauna events, he shared his vision for health and wellbeing in 2026 and beyond—and a few key insights into his own nutritional practices and rituals.

Curious to know how Brecka nourishes his body and looks after his wellbeing during a night out? Here’s what Brecka ordered, tasted, drank, talked about over his dinner with Healf.

What he drank

Brecka has made his stance on alcohol clear: no amount is good for you. For the most part, he stays far away from it, except on the very, very rare occasion. Case in point: at his son’s upcoming wedding, he may join in for a drink to celebrate, he told the team.

So of course, at dinner, Brecka stuck to his alcohol-free stance and opted for plain, still water. And while he didn’t taste-test any of the restaurant’s famous cocktails, he did try some of the fresh-pressed blood orange juice one team member ordered, stating that it “really cleans the pipes.” Duly noted.

When it comes to other everyday bevs, Brecka has previously talked about how he prefers to top up his coffee with healthier, functional alternatives to milk and sugary, non-dairy creamers. Some of his go-tos include coconut milk, ghee, and MCT oil. At dinner, his team mentioned hazelnut milk at the office is next on the list.

What he ate

If you know Brecka and watch or listen to his content, you’ll already know that he is locked in on the metabolic and longevity benefits of following a high-fat, low-carb, moderate-protein, anti-inflammatory diet that emphasises whole, nutrient-dense foods. The diet, which looks quite a lot like a keto variation, includes the “30-30-30” rule, which involves eating 30 grams of protein and then doing 30 minutes of low intensity exercise within 30 minutes of waking up each day.

While it can be difficult to find nourishing, nutritious meals while eating out, one of Brecka’s all-time favourites is Pura Vida in Miami, which has everything from superfood salads to high-protein egg wraps and seasonal smoothies.

At his dinner with Healf, Brecka joined in for some starters like fresh vegetables, chargrilled squid with fresh red chilli and rocket, Scottish langoustines wood-roasted with parsley and garlic, and farinata made with chickpea flour, water, extra virgin olive oil, and salt.

When it came time to order mains, Brecka was weighing his options: plain grilled white fish or veal shin—both clean and protein-packed dishes. He ultimately went with the veal, which was slow-cooked with its marrow in Aldo Vajra Nebbiolo, and included tomato and sage on bruschetta with Cavolo Nero.

When it came to dessert, Brecka passed but that’s not for lack of enjoying something sweet. Brecka is a huge fan of raw cacao. (In fact, he was excited to visit Knoops while in London to test out their 100% cacao hot chocolate). A perfect dessert, in his eyes, is a 100% raw cacao cake made with coconut milk and honey. Unfortunately, that wasn’t on the menu at The River Café.

The wide world of Brecka wellbeing

If there's one thing Brecka loves to champion, it's the benefits of hydrogen water, which is a central element of his own wellbeing protocol. In fact, he believes in the power of hydrogen water so much that he helped found the brand H2TAB, which sells molecular hydrogen tablets.

Brecka is definitely on to something. Upping the Hydrogen content of your water can not only help reduce oxidative stress and inflammation but also boost energy, gut health, and brain function.

Of course, wellbeing is just about what you’re putting into your body. Nutritious food and nourishing beverages matter, but so do the physical emotional inputs. 

For one, Brecka is incredibly intentional about being with his family, whether that means sharing meals, spending quality time together, or just hunkering down. He’s also a big believer in the power of peptides— as long as they’re sourced and manufactured properly — and think there will be huge breakthroughs in the peptide space over the next few years.