We’re living through the age of health anxiety, supplements stacked on countertops, fasting timers on phones, cold plunges in every garden. The wellness world has become a strange paradox... a culture obsessed with longevity that’s, in many ways, quietly accelerating ageing.
The truth is, not everything labelled “healthy” is actually supportive. In fact, some of today’s most popular wellness trends are quietly draining cellular energy, disrupting hormones, and pushing your body into low-grade stress.
Let’s look at five of the biggest culprits, and what to do instead.
1. Low fat diet
Clean eating is often linked to longevity, yet it’s also tangled up with one of the most harmful nutrition myths of our time...that eating less fat keeps you healthier.
This couldn’t be further from the truth.
Every cell in your body depends on fat. Your brain is nearly 60% fat. Your hormones, from progesterone to cortisol, are built from cholesterol. Even your skin’s youthful elasticity relies on a steady supply of essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins. When fat intake drops too low, dry skin, brittle hair, anxiety, fatigue, low libido, and irregular cycles aren the outcome. Signs of a body deprived of its most fundamental fuel.
The problem isn’t fat, it’s the wrong fats. When natural, stable fats like butter, ghee, and yolks were demonised, they were replaced with “heart-healthy” seed oils, canola, sunflower, soybean, fats so industrial they need chemical solvents to extract. These oils oxidise easily, triggering inflammation and accelerating ageing at the cellular level.
What to do instead
Switch everything labelled “low-fat” back to its full-fat form, yoghurt, milk, cheese, all of it. Start eating the fatty cuts of meat your grandparents loved, and stop fearing butter. Within weeks, you’ll notice your skin regaining its bounce, your mood stabilising, and your hunger feeling calmer and more predictable.
2. Excessive cold plunge
Cold therapy has become the badge of discipline. The shock, the breath hold, the dopamine rush, it feels like a remarkable feat of resilience. And in moderation, it is. Cold exposure can improve circulation, boost brown fat activity, and sharpen mental focus.
But here’s the catch... your body can only handle so much stress at once. If you’re already underslept, underfed, or dealing with chronic tension, daily ice baths can push your nervous system into overdrive. Cortisol rises, thyroid function dips, and instead of recovery, you’re burning through reserves.
This is especially true in winter, when the body’s already working harder to maintain core temperature. Cold plunging in cold seasons can compound that stress, suppressing metabolism and circulation even further, particularly if paired with fasting, low-carb diets, or high intensity training. What feels invigorating in the moment can, over time, nudge your system into a state of low-grade hibernation… sluggish digestion, cold extremities, and fatigue that no amount of caffeine fixes.
For women, cold plunging deserves special care. During the luteal phase and menstruation, the body naturally shifts toward warmth and nourishment. Icing the system during this time, especially full immersion, can disrupt hormonal balance, worsen cramps, and increase exhaustion.
What to do instead
Cold plunging should be a tool, not a test. It's important that it is always part of contrast therapy, pair cold with warmth, stress with restoration. Two to three times a week, after movement or sauna, is enough to reap the benefits without taxing your system. If your hands and feet stay cold all day or your sleep starts to suffer, that’s your cue. Your body’s asking for warmth, not another shock.
3. Intermittent fasting
Intermittent fasting promised to be the cure-all of the modern diet... sharper focus, better digestion, effortless fat loss, and even longevity. And in the short term, it can deliver some of those benefits.
However, when the body goes too long without nourishment, it begins to interpret it as famine and cortisol (the stress hormone) begins to rise to maintain blood sugar. Over time, this suppresses thyroid function, downregulates metabolism, and increases cravings or anxiety. For women, the effects can be even more pronounced, disrupted cycles, poor sleep, hair shedding, or an overall sense that the “fasted clarity” has turned into wired exhaustion.
What to do instead
If you choose to fast, use it as a tool, not a regular part of your routine. Let it arise naturally, on slower mornings when your body isn’t hungry, not through forced restriction. Break your fast with nutrient-dense, grounding meals that stabilise blood sugar, think eggs, broth and healthy fats. And for women, let your cycle lead. During the luteal phase and menstruation, your body’s caloric and mineral needs increase, this is not the time to restrict. Eat regularly, embrace breakfast, and focus on warmth and nourishment.
4. Excessive cardio
Long, punishing sessions, daily runs, spin classes, HIIT marathon keep your body locked in a constant state of stress. Cortisol stays high, inflammation lingers, and muscle tissue begins to break down for fuel. Over time, this erodes collagen, slows recovery, and accelerates oxidative stress, the very process that dulls skin, drains energy, and wears out joints.
And there’s another cost few talk about: repetition. Performing the same high-impact or cyclical movements every day, whether that's running, rowing or cycling, slowly grinds down cartilage and connective tissue. The body never gets the variation it needs to stay supple. What begins as discipline often ends as stiffness, tight hips, or creaky knees.
What to do instead
Instead of doubling down on repetitive cardio, build a more balanced “movement diet.” Pair shorter, more intentional cardio sessions with strength training and mobility work. Swap one run for a long walk, a Pilates class, or a session with resistance bands. Dedicate at least one or two days a week purely to mobility, dynamic stretching, foam rolling, or primal-style movements that restore range of motion and keep joints hydrated.
When you stop forcing a strict schedule and start listening instead, your body naturally begins to guide you, some days calling for power and sweat, others for stillness and stretch.
5. Veganism
You’ve probably heard it said that veganism helps you stay young, that it keeps inflammation low, clears the skin, and extends lifespan. And at first, it can feel true. Cutting out ultra-processed foods, seed oils, and excess animal products often brings a sense of lightness. Digestion improves, energy lifts, and the body feels “clean.”
But here’s the nuance most people miss... it’s not the absence of animal foods that creates those early results, it’s the absence of junk. Over time, the body’s deeper needs start to show. Collagen repair, hormone balance, mitochondrial energy, these depend on nutrients almost impossible to get in meaningful amounts from plants alone: B12, heme iron, zinc, and retinol (true vitamin A).
Without them, the body quietly shifts from cleansing to cannibalising, breaking down its own tissues to stay afloat.
What to do instead
Naturally, we’d recommend eating high-quality animal proteins, and if you’re here, it’s likely you already do. However, we also understand the desire to minimise animal consumption, or to support friends who do. In that case, a thoughtful alternative (if your ethics allow) is to choose quality over quantity. Focus on the foods that deliver the greatest nutrient return in the smallest portions.
Organ meats, for instance, replenish B vitamins, retinol, and iron far more efficiently than muscle meat, meaning you can eat less while nourishing more. Oysters do the same but for the essential zinc and copper that support collagen and hormone balance. And raw dairy, when sourced from regenerative farms that prioritise the care and dignity of their animals, offers a beautiful middle ground.
None of this is to take away from these practices. Some, like cold plunging, are rooted in good intention and can be deeply supportive in moderation. Similarly, healthily challenging your own boundaries, building strength, endurance, and resilience is incredible for your longevity.
We just want to break the stigma that you have to do more to age better. The key is knowing when it’s growth and when it’s strain, the minute when these habits stop feeling natural and start feeling like obligations.
