After Hours with Dr Vincent

This week on After Hours, we unpacked something that quietly shapes almost every decision you make in the supermarket: the health halo effect. It’s the idea that a single “good” word on packaging, like plant-based, natural, or added vitamins, creates a perception that the entire product is healthy. In reality, that same product could still be high in sugar, salt, or heavily processed. As I shared, this isn’t accidental. Brands understand how our brains work. We’re busy, we’re time-poor, and we rely on shortcuts. So instead of reading the back label, we trust the front. And that’s where the disconnect happens.The takeaway isn’t to become paranoid, but to become a little more aware. Most people genuinely want to be healthier, but the system doesn’t always make that easy. Between marketing, pricing strategies, and limited time, even the best intentions can be misled. My advice is simple: be a little more skeptical, focus less on the claims and more on the substance, and understand that “healthy” is not a label, it’s a composition. When you know better, you can choose better. And that’s really the goal, not perfection, but progress.After Hours is where science gets personal. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist and Stephen!This podcast is part of the Ask Dr Vincent on Substack.🔔 Subscribe so you never miss an episode📩 Weekly newsletter every Sunday at AskDrVincent.com 📺 Full video episodes every Thursday after 5pmLet’s be mates! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

Winter is coming — and I have to say, I find it a little cheeky that I came up with that title while sitting at my desk in 30-degree Sydney heat on a Saturday. By Sunday it was 12 degrees overnight, so perhaps the universe agreed with me.In this episode, Stephen and I get into the real biology of why we fall sick when the temperature drops. It is not just about germs — it is about how our behaviour changes, how we stop drinking enough water without even realising it, how our gut health suffers, and how the dry air that comes with cold weather quietly inflames our airways. We also talk about skin as your first line of immune defence (something most of us only think about when it comes to vanity, myself included), the 33% drop in daily steps our community experiences every winter, and why what you do in summer genuinely determines how well you hold up in the cold months.We also go somewhere I always love going — scuba diving, eating seasonally, the magic of yuzu, and somehow, Neanderthals. Stephen keeps me mostly on track. Mostly.Stay well this winter. Your body is worth looking after before it needs it.Thank you to everyone who tuned into our live video! Join us for my next live video in the app.Please also check out my Daily Dose daily podcast: Simple science, real news, no hype. ***Daily Dose is your daily hit of health, wellness & tech news; made simple. Hosted by Dr Vincent, your friendly neighbourhood scientist. Part of the Ask Dr Vincent universe on Substack.Let’s be mates! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

I said something on the podcast this week that I think more founders need to admit. I don’t actually enjoy social media, but I show up anyway. Not for attention, but because I feel a responsibility. There’s too much noise in health and wellness, and if people who understand the science don’t speak up, we don’t get to complain about the misinformation. That idea of responsibility is what really sits at the heart of entrepreneurship. It’s not just about passion. It’s about solving a real problem, even when it’s uncomfortable, even when it feels like work, because it always is.We also spoke about something simple, but powerful. The difference between “one day” and “day one.” Most people wait for the perfect time, more certainty, less risk. But the truth is, you only figure it out by starting. Ask for help, test your idea, stay open to pivoting, and do one thing today that moves you forward. If you don’t ask, the answer is always no. If you don’t start, nothing happens. Whether it’s your business, your health, or your life, now is as good a time as any to begin.Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

I have been so hesitant to discuss this topic. But Stephen and I agreed that if After Hours is where science gets personal, then we have to be open to have a discussion on sensitive topics, like weight and weight loss.GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy are having a moment right now. And I get it. As a scientist, it’s fascinating. You’re essentially altering how the body perceives energy, dialing down appetite by shifting hormonal signals around glucose. But what most people don’t realise is that this isn’t just a “shortcut,” it’s a long-term biological commitment. It’s expensive, it requires injections, and it fundamentally changes how your body interacts with food. For someone with Type 2 diabetes or severe obesity, this can be life-changing, even life-saving. In those cases, it’s not about aesthetics, it’s about survival.But when we start using the same tool to lose the last five kilos, that’s where I pause. Because now we’re not solving a medical problem, we’re outsourcing discipline. And the trade-offs are real: nutrient deficiencies, muscle loss, that hollowed “Ozempic face,” and often the weight comes back the moment you stop.What I always come back to is this: your body isn’t broken, it’s responding. If you can walk consistently, eat real food, and build habits that your biology recognises, you’re not just losing weight, you’re building a system that lasts. Skinny is easy. Healthy is earned.Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.Secret link: https://tr.ee/djefey Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

G’day, Dr Vincent here! I am so sorry that we took a 3 week hiatus from our regular After Hours show. It was for a good reason, though!I went to the Natural Products Expo West in Anaheim, California! And what an adventure it was. From crossing path unexpectedly with some of the most revered people in the industry, being on the keynote stage with Gary Vee, the wild after-parties to learning so much from fellow founders who are building their empires in this $350 billion industry.It’s good to be back and I am so excited to share this experience with you all.P.S. I also had a bone to pick with Stephen who sent me on a wild goose chase for a certain brand of vodka.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:Exclusive OfferPS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

We live in the most technologically advanced moment in medical history. We can track our sleep, monitor glucose in real time, sequence genes, and now consult AI at 2am about a symptom that’s bothering us. In this week’s After Hours, Steven and I asked a confronting question: is AI quietly making us less healthy? Not because it is malicious or unintelligent, but because of how we are using it. We’ve moved from “Dr Google” to conversational systems that sound calm, confident and personalised. That shift matters. AI collapses uncertainty into fluent answers. Medicine, however, is built on managing uncertainty carefully and over time.The human body heals through subtle signals, feedback loops and adaptation. Hormones fluctuate. Inflammation rises and resolves. Symptoms evolve gradually before they declare themselves clearly. A clinician watches patterns, context and change. An AI reads a snapshot of text. It cannot see your posture, hear hesitation in your voice, or weigh risk based on lived experience. Add to that the reality of data cut-offs, shifting guidelines and evolving safety warnings, and you can see the risk: beautifully written advice that may be incomplete, out of date or missing nuance. Confidence is not the same as correctness.That said, this is not an anti-AI argument. AI works exceptionally well in structured roles: summarising patient notes, spotting trends in glucose or sleep data, translating medical jargon into plain English, and supporting triage in overstretched systems. Used properly, it can improve health literacy and reduce administrative burden. My concern is when it begins replacing skill development or judgment. If AI reads every ECG or suggests every diagnosis, junior clinicians lose repetition, and repetition is how intuition is built. Technology should extend expertise, not erode its foundation.So here is the balance. Use AI to understand concepts, to generate better questions, to feel more prepared before you see your doctor. But do not outsource diagnosis, interpretation or decision-making to a machine that does not know you and is not accountable for you. AI is excellent at producing answers. Health, however, is about timing, context, restraint and relationship. Use the technology. Just don’t let it replace the thinking.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

We rarely talk about leadership as a health issue, but we should. Most stress I see isn’t from workload. It’s from uncertainty, lack of control, and emotional unpredictability. The way we’re led at work, at home, and in our communities quietly rewires our nervous system. Over time, that shows up as poor sleep, gut issues, irritability and burnout. Leadership isn’t abstract. It’s a daily biological exposure.Leadership also isn’t about titles. It’s whoever people look to when things wobble. Whoever sets the emotional temperature of the room. Humans are wired to scan for safety, and supportive leadership restores predictability and agency. Controlling or erratic leadership keeps the body in low-grade fight or flight, where recovery never quite happens.We also talk about systems. Cities, workplaces and kitchens shape health more than motivation ever will. The same applies to ultra-processed food. These products are engineered for convenience and craving, not resilience. Avoiding them isn’t about being perfect. It’s about recognising patterns and being sceptical of foods that need marketing to look healthy.And finally, fatigue. Even with good sleep, regular exercise and “good numbers,” people can still feel wrecked. Sometimes tests help. Often the issue isn’t deficiency. It’s load exceeding recovery. Good metrics don’t always mean a rested nervous system. Health improves when leadership, systems and biology are aligned, not when we just push harder.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

A question came up on the podcast this week that sounds trivial, but really isn’t: Is something wrong with me if I don’t like a food everyone else loves? It came from my co-host, an Inner West Sydneysider surrounded by avocado on toast… who still can’t stand avocado. And the answer is no. Food preferences aren’t a character flaw. They’re biology, memory, culture, and expectation working together.What we call “taste” isn’t just the tongue. Flavour is a combination of taste, smell, texture, and what your brain expects to happen next. Avocado is a perfect example. For some people, it’s not the flavour, it’s the texture. Creamy but not smooth. Soft but not liquid. If your brain grew up associating avocado with sweet dishes and suddenly meets it in sushi or on toast, that mismatch alone can trigger dislike. That’s not fussiness. That’s neuroscience.Smell plays an even bigger role than most people realise. It’s why airline food tastes flat. Dry cabin air dulls your sense of smell, which means flavour collapses. It’s also why people add more salt, sugar, or fat when smell is reduced, and why spicy tomato juice or salty nuts suddenly make food more enjoyable in the air. When smell drops, the brain asks for intensity.This is where ultra-processed food becomes a problem. Artificial flavours give your brain the promise of nutrients without delivering them. Something tastes like banana, but there’s no banana nutrition behind it. The brain keeps searching, so you keep eating. Add high sugar, salt, fat, and soft textures that disappear quickly in the mouth, and appetite signals get confused. Pleasure becomes about intensity, not nourishment.The goal isn’t to force yourself to like everything. Some dislikes are genetic. Some tastes are acquired. Some just need better preparation. The real reset is understanding why you like what you like, eating real food most of the time, and listening to your body without shame. And if you still hate avocado after all that, that’s fine. You can be perfectly healthy without it… even if Inner West cafes disagree.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

Many of the health sayings we still repeat today did not come from science. They emerged from humoral theory, early physiology guesses, cultural symbolism, and trial-and-error medicine that often mistook confidence for correctness. What survived wasn’t the mechanism or the evidence. It was the rhyme, the metaphor, the phrase that sounded right. Over time, these sayings detached from their origins, leaving behind advice that feels familiar but is often biologically meaningless or outright wrong.Practices like tobacco-smoke enemas, snake oil cures, bloodletting, and symbolic treatments such as “a hair of the dog” all share the same flaw: stimulation or short-term relief was confused with healing. Early medicine lacked an understanding of physiology, immunity, and inflammation, so visible reactions were taken as proof of effectiveness. Loud claims replaced evidence, persuasion replaced mechanism, and suffering was often moralised as part of treatment rather than questioned.Modern science paints a very different picture. Health outcomes depend on dose, mechanism, and reproducibility. Immune responses require energy, not starvation. Inflammation is a regulated biological process, not excess heat to be suppressed through deprivation. Nutrients only matter if they are absorbed, and symptom relief does not equal recovery. Even sayings that partially hold true, like “an apple a day,” do so not because of magic, but because they loosely align with broader dietary patterns that support gut and metabolic health.The pattern across centuries is remarkably consistent. Symptoms were treated as causes. Short-term effects were mistaken for solutions. Confidence was rewarded over accuracy. Science has not eliminated uncertainty, but it has replaced folklore with physiology and belief with mechanism. The sayings survived because they were memorable. The science moved on because it worked. And that, perhaps, is the most important health lesson we keep forgetting.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

As we step into 2026, it’s clear that better health isn’t going to come from another extreme plan, biohack, or viral trend. We already know more about health than any generation before us, yet chronic disease, burnout, anxiety and inflammation are still rising. That tells us the problem isn’t knowledge, it’s the systems, habits, and defaults we’ve accepted as “normal.”This episode of After Hours is about challenging those defaults and asking a harder question: what actually needs to change if we want to live longer, healthier, more resilient lives?The first shift is moving away from reactive health and towards daily maintenance. Most people only think about their health when something breaks, when blood results look bad, energy crashes or symptoms appear. But longevity isn’t built in crisis mode. It’s built through boring, consistent habits: regular movement, predictable sleep, hydration, real food and managing stress before it compounds. Prevention doesn’t feel urgent, which is why it’s so often ignored, but it’s the single biggest lever we have.We also need to rethink our relationship with food, not just what we eat, but how it’s produced and marketed. Ultra-processed foods have quietly become the foundation of modern diets, designed for shelf life and profit, not human biology. Inflammation, metabolic dysfunction, and gut issues aren’t personal failures, they’re predictable outcomes of an environment stacked against us. Choosing more whole foods, fewer ingredients, and slowing down how we eat isn’t about perfection, it’s about reducing the constant biological stress we place on the body.Finally, longevity isn’t just physical, it’s social and psychological. Isolation, chronic stress, poor sleep, and lack of purpose age us just as fast as poor nutrition. Strong routines, meaningful relationships, time outdoors, and a sense of contribution matter more than most supplements ever will.If 2026 is going to be different, it won’t be because we tried harder. It will be because we made better choices easier, stopped outsourcing responsibility for our health, and committed to small changes we can actually sustain.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

In this After Hours episode, Marty and I talk about something I care deeply about this time of year: how to start the New Year without burning out by February.We unpack why consistency always beats extremes, how the “new beginning” effect can work for or against us, and why your environment and season matter more than motivation. An Australian summer makes movement easier. A Northern Hemisphere winter demands planning. Neither needs perfection.We walk through the real foundations of health: hydration, daily movement, food quality, stress resilience, and sleep. Not as biohacks, but as simple habits that compound. We talk walking (6,000–10,000 steps), an 80/20 approach to food, why ultra-processed foods are engineered to keep you craving more, and how small planning decisions can quietly protect your health.Sleep gets the spotlight it deserves. It’s the pillar that makes everything else work:repair, metabolism, cognition, and emotional regulation. Phones, blue light, and constant stimulation are working against biology that hasn’t changed in thousands of years.We also touch on apples, antioxidants, gut health, and the importance of building routines that your nervous system can actually sustain. Health isn’t about doing everything. It’s about doing a few things well, every day.If you’re looking for a calmer, smarter reset to 2026, this episode is for you.This is After Hours. Honest. Human. And real.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

Rosacea is something I do not just treat and research. I live with it. In this After Hours episode, I open up about my own journey with rosacea… the redness, the heat, the unpredictable flare-ups and the emotional impact that most people never see.This is a personal episode. No filters, no scripts, no clinical distance. Just me sharing what it’s actually like to manage a chronic inflammatory skin condition while working in the public eye, doing media, running businesses and trying to stay healthy.If you live with rosacea, or love someone who does, I hope this conversation makes you feel seen and understood.This is After Hours. Honest. Human. And real.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

On this episode of After Hours, we talked about what it really means to get smarter. Not smarter on paper or in an exam sense, but smarter in everyday life. Thinking clearer, learning faster and remembering more.One of the biggest myths we still carry is that intelligence is fixed. It is not. Your brain is constantly changing, adapting and rewiring itself based on how you live. Every day, your habits are either strengthening your brain or slowly working against it.Christian and I also unpacked why so many people feel mentally foggy or slower than they used to. Brain fog is rarely a personal failure. It is often a biological response to the modern world. Chronic stress, poor sleep, ultra processed food, low fibre diets and constant inflammatory load all affect how your neurons function. When your brain is inflamed, it simply cannot perform at its best. This is why some people appear to get sharper with age while others decline. The difference is not intelligence. It is environment and lifestyle.The hopeful part is that getting smarter does not require complicated hacks or brain training apps. It comes down to daily basics done well. Moving your body to increase blood flow to the brain. Eating real food to nourish your gut and support brain chemistry. Sleeping properly, because memory is formed at night, not during the day. Challenging your brain with new skills, conversations and environments. When you reduce inflammation and give your brain the right conditions, clarity returns.Getting smarter is not about IQ. It is about creating a life that allows your brain to work the way it was designed to.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

In this episode of After Hours, Christian and I unpack the real story behind ultra processed foods and why they have become so hard to escape. We talk about how these products are engineered for convenience, speed and hyper-palatability, not nourishment. They are foods made in factories rather than kitchens, designed to override your natural hunger cues and keep you reaching for more. For many people including us the challenge is not lack of discipline but living in an environment where convenience is everywhere and real food takes time.Christian and I also explore the science of what ultra processed foods do to the body. They disrupt digestion, inflame tissues and interfere with hormonal signalling. They change your energy, your mood and even how your metabolism functions. We discuss why people can feel tired, foggy or constantly hungry even when they are eating plenty. The body is not broken, it is reacting to additives, emulsifiers, poor fats and low fibre that put pressure on cells every single day.The episode ends on a practical note. You do not need to eliminate ultra processed foods completely to protect your health. Christian and I talk about realistic shifts like the 80 20 rule, adding more whole foods, increasing fibre and using antioxidants like apple phenolics to reduce the daily inflammation load. Modern life makes perfect eating impossible but it also makes small, intentional choices more powerful than ever. This conversation is about understanding what you are up against and giving your body the support it needs to feel energised, steady and well.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

In this episode of After Hours, Christian and I dive into the uncomfortable yet empowering truth about illness. We often think of getting sick as something that happens to us, a random strike of bad luck, but the body is always talking long before symptoms appear. Illness is not just an event. It is a signal, a consequence, a pattern that has been forming quietly in the background. When we understand that, we stop feeling helpless and start seeing the early clues our body leaves for us.We also explore why modern life makes this harder. Most people are juggling work, parenting, stress and poor sleep while living in an environment that constantly inflames the body. When you are tired or run-down or eating on the go, the immune system becomes reactive instead of responsive. Christian and I talk about the difference between fighting an illness and supporting the body so it does not need to fight as often. We look at digestion, inflammation, gut health and how your daily choices either protect or pressure your system.The heart of the episode is this message. Your body is not failing. It is adapting. Symptoms are not the enemy. They are the language of the body asking for help. When you understand the science behind immunity and inflammation you stop blaming yourself and start giving your body what it needs to repair and reset. Knowledge is power and in this conversation we show how small, intentional changes can shift your whole relationship with illness and your health.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

Inflammation is one of those words people love to throw around without really knowing what it means. Most people picture a swollen ankle, a red rash or a puffy joint and think, “That’s inflammation.” Yes, that is one version of it, but it is only the surface. Inflammation is actually one of the most powerful communication systems in your body. It is how your cells send a distress signal and say, “Something is wrong, send help.” When that system is controlled and short term, it literally keeps you alive. When it is switched on all the time in the background, it slowly wears you down from the inside, long before you feel or see anything obvious.At the cellular level, inflammation is really about stress and control. Your cells are under constant pressure from normal life, and one of the biggest drivers is oxidation. Every time you breathe, move, think, digest food or just exist, your body produces free radicals. These are unstable molecules that are missing an electron and are constantly trying to steal one to stabilise themselves. In small amounts, your body is very good at handling them. The problem starts when free radicals are being produced faster than your natural antioxidants can neutralise them. Your cells become unstable, your systems start to overcompensate and that unstable state is one of the main pathways into chronic inflammation.Why does this matter so much? Because chronic, low grade inflammation sits behind many of the modern health issues I talk about every week. Only about 5 to 10 percent of cancers are truly hereditary. The majority begin as normal, healthy cells that are repeatedly inflamed, stressed and forced to mutate over time. The same concept applies to a lot of autoimmune conditions, joint pain, gut problems, skin issues, low energy and even poor sleep. Your gut lining, for example, is meant to inflame and repair quickly as part of normal digestion. When you are healthy, the repair matches the damage. When inflammation is out of control, that balance is lost. You start to notice bloating, food intolerances, reflux, constipation or loose stools, gassiness, discomfort after eating and changes in your microbiome that you cannot see but you definitely feel.Your skin and joints tell their own inflammation story. Conditions like eczema and psoriasis are not simply “dry skin” problems, they are inflammatory and often autoimmune, where your immune system is literally attacking your own skin barrier. Acne begins with a bacterial infection, but inflamed skin is far more likely to break out and to heal with scarring. In the joints, inflammatory conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis are driven by the immune system attacking the joint structures. When I first gave my grandma early samples of activated phenolic antioxidants from my research, my only hope was to reduce her pain, because pain is caused by inflammation. What happened went far beyond that. By lowering her inflammation at the cellular level, we gave her cells the time and “space” to repair. Her cartilage recovered, her pain reduced and she went from being wheelchair bound to walking and dancing again in her 80s. That is the power of addressing the root cause, not just numbing the symptom.The challenge is that we now live in a world that almost feels designed to inflame us. Ultra processed food, low fibre diets, constant sugar hits, disrupted sleep, chronic stress, sitting all day, pollution, smoking or vaping, poor hydration, microplastics and forever chemicals, they all add pressure to your cells. Even when you try to be “healthy” you are exposed, for example through takeaway coffee cups with plastic coatings and single use containers that exist for three minutes but leave a chemical footprint for much longer. I am not telling you this to make you paranoid, but to explain why so many people feel tired, puffy, moody or “off” even when their blood tests look normal. Your body is stuck in code red, diverting its resources to fighting stress and inflammation, while digestion, immunity, hormones, mood and sleep are quietly sacrificed.The good news is that you have more control than you think. Start with your gut. Aim for at least 80 percent of your diet to come from whole, minimally processed foods that naturally help to reduce inflammation. This means fruit, especially apples, vegetables, healthy fats, nuts, legumes, whole grains and omega 3 rich foods. Be cautious with harsh “detox” greens, spirulina and tree bark powders that simply irritate your gut and send you to the toilet. That is not detox, that is inflammation and water loss. Respect your proteins by how you cook them, more steaming, baking and gentle roasting, less deep frying and constant charring that turns a good ingredient into an inflammatory one. Remember, what you put into your body is what your cells have to work with.From there, protect your repair systems and your barriers. Prioritise your sleep as a non negotiable part of your health routine, not an afterthought. Sleep is when your body does its deepest repair work and resets your hormones and immune system. Move your body every day and aim for around ten thousand steps as a healthy goal rather than a punishment. Manage your stress in realistic, human ways: walking, sunlight, gardening, time in nature, deep breathing, real social connection. Finally, look after your skin barrier with the same respect you give your gut. Use gentle, supportive skincare that calms rather than strips, because broken barriers, whether on your skin or in your gut, are open invitations to inflammation. You do not need to be perfect. Follow my favourite rule: be good 80 percent of the time, live and let live 20 percent of the time. Health is not about perfection, it is about consistency. If you can make small, consistent changes to reduce inflammation, you give yourself the best chance at a longer, healthier and happier life. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

Hydration is one of the simplest, cheapest and most overlooked parts of health. In this week’s After Hours episode, Christian and I talk about why so many people feel exhausted, foggy or irritable all day. They don’t realize the real problem isn’t sleep, stress or sugar. It’s dehydration. Your body is roughly 60 percent water and your brain is around 75 percent. Lose even a tiny amount and your mood, focus, energy, digestion and performance all take a hit.Yet somehow water has become complicated. Between giant trend cups, electrolyte packets, flavored “smart waters” and every influencer insisting tap water is toxic, it’s no wonder people are confused. For everyday life the best hydrator is still simple H₂O. Clean, safe, filtered if you prefer. But not miracle water, not “activated” water and not bottled marketing hype. Most people don’t need electrolytes unless they’re running a marathon, training intensely or sweating heavily. Your cells just need plain water.We also break down what counts and doesn’t count as hydration. Coffee, tea, soft drinks and “healthy sodas” don’t hydrate as efficiently as water. They can even push your body to lose more fluid. That’s why so many of us feel hungry, tired or mentally dull long before we feel “thirsty”. One of the best tools is also the simplest: check your urine. Aim for pale straw or light yellow. Not dark yellow. Not clear all the time. Just balanced.Finally, start your morning with water before anything else. Keep it visible while you work. Drink steadily, not in huge bursts. You’ll think clearer, digest better, feel lighter and function more consistently. You’ll feel this long before you notice it’s happening. If this episode gets you to pick up a glass of water today, we’ve succeeded.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

We’ve all heard it: “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” But is it really? New research suggests that for many people, skipping breakfast can actually be a smart and beneficial choice, especially if your goal is weight management without obsessively counting calories.The Calorie Buffer EffectThe simplest reason skipping breakfast works is math. Most breakfasts range between 300–600 calories, I’m talking cereal with milk, a couple of slices of toast, a smoothie, or a coffee with a muffin - not to mention an Aussie-style Big Brekky which can easily be double that!Even the seemingly “healthy” options add up fast. A granola bowl with yogurt and honey can pack 500–700 calories. An açai bowl, loaded with blended fruit, nut butter, and toppings, can easily reach 600–800 calories (which worryingly can sometimes be more than a burger and fries). For people who find calorie counting stressful or unrealistic, this creates an automatic deficit that supports weight management.Because by choosing to skip that meal, you immediately create a calorie buffer of several hundred calories per day without needing to measure, track or log every bite.Insulin and Metabolic FlexibilityWhen you skip breakfast, essentially you extend your overnight fast. This gives your body more time in a low-insulin state, which can improve metabolic flexibility - the ability to switch between burning glucose and burning fat for fuel.Studies on time-restricted eating show that eating within a shorter daily window (for example, 12pm–8pm) can:* Improve insulin sensitivity* Support fat oxidation * Reduce overall energy intake without deliberate restrictionThis doesn’t mean everyone should skip breakfast, but for those who can, it’s a simple way to harness fasting physiology.Appetite Regulation and SimplicitySkipping breakfast isn’t about starving yourself. For many people, appetite naturally adjusts: they don’t eat more at lunch to “make up” for the missed meal. In fact, some studies show people who skip breakfast end up eating fewer total calories across the day, not more. It also simplifies decision-making. One less meal means fewer chances for hidden calories, fewer food choices to worry about and less stress about tracking numbers.Who Might Benefit MostPeople who aren’t hungry in the morning: forcing yourself to eat when you’re not hungry can lead to overeating later. Busy professionals or parents: skipping breakfast can save time, energy, and decision fatigue. People struggling with calorie tracking: it’s an easy, practical shortcut to create a daily deficit.Who Should Be CautiousSkipping breakfast isn’t for everyone. Children, pregnant women, people with diabetes or blood sugar regulation issues or those with a history of disordered eating should avoid this approach unless advised by a healthcare professional.The TakeawaySkipping breakfast isn’t a magic trick. But for many adults, it’s a simple, scientifically supported strategy to cut hundreds of calories without calorie counting. It improves metabolic flexibility, reduces decision fatigue, and creates a sustainable “buffer” that helps manage weight and health more easily.If you’re asking me (after all, it’s called Ask Dr Vincent😊), the old saying may need an update: Breakfast can be important — but only if it works for you.Thank you to everyone who tuned into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app. For more information about my products: www.renovatio.com.au Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

In this week’s episode of After Hours, Christian and I dive into one of the most overlooked pillars of health: sleep. What makes a good night’s rest? Why do some people wake up tired even after eight hours? And what really happens inside your body when you dream?We live in a world that glorifies productivity, where sleep is often treated like an inconvenience rather than a necessity. But sleep isn’t a pause button: it’s the most sophisticated repair system your body has.During the night, every cell in your body gets a chance to detox, rebuild and reset. It’s not just rest; it’s regeneration. Yet, so many people wake up exhausted, even after what looks like a full night’s sleep. The truth is, you can’t fix tiredness by adding more hours. You fix it by improving how you sleep.A good night’s sleep moves through several stages. It starts with light sleep, when your body drifts between consciousness and rest. Then comes Stage 2, where your heart rate slows, your temperature drops, and your brain starts filing away memories. Stage 3 is deep sleep, this is your body’s healing mode, when growth hormones are released and tissues repair. Finally, you enter REM, or rapid eye movement sleep. This is when you dream. It’s your brain’s emotional and creative maintenance window, sorting thoughts, processing feelings and strengthening neural connections. Miss this stage, and you’ll wake up foggy, moody and mentally flat — no matter how long you slept.So why do we still feel tired after sleeping? Because modern life sabotages our sleep architecture. Blue light from screens delays melatonin release, alcohol and heavy meals block deep sleep, and stress hormones like cortisol spike at night when they should be low. Even low-grade inflammation can prevent your body from reaching restorative sleep. That’s why quality matters far more than quantity. Seven solid hours of uninterrupted, rhythmic sleep will do more for your brain, skin and mood than ten restless ones.When it comes to sleep aids, not everything that knocks you out helps you sleep. Melatonin can be useful for jet lag, but using it nightly can disrupt your natural circadian rhythm, basically it tells your body when to sleep, not how deeply. CPAP machines, on the other hand, are life-changing for people with sleep apnea, ensuring proper oxygen flow.For those without clinical sleep issues, I often recommend natural options like phenolics combined with passionflower. Passionflower gently calms the nervous system, while apple phenolics reduce inflammation that interferes with deep sleep. Together, they help you drift off naturally and stay asleep, without confusing your body’s biological clock.Good sleep isn’t a luxury, it’s a foundation. It’s where memory, metabolism, and mood repair themselves. It’s also where your skin heals, your hormones rebalance, and your body learns how to cope with stress. Think of sleep as one of your most powerful antioxidants, a nightly detox that money can’t buy. Honour it, protect it and you’ll wake up not just rested, but restored.🎧 Listen to the full episode of After Hours: “Why You Still Feel Tired After Sleeping” — where science gets personal. Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

Listen to the full episode: After Hours — The Science of Weight LossWhere science gets personal.We’ve been told that weight loss is simple. Eat less, move more. But the truth is, your body isn’t a calculator. It’s a chemistry lab. Calories matter, yes, but how your body processes them depends on far more than diet and exercise.In my latest After Hours episode, we unpacked the science of weight loss and why some people lose weight easily while others struggle even when they do everything right. The missing piece for many is inflammation.The Inflammation ConnectionWhen your body is inflamed, your cells become resistant to insulin, the hormone that helps move glucose from your blood into your cells for energy. When insulin can’t do its job properly, excess glucose gets stored as fat. Inflammation also disrupts leptin and ghrelin, the hormones that control hunger and fullness. That’s why some people feel hungry even after eating. Their hunger signals are confused.Inflammation doesn’t only come from unhealthy food. It’s also triggered by stress, lack of sleep, processed sugar, alcohol and environmental toxins. Over time this creates a metabolic state where your body starts to fight against weight loss.Why Traditional Diets FailWhen you dramatically cut calories or skip meals, your body senses danger and slows down your metabolism to conserve energy. This is a survival mechanism known as adaptive thermogenesis. You lose weight at first, but once you go back to normal eating your body rebounds and stores even more.That’s why the real key to lasting weight loss isn’t restriction. It’s restoration. Restoring metabolic balance, gut health and hormonal sensitivity so your body can burn fat naturally again.The Gut–Brain Axis of WeightYour gut doesn’t just digest food, it talks directly to your brain. When your gut microbiome is out of balance, it can trigger cravings for sugar and high-fat foods, affect your mood and change how efficiently you use energy. A disrupted gut microbiome also fuels inflammation, which ties gut health and weight closely together.Foods rich in prebiotics like apples, oats and garlic feed good bacteria, while phenolic antioxidants help calm inflammation. This is why I often talk about apple phenolics. They lower inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity and support the gut-brain connection without disrupting your natural sleep-wake rhythm the way stimulants or artificial aids can.Beyond Numbers: What Healthy Weight Really MeansTrue health isn’t about chasing a number on the scale. It’s about lowering chronic inflammation, improving energy, mental clarity and overall wellbeing. When your body is balanced, your weight becomes a reflection of health, not a punishment.If there’s one message from The Science of Weight Loss, it’s this. Your body doesn’t need to be forced into change. It needs to be supported into balance.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

In this week’s episode, Christian and I dove into two things we don’t usually think of together — gut health and day drinking. On the surface, it feels light and social: brunch mimosas, Aperol spritz in the sun, rosé by the pool. But we pulled back the curtain on what’s really happening inside your gut when you drink during the day.Alcohol isn’t just about the buzz, it reshapes your microbiome. It wipes out good bacteria, feeds the bad ones, and inflames your gut lining, which is why bloating and gas are so common. Add in sugary cocktails or greasy brunch food, and you’ve created what I like to call a “microbiome hangover”; a gut crash that explains why day drinking often leaves you wiped out before the evening even starts.We also talked about how timing matters. Drinking earlier in the day can sometimes hit harder, because your body is less hydrated and your gut is more sensitive. But the real trick isn’t whether you drink at brunch or at night, it’s what you do around it. Prebiotic foods before, water and electrolytes during, and antioxidants after can help your gut recover. And trust me, never drink on an empty stomach.The takeaway? You don’t need to give up your spritz. Just know what’s going on inside your gut and make smarter choices so you can enjoy it without the bloat, the crash, or the sluggish next day.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

In the latest episode of After Hours, Christian and I dove deep into one of my favourite topics — gut health. I called the episode Gut Feeling because our digestive system is far more than just a place where food is broken down. It’s central to how we feel every single day — influencing mood, energy, focus, and even how we respond to stress. Listeners often tell me they “trust their gut” when making decisions, but the truth is, that saying is grounded in biology.The gut and brain are connected through the vagus nerve, constantly sending signals back and forth. That means when your gut is inflamed or unbalanced, your mind feels it too.One of the big discussions was whether probiotics are the ultimate fix. I explained why we’ve been looking at it the wrong way — it’s not probiotics, but prebiotics, the functional fibres that feed our good bacteria, that truly build long-term gut resilience. Also, during the episode, I answered some of the our listener questions! From skincare, skin health and parenting.What I loved most about this episode was how personal the questions were. People aren’t just curious about their physical health, they want to know how health affects their daily lives, their focus at work, their relationships and even their skin. That’s the beauty of science when it gets personal: it stops being abstract and starts being useful. We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

The future of healthcare isn’t coming, it’s already here. From AI and robots in hospitals to immunotherapy that teaches your immune system to fight smarter, we’re standing on the edge of a medical revolution. But the question is: will it actually make us healthier?In this episode of After Hours, Christian and I dive into the messy, fascinating world of tomorrow’s medicine. We talk about the trauma from the infamous thalidomide, whether biohacking is genius or snake oil and how stress, toxins, and inflammation are quietly rewriting our biology. We even pull apart that infamous hot mic moment between Putin and Xi Jinping discussing organ transplants - because the future of health is not just science, it’s politics.And through it all, I bring it back to the one truth I’ve seen in my own research: if 80% of disease is driven by inflammation, then building resilience is everything. That’s where activated phenolics — nature’s ultra antioxidants — have a powerful role to play in keeping us healthy in a world that’s getting more complex by the day.This isn’t a lecture. It’s an unfiltered conversation about what’s coming, what’s real, and how you can protect yourself. Because staying healthy in the future starts with the choices you make right now.👉 Listen in, share it with someone curious about the future, and remember: today is a great day to be healthy and happy.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

Walk into any beauty store and you’re greeted with walls of serums, creams, masks, and tonics, each one promising to be the secret to perfect skin. The skincare industry has mastered the art of marketing hope in a bottle. But beneath the glossy packaging lies what I call the skincare trap: the cycle of overbuying, overlayering and overlooking what really matters.The truth is, your skin doesn’t need a ten-step ritual. In fact, overloading your face with too many products can cause irritation, strip your natural barrier, and leave you chasing solutions for problems that your routine created in the first place. Skincare should be therapeutic and regenerative, working at the cellular level to reduce inflammation and support repair, not just a vanity exercise.Part of the trap is psychological. We’ve been conditioned to believe that more products equal better results, when in reality, science shows that less can be more. A gentle cleanser, a targeted serum, and a nourishing cream are often enough when they’re formulated with effective, clinically validated and relevant ingredients. The rest is noise designed to keep you spending.In this episode of After Hours, Christian and I unpack how the skincare industry fuels this cycle, why inflammation is the real enemy of healthy skin, and how I set out to create products that work with your biology, not against it. Because true skincare shouldn’t just look good on your shelf; it should help you live healthier, happier, and more confident in your own skin.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in - we saw you and we were so happy that you watch this episode LIVE! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

Parenting is magic… and mayhem. In this raw, funny, and unfiltered episode, Dr Vincent and Christian pull back the curtain on what kids actually do to your body and mind—why new parents lose ~700 hours of sleep in year one, how constant worry spikes cortisol, and why “making your child the only priority” can quietly wreck your health (and theirs). It’s honest, practical, and deeply relatable.You’ll hear the side of parenting no one says out loud—ER visits in a two-week blur, the mental load that never clocks off, and the humbling truth that you’re not supposed to know everything. Then we flip the script: the science-backed upsides. Kids boost movement and connection, flood you with oxytocin, and (yes) a sense of purpose that can reduce all-cause mortality. The episode is equal parts empathy and empowerment.Stay to the end for rapid-fire, no-BS guidance most parents argue about: Should kids take supplements? (probiotics and some omega-3s get the nod; alcohol-tincture herbs and gummy “vitamins” get a hard pass), Vitamin D cautions, why most Vitamin C tablets are lab-made ascorbic acid (and what to do instead), and the big one—should kids eat the same food as their parents? (spoiler: fix the adults’ plates first). Also: the wild truth about dads’ hormones (lower T, higher oxytocin), Bluey-movie chatter, and a very real confession about dinosaur nuggets.Hit play if… you’re a new parent drowning in advice, a future parent trying to be realistic, or someone who wants science you can actually use. Listen through to the last five minutes—that’s where the most controversial, practical takeaways live, and where your week will genuinely change.Share this with the most sleep-deprived parent you know. This one’s designed to make you feel seen and give you simple steps you can actually do tonight.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

In this episode of After Hours with Dr Vincent, we explore how addiction blurs the line between biology and behaviour. Why can one person binge drink every weekend and stay “fine,” while another spirals after a single glass? Why do some of us need a pill to fall asleep?We break down the science of addiction, from dopamine’s powerful grip on the brain’s reward system to the difference between physiological dependence (when your body screams for it) and psychological dependence (when your mind convinces you that you can’t live without it). Food, sleep, sex - even seemingly harmless things - can become addictive when biology and psychology collide.You’ll also hear why alcohol affects people so differently, how melatonin use can cross into psychological reliance and yes, food addiction is real - engineered combinations of sugar, fat, and salt are designed to overwhelm your brain’s natural balance.And to bring it closer to home, Christian reveals his own surprising addiction — one that’s not booze or gambling, but just as compulsive and relatable. Let’s just say it’s fizzy, sweet and harder to quit than he’d like to admit and I am done defending him!We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe

In our very first episode of After Hours, I sit down with my co-founder and long-time friend, Christian, to share the untold story of how Renovatio began. From a crazy idea in the lab to building a company that’s now touching lives around the world, we pull back the curtain on how we met and how we started Renovatio.This isn’t your polished press release version, it’s the real, messy human story of what it takes to chase science, business and purpose all at once. And it’s also a preview of what After Hours will be: a space where no topic is off-limits, where we talk about health, business, science, relationships and everything in between with honesty and humour.Welcome to After Hours. Let’s begin.We are so grateful for your support, so we’d like to offer you a special Renovatio deal:PS: This session was recorded LIVE, thank you to everyone who tuned in! Get full access to Ask Dr Vincent at www.askdrvincent.com/subscribe