BeWellLongevity

I’m as guilty as anyone when it comes to relying on mythical information I heard 10 or 20 years ago. relying on ‘someone once told me…’, or ‘I read somewhere that…’. Obviously not good enough, especially when it comes to our health and fitness. So let’s dive into 10 of the most prevalent myths that continue to perplex (and annoy!) fitness professionals worldwide and some of the latest science and research that blows old ideas out of the water. Myth #1: Stretching Before Your Workout is Essential A 2018 study in the Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports found that static stretching before exercise didn’t reduce injuries and might even hinder performance. So, what should you do instead? A dynamic warm-up that incorporates light cardio and movements mimicking your workout is a better way to get your body ready. Save static stretches for after your workout when your muscles are warm and loose. Myth #2: Running Wrecks Your Knees This is a big one! Many people avoid running because they fear knee problems. But research actually suggests the opposite. A 2013 review in the British Journal of Sports Medicine concluded that running doesn’t increase your risk of osteoarthritis and may even protect your knees. Proper form and gradually increasing your mileage are key to avoiding overuse injuries. Myth #3: You Can’t Target Fat Loss in Specific Areas (Spot Reduction) One of the most enduring myths is the belief in spot reduction — we all wish we could target stubborn belly fat or love handles with exercise alone, but unfortunately, spot reduction isn’t a thing. This myth leads people to believe that endless crunches will magically melt belly fat or that tricep exercises will banish underarm flab. In reality, fat loss occurs uniformly across the body in response to a caloric deficit. Where you lose weight is determined by genetics. However, strength training can help you tone and sculpt your muscles, which can give you a more defined physique. Myth #4: More Exercise Means Better Results — Always In the pursuit of fitness goals, the mantra “more is better” can backfire. Quality trumps quantity in exercise, and overtraining can lead to burnout and injury. The experts emphasise how important it is to listen to your body and incorporate rest days into your routine to prevent burnout and promote long-term sustainability.   Myth #5: Cardio Reigns Supreme for Weight Loss Cardiovascular exercise undoubtedly torches calories and improves heart health, but it’s not the only path to weight loss. Strength training plays a pivotal role, boosting metabolism and promoting lean muscle mass. A well-rounded fitness regimen that includes both cardio and strength training is key to achieving sustainable weight management and overall fitness.   Myth #6: Women Should Avoid Strength Training to Avoid Bulk A pervasive myth among women is that lifting weights will make us bulky. In reality, strength training enhances muscle tone and boosts metabolism without causing excessive muscle mass, especially in women due to hormonal differences. It’s a crucial component for overall strength and, importantly, bone density. Myth #7: You Can Out-Exercise a Bad Diet No amount of exercise can compensate for a poor diet. Nutrition is fundamental for fitness goals, whether aiming for weight loss, muscle gain, or improved health. A balanced diet provides the fuel needed for workouts and supports recovery. Exercise and diet complement each other synergistically for optimal results. Myth #8: Sweat Equals Calories Burned While sweating profusely during a workout makes you feel you’re working satisfyingly hard, it’s not an accurate gauge of calorie burn. Sweating is your body’s way of regulating temperature, influenced by genetics, environment, and fitness level. Measures like heart rate monitoring provide a more reliable assessment tool. Myth #9: No pain, no gain! A fitness activity should not hurt while you are doing it, and if it does, then either you are doing it incorrectly, or you already have an injury. As for “working through the pain,” experts advise against it.  If it hurts, stop, rest, and see if the pain goes away. If it doesn’t go away, or if it begins again or increases after you start an activity, see a doctor. Myth #10: The best time to exercise is early in the morning. There is some research that says early morning workouts  zap abdominal fat and improve blood pressure for women, whilst afternoon and evening exercise amplified the benefits of strength training. For men, it’s the reverse, evening exercise led to greater fat burning and better blood pressure control. In the end, the best time is the time that fits into your schedule on a consistent basis. Some people love to jump-start their day with a morning workout, while others swear that physical activity at the end of the work day is a great way to boost energy for the evening and eliminate stress. Choose times that works for you, consistently. Our expert team of Physios and PTs at Be Well know all about myths, which is why each Member has a very personalised program at Be Well. So focus on enjoying all the movement, recovery, community and support. as you add decades to your healthspan, and years to your lifespan. Looking forward to seeing you again at Be Well soon. Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousGetting the measure of your body Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

So this is interesting! For decades, the Body Mass Index (BMI) has been the go-to metric for assessing weight and its connection to health risks. I’ve certainly had mine calculated, and done it myself, in recent years. You can calculate your own BMI now, on this Victorian Government website. However, BMI’s limitations – its reliance solely on weight and height – have been increasingly challenged. Enter the Body Roundness Index (BRI), a newer contender vying for the title of a more accurate health indicator. The BMI: A simple but flawed tool BMI is undeniably easy to calculate, requiring only weight and height. However, it fails to account for body composition. A muscular athlete might have a high BMI categorized as “overweight” despite having low body fat. Conversely, someone with a lower BMI could have a higher percentage of body fat, a significant health concern. BRI: Offering a more nuanced picture The BRI was proposed in 2013, and yes, it’s taken a while to get traction! BRI incorporates additional measurements like waist and sometimes hip circumference. This approach aims to provide a more accurate picture of body shape and fat distribution. Recent research is promising. Studies show BRI might be a better predictor of health risks like heart disease, diabetes, and even gallstones compared to BMI. Research published in 2021 demonstrated BRI’s superior ability to predict cardiometabolic risk factors compared to BMI, and a 2024 study found BRI to be significantly better than BMI in predicting gallstones. Is BRI ready for prime time? While promising, BRI research is still in its early stages. BRI is still a novel technique that needs further validation, which explains why it’s far from commonplace today. Additionally, there are currently no established BRI cut-off points for health risk categories, as with BMI. Enter Syku: a multi-faceted approach At Be Well, your membership includes our signature Well On Track service: a comprehensive Assessment with one of our physiotherapists a 12-week Roadmap to improved health & wellbeing, based on that assessment a Follow-Up review every 12 weeks, to assess progress and update your next Roadmap. Your assessment and follow-up includes a Styku scan. Styku uses non-invasive infrared, to take around 850 images of your body while you rotate on a turntable. body The result is a detailed 3D image of your body, giving you a unique, detailed – even startling! – view of your body shape. Styku measures circumferences like waist, hip, chest, neck and arms. It reports on your total weight, body fat% and lean mass%, bone mass %, subcutaneous and visceral fat, and more. By doing regular scans every 12 weeks, you get visual data about your progress, which is a great motivator.  As with the Styku, all the elements, including technology, at Be Well has been extensively researched and carefully curated to optimise your health and longevity. There is no longer any need to use crude measures like BMI and BRI. Look forward to seeing you again soon at Be Well. Bewell.com.au PS: I am very excited about our Be Well Conversation on Thursday evening, and special Winter Solstice Yoga on Friday evening. More info below. See you there! Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousWelcome Winter Health Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

I was born in Melbourne but grew up in Queensland under the ‘beautiful one day, perfect the next’ slogan. Which it mostly is, except for the annual cyclone and flood seasons. The thing about Queensland is that even when it’s raining and flooding it’s hot; mildew, black mould – two really harmful things for our respiratory systems – abound! There are only two seasons in Queensland: warm or hot. This is one of the reasons I LOVE Melbourne so much. Firstly, you can actually own a wardrobe of clothes, aka wear more than a t-shirt and skirt / shorts all year round. Secondly, you can see and feel each season (yes, four seasons in one day & all that too ;-), and marking seasons each year really works for our health and wellbeing. Winter brings a load of unexpected health benefits and cold weather is wonderful for our heart, brain and skin! Yay! Check these out:  Brain Boost Colder air boosts your brain activity, improves focus, and helps you think more clearly. Numerous studies show that our cognitive functions improve in colder weather: we’re prone to quicker decision-making and staying calm when our body needs more energy to keep us warm. Sweet Dreams Our body’s core temp naturally drops—a process that can take up to two hours in the heat of summer and is much faster in winter. In Melbourne, later sunrise and early sunset causes us to produce more melatonin, helping us fall asleep and stay asleep. Be careful not to overheat yourself with electric blankets and heaters, your bedroom temperature should be between 15 and 20C to help you sleep better and burn extra calories while getting your zzz’s. Beat infection Our body uses energy to help fight infection, especially when it’s cold outside. During winter, the body’s ability to produce white blood cells increases in response to the increased demand for immune defense cells, resulting in stronger defenses against infection and illness. And winter is great for those with outdoor allergies; pollen counts are almost nonexistent in cold weather. Beat Inflammation The arrival of winter might be a battle for those with arthritis and knee pain, but exercising during cold weather is like placing an ice pack on inflammation. Numerous studies have shown athletes recover faster after injuries when exposed to cold temperatures. Rejuvenate your skin Cold temperatures (and cold water) keep your skin tight, vibrant, and radiant. Spending some active time outdoors during the winter helps with increasing the blood circulation in both the face and the rest of your body. That leads to reduced inflammation and naturally less-puffy eyes. Burn calories As a result of stimulating brown fat to heat up the body, excess glucose in our blood is absorbed. This means that repeated exposure to cold temperatures leads to improved insulin sensitivity, even for people who aren’t diabetic. Mental health Warm fires and cozy dinners with friends and family are all part of what I love about winter. The frenetic activity of Summer is replaced with a quieter, slower time to reflect, have longer, deeper conversations, so add those dinners and short weekends away into your diary. Contrary to the myths of old, bunkering down and hibernating in winter does not support our health and wellbeing at all. We are not bears! So remind yourself of all the additional benefits of getting to Be Well as often as you can to warm up, stay fit and connected and gain the additional benefits of winter health. PS: To support you along the way we’re running a fun Winter Challenge in June / July so get in and enjoy winter at Be Well. More info coming soon! Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousA Way Forward for Mental Health Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

Sometimes you can actually FEEL change happening ….. This week I spent two days co-emceeing a room full of people with lived experience of mental ill-health: psychologists; psychiatrists; family therapists; researchers; educators; government officials; carers; mental health advocates; community workers and more. An unusual gathering of absolutely remarkable people! We all care about mental health and wellbeing. Everyone has either had personal experience and/or been affected by a loved one, friend or colleague’s mental ill-health. Literally billions of dollars have been poured into government inquiries, education, support and services for individuals, families, organisations. And rightly so. And yet, we continue to see health,  education and community services systems straining under the pressure of unmet need. Maybe there are innovative ways of relieving this pressure? Enter Open Dialogue Open Dialogue, which is in 34 countries, offers a different way of supporting people experiencing mental ill-health problems. Every person is seen as an active participant in their own care, with a social network which may include invited family, friends, carers and mental health teams. within the support of their broader family, network or community. This social network model contrasts with the traditional approach, where the mental health professional works with individuals.   The Open Dialogue model has strong, emerging evidence of its efficacy in trials around the world. As one mother observed: “We feel Open Dialogue has really worked well for our family because it has given us time, patience and sensitivity in order to recognise, alleviate and communicate what are often invisible or hard to get at difficulties surrounding mental illness.” So this week in Sydney we held the inaugural National Conference of the Open Dialogue network convened by the new Open Dialogue Centre. Australian practitioners are leading some of the most innovative work in the world including beyond mental health service reform, bringing Open Dialogue to school education, local communities and family therapy. And not only Australia, but our friends from New Zealand shared how they are using Open Dialogue in Maori health practices. Meeting and working with these incredible pioneers and innovators was truly inspiring. We are going to hear a lot more about and from them in the years ahead as we explore new approaches to addressing the global mental health epidemic, particularly in our young people. The Wellness Circle At Be Well, we believe in the social network approach too. Which is why I’m thrilled to announce that Dr Kate O’Brien, our resident Clinical Psychologist, is conducting a Wellness Circle. The purpose of the Wellness Circle is to help you become the very best version of yourself.  Dr Kate will lead a mindfulness and acceptance group therapy workshop for up to eight people, conducted over five weeks. See the post below for more details, and consider submiting an Expression of Interest to join the Circle. PS: Find out more about Open Dialogue here: opendialoguecentre.org.au Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousNext horizons: AI Health prevention Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

I’ve been spending time with Google Education recently on the profound impacts of AI in education. The ability to educate hundreds of millions of children, previously without access, is within our reach globally. AI is progressing rapidly in health too, of course. As to whether, or when human beings become Post-Human – evolve into a being that is different from us today, in some fundemental ways – who knows? Ask one of our ancestors from the plains of the Serengeti 20,000 years ago, no doubt they would regard us as Post-Human. Though, you know, we really are the same as them; its the world, not humans, that have changed, or so I believe.   In regard to health and AI, hre’s a few new developments to look out for! Personalized Medicine: AI tailors treatment plans to individual patients based on their unique characteristics. This approach, known as precision medicine, has the potential to improve treatment efficacy and reduce side effects. Enhanced Pattern Recognition: AI algorithms can detect subtle abnormalities that might be missed by the human eye. This is particularly helpful in early disease detection, where catching a condition early can significantly improve treatment outcomes. Zebra Medical Vision, a company using AI for medical image analysis, analyze mammograms and flag suspicious lesions for radiologists to review, improving detection of breast cancer by 8%. Improved Diagnostic Accuracy: AI is being trained on massive datasets of medical images with confirmed diagnoses. This allows the algorithms to learn and identify patterns associated with specific diseases. Studies have shown that AI can achieve accuracy rates comparable to, or even exceeding, those of highly experienced doctors. Automating Repetitive Tasks: AI can handle routine tasks like analyzing blood tests or screening for common conditions. This frees up doctors’ time to focus on more complex cases and spend more time with patients. Risk Prediction: AI can analyze a patient’s medical history, lifestyle factors, and genetic data to predict their risk of developing certain diseases. This information can be used for preventive measures and early intervention strategies. Drug Discovery: AI is being used to accelerate the process of drug discovery by analyzing vast datasets of molecular structures and identifying potential drug candidates. Day to day value adds   Medication Adherence: AiCure leverages AI to monitor medication adherence through smartphone cameras. By detecting missed doses, it can prompt patients or notify healthcare providers, aiding in managing chronic conditions. Multi-Cancer Screening: Freenome utilizes AI for multi-cancer screening. Their blood test analyzes a patient’s DNA methylation patterns to identify potential signs of various cancers at an early stage, holding promise for improved cancer detection rates. As in almost every sector, AI is being used to assist professionals, not replace them but many of these early detection use cases are going to have profound impact on our health now and into the future. See you soon at Be Well – your best ever, fun  and enjoyable health prevention and longevity strategy! Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousWHITE MATTER – Your Brain’s Information Highway to a longer Life Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

My childhood superpower was remembering the details of every address, and every phone number my family and friends ever had. This party game continued into adulthood where I went onto remember the name of every person I met, added bonus of being a great help to both my parents who were notoriously bad with connecting names and faces. And it’s definitely been a rewarding professional superpower – people are both thrilled and surprised when you remember them from an encounter years before.   I have always believed this superpower to be a measure of my cognitive ability but I have also read, and seen up close in family members, that getting older commonly leads to cognitive decline, with short-medium term memory the first to go! Why do our short-term memory, and general cognitive abilities, decline with age? Is this process unavoidable and inevitable? Turns out our brains are intricate communication hubs, and white matter acts as the essential network of highways that allows different regions to talk to each other. It’s called “white matter” because the nerve fibres are covered in a protective sheath called myelin, which gives the tissue its white colour. This web of fatty tissue, crucial for transmitting signals, is increasingly linked to cognitive health. Recent research is shedding light on how keeping this white matter network in top shape might be the key to staying sharp and potentially living longer. One study published in Nature Communications looked at over 3,500 participants in the UK Biobank. It found that the health of white matter microstructure, as measured by diffusion MRI, declined with age suggesting that age-related white matter deterioration may contribute to cognitive decline. However, there is hope. Research on ‘super-agers’– older adults with cognitive abilities that rival much younger individuals – offers clues. Researchers analyzing the white matter of super-agers over a 5-year period found that despite comparable overall white matter health with typical older adults, super-agers exhibited superior microstructure in specific frontal region fibres which are associated with executive function and memory, suggesting resistance to age-related cognitive decline. This suggests that maintaining white matter health could be a critical factor in defying age-related cognitive decline. Stanford Centre on Longevity studies have shown that regular physical activity can increase white matter volume and improve its microstructure. This is likely because exercise promotes the growth of new nerve cells and strengthens existing connections. Here’s the good news: you don’t need to become a marathon runner. Even moderate-intensity exercise for 30 minutes most days of the week and incorporating brain-boosting exercises like coordination drills, balance challenges, or activities that require quick decision-making, all of which can benefit cognitive function and white matter health. While research on white matter and longevity is ongoing, the emerging evidence is promising. By prioritizing brain health through exercise, diet, and potentially other lifestyle modifications, we might be paving the way for not just sharper minds but also longer, healthier lives. Beyond Exercise: White Matter boosting routines Challenge your brain: Regularly engaging in mentally stimulating activities like puzzles, learning a new language, or playing chess can help keep your brain’s communication channels firing on all cylinders. Brain Training Games: brain training apps challenge memory, focus, and problem-solving skills, potentially promoting neuroplasticity, the brain’s ability to adapt and form new connections. Learning New Skills: learning a new instrument, language, or dance routine can be a fun way to challenge your brain and stimulate white matter growth. Quality sleep is key: when you’re sleep deprived, your brain struggles to consolidate memories and form new connections. Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night. Manage stress: chronic stress can damage brain cells and hinder white matter health. Relaxation techniques like meditation or deep breathing can help manage stress levels. Don’t underestimate social connections: social interaction is vital for cognitive health. Nurturing relationships and staying connected to friends and family can positively impact your brain’s communication network. Food, glorious food: mix those social connections with a meal rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains! Latest News early: new research is demonstrating we can boost our ‘white matter’ and even reverse its decline. And once again, as is (almost) always the case, the key is Lifestyle Medicine: using our lifestyle as our medicine. I am on a mission back to my earlier superpowers! See you soon at Be Well! Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousA World of Pain Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

I was sitting on a flight from Melbourne for my day job when I started noticing a pattern. It seemed to me that every second person getting up and down from their seat looked to be in genuine pain, holding their backs in particular, bent over double, grabbing onto seats to steady themselves. I also observed a diverse range of ages and cultures. Turns out I wasn’t imagining it. Chronic pain affects 3.4 million Australians with 68% of people living with chronic pain of working age. I feel fortunate to have experienced sustained pain only a couple of times in my life, but I still remember the experience being profoundly physically debilitating and emotionally diminishing. Not something I would want to have to have to endure for any length of time! All pain is not the same People experience pain in many different ways and pain can be acute or chronic: Acute pain is the pain you feel when you get hurt or injured. You may have experienced acute pain from an injury such as a cut or a broken limb or from disease or inflammation in the body. Acute pain can be intense and severe, but it typically resolves as your body heals from whatever caused it. Chronic pain is pain that lasts much longer―usually months and sometimes even years. Chronic pain sometimes has a clear cause, such as an acute injury, a long illness, or damage to and dysfunction of your nervous system. Sometimes it even happens without any obvious reason. Different kinds of pain have different causes: Nociceptive pain is pain caused by tissue damage. Most acute pain is nociceptive. Neuropathic pain is caused by nerve damage or dysfunction. You can experience neuropathic pain from injuries or illness that affect the spinal cord and brain (for example, a slipped disc in your spine) or the peripheral nervous system (the nerves throughout the rest of your body). This kind of pain often feels similar to burning, shooting, or stabbing. Inflammatory pain is pain that happens when your immune system activates in response to injury or infection. In addition to causing redness or swelling, it can also make you more sensitive to feelings of pain. How we experience pain We feel pain because our nervous system thinks that a part of our body is injured or in danger of getting injured (by accidentally touching a hot stove, for example). Pain is a normal sensory signal that something might be wrong and that you should do something about it. You don’t become aware of pain until your brain processes it. “Chronic pain has a tremendous personal and socioeconomic impact,” acknowledges a special issue published in the journal Medicines. The researchers go on to highlight the link between lifestyle factors and pain severity. “Inactivity, stress, poor sleep, unhealthy diet, and smoking are associated with chronic pain.” By addressing these aspects of our lives, we can potentially improve our pain management. While traditional treatments often focus on medication and specific therapies, a growing body of research suggests that lifestyle medicine can also be a powerful tool for managing chronic pain. So, how exactly can lifestyle medicine benefit those living with chronic pain? Here are some key areas: Diet and Nutrition: Research suggests that a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and whole grains can play a significant role. A study published in Physio-pedia explores the concept of “food as medicine” for chronic low back pain, emphasizing the importance of proper nutrition. Studies have shown that certain foods can trigger inflammation, which can worsen pain. Conversely, a diet rich in anti-inflammatory foods like fruits, vegetables, and omega-3 fatty acids may help reduce pain and improve overall wellbeing. Exercise and Physical Activity: Somewhat counter-intuitively, regular exercise has been shown to be immensely helpful in managing chronic pain. The same Physio-pedia study mentions various exercise modalities, including conventional exercises, yoga, pilates, and tai chi, all of which can contribute to pain relief. Exercise helps to improve flexibility, strengthen muscles, and increase blood flow, all of which can contribute to a reduction in pain perception. Additionally, exercise is a well-known mood booster, and endorphins released during physical activity can help improve pain tolerance. Stress Management: Chronic pain and stress are intricately linked. Stress can exacerbate pain, and chronic pain can be a significant source of stress. Techniques like mindfulness meditation and even therapy can be remarkably effective in reducing stress and improving pain tolerance. A 2019 study published in the Journal of Clinical Psychology found that mindfulness meditation was just as effective as medication in reducing chronic pain symptoms. Sleep: Disrupted sleep can worsen chronic pain, and chronic pain can make it difficult to get a good night’s sleep. Establishing good sleep hygiene practices, such as maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, creating a relaxing bedtime routine, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol before bed, can significantly improve sleep quality and potentially reduce pain perception. Lifestyle medicine is not a replacement for traditional treatments, but rather a complementary approach. By making some changes to our daily routines, we can empower ourselves to take charge of our chronic pain and experience a significant improvement and reclaim our quality of life. Our expert team at Be Well is here to help and complement your medical doctor or specialist. We have had a number of pain-busting breakthroughs by Be Well Members. See you soon at Be Well! Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousLet’s Talk Blue Zones Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

I have been fascinated, borderline obsessed, with ‘Blue Zones’ over the past few years. Blue Zones is a  term coined by explorer and author Dan Buettner – places and spaces around the world where citizens live longer, healthier, happier lives reaching over a 100years of age 😍 In 2004, Buettner joined forces with National Geographic and the National Institute of Aging to try to “reverse engineer” longevity. The team identified parts of the world where people were living measurably longer lives, then worked to find out why people in such communities lived longer.The five original blue zones are: Ikaria (Greece), Okinawa (Japan), Nicoya (Costa Rica), Sardinia (Italy) and Loma Linda (United States) Our near-neighbour, Singapore, is the very latest Blue Zone to be announced. Rather than a naturally occurring phenomenon based on centuries of a particular cultural diet and lifestyle, Singapore have quite intentionally engineered their way to a Blue Zone So how did Singapore do it? Buettner and his team identified the “Power 9” — core factors that represent the habits of the world’s healthiest and longest-living people. These nine principles are: moving naturally in everyday life; having purpose; keeping routines to de-stress; stop eating when 80% full; eating more plant-based foods; consuming alcohol moderately and regularly; being part of a community; keeping loved ones close; and being surrounded by people with healthy habits. Building on these principles, here is how Singapore has built preventive health habits into the policy environment for the long term health of their society. Walk don’t ride Singapore taxes cars, petrol and the use of roads and invests heavily in walking path, bike tracks and public transport. To buy a car in Singapore, you must first get a license to own a car, which can cost more than the car itself. Keep loved ones close Research shows that people in Blue Zones prioritize their loved ones and keep them nearby. Singapore’s Proximity Housing Grant financially incentivizes people to live with, or near their parents and children. As Dan Buettner observes: “Instead of warehousing old people in a retirement home, as we do in the United States, the older people in Singapore— they stay engaged with the family. More often, they get better care from the family, so this is all favoring the life expectancy of older people,” Meaning Belonging to a faith-based community of some kind can correlate with longer life-expectancy, the research found. To quote Dan again, “All but five of the 263 centenarians we interviewed belonged to some faith-based community, Research shows that attending faith-based services four times per month will add 4-14 years of life expectancy.” Almost 80% of adult Singaporeans are religiously affiliated, according to the Pew Research Center. Also, a 2014 Pew Research study ranked the city-state as the most religiously diverse country in the world. Make heathy easy Singapore has done well in making “healthy food cheaper and more accessible than junk food,” said Buettner. The country has created incentives for food establishments to provide healthier options such as brown rice and wholegrains. The Health Ministry has also created a labeling system that shows citizens which food stalls have healthier food options. Accessible health care Like Australians, Singaporeans enjoy universal health care which means residents have access to quality medical care, including health services such as prevention, treatment, rehabilitation and palliative care. The Singapore government has worked to create policies that subsidize health-care costs. Compliance Its one thing to know what to do, its another to actually do it. Singapore is known for its strict laws. The ban on chewing gum or the hefty fines for eating on public transportation are just a few interesting examples! Guns or drug offenses result in serious penalties. Overall, there is a culture of compliance to government directions, which are generally accepted as beneficial. Where Australia sits in this regard, I will leave to you to judge! Lifestyle medicine, the driving philosophy behind Be Well’s focus on health and longevity, is the premise of all the Blue Zones around the world. Singapore shows you can engineer this into the fabric of the way a modern society lives and works. I wonder what it would take for Hawthorn or Melbourne to be the first ‘Blue Zone’ in Australia? We need to rethink investment into a preventive health focused system in Australia to move us from ‘sickcare’ to ‘healthcare’ for ourselves, our children and future generations. Meanwhile at Be Well we’re already living inside the ‘Blue Zone! Here’s to living longer, healthier and happier. See you again soon at Be Well. Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousHacking Sugar Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

Sugar. It’s hard right? We all love it. It’s in almost everything we eat now and also occurs naturally of course. Let’s take a step back for a minute. Glucose, the main type of blood sugar, is our body’s favourite source of energy. The main way we provide glucose to our bodies is by eating starches such as bread, pasta, and rice, and sugars from apples through to chocolate cake. Some glucose is great for our body but many of us are giving our bodies too much, which is causing cravings, chronic fatigue, brain fog, inflammation and more. Day to day, glucose is responsible for our energy spikes and crashes. It’s a vicious cycle that can dominate our entire day including our mood, concentration and energy levels. Oh, and it’s ageing us! Science can literally see it on our skin and in our bodies, the more spikes we have, the faster we age. Going cold turkey on anything is notoriously unsuccessful, so how do we get off the glucose rollercoaster without having to change absolutely everything that we love to eat and instead intentionally manage our glucose levels. I love the Glucose Goddess, Jessie Inchauspe – her books and podcasts are great. Here’s some of her sugar hacks which I can definitely live with! Hack 1: Swap your ‘sweet’ breakfast for a ‘savoury’ one. This one swap sets up your pattern for the rest of the day and means you will not be on the glucose rollercoaster looking for a muffin with your coffee by 10.30am. Replace the muesli, yoghurt, pastries, cereal, smoothies for breakfast with eggs, fish, tofu etc and a slice of sourdough toast instead to keep you glucose nice and steady. Exrta tip: If you really love your sweet breakfast-type food like I do, have it after lunch or dinner when you have had other food. It’s just as delicious! Hack 2: Start your meal with vegetables Researchers have discovered when you start your meal with vegetables these create a protective shield on the walls of your intestines and then slows down how fast the rest of your meal goes into your bloodstream. The French have raw vegetables at the beginning of their meal, the Mediterranean’s a salad, the Italians a vegetable soup. However at home and in our restaurants we often have bread at the beginning of the meal (a big glucose spike!) followed by our mains. 90 mins later when our glucose levels are about to crash the waiter pops up and asks if we’d like dessert. Bingo! So try a new order in the way you eat your meals: vegetables first, then protein, fats, and carbs #sugar last 👍🏻 Dietary tip: a shot of vinegar in big a glass of water before your main meal of the day slows down the glucose rush into your body and breaks down your carbs. Hack 3: Exercise to exorcise blood sugar When we are tired we look for more energy and reach for the glucose, even worse tiredness creates a bigger glucose spike in our bodies when we do eat! So if you missed a good nights sleep, eating that savoury breakfast and exercising is the fastest way to quickly re-regulate your glucose levels and reset your day. Exercise tip: As our muscles contract they are burning glucose so don’t starve yourself before exercise and eat your glucose before exercising. Hack 4: Carbs with, always Snacking secrets! Never eat carbs on their own or they will send you on that inevitable glucose spike, so put that avo or cheese on the toast, add nuts to that yoghurt. Snack tip: If the first  2 or 3 ngredients of any snack product are sugars of any kind, then treat it as dessert.   Hack 5: steady glucose, steady life Here’s an interesting experiment! Scientists recruited 200 couples and gave each a doll representing their partner. The scientists asked the couples to put a pin in the doll (!!) every time they were annoyed by their partner over a 2 week period. During the 2 weeks all the couples were attached to glucose monitors and the scientists found afterwards that when their glucose spiked was when the most pins went into the partner dolls. Ouch! Love tip: Less sugar, nicer partner? ;-)) So ditch the diets, calorie counting and low fat aka sugar filled stuff and try some of the hacks above. Become a food detective testing your body’s response to different food and the impact of glucose in all areas of your life. A large reason for the gap in healthspan and lifespan is that we are getting sicker as we age and what we are eating is a large part of this story. So have fun on the journey to becoming more aware, better educated and taking control of your blood sugers, and so your health and wellbeing. See you soon at Be Well! Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousUnlocking Longevity Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.

David and I have a habit of watching and reading dozens of articles, newsletters and videos each week on health, wellbeing and longevity. Longevity science is advancing rapidly, ever since the idea that ageing is a disease that could be cured emerged around 20 years ago. While living longer sounds great, what is much more important is the quality of our lives, which depends on our healthspan – the number of years we are in good health. As the saying goes, a healthy person has a 1,000 wishes; a sick person only has one. The winners in the game of ageing are those who experience a brief period of ill-health before they die, rather than suffering ill-health for 10 or 15 years, or even more, before shuffling off this mortal coil  In the jargon, its about minimising the gap between  healthspan and lifespan. This is exactly what we aim to help Members achieve at Be Well, with our evidenced and carefully curated Fitness, Recovery and Preventative Health Care services, curated in Well Ontrack, a personalised health and lifestyle program; together with a  a warm, connected community. Here are some of the latest, interesting developments and treatments being explored in longevity: Targeting the Biology of Aging Scientists are now able to measure biological age in contrast to our chronological age, Simply put, biological age is the rate at which you’re aging physically, whereas your chronological age is simply the number of birthdays you’ve had. It’s sadly not uncommon for people to have a biological age that is a decade or more higher than their chronological age. Conversely, there are many people whose bodies are much younger than they are! Emerging Therapies The Longevity Revolution has opened the door to interventions that slow or reverse the fundamental processes of ageing. Cutting-edge experimental treatments are being explored, such as young plasma transfusions, senolytic drugs to clear aged cells, and gene therapies targeting longevity pathways.. The quest to extend healthspan is gaining momentum, combining insights from long-lived populations with the latest biomedical research. While radical life extension remains elusive, practical steps informed by longevity science could help more people live better for longer. Clinical Trials There are many promising longevity treatments currently in clinical trials. Here are some notable ones. NB* These are Not recommendations; aka don’t try these at home unless prescribed by a medical doctor/specialist! Metformin Metformin, a widely used diabetes drug, is being tested for its potential anti-ageing effects. A large clinical trial called TAME (Targeting Aging with Metformin) is underway to assess if metformin can delay the onset of age-related diseases and extend healthspan. Metformin has shown lifespan-extending effects in animal studies and observational data suggests it may promote longevity in humans. Senolytics Senolytic drugs, which selectively remove aged, dysfunctional senescent cells from the body, are being tested for their ability to treat age-related diseases and potentially extend healthspan. Clinical trials are evaluating senolytics like fisetin, dasatinib, and quercetin for conditions like chronic kidney disease, idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, and COVID-19 complications. NAD+ Boosters Compounds that increase levels of the co-enzyme NAD+, which declines with age, are in clinical trials. Nicotinamide riboside (NR) and nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) supplements are being tested for their effects on inflammation, muscle recovery, and vascular function in the elderly. Rapamycin The FDA-approved drug rapamycin, used to prevent organ transplant rejection, is being explored for its potential anti-aging effects based on its ability to inhibit the mTOR pathway involved in ageing. Trials are evaluating low-dose rapamycin for conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and COVID-19. Young Plasma Proteins Companies like Alkahest are conducting trials of plasma fractions from young blood that may contain rejuvenating factors. Their drug AKST4290 is being tested for age-related macular degeneration, Parkinson’s disease, and other age-related conditions. While these are still early days, the clinical trials underway provide hope that treatments targeting fundamental aging processes could delay the onset of multiple age-related diseases and extend healthy lifespan. Lifestyle Interventions Supplements are supplementary. They can assist as a top-up, as cream on the cake. The cake itself is made by lifestyle: eating a plant-based diet, regular exercise (resistance, cardio, flexibility), sun exposure, managing stress, cultivating social connections, and maintaining a sense of purpose.. Communities like the Blue Zones, where people live extraordinarily long healthy lives, exemplify these principles in action. We’ll keep a watching brief on trials and breakthroughs for you. Happily, though, our lifestyle is our best medicine, so we don’t need to wait for scientific breakthroughs to extend our healthspan. See you soon at Be Well! Navigate to more articles! PrevPreviousHow We Feel Be Well is the first-of-its- kind urban health, wellness and lifestyle club in Melbourne, Australia.  Informed by the science of longevity, Be Well nurtures the relationship you have with yourself and others, to optimise your lifestyle, and live your longest, best life.