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,
Release Date: 08/10/2026
Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,
Could difficulty hearing conversations today affect your brain health, independence and quality of life in the years ahead? Hearing loss is often treated as a minor inconvenience of growing older, yet it can affect communication, relationships, social connection, confidence and independence. In this episode, Dr. Gillian Lockitch speaks with hearing-health advocate and author Robert “Bob” Keefer, MD, about the association between hearing loss and cognitive decline, why so many people delay seeking help for hearing deficits and what questions to ask before choosing a hearing-care provider....
info_outlineGrowing 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...
info_outlineGrowing 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...
info_outlineGrowing 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...
info_outlineGrowing 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...
info_outlineGrowing 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,...
info_outlineGrowing 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...
info_outlineGrowing 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...
info_outlineGrowing 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...
info_outlineGrowing 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...
info_outlineWhat 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, emotional health, stress, and aging. This conversation also explores why daily habits, Tai Chi, Qigong, meditation, and purposeful movement remain some of the most powerful healthy aging strategies for preserving vitality, resilience, and independence over time.
Dr. Mao Shing Ni is board certified in anti-aging medicine and trained in acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, Tai Chi, Qigong, and integrative East-West healing approaches. Dr. Mao is the author of more than 20 books, including Secrets of Longevity and Second Spring, and has spent decades translating traditional healing wisdom into practical modern health guidance. His work integrates Traditional Chinese Medicine with contemporary research in preventive health, resilience, and preventing age-related disease. A longtime advocate for aging youthfully, he focuses on helping people improve daily habits, restore balance, and build sustainable foundations for lifelong vitality. He is internationally recognized for bringing Taoist medicine, mind-body practice, and lifestyle medicine into the mainstream longevity conversation.
Episode Timeline
00:00 – Welcome, introduction, and why ancient wisdom still matters in modern longevity
04:05 – Dr. Mao’s personal healing story and the family lineage that shaped his life’s work
07:37 – The core principles of Traditional Chinese Medicine: yin and yang, balance, and the five elemental systems
13:11 – How Chinese medicine views the liver, lungs, gut, kidneys, stress, and emotional regulation
17:28 – Wearables, AI, and the intriguing intersection of modern health data with Chinese medicine principles
21:36 – Why Secrets of Longevity focuses on practical, habit-based actions rather than theory alone
24:08 – The fundamentals of longevity: sleep, movement, stress reduction, purpose, and healthy daily habits
28:02 – Tai Chi and Qigong as powerful mind-body tools for cardiovascular health, balance, bone strength, and brain health
30:21 – Ballroom dancing, movement diversity, coordination, and cognitive resilience
32:00 – Where longevity science is headed: regeneration, organ support, prevention, and extending healthspan
36:04 – Dr. Mao’s final message: healthy longevity is built on habits, consistency, and personal responsibility
Connect with Guest
Tao of Wellness https://taoofwellness.com/
Yo San University https://yosan.edu/
Secrets of Longevity by Dr. Mao Shing Ni https://taoofwellness.com/product/secrets-of-longevity/
Second Spring by Dr. Mao Shing Ni https://taoofwellness.com/product/second-spring/
Connect with your host, Dr. Gillian Lockitch
Connect with your host, Dr, Gillian Lockitch
email: askdrgill@gmail.com For a personalized one on one conversation about health aging strategies
Website: www.askdrgill.com
https://www.facebook.com/gillian.lockitch/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillianlockitch/