No sugar, no alcohol, no medicines, 300 push-ups and 300 squats: Inside the strict way of life of Telegram CEO Pavel Durov

Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has spoken overtly concerning the uncommon guidelines he follows round meals, train, know-how and on a regular basis habits. In a dialog with laptop scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman, Durov (41) described a life-style constructed round avoiding a number of substances, limiting his dependence on his cellphone, exercising daily and spending quiet time with out digital distractions. Durov stated he has stayed away from alcohol, tobacco, espresso, drugs and unlawful medication for greater than 20 years. He additionally stated he doesn’t eat processed sugar, quick meals or drink soda, has stopped consuming pink meat and follows intermittent fasting.

“Sugar is pretty easy because it’s addictive”

When Fridman requested Durov about his food plan, he described a reasonably restrictive strategy. He stated he avoids processed sugar, quick meals and soda and generally follows intermittent fasting, consuming solely inside a six-hour window or generally consuming solely as soon as a day. “Well, sugar is pretty easy because it’s addictive. The more sugar you consume, the more you want it, and the hungrier you get,” Durov stated. “So, if you want to stay efficient and healthy, why consume processed sugar? You’ll just end up snacking all the time.”Durov stated intermittent fasting additionally provides construction to his day and consuming habits. “Intermittent fasting, eating only within six hours or not eating for 18 hours every day, also brings structure into your day and into your eating habits. So, you don’t crave sugar anymore.” At the identical time, he clarified that he’s not utterly inflexible about naturally candy meals. “Now, I’m not militant about sugar. You can eat berries and fruit if you feel your body needs them. But it’s not true to think that it’s necessary to consume sweet things, not for children and not for adults.”Durov additionally stated he stopped consuming pink meat round 20 years in the past due to the way it made him really feel. “Red meat, I stopped eating it about 20 years ago because I just felt heavy every time I had it. So, I guess it’s individual.” He defined that he sees it as a private response to meals fairly than a common rule. Instead, he stated seafood and greens type the essential a part of his food plan. “So, I normally eat seafood of all kinds and vegetables. This is the basic source of calories for me.”

His strategy to complications: “Identify the real cause”

Durov additionally defined why he typically tries to keep away from taking medicines. He gave the instance of a headache. According to him, taking a painkiller could make the ache disappear with out essentially addressing no matter induced it. “Yes, and trying to identify the real cause of an issue you’re experiencing,” he stated. “If you’re experiencing a headache, one solution would be to take a pill, and then the headache disappears.” He continued: “What this pill would actually do, in most cases, is mute the consequence, your feeling of pain. It’s a painkiller.”Durov stated folks ought to as a substitute ask themselves what is perhaps behind the issue. “So, you have to ask yourself, ‘What is causing this headache? Do I need to drink some water? Is the air quality here bad? Do I need to start getting more sleep? Is there something wrong with the people around me that are stressing me out?’” “There must be some reason why you’re experiencing a headache.”“There are obviously some diseases that you can only fight with antibiotics, for example, so I’m not suggesting we go back to the Middle Ages. But what I’m saying is that we overuse pills,” he added.

“My success and health are the result of 20-plus years of discipline”

Fridman brought up a statement Durov had previously written about his lifestyle. “If you want to reach your full potential and maintain clarity of mind, stay away from addictive substances. My success and health are the result of 20-plus years of complete abstinence from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, pills, and illegal drugs. Short-term pleasure isn’t worth your future.”Asked specifically about alcohol, Durov traced his thinking back to childhood. “When I was 11 years old, my biochemistry teacher gave me a book he had written. It was called The Illusion of Paradise,” he said. According to Durov, the book explained the biological and chemical processes associated with different substances. He said the experience shaped his attitude towards alcohol and other addictive substances.Durov said the book made him think about alcohol in terms of its effects on the brain and long-term consequences. “So think about this. If your brain is the most valuable tool you have on your journey to success and happiness, why would you destroy this tool for short-term pleasure? It sounds ridiculous.”When Fridman asked whether Durov found it difficult to refuse alcohol at parties or social gatherings, he said, “For me, not at all. I’ve always been ready to stand my ground and say no when I feel something isn’t right.”

He does not use a phone like most people

Durov’s approach to technology is another unusual part of his routine. Fridman said that during the time he spent with Durov, he barely saw him use a phone in the way most people do, particularly for social media. Durov said, “I don’t think a phone is a necessary device.” He recalled growing up without a mobile phone and said he also did not have one when he was a university student. “When I finally got to use a mobile phone, I never used phone calls. I was always in airplane mode or on mute. I hated the idea of being disturbed.”He said he wants to decide for himself what deserves his attention. “My philosophy here is pretty simple. I want to define what is important in my life. I don’t want other people or companies, all kinds of organisations, telling me what is important today and what I should be thinking about.”

He gives himself time to lie in bed and think

Durov also said he deliberately tries to allocate as much time as possible for sleep. But he does not necessarily spend all that time sleeping. “Now, even if I allocate, say, 11 or 12 hours for sleep, I won’t sleep for 11 or 12 hours. So, what I end up doing is lying in bed thinking.” “Some people hate it. They say, ‘Oh, you have to take a sleeping pill,’ but I never take pills.” “I love these moments. I get so many brilliant ideas, or at least they seem brilliant to me at the moment, while I’m lying in bed, either late in the evening or early in the morning. That’s my favourite time of the day.” He said he sometimes gets up and takes a shower without reaching for his phone. “Sometimes I wake up and go take a shower, still without the phone. Beautiful ideas can come to you while you’re doing your morning exercise or your morning routine without a phone.”

300 push-ups and 300 squats every morning

Durov’s exercise routine is equally demanding. When Fridman asked about his daily workout, Durov said: “I do 300 push-ups and 300 squats every morning.” That is in addition to his gym routine. “And in addition to that, I normally go to the gym five or six times a week, spending between one and two hours every day.” Durov said the push-ups and squats are not necessarily about changing his body. “I’m not sure they do a lot in terms of changing your body, but they’re definitely a good way to practise self-discipline.” He sometimes adds ice baths to the routine for the same reason. “When I can, I also take an ice bath because it’s another exercise in self-discipline.” For Durov, discipline is more important than simply building muscle. “I think the main muscle you can exercise is this muscle, the muscle of self-discipline. You know, not your biceps or your pecs or anything else. Because if you train that one, everything else just comes by itself.”

Why he likes ‘Banya’ and cold plunges

Durov also spoke about his experience with Banya, a traditional Eastern European steam bath involving intense heat, followed by cold exposure. Fridman, who had accompanied him to a Banya, described Durov as unusually comfortable with the extreme temperatures. Durov said he had simply become accustomed to it. “Banya is this extreme kind of sauna practised by Eastern Europeans. But it is done in a way that maximises heat, and they also use all kinds of herbs and branches. It’s a much more holistic and natural experience.”He stated the chilly plunge is a crucial a part of the expertise. “Then, a necessary part of it is that you take a cold plunge and then go back.” Durov acknowledged that the expertise might be uncomfortable. He in contrast the expertise with alcohol, describing them as reverse types of short-term sensation adopted, in his view, by totally different longer-term results. “In a way, you can look at it as alcohol in reverse. Alcohol will give you this short, fleeting pleasure for an hour or a couple of hours, but then you will be paying for it with long-term negative consequences.” “I’d rather do Banya, a traditional Russian steam bath, and an ice bath,” he added.