Ida Carleborn is the founder of DailyGarboos and The Algorithms of Life. In 2014, Ida developed an autoimmune disease and decided to heal it naturally, without medication. This became the catalyst for understanding holistic health and how mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being are interconnected.
With a holistic perspective on health, identity, and longevity, she shares how small daily choices, journaling, and self-leadership create sustainable change, from the inside out. In this interview, we dive deep into her keys to sustainable change, daily habits that make a big difference, and how identity is crucial for behavior change.
1. Tell us about your health journey – what made you want to change how you lived?
Answer: I began my health journey long before I developed an autoimmune disease. Not because I was sick, but because I was curious about my full potential, mentally and physically.
After graduating in 2012, I started working out at a gym for the first time in my life. At the same time, I deepened my understanding of how the body works and began cooking all my food from scratch, even though I was still living at home. Early on, I cut out sugar, processed foods, and almost completely alcohol. Not because I had a problem with it, but because I didn’t have a problem without it. I soon noticed there was a new level of well-being, and that motivated me to keep going.
When I later developed an autoimmune disease in 2014, it initially came with a lot of self-blame. I was convinced I had caused it myself through years of achievement and inner stress.
Over time, I realized that we get more of what we focus on, and that our power lies in what we can actually influence. That’s where a decisive shift happened: from self-blame to responsibility. When we take responsibility and direct our energy there, we gain enormous strength.
In hindsight, I see the autoimmune disease as the best thing that ever happened to me. It forced me to see health from a broader perspective and led me to new choices, new truths, and a completely different life. Often, only in retrospect can we see how something didn’t happen to us, but for us—to take us exactly where we are today.
We also don’t need to wait for a crisis to change our behaviors.
We can choose that change now, in every moment.
2. What do you think many people misunderstand when it comes to health and longevity?
Answer: A pattern I often see in questions I get, especially around autoimmunity, is: “How strict were you?” and “how long did it take?”
I understand the questions. But between the lines, I often hear: “How little can I do and still get results?”
And that’s precisely where a shift in perspective is crucial. Not just to achieve results, but to maintain them and keep evolving through life.
Many look for the right method, the right diet, or the right supplement, but miss the whole picture. Health is rarely about a single action. It’s the sum of small, consistent choices over time and how they interact. Sleep, nutrition, movement, and our mental climate constantly influence one another.
In longevity, a lot of exciting things are happening right now, with new tools and technologies. I’m all for them. At the same time, I see increasing value in knowing your own body and building trust in it. Not placing all our trust in what measures our sleep or stress, but using the tools to better understand our patterns, stressors, and behaviors.
For me, it always comes back to creating a stable foundation. “Basics for biohacking.” And that foundation is largely mental: how we think, interpret, and handle what happens around us.
Longevity isn’t just about living longer, but about increasing our health span: the number of healthy, vital years. Extending life, but also deepening its quality.
3. You often talk about identity rather than habits – why?
Answer: Habits and behaviors follow identity. We act in line with how we see ourselves and who we believe we are.
We can use this to our advantage. When we work with identity, it becomes easier to change behaviors sustainably. It often requires more work initially, but once a new identity is “installed,” the behavior happens more or less automatically.
Studies show that about 95% of our daily behaviors are governed by our subconscious, which was largely programmed between ages 0–7. The subconscious can be influenced, including through visualization, affirmations, and reflection. When we change our subconscious, we also change the way we act.
For me, it’s therefore rarely about forcing new habits, but about understanding why we do what we do today—and what triggers our unwanted behaviors. That’s where the key to real change lies.
If we want to change our behaviors long term, we need to understand which identity they’re tied to. Not just write a “to-do list,” but also a “to-be list”: Who do you need to be for your desired behaviors to feel natural?
The words “I am” are powerful. They build identity. When we become aware of what we’re telling ourselves we are, we also create space to choose new “I am” truths in line with the life we want to create.
Daily reflection, journaling, affirmations, and visualization have been part of my morning ritual for over twelve years. It was my entry point to meditation and mental work, and it has been crucial. Not only in my healing, but in all parts of life—both personal and professional.
When identity shifts, behaviors follow.
4. What role does the nervous system play in health, beyond diet and exercise?
Answer: A crucial role.
Many do “everything right” on paper but live in constant inner stress. A critical inner voice, worry about the future, or constant scrolling can create enormous stress without us reflecting on it. A nervous system on high alert can neither absorb nutrients optimally, recover, nor heal.
For me, sleep, early daylight, daily walks in nature without headphones, stillness, and routines that create conditions and predictability for the body are not luxuries but fundamental.
I walk at least an hour a day in nature without headphones and avoid the phone for the first two hours in the morning. It may sound trivial, but it’s one of the most effective “quick fixes” I know, and something that has to be experienced.
5. How do you handle periods when motivation is lacking?
Answer: I don’t rely on motivation. I make sure to create the conditions to be in the right energy and mental state.
Motivation is fleeting, while routines build stability. We don’t rely on motivation to brush our teeth; we do it because it’s part of our everyday life. I see health the same way.
When motivation is low, I look at the cause: did I sleep poorly, eat something that drives inflammation, spend too much time on screens, or lose my sense of meaning?
Motivation isn’t something we wait for. It’s created through action and by experiencing the difference. When we do what we’ve promised ourselves, we build trust—and trust in ourselves is more powerful than motivation.
I believe in dropping reliance on motivation as a catalyst for action and instead building trust in ourselves to take care of ourselves daily.
6. What does it mean to you to take responsibility for your health?
Answer: To listen to the body every day and make conscious choices based on self-respect and love.
When we prioritize our own health, it naturally creates ripple effects in every other area of our lives: our close relationships, our work, and society at large. When we see that, we can also shift the perspective from it being selfish to prioritize ourselves to it having a positive impact on everyone around us.
If we can’t say we love ourselves, we can start by respecting ourselves enough to act with love.
7. What advice would you give someone who wants to build sustainable routines without getting overwhelmed?
Answer: Let go of performance and start with reflection.
Mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual health are interconnected. Take out pen and paper and look at your current situation without judgment. Keep asking “why?” until you reach the root of your behavior; that’s often where the key lies.
Many are afraid of reflection because they don’t want to feel or see what’s there. But what we avoid is already running our lives. The question is whether the fear of looking is greater than the fear of continuing as you are now?
A simple but powerful exercise:
- What will you stop doing?
- What will you start doing?
- What would that mean for you?
Consistency is crucial. Studies show it takes about 66 days to change a behavior. Commit to what you write down during that time and reflect along the way.
- Start small
- Don’t take on too much at once.
- Build self-confidence by keeping small promises
- Give yourself praise daily
- Reflect on how it feels in your body
8. What are your personal health basics that you always return to? (suggestion: make it a list to present nicely under the article)
- Sleep quality and a stable circadian rhythm
- Anti-inflammatory, nutrient-dense food
- High-quality supplements
- Daily journaling and meditation
- Movement without performance + daily walks
- Red light therapy and lymphatic massage
- Nervous system regulation
I take supplements daily; not to replace nutrient-rich food, but to complement and support the body. Some are non-negotiables, others I adjust based on blood values and season of life.
Ida’s six foundational supplements for health and longevity
Probiotics, Flora Plus
I see the gut as the foundation of both physical and mental health.
Supporting the gut microbiome is, for me, a way to build resilience, balance, and a strong immune system—from within.
Vitamin C
A daily support for the body in a high-demand world.
I use vitamin C as part of my long-term work on cellular health, recovery, and low-grade inflammation.
Zinc
An essential mineral for the body’s renewal and long-term resilience.
I see zinc as a support for immune function, cell repair, and hormonal balance. Critical for aging with strength, clarity, and vitality.
Vitamin D
For immune function, hormonal balance, and inner stability.
A supplement I take year-round as part of working proactively, not reactively.
Magnesium
For the nervous system, sleep, and the body’s ability to let go.
Magnesium is, for me, crucial for optimal sleep and a way to signal safety and rest to the body.
Omega-3
For the brain, the heart, and a calmer inner landscape.
A cornerstone for reducing inflammation and supporting long-term cognitive and physical health.
In February you can read part two focusing on gut health and the immune system, where Ida shares her journey to becoming symptom-free from an autoimmune disease and how healing the gut was crucial for this, what she wishes she had known then, and which supplements have helped her the most.
Read more about Ida Carleborn, Founder & CEO DailyGarboos and The Algorithms Of Life
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Photographer: Art Svanberg.
