Growing Older Living Younger: About longevity, wellness, healthspan,

Dr. Gillian Lockitch

Welcome to Growing Older, Living Younger, the podcast where you will discover ways to boost your metabolism, enhance your mental and physical energy, and ward off disorders we wrongly think are inevitable as we age. Hosted by Dr. Gillian Lockitch, former specialist in Medical Biochemistry, professor, researcher and international speaker, the show airs weekly every Monday. Each episode is a 30 - 45 minutes, exploring ways in which genetic and epigenetic (gene expression) science and medicine may intersect with ancient, non-western wellness practices to help you extend your health span to live younger. The show features practitioners in mental and physical health, fitness, nutrition, personal care, community, networking and entrepreneurship, to help you create your personal roadmap to aging youthfully.

  1. 2d ago

    Rethinking Memory Loss-Hidden Factors that May Affect Cognitive Health with Brad Montagne

    oes an increase in forgetfulness or increasing "senior moments" imply developing dementia? One of the greatest fears associated with growing older is losing memory, cognitive ability and ultimately independence. But dementia is not a single disease, and not every change in memory or thinking represents irreversible neurodegeneration.  In this episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch welcomes Dr. Brad Montagne, a functional medicine practitioner, educator, author and host of the podcast Your Health Reclaimed.  Brad begins by describing a personal history of gastrointestinal illness, vertigo, food intolerances and other health problems beginning in childhood. He explains how his experiences led him toward functional medicine and an approach emphasizing extensive investigation of chronic health problems.  They discuss hydration, nutrition, medications, sleep disorders, thyroid disease, depression, infection, nutritional deficiencies, gut health and metabolic factors. Dr. Montagne also presents his functional-medicine perspective on food intolerances, toxicity, Lyme disease and alternative testing methods. In this spirited conversation, Dr. Gillian questions several broad claims during the conversation and emphasizes the need to distinguish established evidence from emerging hypotheses and unproven approaches. They agree on the essential message: new cognitive symptoms deserve investigation—not the assumption that they are simply an inevitable part of getting older.  Episode Timeline 00:30 — Is memory loss always irreversible dementia?  03:36 — Brad Montagne's background and personal journey through chronic illness  06:39 — Normal forgetfulness, mild cognitive impairment and dementia  07:04 — Hydration and Brad's perspective on cognitive symptoms  09:16 — Minerals, nutrition and dietary patterns  11:14 — Dr. Gillian's approach to individualized nutrition  13:10 — Food intolerance and Brad's approach to testing  14:40 — Conventional laboratory testing, muscle testing and bioenergetics  19:07 — Can dementia really be called "avoidable"?  19:31 — Lyme disease, neurological disease and claims requiring careful evaluation  24:40 — Reversible conditions that can mimic dementia  25:30 — Brad's approach to extensive functional testing  28:02 — Sudden versus gradual cognitive change  30:37 — The 2024 Lancet Commission and modifiable dementia risk  31:30 — How to evaluate expensive tests, programs and treatment claims  31:56 — Three questions Brad recommends asking a practitioner  32:54 — Why memory changes should not simply be dismissed as aging  34:39 — Protecting brain health and independence  Resources from Brad Montagne https://healthfullyu.com/ https://healthfullyu.com/lyme-book/ https://www.instagram.com/healthfullyu/ https://www.facebook.com/healthfullyu/ https://diet.healthfullyu.com/ Your Host, Dr. Gillian Lockitch website: askdrgill.com schedule your consult  The Growing Older Living Younger Community

  2. Sep 28

    Cut Grocery Costs and Food Waste While Eating Well with Carol Ann Kates

    Is it possible to eat nourishing whole foods without letting grocery costs overwhelm your budget? Grocery industry insider and author Carol Ann Kates joins Dr. Gillian Lockitch to share practical ways to plan meals, shop sales, select produce, understand labels, and store food so less goes to waste. Their conversation offers useful ideas for smaller households as well as families. Rising prices and confusing product claims can make a healthy grocery trip feel expensive and complicated. A thoughtful plan can help you bring home only food you will enjoy and use. For people who want to stay healthy and independent as they age, a sustainable eating routine has to work in everyday life. Carol Ann explains how planning around weekly specials, checking what is already in the pantry, and shopping with a list can protect both your food budget and your time.  Raised in her family's corner market, Carol Ann later helped run its supermarkets and wrote recipes for store advertisements. She is the author of "Grocery Shopping Secrets" and the award-winning cookbook "Secret Recipes from the Corner Market". She shares what that experience taught her about fresh ingredients and the real cost of convenience. Dr. Gillian and Carol Ann discuss frozen versus fresh vegetables, pre-cut produce, choosing avocados, prioritizing purchases when organic foods cost more, and interpreting food date labels. They also explore storage habits, batch cooking, and ways to make the same ingredients work across several meals. They recommend starting with one change before your next trip: plan the week's meals around what you already have in your kitchen and what you will actually eat. Episode Timeline: 00:30 — Why healthy food and grocery costs belong in the same conversation 04:34 — Carol Ann's family markets and the path to her books 10:50 — Meal planning around store specials 11:48 — Lists, impulse buys, coupons, and loyalty offers 14:06 — Pantry organization, food waste, and date labels 18:47 — Shopping for whole foods, frozen produce, and convenience costs 22:12 — Organic produce and the Dirty Dozen/Clean Fifteen discussion 26:07 — Grass-fed and free-range labels; where Carol Ann prioritizes spending 28:44 — Selecting avocados 29:59 — Produce storage and reducing spoilage 32:51 — Shopping and cooking for one or two 34:24 — One practical change before your next grocery trip Connect with Carol Ann Kates https://www.facebook.com/p/Carol-Ann-Kates-Kitchen https://www.carolannkates.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/carol-ann-kates https://www.instagram.com/carolannkates https://www.pinterest.com/CarolAnnKates/Pinterest https://x.com/CarolAnnKates Connect with Your Host, Dr. Gillian Lockitch Explore physician-led resources designed to help midlife and older women remain healthy, active, independent, and engaged in life. Website and podcast episodes: https://www.askdrgill.com Download the Growing Older Living Younger app For your personalized one-one-one lifestyle strategies conversation email me at askdrgill@gmail.com Join the Growing Older Living Younger Facebook Community

  3. Sep 21

    Cook, Eat and Age Well: How Herbs and Plants Support Healthy, Joyful Longevity with Natasha MacAller

    What if ingredients that can enrich a healthy lifestyle are already growing in your garden, waiting at the farmers' market, or sitting in your spice cupboard? Too often, eating for longevity is framed as a list of restrictions, a mindset that can drain pleasure from food and make healthy choices feel difficult to sustain. or healthy longevity, nourishment must be practical enough for daily life and enjoyable enough to continue.  Fresh ingredients, seasonal variety, herbs, plants, and mindful attention to what works for your own body can help make the kitchen a place of creativity rather than deprivation. Growing even one herb can also reconnect us with the source of our food and turn nurturing a plant into a small, restorative ritual.  In this episode, international culinary consultant, award-winning pastry chef, cookbook author, and former professional ballerina, Natasha MacAller joins Dr. Gillian to discuss her new book, The Apothecary Chef: Recipes with Beneficial Herbs & Plants for a Long and Healthy Life. She shows how everyday herbs, edible plants, fresh seasonal ingredients, and sensory pleasure can support a more nourishing approach to healthy longevity. She and Dr. Gillian Lockitch explore responsible food-based guidance, simple ways to begin—even from a condo windowsill—and the importance of curiosity, movement, resilience, and joy in aging youthfully.  Natasha explains how the book grew from her New Zealand garden, how its food and health statements were researched and reviewed, and how celebrated chefs around the world created recipes around carefully chosen "hero" ingredients.  You will learn how to begin with familiar alliums such as onions, garlic, shallots, and chives; how to use color, aroma, seasonality, and curiosity at the farmers' market; and why mistakes are part of becoming a confident cook. Natasha also recommends approachable recipes and combinations, including a sunshine citrus salad with lemon balm vinaigrette and simple avocado, tomato, pickled onion, and fresh-herb salads.  This reunion podcast is especially meaningful for Dr. Gillian, who first interviewed Natasha when Vanilla Table was published for her lifestyle website reviewfromthehouse.com . Their shared stories of dance, spinal injury, reinvention, and recovery bring a deeply personal dimension to a conversation about resilience—and remind us that creativity, curiosity, nourishing food, and joyful movement can continue to grow throughout life.  Episode Timeline: 00:00 — Welcome and the promise of beneficial plants, flavor, and healthy aging  06:12 — From Vanilla Table to The Apothecary Chef: Natasha's garden-inspired journey  14:18 — Responsible food-based guidance, research, and culinary medicine review  19:12 — Gut health, calm, immunity, longevity, resilience, and the book's chapter themes  21:03 — Where beginners can start: alliums, windowsill herbs, and familiar ingredients  23:52 — Why healthy longevity does not have to mean a restrictive diet  26:18 — Movement, spinal recovery, resilience, and finding physical joy  34:44 — One simple action to take today and easy recipes to try  39:24 — Final reflections: nourishment, creativity, curiosity, and lifelong resilience  Connect with Natasha MacAller The Apothecary Chef: https://www.dancingchef.net/cookbooks  https://www.octopusbooks.co.uk/titles/natasha-macaller/the-apothecary-chef/9781804192818/  Natasha's cookbooks: https://www.dancingchef.net/cookbooks  Vanilla Table, Spice Health Heroes, The Apothecary Chef: Recipes with Beneficial Herbs & Plants for a Long and Healthy Life  PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/  Disclosure: No affiliate relationship with Natasha MacAller or the book publisher is indicated. As always, this episode is educational and does not provide medical or nutritional treatment advice.  Connect with Your Host Dr. Gillian Lockitch  Explore physician-led resources designed to help midlife and older women remain healthy, active, independent, and engaged in life.  Website and podcast episodes: https://www.askdrgill.com For your personalized one-one-one lifestyle strategies conversation email me at askdrgill@gmail.com Call to Action  Download your Quick Guide to Medicinal and Culinary Mushrooms Subscribe to Growing Older Living Younger and leave a review to help more people discover practical, joyful ways to age youthfully—and share this episode with someone who would love to bring more flavor, color, and beneficial plants into their kitchen.

  4. Sep 14

    Hearing Loss and Brain Health - Why Better Hearing May Aid in Supporting Healthy Longevity with Robert C Keefer PhD

    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. Listeners will learn how hearing is assessed, why the fitting of a hearing aid matters, and how proactive hearing care may support brain health and healthy longevity. Dr. Gillian also shares her own experience of unequal hearing following a minor head injury, feeling she had no time to follow up, and her decision to arrange a new audiology assessment after this podcast. Bob Keefer,is a physician, hearing-health and Alzheimer's-prevention advocate, author and former founder of an audiology clinic. After discovering that many hearing-care professionals were not consistently using their profession's recommended fitting practices, he created a clinic centred on evidence-informed care. His books, Hear Better, Live Longer and The Alzheimer's Hearing Aid Paradox, explore the relationship between hearing, cognition and quality of life, as well as the importance of properly assessed and fitted hearing aids.  Episode Timeline: 00:11 — Welcome to Growing Older Living Younger  00:30 — Why hearing health matters for brain health and independence  04:31 — Bob Keefer's path from medical-product consulting to hearing-health advocacy  07:59 — Why millions of people delay hearing tests and hearing aids  11:19 — Dr. Gillian's personal experience with unequal hearing after a head injury  13:56 — When family members notice hearing loss first—and how to start the conversation  16:23 — Hearing loss, cognitive decline and dementia: what the research can and cannot show  24:02 — How better hearing may improve connection, confidence and quality of life  26:03 — Choosing a hearing-care provider and asking about real-ear measurement  27:50 — What to expect during hearing testing and hearing-aid fitting  30:54 — One practical action to take for hearing and brain health  32:22 — Closing thoughts and invitation to create your healthy-aging roadmap  Contact Robert C Keefer MD Website: https://www.hearbetterlivelonger.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drrobertkeefer Book information: https://www.hearbetterlivelonger.com/  Books: Hear Better, Live Longer by Dr. Robert Keefer  The Alzheimer's Hearing Aid Paradox by Dr. Robert Keefer  Contact Your Host: Dr. Gillian Lockitch Explore the Growing Older Living Younger approach to extending healthspan, protecting independence and aging youthfully.  Website: https://www.askdrgill.com/ Podcast page: https://www.askdrgill.com/podcast  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillianlockitch/  Subscribe to the Growing Older Living Younger Newsletter Message  Dr. Lockitch to schedule a one on one conversation about healthy longevity

  5. Sep 7

    284 Light, Sleep and Movement: Upstream Signals That Shape Healthy Aging with Dr. Sean Fletch

    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 without disease. It is the functional capacity to meet life's demands, recover from disruption and continue doing the things that matter to you. Measures such as grip strength, gait speed, balance, cardiovascular recovery and the ability to get down to and rise from the floor may reveal changes in resilience that conventional blood tests can miss.  Drawing on more than 30 years of clinical, athletic-performance and rehabilitation experience, Dr. Fletch introduces his HealthSpan Framework. He describes the body as an orchestra rather than a machine: light, sleep, movement, nutrition, stress and recovery must work together, while circadian rhythm helps keep the entire system synchronized.  The conversation also examines fasting insulin, insulin resistance and continuous glucose monitoring; the limits of chasing individual biomarkers; and the growing enthusiasm for GLP-1 medications and peptides. Dr. Fletch explains why an intervention should be evaluated not only by whether it changes a number or symptom, but by whether it restores underlying biological capacity.  You will also hear how concussion rehabilitation has evolved, why appropriate graded rehabilitation matters, and how movement supplies essential sensory information to the brain. Dr. Fletch concludes with one deceptively simple practice: obtain outdoor light early in the day to help synchronize circadian biology and support the many systems involved in long-term health.  Episode Timeline: 00:00 — Why reassuring biomarkers may not reveal declining resilience  03:52 — How a college neck injury changed Dr. Fletch's career  07:48 — Biological resilience, health literacy and upstream signals  13:33 — Why biomarkers are a map—not the terrain  20:13 — The HealthSpan Framework and functional self-assessment  26:56 — Peptides, GLP-1 medications and the difference between regulation and resolution  29:56 — Concussion recovery, brain metabolism and movement  34:08 — The first practical step: reset your circadian clock with outdoor light  38:39 — Closing reflections and key takeaways   Connect with Sean Fletch Website: DrSeanFletch.com  Practice: BeyondSports.ca  LinkedIn: Dr. Sean Fletch  Book: HealthSpan: Redefined—Biological Principles for the Long Game of Health  Newsletter: The Long Game  Contact Your Host: Dr. Gillian Lockitch Explore the Growing Older Living Younger approach to extending healthspan, protecting independence and aging youthfully.  Website: https://www.askdrgill.com/ Podcast page: https://www.askdrgill.com/podcast  https://www.linkedin.com/in/gillianlockitch/  Subscribe to the Growing Older Living Younger Newsletter Message  Dr. Lockitch to schedule a one on one conversation about healthy longevity

  6. Aug 31

    Seven Pillars for Healthy Longevity. How I Built my Healthspan Routine and How You can Build Your Own with Dr. Gillian Lockitch

    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 hopeful way to think about aging, how food and movement send biological signals, why skin must be treated as an important organ, and how sleep, curiosity, purpose and relationships help protect health and independence. Dr. Gillian also shares her own daily routine—from nutrient-dense foods and time-restricted eating to walking, resistance and balance work, skincare practices and carefully selected supplements. She discusses mitochondrial support, CoQ10, collagen peptides, carotenoid antioxidants, nutrients for bone, joint and eye health, and support for autophagy. She emphasizes that supplements complement beneficial lifestyle habits such as healthy nutrition,  movement, sleep, stress management and where needed, medical care. Her own post-retirement health challenges—including emergency spinal surgery, myopic macular degeneration, and atrial fibrillation have made prevention, resilience and measurement deeply personal concepts. Blood pressure, laboratory testing, bone density, fitness and carotenoid scanning can provide useful feedback, but no single measurement tells the whole story. Her central thesis is simple: do not simply copy someone else's routine. Begin with the fundamentals of your lifestyle, work with healthcare professionals you trust, measure what matters, notice how your body responds, and remain willing to adapt as evidence and circumstances change. Noting that as a retired physician she does not treat or prescribe for medical diseases, she offers one on one conversations on constructing your own Roadmap for Growing Older Living Younger and extending healthspan not just lifespan. A plan for healthy longevity is not a fixed blueprint; it is a lifelong practice developed through curiosity, consistency and purposeful choice and she would love to work with you on your plan.  Episode Timeline 00:11 — Introduction: why Dr. Gillian is sharing her routine—but not prescribing it  03:10 — Pillar 1: Your genes are not your destiny and the promise of epigenetics  06:14 — Pillars 2 and 3: Food is information and movement is medicine  10:00 — Pillars 4 and 5: Caring for skin and nourishing the brain  15:00 — Inside Dr. Gillian's daily healthspan, nutrition and supplement routine  17:59 — Pillars 6 and 7: Lifelong learning, curiosity, connection and community  21:30 — How health challenges reshaped her approach to prevention and resilience  25:00 — Measure what matters: testing, carotenoid scanning and guiding principles  28:40 — Closing invitation: create your own healthy-longevity roadmap with Dr. Lockitch About Dr. Gillian Lockitch  Dr. Gillian Lockitch is a physician, medical biochemist, professor emerita, researcher, international speaker, author and host of the Growing Older Living Younger podcast. After retiring from academic medicine, she began a new chapter in entrepreneurship and healthy-longevity education. Through her book, podcast and Growing Older Living Younger programs, she helps people understand how lifestyle, epigenetics, measurement and purposeful action can support vitality and independence across the lifespan. Dr. Gillian Lockitch is an independent Nu Skin Brand Affiliate. You can join her team as an affiliate ( and build your own business), or a member to buy product or devices at member prices. She may earn a commission from qualifying product purchases. Products and devices mentioned in this podcast reflect her personal routine and are shared for educational purposes only. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease, and individual results may vary. She emphasizes  that supplements and skincare devices should complement—not replace appropriate nutrition, movement, sleep or healthcare professionals advice.  Call to Action  Your best healthy-longevity plan is the one designed with you for your lifestyle. Visit askdrgill.com or email askdrgill@gmail.com to begin a conversation about your personal Growing Older Living Younger Roadmap. Subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode and the show link with someone ready to invest in extending their healthspan.  Website: www.askdrgill.com  Podcast: Growing Older Living Younger on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms Join the evolving Growing Older Living Younger Community

  7. Aug 24

    From Employee to First-time Entrepreneur at 70: Challenging Life After Retirement with Dr. Gillian Lockitch

    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 retirement to bring more travel, reading, dancing and time with her family—not a new career as an entrepreneur, author, podcast host and healthy longevity advocate. Her journey changed when severe spinal stenosis led to emergency surgery and a lengthy recovery. Faced with the challenge of regaining her strength, mobility and independence, Gillian began exploring healthy aging not simply as a scientist, but as someone personally determined to age differently. That shift in perspective became the foundation of Growing Older Living Younger. In this episode, Gillian describes how curiosity led her from exploring a Wellness Trade Show into entrepreneurship at 70. She explains how her scientific training shaped the way she evaluated wellness products and opportunities, why she remained committed to evidence, and how she discovered that people were looking for trusted guidance rather than another sales presentation.  She also shares the lessons she learned from ballroom dancing, building a business, adapting during the COVID-19 pandemic, writing a book and launching a podcast on her 76th birthday. Each new undertaking required her to become a beginner again, develop unfamiliar skills and learn that consistency is more important than occasional intensity.  Finally Gillian reflects on the setbacks and opportunities that have shaped her purpose. Her message is simple but powerful: your purpose has no expiry date, retirement does not have to mean withdrawal from action, and reinvention is possible for anyone who remains curious. Although we inherit our genetic blueprint, everyday lifestyle choices can affect how our genes are expressed—and ultimately  help us live gracefully as we grow older. Episode Timeline: 00:00 — Introduction: How did a physician and scientist become an entrepreneur at 70?  06:00 — Spinal stenosis, emergency surgery and the decision to reclaim an active life  08:15 — A visit to the Vancouver Wellness Show changes the direction of retirement  11:22 — Scientific skepticism, personal experimentation and the beginnings of entrepreneurship  16:19 — Becoming a beginner again and the lessons learned from ballroom dancing  19:05 — Adapting during COVID-19 and discovering the possibilities of podcasting  21:52 — Launching Growing Older Living Younger and finding a new mission  24:00 — Atrial fibrillation, patience and the lessons hidden within setbacks  26:53 — Purpose, legacy and the promise of epigenetics  30:15 — Why reinvention belongs to anyone who remains curious   Connect with Your Host: Dr. Gillian Lockitch Dr. Gillian Lockitch is an independent Nu Skin Brand Affiliate. You can join her team as an affiliate (and build your own business), or as a member to buy products or devices at member prices. She may earn a commission from qualifying product purchases. Any products and devices mentioned in this podcast reflect her personal routine and are shared for educational purposes only. They are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease, and individual results may vary. Dr. Lockitch emphasizes that supplements and skincare devices should complement not replace appropriate lifestyle habits — nutrition, movement, sleep  and others, nor healthcare professionals advice.  Call to Action  Your best healthy-longevity plan is the one designed with you for your lifestyle. Visit askdrgill.com or email askdrgill@gmail.com to begin a conversation about your personal Growing Older Living Younger Roadmap. Subscribe to the podcast, leave a review, and share this episode and the show link with someone ready to invest in extending their healthspan.  Website: www.askdrgill.com  Podcast: Growing Older Living Younger on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and other platforms Join the evolving Growing Older Living Younger Community Email: Askdrgill@gmail.com website: https://askdrgill.com To learn how to become an affiliate with the "World's Number 1 Home Beauty Device Brand" contact Dr. Lockitch at askdrgill@gmail.com or message her through The Growing Older Living Younger community.

4.8
out of 5
24 Ratings

About

Welcome to Growing Older, Living Younger, the podcast where you will discover ways to boost your metabolism, enhance your mental and physical energy, and ward off disorders we wrongly think are inevitable as we age. Hosted by Dr. Gillian Lockitch, former specialist in Medical Biochemistry, professor, researcher and international speaker, the show airs weekly every Monday. Each episode is a 30 - 45 minutes, exploring ways in which genetic and epigenetic (gene expression) science and medicine may intersect with ancient, non-western wellness practices to help you extend your health span to live younger. The show features practitioners in mental and physical health, fitness, nutrition, personal care, community, networking and entrepreneurship, to help you create your personal roadmap to aging youthfully.

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