Seven lifestyle changes that are more effective than longevity treatments

Dr Clare Nieland is a GP with more than 20 years of experience in the NHS and private sector - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph

Dr Clare Nieland, 51, is a general practitioner with more than 20 years of experience working in the NHS and private sector at Hooke Clinic in London and the Windsor Wellness Clinic. She believes strongly in the power of nutrition and healthy lifestyle choices for achieving optimum wellbeing.

Longevity is a real buzzword nowadays. It is particularly rife on social media, where numerous brands and influencers claim they hold the secret to living past 100.

Whilst it is great that many of us are striving to live longer, the obsession with longevity misses a crucial point – we need to ensure those extra years are spent in good health. I help my patients improve their “healthspans”, to keep them independent, mobile and mentally sharp for as long as possible.

There is no use in buying “anti-ageing” supplements or spending thousands of pounds on therapies that claim to reverse biological ageing if you are not mastering the basics of a healthy lifestyle – nutrition, physical activity, sleep and stress management. You cannot out-run a bad diet or cure chronic stress with a single supplement.

In my NHS and private practices, I apply a combination of conventional and lifestyle medicine as both methods are important. Conventional medicine trains doctors to treat the disease, whilst the world of lifestyle medicine is markedly different – we are taught the fundamentals of good health and how to prevent issues from occurring in the first place.

Dr Nieland applies a combination of conventional and lifestyle medicine in her NHS and private practices - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph

A larger focus on preventative medicine is in the NHS 10-year-plan, and I would love to see this become a reality. When I trained as a doctor, we were not taught about the power of nutrition or physical activity in creating good health and preventing disease. Nowadays, though, it is encouraging to see some medical schools introducing lifestyle medicine into the curriculum. Hopefully this momentum continues.

However, it goes without saying that not everyone can afford such testing. Luckily, there are all sorts of habits you can adopt in your daily life to improve your healthspan. As a proponent of the lifestyle-first approach, I try my best to practise what I preach – these are my top tips for ageing well.

1. Cook from scratch with your friends and family

I live in Windsor with my husband Nick, a former Olympian, our three rugby-obsessed teenage boys, and our gorgeous black labrador Bella. Life is always busy, and certainly never boring, so I try my best to optimise the fundamentals of eating well, getting enough sleep, regularly moving, and connecting with others.

Dr Nieland pictured with her family

Cooking from scratch and involving the family as much as I can means I combine two of those goals in one. We know how important it is to connect with others and maintain strong relationships as we age. In fact, a wealth of research links social isolation to a heightened risk of disease and early death.

It is important to me that my boys can cook, are self-sufficient and feel comfortable in the kitchen. Sadly, I think we are failing the future generation with our over-reliance on ultra-processed foods (UPFs) at the expense of cooking with fresh, healthy ingredients. We know that UPFs are incredibly bad for us, with a range of studies linking them to adverse health outcomes including obesity, type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

2. Keep your cupboards stocked with beans and brown rice

I inherited good genes, but there is a mild family history of pre-diabetes and cardiovascular disease, so I try to stick to the Mediterranean diet pattern, as it is consistently linked with a reduced risk of chronic disease.

My cupboards are always stocked with lentils, tinned tomatoes, beans, chickpeas and brown rice, as well as onions and garlic, plus a full spice rack. These are great (and cheap) staple ingredients and have a range of powerful health benefits.

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Research suggests that swapping white rice for brown rice improves blood sugar levels and can help with weight control. Meanwhile, lentils are a rich source of protein, fibre, essential amino acids and minerals. Plus, they are packed with polyphenols – anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds – which help to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes and obesity.

Each week, I stock my fridge with fresh meat from the local farm shop. As I live with four active men, I try to ensure our meals are high in quality protein, which is important for muscle growth, bone density and satiety. I love batch-cooking a rich and meaty ragu at the weekend, which keeps us going for a few days. Planning and batch-cooking for the week ahead, incorporating cheap cupboard staples with fresh sources of protein and vegetables – instead of stocking up on ready meals – is a great way to cut back on UPFs.

3. Practise balancing while brushing your teeth

As our balance naturally declines with age, our risk of falling increases, which also increases fracture risk. However, there are simple measures we can take to improve it. At my NHS practice, I work closely with a health coach who advises patients to incorporate balancing into their daily routine – whether that is standing on one leg while brushing your teeth or squatting as you wait for the kettle to boil. At Hooke, we measure your balance as a baseline and it is a trainable skill.

Improved balance means you are less susceptible to falls and hip fractures – both of which are linked to an increased risk of early mortality in older adults. It will also result in better co-ordination, increased stability and stronger muscles. Even if you do fall, the extra padding from your muscles and improved bone strength means you are less likely to have a fracture.

One study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine found that people in middle to later life who could not stand on one leg for 10 seconds had almost double the risk of premature death.

Balance is therefore a powerful predictor of ageing and longevity, as is grip strength. If your muscles are strong, so is your grip. One influential study, published in 2015, followed more than 140,000 adults across 17 countries and found that grip strength predicted mortality and cardiovascular events more strongly than systolic blood pressure.

You can test your grip strength simply by squeezing a foam ball in your hand. Squeeze it for as long as you can before your grip fatigues and continue to practise this regularly, whilst improving your overall body strength with resistance exercises. Over time, you should be able to grip the ball for a longer period, suggesting your muscles have strengthened.

4. Prioritise morning sunlight

I try to get outside for a walk with Bella within an hour of waking, even if it is just for 10 minutes. Morning sunlight improves sleep quality by stimulating the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone. It also supports long-term cardiometabolic health, by helping to regulate our circadian rhythm and promoting vitamin D synthesis.

Morning sunlight benefits both sleep quality and long-term cardiometabolic health, says Dr Nieland, pictured on an early walk with Bella the labrador

The other major benefit is for mental health. Being stuck in a state of stress for a prolonged period of time drives inflammation and accelerates ageing. Spending time in the sunlight is a simple habit to reduce stress, with a wealth of research suggesting that it helps to reduce levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

Not everyone can get outside first thing – plus, you might not want to during the dreary winter months. A good alternative is to buy a seasonal affective disorder (SAD) lamp, as they emit bright light that mimics natural sunlight, and can improve alertness, mood and sleep-wake timing. It may even reduce symptoms of SAD, but it is important to note that you don’t produce vitamin D this way.

Even having a brisk lunchtime walk helps, although be aware that the later you get outside, the later your brain will signal that it is time to sleep in the evening.

5. Give creatine a try – and have your vitamin D levels tested

In an ideal world, you would have a bespoke supplement created for you that addresses your various needs and deficiencies. Some people can afford such a luxury, that is not the reality for many. Whilst I am against wasting money on pills and potions that have no significant evidence base, I believe creatine and vitamin D are worth taking.

Creatine is one of the most extensively studied supplements. It is proven to boost strength and power in resistance training, while a meta-analysis by Oxford University found that creatine supplementation enhanced measures of memory performance in healthy individuals, especially in those aged 66-76.

While Dr Nieland warns against wasting money on supplements lacking a significant evidence base, she believes creatine and vitamin D are worth taking - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph

The standard dose of creatine is 3-5g per day, although emerging evidence suggests 10-15g may be better to reap the cognitive benefits. This is safe for most healthy adults, but I would advise sticking to the 3-5g dose for now, as research continues to develop. When buying creatine, make sure it is pure, with nothing added (I use Bulk Powders “Pure Creatine”, which is very affordable).

The NHS recommends that everyone take a daily vitamin D tablet in the winter months, with recent data suggesting that almost half of UK adults have lower than “optimal” levels. The standard guidance is 400 international units (or 10 micrograms) of vitamin D per day, but in reality we need so much more.

I advise my patients to have their vitamin D levels tested on the NHS or privately, and then to start taking a daily supplement containing 2,000-3,000 international units, or a tailored amount according to results. Yes, that is a much higher dosage, but vitamin D is crucial for the immune system, bone health, muscle function and brain.

6. Get creative with resistance training

I lift heavy weights three times a week and take pride in having muscles – they are a longevity organ. Just two to three short resistance sessions a week can reduce frailty, insulin resistance and cognitive decline more than cardio alone.

Muscles are a ‘longevity organ’, says Dr Nieland, who lifts heavy weights three times a week - Julian Simmonds for The Telegraph

Lots of women worry that strength training will make them bulky, but it simply won’t happen because there is not enough testosterone floating around in our bloodstreams. After 40, we start to experience muscle loss (sarcopenia), which means we actively need to build or maintain muscle mass. The same is true for bone density – as our hormones start to decline, our bones weaken and we are more likely to develop osteopenia or osteoporosis. This can lead to bone fractures, even from minor falls or strains.

Strength training can help you to avoid these fates. Whilst joining a gym is a great way to meet new people and strengthen social connections, you can also get creative at home. Start small – whether that is raising tins of beans above your head or practising chair squats. It is never too late to start!

7. Experiment with hot and cold therapy

There are plenty of fads and quick fixes in the world of biohacking (the process of implementing scientifically-backed lifestyle interventions to optimise health) that lack solid evidence and are not worth your money. I would urge you to master the basics before trying anything which claims to be the key to longevity – there is no use spending hundreds of pounds on cryotherapy, which uses extreme cold to enhance recovery and reduce inflammation, if you spend your weekends binge drinking alcohol and don’t exercise.

However, I would recommend hot and cold therapy. If you have access to a gym or spa, this involves alternating between a sauna and ice bath; or you could simply start with a cold shower.

Hot and cold therapy – for example, alternating between a sauna and ice bath – helps boost circulation

The alternate temperatures help to boost circulation by causing blood vessels to rapidly expand and restrict, creating a “vascular pump” that improves blood flow, oxygen delivery and nutrient transport. It also creates hormesis – the “good” type of stress, which helps your body to adapt and strengthen.

Evidence suggests that regular sauna use could reduce dementia risk and, now, there are lots of affordable options for in-home saunas. You don’t need to spend a fortune on a fancy spa membership!

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