In an extract from a groundbreaking new book, yesterday we revealed the damage being done to the 37 trillion cells that our bodies rely on to stay energised. Today, the authors offer science-based tips to turn back the clock…
Stress matters as much to your cells as what you eat. No diet can fully repair a body that constantly feels under threat.
The stress of our constantly busy lives depletes the cell’s ‘powerhouse’ mitochondria – tiny structures inside cells – of their vital ability to produce energy.
Cell membranes also become inflamed and signals between cells are muffled, meaning hormones misfire, the immune system lags and the brain struggles to stay sharp.
Research shows that chronic low-grade stress, whether from multitasking, overcommitment, poor sleep or emotional overload, scrambles the communication lines your cells rely on to do their job.
This is because it keeps the body’s stress response system continuously ‘switched on’, primed for overreaction and causing inflammation.
Over time, stress doesn’t just make you tired; it accelerates ageing and lays the groundwork for disease.
A 2022 review in Frontiers in Immunology journal found that long-lasting psychological stress disrupts hormone regulation, potentially contributing to cancer progression and autoimmune disease.
Dr Will Cole, left, and Dr Josh Axe say that no diet can repair a body that constantly feels under threat
Emotional and mental health are the single biggest drains on cellular energy for many of us, so tackling the tyranny of modern ‘busyness’ is an important first step.
The human body wasn’t designed for continuous stimulation: each ‘notification’, text or work email triggers the same neural circuitry our ancestors used to escape predators.
When the nervous system lives on red alert, it diverts energy away from detoxification, hormone balance and immunity – the very systems needed for repair and regeneration.
Simple ways to tackle this include having one day a week where you stop striving and simply allow yourself to ‘be’.
Schedule experiences that bring you lots of joy. Laughter releases nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels. While the fun of seeing a friend raises levels of ‘feel-good’ hormones oxytocin and endorphins, which help to dial down cellular inflammation, promoting healing and repair.
Nature can also play a significant role in healing. A landmark study in Science Advances in 2019 found being outdoors boosts immune function, lowers blood pressure, improves cognitive function and reduces stress. Box breathing is another simple practice to lower stress hormones: inhale for a count of four, hold for four, exhale for four and hold for another four.
To discover whether stress is ageing your heart, brain and gut too quickly take our test and find out the lifestyle and diet changes you need to make now.
FOODS TO BOOST THE HEALTH OF YOUR CELLS
By eating the right healthy foods, your cells will have the right raw materials to repair themselves effectively.
Healthy fats
Every one of your body’s trillions of cells is wrapped in a protective membrane made of phospholipids – specialised fats including the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6, which your body can’t make itself.
Omega-3s, found in wild-caught fatty fish such as salmon, plus sardines, anchovies and mackerel, reduce inflammation and keep membranes more flexible so cells communicate efficiently. This is vital for the brain, which is nearly 60 per cent fat.
Salmon and walnuts are high in omega-3s, which reduce inflammation and help lower blood pressure
Omega-3s can also help lower blood pressure, prevent arterial plaque and are linked to a lower risk of cognitive decline and depression.
Food rich in omega-3 includes grass-fed meat, pasture-raised eggs, walnuts, chia seeds and cod liver oil.
A second ‘nearly essential’ tier of fats also protects cells. These include olive oil and coconut oil which is rich in ketones, an alternative energy source that also aids immune defence.
Clean protein
Protein, built from amino acids, is used to create neurotransmitters, fuel mitochondria, repair tissues and balance the immune system.
There are 20 amino acids in total, nine dubbed ‘essential’ because you need to get them from food. But the whole ‘symphony’ of amino acids is needed to keep cells strong and slow organ ageing.
Source matters too, since the quality of animal protein depends on the quality
of the animal’s life, which is why grass-fed meat is worth prioritising.
Offal is especially valuable, supplying vitamin B12, zinc and choline, which amplify the regenerative power of amino acids.
Powerhouse fruits
Berries and pomegranates are rich in polyphenols, powerful plant compounds that calm inflammation, repair DNA and fuel mitochondria.
Berries, such as raspberries and blueberries, contain anthocyanins, which guard cell membranes against oxidative stress.
In the major US Nurses’ Health Study, women who ate two or more servings of blueberries a week had slower cognitive decline.
The best veg
Vegetables offer gut-friendly fibre and phytochemicals along with vitamins and minerals.
Leafy greens such as chard, kale and spinach are rich in vitamin K, magnesium and folate, which support methylation (chemical control of which genes are switched on), bone health and blood vessel flexibility, and are linked with slower cognitive ageing.
Cruciferous vegetables such as broccoli and cabbage are anti-inflammatories that may reduce cancer risk. Starchy vegetables such as carrots, pumpkin and sweet potato provide slow-release resistant starch, plus antioxidants such as beta carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin, critical for immunity, eye health and skin repair.
Carrots provide slow-release resistant starch and antioxidants such as beta carotene, crucial for eye health
Some mushroom varieties, including shiitake, sharpen immune surveillance and may offer protection against cancer
Cooked vegetables are often more beneficial than raw. This is true for tomatoes (higher levels of lycopene when cooked), carrots and sweet potatoes (beta carotene is better absorbed if cooked with healthy fats) and cruciferous vegetables (lightly steamed are easier to digest).
Mushrooms varieties including reishi, maitake, shiitake and turkey tail sharpen immune surveillance and may offer anti-cancer protection.
Grains and legumes
Foods such as quinoa, millet, rice, and fermented rye and barley retain their bran and germ, preserving fibre, minerals and protective plant compounds.
Quinoa alone supplies all nine essential amino acids plus the polyphenol quercetin.
Legumes add resistant starch, fibre and protein as well as spermidine, which triggers autophagy (cellular clean-up) and is linked to lower mortality.
Fermented foods
Foods like kimchi, sauerkraut, miso and kefir can help convert carbohydrates into compounds that calm inflammation and support gut-brain communication.
Spoonful of honey
Unprocessed and raw honey contains polyphenols and enzymes that lower inflammation and improve cholesterol and wound healing.
Royal jelly is the nutrient-rich secretion from worker bees, and its unique fatty acid supports tissue repair and longevity pathways.
1. Think of food as medicine: choose meals that will nourish your cells and your body.
2. Build every meal around four ‘core’ food types: healthy fats, clean protein, colourful plants and fibre-rich carbs.
3. Re-balance your fats: increase your consumption of fatty fish, reduce seed oils such as corn oil and boost your olive oil intake.
4. Prioritise healthy digestion. Eat more fermented foods and eat slowly.
5. Eat 20-30g of high-quality protein at every meal: eat meats such as pork belly, chicken wings or lamb shanks.
6. Stop eating empty starches: swap sliced bread and breakfast cereals for nutrient-dense carbs such as grains.
7. Pay attention: track your mood, digestion, energy, skin and sleep and adjust foods gradually as your body reacts to them.
ARE YOUR ORGANS AGEING TOO QUICKLY?
This simple questionnaire can help you take some targeted first steps towards restoring your cellular health. Always consult your doctor before beginning any new diet, exercise or other regimen.
For each question, answer yes or no, based on the last 90 days. If unsure, answer no.
Add five years for every ‘yes’ to an ageing factor. Subtract five for every ‘yes’ to a protective factor. Then add or subtract the total from your actual age to give the organ’s age, and see where you need to take action:
-10 to 0 years: This organ is biologically younger than your chronological age. Keep doing what you are doing!
+5 to +10 years: Early signs of accelerated ageing. Start supporting this system now.
+15 to +20 years: Significant organ ageing. Make this system your top priority.
Test your digestive and metabolic age
- Do you often feel bloated or fatigued after meals? (+5)
- Do you have insulin resistance, prediabetes or type 2 diabetes? (+5)
- Are you overweight (especially around the middle) or crave sugar and carbs daily? (+5)
- Do you frequently suffer from constipation, diarrhoea or IBS‑type symptoms? (+5)
- Do you eat at least 25-30 grams of fibre daily? (–5)
- Do you regularly include fermented or probiotic‑rich foods? (–5)
What your score means
Improving your digestion is your first step back to cellular health. When digestion weakens, food is only partially broken down leading to bloating, fatigue after meals, inflammation and a slower metabolism; over time, insulin resistance, obesity or autoimmune conditions can develop.
One of the main reasons the digestive system ages is damage to the gut microbiome – when ‘bad’ bacteria dominate, it can lead to inflammation and damage to the immune system.
Habits to improve it
- Drink a cup of bone broth – rich in amino acids – to rebuild a strong gut lining, preventing inflammation and nutrient loss. You’ll find recipes online.
- Add cinnamon and ginger to one meal. Both are anti-inflammatories; ginger may speed up sluggish stomach emptying.
- Lift weights for 20-30 minutes, three times a week. Weight training is very effective in helping reduce insulin resistance as working muscles soak up more glucose.
- Eat slowly and chew thoroughly. Mindful eating calms the nervous system and improves nutrient absorption.
Test your brain and mood age
- Do you often feel foggy or struggle with focus or short‑term memory? (+5)
- Have you battled anxiety, depression or mood swings in the past year? (+5)
- Do you eat fatty fish, olive oil or other foods rich in healthy fats fewer than three times a week? (+5)
- Do you have trouble falling or staying asleep or wake up unrefreshed? (+5)
- Do you regularly challenge your brain with new learning, reading or puzzles? (–5)
- Do you make intentional time for stillness to calm your mind? (–5)
What your score means
With its 86 billion cells, the body’s command centre is its hungriest organ. Neurons are powered by mitochondria – when these are damaged, the brain slows, leading to fatigue, poor memory and brain fog. The brain’s immune and clean-up cells can be over-activated by a poor diet or chronic stress, causing inflammation that can harm brain connections, contributing to mood disorders and possibly dementia.
Habits to improve it
- Eat two pasture-raised eggs, which contain choline – good for mood and memory.
- Take 500mg lion’s mane mushrooms with breakfast; these may support nerve-growth pathways.
- Go for a brisk 20-minute walk.
- Write down three things you are grateful for before going to sleep to lift your mood.
Test your heart age
- Do you have high blood pressure, high cholesterol or a family history of heart disease? (+5)
- Do you experience low energy or shortness of breath with mild exertion? (+5)
- Do you spend long hours sitting and get less than 150 minutes of exercise weekly? (+5)
- Do you often eat processed meats, fried foods or refined carbohydrates? (+5)
- Do you do exercise at least three times per week? (–5)
- Do you regularly consume heart-healthy foods such as leafy greens, berries and olive oil? (–5)
What your score means
Your heart is the hardest-working muscle in your body. Each cardiac cell contains thousands of mitochondria generating the enormous energy you need to keep blood pumping around the body.
Cellular ageing of the cardiovascular system is one of the main drivers of disease, with heart disease responsible for roughly one in three deaths.
With age, the heart’s energy-producing mitochondria become damaged while inflammation and oxidised cholesterol damage blood vessels and cause plaque build-up. The body also makes less nitric oxide, the molecule that keeps blood vessels flexible and dilated. This results in a less efficient heart and stiffer arteries.
Habits to improve it
- Take 100mg supplement of CoQ10 (Coenzyme Q10, ubiquinol) to support heart cells by helping mitochondria produce energy – particularly important for anyone on statins, which deplete CoQ10.
- Eat two generous handfuls of leafy greens, containing natural nitrates to help blood vessels relax.
- Walk briskly for 30 minutes.
Adapted from Heal Your Cells by Josh Axe and Will Cole (Transworld, £22). © Josh Axe and Will Cole 2026. To order a copy for £19.80 (offer valid to 24/10/26; UK P&P free on orders over £25) go to mailshop.co.uk/books or call 020 3176 2937.
Missed part one? Read it here.