Michael Mosley's top 33 tips to live a long and healthy life from cold pasta to walking backwards

Michael Mosley transformed the lives of hundreds of thousands with his innovative approach to health and exercise.

The nutrition guru, who shared his advice with successful books, documentaries and podcasts, tragically died on June 5 whilst holidaying on the Greek island of Symi. The 67-year-old left his wife and friends on the beach before taking a solo hike, where he is believed to have taken a wrong turn. The dad-of-four collapsed in the heat, just yards away from safety.

Following his shock death, moving tributes poured in online from those who were close to him, and those he had unknowingly helped over the years. Labour's former deputy leader, Tom Watson, dubbed Mosley a "hero" after he lost more than seven stone by following his tips, allowing him to stop taking drugs to regulate his type 2 diabetes.

"It's hard to describe how upset I am by this news," he wrote. "Through courageous, science-based journalism, Michael Mosley has helped thousands of people get well and healthy. I'm one of them."

As a passionate advocate for good health, Mosley tried out tests on himself first before advising others, which included fun and sometimes quirky experiments, like the time he swallowed tapeworms so he could track the effects. In a special BBC programme in tribute to the doctor, fellow TV doctor Chris van Tulleken said: "Michael’s death has moved so many of us. His legacy is going to live on in our memories, every time we brush our teeth standing on one leg, we fast a little longer between meals, we build up our strength with squats or do any one of the other hundreds of tricks that he taught us."

Here, the Mirror takes a look at 33 of Michael's tips for a healthier life...

Michael Mosley

1. Two-day fast

Michael is best known for popularising the 5:2 diet, where you eat normally for five days of the week, and restrict your calories for the other two days, at around 800 calories. Mosley did the diet for five weeks and on his fasting days, had a light breakfast, dinner, and drank plenty of water and herbal tea in between.

He lost nearly a stone and in turn, his blood markers improved and he managed to reverse his type 2 diabetes.

2. Time-restricted eating

The doctor was also a fan of time-restricted eating and challenged people to not eat for 12 hours, typically between the hours of 8pm and 8am. Some studies show that TRE can improve blood pressure and sugar, and contribute to cardiac metabolic health.

In an episode of his Just One Thing podcast on BBC Radio 4, he said: "If you want to lose a bit of weight and improve your metabolic health, change your meal times. That means having breakfast a bit later and your evening meal a bit earlier. It's also known as time-restricted eating and I would recommend you start by trying to eat all your meals within a 12-hour window."

3. Belt hack

The TV doctor had a simple hack for keeping his weight off. Speaking at the launch of the app for his The Fast 800 programme last September, he said the gaps between his belt notches are around an inch, which represents 2.5 kilos of weight. And for each kilo lost, a person loses around 1cm off the waist, he said.

"The way I keep my weight off is to wear a tight belt," he explained. Gesturing to his belt, he commented: "This is the tightest it goes, that is about an inch, that is 2.5 kilos - for each kilo you lose, you lose 1cm around the waist. So I know when I'm on the next notch, I'm two kilos overweight."

Michael promoting his podcast

4. Standing on one leg

Michael warned about the loss of balance as the population has become more sedentary and therefore encouraged people to stand on one leg when possible. An easy way to introduce balance would be when brushing your teeth.

"When you attempt the one leg balance, your brain is performing a remarkable amount of coordination," he said in his podcast Just One Thing. "It integrates signals coming from the fluid in your inner ears, visual cues from eyes, and even feedback from your joints and muscles. Signals from your eyes play a big role in maintaining your balance, which helps explain why standing on one leg is significantly harder when you close your eyes. If you can reach 10 seconds with your eyes closed, you’re doing well."

5. Eat pasta cold

Cooking and letting carb-heavy meals, such as pasta and potatoes, cool down first before eating them gives them time to alter their structure, called "resistant starch". It becomes resistant to the enzymes in our guy that break carbs down and release glucose, therefore eating pasta cold causes a much smaller blood sugar surge.

6. Cook tomatoes

Tomatoes on the vine

While we hear of some vegetables that are better to eat raw to maintain their nutritional value, Michael suggested the opposite for tomatoes. They contain a powerful antioxidant called lycopine, which helps the body fight off damaging chemicals, which is said to be more easily absorbed when the fruit is cooked.

Speaking on his BBC Sounds podcast, Just One Thing, Dr Mosley also explained that the compound is thought to be key in the prevention of cancers. He said: "One of the things I bang on about is prostate cancer because I'm at the age where your risk begins to rise, and there is some decent evidence linking tomato consumption, particularly cooked tomatoes, with reduced risk of prostate cancer."

7. Cold showers

The benefits of cold showers in the morning have been spoken about for some time, and it's a habit that Mosley also encouraged. Research shows that short periods of stress can be beneficial, with cold water therapy one of the most effective ways to create short-term stress on your body.

Michael said that having 30-second cold showers every day for 60 days reduced the risk of sick days by 30 per cent. He also encouraged safe cold water swimming, adding: "There is growing evidence that cold water swimming, on a regular basis, can boost your mood, lower stress, improve your cardiovascular health and strengthen your immune system."

8. Swimming

Woman in swimming pool

Swimming has a multitude of benefits, according to Mosley. He said the exercise improves mental speed and longevity while the physical benefits are obvious - using lots of different muscle groups.

He suggested going three times a week for around 20 to 30 minutes. "A small study from New Zealand found that doing a 20-minute swimming exercise boosts brain function and even produced slightly faster reaction times," he recalled.

Speaking on his BBC Sounds podcast, Just One Thing, he added: "What I'm doing now is an exercise that is really good for the body and for the brain. It works all the major muscle groups, but on top of that, it's been shown to improve things like memory and reaction times. I've just been swimming. The good thing about swimming is that it's good for your body, as I said, but also for your heart - and one of the reasons for that is because it improves the elasticity of your arteries in ways that land-based exercises do not."

9. 4-2-4 breathing

Mosley spoke about the importance of slowing down your breathing and an easy way to do it is using the 4-2-4 method, where you breathe in for four seconds, hold for two, and breathe out for four. "This simple technique, which you can use anywhere at any time, works because it has a powerful effect on the body and brain," he instructed.

"It triggers a cascade of changes, from shifting your brain chemistry to calming a worrying mind. Slowing your heart rate and initiating deep relaxation."

10. Fictional reading

Losing yourself in a good story each day could boost your brain power and in turn, help you live longer, Mosley said. Referring to a study by Stanford University, researchers found an increase in blood flow across the entire brain when people read Jane Austen. "Reading can increase the connectivity in your brain and create new neural pathways," Mosley said.

11. House plants

The dad-of-four suggested everyone fill their space with a little more greenery. He said house plants can improve your mood as well as your air quality, whilst they can also help fight fatigue.

12. Gardening

A woman pruning her roses in her garden

He was also an advocate for gardening. Not only is it a good form of exercise, but studies show it can improve your memory and mood. Dr Mosley also claimed that taking up gardening as a hobby could help you live longer because it "brings you in closer contact with soil", which can help cultivate "good gut microbes".

13. Practice yoga

Alongside general daily movement, Michael recommended daily yoga in particular as a way to reduce stress and even reverse signs of body ageing.

14. Walk backwards

Commonly practised in China, this exercise may look odd. But Mosley said there were surprising health benefits of walking backwards, including reducing back pain and boosting your memory. Dr Mosley said he was "intrigued" by the bizarre technique and said the easiest way to try it out is on a treadmill, however, it can be done at home or outside as long as you're careful about your surroundings. He suggested starting slowly with just a few steps at a time, and if you can, have a partner with you so you can help guide each other.

15. Prioritise protein

Protein plays an important role in weight loss as the body uses more energy to digest and absorb it than it does with foods high in carbs, for example. It's essential for producing hormones, helps with the immune system, and of course, we need it to build and maintain muscle.

Good quality sources include meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds, tofu, and dairy products, such as Greek yoghurt. It is advised to aim for 60-80g of protein a day. Michael explained: "A diet that is high in lean proteins has many health benefits: it reduces hunger, lowers blood pressure, assists with weight management, improves muscle mass and strength, and lowers the risk of osteoporosis as lean protein is great for bone health."

16. And don't forget vegetables

Mosley suggested piling your plate half full of vegetables to promote good gut health and to ensure you're having enough fibre. Also containing a wealth of vitamins, low-calorie veg keeps the brain and immune system in good shape.

17. Make it Mediterranean

The Mediterranean diet is hailed as the most healthy across the world. Consisting of oily fish and fresh produce, Michael Mosley lived by a predominately Mediterranean diet, eating more than two portions of vegetables and two portions of fruit a day. Olive oil is used in cooking and dressings, processed meat is limited, and snacks consist of nuts instead of biscuits.

In his column for the Daily Mail, Dr Mosley said that large trials have shown the Mediterranean diet "can cut your risk of heart disease, stroke and developing type 2 diabetes by almost half". The diet is packed with anti-inflammatory foods, and chronic inflammation helps drive heart disease.

18. Eat more apples

The old saying 'an apple a day keeps the doctor away' could ring true. A compound in apples was found to aid weight loss in one US study across six months.

Women who had apples every day saw their cholesterol levels drop by 23 per cent whilst they lost 1.5kg in weight too. The humble fruit has also been shown to cut the risk of diabetes, while they include essential vitamins such as vitamin C and potassium.

19. 'Exercise snacking'

Exercise for some people, especially those who lead very busy lives, can appear to be an arduous task. But Mosley looked into the concept of "exercise snacking" - where you do a few minutes of physical movement rather than scheduling in an hour's gym session.

Tasks can include taking the stairs instead of getting in the lift, or going for a brisk walk first thing in the morning. Changes in behaviour can become habits over time, which is exactly how Michael incorporated them into his daily routine.

"We live at the top of a steep hill - I always cycle down to the town for the shopping and push myself hard on the way back," he said on his Just One Thing podcast. Encouraging others, he advised: "Break your exercise up into bite-sized chunks, perhaps three lots of 10 minutes.

"The single reason most people cite for not exercising is lack of time. And it certainly can be tricky to find the two and a half hours a week of moderately intense activity you need to meet the recommended guidelines. So why not try some 'exercise snacks'? Research shows that peppering them throughout the day can be just as good - if not better - for your health."

20. Turn down the thermostat

Room temperature control thermostat

Alongside taking cold showers, Mosley also kept his heating down low, much to the annoyance of his wife Clare. He found that turning it down by just a few degrees could improve fat and blood-sugar metabolism and boost your mood.

He also suggested a cool bedroom could help you get to sleep quicker. "I live in an old house which is expensive to heat - so we pile on layers of clothes and keep the thermostat at about 15 degrees," he said.

21. Drink more water

Woman pouring glass of water with lemon

It's recommended people drink eight glasses of water a day to stay hydrated. But water is especially important for those looking to lose weight. Water gives your metabolism a boost, and it also plays a role in how the body burns fat. Drinking a glass and waiting 10 minutes can be proven to curb cravings, Mosley said.

22. Do squats

Young athlete doing exercising on sport ground outdoors.

Squats are one of the most simple exercises, and best of all, it's free. Because squats are a resistance exercise, they work some of the biggest muscles in the body. When muscles are tensed and held still, research shows there is a sudden rush of blood when you relax, which can reduce blood pressure.

Dr Mosley started each morning with simple exercises consisting of squats and planks. "It's the best simple exercise you can do," he credited.

23. Fermented foods

In recent times, there has been a shift to ensure people are including some sort of fermented food in either their daily or weekly diet. Fermented foods are made by adding microorganisms, like bacteria or yeast, to a food source and include things like yoghurt, kefir, kimchi and sauerkraut - many of which contain probiotics, which improve your gut health.

Fermented foods can benefit your health in a variety of ways, such as improving digestion and lowering your risk for certain diseases, like type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Incorporating these foods have also been showed to boost the immune system and reduce inflammation.

Citing a recent trial, which saw 25 men and women drink either a daily glass of kefir or a non-fermented dairy alternative, Mosley said: "After just four weeks, those drinking kefir had more than doubled the number of beneficial lactobacillus bacteria in their gut and they performed better on memory tests.

"In another study where they looked at stress, volunteers were asked to include 2-3 servings of fermented foods into their daily diet plus a good helping of fibre. After four weeks those who followed this gut-friendly diet reported feeling less stressed. Those who ate more fermented foods than fibre saw a bigger reduction in their stress levels. Interestingly the quality of their sleep also improved."

24. Dark chocolate

A woman eating a piece of chocolate

Speaking on his Just One Thing podcast, Dr Mosley explained that eating "small portions" of dark chocolate, as well as nuts, could help benefit short-term memory, fluency, and attention, giving you a much-needed boost if you find yourself "flagging" in the afternoon. You should aim to eat around 15 to 30 grams of nuts and two pieces of dark chocolate as an afternoon snack, and while that might not seem like much, the benefits are huge.

The expert said: "Like coffee, both nuts and dark chocolate are high in polyphenols and have beneficial cognitive effects, such as boosting short-term memory, fluency and attention."

Dr Mosley even claimed that the "right amount" of nuts and dark chocolate could carry other long-term health benefits, with studies showing that nuts can reduce the risk of cancer and diabetes as well as slow down the ageing process. Dark chocolate, on the other hand, can help improve the elasticity of your blood vessels, insulin sensitivity, and cholesterol levels in women with type 2 diabetes.

25. Full-fat

Dr Mosley told his followers to stop buying low-fat dairy options and said buying the full-fat product could actually be better for you. Michael said: "It may come as a surprise to those who were told to choose the low-fat option to be healthier, but full-fat dairy like Greek yoghurt or full-fat milk is arguably the healthier option."

He continued: "It contains more essential fatty acids like omega-3, high levels of protein, Vitamin B-12, and iodine, all of which have been recognised to slow cognitive decline, reduce anxiety and depression, control energy levels and improve metabolic rate."

26. Nuts

Added nuts into your diet was a no-brainer for Michael. He praised nuts such as almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, and pistachios as being some of the "top healthy foods" for weight loss, as they are high in "good fats" as well as protein, fibre, and Vitamin E. Nuts also help to lower cholesterol and are great for heart health.

27. Singing

Stopping yourself from feeling stressed doesn't always seem easy, but Mosley said there is something all of us can do for just five minutes every day that's said to give us the same natural high that you'd expect to receive from the cannabis plant. Writing in the Sunday Times about 16 different things you can do to help improve your mood and increase your brain power, Dr Mosley said that singing can not only make you feel happier but has also been shown to "reduce anxiety and even relieve chronic pain".

He added that the common activity "gives us a natural high" by boosting endocannabinoids, which are chemicals produced in our bodies that have a "similar structure to those found in the cannabis plant". The diet guru also spoke about the benefits of singing on his BBC Sounds podcast, Just One Thing, where he said singing can release "happy hormones" such as dopamine and endorphins in the body, and said that even if you don't think you're a particularly good singer, doing the activity "without shame" can benefit everybody.

28. Drink more tea

The health expert was full of praise for a drink that millions of us consume multiple times a day - the humble cup of tea. He said the popular brew can help strengthen bones and lower your risk of heart disease, which is why he preferred to drink it throughout the day.

Speaking on Just One Thing, he said: "It's mid-afternoon and I'm about to take a little break. I'm about to do just one very British thing that's not only a great stress buster but could also lower my risk of heart disease and help me live a longer, healthier life. I'm having a cup of tea. New research shows there are things in the tea itself that really can lower your stress levels. Not only that but studies show that drinking tea could also improve your memory and reduce your risk of bone fractures."

29. A filling lunch

Michael explained that eating a healthy lunch is vital for keeping your metabolism "fired up and burning calories" throughout the rest of the day, so it's definitely not a meal you should take lightly. However, there are foods you should avoid eating for lunch if you want to have the best chance of keeping your energy levels high for the afternoon.

In an article on the Fast 800 website, Dr Mosley said: "A low-carb lunch, which is rich in protein and healthy fats, will help to ensure your brain is working efficiently and that your stress levels are kept steady, avoiding that horrid 'hangry' feeling." The health guru warned dieters to avoid eating many of the traditional lunch favourites, such as pasta salad, sandwiches, and crisps as they "spike blood sugars" and can end up making you feel worse as the afternoon goes on.

Instead, Dr Mosley suggested that making a healthy lunch out of dinner leftovers from the night before is a great way to make sure you're eating well with little effort. He added: "While pasta salads, sandwiches, beans on toast, and crisps are all common go-to's, they actually spike our blood sugars which give up a 'crash' or 'dip' in the afternoon. Carbohydrates can be a helpful source of energy for your body.

"When we consume quality carbohydrates, like whole wheat, beans, and certain fruits and vegetables, our body burns the glucose (sugar) from carbohydrates as its primary source of energy. However, if we consume too many carbohydrates, or rely on complex carbohydrates like white bread, that excess glucose spikes blood sugars and is stored as fat in the body.

"Low-carbohydrate diets have been shown to reduce appetite better than a low-fat diet. Studies suggest that a low-carb diet results in the consumption of far fewer calories in general, potentially as a result of a reduction in snack cravings later in the day. Furthermore, low-carb diets can lead to more weight loss, and particularly assist with the loss of visceral fat (a dangerous type of fat which wraps around internal abdominal organs). Not only that, but opting for low-carb lunch ideas can help to reduce your risk of various illnesses such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and some brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer's."

30. Morning light

The health expert, who suffered from insomnia himself, said the best advice he was given for sleep hygiene was to get up at the same time each day and head outside into the morning light as soon as possible. Dr Mosley said your circadian rhythm - which is a natural internal process that regulates our sleep-wake cycle - is impacted more by the time you wake up than the time you go to bed, so keeping a strict morning routine is advised.

He explained: "A burst of morning light halts the production of the sleep hormone, melatonin, and signals to the body that the day has begun. A morning signal will kick-start a cascade of events so that around twelve hours later, melatonin starts to rise, preparing your body for deep rest."

31. Spicy food

In a column for the Daily Mail, Dr Mosley explained that including spicy food into your diet can work wonders for speeding up your metabolism. Incorporating spices can also help lower blood pressure, ease pain, and can also play a role in elevating your mood.

32. Non-starchy vegetables

Dr Mosley swore by "non-starchy vegetables," such as broccoli, spinach, cauliflower, and cucumbers. which he credited as a healthier option than others like potatoes. He wrote: "They contain a host of vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients like phytochemicals that help to aid digestion, lower cholesterol, and reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes. With such brilliant health benefits, there's no need to count the (very minimal) calories when adding to your plate – which we encourage with every meal!"

33. Coffee mistake

A woman holding a coffee

Dr Mosley said coffee, fruit juice, and alcohol are among the drinks that are the worst for our diets, as they can contain a huge number of calories but won't do anything to make us feel full. He once warned in his blog: "If you find that you're eating well, exercising and taking care of your healthy lifestyle yet the weight still manages to creep on, there may be a good reason for it.

"Coffees, alcohol and fruit juices should all be factored into your calorie intake when following a weight loss plan. Often forgotten about, your daily latte is probably adding around 1,330 calories per week to your intake, which is around five and a half Mars bars!"

When it comes to coffee, you could still enjoy a dose of caffeine if you swap high-calorie drinks such as lattes for a black coffee, or even a type of herbal tea.