Rick Hay - Health Expert

31/01/2026

When skin ageing is discussed, attention is usually drawn to fine lines, pigmentation, or loss of firmness. Yet one of the most influential drivers of visible ageing unfolds quietly beneath the surface, long before it shows up in the mirror. This process is called glycation, and it plays a central role in how skin structure, elasticity, and vitality change over time.

How Plant Foods Protect Collagen and Slow Visible Ageing

26/01/2026

Why I Love Infrared Saunas ...

Over the last month, I’ve been visiting the Neighbourhood Sauna in South Fremantle for infrared sauna sessions, and it’s quietly become a core part of my weekly routine. I started going once a week, more out of curiosity...

23/01/2026

When we talk about healthy ageing, the conversation often jumps to protein, supplements, or anti-ageing shortcuts. Yet some of the most powerful longevity compounds are neither trendy nor exotic — they’re pigments. Specifically, carotenoids: the fat-soluble phytonutrients responsible for the reds, oranges, and deep greens in plant foods.

Beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene, and long-term vitality

19/01/2026

Healthy ageing is not shaped by nutrition alone. It is profoundly influenced by the chemical environment we inhabit — the substances we ingest, absorb, and accumulate over time. Many of the most disruptive compounds affecting hormonal balance, metabolic health, and aging are not nutrients at all, but endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) quietly embedded in food systems, packaging, and everyday preparation methods.

Reducing Endocrine Disruptors Through Food Choices, Packaging, and Preparation

14/01/2026

Chronic inflammation is one of the most powerful — and underestimated — drivers of biological ageing. It quietly accelerates tissue breakdown, disrupts metabolic signaling, impairs immune function, and increases the risk of nearly every age-related disease. Unlike acute inflammation, which is essential for healing, chronic low-grade inflammation erodes health over time.

Reducing Chronic Inflammation Through Phytonutrients, Omega Balance, and Gut Health

10/01/2026

For decades, nutrition has been reduced to numbers: calories in, calories out. But longevity science tells a very different story. Ageing is not driven by how much we eat alone — it is shaped by what our cells receive, how efficiently they repair, and how well our metabolism adapts over time.

How Plant-Based Eating Supports Cellular Repair, Autophagy, and Long-Term Metabolic Health

05/01/2026

Thanks to neuroplasticity, even small daily habits can gently reshape how the brain responds to stress, emotion and challenge. You don’t need drastic overhauls or complicated routines. Just a few minutes a day can begin to shift the brain in a more positive, resilient direction.

Reset Your Brain for a More Positive New Year: A Simple Guide to Neuroplasticity

31/12/2025

More and more, it’s becoming clear that health isn’t just about what’s on the plate. It’s about what state your body is in when you’re eating it. A nervous system that’s constantly on edge doesn’t digest well, doesn’t absorb nutrients properly, and doesn’t rest when it’s supposed to. No diet can outwork that.
https://rickhay.co.uk/blog/f/nervous-system-nutrition-vegan-health-is-taking-a-softer-turn

27/12/2025

Somewhere along the way, protein stopped being food and started becoming a personality. In the vegan world especially, protein has carried a quiet defensiveness — a need to prove something. To athletes. To skeptics. To anyone who still asks “but where do you get your protein?”

https://rickhay.co.uk/blog/f/2026-protein-without-performance-culture

22/12/2025

The holidays are the perfect time to slow down, gather around the table, and savour food that feels both festive and nourishing. This year, we’ve crafted five vegan recipes that bring warmth, flavour, and a little holiday magic to your celebrations. From a savoury mushroom Wellington to cozy spiced compote, each dish is designed to delight your senses while keeping things plant-based, wholesome, and utterly satisfying.
https://rickhay.co.uk/blog/f/5-glorious-vegan-christmas-recipes

19/12/2025

Hormones don’t run on willpower. They respond to rhythm, safety, and blood sugar stability

Anti-Inflammatory Eating for Hormones and Cycles: A More Grown-Up Era of Vegan Health

14/12/2025

November’s nutrition research continued that trend, with human studies reinforcing something plant-based practitioners have long observed — diets built around whole plant foods are consistently linked to healthier ageing.

Here’s what stood out this month, and why it matters if you’re interested in ageing well rather than just living longer.

Plant-Based Insights into Ageing, Longevity and Cellular Health