Gabriela Peacock On How To Feel Younger In Two Weeks

When Prince Harry wanted to get in shape for his wedding to Meghan Markle in 2018, he enlisted the help of nutritionist Gabriela Peacock. Gabriela, a Sunday Times bestselling author, is also credited with helping sisters Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice, as well as singer James Blunt. The reason behind Gabriela’s popularity? She's come up with a method to help you feel younger in just two weeks. Below is an extract from Gabriela’s new book, 2 Weeks to a Younger You, where she describes how hot and cold therapy, as well as sleep, can radically influence the ageing process.

Time to activate your heat-shock proteins, cold-shock proteins, protective brown fat and longevity genes! If you’re backing away towards the door, don’t worry – I’m talking about short, controlled exposures, not the extreme version where you sit in your underwear in a snowdrift.

Standing in a freezing shower for two minutes, swearing (at me?) might initially sound unappealing, but it’s not going to ruin your day. Nor is sweltering in a steam room. Don’t forget, these treatments are designed to put your body in a temporary state of stress. It lasts as long as you want it to last – but just know that your body and mind can and will adapt.

You may find that you prefer one to the other. You may also find that your body begins to respond to it even if your mind at first doesn’t. Heat- or cold-shock therapy can be an extraordinary experience and there’s a real sense of achievement that comes with doing either of them – plus the health benefits are off the scale. Increased energy, glowing skin, blood pumping, an invigorated mind, all wrapped up with an improved-longevity bow. Those are worth jumping into the cold sea for five minutes, right?

As with everything recommended in this book, don’t push yourself too hard and always use common sense. If you have any questions or concerns, it’s a good idea to chat them through with your GP (your doctor, still not me) first.

• ‌Don’t be afraid of being cold. Anything from exercising outdoors in winter to sleeping with fewer covers helps to build resilience.
• Start small by alternating the temperature in your shower. Try 1–2 minutes of cold water, then switch to warm water for the same amount of time. Do this for a few rounds to increase blood flow and fire up the lymphatic system.
• Progress to 10–15 minutes in a sauna or steam room, followed by jumping into a cold plunge pool or taking a cold shower for 1–2 minutes. It’s important to repeat this three or four times in a row so the body doesn’t adapt too quickly.
• Try cryotherapy, which involves exposing the body to extremely cold air in an enclosed chamber for a few minutes. It has incredible longevity-related benefits that include reducing inflammation and stress – plus it leaves the body stimulated and re-energised.
• Cold water swimming and ice baths are more extreme but even more rewarding, which is partly why they have become so popular. See how long you can last, but remember take it easy – your body needs to adjust, and the benefits come even from short exposure.‌

‌For a gentler experience, an infrared sauna is a great way to activate heat-shock proteins. Because the heat is considerably lower, you can stay in it for longer (maybe take a book with you – it’s outrageously relaxing).

‌To get the most out of the sauna-cold shower combo, try doing it no more than three or four times a week. Any more than that will reduce the effect of the hormetic stress, as your body may become too used to it.

‌Keep hydration levels topped up by drinking plenty of water – for a healthy electrolyte boost, try diluted coconut water or a dash of fresh juice with a couple of Himalayan salt crystals in your water bottle.

‌Dry brushing your body while in the sauna will get your lymphatic system moving, helping to support healthy immunity with the added bonus of making your skin look shiny and glowing.

The power of a good night’s sleep goes beyond feeling cheerful in the morning – it’s actually essential for our general health. A huge amount of housekeeping goes on within the body overnight, which is reliant on sleep quality. Sleep affects every area of physiological function in the body, from cellular renewal within the brain, muscles and organs, to healthy weight maintenance, hormone regulation and metabolic balancing. Continuously sleeping badly can profoundly impact not only general health but also how the body ages. Scientific research has shown that poor sleep can actually reduce life expectancy.

One of the most crucial ways to maintain the brain’s and body’s energy levels as the years progress is to keep the mitochondria – the battery of every cell – healthy and sparkly. It’s not uncommon for mitochondria to start to wane and this decline is typically associated with cellular senescence (see page 19), inflammation and metabolic issues. Inevitably, this will enormously affect energy levels throughout the day, impacting productivity, enthusiasm for tasks, focus, work, happiness, mental health… (we could be here all day).

Along with keeping mitochondria fired up and energised, the hormone melatonin, which balances the circadian rhythm, also contributes to the regulation of autophagy by protecting the process with its antioxidant capabilities. It’s essential to keep melatonin balanced and sleep rituals healthy in order to amplify energy levels, and there are lots of ways to do this.

2 Weeks to a Younger You by Gabriela Peacock is published by Kyle Books, priced £25.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLjApqauqp2WtKLGyKecZ5ufY8Kse8Crq6KbnJp8qK3Bq6CepJFivaatwqiapGWYpMRuwM5mnZ6dnGLGsMHNoJyr