Light therapy - Living Long and Strong with Verne and Roy

August 16, 2023

#30 How Much Alcohol? The Grape Debate: Part One

How much alcohol is too much? Should we drink? I’m weighing in on the ongoing debate – both scientific and scaremongering – around alcohol and our health.

Putting aside temporary blips like temperance movements, Puritans and Prohibition in the US (1920-33), the message has generally been that moderate intake of alcohol is not a bad thing. In fact, it was thought that, if you enjoyed it, the relaxing effect of a pre-dinner drink could be positively beneficial. And that’s the message I received growing up.

Prologue: Me, growing up with alcohol

May 13, 2022June 2, 2022

#22 How is Your Light Diet? Part Two: Circadian Rhythm

How is your light diet? For your best night’s sleep ever and to reduce unwanted body fat, VERNE MAREE recommends hacking your circadian rhythm with red light in the morning, getting plenty of natural daylight, and minimising blue light after dark.

As promised in Part One of this series on light, here are some thoughts on how sunrise and morning light sets us up for a good night’s sleep, and how too much blue light can actually make us fat!

#21 How is Your Light Diet? Part One: Vit D, Sunshine and More

Our light diet may be as important as sleep, nutrition and exercise, VERNE MAREE discovers.

I rejoice when I see Roy outside with his shirt off. Not only because he – like most of us – looks heaps better with a tan, but because I know it’s boosting his immune system and helping him to live long and strong.

In fact, he’s just had a load of blood tests – and his Vitamin D is way up where it belongs.

Light Diet — Roy on Yallingup Beach, WA, a couple of weeks ago.

(The above pic of Roy on Yallingup Beach was taken a couple of weeks ago; click here for that travel blog post, and if you like it, please sign up to Travels with Verne and Roy!)

#15 Grounding

What is grounding, anyway? Getting and staying grounded is becoming increasingly important for mental, physical and emotional health… and can be difficult to achieve in these ever-crazier times. Verne Maree thinks that walking barefoot on Mother Earth is a good place to start.

#13 Keep Moving! – It’s the secret to longevity

How to live to 100? Keep moving, says 96-year-old Peter Eaton – just one of VERNE MAREE’s inspirational older friends in Perth WA. Apart from the advantage of making you feel young by comparison, there’s a lot to be learnt from people who are fit, active and thriving well into their 70s, 80s and 90s.

Down on Burns Beach the other day – 23 December, to be precise – I bumped into Peter and Peta, two of my local Burns Beach friends. That wasn’t unusual, but this was a special occasion. It was Peter’s 96^th birthday – and he was celebrating it by doing his favourite thing in the world: swimming in the ocean.

“Just 1,460 days to go to my 100th!” he announced. Peter doesn’t think in terms of years. He lives day by day, and having a sea swim – or at least a walk on the beach – is what makes a day a great one.

Live to 100! — Peter and Peta – 96 and 80 years old respectively

What is a biohacker? Verne rebounding on a trampoline

October 9, 2021October 17, 2021

#4 What is a biohacker, and why am I one?

What is a biohacker, and why do I call myself one? For me, why I’m a biohacker is to optimise health and wellness, longevity and health-span. In other words, living long and strong! Like to give it a try?

Especially important is health-span – meaning the length of time I’m living a useful, happy and productive life. What’s the point of lingering on to 120 if you can’t dress yourself, scramble your own eggs or recognise your great-grandchildren?