Telegram CEO Pavel Durov has spoken openly about the unusual rules he follows around food, exercise, technology and everyday habits.
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he → speak → food
In a conversation with computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman, Durov (41) described a lifestyle built around avoiding several substances, limiting his dependence on his phone, exercising every day and spending quiet time without digital distractions.
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Durov → describe → distractions
Durov said he has stayed away from alcohol, tobacco, coffee, pills and illegal drugs for more than 20 years.
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he → say → years
He also said he does not eat processed sugar, fast food or drink soda, has stopped eating red meat and follows intermittent fasting.
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he → say → fasting
Durov also said he stopped eating red meat around 20 years ago because of how it made him feel.
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him → say → meat
When Fridman asked Durov about his diet, he described a fairly restrictive approach.
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he → ask → approach
He said he avoids processed sugar, fast food and soda and sometimes follows intermittent fasting, eating only within a six-hour window or sometimes eating only once a day.
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he → say → window
The more sugar you consume, the more you want it, and the hungrier you get,” Durov said.
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Durov → consume → it
“So, if you want to stay efficient and healthy, why consume processed sugar?
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you → want → sugar
You'll just end up snacking all the time.”
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You → end → ?
Durov said intermittent fasting also gives structure to his day and eating habits.
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fasting → say → day
“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.
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fasting → eat → habits
So, you don't crave sugar anymore.”
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you → crave → sugar
At the same time, he clarified that he is not completely rigid about naturally sweet foods.
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he → clarify → foods
You can eat berries and fruit if you feel your body needs them.
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body → eat → them
But it's not true to think that it's necessary to consume sweet things, not for children and not for adults.”
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it → think → adults
Durov also said he stopped eating red meat around 20 years ago because of how it made him feel.
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him → say → meat
“Red meat, I stopped eating it about 20 years ago because I just felt heavy every time I had it.
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I → stop → it
So, I guess it's individual.”
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it → guess → ?
He explained that he sees it as a personal response to food rather than a universal rule.
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he → explain → food
Instead, he said seafood and vegetables form the basic part of his diet.
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seafood → say → diet
“So, I normally eat seafood of all kinds and vegetables.
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I → eat → kinds
His approach to headaches: “Identify the real cause”
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approach → identify → cause
Durov also explained why he generally tries to avoid taking medicines.
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he → explain → medicines
He gave the example of a headache.
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He → give → headache
According to him, taking a painkiller can make the pain disappear without necessarily addressing whatever caused it.
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whatever → accord → it
“Yes, and trying to identify the real cause of an issue you're experiencing,” he said.
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he → try → issue
“If you're experiencing a headache, one solution would be to take a pill, and then the headache disappears.”
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headache → experience → pill
He continued: “What this pill would actually do, in most cases, is mute the consequence, your feeling of pain.
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do → continue → pain
Durov said people should instead ask themselves what might be behind the problem.
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what → say → problem
“So, you have to ask yourself, ‘What is causing this headache?
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What → have → headache
Do I need to drink some water?
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I → need → water
Do I need to start getting more sleep?
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I → need → sleep
Is there something wrong with the people around me that are stressing me out?’”
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that → stress → me
“There must be some reason why you're experiencing a headache.”
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you → experience → 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.
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we → be → Ages
But what I'm saying is that we overuse pills,” he added.
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he → say → pills
Durov described a lifestyle on a podcast with computer scientist and podcaster Lex Fridman.
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Durov → describe → Fridman
Fridman brought up a statement Durov had previously written about his lifestyle.
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Durov → bring → lifestyle
“If you want to reach your full potential and maintain clarity of mind, stay away from addictive substances.
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you → want → substances
…and 53 more, not listed.
The Aporia
