More Good Days

After 21 episodes, there’s a lot of health information out there. We didn’t want to add to the overload.So we each picked our top five: the habits we actually do every day, the ones that have genuinely moved the needle for us. No notes, no rehearsal, just a 3, 2, 1 countdown.Dr Michael Mol, Faf du Plessis and Sean Lunn compare their lists: a doctor, a professional athlete and a biohacker. Sleep, hydration, protein, strength training, fasting, sauna, zone 2, the checkup, and why one of us left sleep off his list altogether.You don’t need all fifteen. Choose one.CHAPTERS:0:00 The countdown: our number ones1:12 Why we’re doing this: choose one2:42 Faf’s foundation: morning hydration4:52 Why sleep is number one7:54 Sleep is not a badge of honour10:43 Morning light and the body clock12:06 Why elite athletes nap16:49 Make habits easy: the Sean Shooter18:56 “Fasting isn’t even in my top 10”20:40 Sean’s top 521:38 Faf’s foundations vs the extras24:50 Dr Mol’s top 5 and the checkup27:29 Our kids learn from how we live29:16 Genetic testing: a guide, not a diagnosis32:42 What happened to Sean’s ice bath35:50 Living a little: the 90/10 balance39:26 Zone 2 and the talk test43:55 It’s never too late to build muscle49:16 Our top 353:58 What’s the one thing you’ll do today?Timestamps are approximate.Products & Resources We Use:Quinton — Code: MGD10https://quintonstore.co.za/discount/MGD10?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-productsNAKD Eyewear20% discount code: GOOD20https://nakdeyewear.com/go/GOOD2030-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEEEssentially Young / Recommended Salt for Sean Shooter20% discount code: MGD20https://www.essentiallyyoung.co.za/?ref=MGDHarvest Table10% discount code: MGD10https://harvesttable.co.za/InBody Scan — Code: MGD5https://inbodyhomecare.com/Bare Aminos10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/MoZenii Hydrogen Water10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525Arctic Ape5% discount code: MGD5https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contactIglu Therapy7.5% discount code: FAF5https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63More Good Days:https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficialJoin the Community:Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer.Newsletter:https://www.moregooddays.co.za/Medical Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle.

Somewhere around 40, a lot of men start having a quiet conversation with themselves. Slower mornings. Less drive. A workout that used to fuel you now flattens you. Somewhere on your phone, a headline says it's your testosterone.It might be. It might also be your weight, your sleep, your stress or your alcohol.Sean Lunn, Faf du Plessis and Dr Michael Mol break the taboo on testosterone. Is andropause real? Who genuinely benefits from TRT, and what does doing it properly look like? Why are teenagers getting hold of it? Sean shares his own experience, the good and the bad.This one is for men, and for the partners who love them.This episode is sponsored by Quinton. It contains paid promotion. All views expressed are our own.CHAPTERS0:00 The quiet conversation men have at 401:02 Does andropause actually exist?2:20 A cliff vs a slope3:22 Why normal isn't normal anymore4:41 The conversation men won't have6:39 How rare andropause really is8:29 The signs to look out for10:17 Ageing vs lifestyle14:26 Five things to fix before TRT15:44 Faf: asking for a friend18:52 Sean's TRT story27:52 When TRT is the right call32:08 Why a normal result is good news38:01 Do testosterone supplements work?42:04 Teenagers on TRT51:20 Does the snip lower testosterone?53:20 The takeawayTimestamps are approximate.Products & Resources We Use:Quinton — Code: MGD10https://quintonstore.co.za/discount/MGD10?redirect=%2Fcollections%2Fall-productsNAKD Eyewear20% discount code: GOOD20https://nakdeyewear.com/go/GOOD2030-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEEEssentially Young / Recommended Salt for Sean Shooter20% discount code: MGD20https://www.essentiallyyoung.co.za/?ref=MGDHarvest Table10% discount code: MGD10https://harvesttable.co.za/InBody Scan — Code: MGD5https://inbodyhomecare.com/Bare Aminos10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/MoZenii Hydrogen Water10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525Arctic Ape5% discount code: MGD5https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contactIglu Therapy7.5% discount code: FAF5https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63More Good Days:https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficialJoin the Community:Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer.Newsletter:https://www.moregooddays.co.za/Medical Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Testosterone replacement therapy is a prescription medicine and should only be started and monitored by a qualified doctor. Always consult a healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle.

Somewhere right now, someone is paying for a hair strand test to tell them which foods are secretly poisoning them. Meanwhile, the real allergies, the ones that can close an airway, are often under-treated.Professor Claudia Gray is a paediatrician and allergist, one of only a dozen or so allergists in South Africa. She joins Sean Lunn, Faf du Plessis and Dr Michael Mol to separate the real thing from the noise.What is the difference between an allergy and an intolerance? Why does cutting foods out sometimes make things worse? What does an allergy test actually tell you? And are you really gluten intolerant?CHAPTERS0:00 Hair strand tests and the real thing1:21 How do you tell an allergy from noise?2:47 Allergy vs intolerance4:44 Are allergies really rising?9:40 Rural kids vs city kids11:46 The peanut advice that got overturned16:38 How cutting out foods can cause an allergy21:58 What an allergy test actually shows25:07 Kids, pets and allergies28:00 What your child's cough may be telling you29:16 The biggest allergy myths33:49 Histamine explained40:30 Are you really gluten intolerant?51:59 The one thing to take homeTimestamps are approximate.Products & Resources We Use:NAKD Eyewear20% discount code: GOOD20https://nakdeyewear.com/go/GOOD2030-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEEEssentially Young / Recommended Salt for Sean Shooter20% discount code: MGD20https://www.essentiallyyoung.co.za/?r...Harvest Table10% discount code: MGD10https://harvesttable.co.za/InBody Scan — Code: MGD5https://inbodyhomecare.com/Bare Aminos10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/MoZenii Hydrogen Water10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525Arctic Ape5% discount code: MGD5https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contactIglu Therapy7.5% discount code: FAF5https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63More Good Days:https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficialJoin the Community:Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer.Newsletter:https://www.moregooddays.co.za/Medical Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle. If you suspect a serious allergy, please see a doctor

How does a Springbok survive an international season? The training, the travel, 80 brutal minutes of game time, and then turning up fit and ready again the next week.Meanwhile someone who plays social touch rugby every second weekend ends up with an injury that takes them out for six weeks.Rene Naylor has been the Springboks' physiotherapist for close to 17 years, and now consults to Cricket South Africa on high performance. Her job has never been fixing injuries. It has been making sure they do not happen.Sean Lunn, Faf du Plessis and Dr Michael Mol sit down with her to answer one question: how do you build a body that survives your life?CHAPTERS0:00 How do the Springboks do it?3:44 Keeping players available, week after week5:18 Load and capacity, explained6:03 Elite athletes get injured too7:12 What "listen to your body" actually means8:56 If you have pain, it is a message10:18 Faf on the days you do not feel ready11:10 Feeling great is not the same as being ready12:57 Why parents are the worst with their kids16:33 The one number that beats any wearable22:37 The early warning sign most people ignore29:44 Weekend warriors and the injuries that follow31:38 Before the biohacks, there is the work35:08 The best exercise in the world36:32 Training your balance while you brush your teeth37:50 How to survive the dad's race42:18 Why padel is filling physio rooms43:37 How training should change through menopause47:31 What Springbok recovery actually looks like53:13 The one thing you can do tomorrowTimestamps are approximate.Products & Resources We Use:InBody Scan — Code: MGD5https://inbodyhomecare.com/Bare Aminos10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/MoZenii Hydrogen Water10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525Arctic Ape5% discount code: MGD5https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contactIglu Therapy7.5% discount code: FAF5https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63NAKD Eyewear20% discount code: GOOD20https://nakdeyewear.com/go/GOOD2030-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEEMore Good Days:https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficialJoin the Community:Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer.Newsletter:https://www.moregooddays.co.za/Medical Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle.

Rachel Kolisi joins Sean Lunn and Dr Michael Mol to talk about the losses rather than the wins. You did the fast. You did the training programme, the proper one, three times a week for twelve weeks. You did the meal plan. You did all of it right, and it didn't work.Most plans seldom fail completely. Most plans seldom succeed completely. Something less dramatic is usually happening, and almost nobody talks about it.What she stopped chasing, why she got rid of the scale, what she has learned about training through the seasons where nothing goes to plan, and the framework for what to do when an intervention is not working for you.CHAPTERS0:00 You did everything right and it didn't work4:31 The one thing to stop chasing12:48 Sugar cravings and what was actually driving them14:14 Why bad sleep undoes good training15:36 Do you own a scale?19:40 Living with depression, openly20:28 We are all guaranteed a storm21:26 The non-negotiable hour26:47 The blockers nobody checks32:31 Put down the pink weights35:41 When intermittent fasting stopped working38:51 Change the lever, not the category39:52 Give it twelve weeks before you quit47:20 Health is not a default setting50:57 The framework for when it is not working54:29 Rachel's one thingTimestamps are approximate.Products & Resources We Use:InBody Scan — Code: MGD5https://inbodyhomecare.com/Bare Aminos10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/MoZenii Hydrogen Water10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525Arctic Ape5% discount code: MGD5https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contactIglu Therapy7.5% discount code: FAF5https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63NAKD Eyewear20% discount code: GOOD20https://nakdeyewear.com/go/GOOD2030-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEEMore Good Days:https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficialJoin the Community:Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer.Newsletter:https://www.moregooddays.co.za/Medical Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle.

This episode is a paid promotion. More Good Days is sponsored by Bare Aminos. All views expressed are our own.Fasting has been called an ancient human superpower. It has also been called eating less with extra steps. In this episode, Sean Lunn, Faf du Plessis and Dr Michael Mol go back to fasting and ask three questions the internet is not asking.Does the research actually hold up? Is the advice given to men the same for women? And what is fasting doing to your muscle while it is doing something to your fat?This is Fasting 2.0.CHAPTERS0:00 The three questions2:17 Fasting and GLP-1s may work on the same switches6:30 The ancient fast8:45 Autophagy is a dial, not a switch16:08 What the New England Journal of Medicine found22:11 Why are you fasting? Know this first27:45 The muscle question29:19 Faf: why has no doctor ever prescribed this?31:22 The 72 hour fast36:41 The risk curve is not flat41:34 When is fasting a bad idea?42:36 Fasting for women53:53 The three essentials to take homeTimestamps are approximate.Products & Resources We Use:InBody Scan — Code: MGD5https://inbodyhomecare.com/Bare Aminos10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/MoZenii Hydrogen Water10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525Arctic Ape5% discount code: MGD5https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contactIglu Therapy7.5% discount code: FAF5https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63NAKD Eyewear20% discount code: GOOD20https://nakdeyewear.com/go/GOOD2030-DAY MONEY-BACK GUARANTEEMore Good Days:https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficialJoin the Community:Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer.Newsletter:https://www.moregooddays.co.za/Medical Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle.

Cortisol is not the villain wellness culture made it out to be.Cortisol gets blamed for almost everything online.- Weight gain.- Anxiety.- Poor sleep.- Burnout.- Belly fat.- Stress.But most of the cortisol conversation may be missing the point.In EP 16 of More Good Days, Sean Lunn, Faf du Plessis and Dr Michael Mol unpack the truth about Cortisol and Anxiety.Cortisol is one of the body’s most important hormones. It helps wake you up, supports blood pressure, helps you respond to stress and follows a daily rhythm that matters deeply for sleep, energy and mood.The question may not simply be: “Is my cortisol too high?”The better question may be: “Is my cortisol rhythm out of sync?”In this episode, we cover:0:00 Cortisol is the most blamed hormone in wellness. Almost none of it is true.0:50 Faf: nerves are the entry ticket to the arena4:55 Anxiety is not something you can think yourself out of7:20 Why morning light sets your entire day8:43 Blue light at night is waking your body back up11:05 What cortisol actually is and how it works12:32 Chronic anxiety isn't too much cortisol. It's the wrong rhythm.13:56 Your amygdala vs your prefrontal cortex19:32 Dial 1: morning light within 30 minutes20:05 Why coffee in the first 90 minutes works against you23:58 Dial 2: the physiological sigh, 90 seconds a day30:41 Alcohol, sleep and the vicious cycle32:34 Dial 3: exercise and the double whammy on anxiety36:03 One in six South Africans will struggle with anxiety this year37:19 When to stop self-managing and see a professional38:10 Sean's story: the fire, the SSRIs, and what actually helped42:04 Dial 4: protect your cortisol dip48:01 Is cortisol directly related to how long you live?50:52 Cortisol, stress eating and visceral fat52:08 The one takeaway from each of usWHO estimates that 359 million people had an anxiety disorder in 2021.In South Africa, research has reported roughly 1 in 6 adults experiencing a common mental disorder in a 12-month period, with anxiety disorders the most common broad category in that study.This is not just a wellness conversation.It is a body, brain, sleep, stress and longevity conversation.👍 Like, subscribe and join us for evidence-based conversations on health, longevity and performance.PRODUCTS & RESOURCES WE USE:InBody Scan — Code: MGD5https://inbodyhomecare.com/Bare Aminos10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/MoZenii Hydrogen Water10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525Arctic Ape5% discount code: MGD5https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contactIglu Therapy7.5% discount code: FAF5https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63More Good Days:https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficialJoin the Community:Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer.Newsletter:https://www.moregooddays.co.za/IMPORTANT:This episode is educational and is not medical advice. If anxiety is affecting your sleep, work, relationships or daily life for weeks or months at a time, please speak to a doctor, psychologist or psychiatrist.Medical Disclaimer:This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle.#cortisol #stress #longevity #healthscience #podcast

In EP 15 we joined with James Raaff, a certified Integrative Clinician with 27 years experience. He brings exceptional expertise in Advanced Translational Genomics and Healthy Longevity Medicine, accredited by the Longevity Education Hub and the ACCME (USA). Peptides are one of the biggest trends in health right now. But here's the question almost nobody is asking... What if the same peptide that transforms one person's health could be completely wrong for someone else? This isn't another conversation about miracle injections or quick fixes. It's an evidence-based discussion about why your genetics, biomarkers, lifestyle and health history determine whether a peptide helps you, does nothing or could even put you at risk. If you're ready to take the next steps to longevity: Contact James’ team: https://www.forlifelongevity.com/#call ⁠Mention More Good Days when you enquire so they know we sent you. CHAPTERS: 00:00 Introduction: The Biggest Myth About Peptides 01:00 Meet James Raaff: Longevity, Genomics and Personalised Medicine 05:35 Why Peptides Are Suddenly Everywhere 07:47 Peptides in Professional Sport and WADA Rules 10:58 What Are Peptides? 18:45 Why the Peptide Boom Is Happening Now 22:45 The Risks of Buying Peptides Online 24:53 Why Peptides Don't Work the Same for Everyone 29:28 Retatrutide: The Next Generation Weight Loss Drug 33:35 Are Online Peptides Safe? 36:07 The Longevity Pyramid: Lifestyle Before Peptides 38:10 The Biggest Mistakes People Make on GLP-1 Medications 40:11 Why Insulin Explains Everything About Peptides 42:18 Your Biology Is Unique 43:45 Which Peptides Should You Avoid? 47:39 When Peptides Can Change Lives 49:03 The Importance of Testing Before Treatment 51:00 Why Quick Fixes Often Backfire Final Thoughts: Personalised Medicine Is the Future 👇 We'd love to hear from you. What's your biggest question about peptides? Leave it in the comments. If you enjoyed this episode, subscribe and turn on notifications so you never miss a new episode of More Good Days. Products & Resources We Use: InBody Scan — Code: MGD5 https://inbodyhomecare.com/ Bare Aminos 10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/Mo Zenii Hydrogen Water 10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525 Arctic Ape 5% discount code: MGD5 https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contact Iglu Therapy 7.5% discount code: FAF5 https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63 More Good Days: https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficial Join the Community: Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer. Newsletter: https://www.moregooddays.co.za/ Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle. #Peptides #Longevity #PersonalizedMedicine #HealthOptimization #MoreGoodDays

Alcohol is woven into South African culture. The braai, the wine farm, the post-match beer. This is the episode we did not want to do, because we are not here to ruin the fun. We are here to give you the information so you can make smarter choices and have more good days. In this episode (which we didn't want to do) Sean Lunn, Faf du Plessis and Dr Michael Mol get honest about what alcohol could actually be doing to your body, your sleep, your performance and your fat loss. No fear-mongering. No preaching. Just the biology, so you can decide how and when you drink with your eyes wide open. We get into why the "safe" dose could be far smaller than anyone told you, why one drink the night before could quietly cost an athlete their edge, why you wake up wired at 3am, the truth behind the red wine myth, what beer could be doing to your hormones, and a simple framework for drinking smarter when you do choose to drink. The goal was never to be the person who ruins the Friday night braai. The goal is to be the person still at the braai at 80. Chapters 00:00 The episode we didn't want to do 02:00 What the "safe" dose really could be 13:00 What one drink does to your performance 20:00 Why you wake up at 3am 25:00 The red wine myth 33:00 The hidden stuff in beer 35:00 The best night vs the worst night framework 44:00 Why Sean stopped for 18 months 48:00 The future of alcohol in sport Products & Resources We Use: InBody Scan — Code: MGD5 https://inbodyhomecare.com/ Bare Aminos 10% discount: https://www.bareayr.co.za/discount/Mo Zenii Hydrogen Water 10% discount: https://zenii.co.za/discount/MGD%2525 Arctic Ape 5% discount code: MGD5 https://www.arctic-ape.co.za/contact Iglu Therapy 7.5% discount code: FAF5 https://iglutherapy.com/?linkId=lp_63 More Good Days: https://linktr.ee/moregooddaysofficial Join the Community: Subscribe for more conversations around health, longevity, performance, and living better for longer. Newsletter: https://www.moregooddays.co.za/ Medical Disclaimer: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your health, supplements, medication, or lifestyle. #moregooddays #alcoholandhealth #drinkingsmarter

Perimenopause can begin years before menopause—but many women don't realize what's happening to their bodies. In this episode, specialist gynecologist Dr. Natalia Novikova breaks down the science of perimenopause, menopause, and hormone replacement therapy (HRT), helping separate evidence-based medicine from decades of fear and misinformation. We explore how the 2002 Women's Health Initiative study changed public perception of HRT, why many women were left afraid of hormone therapy, and what newer research tells us today about risks, benefits, and individualized treatment. Dr. Novikova explains why perimenopause can start 7–15 years before menopause, the hormonal changes driving symptoms, and why blood tests often fail to provide clear answers. She also discusses the most common symptoms women experience and how lifestyle factors—including exercise, nutrition, sleep, stress management, and weight management—form the foundation of treatment. The conversation covers: What perimenopause really is Early signs and symptoms to watch for Why hormone levels fluctuate during perimenopause The truth about HRT risks and breast cancer Relative risk vs. absolute risk explained Estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone therapy Transdermal estrogen and safer treatment approaches Bioidentical vs. compounded hormones Why testosterone injections can be problematic Monitoring and follow-up during hormone therapy Options for women with a history of breast cancer How to find the right specialist and personalized treatment plan If you're struggling with symptoms or looking for evidence-based information about perimenopause and hormone therapy, this episode provides practical guidance and expert insights to help you make informed decisions about your health.