Part Two: Doubling Down On…
Welcome to part two of my Doubling Down or Doing Different blog series…
In part one, I teed up the areas that I would be covering in this second part.
But, as I started to write, this post was getting longer and longer, so I’ve now decided to split it into three parts!
Part three (next week) will focus on what I’m doing differently.
So, let’s get into what I’m ‘doubling down on’ when it comes to my longevity and vitality health goal. And, for context, I recommend reading part one for the why behind this blog series…
DOUBLING DOWN ON ‘EXERCISE’:
It is widely acknowledged that exercise is the single most positive intervention for our longer term health and vitality.
Dr Peter Attia and Dr Rhona Patrick are leading experts in the longevity and health-span space. This is an indepth conversation where they both talk about lots of things, but in particular, the significance of exercise.
I usually prefer to use the word ‘movement’ rather than exercise as I think ‘exercise’ as a word can put many people off. And there are so many different ways that I love to move my body – from running to yoga, to classes at the gym, not to mention walking!
That said, Dr Stacy Sims’ research is very clear about the type of exercise that’s more beneficial for perimenopausal (that’s me!) woman. The most beneficial exercise for ‘us’ is lifting heavy, HIIT (e.g. true interval training) and plyometrics.
So, where does that leave me with my running and ‘Zone 2’ exercise, which has been my go-to movement of choice for so long?
Well, Sims would call this ‘soul food’ – something you do for the love of it – for mental health, for example. Of course it (and other forms of cardio) have their benefits, but if you are looking for the very best use of time versus return for that time, lifting heavy and HIIT are the most beneficial forms of exercise.
So, I’m doubling down on moving my body every day, but I’m doing it (the type of exercise I do) differently.
Tune in next week to find out how…
DOUBLING DOWN ON ‘NUTRITION & HYDRATION’:
There is so much truth in the saying: “we are what we eat…” And as a self confessed ‘foodie’ this is an area that I need to keep a watchful eye on! There is also some truth to the reason why I exercise as much as I do, so that I can eat what I want…
But knowing what I know from my research into dementia and stroke prevention, food is medicine. Not that I don’t eat well, but my greatest ‘watch out’ is the quantity I can and often consume! And my weakness is anything beginning with C! Carbs, crisps, cheese, chocolate!
So, what am I doubling down on? 80% of the time I eat a whole-food, non-processed varied diet of plant-based foods, protein, fats and starchy carbs. I eat some meat (mostly fatty fish) and enjoy lots of eggs and some dairy too.
As a rule, I aim for variety in my diet and I am a huge fan of the Zoe podcast and Tim Spector’s philosophy when it comes to food… I aim for 30+ plant based ingredients a week helped by Mindful Chef which I have been enjoying for the last five years.
I’m also doubling (literally) down on my protein intake to support my exercise and also to support my aging body! Thanks to this podcast with Attia and Patrick, I’m now pushing for almost double the RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance which is less than 1g per kg bodyweight), mostly because they say there’s no evidence to show that you can have too much protein, but also there’s a cost to having too little. As we get older the experts tell us we should eat more protein to compensate for the muscle loss we naturally experience with older age.
I also consciously drink water throughout the day – and find thinking about “Water in, Water out” helpful to keep me sufficiently hydrated. My Sodastream is one of my most used kitchen gadgets to make water more interesting!
There is more I can be doing in the area of nutrition and hydration, so, I’ll share some of what I’m doing differently next week, including in the area of supplementation.
DOUBLING DOWN ON ‘SLEEP’:
Ah how I love my sleep! I consistently need 8 hours and I love nothing more than going to bed at 9/9.30pm during the week… Again, when it comes to dementia prevention, sleep is one of the most protective factors, so anything I can do to encourage a good night’s sleep I will do.
Moving daily helps, eating early in the evening helps, getting out in daylight early in the morning helps. During the week I get up at 6am (in winter) and 5.30am (in the summer), so early to bed, early to rise is my aim 80% of the time. This gives me a bit of freedom on the weekend to have a lie in and to go to the odd party, haha!
Dr Rangan Chatterjee regularly has guests on his podcast talking about how to improve our sleep hygiene… here’s a bitesized one with Matthew Walker which is particularly helpful.
DOUBLING DOWN ON GETTING ‘OFFLINE & OUTDOORS’:
Something I’m consciously trying to do more of is intentional time offline. TJ Power (of DOSE) encourages no social media before 10am. I’m working hard on no social media for the first two hours of my day, and the last hour of my day.
I’m also trying to have time outside when I’m not plugged in. I used to always listen to a podcast when walking somewhere but for the last year I’ve been focusing on having more time to connect with my surroundings, without the additional noise/distraction of headphones.
And as soon as it gets lighter again, I will get up earlier (at 5.30am) so that I can have a 30 minute walk before my usual morning routine. Dr Huberman extols the benefits of sunlight/daylight within the first 60 minutes of waking up – to kick-start your circadian rhythm and help set you up for a good night’s sleep, along with a whole host of other benefits.
DOUBLING DOWN ON ‘FAMILY & FRIENDS’:
‘Connection’ is one of my values and friends and family have always been important to me. I’m now putting family in front of friends – consciously – as I want to make more of an effort with my family. One of the main reasons I moved to Winchester two years ago was to be closer to Mum and Dad and I’m so glad I made that decision having lived far away from them for many years. I was able to spend more quality time with them in the first year ahead of Dad having his stroke last March, and then it meant I was also able to care for him (and Mum) over the course of the last year before he died. ‘Making Mayo Memories’ continues to be my priority in 2026 with Mum, Tom and Colin and all my nieces and nephew.
And then there are my friendships. Living further away from many of my friends now means I do need to be more planned and whilst I don’t see them as frequently as I used to (or would like to), this is where quality time becomes important, over quantity of times we see each other.
And finally, there’s my partner Paul. He’s been such a rock over the last year, I really couldn’t have coped without his unending support. So, in 2026, it’s about making more effort to ‘connect’ – as much when we are a part as when we are together.
I think we all know instinctively the importance of our relationships – and the science supports this. Loneliness is at epidemic levels now and it’s said that it’s as dangerous to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. As if you need any convincing, but if you’ve read this far… maybe take the opportunity to reach out to one of your family or friends to say hello.
See you next week for part three – to find out what I’m ‘doing differently’…
Happy Friday x
Not The Mayo Clinic 
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