Science, Longevity & Being Brave Enough to Buck the Trend

Longevity has always fascinated me.

Especially lately, after an online calculator told me (rather bluntly) that I’m more than halfway through my life.

Alarming.

But also… necessary.

Because I realised: this isn’t the warm-up act. There is no prelude. This is it.

And most of us (myself included) are sleepwalking through the main event, distracted, over-optimised, under-connected.

Here’s the thing: I’m a scientist. I love data. But I’m also a woman who’s lived a life or two. I’ve been through the grind, the grief, the glow-ups, and the gut-punches. And if there’s one thing I know—it’s that how we live matters far more than how long we live.

In my latest book Immune to Age, I take you on a journey through the seasons of life, through the immune system (our most underrated ageing ally), and into the messy, beautiful business of being human. It's science, but it's also soul. Because ageing well isn’t just about dodging wrinkles or sipping adaptogens in a sauna - it’s about being present, connected, and grounded in who you are.

This is what makes my role at Ancient + Brave so meaningful - we’re here to build rituals of resilience, from our beautifully formulated blends to the Brave Lifestyle we stand behind. Our work combines modern science with ancestral wisdom, because we believe the answers aren’t always new or found in a product, sometimes they’re just forgotten or within us. We’re not just formulating supplements, we’re crafting tools that serve your whole self: body, mind and spirit. Collagen, nootropics, blends, adaptogens… they’re not there to ‘fix’ you. You’re not broken. They’re there to support you - to give you something solid in a world that often feels chaotic.

Key themes from Immune to Age - such as inflammageing, immunosenescence, biological resilience, and the critical role of lifestyle rituals - mirror so much of what we stand for at Ancient + Brave. We want to support you - our community - in writing your own longevity story. We honour the idea that how we move, what we consume, how we recover, and how we feel all shape our long-term wellbeing. We’re here to nourish the terrain that true health grows from. And while the science matters (trust me, I live for it), what matters even more is how it lands in your life. How it feels. Because in the end, longevity isn’t just about the big stuff. It’s about the small moments - done consistently, with intention.

When I think about longevity, I think less about ice baths and extreme routines, and more about the Harvard Study of Adult Development - the 80-year-long study that found the number one predictor of long, happy lives isn’t your supplement stack or your step count… it’s your relationships. It’s connection. Community. Feeling like you belong.

This is why I’m always championing breathwork, meditation, and being in nature. They’re not soft. They’re essential. These are the practices that pull us out of our heads and into our lives. So we can be present, and nurture connections that are so fundamental to us being human.

There’s a term I use in the book: soulspan.

If lifespan is how long you live, and healthspan is how well you live, soulspan is how deeply you live.

Are you awake in your life? Do you feel joy? Do you experience awe, stillness, meaning?

This feels ‘brave’ in the current wellness culture. To take ownership of how we live and honour our own inner intelligence.

At the heart of it all is a powerful idea: Ageing is not the enemy. Disconnection is. Disconnection from our bodies, from the seasons of life, from the wisdom of nature and the courage to be present in our health journey. And to be well is to recognise that ageing is not something to fear - but something we can do with intention, grace, and strength.

So, here’s to the second half.

To more soul.

More stillness.

And being brave enough to buck the trend.