Let's start like this, in a synthetic way, simply to make it clear in broad terms who Filippo Ongaro is, but the reality of the facts is that in the middle there is an impressive life spent studying, improving himself, traveling and spreading his mission.

It's difficult to understand where to start, there are so many things to say, but perhaps we start from the present, which is the moment we need to live in: how are you Filippo?

«I feel good, although I admit that the post-pandemic period has not been easy. We reinvented ourselves online, then we had to put it aside for a bit because people wanted to return to in-person methods. Not easy. But personally I feel very well, at 53 I must say that I feel much better than at 20, regarding the person I am and how I behave."

I know you've been a bit of a restless young man, have you reached your balance now?

«It's true, when I was young I wasn't always impeccable, I did my stupid things. But I am convinced that it is better to try and fail than not to try at all. I also risked making wrong choices but the passion for the topics that are dear to me, and which I still deal with today, saved me. The balance? It scares me a little, it's too static, but I'm constantly evolving and I enjoy experimenting and moving forward."

Of Milanese origins, Filippo can be defined as a citizen of the world from an early age: he attended primary school in London to follow his journalist father, after his university studies in Ferrara he moved to Germany to work with astronauts at the European Space Agency , and then headed to the United States and specialized in longevity medicine.

An itinerant life, which took him to Switzerland a few years ago. How do you find yourself here in Ticino?

«I don't want to make a fuss, but I can say without a shadow of a doubt that Switzerland is the most beautiful country in the world. My only regret is that I didn't come to live here sooner, but perhaps the time wasn't right. It feels so good, the nature is crazy, and as a family we have never had even a moment's thoughts, every day we are grateful to be here and the people have welcomed us very well."

With its team Filippo Ongaro offers coaching courses to offer people the opportunity to improve their lives in various aspects and aspire to healthy longevity. Life prospects have evidently improved, what is scary is how one gets to old age.

Chronic diseases, comorbidities, autoimmune diseases. A sad series of non-ideal situations that we could keep under control if we approached a healthier lifestyle. But where to start?

«I would definitely start with a good check-up, which should be done regularly and not just when problems arise. The key word is to be ahead of the curve: in-depth blood tests, stress tests and also the evaluation of the fitness level."

Results in hand, how to start concretely?

«With small steps, without changing your life: eat more vegetables, a little exercise every day. The most difficult thing at the beginning is managing time, playing sports and cooking healthy takes a little more, but this attention must become a priority."

Attention which, combined with targeted nutraceuticals, can really make a difference at an individual level and would certainly help to improve healthcare costs on a larger scale. This is why we need to influence the greatest number of people to change and not just target an already converted niche: it is essential that many people reach the age of 90 in good health, rather than a few at 130. Society is certainly becoming more sensitive to certain issues, the point is that we must become protagonists of our health, touch it first hand. An approach that Filippo Ongaro puts into practice every day, for himself and to serve as an example.

What is a typical day for you?

«I wake up around 5.45 and start with about twenty minutes of stretching-yoga-meditation. For breakfast I eat egg whites, oats and yogurt. Then I go to the office to work, if I can I go walking in nature with my dog ​​in the middle of the day, and then in the evening I train in the gym."

A job within a job, which Filippo manages to carry out without too much effort because he is also gratified by the process, not just by the result. And we can always talk about gratification during the process for the people who rely on him and his team by starting coaching courses, during which they find keys to understanding knots and thus being able to evolve. The coach guides, but it is the person himself who finds the solution, and sometimes it is even easier than one could imagine.

Having dealt with thousands of individuals, you certainly have a trained eye: what are the first things you notice when you meet someone?

«I start with an expanded vision, which gives me an idea about energy level, values, habits. If I see a person in good shape I can imagine what they have done in life to be so, vice versa if I see a person in bad shape in front of me I can imagine very different habits. Then through dialogue I try to add other pieces that will complete the picture. I'm trained to see everything: shoes, nails, jewelry. Everything speaks about us, we cannot fail to communicate."

A dialogue aimed at verifying first impressions, without judgement, but remaining open to fully grasp all the information.

Do you ever get confused?

«Rarely».

The Ongaro Method does not promise miracles, but aims to put into practice the knowledge that emerges from scientific research, which too often remains unused and the prerogative only of professionals. The goal is to put knowledge into practice and make it accessible on a large scale. On a smaller but equally precious scale, there is Filippo's family: Sonja, psychologist, wife and working right-hand man, and their seventeen-year-old son who, coming into the world, represented a turning point in Filippo's life, bringing with it the awareness that we are not eternal and that life must be lived to the full, every single day.

A son who, like his father, lives driven by a great passion which however is not that of his parents...

«I don't think our son will follow in our footsteps, even though he is very proud of everything we create and willingly shares it with his friends. He is more oriented towards music: he sings, plays, composes. He is very good at this, and he applies himself a lot. He still doesn't know where this passion will take him, and in this I feel like I'm seeing myself again when I was doing my experiments in the gym at his age. But he is much more balanced and easy than I was. One thing is certain: whatever path I decide to take, for me the important thing will always be his happiness."

Happiness to which we can and must all aspire, trying to transform ourselves into the best version of ourselves every day. And not just in words.