Mary Cristine is a pioneering force in the global wellness and longevity movement, renowned for her expertise in integrative health, nutrition, and gut health. Based in Dubai, she is the founder and CEO of two influential brands—Be That Life, a science-driven supplement line, and Beat That Dish, an innovative meal plan delivery service focused on gut-friendly, anti-inflammatory nutrition. With over seven years of clinical experience, Mary has transformed the health of more than 1,000 high-net-worth individuals, CEOs, celebrities, and entrepreneurs, and her influence extends to millions across the Middle East and beyond.
This interview delves into Mary Cristine’s philosophy and practical strategies for achieving longevity—not merely living longer, but thriving with energy, clarity, and purpose. Mary shares her personal story, the inspiration behind her brands Be That Life and Beat That Dish, and the challenges she faced disrupting a wellness industry often focused on restrictive trends rather than root causes.
Mary’s insights are grounded in both scientific evidence and lived experience, offering readers a roadmap to aging not as a decline, but as an opportunity for reinvention and sustained vitality. This interview is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the intersection of modern science, holistic health, and the art of living well at any age.
Thank you, Mary, for joining us for this conversation. To start, could you share your perspective on what longevity truly means?
Longevity is about extending healthspan, the vibrant, high-energy years of life when you’re not just alive but thriving. For me, longevity means waking up with purpose at 44, sharper than I was at 24, and showing women that aging is not a decline—it’s a strategic reinvention. It’s a science-backed, bio-individual path to sustaining vitality in a world full of hidden toxins, stressors, and misinformation.
Can you share with us how your journey began, what inspired you to start BE THAT LIFE and Beat That Dish, and what were some of the key challenges you faced when you first started out in the health and wellness industry?
My journey started as a single mom at 22, navigating trauma, gut issues, burnout, and shame from toxic relationships. I wasn’t just trying to heal—I was trying to rewrite the script for my life. I dove deep into the science of nutrigenomics and discovered that food, supplements, and lifestyle aren’t just tools, they’re medicine. Be That Life was born out of a vision to create a life manual for longevity, while Beat That Dish answered the real-world cry for food that heals without sacrificing lifestyle. One of my biggest challenges? Cutting through the noise of a wellness industry that glamorized restriction and missed the root cause: the gut.
The gut is often referred to as the “second brain.” How does the connection between gut health and the brain influence our longevity, and can improving gut health actually extend our lifespan?
Absolutely. The gut-brain axis is the motherboard of your entire system. Chronic inflammation, leaky gut, or dysbiosis doesn’t just cause bloating, it disrupts mood, sleep, hormonal balance, and accelerates biological aging. Healing the gut improves neuroplasticity, reduces systemic inflammation, and slows epigenetic aging. When you heal your gut, you don’t just live longer, you live clearer, calmer, and more connected.
What foundational steps do you recommend for individuals aiming to improve their digestive health?
- Remove inflammatory triggers: gluten, seed oils, ultra-processed foods.
- Rebuild with anti-inflammatory whole foods, colorful vegetables, wild fish, fermented foods.
- Restore with key supplements: TMG, Fucoidan, and NMN from Be That Life have been game changers for clients.
- Prioritize chewing, early dinners, and meal timing.
- And most overlooked: heal your nervous system. Your gut doesn’t heal in fight or flight.
Stress management is crucial for a long and healthy life. How does stress affect the gut microbiome, and what practices do you recommend to protect this connection?
Chronic stress shuts down digestion, alters microbial diversity, and weakens the gut lining. It’s like feeding your microbes cortisol instead of nutrients.
I recommend:
- Daily barefoot walking (I lead a walking club every Sunday in Dubai!)
- Gut-directed hypnotherapy
- Breathwork before meals
- Time in nature and regular tech detoxes
These aren’t luxuries, they’re biological necessities in a modern world hijacking our nervous systems.
Can you share your favorite gut-friendly foods or supplements that promote both digestive health and aging gracefully?
Yes!
- Miso soup for ancient probiotic power
- Wild blueberries for polyphenols
- Fennel + ginger tea for digestive calm
- Pure NMN for cellular energy
- TMG to support methylation and detox pathways
- SIRT6 Fucoidan to reduce inflammation and protect the gut lining
I always say: glow starts in your gut—at a cellular level.
Can you tell us about how biohacking optimizes health, and what are some biohacking techniques you personally use and recommend?
I’m a minimalist biohacker. I focus on what works without chasing expensive trends.
- Red light therapy in the morning
- Intermittent fasting, especially after travel
- NMN + TMG for mitochondrial health
- Sleep biohacks like glycine, magnesium, blackout curtains
- And living in an environment that adds to my energy—like biophilic design and toxin-free interiors. Biohacking is about removing friction and amplifying flow.
If you had to distill your philosophy on longevity into one key piece of advice, what would it be, and how would you recommend people begin implementing it today?
Start by removing what’s silently killing your energy. That means processed food, shallow relationships, and unregulated stress. Longevity begins with alignment. Not with trends, but with your biology, your purpose, and your nervous system. If you want to age well, nourish your cells, your gut, and your boundaries.
Not with trends, but with your biology, your purpose, and your nervous system. If you want to age well, nourish your cells, your gut, and your boundaries.
Beauty comes from within. What does this mean to you? And what advice would you give people to glow from within?
It means radiance is not a filter. It’s the byproduct of internal coherence. When your gut is thriving, your thoughts are clear, and your boundaries are intact, your skin glows, your energy expands, and your presence shifts.
My advice? Eat anti-inflammatory. Detox your digital diet. Move with intention. And supplement like your future depends on it.
What are your daily routines/non-negotiables for overall wellness?
- 7am walking club with my community
- Green drink + NMN + TMG to start the day
- No phone in the first hour
- At least one tech-free meal
- Sauna or infrared light when possible
- One deep conversation or self-reflection daily
These aren’t just routines for me, they’re rituals of alignment.
Looking to the future, how do you foresee the evolution of longevity in the wellness space over the next decade? What role do you see mindfulness and spirituality playing in extending life expectancy holistically?
Longevity will shift from protocols to personalization. Epigenetics, AI-based testing, and even spiritual coherence will shape the future. We’ll realize that trauma, lack of purpose, and unprocessed emotions age us faster than sugar ever could. Mindfulness and spiritual practices will no longer be “woo.” They’ll be seen as epigenetic regulators. Your thoughts, your breath, your joy, they turn genes on and off. The future of aging is deeply human.
We’ll realize that trauma, lack of purpose, and unprocessed emotions age us faster than sugar ever could.
Given your expertise in nutrition and gut health, what are some key dietary recommendations for individuals looking to extend their lifespan and improve their quality of life as they age?
- Make 80% of your food anti-inflammatory
- Go gluten-free, not as a trend, but as an inflammation defense
- Use food timing and fasting windows as metabolic reset tools
- Eat from the earth, not the package
- Cycle your supplements, targeted, not excessive
- And hydrate with intention (trace minerals + structured water = longevity fuel)
You have an inspiringly large platform. In a world with so many different health perspectives, how do you ensure your message on longevity stands?
By being unapologetically real. I’m not here to trend-hop, I’m here to educate, disrupt, and empower. I stay science-led, results-driven, and emotionally rooted. I speak to the woman who’s done the juice cleanses, tried the diets, and still doesn’t feel good in her body. I create for her. I’ve lived what I teach, and that’s what keeps it real.
What is your purpose?
To be a translator between science and soul.
To help people heal the parts they’ve ignored.
To show women especially that you don’t need to be perfect to be powerful—you just need to be honest, nourished, and aligned.
My purpose is to turn my past into medicine for others, and to help people live longer, not just exist longer.
(C) Evolvance 2025
