Issue 72 | August 15, 2025
Happy Friday,
In a recent study, Ozempic reversed aging. On average, people became biologically younger by three years. The weight loss marvel is not marketed as an anti-aging drug, but could it be possible? We’ll be talking more about weight loss drugs in a bit.
Let’s go!
This week:
Consider eating breakfast at this age 🍳
Less nausea, better weight loss 🤢
Vision-boosting eye drops 💧
👁️🗨️Spotlight
Menopause & metabolism
The morning habit that makes a difference.
Image courtesy of Freepik
Perimenopause and menopause are hormonal pivot points.
Declining estrogen changes far more than the reproductive cycle, altering metabolism, weight, and mood, accelerating bone density and muscle loss, and increasing the risk of heart disease and pre-diabetes. ❤️
Combatting these changes starts at breakfast. For women entering midlife, eating breakfast is a strategic way to curb morning cortisol spikes caused by stress, linked to higher cholesterol and cardiovascular strain.
Breakfast better 🥑
Dr. Kathleen Jordan, internist and chief medical officer of Midi Health, recommends 15 grams of protein within 30 minutes of waking and aiming for 1-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight for the day.
Good sources: eggs, yogurt, fish, nuts/seeds, beans
Other essentials for healthy metabolism:
🍬❌ Limit sugar and inflammatory foods/drinks: including saturated fats and alcohol.
🌾 Fiber first: Fiber slows food absorption, improves satiety, and supports gut health.
💪 Don’t under-eat: Eating supports muscle growth and metabolism.
🦴☀️ Calcium and vitamin D: Vitamin D helps the body absorb calcium and protects bone density.
Key takeaway…Registered dietitians and women’s health experts are actively tailoring new guidelines to nourish women’s bodies and reduce the age-related risks that come at midlife.
Keep the convo going
Midlife MRI: Scientists developed a tool that can analyze an MRI brain scan at midlife to predict how fast you’re aging.
‘Viagra for women’: Myregyna is a hormone-free cream whose goal is to ‘bring back the joy of sex’ for women in midlife.
Wellness Watch
Using brain chemistry to support weight loss
Midjourney
Nearly 70% of patients on GLP-1 weight loss drugs like Ozempic quit treatment within a year due to the nausea 🤢 and vomiting.
In the race for more gentle solutions, a team of Syracuse University researchers are developing an injection that ‘sidesteps’ brain pathways that trigger nausea, potentially opening the door to more effective weight loss.
Turning on the light switch 💡
Unlike traditional weight loss drugs, which target neurons in the brain, this new drug targets ‘support’ cells known as glia cells.
Professor Robert Doyle of Syracuse University explains it with an analogy: if neurons are like light bulbs that generate an appetite suppression signal, glia cells are like the light switches. “They don’t create the light, but they control how bright it shines.”
In animal studies, the glia-targeting drug had similar appetite suppression and weight loss abilities to drugs like Ozempic, without the nausea or vomiting.
The longevity potential of weight loss drugs: Weight loss drugs, including GLP-1’s, have significant potential for aging. Most intriguingly:
Lower risk of cardiovascular disease. Weight can be a factor in risk of heart disease, diabetes, and age-related decline.
Possible activation of longevity pathways: Biohackers and women’s health researchers are exploring the possibility of microdosing GLP-1s.
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Top Story
…in mindset, mindfulness, and well-being 😌
The global wellness economy is worth seven trillions dollars, 🌍💰 but true wellness isn’t so transactional. Researchers from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), say it can take just seven minutes to clinically boost well-being. In a recent study from The BIG JOY Project✨, performing daily ‘micro-acts of joy’ reduced stress, increased happiness, and led to better perceived health. These small acts, which included expressing gratitude or chanting a Buddhist prayer, can have ripple effects that lower blood pressure, steady glucose, and improve weight.
Short reads
👁️ Vision-boosting eyedrops: These breakthrough once-daily eye drops offer 10 hours of clear vision for people with near-sightedness.
🌎 Beyond the Blue zones: This region in Western Finland boasts an average life expectancy of nearly 84 years. The caveat? They barely follow traditional core Blue Zone lifestyle principles.
Wellness reset challenge
Week 3: Stress management
Overwhelm is the moment stress turns into ‘shut down.’ Making decisions and thinking straight become impossible. Overwhelm can build up, or it can come out of nowhere. The trick is to know how to handle it.
We invite you to try one of the habits below. Whatever your current emotional state is, this is also emotional prevention:
Self-compassion: An antidote to overwhelm, self-compassion means acting kindly toward yourself during a stressful moment. Focus on something that will make you feel safe. What would you tell a friend going through a hard time? Treat yourself the same.
The 5-4-3-2-1: Presence takes you back into reality, and it helps convey safety. Try this:
Name five things you see
Four things you hear
Three things you can touch
Two things you can smell
One thing that is true —feet are on the floor
Walk away–literally: When you feel your mind shutting down, don’t push through. Take 5-10 minutes to move around and scan your environment. It stops rumination and signals safety.
Three more resources for a calm mind
Calm
Voted #1 sleep/meditation app, it includes a variety of cognitive behavior techniques and meditations.Reveri
Hypnosis can help people manage stress and change behaviors that cause stress. I’ve used this app before and thoroughly enjoyed it.
Apica Premium C.D. Notebook
Journaling improves well-being, reduces stress, and helps with emotional processing. This is ranked one of the best journals of 2025.
Weekly updates
Is cholesterol a good indicator of longevity? How do you know if your heart is actually healthy?
In this podcast, Dr. Erin Faules from Wild Health broke down the most important markers of longevity—you can test all of them. This episode contains many practical and actionable insights.
Uncover the science, and surprising strategies, behind slowing cellular aging
Thanks for reading!
Until next time,
- Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified healthcare professional before starting any exercise, wellness, or health program. Nothing in our content, products or services should be considered, or used as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Livelong is a media company and not a medical provider. We try to give the most accurate possible, but sometimes information is subject to change.
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