It’s pretty hard choosing gifts for people, so here’s a few ideas if you know someone who is interested in longevity, but you’re not sure what to get them. And as most people are feeling the squeeze at the moment, I’ve tried to keep most of them to a reasonable cost.

Unfortunately, you can’t buy a life extension pill (yet) so what else can you consider? I’d advise against supplements – not only because most have no evidence behind them, but even ones that do should ideally only be taken after your biomarkers have been tested to know whether you, personally, may actually benefit from them.

Probably the best approach is to focus on the four pillars of longevity: exercise, diet, sleep and connections (as reiterated by Matt Kaeberlein). These are the areas that will not only help you feel healthier today, but will increase your chances of being still being around when we reach longevity escape velocity (that’s when medical advances are happening so rapidly that life expectancy is increasing by a year each year, indefinitely extending lifespans).

Exercise

The most important requirement in this category is that the recipient will actually use it. There’s no point gifting an expensive squash racquet if they’re not interested in playing. With exercise it’s better to do something consistently than having grand plans to run a marathon which prevent you from doing a couch to 5K. 

As well as being more active sport wise, it’s equally important not to be too sedentary (you can’t make up for it by being a weekend warrior). This can be difficult for people with desk-based jobs – so why not consider a cheap set of massage balls? I’ve got some spikey ones like this which I can mindlessly roll round under my desk – keeping a little bit of movement going even when working.

Alternative gift: for something a bit grander, there are also under desk foot rest rockers and balance boards. I’ve got all 3 which I rotate them round every few weeks.

Diet

As well as overindulging in the compulsory Christmas cake and Christmas pudding, many people gift each other food in the unhealthy-but-it’s-only-once-a-year category! Chocolate truffles, stollen, ginger biscuits, and almost definitely a £5 tub of Heroes or Quality Street.

As an alternative, why not give someone what Tim Spector (in his recent book Food for Life) called the closest thing we have to a real superfood - extra virgin olive oil? By carefully extracting the oil from the olives (no heat or chemicals) EVOO retains the highest polyphenol content. Studies have shown that 4 tablespoons a day can lower the incidence of stroke and heart attack.

I realise this won’t be everybody’s cup of tea (or green tea, preferably) so if you are going to give someone chocolates try to make it dark 70+% cocoa chocolate so they benefit from its flavanols.

Sleep

Some health practitioners regard sleep as the most important area to focus on, as without good sleep you’re going to find it hard to focus on the other pillars of health. So how do you gift someone a good night's sleep? Maybe the easiest, and cheapest, is a sleep mask. Nothing fancy, just something to keep the light out.

This could be particularly important given the recent research by Flinders University, Australia, showing that nighttime exposure to light may raise cardiovascular risk by up to 50% - not from lack of sleep, but from messing up the body’s circadian rhythm.

Connection

Here’s a totally free gift idea – meeting up with someone you’ve not seen for a while, whether that’s a family member or a friend you’ve been meaning to catch up with, but time keeps slipping by. Social connections have a surprising effect on people’s physical health so why not get together for a walk (in nature you’ll benefit from the green effect too) and a chat? That will be good for them, and, of course, you’ll feel good too.

Awareness

Of course, most people aren’t aware of the longevity movement, let alone radical life extension. Getting someone interested in longevity can help them (by pointing them in the right direction) which then also aids the cause as the more people demanding longer, healthier lives, the more investment the industry is likely to receive. 

My favourite readable (and evidence-based) introductory book to longevity is Ageless by Andrew Steele. He unashamedly says we should aim to cure ageing, but is very realistic about where we are today and what is needed (as individuals and society) to achieve it. Definitely worth a read.

Self-tracking

So, all of the above are low-cost gift options for longevity enthusiasts (whether the giver or the receiver) and provide some of the biggest bang for your bucks. What if you have a bit more cash and want to splash out on a loved one, say? 

In that case, think about giving a comprehensive blood test as a present. I get an annual Ultimate Performance Blood Test from Medichecks which covers all the key biomarkers such as cholesterol, blood sugar, inflammation and a full blood count (red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets). On top of that, it includes iron, vitamins and kidney/liver/thyroid health, as well as a doctor’s report.

A full panel blood test will help spot diseases early – giving the recipient time to act before things get worse, and even if still within the normal range, just seeing the numbers can sometimes provide the motivation to think about their health more actively. It’s also good to get a baseline and trend over time – so if you are seriously ill, are your biomarkers totally abnormal or is that they way you’ve always been, which may lead doctors onto a different diagnosis.

If you really want to blow the budget, then you can also consider a DEXA scan or full body MRI scan from a company such as Prenuvo.

I wouldn’t recommend a biological age test as they’re very expensive, only produce one number (with varying results and accuracy) and are lacking in actionable insights. At the moment, consumer tests are more for entertainment value than a useful health tool.

Merry Christmas and good luck with your gift shopping

So there you have it – 5 healthy gift ideas for Christmas. Hope the helps, and have a very merry Christmas, and let’s see what exciting longevity developments there are in the new year.