Michael Mosley's legacy continues: Five health tips from Just One Thing Volume 2
Two years after the health guru's death, his advice is still helping millions improve their wellbeing says his wife and son, Clare Bailey Mosley and Jack Mosley
The outpouring of grief when Michael died of heatstroke on a hillside in Greece in June 2024 was extraordinary. Our family was deeply touched by the warmth and kindness of the Just One Thing community. So many people shared how they had benefitted from Michael’s advice, and how he was like a friend to them. Michael personally understood the challenges of pursuing a healthy and happy lifestyle, having struggled himself with his weight, diabetes and chocolate addiction. He would ask me to hide the chocolate to avoid temptation. Only a few months ago, a large bar of hidden chocolate fell off the shelf with a heavy clunk!
Michael was always passionate about supporting the nation’s health, knowing that so many of the chronic conditions that cause poor metabolic health across the Western world can be addressed by simple lifestyle changes. Ever since 2012, when he brought his type 2 diabetes into remission using intermittent fasting, he took it upon himself to inspire people worldwide to make lifestyle changes to improve their health.
But he understood that we are often overloaded with lifestyle advice that can become overwhelming: how to sleep better, how to control your anxiety, what foods to eat, what foods not to eat, how to lose weight, the best way to exercise. Michael believed that willpower was overrated. He understood the power of habit and the benefit of breaking down those lifestyle tips into bitesized chunks. Through Just One Thing, Michael may well have improved the health of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of lives across the globe.
Bitesized wisdom
Originally launched as a BBC Radio 4 podcast in 2021, Just One Thing – a bitesized format offering single, manageable health tips, one at a time – has now reached more than 25 million listeners worldwide. The idea is wonderfully simple: each 15-minute episode introduces Just One Thing you can do to improve your health.
The series is full of quirky, fun and sometimes bizarre facts, and words of fascinating wisdom from eminent, and often very entertaining, scientists who are experts in their field. Michael was the front man for seven series of the podcast, enthusiastically extolling the virtues of standing on one leg, taking an afternoon nap or walking in the rain.
True to character, he always tried each “thing” himself.
Filming for a TV series of Just One Thing was already underway when his life was cut short in the summer of 2024 at the age of 67. But his legacy lives on, not least in this brilliant new book, Just One Thing Volume 2, so you can continue to improve your life bit by bit.
Five tips from Dr Michael Mosley for a happier life
Take turmeric
How to do it: Add one teaspoon of powdered turmeric to your cooking every day
Why do it? It may boost mood, sharpen memory and help ease aches and pains
Next time you’re cooking up a stew, soup or curry, consider adding a little something that could do more than just warm your taste buds.
Turmeric, with its distinctive golden hue, has long been a staple in kitchens across Southeast Asia. But increasingly, this pungent yellow spice is finding its way into the lexicons of scientists, doctors and wellness enthusiasts alike – not just for its flavour, but for its growing list of possible health benefits. Much of turmeric’s magic, scientists believe, lies in its ability to reduce inflammation. Inflammation is the immune system’s response to infection, injury or irritation – and is a known factor in conditions ranging from heart disease to depression and cancer.
In one Japanese study, participants who took curcumin – one of the compounds found in turmeric – daily for several weeks showed significantly lower levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a key marker of inflammation in the body.
This anti-inflammatory effect has been particularly promising for people with joint pain and osteoarthritis, a condition affecting millions in the UK and around the world.
Embrace the rain
How to do it: Go for a walk in the rain or head outside just after it’s rained
Why do it? It may reduce stress and inflammation while lifting your mood
In the UK, it rains on 159 days of each year, on average. Rainis an unavoidable part of life, yet it is often unwelcome, frequently complained about and generally endured rather than enjoyed.
But perhaps it’s time that we changed our view of drizzle. Far from being a grey inconvenience, there’s mounting scientific evidence that rain – and the air it leaves behind – may actually be good for us. Rain helps to clean the atmosphere, flushing out pollutants and significantly improving air quality. One study found that rainfall reduced the number of harmful fine particles in the air – the type that can lodge deep in the lungs – by around 2%. This means that going for a walk in the rain, or shortly afterwards, doesn’t just offer solitude and moody skies.
It also delivers air that’s cleaner and potentially better for your lungs than the air you’d breathe on a dry day in the city.
Get gardening
How to do it: Do a bit of gardening
Why do it? It may boost your microbiome, mood, wellbeing and brain health
Any gardener will tell you that the physical exertion ofkeeping up with the digging and weeding is a great way toget fit. But you might be surprised to learn that, in addition, exposure to bacteria in soil can boost your mood and yourgut microbiome.
The gut microbiome is the community of micro-organisms that live in your digestive tract, playing an essential part in digestion and immune function. But as well as being good for your body, gardening is also good for your brain – and you don’t need to spend long hours in the garden to reap these benefits.
In one small study, just 20 minutes of tending to a vegetable patch resulted in a measurable increase in levels of a hormone called BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor), which has been shown to improve learning and memory. That’s because, appropriately enough, BDNF acts just like fertiliser for your brain cells, helping them to stay in good shape.
Laugh out loud
How to do it: Find something (or someone) to make you laugh out loud every day!
Why do it? Laughter lifts mood and may ease pain, support memory and protect the heart
We’ve long known that laughter feels good. It lifts a gloomy mood, brings people together and lightens even the darkest of days. But increasingly, research suggests it does more than just boost morale – it may offer genuine health benefits.
It’s perhaps no surprise that a hearty laugh triggers a cascade of physiological reactions. Laughter draws in deep gulps of oxygen-rich air, stimulates the lungs and heart, and relaxes the body. In doing so, it increases the production of endorphins – the body’s natural feel-good chemicals that promote everything from pain relief to emotional connection.
There’s also evidence that laughing with others is a powerful social glue. A shared chuckle builds rapport more quickly than conversation alone. Research from Oxford University found that when people laugh together – say, over a clip from Friends or Mr Bean – they report stronger social bonds afterwards, even with strangers.
Eat nuts
How to do it: Eat a small handful of unsalted nuts every day
Why do it? This may protect against heart disease, diabetes and some cancers, while boosting brain power
Nibbling on a small handful of nuts when you might instead have been tucking into a mid-afternoon biscuit or a chocolate treat not only means you are replacing unhealthy sugars and fats with protein and fibre, but you could also be helping to protect your heart, stave off cancer and give your brain a boost at the same time.
Nuts often get a bad press because they are high infat, and they can cause life-threatening allergies, which iswhy they’re rightly banned from schools and nurseries.But they can be amazing littlenutritional powerhouses.
When we eat nuts, we get lots of fibre and, importantly, compounds called polyphenols, which feed our gut bacteria and can reduce inflammation. Not only are the fats in nuts healthy, but there’s some surprising new research that shows nuts can trim your waistline and even boost your brain power. In fact, it turns out making nuts a regular part of your diet could even extend your life.
- Edited extract by Matt Nixson from Just One Thing Volume Two: 40 Daily Habits for Better Health, by Dr Michael Mosley (Short Books, £20)
