248 Dying on the Waitlist: Healthcare Delays, Epigenetic Wellness, and How Canadians Can Protect Their Healthspan with Ingrid Gahsner
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Release Date: 01/26/2026
249 Rewriting Fitness After 40. Hormones, Strength Training and Heathspan with Alicia Jones
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Women entering perimenopause and menopause are often told to “do more cardio,” “eat less,” and “push harder” to stay fit. Yet for many, these strategies lead to exhaustion, stalled progress, injuries, and declining confidence rather than improved health. As estrogen declines, muscle loss accelerates, recovery slows, and stress hormones become more influential on weight, sleep, and inflammation. Following outdated fitness rules during this phase can quietly accelerate biological aging and undermine long-term healthspan. Today's guest, Alicia Jones, combines kinesiology,...
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248 Dying on the Waitlist: Healthcare Delays, Epigenetic Wellness, and How Canadians Can Protect Their Healthspan with Ingrid Gahsner
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Canada’s healthcare system is under unprecedented strain, with thousands of people experiencing serious harm—or death—while waiting for diagnostic procedures, specialist care, or life-saving treatments. Despite public trust in the system, delays have become a hidden personal risk that most Canadians fail to plan for. As we age, delays in diagnosis and treatment don’t just affect outcomes—they accelerate physical decline, cognitive stress, emotional exhaustion, and financial vulnerability. Loss of access means loss of control, which directly undermines resilience, independence,...
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247 Carnivore vs Whole Foods: An N-of-1 Experiment on Epigenetics, Nutrition and Healthspan with Dr. Andres Ayesta
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Extreme diets dominate social media, but what actually happens inside your body when you follow them? In this episode, registered dietitian Andres Ayesta shares the results of a 60-day self-experiment comparing a carnivore diet with a whole-foods, minimally processed approach. Using lab testing, DEXA scans, and behavioral science, he reveals what truly changes—and what doesn’t—when it comes to weight, body composition, energy, and long-term health as we age. Andres Ayesta is a registered dietitian, sports nutritionist, and founder of Planos Nutrition. With...
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246 Stress, Burnout and Biological Aging. Simple Habits to Reclaim Energy and Longevity with Erica Jones
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Chronic stress and burnout are often worn as a badge of honor, yet they can be powerful accelerators of biological aging. In this conversation, wellness entrepreneur and educator Erica Jones explains how persistent stress can disrupt sleep, increase inflammation, and influence mitochondrial function, hormones, and even gene expression through epigenetic pathways. Together, with the host, Dr. Gillian Lockitch, we focus on sustainable strategies that busy, high-capacity people can actually maintain - starting with the “unsexy basics” of hydration and sleep, plus boundaries that protect your...
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245 How Adverse Childhood Experiences Shape Aging and Affect Health with Wendy B. Correa
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Early life trauma can leave lasting imprints on the brain, body, and emotional health well into later life, but healing is possible at any age. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with memoirist and wellness practitioner, Wendy Correa about adverse childhood experiences, intergenerational trauma, and the profound healing power of self-awareness and creative expression. Wendy shares how writing her memoir, My Pretty Baby, became both a personal reckoning and a path to liberation. This conversation explores how movement, mindfulness,...
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244 Panic, Anxiety and the Aging Brain: A Trauma-Informed Approach with Dr. Nicole Cain
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Chronic stress and anxiety are not just emotional experiences; they can quietly accelerate biological aging and undermine brain health. In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with integrative mental health expert Dr. Nicole Cain about how anxiety, panic, trauma, and unresolved stress shape the nervous system across the lifespan. Dr. Cain explains the critical differences between fear, anxiety, and panic, and how symptoms often serve as meaningful signals rather than disorders to suppress. This rich conversation offers science-backed, compassionate...
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243 Movement as Longevity Medicine; How Fascia and the Brain Shape Aging with Dr. Edythe Heus
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What if the way you move could directly influence how well you age? In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch is joined by movement specialist and chiropractor Dr. Edythe Heus to explore how intentional, brain-engaged movement can become one of the most powerful tools for longevity. Drawing on decades of clinical experience, Dr. Heus explains how subtle changes in movement reorganize fascia, enhance balance, sharpen cognition, and reduce fall risk. This conversation reframes exercise not as punishment, but as a playful, intelligent practice that supports...
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242 Welcome 2026. Healthspan Extension Starts Here: Your Epigenetic Path to Aging Well with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Many people believe that memory loss, physical decline, and loss of independence are inevitable parts of aging. But what if that belief is wrong? In this first Growing Older Living Younger episode of 2026, Dr. Gillian Lockitch challenges the outdated narrative that aging automatically means decline. Drawing on decades of medical expertise, cutting-edge epigenetic science, and her own lived experience, Dr. Lockitch explains why growing older is inevitable—but aging poorly is not. This episode introduces the concept of healthspan—the years of life lived with clarity, mobility, independence,...
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241 Resilience: Transforming Obstacles into Opportunities with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
In this deeply personal solo episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch shares a powerful story of resilience—one that unfolds unexpectedly as she prepares to celebrate turning 80 through dance, vitality, and joy. What began as a year of celebration was abruptly reshaped by a diagnosis of persistent atrial fibrillation, forcing Dr. Lockitch to confront physical limitations, uncertainty, and the temporary loss of a defining passion. Rather than framing this episode as a story of illness, she reframes it as a story of adaptation, courage, and transformation—and what it truly means to grow older...
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240 From Hot Flashes to Harmony: Reclaim Vitality through Nutrition and Lifestyle Changes with Alison Bladh
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
In this enlightening conversation, Dr. Gillian Lockitch talks with Alison Bladh about navigating menopause and midlife with confidence, vitality, and grace. Alison shares over 35 years of experience helping women transform their health, beauty, and mindset through evidence-based nutrition, lifestyle, and self-care. Learn how small, realistic changes can rebalance hormones, improve sleep, manage weight, and restore radiant skin and energy—so you can age youthfully and thrive through every life stage. Alison Bladh is an award-winning nutritional therapist and aesthetician...
info_outlineCanada’s healthcare system is under unprecedented strain, with thousands of people experiencing serious harm—or death—while waiting for diagnostic procedures, specialist care, or life-saving treatments. Despite public trust in the system, delays have become a hidden personal risk that most Canadians fail to plan for. As we age, delays in diagnosis and treatment don’t just affect outcomes—they accelerate physical decline, cognitive stress, emotional exhaustion, and financial vulnerability. Loss of access means loss of control, which directly undermines resilience, independence, and healthspan. Ingrid Gahsner approaches healthcare delays through the lens of risk management. Drawing on decades of client experience, she reframes access to care as a foundational planning issue—one that deserves the same attention as financial or retirement planning.You’ll discover why healthcare delays must be treated as a real, quantifiable risk, what alternatives exist within Canada and internationally, and how healthcare access planning can reduce physical, emotional, and financial harm—without abandoning public healthcare values.
Ingrid Gahsner is a licensed Canadian risk management consultant with over 30 years of experience in insurance, corporate benefits, and compliance. She is the founder of IMI Canada Group Benefits and the author of Off the Wait List, helping Canadians protect their health, time, and financial security through proactive healthcare access planning.
Episode Timeline:
00:00 — Why healthcare wait lists threaten healthspan
05:30 — What inspired Off the Wait List
10:25 — Ethical and structural failures in Canadian healthcare
16:20 — “Waiting isn’t a strategy” explained
18:45 — How delays accelerate aging physically and emotionally
25:40 — What healthcare access planning really means
28:20 — Private clinics, concierge care, and real options
33:50 — First steps Canadians can take today
38:30 — Final thoughts on personal responsibility and resilience
Connect with Ingrid Gahsner:
https://www.imicanada.co
https://linkedin.com/in/
IG - @imicanada_
Action Steps:
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Connect with Dr. Gillian Lockitch at ASKDRGILL or askdrgill@gmail.com