A 30-Year Blueprint for Aging Well

Vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, mediterranean, keto, carnivore, paleo, high protein, high fat. Atkins, low carb, low calorie… ok I’m bored of doing this.

Dietary “advice” has spilled over to the point of obsession and a lot of advice is often anecdotal or based on short term results. There is “correct” diet but your gut anatomy and make up of microbes and response to various foods will vary slightly compared to Barbara from HR. However we can glean some good data from eating “patterns” to determine what is beneficial for health.

A groundbreaking Nature study (PMID: 40128348) tracking 105,000 adults over three decades reveals that your plate today dictates your health tomorrow. Those who prioritized nutrient-rich diets weren’t just surviving into old age but they thrived, with sharper minds, more mobile bodies, and a 40% lower risk of chronic diseases. 

So..ok what did they actually eat?...

Aging-proof (and trend proof) eating

The study defined "healthy aging" as reaching 70+ free of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and cognitive decline, while maintaining physical mobility and mental health (sounds reasonable!)

The standout finding was that diet quality mattered more than genetics for 60% of participants.

1. Vegetables & fruits (5+ servings/day)

   • Why: Each daily serving reduced cognitive decline risk by 8% (Nature, 2024). Dark leafy greens (spinach, kale) lowered Alzheimer’s markers by 15%.

   • Action: Add a fist-sized portion to every meal. Frozen counts!

2. Whole Grains (3+ servings/day)

   • Why: Linked to 22% lower heart disease risk. Opt for rye or oats; their beta-glucan fibre scrubs arteries like a metabolic pipe cleaner.

   • Action: Swap white rice for quinoa or barley (nothing wrong with white rice, but get some plant diversity in there!)

3. Nuts & Legumes (1 serving/day)

   • Why: A daily handful of walnuts cut inflammation markers (CRP) by 20%. Lentils and chickpeas boosted gut diversity by 30%.

   • Action: Replace deli meats in sandwiches with mashed beans.

4. Unsaturated Fats (2+ servings/day)

   • Why: Olive oil users had 35% fewer joint issues. Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel) 2x/week slashed dementia risk by 26%.

   • Action: Drizzle EVOO on everything; keep canned sardines on hand.

Foods pattern which is worth moderating:

1. Red/Processed Meats

   • Risk: 2+ weekly servings of bacon/sausages spiked colon cancer risk by 18%.

   • Fix: No one is demanding you give up your summer bbq but this probably shouldn't be the mainstay of your diet….consider using mushrooms or tempeh as "meaty" substitutes in stews.

2. Trans fats & excess sodium

   • Risk: Found in 80% of fast food, they accelerated arterial stiffness by 12 years.

   • Hack: Season with herbs (rosemary, turmeric) instead of salt.

Actionables from the data

• Prioritize plants, whole grains, and olive oil. Study adherents had 40% higher odds of healthy aging.

• Eat the rainbow: Aim for 30+ plant varieties weekly to maximize gut diversity.

• Time your meals: Front-load calories; participants who ate 50% before 3 PM had better blood sugar control.

• Hydrate smart: Replace sugary drinks with green tea (2 cups/day cut oxidative stress by 17%).

Aging is inevitable, but decay isn’t. The study’s worst performers shared one trait: they treated their bodies like trash compactors, stuffing them with hyper-palatable sludge. 

Whilst you don't need to eat like a 19th century Tuscan peasant, there are small simple tweaks we can make to cuddle our digestive systems a bit more. 

P.S no kale was harmed in the making of this advice.

Which Wearable Should You Get?

It’s an AI festering, data tracking, body optimising, wearables maze out there.

The wearable market is a neon-lit carnival of gadgets promising immortality and peak health and yet most are overpriced pedometers with moonlighting as something they’re not. After testing 10+ devices over the last few years and geeking out on a few clinical studies to seem if their claims match up to their hype… here is hopefully a pragmatic guide to health-tech that actually works (hopefully).

When it comes to choosing which wearable you should use, you need a framework to cut through the BS of advertising.

1. Goal first, gadget second:

   • Sleep? Prioritize sleep staging accuracy.

   • Fitness? Heart rate zones and GPS matter.

   • Chronic conditions? FDA-cleared metrics (e.g., ECG) are useful.

   • General wellness? Basic step/sleep tracking suffices.

2. Form factor = Function:

   • Wrist: Best for all-day wear but disrupts sleep if its a chunky device (looking at you Apple)

   • Ring: Discreet for sleep tracking, limited daytime insights.

   • Chest Strap: Gold-standard accuracy for workouts, annoying daily use.

3. Validation > Marketing:
   Only 11% of wearables are clinically validated for even one biometric. Most overestimate steps by 15–30% and underestimate calories by 20%.

My top picks: Where science integrates easily into daily life

1. Apple Watch Series 9 and above

• Best for: Hybrid health/fitness tracking with medical-grade insights.

• Pros:

  • FDA-cleared ECG (90% accuracy for atrial fibrillation detection).

  • Crash detection: Literally life-saving for older adults.

  • iOS Integration: Syncs seamlessly with Health app.

• Cons:

  • Price: Starts at $399.

  • Battery: Daily charging.

• Why it wins: Balances smartwatch utility with validated health metrics.

2. Oura Ring Gen3/4

• Best for: Sleep/recovery obsessives who hate wrist gadgets.

• Pros:

  • Sleep Staging: 85% match with lab polysomnography

  • Illness detection: Flags fever 1–3 days early via temperature trends.

  • Battery: 4–7 days.

• Cons:

  • Subscription: $6/month after first year.

  • No Real-time HR: Updates every 5 minutes.

• Why it wins: You’ll forget it’s there until you decide to lift weights, then it sucks.

3. Fitbit Charge 6

• Best for: Budget buyers wanting basics without fuss.

• Pros:

  • Stress Tracking: Reliable HRV-based score (80% user satisfaction)

  • Price: $159 for core features.

  • Battery: 7 days.

• Cons:

  • Sleep accuracy: Misses 20% of awakenings

  • Build quality: Feels plasticky.

• Why it wins: Affordable entry into wearable health.

Niche picks for specialized goals

• Whoop 4.0: For athletes craving recovery metrics (strain/recovery scores). Skip if you hate subscriptions ($30/month).

• Garmin Venu 3: GPS beast for marathoners. Overkill for casual walkers (like me)

• BioStrap EVO: Clinically validated HRV and sleep tracking. Feels like a hospital monitor. Urgh.

You don’t need any of this.

Humans thrived for millennia without sleep scores, and obsessing over HRV can spike cortisol more than a HIIT workout. Use wearables as tools, not taskmasters:

• Track trends (e.g., “Alcohol drops my deep sleep by 40%”).

• Avoid anxiety by: Ignoring daily fluctuations; focus on 30-day averages.

• When to ditch: If it fuels orthorexia (dangerous obsession) or distracts from lived experience.

When to skip wearables entirely

• Cost concerns: A $10 pedometer and manual sleep diary offer 80% of benefits.

• Data anxiety: If checking your heart rate spikes it further, unplug.

• Lifestyle first: No device replaces eating veggies, moving daily, or sleeping 7 hours.

I personally use a combination of the Apple Watch and Oura as for me it offers the best ROI for most things but remember: the healthiest choice is often putting the gadget down and going outside.

I Stopped People Pleasing…

“Go and say hi to X” / “Be nice to Y” / “Make sure you…”

All my life I’ve tried to smile and nod and felt the strain and pressure to people-please.

It can feel like being forced to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle on a tightrope; except the fall isn’t just embarrassing, it’s tied to failure. Yet, if you peel back the layers of this cultural demand to people please and ensure everyone is happy all the time, you discover that the need to please is less about genuine connection and more about feeding our collective fear of being unloved, unworthy, or even simply inconvenient. Something that’s always lingered above me like a dark cloud.

From a psychological perspective, our brains are hardwired with negativity bias; a survival mechanism that forces us to focus more on harmful stimuli than on positive ones. 

Evolutionarily, it made sense: ignoring that venomous snake could be instant death. In today’s social ecosystem, though, that bias means a single scowl or an offhand remark might loom larger in our minds than the countless affirmations we receive. 

Neuroscientific studies affirm that our limbic system, responsible for emotional responses, tends to magnify social rejection, even when the “rejection” is as trivial as a curt text message, a random passing emoji or a passive Instagram like. Essentially, our brains are wired to feel the sting of displeasure like a betrayal of sorts; a harsh reminder that we can never truly please everyone.

We inhabit a society that champions consensus and conformity, and the pressure to be agreeable is incessant. 

But in this very attempt to please everyone, we can create this hollow echo chamber, where genuine connection is replaced by a series of shallow interactions that cater more to expected norms than to our true selves.

I’ve realised that the more I treated approval as currency…a kind of fleeting transaction that I would sell for a taste of validation and the longer I spent trying to become everyone’s friend, I devolved into something less authentic.  

Ashamedly it took me the best part of 30 years to stop this absurd pursuit of expending excessive effort smoothing out my quirks and idiosyncrasies in the hope of universal acceptance. In reality, my imperfections were the very qualities that made me irreplaceable (at least to the people that mattered most in my life). 

Remember no one is equipped to please every soul you encounter, and striving to do so is not only futile, but is the antithesis of a fulfilling life.

P.S for a bigger deep dive on this, why being happy all the time is a fantasy and mental health hacks to improve your life check out my podcast episode with my friend Dr Julie Smith: LINK

Bad Sleep & Menstrual Cycles

It seems menstrual cycles can be a hormonal roller coaster at the best of times without external provocation. Throw in one night of bad sleep or worse… shift work… then this monthly blood sacrifice ritual could descend into mayhem.

Our biological clocks (aka circadian rhythms) are closely connected to virtually every bit of physiology that keeps us alive and ticking… even down to your pooping cycle (hence why you can sometimes experience pooplag, i.e constipation when travelling) and even your menstrual cycles. 

Studies have suggested that shift work increases menstrual irregularity risk by 70% if you’re under 30 and 30% if over 30. This makes some more sense when you realise that you have tiny little body clocks in every organ, including the uterus!

According to the research, rotating shifts (day → night) are worse than fixed nights, likely due to chronic circadian whiplash where you’re being asked to flip your sleep cycle constantly.

Night workers also experienced on average 6.1 extra miscarriages per 100 pregnancies vs. day workers.

Your ovaries have a clock.

Your circadian rhythm isn’t just for sleep; it’s the conductor of your hormonal orchestra. 

1. Ovarian clock genes:

   • Granulosa and theca cells (the estrogen/progesterone factories) rely on CLOCK and BMAL1 genes to time hormone production. Night shifts scramble these genes, leading to hormonal cacophony.

2. HPO axis sabotage:

   • The hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis is as delicate as a soufflé. Shift work stress spikes cortisol, which:

     • Suppresses GnRH → lowers FSH/LH → disrupts ovulation.

     • Skews estrogen-progesterone ratios, turning cycles into unpredictable dumpster fires

3. Melatonin meltdown:

   • Night light exposure slashes melatonin (the “darkness hormone”) by 80%, which normally protects eggs from oxidative damage. So low melatonin = badness from a menstrual health standpoint

Actionables: 

1. Minimize Night Shifts: If possible, swap to fixed days. Rotating shifts are the reproductive equivalent of juggling chainsaws.

2. Light therapy: Use bright light boxes during night shifts to fake sunlight, and blackout curtains at home to boost melatonin

3. Sleep hygiene: Prioritize 7–9 hours even if your schedule’s upside-down. Your ovaries don’t care if it’s 3 PM or 3 AM… they need rest.

4. Track & advocate: Use apps to log cycles and symptoms. Present data to employers to request schedule adjustments before conception.

A 101 on Omega-3s

The Good, The Bad, and The Rancid

Omega-3s are the rockstars of fats… essential for brain health, heart function, and taming inflammation. But not all omega-3s are created equal, and your body’s ability to use them depends on where they come from. 

ALA, EPA, DHA

There are 3 types of omega-3s:

1. ALA (Alpha-Linolenic Acid):

   • Source: Plants like flaxseeds, chia, walnuts, and hemp oil.

   • Skill issue: Humans convert ALA to active EPA/DHA at ≤5% efficiency (men) and ≤10% (women).  Even eating 2 tbsp of flax daily gives you just 50–100 mg of usable EPA/DHA; far below the recommended 250–500 mg.

2. EPA (Eicosapentaenoic Acid) & DHA (Docosahexaenoic Acid):

   • Source: Fatty fish (salmon, mackerel), algae, and krill.

   • Why it matters: EPA reduces inflammation; DHA builds brain cells. Low levels link to depression, ADHD, and heart disease

   
   

Relying solely on ALA is like trying to fill a bathtub with an eyedropper. A 2022 meta-analysis found that high-dose flaxseed oil supplements (10g/day) didn’t budge EPA/DHA blood levels. Algae oil, however, delivers preformed DHA/EPA, making it the only viable vegan source.

Actionable: If plant-based, prioritize algae oil (200–300 mg DHA/EPA daily) or eat seaweed snacks (nori, wakame).

Omega-6: The “other” fat

Omega-6s (found in vegetable oils, nuts) aren’t evil; they’re also essential. But modern diets skew 20:1 omega-6 to omega-3 (vs. the ideal 4:1). Excess omega-6 promotes inflammation, while omega-3s temper it.

Fix it by:

• Replacing sunflower/corn oil with olive or avocado oil.

• Eat fewer processed snacks (chips, crackers); they’re omega-6 rich

When it comes to Omega-3 supplements… not everyone needs them and they benefit specific cohorts of people. 

Who Benefits:

• Non-fish eaters: Aim for 500 mg EPA/DHA daily.

• Pregnant/breastfeeding: DHA critical for brain development of the tiny human being grown

• High triglycerides: Prescription-grade EPA (4g/day) can be helpful to reduce cardiovascular disease progression

The rancidity problem:

• 45% of fish oil supplements are oxidized (rancid), thanks to poor processing/storage. Rancid oils taste/smell fishy and may increase inflammation.

Buying tips:

• Look for IFOS or GOED certification (tests for oxidation).

• Choose algae oil or krill oil (less prone to rancidity).

• Refrigerate post-opening and check expiry dates.

Sourdough Is Sexy Again

But Is It Science?

Sourdough is often lauded for its health benefits and it’s been having a strong moment in the spotlight the last few years…but it's important to understand the science behind these claims, acknowledge the nuances, and avoid overstating its effects. 

It's not a miracle food, but traditional sourdough, made through a slow fermentation process, does offer some advantages over standard commercially yeasted bread.

1. Improved Digestibility:
   

   • Science: The long fermentation process characteristic of true sourdough involves wild yeasts and lactic acid bacteria (LAB). These microbes pre-digest some components of the flour. Notably, they break down complex carbohydrates (including some FODMAPs like fructans) and gluten proteins.

   • Nuance: While sourdough fermentation significantly reduces gluten content compared to standard bread, it is NOT gluten-free. People with celiac disease must avoid it. However, some individuals with non-celiac gluten sensitivity or IBS find traditionally made sourdough easier to tolerate because the fermentation degrades some of the components (like fructans, a type of FODMAP) that can trigger digestive symptoms. Studies suggest sourdough fermentation can lower FODMAP levels, potentially making it a better option for some people following a low-FODMAP diet (under guidance).

   
   

2. Better Blood Sugar Control:
   

   • Science: Sourdough bread generally has a lower Glycemic Index (GI) compared to white or even standard whole-wheat bread made with commercial yeast. The GI measures how quickly a food raises blood sugar levels. The fermentation process modifies the starch structure, slowing down its digestion and absorption. The organic acids (like lactic and acetic acid) produced during fermentation also contribute to this effect.

   • Nuance: A typical sourdough might have a GI around 54, whereas standard white or wholewheat bread is often around 71 (a GI below 55 is considered low). This makes sourdough a potentially better choice for maintaining stable blood sugar levels and may be helpful in managing insulin sensitivity or type 2 diabetes as part of a balanced diet. It is not a cure for diabetes, and portion size still matters. The type of flour used (whole grain vs. white) also significantly impacts the final GI and fibre content.

3. Gut Microbiome Support (Modest Effects):
   

   • Science: The fermentation process can generate prebiotics (fibres that feed beneficial gut bacteria) and potentially contain some beneficial microbes (though most are killed during baking). The breakdown products and fibre content, especially in whole grain sourdough, can contribute to gut health.

   • Nuance: While sourdough contains lactic acid bacteria before baking, the heat of the oven kills most live bacteria. Therefore, it's not a significant source of microbes like yogurt or kimchi. However, the prebiotic fibres and the compounds produced during fermentation can modestly support a healthy gut microbiome. Claims of it being a "miracle" for gut health are often overhyped. Choosing whole grain sourdough enhances the fibre content, further benefiting gut bacteria.

Many supermarket loaves labelled "sourdough" are not made using the traditional long fermentation process. This "sourfaux" often uses commercial baker's yeast for speed and may add vinegar, dried sourdough powder, or other additives to mimic the tangy flavour and appearance of real sourdough, without providing the same benefits.

How to spot real sourdough (Especially in the UK):

1. Check the ingredients list: This is crucial. Authentic sourdough should contain very few ingredients:

   • Flour (often specific types like bread flour, wholewheat, rye)

   • Water

   • Salt

   • Sourdough Starter/Culture/Leaven (this is the naturally fermented mix of flour and water containing wild yeasts and bacteria).

2. Look for what's not there: Avoid loaves listing:

   • Yeast (Commercial baker's yeast - Saccharomyces cerevisiae)

   • Preservatives (Traditional sourdough is naturally preserved by the acids produced during fermentation)

   • Vinegar or Acetic Acid (Often added for fake sourness)

   • Emulsifiers, dough conditioners, raising agents (like baking powder), added sugars (like barley malt extract), vegetable oils.

3. Consider the process: True sourdough involves a long fermentation time (often 12-24 hours or more). Labels might hint at this, but the ingredients list is more reliable.

4. Price and appearance: Genuine sourdough often costs more due to the time and skill involved. It typically has a more irregular, open crumb structure and a thicker, chewier crust. However, appearance alone isn't a guarantee.