The Million Hour Memo

Every memo I have written, in one place. Data, devices and decisions for living younger for longer.

13 Sep 2026Continuous Blood Pressure MonitoringYour blood pressure is moving all the time. This week, I want to talk about the blood pressure you never see. 6 Sep 2026SaunaBut there's still one thing about summer that doesn't need to disappear that might surprise you. If you're not ready to let the heat go, then you can… 23 Aug 2026China AweYou may have noticed a little more silence than usual from me. That's because ’ve spent the last few weeks travelling around China with my family.… 26 Jul 2026MemoryHave you ever opened the fridge, stared at the shelves and wondered what on earth you went there for? Or been introduced to someone, repeated their… 19 Jul 2026ExomindI still remember the first time I held a human brain. It was surprisingly heavy, soft and completely extraordinary. Inside that one organ had once… 13 Jul 2026Time Connected EatingHere’s a little riddle for your metabolism: What meal, when eaten at 8am, keeps your glucose stable… …but when eaten at 8pm, leaves you inflamed,… 24 May 2026Appendicitis and InflammationOne day my son was doing 30kg weighted pull ups, carrying me on his back for fun and moving through life with that extraordinary physical confidence… 10 May 2026Gut Health and CuriosityThere are some voices that are instantly recognisable aren't there? Sir David Attenborough's voice is certainly one of them. A century of staying… 26 Apr 2026Muscle SupportWherever I look, I seem to be seeing protein at the moment. Probably, somewhere, someone's making a protein candle promising strength gains with… 19 Apr 2026Dose of GreenI've just come back from the Dolomites, and one thing kept tugging at my attention. Not in a vague, how beautiful kind of way, even though it was… 5 Apr 2026MarathonMy son is running the Brighton Marathon this upcoming weekend. I’ve watched his early enthusiasm, his discipline of training runs in the cold and the… 29 Mar 2026Hay FeverYou're driving with the window slightly open, or heading out for a walk thinking, finally, blue sky. Then ten minutes later your eyes are itching,… 22 Mar 2026Clock ChangeYou don’t lose time only when the clocks change. You lose it every time you’re not fully there. Next week, the clocks go forward by one hour here in… 8 Mar 2026TendernessInternational Women’s Day always makes me pause and wonder. Why do we live in a world that needs a day marked to recognise one gender over another?… 1 Mar 2026pTauAnd this time of year always feels like a time for a fresh start. You clear out cupboards (my kitchen containers are getting an upgrade this week!)… 22 Feb 2026VO2 maxA year traditionally associated with power and bold, forward motion. New Year rituals, whether lunar or calendar-based, give us something deeply… 15 Feb 2026KindnessWith Random Acts of Kindness Day coming up this week on 17th Feb, I've been thinking about what kindness is. Yes it's character that shows through… 8 Feb 2026Heart HealthWith Valentine’s Day looming, it’s become an annual festival of flowers and fizz. And if you’ve ever said, 'in sickness and in health,' or a similar… 25 Jan 2026Cold TherapyI like my nervous system feeling supported, not shocked. Last week, whilst I was in Chicago, a cold front rolled in and dropped temperatures below… 18 Jan 2026ProteinProtein seems to be the nutrient of the moment. In reality, it’s a far more complex molecule with system-wide roles. And to function effectively it… 11 Jan 2026Food Pyramid“What should I eat, Dr Alka?” I hear that question almost every day. Better eating depends on what you’re trying to change, and what your numbers say… 4 Jan 2026Dry JanuaryIt’s the month when you decide you want to detox from the indulgence of December. So you hide the alcohol, reset the routines, and test yourself not… 28 Dec 2025Biomarker AuditAs 2025 comes to a close, I've been thinking about what this last week of the year is. An opportunity to step back and reflect and to step forward… 21 Dec 2025Christmas Lunch 80% fullIt’s the meal you think about for days before, and talk about for days after. It’s makes people travel, arrive, and sit down together. How to eat in… 13 Dec 2025StretchingI've decided I need a stretchologist in my life!! Because I walked out feeling like someone had oiled my joints, lifted my posture, and given my… 7 Dec 2025Beetroot and Blood PressureHere 's a question I've been asked this week.... “Can beetroot juice really lower my blood pressure, or is that just health hype” Here's what I want… 29 Nov 2025Oral MicrobiomeIf you woke up every morning with blood on your hands, would you ignore it? If you looked in the mirror and saw blood on your face, would you shrug… 23 Nov 2025Vitamin DAs winter looms and the layers pile on, I'm starting to hear familiar phrases from my patients: “I'm catching every bug going.” “My mood’s off.” “I’m… 9 Nov 2025Air PollutionEvery November, as the fireworks fade and the air still smells faintly of smoke, I’m reminded that what we can’t see is often what matters most. I… 2 Nov 2025Types of Restwhich is why I’ve been thinking about rest this week. Not the kind that happens when you finally collapse at night, but the kind that happens in the… 12 Oct 2025Cholesterol AwarenessOctober is Cholesterol Awareness Month, and yet most of the conversations about cholesterol are still stuck in the past. You’ve heard it for decades:… 5 Oct 2025Cortisol CurveIf there’s one hormone I could put on every high-achiever’s radar, it would be cortisol. It wakes you, sharpens your focus, fuels your movement, and… 28 Sep 2025ImmunityThe leaves are falling, the light is fading, and so is our immune resilience. Every autumn I see the same pattern: coughs, colds, sore throats… 21 Sep 2025VO2 MaxIt's a number that pops up on our Apple Watches and Garmins and it's not just about fitness - it might be one of the most powerful predictors of how… 14 Sep 2025EMFsI’m talking about EMFs - electromagnetic fields. The Wi-Fi waves, Bluetooth signals, and mobile phone radiation we live in every day. We don’t see… 7 Sep 2025MagnesiumEveryone seems to be talking about it, but I don’t actually know enough about it or what to take.” And she’s right, magnesium has many forms and… 31 Aug 2025Fibremaxxing“Protein is king.” That’s the mantra you hear in gyms and on social media. But lately, there’s a new buzzword creeping into the health world:… 24 Aug 2025CreatineI’ll be honest — creatine and I have had a rocky relationship. For a year I’ve been “on and off,” which really means mostly off. Or worse, one that… 17 Aug 2025Jet LagToday is a glorious day in London- blue skies, warm air, the kind of light that makes you forget why anyone ever chases the sun elsewhere. But August… 10 Aug 2025BonesOne awkward sidestep to avoid crushing it on its way to butterflyhood… and my toe took the hit instead. It made me think even more about bone… 20 Jul 2025Biological AgeWhat happens when you reveal someone’s real age on live TV? You get gasps, laughs—and a lot of curious viewers. Thank you so much to everyone who… 30 Jun 2025CortisolWhat a month of talks it's been—Mindset Unlimited, Elevate, SME Xpo, Wellnergy, Better Man, Foundxrs, The Groucho Club—and there's one hormone that's… 22 Jun 2025MushroomsThis month, I’ve been speaking at wellness festivals all over—Mindset Unlimited, Wellnergy, Better Man—and in between the stages, one thing on the… 15 Jun 2025Lp(a)With a quarter of the world population being wiped out by heart disease each year, (re-read that) testing cholesterol, and more specifically lipids,… 8 Jun 2025MitochondriaI’ve been thinking a lot this week about what makes me feel alive, grounded, and energised— and it always comes back to one thing: mitochondria. But… 1 Jun 2025Exercise and SleepHere's a question I've been asked this week: "I like exercising in the evening on my way home from work but could this be affecting my sleep?" Let's…