By Roz Hartley
The recent sad and untimely death of Dr Michael Mosley has led to rather a lot of posthumous publicity for what he advocated. His writings, podcasts and programmes had rather passed me by when he was alive, but after the somewhat macabre media fascination (and mine, to be honest) with where he had got to on that Greek Island, I began to read a little more about his work.
If you, like me, didn’t know much about him, he was on a mission to unearth the small, simple things that anyone and everyone could introduce into their routine to make them happier and healthier.
More houseplants can boost your productivity (I’m surrounded by them already – not sure there’s any room for more) and singing can give you a natural high (though the people I live with might disagree!). Standing on one leg can improve your balance, reduce your risk of injury and improve your posture. He would do it every morning whilst he was brushing his teeth. Cooking tomatoes increases their lycopene levels which can aid in the prevention of cancer.
I love this idea. I’m captivated by the notion that these really simple changes can be incorporated into your daily routine. I don’t need to join a new gym, wear a leotard (thank God!) or buy an ice bath. A 30 second cold shower every morning for 60 days reduces the risk of sick days by 30% according to Dr Mosley’s research. I can’t comment on that one as I’m still working up to it but standing on one leg is coming along brilliantly.
My children take it in turns to knock me over and have started referring to me as “the flamingo” but the mockery falls on deaf ears. The arrogance of youth may fade when they realise I’m going to live forever and their inheritance will be spent on houseplants and tomatoes!
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