November 2, 2025 • 36 mins
We all strive to age as gracefully as we can. To stay strong, healthy and energetic as the years go on, but that is much easier said than done. Dr Libby has spent her career as a nutritional biochemist and wellness guru helping us answer this question.
In the episode, Dr Libby gives Toni her 7 habits to help you age well, from the ones we all know like nutrition and exercise, to simple things like stopping to watch the sunset. Plus, why Dr Libby's on a campaign to help people understand the importance of iron.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
This episode is brought to you by Uber One.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Welcome So we need to talk Tony Street's Lifestyle and
Wellness podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Hello and welcome to we need to talk. We all
strive to age as well as we can, to stay strong, healthy,
full of energy as the years go on. But what
are the habits that actually make the difference. There is
a whole lot of noise out there, people making suggestions,
and it's really hard to know what is the best
thing to do today. I'm joined by someone who has
spent her career helping us answer that question, Doctor Libby.
(00:32):
She's a nutritional biochemist and author, a wellness guru who
has guided thousands of women to better health. Recently, she's
been a shining light on something so many of us
actually overlook, and that is the importance of iron, and
that is in a new book and how a lack
of it is leaving women running on empty.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
At fifty one, Libby herself looks.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
And feels incredible. I can attest to that, and I
wanted to find out why. And as someone that will
be heading towards her fifty soon, I want to know
all her secret What are the daily choices, what are
the rituals, the mindset shifts that keep her thriving, from
food and movement to streets and sleep. Today we're going
to unpack the seven habits to age well and how
(01:11):
we can actually put them into practice'b be, it's so
nice to have you here.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Well, Tony. It is always a joy to see you.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
You've got such a great energy about you. Every time
I see you. You just exude a bit of a sparkle,
and I think that's what women chase, right. We want
to have that sparkle, that sort of zest for life.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And I think that's what you have, and that's why
we all want to know how you get it.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
You're too generous.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
I do feel that inside my own cells, though I
feel it very much in my heart, and I think
a big part of that is I just feel so
fortunate that I get to have this turn on Earth,
so I don't Yes, there can be days that might
feel a little bit more challenging, or not even days,
but moments, but I try to keep all of that
in perspective in and live with it.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Sounds a bit hippy triopy, but I.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Do live with a lot of awe of how extraordinary
it is to actually get to be here, how many
different parts play their part and actually enjoying life as
you age.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
It's quite a puzzle, isn't it, Because.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
There are many many areas that we can work on,
and we're busy creatures, so it is hard to work
on everything. But do you have kind of areas that
you deliberately prioritize.
Speaker 5 (02:17):
So the three pillars of my work really come into
play here, Tony, So biochemistry, nutrition, and then emotions or
you could say mindset. So as far as biochemistry goes,
we can think about what's happening in our blood work,
so it might be a yearly blood test with your GP.
That's something I do just to find out where things
are at. And then of course with nutrition, it's not
(02:38):
very long ago we only ate food and the junk
is really infiltrated, so when we prioritize eating mostly whole
real food, it can make such a big difference. And
I know that sounds so boring. It's really hard to
make it sexy. But for example, vegetables, we're told that
we need five servings and vegetables per day just for
average basic health.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
That's not for kicking out of the park.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
Awesome levels of health and energy, or the prevention of
things like dementia, which I'll touch on in a second,
because obviously that can be a real concern for a
lot of people with time. But when less than ten
percent of KEI we adults are getting five serves of
vegetables per day, and it's just a really simple place
to start. It doesn't have to be health, doesn't have
(03:18):
to be this big overwhelming thing that we feel is impossible.
Just taking a step in the direction of eating more
of those vegges can make a big difference.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
It's something that.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
I've prioritized thanks to my gorgeous mum, who's eighty one.
She taught me to do that. But yeah, there's actually
it's sort of common sense, I think, Tony. But there's
some really great research that's come out just this year
looking at the role of compounds in vegetables that are
incredibly protective for our brain against age related decline. So
(03:48):
it's not really something we think about in our twenties
or thirties, but we kind of need to. But establishing
those habits early on can make a really big difference
to what unfolds in our future.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
All vegetables created equal or are there some that you
put above others?
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Green veggies absolutely, and the brassicas so they contain some
really unique compounds that foster all sorts of biochemical processes
inside of us. So when we don't consume those, or
we don't have enough of those, some of some really
important processes inside of us can actually slow down. So
it's kind of easy, I think, to just think about,
you know, throwing a few more of those on your plate.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So you're putting vegetables a heat of fruit, I am, yep,
so deliberately.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
So, yes, fruit is beautiful.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
No need I actually worry about younger people. I've had
younger people say to me, I'm too scared to eat
a banana because.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Of the sugar. That's a big worry. It's the sugar
in the banana.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
It comes packaged with fiber, with antioxidants, with vitamins, with minerals,
and also some unique compounds that only is contained in
a banana or other pieces of fruit. But yes, fruit
does contain sugar, and that is something we can over consume.
So two pieces of fruit a day is terrific, and
obviously that would be almost the The second pillar in
(05:01):
aging well is to really minimize those added sugars. We're
told that it's okay to have six teaspoons of added
sugar per day, but at the moment in New Zealand,
we're having thirty seven tea spoons.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Oh it's outrageous. How many teaspoons a day would you have.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Of added sugars?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Probably not even one.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
I was going to say, I bet you don't.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
I don't actually have a sweet tooth, though, which irritates
a lot of people. I think I will choose butter
over anything sweet in a heartbeat. So it's just I'm not.
I don't purposefully avoid it. I just don't seek it.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Don't you think, though, your sweet tooth gets worse the
more sugar you consume.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Yes, sugar be gets more sugar without doubt. And I
think if we think back to I know, when I
was growing up, the ultra processed food was available at
birthday parties. It was really expensive, so it was considered
almost like a treat. Yes, And that's a big part
of the problem. Now it's too cheap. It's so easy
to throw it in the groceries every week, and people
(05:59):
are consuming at every day. And a phrase I've used
in my work for a long time. It is what
we do every day that impacts our health. It's not
what we occasionally do. We don't need to go without
some of these things that we might love, but if
we're having them every day, it's too much.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
What does your food preparation look like on a daily basis,
so youse someone that makes you meals on a Sunday?
Do you do them in the morning? Do you prepare
ahead of time or do you just cook as you go?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
I cook as I go?
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Okay, but I know when I shop, I know roughly
what I'm going to be cooking for the week. And
I absolutely love food shopping. I can actually take a
really long time in the shops looking at new things.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
That might have developed.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
It's a really fun time in I guess the nutrition
and nutritious food kind of space. So yeah, I do
plan ahead in my mind. But then if I don't
really feel like that on the day, I'll do something.
You can prevent what would a typical day of eating?
Because I know people will be interested in this would
a typical day of eating look like for you. I
want to preface what I say by I grew up
(07:00):
as someone who gave myself a lot of rules to follow,
and I realized in my twenties that that was really fear.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
It wasn't coming from health.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
I thought it was health, but it was very much
the mask I wore to kind of hide my fear
about what eating certain things might do. So and I
feel like there's we kind of can't be that healthy
when we're frightened. So I actually there's a lot of
benefit for me personally in a bit more. I don't
(07:31):
want to say relaxation.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
It's sort of flexibility. Flexibility perfect.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
I have in Real Food Chef, one of the cookbooks
I did many years ago, now, I actually wrote the
term flexitarian. So I still maintain that. So when I
answer what I eat each day, I'd love people to
keep in mind that when I share that, it's not
me saying this is how you need to eat.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
It's what works for me.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
And I think there are people when it comes I
see our body.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
I call it an.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
Earth suit, and I have immense reverence for it, and
I feel it is that it can be our best
friend if we allow it to be A communicates with us.
It gives us feedback about our choices. And so when
I think about that. I have this real care about
what I put into it, but I like to think
of it almost like standards rather than as these rigid
(08:20):
rules that I have to follow, otherwise the world's going
to fall apart. So if I've mowed the lawn, I
love a beer at the but it's not something I'm
going to do on a daily basis, or it probably
not even a weekly basis.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
But that's so for me. That's just part of life.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
Yes, and it's gorgeous and it's so nourishing for my soul.
And I know there's lots of research about alcohol and
brain health, and I just feel that I just can't
vibe that that's doing me any in any way.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
So it's refreshing to hear, actually, because it's that part
of being a healthy and virate person is having a
good mind sitting and allowing yourself a bit of joy.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Yeah that's right, and yeah it feels great.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
So to answer your question, I have a great big
glass of water when I get up in the morning,
and lemon is probably my favorite flavor, so then I'll
actually squeeze lemon and drink that juice. Love that, And
then breakfast is usually I make my own gluten free
bread and I have eggs on that with a big
side of spinach and mushrooms. So that's usually the start
of the day. I lather the toast in olive oil.
(09:28):
Snacks don't feature. I don't get hungry mid morning. Lunch
is a real variety because I can be anywhere, so
that could be something in a cafe. But again I'll
just choose pretty much whole real food with some sort
of protein and some sort of vegetable, and then dinner
is the same, some sort of protein, some veggies. I
love carbohydrates at night, so potato, sweet potato, brown rice,
(09:50):
normal white rice. That kind of stuff is always on
my plate at night. It helps me sleep better.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Is there anything that is a complete no go for you?
Foods you just do not eat. I love the fact
that you have an occasional beer revelation today.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
Um, what would be a no go? I don't see
the point in Lolly's. I used to actually joke with
my team. I understand why people go for chocolate, of course,
but Lolli's I can't wrap my head around what that's
about because it's just literally a handful of sugar, Whereas
there's a bit more substance or texture to chocolate.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
But anyway, so Lolli's just don't interest me. Lolly's is
the thing. I'm more of a chocolate than a Lolly
person myself. To I just want to go back to
you mentioned your mum and the fact that you live
quite close to your parents now as they're entering into
the eighties. That family connection and the ability to be
there and to help them, does that come into your
(10:47):
happiness and your well being too.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Yes, without doubt, Tony.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
They are really beautiful human beings and I feel so
fortunate with the way that they raised me. Understanding where
they came from the blow my mind. They're very quiet people,
they live very very simply, and yes so too. It's
a privilege that I'm fifty one and still have two
parents on the planet. That blows my mind. It doesn't
(11:12):
mean that it's not challenging at times, but I'm very
aware of the privilege of still having them around. Even
last week, my dad was telling me stories that I
hadn't heard before. And if we don't actually have that
one on one time, we miss those stories and they
might pass away without us ever knowing things about their
past or their perceptions and experiences in the world. So
(11:35):
it's a really lovely time in my life right now
to be able to be able to do that.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
So it's yeah, So family is really special.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Your upbringing you say you had this great upbringing. Has
that influenced where you have gone with your work and
the career that you've ended up with it will.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
Have It's I was someone who never didn't see cambish
and I didn't ever dream I'd do this or this
or this. My friends used to talk like that and
it was just not my vibe. But I loved nutrition
right from the get go. We we had a small backyard,
but Dad grew quite a lot of food, and so
(12:15):
he would He really was a farmer at heart, and
so he would actually plant wheat in the backyard every
year and he'd say to me, I want to see
what the crops out west are doing, so based on
the weather conditions and the rainfall, and so I sort
of learned about he'd explained to me about how soil
and weather impacts essentially what we then get to eat.
We grew citrus fruits and strawberries and things in the backyard,
(12:38):
so he would it was just natural conversation, Oh, yeah,
it's got some vitamins saying it, you know, that will
help you not get a cold, So that it was
not constantly talked about, but it would filter and in conversations.
My grandmother, she didn't live in the same town as us,
but she would come to our town sometimes if she
needed to see her doctor.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
And she didn't ever bring me chocolate.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
She brought me She would say, oh, I've brought you this,
and it was a pottle of yogurt and she'd say
to me, and.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
The treat is you get to put a teaspoon of
honey in it.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
And I say to people, no, wonder I turned out
a bit weird because it was so funny.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
How was my nanna?
Speaker 5 (13:15):
And she lived to be ninety six, living on her own,
good genes, on no medication, died in her sleep. So
because I've witnessed that, I know you can die healthy, yes,
And that is so when we talk about aging and aging, well,
I very much have her in my mind as to
how she did that. And I really love and value
(13:38):
my independence, love connecting with others as well, But I
really I always want to be able to do things
for myself. I always want to be able to put
on my own shoes. So when I think about how
I take care of things now, it's not just so
I can put my shoes on today, so I can
still put my own shoes on when I'm ninety.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Now back, we need to talk with Tony Street.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
So we've talked to that food element. What about the
movement or exercise element. Are you following this? You've got
to lift TV weights mantra when you're over forty.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
So absolutely, the benefit in it is immense. It's an
area where I need to improve. It was something that
I've done a lot of it in my life, and
I've let it go in the last couple of years,
right when I really need to not be letting it go.
I've been prioritizing work and my iron project, my mum
(14:33):
and dad, and my personal relationships. I've been prioritizing that
not lifting heavy things, and I can feel the difference.
So it's very much what I want to return to.
I love pilates, but I'm very much a garden sort
of human, so I like carrying twenty killer gram bags
(14:55):
of mulch. I love carrying twenty killer gram bags of
chicken food, so I like to do that sort of
gardening work and lift heavy things or by myself as
also part of my movement. But I think when to
understand how important it is to maintain robust energy as
we age, strength and flexibility, they're the three pillars that
(15:19):
I think about to make sure our earth suit is
able to stand the test of time on the planet.
So energy, strength, and flexibility. So what does it take
to keep our body able to do everything we want
to be able to do in life?
Speaker 3 (15:31):
So essentially you're saying, yes, the heavyweights, but you've got
the natural version. What do you said on the cardio
side of things?
Speaker 5 (15:38):
So, I mean it's incredibly important to have that kind
of conditioning. Because I grew up in the era I did,
there was a lot of over exercising because it was
that very much health was based on that calorie equation. Yes,
so I saw a lot of over exercising, and obviously
that can be as concerning for health as under exercising.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Exercise is not area of expertise.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
I've learnt things from other people who are experts in
that area, and their health and their physiology reflect their
dedication to looking after themselves and that they are not
as big on cardio from I guess from the idea
of over exercising. So yeah, but the strength the lifting
(16:24):
the heavy items is incredibly important. And being able to
do what's called the seven primal movement patterns and I
won't remember them all, but bending, squatting, push, pull, gait,
so being able to do that for again, to think
about the idea that because we are in this time
where we're privileged to live for a lot longer than
(16:44):
ever before, but do we live too short and die
too long? So I know I want to spend a
long time living. I don't want to spend a long
time dying. And I think if we particularly look after
nutrition and our movement patterns, particularly our muscle mass, it
can make a big difference to how we age.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
What else are you considering to age well well?
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Time in nature is my reset, so I don't compromise
that I watch That sounds crazy, but I watch light change.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
So I watch the sun rise.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
I take pauses through the day and notice what the
light is doing. I watch the sun set, even if
I have to open my laptop again and go back to.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Work your pores and do that very much.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
And it's partly for a sense of appreciation.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
It's also we don't get to be here without that
extraordinary sun that rises every day to give us everything
that it gives us. And yeah, so it's partly those
pauses I think to noticing the night sky is really profound.
So when we feel really anxious or our mood is
really flat, Yes, there can be bio chemical reasons for that,
(17:45):
like iron deficiency, which I've talked about a lot recently,
but it can also be that we're very focused almost
on our insides and when I think, the night sky
is a really great reset, so it helps us to
be almost confused, but in mystical awe of how is that?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
So vast I understand that concept and I've only just
thought about this hearing from you. When you think about
the sunrise and the sun set, it's stunningly beautiful and
it feels like it's beautiful for us to look at.
So you're probably onto something here. We meant to be
watching it in terms of our health.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Right, Yes see, I'm teary.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
We be saying that it is we're missing it all
with how we're living now.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Yeah, we actually are.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
And there's a beautiful book called The Top Five Regrets
of the dying by a beautiful lady called Bronnie Ware
and she was a palliative care nurse and when she
talks about this in our book in her book sorry,
But when you talk to people who are dying and
you ask them what they're going to miss the most
in the world, they tell you really ordinary things like
the night sky. And we have these things right now,
(18:53):
And I think when if we need to let ourselves
have what we have right now, because that's what joy
is all about, and it gives us an error placeable
depth of energy, and it also helps put things in perspective.
So it's of course, things like anxiety and low mood
are multifactorial. They have lots of drivers. But I think
it can really be very soothing for our soul to
(19:14):
notice way more what's happening around us, like sunlight and
the night sky.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
It's going to be a whole lot more people watching
the sunrise and sun sit now I'm looking up at
the skirt of stars.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
I love it. It's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
What about the sleep side of things? Is that part
of an important thing for you?
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Yes, that would be an understatement, so and I think
sleep is sleep is very important to me personally. It's
something I prioritize. It is I think too. It's a
basic foundation of our health. And when I've had patches
where I don't sleep well, I use it as feedback.
So I don't stress out about it. I don't think, oh,
(19:52):
you know, am I going to fall asleep and then
wake up again at you know, midnight or whatever whatever
time I tend to be waking up.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
I don't stress it about it.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
I just think, I wonder what this is trying to
communicate to me? What do I need to do differently
with how I eat or drink, or move or think,
or my breathing or what you know, almost beliefs and perceptions.
I also let filter into that kind of question. So
what is lousy sleep trying to ask me to do differently?
(20:20):
And so I try to solve it. And that's why
with anything to do with changes in our health, changes
in our face as we age, our face can tell
a story of our life with all the challenges we've
been through as well as all of our joy. And
I personally am here for that because our pain or
(20:41):
challenges allow us to be who we are today as
well as all the good things.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
This is very personal to me.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
But when with something like sleep, I want to solve
that rather than just mask it with something that I take,
because I won't necessarily get the insight that it's trying
to teach me. So that's again sounds a bit odd,
but that's because I feel that sometimes the information will
be there in our daily life, but we're so busy
(21:06):
we don't hear it or notice it coming. There's this
I think there's this incredible voice inside of us that's
full of wisdom guiding us, and it has our back.
It knows when it is time to go to bed,
it knows when we need to lift heavy weights. And
I get that prod all the time and I'm not
acting on it yet, but this chat will prompt me.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Tony. But yes, so sleep is very important to me.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
And any new mothers listening to this, don't hate me
right now.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
I love eight to nine hours a night.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I do love it.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I would aim for that, and I'm someone that gets
up super early from my radio show. But I feel
a little bit like you. I get asked all the time, oh,
where do you find the energy? And I think my
sleep is a huge place because if you're not getting
good sleep, you're not allowing yourself to reset and restore,
not just physically and mentally, but also just that zist
(21:56):
and I will. I will put myself to bed and go, Nope,
my eyes falling out of my head. I'm going to
nap now or I'm going to sleep now, because I
just know, and also purely from a vanity perspective, you
just look strung out if you don't have enough sleep.
And look, there are periods in your life when you
have newborns that you can't get as much. But I
do think the older you get, possibly even if you've
(22:17):
got children, the more time you can get for sleep.
And yeah, it's and then you get to the stage
where you're like, I'm going to prioritize it because I
like it.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I like being in bit it's really nice. And then
I like how I feel when I've had a good sleep.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, I totally appreciate that. Okay, so we've
gone food, exercise, sleep connection.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
We've talked about what else can help us age well.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Hydration again is another really boring topic.
Speaker 5 (22:45):
But we need to make water our main drink because
our body is made up of or different tissues are
made up of different percentages of water, and nothing works
properly inside of us when we are dehydrated, and a
lot of people live chronically dehydrated. They live on caffeine
and alcohol for example, actually draw water out of our cells.
So if you can imagine that the body is made
(23:07):
up of fifty trillion tiny little circles, and they're supposed
to look like a grape, but a lot of people's
cells look more like sultanas, so they're a bit shriveled,
they're a little bit dried out, so the water is
not inside the cell. We want to make sure our
cells are nice and plump and well hydrated because that
allows the little cities that exist inside every cell of
the body to do all of the critical work they do.
(23:28):
And our urine is our blood having been filtered by
our kidneys, so our kidneys have to work ridiculously hard
to try to filter the blood to get the waste
products out of our blood when we're dehydrated, and over
time that takes its toll not just on kidney function,
but on our skin and on other interior processes. So yeah,
hydration is another really good key I think to think about.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Do you drink coffee, Yes, you do yes, so you
don't think it's terribly bad. But is it? Is there
a limit to what you think we should be drinking.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
I think we know in our own hearts the right
amount for us. We just off and override it because
we love the taste of it, or we like the
break in our routine when we go and get a coffee.
So I definitely went when I wrote Rushing Woman Syndrome
in twenty eleven, which feels like five minutes ago.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Visually, when I remember you putting that out and reading
it does feel.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Like last year. It's fourteen years ago. What I don't
it's crazy.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
So when I wrote that life was very different from
me and I could not drink coffee, it would wire
me into a really uncomfortable place. And we understand obviously
that caffeine leads the human body to produce adrenaline, and
adrenaline is one of the hormones behind anxious feelings, and
so there are definitely people who are naturally really chilled out,
(24:45):
they don't sweat the small stuff. And there are other
people who, because of all sorts of things, can already
feel very anxious, and caffeine can push them into a
very uncomfortable place, and I feel that that's not talked
about enough, not enough people understand that. So yeah, so
I'm at a point in my life where caffeine feels
really lovely. And so as far as the mounts go,
(25:08):
I think we know when we're having too much of it.
So our heart will race, it might upset our tummy,
it might disrupt your sleep. So just noticing those things
might be a little sign that there's too much.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Find us on Instagram at we need to talk with
Tony Street.
Speaker 5 (25:25):
The conversation that we're having around aging right now is
one of.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
The gorgeous girls I work with.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
She actually raised She's only in her thirties, but she
raised it with me, how there's a trend right now
to not allow it to be seen in our faces,
and people need to do We're privileged if you like,
to live at a time where we have access to
all sorts of things and we need to do whatever
spins our tires and makes us feel good. And I
(25:52):
don't deny for a second that there are all sorts
of things we can do that are really lovely for
our self esteem. So I'm not putting that down for
a second. I guess I want to challenge the idea
that that's necessary and to help more people be comfortable
in their own skin, whatever that is. So when we
(26:12):
talk about aging, well, it often involves focusing on things
we need to change. And I like the idea of
accepting ourselves as we are right now, while also recognizing,
like I did, I need to accept myself as I
am right now. I also recognize that it would be
really beneficial for me to lift heavy things. But that
doesn't make me hate myself or be mean to myself.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
It's lease of a person.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
No. And so when it might be a new line
a face on your face that you notice, I see
that and think I've obviously been, you know, doing a
facial expression that has pushed that, and I think, I
wonder what that's about, because that's new. So and again
(26:56):
it sounds like I spend a lot of time thinking
about this stuff.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
It's not. I'll just notice it.
Speaker 5 (26:59):
And then I've trained myself to be really curious about
what might have So what is what are the thought
patterns that are behind that new crease? And I've had
some of my biggest insights drop with learning from what
that's telling me.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
And so I don't want to change that. I like that.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
I like understanding more about myself, more about others, more
about the way I interact with others. The people pleaserre
in Me, who wrote Rushing Woman's Syndrome. She's very much alive.
She runs my life less now, but she's very much
still there. And so often there'll be a new expression
and you know, I've been concentrating really hard, or I
(27:41):
did a lot of research to write Fix Iron first,
and I appreciate that that I was able to do that.
So sometimes, yeah, that's what I mean when that the
face tells a story. So I think part of this
idea of aging well is also accepting that things will
change and that's okay, but doing what we can to
die healthy rather than spending a long time dying.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Yeah, I agree. It staggers me. Really, humans have advanced
in so many ways, and yet we are still in
a world that glorifies the physical image, aren't we And
it's staggering, really to be ruled by what you look
like and how others are going to perceive that you
look like. And we're on this planet for such a
(28:22):
short period of time, and I think it's so it's
so sad. And look, I'm someone that likes to look nice.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
They do.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
I like to put makeup on and I like to
get my hair done. But it doesn't define me and
it doesn't drive what I do every single day. But
I feel sorry for people where they've got themselves into
that state where it drives decisions they make, and it's
sort of prioritized over everything else.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Yeah, and I think there's so much beauty when you
meet someone and they're really comfortable in their skin, regardless
of their appearance. Yes, and you can see that and
you can feel that, and yes, So I guess I
want to encourage, particularly younger women to consider that and
to be really curious about the beliefs they might hold
about themselves that lead them to pursue that.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
And again, if you pursue.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
That, great, no judgment at all, it's you know, to
support yourself.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
That can be a beautiful thing. I'm not denying that.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
But I like to be really curious about the beliefs
that driver us, because beliefs and values drive our choices.
And when I say values, I don't mean ethical preferences
like kindness or generosity, I mean what does your life
actually demonstrate that you value, what do you think about,
what are you prepared to spend your money on, what
do you read about. They're essentially showing us our values,
and we look after what we care about, whether that's
(29:41):
the environment, our families, our physical body, and so I
think if we can help people beg part of the
work I try to do in the world is to
help people care more about their extraordinary body because when
it comes, when we have that real care for it,
it leads makes our choices come from a really different place.
It's not about oh do this or I need to
(30:01):
deprive myself of that. It's I'm doing this because I
care so much about my earth suit and appreciate life.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
It's all so very precious.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I know lots of women that value the work that
you do. I'm one of them, always trying to know,
you know, what's the latest thing we can do to
help ourselves have a happier life. You must have come
across people that aren't looking after their health, and is
it hard for you to understand, as someone that's such
a picture of health, when you've got someone that is
(30:34):
at a loss to help themselves and you know they
don't know where to start.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Almost I feel like I do understand it, but it
breaks it really breaks my heart, because I worry about
how they see themselves and the beliefs they must have
about themselves. And that's where the work essentially needs to
be done. I could talk till I'm blue in the
face guiding and supporting someone to eat, nutritiously, move regularly.
(31:00):
We make water their main drink. You know, I think
most people know that that's probably the way to go.
My big curiosity for someone who might not be caring
for themselves is why why are you not doing that?
And it's always comes down to beliefs and values, and
so often the beliefs about ourselves are ingrained in us
from such a young age, so we beliefs are slippery too.
(31:23):
We know what we believe about things outside of ourself,
about that person or that political party, or the family
that lives in that house down the road, But when
it comes to beliefs about ourselves, we can't. We quite
often can't see them because they're tied up in our language.
So we see them our beliefs as the truth. And
so you might eat a whole type of ice cream
(31:43):
after dinner and tell yourself you're hopeless and pathetic and
that you have no will power. But then we don't
question that statement that we've made inside our own minds.
That's packaged, it's done, you know, But it's a belief.
And the belief that you're hopeless and pathetic and have
no will power has come from a judgment you passed
on yourself time and time and time again in the past.
(32:05):
That then leads you to almost justify continuing with those choices.
So I have a very deep compassion for and I've
worked with a lot of people who have beliefs that
are so inaccurate about themselves. And essentially where I'm guiding
them in any aspect of my work is if they
(32:27):
knew who they.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Truly are, they would be in awe of themselves.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
And I don't mean that in any for you know,
with to sort of support arrogance.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
So I don't mean that.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
It's just it's reverence to live with a little bit
more reverence for our body and our health and beliefs.
Changing beliefs can help us get there.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
So how do you maintain a good mindset as we age?
You know? Is it a matter of I mean I
spoke to Gilbert and Oka the all Blacks mental skills coach,
and one of the things he encourages people to have
as a critical friend that they talk to. We all
should have to talk to about our concerns and our
worries and our goals. And I guess a corporate version
(33:05):
of that is this push to have professional corporate coaching.
And I guess the layperson's version of that might be
You've just got a really good friend that you talk
to about your worries. But the key theme is you're
actually not going in alone. And it was something kind
of grabbed me and I thought, I feel quite lucky
because I've got quite a nice tight circle around me.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Is it something that you would encourage too without doubt?
Speaker 5 (33:28):
Tony, And that person that you really trust, whether it's
a dear friend who has some wisdom or some cheekiness
or a different take on life, someone also who's not
frightened to with love and respect tell you when you
might be really way off kilter and you need a
bit of an uppercut. Those friends are incredibly valuable. But
(33:49):
then someone who you feel you can speak incredibly freely
with and not be judged. So it might be a friend,
it might be a counselor it might be a psychologist.
I know as a child I wrote in a journal
to try to sort of sort things out a bit,
and so I think some people do really well just
writing very freely, as if no one's going to read it,
and insight can.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Flow there too.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
But without doubt that those conversations can make such a difference.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Doctor Lobbie, I've loved talking to you today.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
I feel like it's been great getting an insight into
what makes you tick and some practical things as well.
I might have to look at the sunset tonight, I
think as much as I do, I do notice it occasionally,
but being intentional about that, I think it's a really
cool practice, and.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
I think for children as well, because it can be
we can all children as well, can spend way too
much time on screens and it's almost like life is
in there in a bubble, and yeah, it's I feel
like that takes us away from life, and so teaching
children that that's always available to embrace or to appreciate,
(34:50):
I think is a really lovely little trick that would
help a.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
Lot of children feel a lot calmer on the inside.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Just before we finish, can you remind us again about
this new book of yours and how it's being received.
Speaker 5 (35:01):
So yes, I wrote fix Iron first, the one thing
that changes everything. It came out at the end of May,
and I have been so blown away with the reception.
We're in our third reprint, so yeah, it's been beautifully received.
It is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world,
particularly for women, teenage girls athletes, and unfortunately a growing
(35:21):
number of children.
Speaker 4 (35:22):
So it's more than just the book, Tony.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
I'm on a real mission to resolve it globally. So
I think, you know, there might be children in a
family with really loving, attentive parents, and they might not
recognize the signs of iron deficiency.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
So I want to educate them to address that.
Speaker 5 (35:39):
There are children who come from really hard places who
go to school without breakfast, they're probably iron deficient. And
then there are children in developing countries who don't have
access to iron rich food. And there's a manifesto at
the start of the book that I want to elevate
this conversation around iron deficiency and bring it back to
the top of the pile because it affects childhood development.
With IQ, with cognition, with AT ten and I know
(36:02):
lots of teenage girls who they start to menstru weight,
they go plant based with their eating, they become iron deficient.
The anxiety is huge, and I worry that too many
of them end up living with the false belief that
there's something wrong with them, when it might not for all,
but for some of them it's iron deficiency. I worry
about women going through perimenopause who don't have robust iron
(36:23):
status and their resilience, their energy, their thyroid function, all
of it's compromised. So yeah, fix iron first, and my supplement,
Iconic Iron, has been It's my big new project and
I'm really really loving it.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Fantastic. Hey, thank you so much for joining me today.
It's lovely as always and I look forward to your
next project.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Tony, your gorgeous Thank you so much. Thanks for listening to.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
We need to talk. Get in contact with us on
Instagram at we need to Talk with Tony Street or
email we need to talk at coastonline, dot co dotz
it
This episode is brought to you by Uber One.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Welcome So we need to talk Tony Street's Lifestyle and
Wellness podcast.
Speaker 3 (00:10):
Hello and welcome to we need to talk. We all
strive to age as well as we can, to stay strong, healthy,
full of energy as the years go on. But what
are the habits that actually make the difference. There is
a whole lot of noise out there, people making suggestions,
and it's really hard to know what is the best
thing to do today. I'm joined by someone who has
spent her career helping us answer that question, Doctor Libby.
(00:32):
She's a nutritional biochemist and author, a wellness guru who
has guided thousands of women to better health. Recently, she's
been a shining light on something so many of us
actually overlook, and that is the importance of iron, and
that is in a new book and how a lack
of it is leaving women running on empty.
Speaker 1 (00:48):
At fifty one, Libby herself looks.
Speaker 3 (00:50):
And feels incredible. I can attest to that, and I
wanted to find out why. And as someone that will
be heading towards her fifty soon, I want to know
all her secret What are the daily choices, what are
the rituals, the mindset shifts that keep her thriving, from
food and movement to streets and sleep. Today we're going
to unpack the seven habits to age well and how
(01:11):
we can actually put them into practice'b be, it's so
nice to have you here.
Speaker 4 (01:14):
Well, Tony. It is always a joy to see you.
Thank you.
Speaker 3 (01:16):
You've got such a great energy about you. Every time
I see you. You just exude a bit of a sparkle,
and I think that's what women chase, right. We want
to have that sparkle, that sort of zest for life.
Speaker 1 (01:28):
And I think that's what you have, and that's why
we all want to know how you get it.
Speaker 4 (01:33):
You're too generous.
Speaker 5 (01:35):
I do feel that inside my own cells, though I
feel it very much in my heart, and I think
a big part of that is I just feel so
fortunate that I get to have this turn on Earth,
so I don't Yes, there can be days that might
feel a little bit more challenging, or not even days,
but moments, but I try to keep all of that
in perspective in and live with it.
Speaker 4 (01:53):
Sounds a bit hippy triopy, but I.
Speaker 5 (01:55):
Do live with a lot of awe of how extraordinary
it is to actually get to be here, how many
different parts play their part and actually enjoying life as
you age.
Speaker 1 (02:05):
It's quite a puzzle, isn't it, Because.
Speaker 3 (02:06):
There are many many areas that we can work on,
and we're busy creatures, so it is hard to work
on everything. But do you have kind of areas that
you deliberately prioritize.
Speaker 5 (02:17):
So the three pillars of my work really come into
play here, Tony, So biochemistry, nutrition, and then emotions or
you could say mindset. So as far as biochemistry goes,
we can think about what's happening in our blood work,
so it might be a yearly blood test with your GP.
That's something I do just to find out where things
are at. And then of course with nutrition, it's not
(02:38):
very long ago we only ate food and the junk
is really infiltrated, so when we prioritize eating mostly whole
real food, it can make such a big difference. And
I know that sounds so boring. It's really hard to
make it sexy. But for example, vegetables, we're told that
we need five servings and vegetables per day just for
average basic health.
Speaker 4 (02:57):
That's not for kicking out of the park.
Speaker 5 (02:58):
Awesome levels of health and energy, or the prevention of
things like dementia, which I'll touch on in a second,
because obviously that can be a real concern for a
lot of people with time. But when less than ten
percent of KEI we adults are getting five serves of
vegetables per day, and it's just a really simple place
to start. It doesn't have to be health, doesn't have
(03:18):
to be this big overwhelming thing that we feel is impossible.
Just taking a step in the direction of eating more
of those vegges can make a big difference.
Speaker 4 (03:27):
It's something that.
Speaker 5 (03:28):
I've prioritized thanks to my gorgeous mum, who's eighty one.
She taught me to do that. But yeah, there's actually
it's sort of common sense, I think, Tony. But there's
some really great research that's come out just this year
looking at the role of compounds in vegetables that are
incredibly protective for our brain against age related decline. So
(03:48):
it's not really something we think about in our twenties
or thirties, but we kind of need to. But establishing
those habits early on can make a really big difference
to what unfolds in our future.
Speaker 3 (03:57):
All vegetables created equal or are there some that you
put above others?
Speaker 5 (04:02):
Green veggies absolutely, and the brassicas so they contain some
really unique compounds that foster all sorts of biochemical processes
inside of us. So when we don't consume those, or
we don't have enough of those, some of some really
important processes inside of us can actually slow down. So
it's kind of easy, I think, to just think about,
you know, throwing a few more of those on your plate.
Speaker 3 (04:24):
So you're putting vegetables a heat of fruit, I am, yep,
so deliberately.
Speaker 4 (04:29):
So, yes, fruit is beautiful.
Speaker 5 (04:31):
No need I actually worry about younger people. I've had
younger people say to me, I'm too scared to eat
a banana because.
Speaker 4 (04:37):
Of the sugar. That's a big worry. It's the sugar
in the banana.
Speaker 5 (04:41):
It comes packaged with fiber, with antioxidants, with vitamins, with minerals,
and also some unique compounds that only is contained in
a banana or other pieces of fruit. But yes, fruit
does contain sugar, and that is something we can over consume.
So two pieces of fruit a day is terrific, and
obviously that would be almost the The second pillar in
(05:01):
aging well is to really minimize those added sugars. We're
told that it's okay to have six teaspoons of added
sugar per day, but at the moment in New Zealand,
we're having thirty seven tea spoons.
Speaker 1 (05:12):
Oh it's outrageous. How many teaspoons a day would you have.
Speaker 4 (05:15):
Of added sugars?
Speaker 3 (05:16):
Oh?
Speaker 4 (05:17):
Probably not even one.
Speaker 1 (05:18):
I was going to say, I bet you don't.
Speaker 5 (05:20):
I don't actually have a sweet tooth, though, which irritates
a lot of people. I think I will choose butter
over anything sweet in a heartbeat. So it's just I'm not.
I don't purposefully avoid it. I just don't seek it.
Speaker 3 (05:33):
Don't you think, though, your sweet tooth gets worse the
more sugar you consume.
Speaker 5 (05:37):
Yes, sugar be gets more sugar without doubt. And I
think if we think back to I know, when I
was growing up, the ultra processed food was available at
birthday parties. It was really expensive, so it was considered
almost like a treat. Yes, And that's a big part
of the problem. Now it's too cheap. It's so easy
to throw it in the groceries every week, and people
(05:59):
are consuming at every day. And a phrase I've used
in my work for a long time. It is what
we do every day that impacts our health. It's not
what we occasionally do. We don't need to go without
some of these things that we might love, but if
we're having them every day, it's too much.
Speaker 3 (06:12):
What does your food preparation look like on a daily basis,
so youse someone that makes you meals on a Sunday?
Do you do them in the morning? Do you prepare
ahead of time or do you just cook as you go?
Speaker 4 (06:23):
I cook as I go?
Speaker 5 (06:24):
Okay, but I know when I shop, I know roughly
what I'm going to be cooking for the week. And
I absolutely love food shopping. I can actually take a
really long time in the shops looking at new things.
Speaker 4 (06:37):
That might have developed.
Speaker 5 (06:38):
It's a really fun time in I guess the nutrition
and nutritious food kind of space. So yeah, I do
plan ahead in my mind. But then if I don't
really feel like that on the day, I'll do something.
You can prevent what would a typical day of eating?
Because I know people will be interested in this would
a typical day of eating look like for you. I
want to preface what I say by I grew up
(07:00):
as someone who gave myself a lot of rules to follow,
and I realized in my twenties that that was really fear.
Speaker 4 (07:09):
It wasn't coming from health.
Speaker 5 (07:10):
I thought it was health, but it was very much
the mask I wore to kind of hide my fear
about what eating certain things might do. So and I
feel like there's we kind of can't be that healthy
when we're frightened. So I actually there's a lot of
benefit for me personally in a bit more. I don't
(07:31):
want to say relaxation.
Speaker 1 (07:32):
It's sort of flexibility. Flexibility perfect.
Speaker 4 (07:35):
Yeah.
Speaker 5 (07:35):
I have in Real Food Chef, one of the cookbooks
I did many years ago, now, I actually wrote the
term flexitarian. So I still maintain that. So when I
answer what I eat each day, I'd love people to
keep in mind that when I share that, it's not
me saying this is how you need to eat.
Speaker 4 (07:52):
It's what works for me.
Speaker 5 (07:53):
And I think there are people when it comes I
see our body.
Speaker 4 (07:57):
I call it an.
Speaker 5 (07:58):
Earth suit, and I have immense reverence for it, and
I feel it is that it can be our best
friend if we allow it to be A communicates with us.
It gives us feedback about our choices. And so when
I think about that. I have this real care about
what I put into it, but I like to think
of it almost like standards rather than as these rigid
(08:20):
rules that I have to follow, otherwise the world's going
to fall apart. So if I've mowed the lawn, I
love a beer at the but it's not something I'm
going to do on a daily basis, or it probably
not even a weekly basis.
Speaker 4 (08:31):
But that's so for me. That's just part of life.
Speaker 5 (08:35):
Yes, and it's gorgeous and it's so nourishing for my soul.
And I know there's lots of research about alcohol and
brain health, and I just feel that I just can't
vibe that that's doing me any in any way.
Speaker 3 (08:50):
So it's refreshing to hear, actually, because it's that part
of being a healthy and virate person is having a
good mind sitting and allowing yourself a bit of joy.
Speaker 4 (09:00):
Yeah that's right, and yeah it feels great.
Speaker 5 (09:03):
So to answer your question, I have a great big
glass of water when I get up in the morning,
and lemon is probably my favorite flavor, so then I'll
actually squeeze lemon and drink that juice. Love that, And
then breakfast is usually I make my own gluten free
bread and I have eggs on that with a big
side of spinach and mushrooms. So that's usually the start
of the day. I lather the toast in olive oil.
(09:28):
Snacks don't feature. I don't get hungry mid morning. Lunch
is a real variety because I can be anywhere, so
that could be something in a cafe. But again I'll
just choose pretty much whole real food with some sort
of protein and some sort of vegetable, and then dinner
is the same, some sort of protein, some veggies. I
love carbohydrates at night, so potato, sweet potato, brown rice,
(09:50):
normal white rice. That kind of stuff is always on
my plate at night. It helps me sleep better.
Speaker 3 (09:55):
Is there anything that is a complete no go for you?
Foods you just do not eat. I love the fact
that you have an occasional beer revelation today.
Speaker 5 (10:05):
Um, what would be a no go? I don't see
the point in Lolly's. I used to actually joke with
my team. I understand why people go for chocolate, of course,
but Lolli's I can't wrap my head around what that's
about because it's just literally a handful of sugar, Whereas
there's a bit more substance or texture to chocolate.
Speaker 3 (10:24):
But anyway, so Lolli's just don't interest me. Lolly's is
the thing. I'm more of a chocolate than a Lolly
person myself. To I just want to go back to
you mentioned your mum and the fact that you live
quite close to your parents now as they're entering into
the eighties. That family connection and the ability to be
there and to help them, does that come into your
(10:47):
happiness and your well being too.
Speaker 4 (10:49):
Yes, without doubt, Tony.
Speaker 5 (10:51):
They are really beautiful human beings and I feel so
fortunate with the way that they raised me. Understanding where
they came from the blow my mind. They're very quiet people,
they live very very simply, and yes so too. It's
a privilege that I'm fifty one and still have two
parents on the planet. That blows my mind. It doesn't
(11:12):
mean that it's not challenging at times, but I'm very
aware of the privilege of still having them around. Even
last week, my dad was telling me stories that I
hadn't heard before. And if we don't actually have that
one on one time, we miss those stories and they
might pass away without us ever knowing things about their
past or their perceptions and experiences in the world. So
(11:35):
it's a really lovely time in my life right now
to be able to be able to do that.
Speaker 4 (11:40):
So it's yeah, So family is really special.
Speaker 3 (11:44):
Your upbringing you say you had this great upbringing. Has
that influenced where you have gone with your work and
the career that you've ended up with it will.
Speaker 5 (11:54):
Have It's I was someone who never didn't see cambish
and I didn't ever dream I'd do this or this
or this. My friends used to talk like that and
it was just not my vibe. But I loved nutrition
right from the get go. We we had a small backyard,
but Dad grew quite a lot of food, and so
(12:15):
he would He really was a farmer at heart, and
so he would actually plant wheat in the backyard every
year and he'd say to me, I want to see
what the crops out west are doing, so based on
the weather conditions and the rainfall, and so I sort
of learned about he'd explained to me about how soil
and weather impacts essentially what we then get to eat.
We grew citrus fruits and strawberries and things in the backyard,
(12:38):
so he would it was just natural conversation, Oh, yeah,
it's got some vitamins saying it, you know, that will
help you not get a cold, So that it was
not constantly talked about, but it would filter and in conversations.
My grandmother, she didn't live in the same town as us,
but she would come to our town sometimes if she
needed to see her doctor.
Speaker 4 (12:56):
And she didn't ever bring me chocolate.
Speaker 5 (12:59):
She brought me She would say, oh, I've brought you this,
and it was a pottle of yogurt and she'd say
to me, and.
Speaker 4 (13:06):
The treat is you get to put a teaspoon of
honey in it.
Speaker 5 (13:09):
And I say to people, no, wonder I turned out
a bit weird because it was so funny.
Speaker 4 (13:13):
How was my nanna?
Speaker 5 (13:15):
And she lived to be ninety six, living on her own,
good genes, on no medication, died in her sleep. So
because I've witnessed that, I know you can die healthy, yes,
And that is so when we talk about aging and aging, well,
I very much have her in my mind as to
how she did that. And I really love and value
(13:38):
my independence, love connecting with others as well, But I
really I always want to be able to do things
for myself. I always want to be able to put
on my own shoes. So when I think about how
I take care of things now, it's not just so
I can put my shoes on today, so I can
still put my own shoes on when I'm ninety.
Speaker 2 (13:56):
Now back, we need to talk with Tony Street.
Speaker 3 (13:59):
So we've talked to that food element. What about the
movement or exercise element. Are you following this? You've got
to lift TV weights mantra when you're over forty.
Speaker 5 (14:10):
So absolutely, the benefit in it is immense. It's an
area where I need to improve. It was something that
I've done a lot of it in my life, and
I've let it go in the last couple of years,
right when I really need to not be letting it go.
I've been prioritizing work and my iron project, my mum
(14:33):
and dad, and my personal relationships. I've been prioritizing that
not lifting heavy things, and I can feel the difference.
So it's very much what I want to return to.
I love pilates, but I'm very much a garden sort
of human, so I like carrying twenty killer gram bags
(14:55):
of mulch. I love carrying twenty killer gram bags of
chicken food, so I like to do that sort of
gardening work and lift heavy things or by myself as
also part of my movement. But I think when to
understand how important it is to maintain robust energy as
we age, strength and flexibility, they're the three pillars that
(15:19):
I think about to make sure our earth suit is
able to stand the test of time on the planet.
So energy, strength, and flexibility. So what does it take
to keep our body able to do everything we want
to be able to do in life?
Speaker 3 (15:31):
So essentially you're saying, yes, the heavyweights, but you've got
the natural version. What do you said on the cardio
side of things?
Speaker 5 (15:38):
So, I mean it's incredibly important to have that kind
of conditioning. Because I grew up in the era I did,
there was a lot of over exercising because it was
that very much health was based on that calorie equation. Yes,
so I saw a lot of over exercising, and obviously
that can be as concerning for health as under exercising.
Speaker 4 (15:59):
Exercise is not area of expertise.
Speaker 5 (16:01):
I've learnt things from other people who are experts in
that area, and their health and their physiology reflect their
dedication to looking after themselves and that they are not
as big on cardio from I guess from the idea
of over exercising. So yeah, but the strength the lifting
(16:24):
the heavy items is incredibly important. And being able to
do what's called the seven primal movement patterns and I
won't remember them all, but bending, squatting, push, pull, gait,
so being able to do that for again, to think
about the idea that because we are in this time
where we're privileged to live for a lot longer than
(16:44):
ever before, but do we live too short and die
too long? So I know I want to spend a
long time living. I don't want to spend a long
time dying. And I think if we particularly look after
nutrition and our movement patterns, particularly our muscle mass, it
can make a big difference to how we age.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
What else are you considering to age well well?
Speaker 5 (17:02):
Time in nature is my reset, so I don't compromise
that I watch That sounds crazy, but I watch light change.
Speaker 4 (17:10):
So I watch the sun rise.
Speaker 5 (17:11):
I take pauses through the day and notice what the
light is doing. I watch the sun set, even if
I have to open my laptop again and go back to.
Speaker 1 (17:18):
Work your pores and do that very much.
Speaker 4 (17:21):
And it's partly for a sense of appreciation.
Speaker 5 (17:24):
It's also we don't get to be here without that
extraordinary sun that rises every day to give us everything
that it gives us. And yeah, so it's partly those
pauses I think to noticing the night sky is really profound.
So when we feel really anxious or our mood is
really flat, Yes, there can be bio chemical reasons for that,
(17:45):
like iron deficiency, which I've talked about a lot recently,
but it can also be that we're very focused almost
on our insides and when I think, the night sky
is a really great reset, so it helps us to
be almost confused, but in mystical awe of how is that?
Speaker 3 (18:05):
So vast I understand that concept and I've only just
thought about this hearing from you. When you think about
the sunrise and the sun set, it's stunningly beautiful and
it feels like it's beautiful for us to look at.
So you're probably onto something here. We meant to be
watching it in terms of our health.
Speaker 4 (18:22):
Right, Yes see, I'm teary.
Speaker 5 (18:24):
We be saying that it is we're missing it all
with how we're living now.
Speaker 1 (18:28):
Yeah, we actually are.
Speaker 5 (18:30):
And there's a beautiful book called The Top Five Regrets
of the dying by a beautiful lady called Bronnie Ware
and she was a palliative care nurse and when she
talks about this in our book in her book sorry,
But when you talk to people who are dying and
you ask them what they're going to miss the most
in the world, they tell you really ordinary things like
the night sky. And we have these things right now,
(18:53):
And I think when if we need to let ourselves
have what we have right now, because that's what joy
is all about, and it gives us an error placeable
depth of energy, and it also helps put things in perspective.
So it's of course, things like anxiety and low mood
are multifactorial. They have lots of drivers. But I think
it can really be very soothing for our soul to
(19:14):
notice way more what's happening around us, like sunlight and
the night sky.
Speaker 3 (19:18):
It's going to be a whole lot more people watching
the sunrise and sun sit now I'm looking up at
the skirt of stars.
Speaker 4 (19:22):
I love it. It's a good thing.
Speaker 1 (19:24):
What about the sleep side of things? Is that part
of an important thing for you?
Speaker 5 (19:30):
Yes, that would be an understatement, so and I think
sleep is sleep is very important to me personally. It's
something I prioritize. It is I think too. It's a
basic foundation of our health. And when I've had patches
where I don't sleep well, I use it as feedback.
So I don't stress out about it. I don't think, oh,
(19:52):
you know, am I going to fall asleep and then
wake up again at you know, midnight or whatever whatever
time I tend to be waking up.
Speaker 4 (19:59):
I don't stress it about it.
Speaker 5 (20:00):
I just think, I wonder what this is trying to
communicate to me? What do I need to do differently
with how I eat or drink, or move or think,
or my breathing or what you know, almost beliefs and perceptions.
I also let filter into that kind of question. So
what is lousy sleep trying to ask me to do differently?
(20:20):
And so I try to solve it. And that's why
with anything to do with changes in our health, changes
in our face as we age, our face can tell
a story of our life with all the challenges we've
been through as well as all of our joy. And
I personally am here for that because our pain or
(20:41):
challenges allow us to be who we are today as
well as all the good things.
Speaker 4 (20:45):
This is very personal to me.
Speaker 5 (20:46):
But when with something like sleep, I want to solve
that rather than just mask it with something that I take,
because I won't necessarily get the insight that it's trying
to teach me. So that's again sounds a bit odd,
but that's because I feel that sometimes the information will
be there in our daily life, but we're so busy
(21:06):
we don't hear it or notice it coming. There's this
I think there's this incredible voice inside of us that's
full of wisdom guiding us, and it has our back.
It knows when it is time to go to bed,
it knows when we need to lift heavy weights. And
I get that prod all the time and I'm not
acting on it yet, but this chat will prompt me.
Speaker 4 (21:23):
Tony. But yes, so sleep is very important to me.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
And any new mothers listening to this, don't hate me
right now.
Speaker 4 (21:32):
I love eight to nine hours a night.
Speaker 1 (21:34):
I do love it.
Speaker 3 (21:35):
I would aim for that, and I'm someone that gets
up super early from my radio show. But I feel
a little bit like you. I get asked all the time, oh,
where do you find the energy? And I think my
sleep is a huge place because if you're not getting
good sleep, you're not allowing yourself to reset and restore,
not just physically and mentally, but also just that zist
(21:56):
and I will. I will put myself to bed and go, Nope,
my eyes falling out of my head. I'm going to
nap now or I'm going to sleep now, because I
just know, and also purely from a vanity perspective, you
just look strung out if you don't have enough sleep.
And look, there are periods in your life when you
have newborns that you can't get as much. But I
do think the older you get, possibly even if you've
(22:17):
got children, the more time you can get for sleep.
And yeah, it's and then you get to the stage
where you're like, I'm going to prioritize it because I
like it.
Speaker 4 (22:26):
I like being in bit it's really nice. And then
I like how I feel when I've had a good sleep.
Speaker 3 (22:31):
Yeah, absolutely, absolutely, I totally appreciate that. Okay, so we've
gone food, exercise, sleep connection.
Speaker 1 (22:39):
We've talked about what else can help us age well.
Speaker 4 (22:42):
Hydration again is another really boring topic.
Speaker 5 (22:45):
But we need to make water our main drink because
our body is made up of or different tissues are
made up of different percentages of water, and nothing works
properly inside of us when we are dehydrated, and a
lot of people live chronically dehydrated. They live on caffeine
and alcohol for example, actually draw water out of our cells.
So if you can imagine that the body is made
(23:07):
up of fifty trillion tiny little circles, and they're supposed
to look like a grape, but a lot of people's
cells look more like sultanas, so they're a bit shriveled,
they're a little bit dried out, so the water is
not inside the cell. We want to make sure our
cells are nice and plump and well hydrated because that
allows the little cities that exist inside every cell of
the body to do all of the critical work they do.
(23:28):
And our urine is our blood having been filtered by
our kidneys, so our kidneys have to work ridiculously hard
to try to filter the blood to get the waste
products out of our blood when we're dehydrated, and over
time that takes its toll not just on kidney function,
but on our skin and on other interior processes. So yeah,
hydration is another really good key I think to think about.
Speaker 3 (23:50):
Do you drink coffee, Yes, you do yes, so you
don't think it's terribly bad. But is it? Is there
a limit to what you think we should be drinking.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
I think we know in our own hearts the right
amount for us. We just off and override it because
we love the taste of it, or we like the
break in our routine when we go and get a coffee.
So I definitely went when I wrote Rushing Woman Syndrome
in twenty eleven, which feels like five minutes ago.
Speaker 3 (24:15):
Visually, when I remember you putting that out and reading
it does feel.
Speaker 4 (24:19):
Like last year. It's fourteen years ago. What I don't
it's crazy.
Speaker 5 (24:24):
So when I wrote that life was very different from
me and I could not drink coffee, it would wire
me into a really uncomfortable place. And we understand obviously
that caffeine leads the human body to produce adrenaline, and
adrenaline is one of the hormones behind anxious feelings, and
so there are definitely people who are naturally really chilled out,
(24:45):
they don't sweat the small stuff. And there are other
people who, because of all sorts of things, can already
feel very anxious, and caffeine can push them into a
very uncomfortable place, and I feel that that's not talked
about enough, not enough people understand that. So yeah, so
I'm at a point in my life where caffeine feels
really lovely. And so as far as the mounts go,
(25:08):
I think we know when we're having too much of it.
So our heart will race, it might upset our tummy,
it might disrupt your sleep. So just noticing those things
might be a little sign that there's too much.
Speaker 2 (25:21):
Find us on Instagram at we need to talk with
Tony Street.
Speaker 5 (25:25):
The conversation that we're having around aging right now is
one of.
Speaker 4 (25:29):
The gorgeous girls I work with.
Speaker 5 (25:30):
She actually raised She's only in her thirties, but she
raised it with me, how there's a trend right now
to not allow it to be seen in our faces,
and people need to do We're privileged if you like,
to live at a time where we have access to
all sorts of things and we need to do whatever
spins our tires and makes us feel good. And I
(25:52):
don't deny for a second that there are all sorts
of things we can do that are really lovely for
our self esteem. So I'm not putting that down for
a second. I guess I want to challenge the idea
that that's necessary and to help more people be comfortable
in their own skin, whatever that is. So when we
(26:12):
talk about aging, well, it often involves focusing on things
we need to change. And I like the idea of
accepting ourselves as we are right now, while also recognizing,
like I did, I need to accept myself as I
am right now. I also recognize that it would be
really beneficial for me to lift heavy things. But that
doesn't make me hate myself or be mean to myself.
Speaker 1 (26:34):
It's lease of a person.
Speaker 5 (26:36):
No. And so when it might be a new line
a face on your face that you notice, I see
that and think I've obviously been, you know, doing a
facial expression that has pushed that, and I think, I
wonder what that's about, because that's new. So and again
(26:56):
it sounds like I spend a lot of time thinking
about this stuff.
Speaker 4 (26:58):
It's not. I'll just notice it.
Speaker 5 (26:59):
And then I've trained myself to be really curious about
what might have So what is what are the thought
patterns that are behind that new crease? And I've had
some of my biggest insights drop with learning from what
that's telling me.
Speaker 4 (27:16):
And so I don't want to change that. I like that.
Speaker 5 (27:19):
I like understanding more about myself, more about others, more
about the way I interact with others. The people pleaserre
in Me, who wrote Rushing Woman's Syndrome. She's very much alive.
She runs my life less now, but she's very much
still there. And so often there'll be a new expression
and you know, I've been concentrating really hard, or I
(27:41):
did a lot of research to write Fix Iron first,
and I appreciate that that I was able to do that.
So sometimes, yeah, that's what I mean when that the
face tells a story. So I think part of this
idea of aging well is also accepting that things will
change and that's okay, but doing what we can to
die healthy rather than spending a long time dying.
Speaker 3 (28:02):
Yeah, I agree. It staggers me. Really, humans have advanced
in so many ways, and yet we are still in
a world that glorifies the physical image, aren't we And
it's staggering, really to be ruled by what you look
like and how others are going to perceive that you
look like. And we're on this planet for such a
(28:22):
short period of time, and I think it's so it's
so sad. And look, I'm someone that likes to look nice.
Speaker 4 (28:28):
They do.
Speaker 3 (28:29):
I like to put makeup on and I like to
get my hair done. But it doesn't define me and
it doesn't drive what I do every single day. But
I feel sorry for people where they've got themselves into
that state where it drives decisions they make, and it's
sort of prioritized over everything else.
Speaker 5 (28:46):
Yeah, and I think there's so much beauty when you
meet someone and they're really comfortable in their skin, regardless
of their appearance. Yes, and you can see that and
you can feel that, and yes, So I guess I
want to encourage, particularly younger women to consider that and
to be really curious about the beliefs they might hold
about themselves that lead them to pursue that.
Speaker 4 (29:10):
And again, if you pursue.
Speaker 5 (29:11):
That, great, no judgment at all, it's you know, to
support yourself.
Speaker 4 (29:15):
That can be a beautiful thing. I'm not denying that.
Speaker 5 (29:18):
But I like to be really curious about the beliefs
that driver us, because beliefs and values drive our choices.
And when I say values, I don't mean ethical preferences
like kindness or generosity, I mean what does your life
actually demonstrate that you value, what do you think about,
what are you prepared to spend your money on, what
do you read about. They're essentially showing us our values,
and we look after what we care about, whether that's
(29:41):
the environment, our families, our physical body, and so I
think if we can help people beg part of the
work I try to do in the world is to
help people care more about their extraordinary body because when
it comes, when we have that real care for it,
it leads makes our choices come from a really different place.
It's not about oh do this or I need to
(30:01):
deprive myself of that. It's I'm doing this because I
care so much about my earth suit and appreciate life.
Speaker 4 (30:09):
It's all so very precious.
Speaker 3 (30:12):
I know lots of women that value the work that
you do. I'm one of them, always trying to know,
you know, what's the latest thing we can do to
help ourselves have a happier life. You must have come
across people that aren't looking after their health, and is
it hard for you to understand, as someone that's such
a picture of health, when you've got someone that is
(30:34):
at a loss to help themselves and you know they
don't know where to start.
Speaker 5 (30:38):
Almost I feel like I do understand it, but it
breaks it really breaks my heart, because I worry about
how they see themselves and the beliefs they must have
about themselves. And that's where the work essentially needs to
be done. I could talk till I'm blue in the
face guiding and supporting someone to eat, nutritiously, move regularly.
(31:00):
We make water their main drink. You know, I think
most people know that that's probably the way to go.
My big curiosity for someone who might not be caring
for themselves is why why are you not doing that?
And it's always comes down to beliefs and values, and
so often the beliefs about ourselves are ingrained in us
from such a young age, so we beliefs are slippery too.
(31:23):
We know what we believe about things outside of ourself,
about that person or that political party, or the family
that lives in that house down the road, But when
it comes to beliefs about ourselves, we can't. We quite
often can't see them because they're tied up in our language.
So we see them our beliefs as the truth. And
so you might eat a whole type of ice cream
(31:43):
after dinner and tell yourself you're hopeless and pathetic and
that you have no will power. But then we don't
question that statement that we've made inside our own minds.
That's packaged, it's done, you know, But it's a belief.
And the belief that you're hopeless and pathetic and have
no will power has come from a judgment you passed
on yourself time and time and time again in the past.
(32:05):
That then leads you to almost justify continuing with those choices.
So I have a very deep compassion for and I've
worked with a lot of people who have beliefs that
are so inaccurate about themselves. And essentially where I'm guiding
them in any aspect of my work is if they
(32:27):
knew who they.
Speaker 4 (32:27):
Truly are, they would be in awe of themselves.
Speaker 5 (32:29):
And I don't mean that in any for you know,
with to sort of support arrogance.
Speaker 4 (32:34):
So I don't mean that.
Speaker 5 (32:35):
It's just it's reverence to live with a little bit
more reverence for our body and our health and beliefs.
Changing beliefs can help us get there.
Speaker 3 (32:43):
So how do you maintain a good mindset as we age?
You know? Is it a matter of I mean I
spoke to Gilbert and Oka the all Blacks mental skills coach,
and one of the things he encourages people to have
as a critical friend that they talk to. We all
should have to talk to about our concerns and our
worries and our goals. And I guess a corporate version
(33:05):
of that is this push to have professional corporate coaching.
And I guess the layperson's version of that might be
You've just got a really good friend that you talk
to about your worries. But the key theme is you're
actually not going in alone. And it was something kind
of grabbed me and I thought, I feel quite lucky
because I've got quite a nice tight circle around me.
Speaker 1 (33:25):
Is it something that you would encourage too without doubt?
Speaker 5 (33:28):
Tony, And that person that you really trust, whether it's
a dear friend who has some wisdom or some cheekiness
or a different take on life, someone also who's not
frightened to with love and respect tell you when you
might be really way off kilter and you need a
bit of an uppercut. Those friends are incredibly valuable. But
(33:49):
then someone who you feel you can speak incredibly freely
with and not be judged. So it might be a friend,
it might be a counselor it might be a psychologist.
I know as a child I wrote in a journal
to try to sort of sort things out a bit,
and so I think some people do really well just
writing very freely, as if no one's going to read it,
and insight can.
Speaker 4 (34:08):
Flow there too.
Speaker 5 (34:09):
But without doubt that those conversations can make such a difference.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
Doctor Lobbie, I've loved talking to you today.
Speaker 3 (34:15):
I feel like it's been great getting an insight into
what makes you tick and some practical things as well.
I might have to look at the sunset tonight, I
think as much as I do, I do notice it occasionally,
but being intentional about that, I think it's a really
cool practice, and.
Speaker 5 (34:29):
I think for children as well, because it can be
we can all children as well, can spend way too
much time on screens and it's almost like life is
in there in a bubble, and yeah, it's I feel
like that takes us away from life, and so teaching
children that that's always available to embrace or to appreciate,
(34:50):
I think is a really lovely little trick that would
help a.
Speaker 4 (34:53):
Lot of children feel a lot calmer on the inside.
Speaker 3 (34:55):
Just before we finish, can you remind us again about
this new book of yours and how it's being received.
Speaker 5 (35:01):
So yes, I wrote fix Iron first, the one thing
that changes everything. It came out at the end of May,
and I have been so blown away with the reception.
We're in our third reprint, so yeah, it's been beautifully received.
It is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world,
particularly for women, teenage girls athletes, and unfortunately a growing
(35:21):
number of children.
Speaker 4 (35:22):
So it's more than just the book, Tony.
Speaker 5 (35:24):
I'm on a real mission to resolve it globally. So
I think, you know, there might be children in a
family with really loving, attentive parents, and they might not
recognize the signs of iron deficiency.
Speaker 4 (35:35):
So I want to educate them to address that.
Speaker 5 (35:39):
There are children who come from really hard places who
go to school without breakfast, they're probably iron deficient. And
then there are children in developing countries who don't have
access to iron rich food. And there's a manifesto at
the start of the book that I want to elevate
this conversation around iron deficiency and bring it back to
the top of the pile because it affects childhood development.
With IQ, with cognition, with AT ten and I know
(36:02):
lots of teenage girls who they start to menstru weight,
they go plant based with their eating, they become iron deficient.
The anxiety is huge, and I worry that too many
of them end up living with the false belief that
there's something wrong with them, when it might not for all,
but for some of them it's iron deficiency. I worry
about women going through perimenopause who don't have robust iron
(36:23):
status and their resilience, their energy, their thyroid function, all
of it's compromised. So yeah, fix iron first, and my supplement,
Iconic Iron, has been It's my big new project and
I'm really really loving it.
Speaker 3 (36:35):
Fantastic. Hey, thank you so much for joining me today.
It's lovely as always and I look forward to your
next project.
Speaker 4 (36:41):
Tony, your gorgeous Thank you so much. Thanks for listening to.
Speaker 2 (36:44):
We need to talk. Get in contact with us on
Instagram at we need to Talk with Tony Street or
email we need to talk at coastonline, dot co dotz
it
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