TheFullMonty100

Customer story

This is the story of Miriam, a fictional character. As you read, consider if any of her issues and aspirations resonate with you.

Miriam is 55 and loves her life. She is determined not to let her quality of life decline as she enthusiastically approaches the coming decades towards 100. While she doesn't fear death, she does fear decrepitude, premature decline and dementia. What she craves most is adventure, independence, mobility, cognitive health, and the ability to stay capable as she ages.

Miriam currently pays nearly £3k a year in council tax for her home, so paying a similar amount annually for the potential to gain an extra 10 to 15 years of healthspan seems like a bargain—if The Full Monty really could work for her. She understands there are no guarantees in life, but she is prepared to back hard science and proactive “iceberg avoidance” tactics. She has lost faith with the traditional model of relying on remedial healthcare, such as the NHS or private insurers, which often only treat symptoms or attempt cures once a disease is already established.

What Miriam didn’t realise was how transformative this journey would be. By engaging with The Full Monty she will learn more about her genetic inheritance and she will make a wide range of simple, measurable changes in her behaviours to improve her life chances. This pursuit of longevity and body performance will become a lifelong journey, engaging both her mind and body.

While Miriam would love a guaranteed elixir of life, she knows that is not realistic. However, she can hope to "load the dice" in her favour and dial in the lifestyle she wants to pursue with a science-based, comprehensive programme. She is also intrigued by the idea of managing her "body age" and finds the concept of VO2 max and some of the other key supermetrics appealing as tangible 'body scores' she can track and improve.

Miriam was particularly excited to learn how vital zone 2 exercise is for building muscle, improving metabolic function, and enhancing long-term health. She has made simple changes to her exercise routine and is already seeing significant gains. As she ages her body naturally produces fewer and less healthy mitochondria, but zone 2 aerobic exercise helps create new mitochondria and recycles the old ones. Zone 2 exercise also supports cognitive health, such as Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor, which plays an essential role in neuron survival and growth.

Miriam also now plans to have affordable, low-dose scans every year to track her bone density, muscle mass, overall muscle-to-fat ratio, and visceral fat levels. She understands that bone density declines at the same rate as muscle mass after the age of 55. Regular weight-bearing exercise, such as heavy weight training, helps her body respond by laying down more bone. She also now enjoys a version of rucking, which involves carrying a weighted pack and hiking uphill—an activity that pushes her limits and helps with bone density.

Building eccentric strength has become a priority for Miriam, especially as she seeks to maintain stability and prevent falls which can lead to a downward spiral. Following our help initially, she now practices controlled movements, such as slowly stepping down and holding her balance. This protects her knees, ankles, and hips while strengthening muscles important for stability. Stability and balance exercises are critical as we age and Miriam is starting early to get ahead of the curve.

Years ago, many people avoided thinking about the possibility of cancer because there was little that could be done once it was discovered. However, advances in early detection have changed this and Miriam now fully embraces regular screening. She doesn't want to leave such serious aspects of her health to chance .

For Miriam, heart health and cancer are also not random time-bombs that might explode in her 60s, 70s, or 80s. These are potential conditions she aims to stay ahead of. The same goes for her alcohol intake, which she now monitors to determine whether it’s appropriate for her unique body and metabolism. With the right tools, she can now decide whether she can continue enjoying alcohol in moderation or if adjustments are necessary to avoid long-term health issues.

Miriam is deeply invested in the science of health and longevity. She is aware that insulin resistance significantly increases the risk of conditions like cancer, Alzheimer's, and cardiovascular disease. The more she learns about metabolic health, the more she understands how crucial it is to keep blood glucose levels stable. She is an advocate of continuous glucose monitoring and tracks her own glucose regulation from time to time. The brain, she knows, suffers from poor glucose metabolism, leading to oxidative stress and a lack of energy for neurons. Miriam is committed to managing her metabolic health, and she enjoys the journey—knowing that she is actively improving her long-term health and well-being.

This is not a one year programme for her - it is now an underpinning for a mission she will stay on for the rest of her life