Should I worry about my health?

Busting some common myths about living well.

May 30, 2025

It started with the hangovers.

In my twenties, I could go to bed late when “one more drink” turned into three and power through the next day as if nothing happened. My body was not only invincible against drinking too much but also against colds, noise and suboptimal sleeping conditions.

That’s no longer the case now that I am in my thirties, and it worries me. Hangovers can stretch over days, and a sunburn now triggers anxiety about cancer rather than embarrassing tan lines.

Unlike longevity-obsessed billionaires in California, this is not about wanting to celebrate my 120th birthday, but about potentially spending years of my life in ill health.

It’s not an irrational fear. Healthy life expectancy hasn't kept pace with general life expectancy and it appears women have drawn the short straw once again.

77% of a European woman’s life is spent in good health compared with 81%. That’s 15 years versus 19 years in poor health. I think we can all agree that it is also a f**king long time to be unwell.

Things are not moving in the right direction either. Our parents are in worse health than previous generations were at the same age, and it doesn’t look like we will do any better. Cancers in young people are on the rise, for example.

Unhealthy habits are at least partly to blame for this development. More of us are obese and not getting enough exercise than previous generations. We have also been exposed to more pollutants, carcinogens and microplastics and from a younger age than previous generations. All of them can cause genetic mutations and even accelerate the growth of tumours.

Modern medicine may have become better at keeping us alive for longer, but the truth is that this doesn’t guarantee you get to enjoy it.

Popping pills and juice shots won’t help, but coffee may do

Some of my friends are swearing by expensive supplements and quite a few of them have stopped drinking and go to bed at 10 pm.

Health is important, but I don’t think this is the right approach.

Supplements and juice shots have no clear benefit for adults with a balanced diet. In fact, popping too many pills could damage your liver . Being too relaxed is not good for you either. Sleeping too much may shorten your life (and not just because you are asleep for more of it).

There is no scientific reason to cut out dairy products, gluten or attempting to cut out carbs completely to avoid blood sugar spikes after meals (allergies, animal welfare and environmental concerns aside).

Contrary to popular belief, coffee is much healthier than most people think. It contains plenty of antioxidants and lowers the risk of bowel cancer. Unless you drink excessive amounts of it (which will disrupt your sleep), it’s beneficial to keep feeding your caffeine addiction.

This state of disinformation about health doesn’t just annoy me as a journalist (and as the daughter of two doctors), it’s also dangerous.

The focus on ineffective but skillfully marketed products is good for the companies making them, but it distracts from the real issues.

Loneliness is a hugely underestimated risk for premature deaths, for example.

Living with a partner or having close relationships with family is as beneficial as regular exercise (which reduces mortality by 25%), according to studies. Being lonely is like smoking 15 cigarettes a day in terms of risk to your health.

Ultra-processed foods (UFPs) are linked to overeating, cancer, diabetes and ultimately, early death. What most people don’t realise is that mueslies, protein bars, vegan “meat” or “cheese” products and organic ready meals also fall into that category. They are bad for you even if the packaging suggests otherwise.

The most significant life-extending factors are, in fact, education and money. It’s likely better to invest in a stock portfolio or a book instead of an overpriced wellness retreat.

There are also factors we have little control over: microplastics and (air) pollution, for example.

Microplastics have been found to trigger inflammation (the basis for many chronic diseases), cause damage to cells and DNA and fuel the growth of cancer. They may also reduce the efficacy of antibiotics. Perhaps even more fear-inducing: additives to plastics may disrupt our hormones, which are effectively the control center in your bodies. There is also a growing list of “forever chemicals”, which have been linked o rising rates of cancer, fertility problems and hormonal disruptions in waterways.

I probably shaved years off my lifespan breathing London air for a decade, despite never having touched a cigarette in my life.

It’s easy to feel as if there is nothing we can do, but if we all devoted the time and money we currently blow on blood sugar monitoring and sleep trackers to push politicians to address these issues, it would pay huge dividents not only for our health but also for those of previous generations.

What can we do?

Being health-conscious doesn’t have to be complicated. With a bit of common sense (and research), living a long and healthy life is surprisingly simple.

I try to eat as many natural foods as possible (vegetables, fruit, seeds, nuts, whole grains, meat, fish etc.), I average 10,000 steps a day, and I make time to socialise with other people (in person).

I believe that health, like many other things in life, is about striking a balance. I know that I drink too much, but I also think the benefits of socialising and being silly outweigh the risks.

I don’t spend hours working out every day, but my main method of transport is my cycle and regularly go to yoga classes or I practice at home several times a week.

I don’t see cooking and buying good quality ingredients as a chore, but an investment in my health and well-being.

Skin is the human body’s biggest organ, and SPF is one of the easiest things (aside from not smoking) you can do to reduce your cancer risk.

I am not totally immune to wellness trends, but I always do my research. I take collagen powder and drink kombucha (fermented tea) daily. There is some evidence that the former is good for your joints and skin, and the latter (like other fermented products), supports your gut microbiome.

There is growing evidence that the bacteria in our gut are linked to a variety of diseases: autism, cancer, obesity, and mental health disorders to mention a few. While a of things about the connection between our gut and diseases are not yet known, it doesn’t hurt to add a fermented drink to my diet (especially since it tastes excellent, which unfortunately cannot be said of collagen powder).

But perhaps most importantly: focus on happiness. Happy people may live up to 18% longer (and probably better) than their less happy counterparts.

(Also, for the sake of all of us, please reduce your plastic usage as much as possible and try to reduce pollution where possible)

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