268 Prevent Macular Degeneration and Cognitive Decline: How Essential Carotenoids Protect Your Brain and Vision with Prof. John Nolan
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Release Date: 05/18/2026
284 Light, Sleep and Movement: Upstream Signals That Shape Healthy Aging with Dr. Sean Fletch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Health care professionals emphasize optimizing cholesterol, blood sugar and hormone levels and from that assessing biological age. These measurements can provide useful information, but do they tell us whether the body is still resilient, adaptable and capable of recovering from illness, injury or stress? In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch and Dr. Sean Fletch explore the difference between moving a laboratory number into the desired range, and addressing the upstream conditions that caused it to change. Dr. Fletch reframes healthspan as more than the number of years lived...
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283 Seven Pillars for Healthy Longevity. How I Built my Healthspan Routine and How You can Build Your Own
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What does a physician-scientist actually do each day to support her own healthy aging? This is a question Dr. Gillian Lockitch hears often. Her answer is not a prescription, a shopping list or a collection of fashionable biohacks. Healthy longevity is personal: our genetics, health histories, medications, priorities and goals differ, so the most useful routine is one designed for the individual. In this solo episode, Dr. Gillian organizes her approach around the seven pillars of healthy longevity described in her book, Growing Older, Living Younger. She explains how epigenetics offers a more...
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282 From Employee to First-time Entrepreneur at 70: Challenging Life After Retirement with Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Could retirement actually become the beginning of your most meaningful work? In this personal solo episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch shares how spinal surgery, ballroom dancing, entrepreneurship and podcasting transformed her understanding of healthy longevity. You’ll discover why curiosity, consistency and a renewed sense of purpose can help you remain mentally sharp, physically engaged and excited about the future at any age. For most of her professional life, Dr. Gillian Lockitch was a physician, medical biochemist, researcher, university professor and department head. She expected...
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281 Healthy Longevity Starts Now. Fitness, Nutrition, and Aging Well with Carl Daikeler
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What helps people stay active, strong, and independent as they age—luck, genetics, or habits built years earlier? In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Carl Daikeler, co-founder and CEO of BODi, about why healthy longevity is rooted in consistency: regular movement, supportive nutrition, and the discipline to care for your body before a health crisis forces the issue. Carl shares his personal story of discovering a congenital heart block at age 59, receiving a pacemaker, and using that experience to deepen his commitment to healthspan...
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280 What Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Teach Us About Healthspan Extension and Aging Youthfully with Dr. Mao Shing Ni DACM, LAc, PhD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What if the path to healthy longevity lies not in choosing between ancient healing traditions and modern science, but in learning how to integrate both? In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Dr. Mao Shing Ni—38th-generation doctor of Chinese medicine, co-founder of Tao of Wellness, and author of Secrets of Longevity—about how Traditional Chinese Medicine can complement modern approaches to healthspan optimization. Dr. Mao explains the foundational principles of Chinese medicine, including balance, the five elemental systems, and the links between organ function,...
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279 The Aging Immune System: Vaccines, Healthy Longevity and What We Can Learn from Covid with Michael T. Myers JR MD
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
How does our immune system change as we age, and what role can vaccines play in supporting healthy longevity? In this informative episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch welcomes physician, healthcare executive, and medical writer Dr. Michael Myers for a thoughtful, evidence-based discussion about immunosenescence—the age-related decline of immune function—and its implications for healthy aging. Together they explore how vaccines work, why vaccine recommendations evolve throughout life, and the importance of understanding both the science and the uncertainties...
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278 The Muscle-Longevity Connection: Strength Training Supports Metabolism, Bones, and Healthy Longevity with Jeanne Phares
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
What role does muscle strength play in healthy aging, longevity, and independence? In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with Jeanne Phares about why maintaining and building muscle becomes increasingly important for women during and after menopause. Drawing on her personal experience as a leukemia survivor and decades of strength training, Jeanne explains the connections between muscle mass, metabolism, bone health, resilience, and recovery. Listeners will learn practical strategies for strength training, nutrition, and lifestyle habits that support vitality...
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FB 109 Anne Mullens: Fueling with Fat: Demystifying the Ketogenic Lifestyle
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
THIS FLASHBACK FRIDAY EPISODE OF GROWING OLDER LIVING YOUNGER focuses on the impact of low carbohydrate and ketogenic nutrition on health and aging well. Today’s Featured Expert is Anne Mullens, an award winning Canadian journalist and author specializing in Health and Science Writing, At a time when the twin hazards of diabetes and obesity are so prevalent in our society that we say that there is a diabesity epidemic, we are bombarded with discordant messages about what, when, and how to eat, to stay healthy and age gracefully. A goal of this podcast is to cut through the noise and provide...
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277 Chronic Pain, Mobility and Healthy Aging: The Muscle-Longevity Connection with Stacey Roberts
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Is chronic pain really an inevitable part of aging—or could it be a warning sign that deeper imbalances are affecting your healthspan, mobility, and quality of life? In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with physical therapist, registered nurse, educator, and functional wellness expert,Stacey Roberts, about the root causes of chronic pain and why conventional treatments often focus on symptom relief instead of true healing. Stacey explains how chronic inflammation, food sensitivities, hormone imbalance, gut health issues, biomechanics, and lifestyle...
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Flashback Friday 005 Susan Bock Smith and Judy Bjornson: Becoming Fall-Proof
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
“You got to just move. It doesn’t matter how efficient your movements are, what matters is that you are moving.” - Susan Bock Smith
info_outlineWhat if essential carotenoid antioxidants you consume today, could protect your vision and cognitive functions now and in the future? In this episode, Professor John Nolan explains how specific carotenoids, lutein, zeaxanthin and meso-zeaxanthin play a critical role in protecting the retina and brain from oxidative stress, a key driver of damage and age-related decline. As a leading researcher in ocular and brain nutrition, he shares ground- breaking insights from clinical trials showing how targeted supplementation can improve visual function and support cognitive performance. Listeners will learn why prevention must begin early, how to identify effective nutritional strategies, and how to take control of long-term eye and brain health to extend their healthspan.
Professor John Nolan is a full professor at South East Technological University in Waterford, Ireland, where he holds the Howard Chair in Human Nutrition. He is a nutritional biochemist specializing in the role of carotenoids in vision and cognitive health. As Director of the Nutrition Research Centre Ireland he has led major international clinical trials, including the CREST studies, published over 100 peer-reviewed scientific papers, and is founder and chair of the International Brain and Ocular Nutrition Conference. His research focuses on targeted nutrition to prevent and manage age-related diseases such as macular degeneration and Alzheimer’s disease, advancing evidence-based nutritional strategies to support lifelong eye and brain health.
Episode Timeline
00:00 – Welcome and introduction
04:25 – Origins of carotenoid research and macular degeneration
Early work identifying nutrition as a key modifiable risk factor
09:30 – What carotenoids are and why they matter
Role as antioxidants and “internal sunscreen” for the eye
13:55 – Can macular degeneration be reversed or improved
Distinguishing regeneration, slowing progression, and functional improvement
17:30 – Brain and eye connection
How nutrition may reactivate neural pathways and support cognition
20:27 – Challenging the current medical model
Why prevention must replace late-stage intervention
25:16 – The importance of meso-zeaxanthin
Why some individuals cannot convert nutrients effectively
28:37 – Supplement quality and evidence-based formulations
Risks of unregulated supplements and importance of clinical validation
32:18 – Nutrition, lifestyle, and informed decision-making
Why education and professional guidance are essential
33:21 – Starting early for lifelong protection
“From the cradle to the dance floor” approach to nutrition
35:55 – Declining nutrient density in modern food
Why diet alone may no longer be sufficient
37:18 – Wrap-up and key takeaways
Connect with the research of Prof John Nolan
https://profjohnnolan.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/
Upcoming Vision for Vision documentary (watch the trailer )
Calls to Action :
Connect with Dr. Gillian Lockitch at https://www.askdrgill.com/ or email: askdrgill@gmail.com for a personal consult
Download Guide to Nature's Colorful Antioxidants 2026
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