Nicola Dean Naturopath Herbalist

25/02/2026

Modelling studies suggest that widespread dietary shifts could save billions in healthcare costs and add over a million quality adjusted life years worldwide.

“Covid made clear that trying to manage the fallout of diseases after they occur is enormously costly,” says lead author Dr Komathi Kolandai. “We need to look seriously at modifiable lifestyle factors that can prevent or reduce disease risk.”

An honorary academic at COMPASS Research Centre at the University, Kolandai says Covid-19 exposed the limits of a reactive health system and showed the need for stronger prevention.

According to an international, transdisciplinary review, a diet rich in fruit, vegetables, legumes and grains could help address looming issues like pandemics and health threats from a changing climate.

“Several earlier reviews found that people who adhered to healthy plant-based diets had lower rates of infection, hospitalisation, and severe outcomes. Some studies also suggested a reduced risk of long Covid,” says Kolandai.

Beyond Covid, the review highlights well-established evidence showing that plant-based diets reduce the risk of major chronic diseases, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, obesity, chronic kidney disease, and some cancers.

The article notes that some hospitals in the US, the UK and Germany have already introduced plant-based meal programmes to promote health and reduce environmental impact.

However, they admit major barriers remain, including limited nutrition training for physicians, inconsistent definitions of ‘plant-based diets’ in research, and unequal access to affordable, culturally appropriate plant-based foods.

Read more about the study here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/news/2026/02/03/plant-based-diets-should-doctors-be-prescribing-them-.html

25/02/2026

🌱 🧘🏼

25/02/2026

Agreed 👍🏼 🧙🏻

In her beautiful and healing synthesis of memoir and practical herbal knowledge, Medicine Woman (published posthumously in 2025), fourth generation herbalist Linda Bates reflects on the art of dosing:

“The skill of effective dosing with herbal medicines is the really creative work of a herbalist and this is not learned in a classroom. It is learned from an experienced herbalist and from each patient and their feedback. I believe we need to be considered and gentle with our treatments. We must be cautious and avoid pushing the patient’s body out of balance in another way with doses that are too stimulating or with strong alterative herbs…we need to mix these strong herbs with supportive, gentle, tonic herbs to soften their effects.”

A reminder that herbal medicine is as much relationship and intuition as it is chemistry and technique. 🔥

22/02/2026

High-dose vitamin C supplementation can have a remarkable impact on gut health. Recent studies reveal that taking elevated amounts of vitamin C increases levels of Bifidobacterium, a key beneficial gut bacterium, by approximately threefold. These bacteria are essential for supporting digestion, producing vital short-chain fatty acids, and strengthening immune function.

A healthy population of Bifidobacterium promotes a balanced gut microbiome, which is linked to improved nutrient absorption, reduced inflammation, and enhanced metabolic health. By boosting these beneficial microbes, vitamin C not only supports gut function but also contributes to overall wellness.

This discovery highlights the power of targeted nutrition in shaping gut health. Incorporating vitamin C, through supplements or vitamin-rich foods, can help maintain a thriving microbiome and potentially improve digestion, immunity, and energy levels. Small daily choices can make a big difference for your gut and long-term health.

22/02/2026

Can small changes in physical activity make a major difference?

A new meta-analysis suggests that just five extra minutes of moderate physical activity a day is associated with a 10% reduction in all deaths in the majority of adults. Explore the latest data 👉 http://spkl.io/6189AvEML

20/02/2026

❤️

17/02/2026

16/02/2026

12/02/2026

If I could only focus on 5 habits to age well, it would be these:
1. Progressive resistance training 2–3x/week
After about age 30, we tend to lose muscle mass and strength over time (sarcopenia), and that loss accelerates with inactivity. Strength training is one of the most direct ways to preserve muscle, maintain bone density (mechanical loading), and improve insulin sensitivity. Focus on the big patterns: squat (chair stands), hinge (deadlift pattern), push, pull, carry. Add load or reps gradually—“maintenance” is usually not enough.

2. Cardiorespiratory training most days (plus 1 “hard” day/week if safe)
Cardiorespiratory fitness (often reflected by VO₂ max) is one of the strongest predictors of long-term health outcomes in large studies. Aerobic work improves endothelial function (blood vessel health), mitochondrial function (energy production), and blood pressure regulation. Most days: brisk walking/cycling/swimming at a pace you can talk in short sentences. Once weekly (if appropriate): short intervals (example: 4 rounds of 1 minute faster + 2 minutes easy). This is about keeping your heart and vessels trained, not suffering.

3. Protein + fiber at most meals
Protein provides the amino acids needed to maintain muscle protein synthesis—especially important as we get older because we become less responsive to small protein doses (“anabolic resistance”). Many clinicians aim for roughly 25–35g protein per meal (or about 1.0–1.2 g/kg/day for many older adults, individualized). Fiber (often 25–38g/day) improves satiety, LDL cholesterol, gut microbiome function, and post-meal glucose response. Practical: build meals around legumes, tofu/tempeh, Greek yogurt/cottage cheese (if used), fish/chicken/eggs (if used), plus vegetables, berries, oats, and seeds.

4. Sleep schedule consistency (timing > perfection)
Sleep affects glucose control, appetite hormones, blood pressure, immune function, and cognitive performance. Irregular sleep timing is linked with worse metabolic markers even when total hours look “okay.” Keep wake time fairly stable, get morning light exposure, limit caffeine after late morning/early afternoon, and be cautious with alcohol close to bedtime (it fragments sleep architecture even if it helps you fall asleep).

5. Risk-factor “boring basics” weekly: BP, waist, labs, and prevention
Aging well is heavily influenced by controlling the big modifiable risks: blood pressure, lipids, glucose, to***co exposure, alcohol intake, and inactivity. High blood pressure is a major driver of stroke, heart disease, and cognitive decline risk over time. Have a plan: measure BP at home if needed, keep up with screening labs, stay current on vaccines, and don’t ignore hearing/vision changes (they’re linked to function, falls, and cognitive load). Prevention isn’t dramatic, but it’s high yield.

Why these five matter
These habits target the core systems that determine how you function over decades: muscle/bone (strength), heart/vessels (fitness), metabolism (protein/fiber + glucose control), recovery (sleep), and cumulative disease risk (prevention). That’s the difference between “living longer” and “functioning longer.”

Not trendy. Just repeatedly effective.