My favourite books and podcasts

This #1 New York Times bestseller is a game-changer for anyone passionate about not just living longer, but living better — with vitality, independence, and joy well into later years. 

Dr. Attia, a leading longevity expert, critiques conventional "Medicine 2.0" (reactive, symptom-focused care) and champions "Medicine 3.0": (proactive, personalised prevention) that starts now to outpace the "Four Horsemen" of aging — atherosclerotic disease (heart attacks/strokes), cancer, neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's, and metabolic dysfunction (type 2 diabetes and related issues).

The book blends rigorous science with practical, evidence-based tactics across four pillars:  

• Exercise: the most potent longevity drug — emphasising strength training to preserve muscle as the organ of longevity,  Zone 2 cardio for metabolic health, VO2 max optimization, and stability to prevent injury — all framed around your personal "Centenarian Decathlon" of activities you want to do at 100.  
• Nutrition: focusing on metabolic health, blood glucose control, and personalised eating over fad diets.  
• Sleep: essential foundation for recovery and prevention.  
• Emotional health: often overlooked, yet critical — Attia shares vulnerably about his own journey, reminding us that longevity without meaning or connection is hollow.

What resonates most for me at Aureum Wellness is Attia's holistic view: true wellbeing integrates physical resilience with mental and emotional strength, aligning perfectly with our focus on recovery, energy, and vitality through therapies like red light and hyperbaric oxygen therapy, personal training and health coaching. It's empowering — showing how small, consistent, data-informed choices can dramatically extend healthspan.

A must-read if you're ready to take charge of your long-term wellness. 

This provocative book challenges the idea that aging is an inevitable part of life — instead, Sinclair, a leading Harvard geneticist, argues that aging is a disease, and like any disease, it can be treated, slowed, stopped, or even reversed. Drawing from decades of research (including his own lab's work), he proposes the Information Theory of Aging: aging stems from a progressive loss of epigenetic information — the chemical instructions on our DNA that tell genes when and where to turn on/off. Over time, this "noise" corrupts the epigenome, leading to the classic hallmarks of aging (genomic instability, telomere shortening, mitochondrial dysfunction, stem cell exhaustion, inflammation, etc.). Address the root loss of information, and you could tackle multiple age-related diseases at once — extending not just lifespan, but vibrant healthspan.

Sinclair highlights activating our ancient "survival circuit" — longevity genes like sirtuins (which require NAD+ to function) and pathways like TOR — through practical, evidence-based habits:  

• Intermittent fasting/calorie restriction (mimics stress to boost repair and NAD+ levels)  
• Exercise (especially HIIT and strength training to preserve muscle, telomeres, and mitochondrial health)  
• Cold exposure (sauna/cold showers to trigger protective responses)  
• Reducing exposure to stressors like poor diet, toxins, and overeating

He also explores emerging interventions like NAD+ boosters (e.g., NMN), resveratrol, metformin, rapamycin, and future tech like partial cellular reprogramming to reset youthful epigenetic patterns.

At Aureum Wellness, this aligns powerfully with our mission: Sinclair's emphasis on proactive, root-cause prevention mirrors how we use mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (mHBOT) and red light therapy (RLT) to combat aging at the cellular level.  mHBOT floods tissues with oxygen, reducing inflammation and oxidative stress, enhancing mitochondrial function, boosting NAD+ pathways, and supporting epigenetic repair — directly countering hallmarks like mitochondrial dysfunction and inflammation. RLT stimulates mitochondrial energy production (ATP), increases NAD+, promotes stem cell activity, reduces oxidative damage, and aids cellular repair — helping preserve epigenetic stability and vitality. 

These therapies amplify the natural "survival circuit" Sinclair describes, supporting deeper recovery, energy, and resilience so clients can truly thrive longer.

Sinclair blends rigorous science with optimism and personal stories, ending with a call to rethink society's approach to aging for a healthier, longer-lived future. It's inspiring and actionable — a must-read if you're committed to optimizing longevity, preventing decline, and living with full vitality well into your later years.  

This compelling, detective-like narrative traces the history of cancer research from Otto Warburg's early 20th-century discoveries to modern labs, revealing why the dominant genetic paradigm — viewing cancer primarily as a disease of mutated genes — has failed to deliver a cure despite massive investment (e.g., the Cancer Genome Atlas project's disappointing results). 

Christofferson argues persuasively that cancer is fundamentally a metabolic disease: cancer cells suffer damaged mitochondrial respiration (the efficient oxygen-based energy pathway) and revert to primitive fermentation (Warburg effect), relying heavily on glucose and producing lactic acid even in oxygen-rich environments. Genetic mutations, he posits, arise as downstream effects of this mitochondrial dysfunction rather than the primary drivers.

The book highlights emerging non-toxic, metabolic approaches — like ketogenic diets (to starve cancer cells of glucose while nourishing healthy cells), calorie restriction, and repurposed drugs — that exploit this universal weakness across cancer types, offering hope for gentler, more universal strategies framed as "rehabilitation" rather than aggressive warfare.

At Aureum Wellness, this perspective deeply resonates with our holistic, proactive focus on cellular health and vitality. Mitochondrial function is central to energy production, recovery, and resilience — exactly what we support through mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (mHBOT) and red light therapy (RLT). 

mHBOT delivers high oxygen levels to tissues, enhancing mitochondrial efficiency, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation, improving energy metabolism, and potentially countering the respiratory damage at cancer's core while boosting overall cellular repair and vitality. 

RLT stimulates mitochondrial ATP production, increases NAD+ levels, reduces oxidative damage, and supports metabolic balance — helping restore healthy cellular respiration and energy pathways that align with the metabolic theory's emphasis on mitochondrial health. These therapies complement lifestyle shifts like those Christofferson describes, empowering clients to optimise prevention, recovery, and long-term wellbeing at the root level.

Christofferson blends rigorous science, historical intrigue, and optimism without overpromising, making it an eye-opening read for anyone interested in rethinking cancer prevention, the limits of conventional approaches, or metabolic health as a foundation for thriving. Highly recommended if you're exploring integrative ways to support resilience against modern diseases.

Ben Bikman's focused, evidence-based podcast dives deep into metabolism — the core of why we gain weight, get sick, or thrive. Episodes unpack insulin resistance, ketones as powerful signaling molecules (not just fuel), glucagon's role in fat burning, gut-driven inflammation, and practical tools like low-carb strategies to reverse metabolic dysfunction. 

Bikman's clear breakdowns make complex science actionable, showing how insulin control underpins energy, longevity, and disease prevention.

At Aureum Wellness, this metabolic lens powers our approach: Personal Training and Health Coaching build resilience through functional movement and habits, personalized via i-screen to track glucose, inflammation, and hormones. mHBOT enhances mitochondrial efficiency and oxygenation to combat metabolic stress, while RLT boosts ATP and NAD+ for better energy pathways — helping clients reclaim metabolic health for sustained vitality.  

Definitely worth your time!!!

Steve Bartlett's long-form interviews feature world-class thinkers on mindset, performance, health, and life optimisation as well as many other topics. 

Episodes explore longevity science (e.g., exercise as the ultimate intervention), metabolic-mental health links, gut microbiome's role in inflammation and mood, women's health through perimenopause, and practical tools for happiness, resilience, and breaking bad habits. It's raw, insightful, and full of "aha" moments on turning knowledge into action.

This podcast inspires the personalised, transformative coaching at Aureum Wellness: our Health Coaching and Personal Training programs use i-screen insights to tailor nutrition, movement, and recovery — addressing stress, sleep, and metabolic markers. Combined with mHBOT for nervous system calm and deeper rest, and RLT for cellular energy and hormone balance, we help clients build the sustainable habits that drive real, lasting change.

Highly Recommended.

Chris Williamson hosts deep, no-BS conversations with top experts on psychology, fitness, mindset, and human optimization. Episodes cover everything from microplastics' health risks to building unbreakable habits, overcoming burnout, sleep science, strength training for longevity, and navigating modern life's mental traps. It's motivational yet grounded, blending humour with actionable wisdom for better decisions, resilience, and fulfillment.

At Aureum Wellness, these insights fuel our holistic programs: Personal Training emphasises functional strength and mobility, while Health Coaching with i-screen personalisation targets biomarkers like inflammation and hormones for tailored mindset and energy shifts. mHBOT supports recovery from stress/burnout via oxygenation and anti-inflammation, and RLT enhances mitochondrial function for sharper focus and vitality — empowering clients to live with intention and strength.

Dr. Paul Taylor (Exercise Physiologist, Neuroscientist, Psychologist) interviews experts on hardiness, mental fitness, stress resilience, and optimising mind-body-brain performance. Topics include hormesis (beneficial stress), mindfulness in workplaces, men's mental health, and turning challenges into growth. It's practical, science-driven, and focused on building unbreakable resilience through lifestyle.

This resonates deeply with Aureum's proactive wellness: our Personal Training and Health Coaching build physical and mental hardiness via functional protocols, customised with i-screen for stress hormones, nutrients, and recovery markers. mHBOT boosts oxygenation to reduce inflammation and enhance brain resilience, while RLT supports mitochondrial health and nervous system calm — tools to transform stress into strength for thriving daily.

Functional medicine leader Dr. Will Cole explores root-cause healing, covering gut health, inflammation, hormones, fertility, detox, clean living, and bioindividuality. 

Episodes feature Q&As on real client questions (e.g., long COVID, autoimmune links, EMF concerns) and guests on nutrition, beauty, and mindset — emphasising grace, nuance, and sustainable wellness over extremes.

At Aureum Wellness, Cole's functional approach mirrors ours: Health Coaching and Personal Training use i-screen for precise biomarker tracking (inflammation, hormones, nutrients) to create bioindividual plans. mHBOT aids detox, reduces oxidative stress, and supports immune/gut resilience, while RLT promotes cellular repair and energy — fostering the balanced, vibrant wellbeing Cole champions.

Peter Attia's rigorous, no-fluff podcast dives into longevity science: exercise (zone 2, VO₂ max), nutrition, sleep, emotional health, metabolic markers (apoB, insulin), preventive screening, and interventions for the "Four Horsemen" of aging. 

Episodes blend deep science with practical frameworks for extending healthspan.

This is foundational for us at Aureum: Attia's pillars inspire our Personal Training (strength/stability for longevity) and Health Coaching with i-screen to monitor key metrics like inflammation and metabolic health. mHBOT optimises mitochondrial function and VO₂-like benefits through oxygenation, while RLT boosts NAD+ and recovery — delivering the proactive, evidence-based path to thriving longer.