Aging, Identity and the Freedom to Change | Dana Larocca

Dana Larocca spent decades asking whether biology could be changed, while keeping a fundamental truth about herself hidden. Growing up as a boy, she longed for a girl’s body. In the laboratory, she explored how cells could be reprogrammed. In her own life, she faced the question of when she could finally live openly as the woman she knew herself to be.A molecular biologist and biogerontologist, Dana’s work includes a study in which researchers reprogrammed cells from a woman who lived to 114. That research could help scientists understand exceptional longevity and develop treatments for age-related disease.Dana transitioned later in life, after years of building a scientific career and raising a family. In her book, Reprogramming Life: Beyond the Limits of Aging, Gender, and Identity, she brings those personal and professional experiences together.In this conversation with Peter Bowes, she explores cellular reprogramming, biological freedom and the possibilities and limits of longevity science. She also reflects on what makes a longer life worthwhile: living authentically, enjoying simple pleasures and having more time with the people we love.Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Why do we sometimes push away the people we most want to be close to?Psychiatrist Dr. Laura Dabney joins Peter Bowes to discuss her book, I Need You…Now Go Away! Reclaiming Your Life When You or Someone You Love Has a Personality Disorder.They explore the feelings that can be difficult to acknowledge—anger, sadness and needing another person—and how those feelings can shape recurring conflict. Laura also discusses parents adjusting to adult children’s independence, the stigma surrounding personality disorders and her experience working with people who are successful professionally but struggle in close relationships.It is a conversation about connection, emotional wellbeing and the quality of the lives we share.Laura's book: I Need You…Now Go Away!---This episode explores Dr. Laura Dabney’s perspectives on relationships and mental health. It is for general information and does not provide individual medical advice, a diagnosis or a substitute for professional care. Relationship difficulties alone do not establish a personality disorder; diagnosis requires assessment by a qualified mental health professional.The communication suggestions discussed may not be appropriate where there is abuse, coercion or fear of retaliation. In those circumstances, prioritize your safety and seek confidential support from a domestic abuse service or qualified professional.If this conversation raises concerns about your relationships or mental health, consider speaking with your doctor or a qualified mental health professional.Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifyEnergyBits algae snacksA microscopic form of life that could help us age better. Use code LLAMA for a 20 percent discountDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Alex Snider thinks our constant rushing, and our obsession with being on time, may be costing us more than we realize. For Live Long, this goes to the heart of a bigger question: if longevity is about living well, not simply living longer, are we actually giving enough attention to the life happening now?Alex, author of Sometimes You Should Be Late, spent more than 15 years in high-pressure government roles before a cycling accident forced him to rethink urgency, productivity and what it means to be fully present.I was skeptical.  In this interview we challenge each other on punctuality, hard deadlines, wasted time, ambition and whether slowing down really helps us live better.We also discuss the classic Good Samaritan experiment, the physical cost of constant rushing, Alex’s idea of “emotional punctuality,” and my own habit of leaving “white space” in the day.This is a conversation about choice: how we use our time, how we show up for other people, and whether living longer also means learning to live more fully now.--DISCLOSURE: This podcast is supported by affiliate arrangements with a select number of companies. We have arranged discounts on certain products and receive a small commission on sales. The income helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews remain free for all to listen. Visit our LIVE LONG SHOP for more details: Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifyEnergyBits algae snacksA microscopic form of life that could help us age better. Use code LLAMA for a 20 percent discountPartiQlar supplementsEnhance your wellness journey with pure single ingredients. DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE NOWDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

What does it mean to be physically capable as we grow older?For Pilates coach and educator Peter Clerkin, it means developing the strength, cardiovascular fitness, balance, mobility and confidence to participate fully in life.A serious football injury at 15, followed by a long recovery and learning to walk again, changed Peter’s relationship with movement. He later completed marathons and triathlons and built a career helping other people improve their physical capabilities.In this conversation, Peter explains why Pilates is only one part of a well-rounded physical life. He also discusses exercise after 40, the value of enjoyment and social connection, his decision to stop drinking alcohol and why our ambitions should not diminish as we grow older.--Bio: Peter Clerkin is an Irish Pilates teacher, coach and educator based in London. After graduating in Sport and Exercise Science, he coached soccer in Seattle before moving to London in 2013. Since then, he has completed more than 20,000 hours of teaching and coaching. Peter sees Pilates not as the complete answer, but as one part of a varied and active life. His approach to healthspan begins with what people want to keep doing, from travelling and playing sport to feeling confident trying something new. He is now developing Future Pilates.DISCLOSURE: This podcast is supported by affiliate arrangements with a select number of companies. We have arranged discounts on certain products and receive a small commission on sales. The income helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews remain free for all to listen. Visit our LIVE LONG SHOP for more details: Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifyEnergyBits algae snacksA microscopic form of life that could help us age better. Use code LLAMA for a 20 percent discountSiPhox Health home blood testingMeasure 17 critical blood biomarkers from home. Get a 20% discount with code LLAMA Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Could your heart, brain and kidneys all be aging at different rates?In this episode of Live Long, Peter Bowes talks with Paul Coletta, co-founder and CEO of Vero Bioscience, about the emerging science of organ-specific biological aging. Researchers at Stanford have been studying whether proteins in the blood can help estimate how quickly individual organs are aging and whether that information could reveal future health risks before disease develops.Paul explains how proteomics, machine learning and organ-age clocks work, and why an unexpected result from his own kidney-age test helped draw him into the field. The conversation also explores the limits of biological-age testing, the risk of over-testing and health anxiety, and whether knowing your “weakest link” can genuinely help guide lifestyle changes or preventive care.We also discuss healthspan, sleep, sunlight, self-experimentation, emerging longevity interventions and the difference between extending life and extending the number of healthy years we live.Context for this episodeThe personal health practices, supplement choices and off-label therapeutic protocols discussed by Paul Coletta in this episode represent his own monitored “N-of-1” experiments. They are shared strictly for informational and educational purposes and do not constitute medical advice or endorsement.Individual responses to supplements, medications and lifestyle interventions can vary, and what is appropriate for one person may not be suitable for another. Some interventions may also carry risks, interact with medications, or require medical monitoring.Always consult your primary care physician or another qualified healthcare professional before making significant changes to your diet or health practices, or before starting new supplements or medications.Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify Don't stress! Get him a Volleybird golf gift box. Golf gift boxes full of gear, apparel, wellness he'd never find on his own EnergyBits algae snacksA microscopic form of life that could help us age better. Use code LLAMA for a 20 percent discountDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

For more than three decades, Gunnar Peterson has trained elite athletes and some of Hollywood’s best-known performers. But his approach to fitness is rooted in a principle that applies far beyond professional sport: exercise works best when it becomes part of everyday life. He argues that recovery deserves the same attention as strength, cardiovascular fitness and nutrition, particularly as we grow older. In this conversation, he discusses functional training, red light therapy and what high achievers have taught him about consistency. He also explains why longevity, for him, is less about perfection than staying strong, connected and fully engaged with life.Gunnar Peterson is head of performance and a partner at Solbasium, helping shape recovery technology from a coach’s perspective.DISCLOSURE: This podcast is supported by affiliate arrangements with a select number of companies. We have arranged discounts on certain products and receive a small commission on sales. The income helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews remain free for all to listen. Visit our LIVE LONG SHOP for more details: Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifyEnergyBits algae snacksA microscopic form of life that could help us age better. Use code LLAMA for a 20 percent discountDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Most of us assume that losing energy, struggling to sleep and taking longer to recover are simply inevitable parts of getting older.But what if they're not?Executive performance coach Drew Griesel believes many people are paying what he calls The Hidden Performance Tax - a slow, almost invisible decline in energy, focus and resilience that develops over years and eventually feels "normal."In this interview with Peter Bowes he explains why improving healthspan should come before pursuing longevity, why sleep quality may be the single most important driver of performance, and why the fundamentals - movement, nutrition, hydration and recovery - still matter more than the latest biohacks. Drew's YouTube channel is:https://www.youtube.com/@PrimalWellnessCoaching----DISCLOSURE: This podcast is supported by affiliate arrangements with a select number of companies. We have arranged discounts on certain products and receive a small commission on sales. The income helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews remain free for all to listen. Visit our LIVE LONG SHOP for more details: Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

What if living a longer, healthier life isn't about finding the next supplement or wellness trend, but about making better choices every day?Holistic health educator Emma Magnolia shares her approach to intentional living, exploring how strength training, hydration, sleep, simple daily routines and consistency can help support healthy aging.Rather than chasing quick fixes, this conversation focuses on practical habits that almost anyone can adopt to build a healthier future.Emma Magnolia is the founder of emmawellness.com ----DISCLOSURE: This podcast is supported by affiliate arrangements with a select number of companies. We have arranged discounts on certain products and receive a small commission on sales. The income helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews remain free for all to listen. Visit our LIVE LONG SHOP for more details: Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifyEnergyBits algae snacksA microscopic form of life that could help us age better. Use code LLAMA for a 20 percent discountPartiQlar supplementsEnhance your wellness journey with pure single ingredients. DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE NOWSiPhox Health home blood testingMeasure 17 critical blood biomarkers from home. Get a 20% discount with code LLAMA Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Modern life asks less and less of our bodies, while placing ever greater demands on our minds. We move less, sleep poorly and fill every spare moment with stimulation—often without realizing the long-term consequences.Oscar Trelles explores the connections between recovery, resilience and the way we age. His work—through the wellness and performance company Breathing Flame—focuses on helping people better understand the conditions that shape health and long-term wellbeing.In his forthcoming book, The Human OS Manual, he argues that a longer, healthier life depends less on isolated interventions and more on the rhythms and routines that shape our days.So have we lost touch with the conditions that help us thrive—and what would it take to restore them?----DISCLOSURE: This podcast is supported by affiliate arrangements with a select number of companies. We have arranged discounts on certain products and receive a small commission on sales. The income helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews remain free for all to listen. Visit our LIVE LONG SHOP for more details: Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifyEnergyBits algae snacksA microscopic form of life that could help us age better. Use code LLAMA for a 20 percent discountDisclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.

Sugar is woven into our culture as a reward, a comfort and a celebration. But for some people, the relationship with food becomes far more complicated - and potentially life-threatening.Broadcaster and journalist Phil Williams has written with extraordinary candour about living with binge eating disorder and the hidden toll it took on his physical and mental health. In this Live Long conversation, he describes the shame, self-loathing and health scares that finally forced him to confront his addiction.It's a powerful reminder that living well isn't simply about adding years to life, but understanding the behaviours that can take those years away.This episode includes strong language.Phil on Substack: I’m sorry to have to tell you this, but you have a binge eating disorderIf you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, help is available.UK: BEAT – the UK's eating disorder charityUK: NHS Eating DisordersUS: National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA)US: National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD)US: National Alliance for Eating Disorders----DISCLOSURE: This podcast is supported by affiliate arrangements with a select number of companies. We have arranged discounts on certain products and receive a small commission on sales. The income helps to cover production costs and ensures that our interviews remain free for all to listen. Visit our LIVE LONG SHOP for more details: Fit, Healthy & Happy Podcast Welcome to the Fit, Healthy and Happy Podcast hosted by Josh and Kyle from Colossus...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   SpotifySupport the showThe Live Long podcast, a HealthSpan Media LLC production, shares ideas but does not offer medical advice.  If you have health concerns of any kind, or you are considering adopting a new diet or exercise regime, you should consult your doctor.