The recent tragic death of Dr Michael Mosley I’m sure gave many people cause to reflect. Here was someone who dedicated much of his life to preventative medicine, yet lost his life in a seemingly random and terribly unfortunate way. I could cite a number of other examples of doctors I know who have just reached retirement, only to die within a year of some previously unknown condition. It all seems so unfair.
What can we learn from this?
I have certainly always taken the carpe diem approach and seized the day. I’m a do-er, and I think have on some level always felt as I don’t know what’s around the corner, better to take an opportunity now.
However, the fact that life can be snuffed out without warning does not mean we should live it hedonistically, after all, the chances of such bad luck are tiny. We should still be stacking the odds in our favour to enable us to maximise our healthspan (the years of healthy, good quality life, as opposed to simply having a long lifespan but coping with multiple medical problems that stop us doing the things we enjoy and make life worthwhile).
I thought therefore this week I would look at Dr Mosley’s ‘top tips’ for a healthy life and see how they compare with my own views. So many people have benefitted from his advice, particularly with regard to nutrition and dieting. So, after an internet search, and in no particular order, he recommends:
- Swimming.
- Not only is swimming excellent for its physical benefits, Dr Mosley was keen to highlight the mental benefits. He recommended 20-30 mins x 3 per week. Personally I think that is a tough ask unless you are doing little else regarding exercise (or have your own pool!!), but I absolutely agree with the mental benefits, particularly if swimming in the sea. which I do regularly.
- Volunteering
- Again, Dr Mosley was an advocate for the mental health benefits of volunteering. I completely agree with this. You may recall from my series on happiness about the importance of having purpose in life, and instilling a sense of community and shared responsibility for good mental health. I don’t feel the secret to extremely long healthy life in the world’s blue zones is down to a particular nut, berry or yoghurt they eat, but more the tight social networks they forge. If you have the time, is there something you could volunteer for?
- Cooking tomatoes
- Dr Mosley said this releases more lycopene, an anti-oxidant, than when eaten raw. Whilst this is factually correct, to be honest I don’t think it is all that useful advice. I can’t think of a situation where I would preferentially cook a tomato for a chemical I’d barely heard of (and I’m not all that convinced about the term anti-oxidant either – perhaps a topic for a future video – it’s complex!). My advice would simply be that if you recognise that what you are eating is a whole food, it’s probably better for you than if it looks like it came from a factory.
- I do love a tomato by the way, and can’t wait until my home grown ones are ready!
- Standing on one leg
- Dr Mosley did this brushing his teeth, and it’s definitely advice I like. Falls are a HUGE issue – break your leg >65 years old and one third of people are dead at one year! Improving balance and reducing falls risk and therefore hugely important. It’s never too early to start – I do balance work once a week, and it’s amazing how quickly you can improve. How long can you stand on one leg for?
- House plants
- fight fatigue, improve mood. I’m not sure of the science behind this, but I do absolutely agree that having plants inside at home cheers me up, particularly if they are in colourful pots.
- Sleep better
- Now this is one that I’m all over. I have written a whole series on sleep before, and take my own sleep very seriously. It’s a question I find myself asking more and more of my patients these days, as believe it is fundamental to good health. A key tale away message for good sleep is QQRT:
- Q – Quality – minimising interruptions
- Q – Quantity – the length of time asleep
- R – Regularity – going to bed within 30 minutes each side of a set time each night
- T – timing – some of us are owls, some are larks. It doesn’t matter which, but try to stay true to your natural tendency.
- Cold water exposure
- Couldn’t agree more Dr Mosley. A cold shower each day is supposed to reduce the risk of a cold by 60% over the next 2 weeks. This is one to build up to if you’re not used to it. I hated it at first, but love it now and do 2 minutes per day. If you’re having a sluggish start to the day, a freezing cold shower will sort that out! (to be clear – I have a hot shower first then turn it as low as it will go)
There were so many of his tips online, but I hope you’ve enjoyed these few, and may even look to incorporate some into your own lives.