What happens when something you have loved for decades suddenly no longer makes you feel good? In this deeply personal solo episode of Growing Older Living Younger, Dr. Gillian Lockitch shares her evolving relationship with wine—from studying for Levels 1 and 2 of the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET), exploring vineyards around the world, and writing about food, wine and travel, to gradually realizing that even a single glass of wine was affecting her sleep, contributing to brain fog and seeming to be associated with painful nighttime leg cramps. This is not an episode about declaring wine "good" or "bad." It is about learning to recognize when your body is telling you that something has changed. Dr. Gillian explores how aging can alter our response to alcohol, why alcohol-induced sleepiness is not the same as restorative sleep, the changing evidence around wine and cardiovascular health, and why alcohol reduction became especially important to her after experiencing persistent atrial fibrillation and undergoing cardiac ablation. Most importantly, she introduces a principle that applies far beyond wine: Listen to your body whispers before they become shouts. The central question she asks is "Are you still making choices based on what worked for your body years ago—or are you listening to what your body is telling you now?"
Episode Timeline
00:30 A personal story about loving—and eventually giving up—wine
02:08 Studying wine through WSET and discovering the world of wine tasting
03:33 Riesling, Sauvignon Blanc and the pleasures of learning about wine
05:58 Why wine represented much more than alcohol
07:19 The first whisper: sleepiness, brain fog and disrupted sleep
09:00 Nighttime leg cramps and distinguishing cramps from restless legs syndrome
10:31 Wine, carbohydrate-rich meals and Dr. Gillian's personal N-of-one experience
11:22 Why she gradually stopped drinking wine
12:03 The French paradox and the belief that red wine might protect the heart
13:47 Why the evidence about alcohol and health has become more complicated
15:25 Alcohol, atrial fibrillation and protecting sinus rhythm
17:08 Memories of favorite wines and why appreciation doesn't require consumption
18:02 Listen to the whispers before they become shouts
19:14 Your Ageless Action: track how something you routinely eat, drink or do actually makes you feel today
20:14 Adaptation, freedom and choosing the life you want to create now
Three Questions to Ask Yourself What did I learn that I didn't know before? What immediate action can I begin today? What do I want to protect or improve over the next year, five years or ten years?
Your Ageless Action Choose one thing you routinely eat, drink or do that has been part of your life for years. Ask yourself - how does this actually make me feel now? For the next week or two, track what happens afterward and ask what impact does this have on how I feel from day to day.
You can also schedule a personal conversation with your host, Dr. Gillian Lockitch, to begin creating your own Roadmap for Growing Older Living Younger.
About Your Host Dr. Gillian Lockitch is a physician, medical professor emerita, researcher, international speaker, author, and entrepreneur. Her work focuses on helping people understand how lifestyle choices and healthy-aging strategies can support healthspan, independence and the ability to continue doing the things that give life meaning. She is also an affiliate with Nu Skin, a global beauty and wellness company, and incorporates her interest in wellness technologies and healthy-aging strategies into her broader approach to living younger while growing older.
Host Links
Website: Growing Older Living Younger
Connect with Dr. Gillian:LinkedIn Meta
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